Page Turners

It all started with ten stupid crabs. Ten-year-old Keeper is sure the crabs know they are destined for the Blue Moon crab gumbo so she decides to set them free, setting off an alarming chain of events that affects the people she loves most, Signe, Dogie, and Mr. Beauchamp. Keeper’s only hope is that Maggie Marie, her mermaid mother who swam away when she was three, will set matters right. Keeper is determined that she and BD (best dog) will find Maggie Marie – even if it means setting out to sea in the middle of the night.

If you liked Keeper, then you would also like Ingo by Helen Dunmore.

You may also like to watch Kathi Appelt answer some frequently asked questions of her book, Keeper.

Reviewed by Mrs. Geraty

Liam has always felt a bit like he’s stuck between two worlds. He is a twelve-year-old boy who looks like he’s thirty.  Because he loves thrill rides so much, Liam cons his way into being the adult chaperone on the first space ship to take civilians into space, a special flight for a group of special kids. But when the ship is stuck 230,000 miles from home, being mistaken for an adult is not good.

Living at FunJungle, the world’s largest animal theme park, would be exciting for most kids, but Teddy misses his former adventurous life in the Congo with his scientist mother and photographer father. Life gets much more interesting when Henry the Hippo is murdered. Henry, FunJungle’s mascot, was a mean, obnoxious animal, but he didn’t deserve to die. An enthusiastic snoop, Teddy soon finds himself in the middle of an unknown criminal’s dangerous scheme. This book is a great pick for animal lovers, mystery fans, and anyone with a slightly dark sense of fun.

If you liked Swindle by Gordon Korman, then you’ll like Belly Up.

Reviewed by Ms. Black

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to work for  a veterinarian (or to be one)? To answer that question, Poppy Ray chooses to spend a month on Nisqually Island off the coast of Washington State with her veterinarian uncle,  rather than go with her parents to visit family in India.  After many adventures with dogs, cats, and even a duck, Poppy learns more than she ever bargained for.

You’ll get to go behind the scenes with Poppy at Uncle Sanjay’s Furry Friends Animal Clinic.  What would you do with newborn puppies, a runaway duck, an injured dog?  Find out this and more when you read Seaglass Summer.

You might also like Finding Danny by Linzi Glass and Girl’s Best Friend (A Maggie Brooklyn Mystery) by Leslie Margolis.

Read an interview with Poppy, the main character of Seaglass Summer, to find out what it was like to wait for the author to tell her story!

Reviewed by Joan Eisenberg

Set in Kansas during the Great Depression, Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool (this year’s
Newbery winner), is a fast paced adventure story about a young girl searching for answers about her
father’s mysterious childhood. After being sent by her father to his childhood hometown of Manifest,
Kansas, feisty 12 year old Abilene Tucker uncovers secrets about the town’s past, including spies and
speakeasies. While learning about her father’s past, Abilene also gains a new appreciation of the ties
that bind true friends and family.

You may also like The Green Glass Sea by Ellen Klages or Counting on Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop.

Reviewed by Mrs. Willett

A recipe for self-reliance, family, and humor:

1.  Take one gasoline shortage and a family bicycle shop;
2.  14-year-oldest brother Dewey Mariss who feels responsible for maintaining the
bicycle shop when his parents are inadvertently prolonged on their anniversary
trip;
3.  and a person in the community who is trying to sabotage the Mariss bicycle shop;

and you have a family environmental tale that empowers the siblings in this family to pull together, and to learn to ask for help when necessary.  If you liked The Penderwicks you will  love Crunch!

Reviewed by Ms. Francine

For a brief interview with author Leslie Connor see the Good Morning Connecticut clip below:

This is exactly the kind of book I loved to read when I was in 4th grade! Miri finally has a bedroom of her own, but she can’t escape feeling lonely, even with two (yes, two!) sets of twins for siblings. One afternoon, she picks up a strange piece of glass and is suddenly back in 1935…and there’s a strange girl in her room! Can Miri and Molly get back to the 21st century?

You may also like Half Magic by Edward Eager.

Learn the story behind the story in this  interview with Annie Barrows.

Reviewed by Mrs. Mellin

Miss Penelope Lumley just graduated from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females and is anxiously on her way to her first position as a governess. Will her new home, Ashton Place, be grand or comfortable? Will the children be lovable and eager or spoiled and incorrigible? Will she be a good governess and teach them all she knows about poetry, map reading, and the fine art of manners? And what is that mysterious howling? . . . Awoooooo!

The incorrigible children of Ashton Place are very good at spotting squirrels. How good are you? Play the Squirrel Spotter Game

Adapted by Sarah Thomson

How do you honor someone close to you who has died?  Greg Mortenson wanted to memorialize his younger sister, Christa, who had died when she was 23 of severe epilepsy.   His original intention was to climb to the summit of K2 (on the border of Pakistan and China) and place her necklace on one of the tallest mountains in the world.

But during his incredible journey Greg got lost;  ended up in the village of Korphe, and was befriended by the village chief, Haji Ali.

As Greg’s health recovered he realized the desperate need for a school for all of the village children (at that time most girls in Pakistan, were not allowed to attend school) — and what better way to honor the memory of his sister Christa.

So when Greg leaves Korphe village in 1993 he promises Haji Ali that he will return and help build a school for the entire community — little did he realize that this first school would take three years to complete!

To learn about other schools that Greg has helped to build with the organization he started – Central Asia Institute view the following video book trailer of the original Three Cups of Tea story that was written for an adult audience:

To learn how kids and schools around the world are helping Greg and his mission to promote peace by building schools go to:  Pennies for Peace

Have you ever longed for a pet? Do you ever wonder where a stray cat spends the night? If you pay attention there are amazing stories all around you. The cats who live around Roxville Station are wild – they belong only to themselves – and most of the people who live there hardly even notice them. The cats hunt for food and in turn are hunted by other wild animals. This story brings us deep into the life of one particular kitten, Rachet, as she joins this group of wild cats, and one boy Mike who notices her and wishes he could have her as a pet. Mike pays attention to Rachet and starts to understand the ‘language’ of cats – how they communicate with each other and the special kind of communication cats save for humans. It is a story full of adventure and survival.  There is even a mystery to solve  – could there really be a ghost living in the tower of the house where Mike lives? Ultimately it is a story of a special friendship between a lonely boy and a loner cat who needs to be taught to trust him. Jean Craighead George who wrote the Newbery Honor book  My Side of the Mountain brings her love of nature and observing mind to the suburbs where this nature story takes place. The map and illustrations by Tom Pohrt add a wonderful warmth to a story you will want to curl up in the sun and read – just like a cat!