Author Archives: SSBRC Former Member

Power Forward #1: Zayd Saleem, Chasing the Dream

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Zayd Saleem is living between two cultures. His family is Pakistani, but they are living in America. Zayd’s mother sees her son as becoming an outstanding violinist. Zayd sees himself as becoming a famous NBA Basketball Star. The extra orchestra practice time his family is paying for is held before school. This is the same time as the extra basketball practice time held in the school gym. Zayd begins skipping his before school orchestra to practice basketball. When Zayd’s mother finds out about him skipping orchestra, Zayd is banded from all basketball, in any form, for two weeks. This means he will miss the fourth grade team basketball tryouts for which he has been working so hard. Zayd is, also, required to make up practicing his violin for the practices he has missed.

Days before the tryouts, Zayd’s stomach hurts so badly his uncle mamoo is called to pick him up from school. During their time together mamoo tells Zayd he needs to tell his mother and father what he wants- basketball , not violin. And Zayd learns that mamoo is not being pushed into a marriage.

After their heart to heart talk, Zayd’s parents decide to let Zayd play basketball again in time for the tryouts. Zayd should, also, continue with his regular violin lessons during the school day, while discontinuing the before schools lessons.

The evening after the tryouts is grandfather’s birthday. The whole extended family goes out for a Chinese dinner. Zayd’s fortune cookie reads- “You must power forward to achieve your dreams”, which is quite fitting since he has made the basketball team.

Just enough basketball and family interaction to make this story believable.

Each of the 19 chapters begins with a different basketball action silhouette. There are seven illustrations and eight cameos sprinkled throughout the book.

Includes chapter 1 of the next book in the series – On Point.

Movie Monsters from Godzilla to Frankenstein

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I enjoy a good monster movie perhaps because I know I am safe and “watching the mistakes that created monsters warns us to take care of the people and the world around us.” (25)

In four brief chapters, Krystyna Poray Goddu gives her readers a brief history of some of the most famous movies monsters viewed in America. Frankenstein first appeared in a movie in 1910. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde appeared in 1931. Movie monsters can be shape shifters like wolfman, Maleficent, and characters from the Ghostbusters. They can also be the result of “scientific experiments gone wrong” (17) Some movie monsters are ‘gentle giants’ (9) like King Kong and Godzilla not meant for the human world, but brought here against their will.

In chapter 2, “Movie Monsters Everywhere” it states monster movies are especially popular around Halloween. Movie monsters come in the shape of toys( Mattel’s Monster High), shown on TV (Scooby-Doo), in movies, in games, and General Mills even has a line of monster cereals: Franken Berry, Boo Berry, and Count Chocula.

Chapter 4 “Movie Monsters Forever” tells about how Godzilla, Frankenstein, and King Kong have each been made into multiple movies.

There is not much meat to this book, but readers who are viewers of monster movies will enjoy agreeing with the information that is provided.

Lastly, Goddu compares Frankenstein and Godzilla as though they were in an arranged bout. Who would wins such a bout? Spoiler alert: Godzilla do to shear size- 164 feet against Frankenstein at 8 feet.

 

Includes: Table of Contents, Glossary, Further Information, Index, and “download free, complementary educational resources for this book form our website, www.lernerresources.com.” (30)

Royal Sweets: A Royal Rescue

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Early readers getting ready for chapter books will love this sugary sweet new series about fairies from Candy Kingdom. In this first book in the Royal Sweets series, today is going to be Princess Mini’s first day at the Royal Fairy Academy.  Along the way there she and her flying unicorn, Butterscotch, hear a cry for, “Help,” from a very young, small troll. Princess Mini helps Gobo, the troll, out of the caramel thornbush just as the bell begins to ring to start school. Gobo says trolls and princesses are not supposed to talk to each other, but Princess Mini says, “fairy princesses are supposed to help other.” (15)

Princess Mini arrives at school as the last bell rings. Her first class is making sugar and spice candy using cinnamon or a dash of mint. The whole time Princess Mini is distracted by thinking about Bogo. At recess, a bit of intrigue begins as Princesses Cupcake and Swirlie come over to talk to Mini with negative compliments. Then, Prince Frosting almost overhears Mini telling her friend Taffy about Bogo. As the first day of school comes to an end, Frosting still does not know about Bogo, but he isn’t giving up on finding out their secret.

