Samantha Hansen: Rock Star!

Nancy Viau (2008). Samantha Hansen Has Rocks in Her Head (Gr. 3-6)

Ten-year-old Samantha Hansen is crazy about science.  She loves learning about caves, clouds, the weather, and especially rocks.  She also likes to make lists: a talent she got from her dad, who died a long time ago.  When her mom announces a family vacation to the Grand Canyon, Samantha's wildest dreams come true: she'll get to see the biggest, oldest, most colorful rocks she's ever heard of.   The vacation almost falls through, however, because Samantha has trouble controlling her temper.  It's not easy to be calm with a pesky older sister and classmates who like to tease!

There's a lot to like about Samantha Hansen.  She asks honest questions and makes honest mistakes.  She's a good friend and a (mostly) good sister.  She's also a little awkward, and sometimes you want to jump into the story and stop her from whatever she's about to do.  On the whole, Samantha Hansen makes this a very good book that skips along quickly in her quest to know as much as possible about her family, herself, and (of course) rocks.

"The Girl Who Could Fly"

Forester, Victoria (200 ). The Girl Who Could Fly. Grades 5-8.

Meet Piper McCloud, a farm girl who has never left her hometown, not even to go to a school. When she realizes that she can fly, she amazes herself and shocks her parents. No matter how much her parents try to discourage her from continuing to fly, Piper feels that it is a special gift and that she should use it. Before she can master her flying skills, she is taken to a secret government facility, which is led by Dr. Letitia Hellion. Piper is immediately placed in a classroom with other kids who have a variety of special abilities. Piper is amazed with the quality of life at the school. Meals are the best that she has ever tasted and all of her needs are seen to. However, it is soon apparent that Dr. Letitia Hellion may not have been honest with Piper and her reason for bringing her to the facility. In order to discover the truth, Piper must work with the other children to figure out why they were all brought to the same place.

"The Name of This Book Is Secret"

Bosch, Pseudonymous (2007). The Name of This Book is Secret. Grades 4-6.

The author of this book does not want to share too much information with you, including the names of the characters, where they live, or what they look like. Instead, he provides fictional names and let's you the reader use your imagination in realizing the setting and character traits.
If you can get past the first few pages where the author goes on and on explaining just why he is doing this, you will find that this book is a quirky mix of adventure and mystery.
Cassandra and Max-Ernest, the two main characters, are both outsiders at their school. When Cassandra's grandfathers are given a mysterious box that was found at a recently deceased magician's home, Cassandra notices something strange about it. This is where the adventure begins. Cassandra and Max-Ernest pair up to figure out the secret that the magician does not want anyone to know. They have to keep this box and any other contents they find away from the villains, Mr. L and Mrs. Mauvais, who may somehow be connected to the magician's death.
And if you enjoy this book, don't forget to read the sequel: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late.

What would you do if you were kidnapped?

Kehret, Peg (2008). Stolen Children. Grades 5-8.

Fourteen-year-old Amy is hired at the last minute by Mrs. Edgerton to babysit her three-year-old daughter Kendra. Watching Kendra should have been an easy job, but things quickly take a turn for the worse. When Amy goes to wake Kendra up from her nap she finds that Kendra is gone! Amy frantically searches for her inside and outside the house. Then a horrible thought hits her, what if she was kidnapped? Before Amy has time to call the police, the kidnapper finds her and she is forced to go with him. Both girls are taken to a cabin in the woods where the kidnappers plan on keeping them while they await a ransom from the Edgerton family. But Amy doesn't plan to sit back and wait to be released. She comes up with a plan to send clues to her family and friend in the videos the kidnappers make. Will the clues help them locate Amy and Kendra? She can only try and hope that they do.

Falling Bibles from the Sky?...

Horvath, Polly (2008). My One Hundred Adventures. Grades 4-7.

Twelve-year-old Jane Fielding lives year-round in a small, coastal town in Massachusetts with her poet mother and three siblings. She wishes for one hundred adventures this summer, but instead gets fourteen. These include going up in a hijacked hot-air balloon, delivering bibles with the local pastor, visiting a fortune teller, babysitting for the five Gourd children, and meeting several of her mother's past boyfriends, one of which may even be her father. Although Jane does not reach one hundred adventures, the adventures she does experience range from funny to poignant and they allow her to better understand herself. Jane is a very observant and intelligent character. Horvath's other characters add humor, are memorable, and will appeal to many readers.

