Renegades, by Marissa Meyer

The first book in the trilogy, and another book that was loved by a Briggs teacher...so I thought I'd give it a try! Washington-born Meyers is the author of the Lunar Chronicles series, which started with Cinder...a book I tried three different times and just could not get past the first chapter! I love the premise of those books, but cyborg Cinderella? Um, sorry...too far away from what my pug brain is ready to accept to be able to get into it (although I know many of you have read it and loved it!).

I was able to make it through the entire book of Renegades, which is no small feat, as it's over 500 pages long. A few times along the way I wished it were shorter so I could finish it and move on to something else. At the same time there were moments where I couldn't help but move on to the next chapter to find out what was going to happen next! So, a good read, a fun story, not amazing, but better than average. Not Marie Lu or Leigh Bardugo, but better than...well, better than Cinder.

If you like any part of superhero or fantasy stories, you should give this a try! Don't let the number of pages keep you from reading it - in most places it reads very quickly. There is a lot of action and plenty of twists in the plot to keep you moving ahead. I rarely read further into a series, and I'm not sure I would move into the second book or not...I'll have to see if these characters stay with me into next week. They may, and I may dive into the book 2. But whether or not that happens, I would recommend this to you if you enjoy fantasy and/or superhero stories. It's fun! 4 paws!

A Girl From Yamhill, by Beverly Cleary

This biography by the author of many, many wonderful children's books (Ramona Quimby, Dear Mr. Henshaw) was published in the late 1980s, and has been an OBOB book in the past, but for some reason it never made it into my reading pile until now. It finally made it thanks to rave reviews from Mr. Morton, who is reading it out loud to his 6th graders this month - thanks, Mr. Morton!

Beverly Cleary, now 103 years old, was born in McMinnville, grew up in Yamhill and then Portland, in the 1920s and 1930s. This book is her story as she navigates life through high school living in Oregon, a descendant of several prominent people in Oregon history and, of course, herself being one of Oregon's most recognizable names in children's literature. In addition to being a very interesting romp through Depression-era Oregon, this book is like a long conversation with a really good friend. Cleary's writing is easy, direct, insightful without being too introspective or personal...a great blend of who she is, who she was, and her relationship with her parents, school, friends, adolescence, and the world as she knew it, which was very small and simple in sometimes painful ways. I'm sorry I waited so long to read this, but I'm very happy to have read it now. I recommend it! 5 paws!

The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day, by Christopher Edge

A new book to the library this year, and one I've been wanting to read, but also hearing mixed or mediocre reviews from students who are checking this out, so I've been hesitant. What to expect?!? A short book, and I don't know if I have anything to compare this to...perhaps the best comparison would be too one of Edge's other two books, but I have not yet read either of them...yet.

The Infinite Lives tells the story - well, two stories, really - of ten-year-old Maisie Day, who, in alternating chapters, is living a normal kid's life with her mom and dad and sister, and in the other chapters is being swallowed up by the vastness and blackness of the universe. As in; the Big Bang Theory, atoms and protons and neurons (and electrons), Einstein, the source and direction of everything ever from a science viewpoint...very interesting, very different as far as teen and YA book subjects go, and...not bad. Edge weaves these alternating chapters and versions of Maisie's life pretty well, with a plot twist at the end that I promise you will not see coming! Mixed in with it all is a lot of scientific theory and explanation. The author does it in a fairly smooth way, but I'm not sure how incredibly smoothly anyone could work in the Big Bang Theory without coming across as dry or instructional. Edge does as well as anyone, probably, but there are still times where I felt like I should stop and watch the Bill Nye video on the universe for additional background information.

Good enough for me to want to read at least one other of his books, but not so good I could give it all 4 (or 5) paws. If you love science, you will enjoy this more than most! And that plot twist...wow!
3 paws (and an extra tail wag for doing something new in kid lit!).

Operatic, by Kyo Maclear and Byron Eggenschwiler

A new graphic novel from two Canadians, getting rave reviews, and rightly so! I don't read a lot of graphic novels, but I have never read one where I finished and immediately wanted to go back and read it again. This is quirky, extremely well illustrated, and captures several aspects of middle school life so well that it's almost scary...but really amazing! I can't get this book out of my brain, and in fact I am going to read it again...as soon as I post this!

