Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly

How I Heard About It:  Some middle-grade novels seem to get a lot of "buzz" from the readers.  This is one such book.  I've been seeing the cover and positive comments online for quite some time.  I wanted to see for myself what everyone was talking about.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *There are many "lonely" children out there.  Iris may be even more lonely than some because of her not being able to hear the world around her. 

2.  *Most animals seem to travel and/or live in "groups", but Blue55 is not one such animal.  He is a whale that exists primary on his own.  Why is this?

3.  *That is the question that Iris sets out to answer.  She knows how it feels to not be able to communicate like most of the people around her.  Iris imagines that is how Blue55 must feel.  

4.  *With an intent interest in electronics, radio, and music; Iris sets out with a plan to let Blue55 he isn't alone in his "quiet" world under the sea.  

5.  *Iris and her grandmother are lost without her grandfather, but become closer as they begin a journey to reach Blue55.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *What I have learned about my own reading preferences is that I can tell if I'm going to be engaged in a novel just after a few pages.  When I begin the story this morning, I knew I was going to completely enjoy the story.  

2.  *I was fascinated about Iris' life as a deaf child and how she navigated the world around her.  

3.  *As a reader, I gained a lot of new and fascinating information about the life of whales, how they communicate, and their sounds.  I think this would be a wonderful novel to tie to a science unit.

4.  *Once the grandmother and Iris began their journey, I did have some questions on whether this was realistic, but I decided to let that go and enjoy.  It is fiction!  

5.  *This is a beautiful and touching story about one girl trying to make sense of not only her "quiet" world, but that same world of a very large whale out in the ocean.  


Who Should Read It:    I know this will make for a strong class read aloud in grades three through six.  Of course individual readers will eat up the story as well.  Middle-school readers would also be an excellent audience for Lynne Kelly's newest novel.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:   4 STARS out of 5 Stars!

Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian

How I Heard About It:  While browsing online for new young-adult novels and novels published for adults, I came across this title.  After reading the many 5-star reviews from readers, I knew I had to order the book and read it as soon as possible.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Abdi Nazemian takes the reader back to 1989 in New York City during the height of the AIDS crisis.

2.  *For three young people; Madonna is their choice of music, expressing themselves in high on their list, and making sure our country takes care of those dying is their number one priority.  

3.  *Art and Judy have been the best of friends forever.  They are two "outcasts" at their high-school, but as long as they have each other, they will be just fine.  

4.  *Reza has recently moved to New York City.  His family is originally from Iran.  As much as Art is out and proud, Reza wants to keep his secret to himself.  

5.  *As more and more gay men are dying from AIDS, Art wants to make a huge difference in the world, Reza wants to stay healthy and alive, and Judy wants to find true love.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *Wow!  This was such a wonderful and intense story.  

2.  *Being a young-adult myself during 1989, the story brought back lots of memories of that time:  the music, the pop stars, the politicians, and the events happening in our country regarding the AIDS crisis.

3.  *I found each of the three characters to be real, authentic, and sympathetic.  I could feel their pain, joy, and struggle to find their place in the world.  

4.  *The writer did a fantastic job of taking the reader back to this time in history and accurately described what was going on for many of our citizens.  I'm glad to say that we have come a long way in many aspects.  

5.  *The relationships between these three young-adults was the center-point of the story and carried me on an emotional journey that I won't soon forget.  


Who Should Read It:    This is definitely a story for the high-school reader and above.  There are a few sexually graphic love scenes that may or may not be appropriate for a younger reader.  Of course readers older than high-school would definitely appreciate and enjoy the story; especially if you were a teenager during 1989.  Happy Reading!  

Rating:   4+ STARS out of 5 Stars!

My Lovely Wife by Samantha Downing

How I Heard About It:  I remember listening to an interview with the author on the radio while driving home from work this past spring.  They were chatting about the novel and the two hosts were raving how much they loved the book.  I forgot about it for awhile, until I saw a review written up in a magazine.  At the time, I was looking for a novel published for adults so I decided to order.  Boy, am I glad I did!  The last couple of days I just devoured the story and could not put the book down.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *I don't want to give too much away so I'm going to keep my thoughts to the "bare bones".

