It's been a long time since I've read a middle school/young adult book that I've wanted to re-read right after I'd read it the first time. This is definitely a "thinking" book. There are so many levels to its sophistication. I think it'd be a great book for discussion in the area of science, faith, and imperialism/racial superiority.
As a former science teacher, I enjoyed the many references, both obvious and subtle, to scientific topics. As a Christian, I was okay with the questions of faith. Some books blatantly bash Christianity, but this one was different. It was questioning any religious beliefs...not saying religion/faith wasn't important or real, rather questioning why you believe what you believe. Are your beliefs based on things you've always assumed are true or on what you know to be true?
The other strand in the book I found fascinating was that of racial superiority and the imperialistic actions of many countries in the past. Why is it that many European countries and the U.S. think/thought they were superior to third-world countries, for instance? What makes one country/people "better" than another? Are they really "better"?
I would love to work with a group of students discussing this book. Very thought provoking. An important read, I believe.
Genre: fantasy (but not fantastical...more like fantasy "light")
Topics: tidal wave, astronomy, imperialism, survival, religion, faith, scientific inquiry, superiority of one over another, dolphins, shipwreck
Audience: 8th graders (or kids who like to think/ponder)
Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 5 of 5
Amazon reviews
Monday, April 26, 2010
Rescuing Seneca Crane by Susan Runholt
Rescuing Seneca Crane is the second book in the Kari and Lucas Mysteries. The first was The Mystery of the Third Lucretia.
Once again, Kari and Lucas are off adventuring around the world with Kari's mother. This time they travel to Scotland where Kari's mother is interviewing Seneca Crane, a fifteen-year-old piano prodigy. Kari and Lucas develop a friendship with Seneca, so when Seneca disappears, Kari and Lucas head off to try to rescue Seneca. They encounter many adventures/misadventures along the way and meet some cute guys near where they suspect Seneca may be being held.
Some of the elements of the rescue may be a little far-fetched, but hey, this is a book for middle schoolers. It's a great mystery and great fun to read. You won't be disappointed.
Topics: concert pianist, kidnapping, Scotland, fly-fishing casting, greed, step-fathers, managers, ingenuity
Genre: realistic fiction, mystery
Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4.5 of 5
Amazon Reviews
Once again, Kari and Lucas are off adventuring around the world with Kari's mother. This time they travel to Scotland where Kari's mother is interviewing Seneca Crane, a fifteen-year-old piano prodigy. Kari and Lucas develop a friendship with Seneca, so when Seneca disappears, Kari and Lucas head off to try to rescue Seneca. They encounter many adventures/misadventures along the way and meet some cute guys near where they suspect Seneca may be being held.
Some of the elements of the rescue may be a little far-fetched, but hey, this is a book for middle schoolers. It's a great mystery and great fun to read. You won't be disappointed.
Topics: concert pianist, kidnapping, Scotland, fly-fishing casting, greed, step-fathers, managers, ingenuity
Genre: realistic fiction, mystery
Mrs. Beckwith's rating: 4.5 of 5
Amazon Reviews
Much Ado about Grubstake by Jean Ferris
Much Ado about Grubstake is one fun book. It's set in Grubstake, a rundown, dying mining town in the Old West. Arley Pickett is a 16-year-old girl who runs a boarding house for some of the few miners who remain. She, too, owns a mine, left by her father who died in an explosion there, so she doesn't much care for mines anymore.
One day, on the train that comes to Grubstake once a month, a city slicker arrives who offers cash for any of the mines the miners want to sell. Arley is immediately suspicious. Who would want to pay money for mines that were all dried up? That begins her humorous adventures of determining who the bad guys are, what's really going on, and how to save the people she cares for...unusual though they may be. There's Everdene, the saloon owner who's been burned by men; Duncan, the young newspaper owner/journalist; Outdoor John and Prairie Martin, two of Arley's boarders; pretentious Lacey, nasty Charles Randall, and mysterious Morgan to name a few.