Donavan's Double Trouble

DeGross, Monalisa (2008). Donavan's Double Trouble. Grade 4-6.

Fourth grader, Donavan is looking forward to Heritage Month at his school. Every year, kids can bring in a person that will share something special about their heritage and it seems that everyone, including his sister Nikki, has someone lined up for the event. Donavan, however, is preoccupied with a few of his own dilemmas. At school he is having trouble with his math class and at home he is having trouble adjusting to his Uncle Vic who lost his legs while serving in the military. While Donavan's father attempts to teach him a few strategies for solving math problems, Donavan works on overcoming his discomfort around Uncle Vic. In the process, Donavan discovers that solving math problems doesn't have to feel horrible and realizes that he's not the only one with reservations about his Uncle's new way of life.

Depression Era Murder Mystery

Collier, James Lincoln (2008). The Dreadful Revenge of Ernest Gallen. Grades 5-7.

Set during the years following the Great Depression, Gene Richards begins hearing a voice, which asks him to solve a mystery involving a murder. At first, Gene tries to ignore the voice, but each time the voice returns it becomes harder to do so. Then he learns that his friend Sonny's dad also heard a voice, which urged him to walk off a construction plank and die. Gene believes that this is the same voice he is hearing and must figure out a way to solve the mystery before the voice convinces Gene to hurt himself or worse.

What would happen if you invented a new word?

Clements, Andrew (1996). Frindle. Grades 3-5.

Nick Allen always came up with clever schemes to stall a teacher right before the bell rang, which usually meant no homework, but this year is going to be different. Nick is in the fifth grade and his teacher Mrs. Granger does not tolerate any type of nonsense. When Nick asks a question right before the bell, Mrs. Granger asks him to find out and report on the answer the next day! His report leaves him with an idea--he decides to get back at his teacher by inventing a new word, "frindle," which spreads like wild fire throughout the school. Soon Nick can't control the popularity of his new word and neither can Mrs. Granger. This new word catches the attention of the media and entrepreneurs, who sell products with "frindle" written on them and "frindle" is eventually included in the dictionary. Find out how Nick feels about his new word and whether he and Mrs. Granger can look past their differences.

Fans of Rick Riordans' Percy Jackson series

While you're waiting to read the The Last Olympian, the final book in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, why not read some other books about gods, godesses, and other mythological characters.

Here are a few suggestions:

Abouzeid, Chris. Anatopsis.
In the realm from which the Greek gods ruled the universe thousands of years ago, the immortal witch Anatopsis uncovers the true objectives of her demi-god tutor Mr. Pound and attempts to prevent him from carrying out his evil plans.













Deming, Sarah. Iris, Messenger.
After discovering that the immortals of Greek mythology reside in her hometown of Middleville, Pennsylvania, twelve-year-old Iris listens to their life stories, gaining wisdom, beauty, and startling revelations about her past.

Henessy, Carolyn. Pandora Gets Jealous.
Thirteen-year-old Pandy is hauled before Zeus and given six months to gather all of the evils that were released when the box she brought to school as her annual project was accidentally opened.













Jones, Diana Wynne. The Game.
Sent to a boisterous family gathering in Ireland by her overly strict grandmother, orphaned Hayley feels out of place until her unruly cousins include her in a special game involving travel through the mythosphere, the place where all the world's stories can be found, and where some secrets of her past are revealed.

Mebus, Scott. Gods of Manhattan.
Thirteen-year-old Rory discovers a spirit world that thrives alongside his contemporary New York City, filled with fantastical creatures and people from the city's colorful past who have become gods and goddesses and who have chosen Rory to perform a dangerous mission.

Ursu, Anne. The Shadow Thieves. (The Cronus Chronicles, bk.1)
After her cousin Zee arrives from England, thirteen-year-old Charlotte and he must set out to save humankind from denizens of the underworld, Nightmares, Death, Pain, and a really nasty guy named Phil.

Once upon a time...

Myers, Edward (2008). Storyteller. Grades 5-8.

