Author: Mitali Perkins
Published: 2015 Neel lives in India on a group of islands called the Sunderbans. These islands are heavily forested and there is a lot of wildlife. There is a nature reserve that is home to tigers on this group of islands. A baby tiger cub escapes the reserve, and everyone believes that the cub is on the island Neel and his family live on. The workers are asking people for help capturing the tiger so she can be reunited with her mother safely. A very powerful man has put out a reward for the capture of the tiger cub. He intends to sell the cub on the black market where it would be killed. Neel's father is one of the men who wants to find the cub and claim the reward so that he can pay for Neel to have a tutor. Neel is a very bright boy, but he needs a tutor in order to get a scholarship to go to a nice school. Neel decides that he is going to find the tiger cub and return it to the nature reserve so it can live safely with her mom. He knows all the best hiding places on the island and is determined to keep the cub safe. But he is greatly outnumbered. The Author's Note at the end of the book gives readers more information on what life is like in the Sunderbans, along with the issues there such as poaching. I have a soft spot for animals, especially baby animals, and this story made my heart ache.
0 Comments
Author: Susan Tan
Published: 2017 Cilla is about to get a new baby sister, who she lovingly refers to as The Blob. Before her baby sister can be born, Cilla decides she needs to become a famous author so that her family won't forget about her. She decides she needs to write about the things she has experienced in her own life. Cilla is half Chinese and half Caucasian, and she gets so tired of people looking at her and asking, "Where are you from?" or "What are you?" Cilla often feels like she is caught between two worlds. She loves her grandparents on both her mom's and dad's sides, but the sets of grandparents never spend any time with each other. Either she's with Nai Nai and Ye Ye, her father's parents, or she's with Grandma and Grandpa, her mother's parents. Never both, and Cilla wonders why that is. Cilla Lee-Jenkins is an amazing character who I just love! She writes about experiences she has that many readers will be able to relate with. This is the start of a great series of books for young readers! Author: Victoria Schwab
Published: 2018 Ever since Cassidy almost drowned, she has been able to sense when ghosts are around and then enter the world of spirits through the Veil. Cassidy's best friend, Jacob, is a ghost. Usually, ghosts don't exist in the regular world; usually Cassidy has to enter through the Veil to see them, but Jacob has been with her since her accident where she almost died. When Cassidy's parents get the opportunity to be on a TV show about haunted places, Cassidy finds herself in Scotland where the Veil calls to her all the time. This time when Cassidy enters the Veil with Jacob, she sees another human girl who can travel into the land of the dead. From her, Cassidy learns about her true purpose. When the Raven in Red, a famous ghost known for stealing children, shows up, Cassidy finds herself in more danger than she has ever known. City of Ghosts is a good spooky read perfect for fifth and sixth graders. Author: Andrew Clements
Published: 2014 Alton is obsessed with maps. He spends his free time drawing them. He doesn't just draw regular old maps. Instead, he draws unique maps. Like the map of his teacher's brain or a map that contains all the times the principal says "um" during the announcements. Or a map that displays how many students' parents have gotten divorced. Or a map that shows the tallest to the smallest students in the school. He keeps these maps to himself, but then he shows him to Quint, a boy that Alton thinks could become a good friend. Shortly after he shows them to Quint, the maps go missing. He then gets an anonymous note in his cubby stating that the person who stole the maps will expose them to the entire school unless Alton does what they say. Alton needs to get these maps back ASAP. With the help of his new friend Quint, Alton thinks it may be possible. The Map Trap is a quick read that fits in the humor and mystery genres. It is an enjoyable, light book. Author: Suzanne Selfors
Published: 2013 Ben has to spend the summer with his grandpa in the tiny, dying town of Buttonville because his parents need to work out some issues. On the drive into town, Ben sees a huge winged creature with a tail flying through the sky. When he tells his grandpa to look at it, it is nowhere to be found. But Ben saw a young girl standing outside who also clearly saw the creature. Ben meets the girl, whose name is Pearl, and Pearl is convinced that the creature was a dragon. When Ben's grandpa's cat comes inside carrying a tiny creature that can breathe fire, Ben starts to think that maybe Pearl was right. The creature looks like it is injured. A new animal doctor has moved into the old button factory in Buttonville, and the two kids think that this doctor can help. When they get to the factory, they discover something that they never even imagined. The Sasquatch Escape is the first book in The Imaginary Veterinary series. It combines humor with fantasy and mystery. I just know my fifth grade readers are going to love this series! Author: Angela Cervantes