If you take this book seriously, you likely won't enjoy it. However, if you read it the way it seems to be intended, it's just plain lighthearted fun. My guess is that is, indeed, the author's intention, because Arley, the main character, likes to read Penny Dreadfuls...and that's what this book seems somewhat reminiscent of.
Topics: mining, boarders, boarding house, troublesome dog, miners, swindlers, power through coercion,
Genre: historical fiction (1888)
Mrs. Beckwith's review: 4 of 5
(I agree with the one Amazon reviewer who has posted at this time....I don't know why the critic from School Library Journal was so harsh with this book. I thought it was a fun read.)
Amazon Reviews
One day, on the train that comes to Grubstake once a month, a city slicker arrives who offers cash for any of the mines the miners want to sell. Arley is immediately suspicious. Who would want to pay money for mines that were all dried up? That begins her humorous adventures of determining who the bad guys are, what's really going on, and how to save the people she cares for...unusual though they may be. There's Everdene, the saloon owner who's been burned by men; Duncan, the young newspaper owner/journalist; Outdoor John and Prairie Martin, two of Arley's boarders; pretentious Lacey, nasty Charles Randall, and mysterious Morgan to name a few.
If you take this book seriously, you likely won't enjoy it. However, if you read it the way it seems to be intended, it's just plain lighthearted fun. My guess is that is, indeed, the author's intention, because Arley, the main character, likes to read Penny Dreadfuls...and that's what this book seems somewhat reminiscent of.
Topics: mining, boarders, boarding house, troublesome dog, miners, swindlers, power through coercion,
Genre: historical fiction (1888)
Mrs. Beckwith's review: 4 of 5
(I agree with the one Amazon reviewer who has posted at this time....I don't know why the critic from School Library Journal was so harsh with this book. I thought it was a fun read.)
Amazon Reviews
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Operation Yes by Sara Lewis Holmes
This was one fun book to read. Bo is a 6th grader in a school full of kids from the local Air Force base families. Bo is also the son of the base commander. He has been known to get into a trouble at school, and his father is hoping 6th grade will be different.
Gari is Bo's cousin from the west coast. Gari's mom is gearing up for deployment to Iraq, so that means Gari will have to go live with her relatives, enter Bo, while her mom is gone. Gari wants to stay where she's at. She's already made plans for the school year. Gari tries to figure out different ways she can make her mom stay home...never mind her mom's orders from the Army!
Miss Loupe is their free spirited 6th grade teacher. Her motto is "Yes and...". I love how she gets her students to think and grow as learners. I wish I could have had a teacher like her! She teaches her students some improv techniques that help many of the students grow and develop in different ways.
The reader is also introduced to the brother of Miss Loupe. He's stationed in Afghanistan. The kids are involved in a project to collect things to send to him to give to kids in Afghanistan, but then the unthinkable happens. He is MIA. This starts another strand of the story...not knowing and everything that follows.
I don't know if it's because I'm the wife of an Army National Guard member or not, but I thought it was a great book. Based on what I've seen of other reviewers, it doesn't matter if you're knowledgeable about the military or not. It's a great story that gives you a little insight into what families of military members experience. It's a story that will have you laughing out loud in parts...thoroughly enjoyable.
Topics: military life, school, family, deployment, improvisation, theater, "yes and", U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan
Recommended audience: best MS fit is 6th grade, maybe 7th, too
Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 5 of 5
Amazon reviews
Gari is Bo's cousin from the west coast. Gari's mom is gearing up for deployment to Iraq, so that means Gari will have to go live with her relatives, enter Bo, while her mom is gone. Gari wants to stay where she's at. She's already made plans for the school year. Gari tries to figure out different ways she can make her mom stay home...never mind her mom's orders from the Army!
Miss Loupe is their free spirited 6th grade teacher. Her motto is "Yes and...". I love how she gets her students to think and grow as learners. I wish I could have had a teacher like her! She teaches her students some improv techniques that help many of the students grow and develop in different ways.