Jack has always excelled at telling stories to his family, friends, and just about anyone who will listen. After turning seventeen, he decides to leave his small village of Yorrow and find his fortune in the world. His journey steers him to the royal city where he meets the sorrowful king, his daughters, and son. After successfully meeting his first task, Jack is appointed the royal storyteller. He decides that he must help the king overcome his sorrows and bring the kingdom back to its better days, but it seems that the king's son, Prince Yoss, has other plans. With the help of a bird named Loquasto and the eldest princess Stelinda, Jack will take on Prince Yoss and his evil plan to rule the kingdom.

Will Jealousy Come Between Two Best Friends?

Haworth, Danette (2008). Violet Raines Almost Got Struck by Lightning. Grades 4 - 6.

Violet Raines and Lottie are best friends and have lived in Florida their entire lives. The two girls enjoy Sunday fish frys and hanging out, but when new girl, Melissa arrives from Detroit, she becomes a threat to Violet and Lottie's friendship--or at least that's how Violet feels. While Lottie and Melissa's friendship develops, Violet refuses to accept any changes and chooses to hang out with her childhood friend Eddie instead. It might just take a disaster for Violet to accept Melissa as a friend!

A dark and sinister tale...

Horowitz, Anthony (2008). Groosham Grange. Grades 5-8.

Thirteen-year-old David Eliot is the son of a wheel-chair bound father who is abusive towards him and his mother. When David is expelled from his boarding school, his father is furious and considers his son a complete failure. Then a letter mysteriously arrives from another private school, Groosham Grange, offering David an instant placement, and his father doesn't hesitate to pack him up and send him off. On the train ride to the school, David meets two other students, who also received a similar letter. They share their feelings about attending this boarding school and vow to stick together. David soon realizes that something sinister and evil is happening at Groosham Grange. Cult-like meetings in the middle of the night, and secretive behavior by teachers and students lead him to believe that something horrible is happening. But what is really going on? It is up to David and his two friends to discover the truth, before they are forced to make a difficult decision.

If you haven't read this 2009 Newbery winner, what are you waiting for??

Gaiman, Neil (2008). The Graveyard Book. Grades 5 and up.

Gaiman creates a character named Nobody "Bod" Owens, who is raised in a graveyard, which he wandered into as a toddler. The very night that he was found and adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, a ghostly couple, his own family was murdered by a man called "Jack." After much deliberation, the inhabitants of the graveyard decide to accept Bod and protect him from "Jack" who still pursues the boy. Mr. and Mrs. Owens adopt the boy as their own, but also appoint a guardian named Silas. Until he is a teen, Bod experiences various adventures, both in and out of the graveyard, often having to be rescued by his guardian, Silas.

Although the book may seem chilling and dark, it is filled with bits of humor and emotion that make Bod a very likeable and believable character.

The Healing Power of Music

Morpugro, Michael (2008). The Mozart Question. Grades 4-6.

Paolo Levi is a world-renowned violinist with a secret that no one has attempted or dared to uncover. When Lesley, a journalist, is scheduled to interview Levi, she is told not to ask the "Mozart question." What is the "Mozart question" she wonders? Lesley's interview question prompts Levi to recall how as a boy he developed his passion for the violin after his mother showed him a hidden violin belonging to his father. He would secretly borrow the violin and sneak out for lessons with a man who had once known Levi's parents and the secret they kept hidden all these years from their son. Beautiful watercolor illustrations are interspersed throughout the book.

This is a deeply moving story about the healing power of music. Although the terrible accounts of the Holocaust are not described in this story, the author alludes to some of the events and provides brief recollections of life at the camps.

Readers who are not familiar with the Holocaust may be interested in reading several sources:

Bachrach, Susan D. Tell Them We Remember: The Story of the Holocaust.

Krinitz, Esther Nisenthal. Memories of Survival.

Rubin, Susan Goldman. The Cat with the Yellow Star: Coming of Age in Terezin.

Latest book club read

Codell, Esmé Raji (2003). Sahara Special. Grades 3-5.

Sahara, a fifth grader, knows that she is going to be a writer. She already has some stories in the library (hidden behind some books), but her school counseler thinks that she needs special education. After Sahara's letters to her father are confiscated and put in the principal's file, she stops doing her homework and is taken out of her regular classroom. But, when her mother demands that she is taken out of special ed, Sahara returns to her classroom and is pleasantly surprised with the arrival of a new teacher. Ms. Pointy, is not your regular teacher, she has bright lipstick, wears outrageous clothes, and teaches strange subjects. Her unique teaching style may be all that Sahara and the other students need in order to gain self-esteem and overcome their individual fears.

