The One and Only Ivan

"I am Ivan. I am a gorilla.

It's not as easy as it looks."


And so begins the story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.

"Ivan has grown accustomed to humans watching him through the glass walls of his domain. He rarely misses his life in the jungle. In fact, he hardly ever thinks about it at all.

Instead, Ivan thinks about TV shows he's seen and about his friends Stella, an elderly elephant, and Bob, a stray dog. But mostly Ivan thinks about art.

Then he meets Ruby, a baby elephant taken from her family, and she makes Ivan see their home--and his own art--through new eyes. When Ruby arrives, change comes with her, and it's up to Ivan to make it a change for the better."


The One and Only Ivan is a book that young readers will want on their bookshelves so they can visit Ivan as often as they wish. Yes, Katherine Applegate hooks readers with the lovable and unforgettable Ivan. However, this book will also lure readers with its short chapters. I know readers who will be tempted by the 'white space' in this book. There might not be room for Ivan to breathe in his Exit 8 Big Top Mall domain, but Katherine Applegate breathes life into her words and uses the space on each page to add a sense of poetry to her prose.

I cried when reading this book, but I also laughed out loud. It's a story told from a gorilla's point of view that will stay with me for a long time. It is likely that this book will stay in my Top Twelve Favorites of 2012!

Be sure to read the author's note at the end of the book which shares the story of Ivan, the real gorilla who now lives at Zoo Atlanta. The real Ivan spent twenty-seven years alone in a cage at a circus-themed mall in the state of Washington.

Click HERE to watch the book trailer.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Tyo

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Juniper Berry

"Sometimes I feel like the whole world knows something I don't. I just want to belong. Somewhere."

It is a primal need for all of us...to belong. To feel wanted. To feel needed. To be accepted for who we are. For me. For you. For Juniper Berry, too.

Juniper Berry is an eleven year-old girl who feels trapped living in her mansion with her famous film star parents. To make matters worse, her mom and dad are changing before her eyes. They are no longer interested in Juniper; they are more interested in their own careers. They have lost the spark in their eyes and seem to be no more than controlled mannequins, although controlled by who or what Juniper does not know.
Along with her new friend Giles, whose own parents have also changed for the worse, Juniper sets off to discover the true reason behind their parents' detachment. Is there an evil lurking somewhere nearby? Will Juniper and Giles be tempted to do something unspeakable in order to feel wanted...to feel needed...to be accepted?

As the author states in his book, "There will always be temptation, wherever we go in life, with whatever we do. There will always be an easier way out."

Will Juniper and Giles choose the easy way out? And if they do, what will become of them?

Juniper Berry was a wonderful read! My eleven year-old daughter has read the book THREE times in the few weeks I have had the book. That feat alone is a true testament to the intrigue of M.P. Kozlowsky's story.

A bit reminiscent of Coraline, this "modern-day fairy tale of terror and temptation" is one that middle grade readers will be asking for over and over again.

To visit the author's website, click HERE.

Watch the Juniper Berry trailer HERE.

*Thank you to Susan Dee and Walden Pond Press for offering a giveaway for Juniper Berry. Visit Susan's wonderful blog HERE.

(And for even more thrilling reading, simply do your own Internet search for Juniper Berry and M.P. Kozlowsky. He has done some fabulous interviews at various blogs. I learned, for example, that we share book love for Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH. You'll find some interesting insights behind his writing and first book. ENJOY!)

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Trouble With Chickens

Chick-Chick-Hooray! I am egg-static to tell you about one funny book!

"J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs), with their chicken mom, show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to follow the clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work--or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that's right in front of him."

Doreen Cronin's new book, The Trouble With Chickens, is filled with laugh out loud moments! What terrific chicken humor! I even snorted a couple of times! Really! I am not eggs-aggerating! Check out the following lines:

"...this chick had already learned that life outside the shell was not all it was cracked up to be."

referring to Sugar, one of the chicks...She reminded me of a three-inch splinter I'd had once--it bothered me, and I was in a much better mood when it was gone."

