Another week, more amazing books. I found several favorites this week. Some I've already shared with my students, several that I read this weekend and cannot wait to share. Here's what I read last week:
All were great, but I want to talk about a few specifically.
HiLo and Awkward were two wonderful graphic novels. HiLo is about a boy who falls from space. He doesn't remember who he was or where he came from. With help from his new friend, DJ, he puts the pieces back together and figures out what he was born to do. This book is at once hilarious and moving. I absolutely loved it.
Awkward tells the story of Peppi who is beginning a new school. She simply wants to fit in, to go unnoticed. But that is made difficult when she trips in the front hallway, spilling all of her books, and a boy tries to help. He is the target for some school bullies, and Peppi becomes one as a result. She is unkind to him to try and save face. Awkward follows Peppi's story at her new school, her new friends in the Art Club, and her journey to make it up to the boy who was kind to her on her first day.
Nooks & Crannies is a brilliant novel. Tabitha has been mysteriously invited to stay at a Countess's house for the weekend, as have five other children. Her parents are unbelievably cruel people and decide to come along, hoping this means Tabitha will finally be worth something to them and get them some money. Tabitha has a great imagination and a love of detective stories - both traits will come in handy during this weekend at the mansion. I told my students this reminded me of the board game, Clue. With a death (or murder?), disappearances, and ghosts, Tabitha races to solve the mystery.
The Wolf Wilder is a beautiful story that took me by surprise. Feo and her mother live in the woods in Russia. Feo's mother, and Feo, turn domesticated wolves back into the wild animals they once were and release them back into the woods. A general is angry at them for this and captures Feo's mother. Feo and her wolves embark on a journey to save her. This was a beautiful story of bravery, friendship, and love.
What fabulous books I got to read this week! For next week I'm hoping to read one professional book and finish a novel I just started, The Astounding Broccoli Boy.
Happy Reading!