If you would like to join the Online Book Club for 3-5 graders, call the Needham Children's library: 781-455-7559 ext. 204.

A spooky book with an environmental twist.

Bracegirdle, P.J. (2008). Fiendish Deeds.* (The Joy of Spooking, bk.1) Grades 4-7.

Eleven-year-old Joy Wells loves to read horror stories. When she comes across a book of scary tales by E.A. Peugeot, Joy believes the similarities between the swamp in her town of Spooking and that in the story "The Bawl of the Bog Fiend" are more than just a coincidence. She also learns that the same bog is going to be destroyed in order to make room for a water park!

As Joy sets out to find the truth behind the story and ventures into the bog with her less than enthusiastic brother, Byron, she hopes to find evidence of mysterious animals or plants so that she can prevent the waterpark from being built. Will she find the bog fiend or some other horrible creature lurking in the swamp? You'll have to read this book to find out.

*Request through interlibrary loan.

Summer of self-discovery

Hirahara, Naomi (2008). 1001 Cranes. Grades 5-8.


Twelve-year-old Angela is sent to live with her grandparents and aunt Janet in Los Angeles for the summer. Unhappy with this situation, Angela arrives determined not to have a good time. Her parents are in the midst of a divorce and Angela feels that they are just trying to get rid of her. She spends the summer learning how to make cranes out of origami for wedding decorations--and actually begins to like it! While in L.A., she meets Rachel, who seems to compete for Angela's grandmother's attention and develops a crush on a skater boy. Angela also becomes friends with an elderly neighbor who is suffering from cancer. Although the adults in her family are very secretive and do not always show their love in obvious ways, over the summer, Angela realizes that love exists in many different shapes and forms.

Love and friendship in the Bayou

Appelt, Kathi (2008). The Underneath. 313 pages. Grades 4-8.


Deep in the Bayou, three very different characters are led down paths that bring them together. An abandoned cat about to have kittens is taken in by a neglected hound who lives in the Underneath, which is under his owner's home. His owner, Gar Face, fled from his abusive and alcholic father years ago and is now obsessed with capturing the largest alligator in the bayou. Then there is Grandmother Moccassin, a shape-shifting serpent who has been asleep in a jar for the last thousand years and is ready to seek her revenge. The turn of events in the characters' lives plays an important role in the underlying message--sometimes all you need is love and friendship.

"Revolution is not a dinner party, or writing an essay, or painting a picture..."

Compestine, Ying Chang (2007). Revolution is Not a Dinner Party. 248 pages. Grades 5-8.


In early 1972, eight-year-old Ling lives with her parents, both doctors, in a comfortable apartment building. But that very summer, Ling's life changes when Comrade Li, a political officer, moves into a room in their apartment. Chairman Mao is the adored leader and anyone who disagrees with his views or is seen as being part of the bourgeois, is declared an enemy. Ling begins to witness the cruelty that meets her neighbors and her own family during the Cultural Revolution. Over four years, Ling grows into a teenager and endures more hardships than anyone, especially a child, should ever face.

An intriguing story about a young girl's life during the Cultural Revolution, based on the author's own experiences.

Great Books for the Holidays!

For the Picture Book Crowd:

Arnold, Katya. Adventures of Snowwoman.

Bianco, Margery Williams. The Velveteen Rabbit.

Glaser, Linda. The Borrowed Hanukkah Latkes.

Hobby, Hollie. Toot & Puddle: I'll Be Home for Christmas.

Katz, Karen. Counting Christmas.

Lehman, Barbara. The Red Book.

Medearis, Angela Shelf. Seven Spools of Thread.

Polacco, Patricia. The Trees of the Dancing Goats.

Van Allsburg, Chris. The Polar Express.

Wilson, Karma. Bear Stays Up for Christmas.














For the Independent Readers:

Cooper, Ilene. Sam I Am.

Giff, Patricia Reilly. December Secrets.

Godden, Rumer. Premlata and the Festival of Lights.

Hall, Lynne. Here Comes Zelda Claus, and Other Holiday Disasters.

Kline, Suzy. Horrible Harry and the Holidaze.

Koss, Amy Goldman. How I Saved Hanukkah.

McDonald, Megan. The Holly Joliday.

Paterson, Katherine. Angels and Other Strangers.