Again, a quote about Sugar..."Sugar was coming at me as fast as those freaky little chickadee legs would take her. She hadn't just inherited her mother's eyes, she'd inherited her mother's crazy." HA! Love it!

"We have to be half strength, half perseverance, and half obedience. Do your own math, tough guy--I'm making a point here."

"Dirt was as good as scrambled egg if she slammed into that wall." Ah, yes. This read has fantastically funny writing with a good story line. The author does an eggs-cellent job telling about her book HERE. Come on, don't be a chicken. Go watch!

I won't be screaming 'fowl' on this one! I will be passing this book around the classroom! It is eggs-actly what my students like to read!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Magnificent 12: The Call (Book One)

You gotta see this book trailer...Click HERE.

And before you read any further, just remember..."...most heroes end up dead."

"Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.

And then one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boy's bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal--also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?"

Michael Grant says he wrote this book because..."I want to make kids laugh. It's not very complicated. If I knew that some kid had read THE MAGNIFICENT 12 and laughed so hard they blew milk out of their nose? That would be the highest honor ever for me. I also want to get that sneaky late laugh, you know, where you're in class or at the doctor or at a funeral even, and you remember something from the books and you start laughing. Or even just grinning. That's what I want: I want kids grinning at inappropriate times. Inappropriate grins and the occasional milk snort, that's why I wrote THE MAGNIFICENT 12."

This is the first book in what I think will be a popular series among tweens. Action. Laughs. Adventure. Laughs. Villains. Heroes. Laughs.

Pick yourself up a copy of Michael Grant's latest. Come on. I dare you to be silent while reading this book. Get in the zone, and have some fun rolling on the floor...just be careful not to get milk on the carpet.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Reckless

"If you're looking for happily ever after, you've come to the wrong place."

Cornelia Funke is back! (And so am I...a new school year and new school building later, I am finally ready to share my reading with you again!)

I am in awe of the fantasy that Cornelia Funke creates. I was first mesmerized with Inkheart, one of my TOP TEN favorite books. Not only did I love the characters (Mo, Dustfinger, Elinor) and the dark world of villains (Capricorn) she wrote about, but I savored the references to reading and the book world she included in her story.

Now, I have Reckless to add to my list of great reads. In this gem, Cornelia Funke weaves in the world of fairy tales.

"Jacob Reckless, like his father before him, escapes into the Mirrorworld, and all is well until his younger brother, Will, follows him in and falls under the enchantment of the Dark Fairy. Through an injury, she turns him slowly into a Goyl, a person made of stone. Jacob is determined to rescue his brother and restore him to himself. Accompanied by his companion, a shape-shifter girl/vixen named Fox, and Will's girlfriend, Clara, Jacob journeys with Will to find the antidote to the spell. With a large cast, including a dwarf, powerful fairies born from water, deadly moths, man-eating sirens, unicorns, and the terrifying Tailor with fingers ending in blades and needles, the story includes multiple fairy-tale motifs as the characters grapple with fear and despair while on their seemingly hopeless quest." (- School Library Journal)

While at first I had a hard time grasping the Mirrorworld and the Goyl, a little bit of rereading was the trick to gain confidence in understanding this unique world. Once I had a firm grasp on this tale, I was able to sit back and let myself enjoy (sometimes with frequent nail-biting!) the world of Jacob Reckless.

I think fantasy readers will enjoy this book, but I will caution some younger, more inexperienced fantasy readers about reading this one. A little bit of language in this book along with a complicated fantasy world with many references to fairy tales might make Reckless a tough read for some.

If you are looking for a new fantasy series (this is definitely NOT over at the end), check out Reckless by Cornelia Funke. For more information, visit the book's website by clicking HERE. For more information about the author, visit her website HERE.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Keeper

I thought Keeper by Kathi Appelt would be the perfect summertime read, and I was right! What a "cooleoleo" story!

