Newbery Challenge- 2011 Moon Over Manifest

It took me a while to write the review of this book. It was absolutely fantastic, but the end was so moving and I was so sad it was over I felt the need to recover. 

It was the kind of book that you can't just immediately start chatting casually about. The characters and the town wove their way so fully into my heart that I needed to take a little time before I could review it here. 

The book is historical fiction. Which, I'll be honest, is not my favorite genre. But this book was such a surprising gem that it immediately became one of my favorite books! 

The story takes place during the Great Depression and centers around a girl who has lived all her life with her dad on the road. They hitch rides on trains and move from place to place, but at the beginning of the book her father has decided that the road is not the proper place for a girl to grow up. He sends her back to a town that he spent some time in as a boy and she has to carve a place in this town for herself and in the process learns about the history of the town and a lot about herself. 

I know I can't do it justice here so just read it! 

LOVED, LOVED, LOVED IT! 

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

My 18 month old and I read this book EVERY night. It's not new, but still a true delight! 

Newbery Challenge- 2012 Dead End in Norvelt

Video review this time.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Top 10 circulated books in 2012-2013

Number 10: 

 

Number 9:

Number 8:

 

 Number 7:

 

Number 6:

 

Number 5:

 

Number 4:

 

Number 3:

 

Number 2:

 

Number 1 most checked out book in the 2012-2013 school year:  

Are we surprised that Diary of a Wimpy Kid occupied 4 spots on our top 10? 

I love that both of Brian Selznick's books made the top 10 (numbers 1 and 7). 

Over all, our kids are BIG readers and I love that they love to read! 

FWC READS!!!

Newbery Challenge- 2010 When You Reach Me

Ok, so I'm already breaking my rule. My one rule in this challenge! I am not reading the books in order...

I want to review quickly the ones I've read this year before I forget them. (Not that I won't EVER read them again, but there are so many and I want to get to them all.)

I read When You Reach Me by the lovely Rebecca Stead at the beginning of the school year.

I had the privilege of hearing Rebecca speak along with Clare Vanderpool and Jack Gantos at the 100th annual Texas Library Association Conference last month. I had already read When You Reach Me but I hadn't read Clare or Jack's books.

All three authors were amazing! I felt like I was a little girl at Disneyland meeting my favorite celebrities. I totally got pictures with them (because I'm a big dork!) I'm telling you STAR STRUCK!

Rebecca was beautiful and charming. She is so self-deprecating and shy that it absolutely endears herself to her audience immediately. Ok, enough gushing!

When You Reach Me was fabulous! It was interesting and funny. There was suspense and adventure. I loved the names of the chapters. They were named like categories on a game show. And when I got to the twist in the story it took me by surprise so fully! I feel like I need to read it again to fully grasp what was going on. I loved it so much that I immediately read Liar and Spy, Rebecca's newest book.

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Just won the Children's Choice Award!




 

Love reading this one aloud. The kids stop breathing about the time that Laszlo makes it into the basement and then by the end they are all grinning and breathing a sigh of relief. I LOVE IT!

























I cheated. I was going to read the Newbery winners in order from most recent but I read When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead and in it she references A Wrinkle in Time. (One of Rebecca Stead's favorites as a child.) I knew I needed to read it (I never read it as a child . How is that possible?)