The reader is also introduced to the brother of Miss Loupe. He's stationed in Afghanistan. The kids are involved in a project to collect things to send to him to give to kids in Afghanistan, but then the unthinkable happens. He is MIA. This starts another strand of the story...not knowing and everything that follows.
I don't know if it's because I'm the wife of an Army National Guard member or not, but I thought it was a great book. Based on what I've seen of other reviewers, it doesn't matter if you're knowledgeable about the military or not. It's a great story that gives you a little insight into what families of military members experience. It's a story that will have you laughing out loud in parts...thoroughly enjoyable.
Topics: military life, school, family, deployment, improvisation, theater, "yes and", U.S. military in Iraq and Afghanistan
Recommended audience: best MS fit is 6th grade, maybe 7th, too
Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 5 of 5
Amazon reviews
Friday, April 2, 2010
The London Eye Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
The two main characters are Ted and Kat, a brother and sister from London. Ted has a "syndrome" which is likely Asperger's from the Autism spectrum, although it's never specifically stated. Kat is a somewhat rebellious teen girl who has a love/hate relationship with her brother, Ted.
Ted and Kat's cousin, Salim, and Salim's mother are moving to New York City and decide to stop to visit Ted and Kat's family in London. While there, they all decide to take a ride on the London Eye. Thanks to a ticket from a mysterious stranger, Salim goes on the London Eye alone. One problem, though. He doesn't get off. The remainder of the story is the attempt to discover what happened to Salim. Ted and Kat are the two primary investigators. Ted's unique way of seeing things ultimately helps solve the mystery.
Topics: family, missing people, London Eye, brother/sister, weather, clues, mystery, observations, British"isms"
Sensitive areas: alcohol and tobacco use, language (sporadic)
Mrs. Beckwith's Review: 4 of 5
Amazon Reviews
Ted and Kat's cousin, Salim, and Salim's mother are moving to New York City and decide to stop to visit Ted and Kat's family in London. While there, they all decide to take a ride on the London Eye. Thanks to a ticket from a mysterious stranger, Salim goes on the London Eye alone. One problem, though. He doesn't get off. The remainder of the story is the attempt to discover what happened to Salim. Ted and Kat are the two primary investigators. Ted's unique way of seeing things ultimately helps solve the mystery.
Topics: family, missing people, London Eye, brother/sister, weather, clues, mystery, observations, British"isms"
Sensitive areas: alcohol and tobacco use, language (sporadic)
Mrs. Beckwith's Review: 4 of 5
Amazon Reviews
The Last Treasure by Janet S. Anderson
Ellsworth takes a trip to New York to search for a family treasure that only a child can uncover. He teams up with his cousin Jess. While they are searching for the treasure, they uncover other family mysteries/secrets that have caused different family members great pain.
You get to meet older adults from their family and read stories of some of the family members whom have died many years ago. The author develops the characters so that you seem to really know them. There's a family tree in the front of the book to help you figure out where everyone fits in.
Another interesting thing about the book is the setting. The patriarch built a total of ten houses around The Square. Nine of the ten were originally built for the children of the patriarch. Some of the children died, and treasures were hidden in each of them. Each time, the treasure was discovered during a time of great need for the family. Each time, it was a child with an adult who discovered it.
Topics: family, secrets, mystery, heritage, paintings, misunderstandings
Genre: mystery
Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4.5 of 5
Amazon Reviews
You get to meet older adults from their family and read stories of some of the family members whom have died many years ago. The author develops the characters so that you seem to really know them. There's a family tree in the front of the book to help you figure out where everyone fits in.
Another interesting thing about the book is the setting. The patriarch built a total of ten houses around The Square. Nine of the ten were originally built for the children of the patriarch. Some of the children died, and treasures were hidden in each of them. Each time, the treasure was discovered during a time of great need for the family. Each time, it was a child with an adult who discovered it.
Topics: family, secrets, mystery, heritage, paintings, misunderstandings
Genre: mystery
Mrs. Beckwith's Rating: 4.5 of 5
Amazon Reviews
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