The main character in this story is ten-year-old Keeper, a resident of Oyster Ridge Road, "world unto itself", located on the Texas coast. Right from the beginning, the reader gets the sense that Keeper is in a world of trouble. There are problems with crabs, a precious wooden bowl, a well-loved ukulele, and pots of antique roses and night-blooming flowers. Keeper is at the center of all the misfortune.

"But she knows who can make things right again: Meggie Marie, her mermaid mother who swam away when Keeper was just three. A blue moon calls the mermaids to gather at the sandbar, and that's exactly where Keeper is headed--in a small boat, in the middle of the night, with only her dog, BD (Best Dog), and a seagull named Captain. When the riptide pulls at the boat, tugging her away from the shore and deep into the rough waters of the Gulf of Mexico, panic sets in, and the fairy tales that lured her out there go tumbling into the waves."

I thought this book contained fantastic storytelling. I was mesmerized by the writing of Kathi Appelt. Not having read her New York Times bestseller, The Underneath, I didn't know what to expect from this author. I thought Keeper was reminiscent of Ingrid Law's writing...poetic, beautiful...the weaving of an intricate story...I almost felt it was Savvy-like.

I will be recommending this to readers who like mermaid stories...to those who like adventure...to animal lovers...to those who enjoy a bit of a mystery as I kept reading to find out if Meggie Marie, Keeper's mom, would truly 'hear' her daughter and come save her.

I believe this story is a "Keeper"!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Killer Pizza = Killer Book!

I just finished reading Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor. I thought it was quite a 'tasty' read. Okay, I'll try not too get too 'cheesy' with food puns!

I think middle school readers are going to like this book. It's got pizza and monsters! What better combination could there be?

Toby is the main character who is having a boring summer. He watches Food Network and wishes to be a chef one day. Great news comes Toby's way when he learns he is hired by Killer Pizza, a local pizza joint. What a great way to combine some money-making with his career-to-be.

Toby meets his fellow crew workers, Annabel and Strobe. Together, the three of them survive the mania that comes with running the afternoon shift at Killer Pizza. They think they have things under control until they learn that Killer Pizza is more than just a local pizza eatery. It is actually a front for monster killers!

This book would be perfect for readers who wish to graduate from R.L. Stine. In fact, R.L. Stine says, "Greg Taylor serves up a hot slice of horror that I couldn't put down."

Check this one out if you want to read some monster slashing and let me know how you like it!

(Click HERE to go to the book's website.)

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

How to Train Your Dragon

From Cressida Cowell's website..."Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived. But it wasn't always like that.

In fact, in the beginning, Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was the most put upon Viking you'd ever seen. Not loud enough to make himself heard at dinner with his father, Stoick the Vast; not hard enough to beat his chief rival, Snotlout, at Bashyball, the number one school sport and CERTAINLY not stupid enough to go into a cave full of dragons to find a pet... It's time for Hiccup to learn how to be a Hero."

How to Train Your Dragon is the first in a series of eight books. And now...a movie! It is being released on March 26. Click HERE to go to the movie's website and view the trailer.

Click HERE to visit the author's website (and read her thoughts on the new movie). LOTS of cool stuff can be found there!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Odd and the Frost Giants

Here is a quick fun read! Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman is a story about a boy named Odd. Odd is unlucky. His dad died while on a Viking expedition, and one of Odd's legs is shattered while trying to take his father's place as a woodcutter. His mother has remarried to an awful man who mistreats Odd. Still, Odd keeps smiling.

Odd strikes out on his own to his father's old woodcutting hut where he meets a fox, a bear, and an eagle--three animals that have a very 'odd' story of their own to tell.

Odd sets off with the fox, the bear, and the eagle to save Asgard, city of the gods. Odd must outwit the Frost Giants to help the gods reclaim what is rightfully theirs and to restore the season of spring since winter has taken hold of the world that Odd knows.