Published: 2016 What Allie wants most in the world is to be the winner of something and get a big trophy. Her family is full of people who have gotten awards and trophies. She just wants to be recognized like they are. Allie thinks that her volcano will absolutely get first place at the science fair and then her family will finally be so proud of her. But when a classmate mistakenly ruins her science project, her dreams are dashed. Then Allie's teacher announces another contest where students have to create a poem, song, or photo essay about someone who is a trailblazer. Allie believes this is her shot. She wants to write about her great-grandfather who won the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery while in the military. But then her ex-best friend, Sara, decides she wants to write about Allie's great grandfather too. Will Allie finally be recognized as a winner? Allie, First at Last is a good book about feeling overlooked and having the courage to do the right thing. This book is full of great characters that I just wish I could know in real life! Author: Gordon Korman
Published: 2007 Capricorn Anderson, who goes by Cap, lives with his grandmother on Garland Farm. Garland is a place people would call a hippie commune. A whole community used to live there, but now it's just Cap and his grandmother, Rain. Cap's life is very different from other people his age. He and Rain live by their own rules, meaning he has known how to drive a car for years. He is home schooled, and they don't even have a telephone. When Rain falls and breaks her hip, she has to stay in the hospital and get physical therapy. Cap can't go and live at Garland by himself, so he is put in a temporary home with a family, and he has to start going to public school. Cap looks like he time traveled from the 1970's, and he has no idea how school works. He is in for a big surprise. Every year, the eighth grade students elect a president of the student body. They always choose someone lame and then make fun of that person all year. This year, Cap gets chosen, and the kids have so much fun laughing at him behind his back. Cap is oblivious to everything and tries his best to meet their ridiculous demands for him as the president. When the other students start to see the kind of person Cap really is, they are the ones who are surprised. Schooled is a very funny book that had me laughing over and over again. Cap is a sweet boy who doesn't understand the way the world really works. He begins to learn, but he doesn't let that change who he really is. This is another great book by Gordon Korman. Author: Kate DiCamillo
Published: 2003 Despereaux is a mouse, but he is very different from other mice. He is a lot littler, and he has great big ears. He doesn't really know how to act like a mouse, and that bothers the other mice. Despereaux lives in a castle where the princess and the king live. One day, Despereaux finds himself right next to the princess and the king. As soon as his spots the princess, he knows that he is in love with her and would do anything to make her happy. When he is seen talking to the princess, the other mice banish him to the dungeons where he will be killed and eaten by the rats. Roscuro is a rat who lives in the dungeon. He has been angry ever since a very important incident involving the princess. Princess Pea lives with her father, the king. The queen died years ago when a rat fell into her soup. Miggery Sow is a young girl who no one ever listens to. She is sold by her father and is sent to live with a man who beats her when she makes mistakes. She would give anything to be a princess. These stories all connect in The Tale of Despereaux. I really enjoyed this beautiful book about bravery and kindness. The story is funny and heartbreaking at the same time. Why has it taken me so long to get to this book? I want to read all of DiCamillo's other books now! Author: April Henry
Published: 2019 Adele has always been able to see the dead. If there are bones somewhere, Adele can see and talk to the person they belong to. It's a gift that runs in her family, though her grandpa believes that she is schizophrenic and has her on medication. The meds stop her from seeing the dead, but they also stop her from being able to feel. She decides to secretly stop taking her medicine. One day she is taking a shortcut through park when she sees her ex-best friend Tori screaming her name. Adele is furious with Tori for how she has treated her the past few years. As she gets closer she realizes very quickly that Tori is dead. Her body is in a shallow grave in the park. Tori pleads with her to call 911 so that her body will be found. She doesn't remember anything that happened to her the night she was killed. Adele calls the cops but soon finds herself as a suspect in this investigation. With the help of Tori, Adele needs to figure out who the murderer is before she is arrested herself. The Lonely Dead is another great April Henry thriller. I liked the paranormal aspect of the book that set it apart from Henry's other stories. Author: Joy McCullough
Published: 2018 This book is about Artemisia Gentileschi, a famous painter from the early 1600s. Blood Water Paint takes place when Artemisia is seventeen-years-old. Ever since her mom passed away, she works in her father's workshop as his assistant. However, she is actually not the assistant. Her father puts his name on all the paintings she does and passes them off as his own. She has created beautiful paintings but has not been able to take credit for them simply because she is a woman. Her dad brings in another painter, Agostino Tassi and asks him to help Artemisia with her painting. Tino knows that Artemisia is the real painter in the family. Artemisia sometimes thinks about what it would be like to be with Tino. She has a crush, and she thinks Tino knows. When something terrible happens to Artemisia, she needs to decide if it's time to keep silent or speak up, even if it means losing everything. Blood Water Paint is a beautifully written novel in verse that just ripped my heart in half. I love Artemisia and her strength, and I loved learning more about the art from this time. |
Follow us on Instagram! @slmslibrary
Categories
All
Archives
August 2022
|