Mini and Taffy have just gotten Bogo to come out from finding when Frosting flies up on his unicorn. Bogo, though, is too quick to let Frosting see him. Afterwards, Taffy , Mini, and Bogo ‘pinkie’ promise “to a sweet secret friendship!”(65)

The reader will want to fly through the text, but want to slow down for the two or three black and white illustrations per chapter. The font is large and the chapters are short enough for beginning chapter book readers to feel successful.

Includes: Table of Contents, Word List (glossary, with pronunciation) , and questions.

Yours Truly

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Truly Lovejoy is back in this second installment of the Pumpkin Falls Mystery series. Readers do not need to have read book one, Absolutely Truly, in order to follow the storyline of this book.  The author references elements of book one, but provides context so book one details do not detract from this story. In the second book, Truly learns about her namesake and the history of the house she now calls home in Pumpkin Falls, New Hampshire. As the story develops, there are multiple mysteries that interconnect to reveal the rich history of the area and the founders of the town. Truly and her friends call themselves the Pumpkin Falls Private Eyes, and they work together to crack a maple syrup crime and settle a town feud. Along the way, Truly also investigates her family’s history, uncovering a local connection to the underground railroad and uses her quick wit to find her younger sister when she goes missing. With a complex mystery to solve, historically accurate details, and engaging and realistic family and friendship complications, this book will be a winner with mystery, historical, and realistic fiction readers.   

For This Life Only

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The book “ For This Life Only” written by Stacey Kade is deeply describing how unexpected and horrible accident can change the person’s and family’s life.  Throughout the story there is a common theme of how important it is for a family to help, understand and be open with each other, as well as being together, especially through the hardest times of their life. In my opinion, this realistic novel includes a lot of philosophical and psychological aspects and themes.

Nobody ever could expect that one winter evening could change Jacob (Jace) Palmer’s life forever. That day was when the main hero of this book, Jace asked his twin brother Eli to pick him up from his friend’s party and drive him home. On a way to their house, while they had conversation, Ely suddenly loses control of the car and crashed, “… Jeep rolled, turned our world upside down…”. Jace was dead for three minutes followed by couple months of struggling for his life and a lot of surgeries, he tried to get back to his normal life but now without his identical twin brother Eli, who died in the car accident that horrible night. Now Jace must learn, how to live and struggle, not just with his physical pain, but also with his emotions, feelings, and pain that he keeps inside of himself, “…Wake up. Take more pills…Try not to think… It was difficult for me to step back into a life that was all sharp edges and no soft landing places, a life that no longer left like mine-that didn’t matter…”  Throughout the story we see how Eli’s death impacts people and friends surrounding him, especially his family and his little sister. Also, there is a deep conflict inside the family, more so because their father is Pastor, who often helps to solve other people’s problems, sometimes caring for them more than his own family, particularly now when they need him the most. Jacob’s family is falling apart, arguing a lot, feeling guilty, blaming each other about Eli’s death, and everybody tried to avoid the conversation dealing with it. Thankfully, Jacob met a good friend, Thera (even if she was weird and he ignored her before), who helped him to organize his thoughts, fears and feelings, by listening and talking with him about it.

Through this story a lot of different questions arise about the life, expectations, difference between right and wrong, many religious questions, and afterlife (if it’s exist), but only a few answers. This is a well written story, because while you read this book you are totally immersed and feel the characters’ emotions, worries, fairs, grief, and relationships. Personally I think it’s really sad story, and it has many curse words, which is why I would recommended this book for high schoolers and young adults, who like this type of books.

Review by M.M.