With only 117 pages, this is a story that will be over before you know it. I enjoyed the beginning and middle of this book but found the ending particularly satisfying. I appreciated Odd's wit and wisdom as he talked to the Frost Giant, and I felt happy for Odd in the ending...which of course, I cannot give away!

You will enjoy reading this if you like mythology and folklore with a good bit of adventure. It is a fast-paced book that will keep you reading until the end.

Click HERE for the book trailer that I showed you in class.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Coraline

Interested in a weird graphic novel? Try Coraline. Based on the novel by the same name, this is one strange story! Coraline lives with her mom and dad in a very large old house. The other tenants of the house, an old man who lives upstairs and two former elderly actresses, can never get Coraline’s name quite right. “Caroline,” they say. Coraline’s own parents seem far too busy with their own lives to pay much attention to Coraline.

So when Coraline finds a locked door with a brick wall behind it one minute and a passageway the next, she is drawn to what may be beyond this dark space. Coraline finds herself in another world much like her own...right down to her ‘other’ parents. Her other parents want to please Coraline very much and want her to stay with them...that is, if it weren’t for the other parents’ button eyes!

Coraline goes back to her real apartment only to find her real parents are missing. Upon finding out that her other mother has trapped her real parents and hidden them somewhere, Coraline is desperate to find them and return things to normal.

This is one strange story! After reading the graphic novel, why don’t you pick up the original novel and read that one. How do the two compare? I’ll be waiting to see who takes me up on this challenge!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. Tyo :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo

“Fourteen-year-old Leven Thumps lives a wretched life in Burnt Culvert, Oklahoma. But his life is about to change and his destiny be fulfilled as he learns about a secret gateway that bridges two worlds—the real world and Foo, a place created at the beginning of time in the folds of the mind that makes it possible for mankind to dream and hope, to aspire and imagine.

But Foo is in chaos, and three transplants from that dreamworld have been sent to retrieve Leven, who alone has the power to save Foo. Enter Clover, a wise-cracking fuzzy, foot-high sidekick; Winter, a girl with a spectacular gift of her own; and Geth, the exiled but rightful ruler of Foo. Their mission: to convince Leven Thumps that he has the power to save Foo and help him reach the hidden gateway and destroy it before it is too late.

Will belief overcome doubt? Can Leven even find the gateway in time? Will fate make up the difference? Or will Sabine and his dark shadows find the gateway first, escape Foo into reality, and destroy the hope of all mankind?

Go with Leven Thumps and his unique band of travelers on their fantastic voyage to a magical place that no longer can be hidden. Welcome to Foo!”



I need to thank three people for bringing this book to my attention...First, thank you to QUINCY who has read the Leven Thumps series and Obert Skye’s book Pillage. Skye is Quincy’s favorite author, and I first heard about these books from Quincy. Secondly, thank you to SANTA who brought my daughter Tessa the first book in the Leven Thumps series, Leven Thumps and the Gateway to Foo. Seeing Tessa halfway through the book a day after Christmas, I asked her to tell me about it. She even read me some of her favorite passages. So thank you, TESSA, for getting me interested in the writing of Obert Skye and nudging me to read “The Beginning” which started my journey to Foo!

I enjoyed the journey of Leven Thumps (‘Lev’). It certainly reminded me of Harry Potter...Leven is akin to Harry. Both boys have a difficult family life, growing up with guardians who are certainly not kind in any way. Both boys seems to have a destiny that is well beyond their imagination. Both boys get help from a small creature...Harry has Dobby and Leven has Clover. Remember the dementors in Harry Potter? Well, there are shadows of Sabine in this adventure. And Sabine might be just as dark and evil as You-Know-Who.

Even though I thought a lot of Harry Potter while reading this adventure, I enjoyed most of my time with Leven. I enjoyed Winter, a girl who has had a rough upbringing of her own. I enjoyed the many fantastical adventures of Leven. I am not quite sure I bought the character of Geth, however. I mean, a toothpick? That can walk and talk? But I suppose that was exactly what Leven was thinking as well.