2.  *Milicent and her husband (he is the narrator and unnamed) have two teenage children, live in a beautiful suburb, and both have jobs that keep them busy.  From those looking in from the outside, the family seems to have it all.  

3.  *The couple tend to take their "date nights" while sitting in the car which is parked in the garage.  It is here they are away from the ears of their children.  It is here they touch base, plot, and plan.  It is here they come to ask questions of each other.  

4.  *When women begin to disappear in the community and a serial killer may have returned; everyone, including Milicent and her husband, are put on high alert.  

5.  *Milicent has secrets.  Her husband has secrets.  They keep these secrets at bay from their children and those in the community.  What they didn't know is they are also keeping the secrets from each other.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *It has been a long time since I have read an adult novel such as this one.  From the first page until the last page, I was literally "glued" to the story and what was happening on the pages.

2.  *As I was reading, I kept wondering why I was enjoying the experience so much.  The characters are awful.  What they do is awful.  They are not nice people.  Yet, I kept reading and reading and reading.  

3.  *To me, this is the perfect beach read for summer 2019.  Is the plot plausible?  No!  Could this really happen?  God, I hope not!  But what the author gives is a delightful, juicy, and page-turning reading experience.  

4.  *Sometimes it is just plain fun to read a book that is disturbing, jaw-dropping, and more over the top OMG moments to count.   

5.  *Just when I thought I had "things" figured out, Samantha Downing veered off course and gave me quite the surprise ending.  I loved it.  This was a pure joy.  Which is a strange thing to say since there was NO joy within the plot.  


Who Should Read It:    I'm not sure everyone would enjoy this story, but they should.  Isn't that what fiction is all about.  Letting go of reality and creating people, places, and events so far removed from our every day life; that we just have a ball reading.  This is the perfect summer book to read.  I highly recommend it.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!

Give and Take by Elly Swartz

How I Heard About It:  I got this ARC from my Twitter #bookexpedition group.  I've been waiting a LONG time to read Elly's third novel.  I absolutely loved her first two stories and couldn't wait to see what she would write the third time around.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Maggie isn't your "typical" twelve-year old girl.  She "collects" things, is on an all girls trap shooting team, and is in a family that fosters newborn babies for short periods of time.  

2.  *When their first newborn arrives, Izzy, Maggie couldn't be more thrilled to be an older sister to a baby girl.  She is use to brothers.  

3.  *Maggie and Izzy bond instantly which makes it all the more difficult when a forever home is found for the baby.  

4.  *As much as she tries to hide it from everyone, Maggie has an issue that is getting more and more out of control.  She is afraid she will forget all the memories in her life; just as her grandmother did.  

5.  *Navigating through muddy waters forces Maggie to look at her life, family/team members, and mostly herself to work through some pretty heavy life "stuff".  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *So exciting to start a new book from one of my favorite middle-grade authors.  I could blame her for me not getting to my "to-do" list today, but it would be a good kind of blame.

2.  *I enjoyed the story of Maggie, her family, and the characters that surrounded her.  I don't think I've ever read a story about a young girl dealing with the issues she was encountering.  

3.  *I've been noticing that writers are creating stories with shorter chapters.  I think this is a win-win for all readers involved.  It seems the plot flows faster and more smoothly with this format.  The reader also ends up reading more because they say, "One more chapter."  

4.  *One, of many, strong point was the relationship Maggie had with her two brothers; one younger and one older.  There were several sweet and tender moments between the siblings.  

5.  *I'm a reader that loves a story that starts out strong, remains strong, and ends strong.  That is exactly what happened within this novel.  


Who Should Read It:    Everyone should read this book.  Middle-grade readers, middle-school readers, and even high-school readers.  I'm looking forward to sharing this new novel with my class when it enters the world in October of 2019.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!

Pixie Pushes On by Tamara Bundy

How I Heard About It:  Going to the mailbox and receiving a package from Nancy Paulsen is always a GREAT mail day.  I was thrilled to find an ARC of Tamara Bundy's newest novel coming out in January of 2020.  This will be a book that I share with my Twitter #bookexpedition group.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Tamara Bundy takes the reader back to the 1940's while young men are fighting in battle over seas.  