Armstrong & Charlie

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Armstrong & Charlie is a historical fiction novel. The book is set in the Hollywood Hills of California during the 1970s and the Opportunity Busing program has just started. Boys and girls from the inner city travel to Wonderland Elementary in an attempt at desegregation.  The story focuses on a friendship that emerges between Armstrong and Charlie. Charlie is a Jewish boy of privilege. Armstrong is the youngest of six kids who is ready to fight for everything. Finding themselves at odds with one another in multiple school situations, Armstrong and Charlie are pushed into an unlikely friendship. Separately, each boy is also on a journey of self-discovery. This is a story full of heart and soul, friendship, and growing up.  Chapters are told from each character’s perspective. This provides insight to each character’s motivation and emotions regarding shared experiences. The story, the characters, and the compelling structure, keep readers engaged from start to finish. Highly recommended.

Ebb & Flow

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Heather Smith’s Ebb & Flow is a novel in verse. Smith grabs readers from the first page. Once started, the reader will want to read the book in one sitting to unfold Jett’s story.

After “a rotten bad year,” Jett’s mother sends him from the mainland to spend summer on a quaint coastal island with his eccentric grandmother. While on the island, Jett rediscovers himself and must learn forgiveness. Raw emotions roll in like rogue waves, changing as new experiences and memories merge. At times he is playful & clever, but he is also angry & bitter. While Jett’s catchphrase is “No Regrets”, he is deeply remorseful and ashamed of his actions. Grandma Jo’s unconditional love and patience help Jett to see himself the way she sees him – a compassionate, smart boy who made a mistake. He must take responsibility for his role in his “rotten bad year”. As Jett make amends for actions, he discovers forgiveness is possible.

Ebb & Flow is a fitting title, as Smith’s telling of Jett’s journey is not a direct path. His story takes the reader from the present to memories from the past. His emotions come and go like the tides. The story evokes strong emotions. Give this book to readers who like books that don’t sugar coat things but tell stories the way life happens with all the gritty, heartfelt details. They’ll appreciate the honesty of Jett’s journey to redemption.  

The Thing About Leftovers

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The cover of the book doesn’t begin to describe the story within. Following a middle school girl that has her own problems to deal with, it’s a story with depth hiding underneath the camouflage of a bright appearance. The Thing About Leftovers by C.C. Payne followed Fizzy Russo, a girl with dreams of winning the Southern Living Cook-off. However, recent turmoil in her own family has her feeling like a leftover. Now she lives with her mom and attends a new school. There, she finds new friends in Miyoko and Zach, and along the way learns that sometimes things change, but it can be for the better. I enjoyed the realism and emotion in the story. It was very personal with how Fizzy felt about these events that were happening in her life, and I was swept up in the story immediately. My only frustrations were that it didn’t last longer! I would’ve enjoyed a much more closed resolution, but an open ending is always open to imagination. The conflict and setting were very relatable from a middle school standpoint. Divorce and moving are both very real events that can happen and affect students, especially in the middle school years. Overall, the pace of the story was great and I was left satisfied when I put the book down. Personally, I would recommend this book to anyone who is passionate about a hobby or sport. Fizzy’s pursuit of her dreams are relatable to anyone who aspires to do the same, and her nonstop work can be an inspiration to those with their own ambitions. It was an entertaining read.

-Review by B.W.

League of Archers

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What really caught my eye was when the girl was telling the story to the little boy. She  said Robin Hood snuck into the archer shoot-out in disguise and didn’t get caught when he was only wearing a hood. This book is about a girl on the run after committing a crime she didn’t commit. It was really good. I really liked it when the girl told a story to the little boy when he was sick. I think for people woh are really into adventure books then this is a book for you.

-T.C.

The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy

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The Shadow Cadets of Pennyroyal Academy. This book is a part two to the Pennyroyal Academy series and it’s filled with mystery, action, and plenty of magic. Evie starts out in a castle where she and her dragon family live. She has lost her father and dragon father for different reasons. She has gone to the Pennyroyal Academy to learn how to be a princess with magical powers. She gets strange warnings about how someone at the school is not who they seem and that someone is a traitor. She also has an official princess watching her and her classmates, and they are all in danger of being kicked out. This is a amazing book that keeps you wondering at times. I would recommend this book to people who like books with magic, mystery, action, and a bit of romance.

-D.K.