Overall, a non-stop adventure taking me back to those Harry Potter days. I do think I will continue the adventure of Leven. I would like to see what Obert Skye has in store for Lev, Winter, Clover, and Geth in Foo.

(For more information on this series, visit http://www.leventhumps.com/)

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Magician's Elephant

I just finished a magical book. It was dark, yet warm. It was sad, yet hopeful. It was The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo.

Peter Augustus Duchene lives with his guardian, an old soldier named Vilna Lutz. Peter is sent to the market for fish and bread. Instead of spending his money as he has been told, Peter spends his coin at the fortuneteller's tent.

Peter knows his question: Does his sister live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller's answer involves an elephant!

Kate DiCamillo writes this story poetically. She uses descriptive and haunting vocabulary....words such as...entrusted, excruciating, audacity, sullen, unobtrusive, perpetually, reciprocal, austere, cataclysmic.

I was drawn into the magical telling of this story. I wanted to read more to discover if Peter finds his sister. I wanted to know how the elephant would lead Peter to her. I wanted to figure out how all the other stories Kate DiCamillo was weaving into Peter's tale were connected to finding his sister.

Those of you who love magic and fantasy would enjoy this book as well as those who enjoy a story about love and family. Put this one on your TBR list and enjoy!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker's Daughter

"Philippa Fisher is feeling lonely. She misses her fairy godsister, Daisy. But while on vacation with her parents, she befriends a local girl named Robyn. Though she's excited to have a new friend, Philippa can't help but feel there's something strange about Robyn and her father.

Meanwhile, Daisy, who is hard at work on a new mission, misses Philippa as well, so she decides to break the rules to visit her friend. Though the girls are happy to be reunited, things soon begin to go horribly wrong with Daisy's new assignment. And when all three of the girls find themselves in danger, Philippa must work quickly to save herself and her friends from a dark and powerful magic."

Philippa Fisher and the Dream-Maker's Daughter by Liz Kessler is one that younger readers, especially girls, would enjoy. I am recommending this book to those girls who like a touch of fantasy, fairies, and friendship. All too often in sixth grade, friendships fall apart one day only to be rebuilt another day. I believe that girls who fall in and out of their friendships could very much relate to both Philippa and Robyn perhaps giving them hope in their own situations.

Let me know what you think of this one, girls!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Savvy by Ingrid Law

Faaaaaaaaabuloussssssssssss! Savvy by Ingrid Law is a keeper! Can I just say, “FABULOUS!” Oh...I already said that? Well then, let me say it again...FABULOUSSSSSSSS!!!!

This is from the front book jacket…

“Mibs Beaumont is about to become a teenager. As if that prospect weren’t scary enough, thirteen is when a Beaumont’s savvy strikes—and with one brother who causes hurricanes and another who creates electricity, it promises to be outrageous...and positively thrilling.

But just before her big day, Poppa is in a terrible accident. Suddenly, Mib’s dreams of X-ray vision disappear like a flash of her brother’s lightening. All she wants now is a savvy that will save Poppa. In fact, Mibs is so sure she’ll get that powerful savvy that she sneaks a ride to the hospital on a rickety bus, with her siblings and the preacher’s kids in tow. But when the bus starts heading in the wrong direction only one thing is certain. After this extraordinary adventure, not a soul on board will ever be the same.”

I highly recommend this book. Don’t let the 342 pages intimidate you. The text is large, and there is not the usual amount of writing on a page so the book reads quickly.

This is Ingrid Law’s first book and she WOWs me with her writing style—the words she chooses—the sentences she writes—the tale she tells is FABULOUS! RICH!

If you go to Ingrid Law's website, you will discover that she is working on a companion novel to Savvy. At the present time, it has been titled Scumble and will be published in the fall of 2010. The main character will be a cousin of the Beaumont’s-one that we did not meet in this first book. I can’t wait!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!