2.  *This leaves family and friends back at home in the United States trying their best to make rations last while waiting for their loved ones to return.


3.  *Pixie knows all about loss.  She lost her mother and now is dealing with her older sister being "locked" up in the hospital with Polio.  Pixie thinks it is her fault and can't quite forgive herself.

4.  *She is feeling alone both at home and school.  It doesn't help that she labels some of the other kids at "Rotten Ricky" and "Big Mouth Berta".  

5.  *As Pixie communicates with her sister via letters, becomes closer with her classmates, and begins to raise a "runt" of a lamb; she learns what she is responsible for and what she isn't.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *Well, I read this entire story yesterday afternoon/evening.  It was one of those stories that is described at "UNPUTDOWNABLE".

2.  *I so enjoyed the personality and "spunk" of Pixie.  She seemed to jump off the page and into my heart and mind.  

3.  *One aspect of the book that I appreciated were the short chapters.  I know this is an important factor for young readers.  I also appreciate them as an adult reader.  It seems to make the reading faster and easier.  

4.  *The writing was spectacular.  While reading I was able to visualize the both the setting and the plot that Pixie was smack dab in the middle of.  

5.  *I'm always looking for strong historical fiction that I can share with my fourth grade readers and I know this will be a novel that will be used in my classroom during 2019/20.  


Who Should Read It:    Even though the back cover states the story is for grades five and above, I know that I will use this story with my fourth grade readers.  It will be used either as a class read aloud and/or a "Breakfast with Books" book club selection.  This novel must be shared with readers in grades four through six and of course would also be great for middle-school readers.  Tamara's writing is strong, engaging, and perfect for young readers.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   5 STARS out of 5 Stars!

Wonder Wednesday #275 (Summer Video #THREE)

Wonder Wednesday - What I'm Reading 

*On Wednesdays, I usually post "WONDERS" about what my fourth grade readers are up to and experiencing in our classroom community.



*Now that it is summer vacation, I don't have as many "EVENTS" to post and share.  But summer is the BEST time of the year to get some serious reading done.

*June flew by and I was thinking about what I can post on each Wednesday during July and August.  I know many bloggers post videos about their reading lives.

*I thought I would give "VLOGGING" a try.  I'm not promising they will be any good, but I plan on sharing what I'm currently reading and/or novels that I highly recommend.

*These books will include middle-grade and young-adult books, along with novels published for adults.

*Here is the THIRD video in the Wednesday summer series I plan on posting...

The Beginner's Guide to Winning an Election by Michael R. French

How I Heard About It:  This young-adult novel came to via TLC Book Tours.  I have done a few book reviews for them.  This is the most recent book they sent me.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *High school isn't easy, especially when you aren't in the upper "ranks".

2.  *Brit has always taken a backseat in the high school scene.  

3.  *Matthew on the other hand, has been a "front runner" throughout all of his educational years.  

4.  *When the student body president elections come up again, everyone knows Matthew will run and win.  

5.  *Brit decides it is her time to stir things up.  She decides to run against Matthew.  She not only learns about politics, but the "underground" scandals that accompany an election.  


What I Thought Of It - Five Observations/Reflections:
1.  *I always love getting novels from the "TLC Book Tours" because they are usually not the typical types of books I read.  

2.  *I'm not one that follows politics, on the high school level, so this was an interesting and engaging read.  

3.  *I enjoyed that the author decided to place the story in the future year of 2025.  The plot certainly has some similarities to our current political environment in our country.  

4.  *The progression of Brit from the girl no one knew to being the top news "story" of the school year was not only entertaining, but engaging and mindful.  

5.  *There were a few sections of the story that dragged on a bit, but I don't think this will bother the high school reader.  


Who Should Read It:    A perfect story for the high-school and/or middle-school reader.  It would be especially appealing to that high school kid that enjoys or is involved in their school politics.  Happy Reading!  


Rating:   3 STARS out of 5 Stars!