This story is a little jumpy, in that it will be taking you down one character's line of thoughts and the next page jumps to something completely different. But then you realize that it is reading just like a teenager is thinking, and then you can't stop turning pages! This book is about music, friends, the awkwardness of being a teen, romance, more music, fitting in, not fitting in...read this! And then read it again...you'll love it! 5 paws!

The Novice (Summoner Book 1), by Taran Matharu

Another OBOB book for this season, and getting really good reviews from students! A fantasy story which reminded me a lot of The Ranger's Apprentice...only not quite as strong. I really enjoyed the author's notes at the end of the story, describing his journey into writing and publishing and the creation of this book. If I remember correctly, The Novice started as an online story and then became a published book. Matharu began writing this when he was a teenager, ala Christopher Paolini, and this book reminded me also of Eragon. Now for a bit of a disclaimer...I tried reading Eragon three different times, and with no success. I just couldn't get into the flow of the writing. The Novice was the same way. I started, and then I stopped. I started again, and then stopped for about a week. Then I picked up where I left off, determined to get through it all, since so many kids have enjoyed it. But it just left me wanting more...honestly, wanting to re-read something better written. It's not a bad story, overall, but little things along the way hinted at the newness of Matharu as a writer, and these little things bothered me, added up, and...well, I can only offer this 3 paws.  I would give it 2 paws but I think you may like it more than I did, and so the extra paw is to encourage you to give it a try. Me? I'm moving on to something else...maybe some Stephanie Meyer?

Bob, by Wendy Mass and Rebecca Stead

Bob is the latest release by two authors who have many good and known books for young adults and teens between them. Mass wrote one of my all-time favorite books, A Mango-Shaped Space, and Stead will be known to anyone who has enjoyed OBOB in recent years as the author of Liar & Spy as well as the Newbery Award-winning When You Reach Me. Two very capable authors creating a magical book together!

Bob is a creature from a book of fairy and folk tales read by Livy when she was very little. In this story she returns to her grandmothers house in Australia 5 years after her last visit, and subsequently finds Bob, her childhood friend - who happens to be short and green and dressed in a chicken suit - still waiting for her in her bedroom closet. Livy finds out that not everyone can see Bob, and as the story progresses we wonder if Bob is real, or the presence of something serious that Livy is afraid or unable to face from her past. We don't really know until the end, when happily we discover that Bob is not a way for Livy to cope with a trauma, but a way for both Livy and Bob to build on an imagination that children often have but seem to lose as they get older.

Perhaps the most wonderful part of the story is how Bob finds his home and family, Livy loses but then finds Bob again, and all of the magic is then passed on to another child, a neighbor of Livy's whom is also drawn into the same story from the book. This is a pretty quick book to read, and reminds me a lot of DiCamillo's Tale of Despereaux of The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane.  This is a light, fun story that will bring a little warmth to that child within you, no matter who or how old you are! 4 paws!

Short & Skinny, by Mark Tatulli

A really fun graphic novel that came out last year, but I had a second copy added to the library collection so I took the time to read it before putting it out on the shelves! I'm not sure who would enjoy this more - kids or adults!  Author Tatulli basically tells us what his life was like in 1977, when he was a kid in school, one of the shortest kids in his class and skinny. This led to a lot of teasing by his family and bullying from other kids at school. As he tried to avoid the bullies and get taller and less skinny, the first Star Wars movie was released in theaters, and his life changed forever!

Adults will appreciate all of the references to the late 70's, those that were growing up then, and kids will appreciate all the elements of being a kid...ugh!  This is a quick read and a lot of laughs...recommended! 4 paws! 

Raymie Nightingale, Louisiana's Way Home, and Beverly, Right Here, by Kate DiCamillo

This series is not necessarily a trilogy, although they are three books that fit together, in order listed above. The newest release, Beverly, came into the library, and reminded me that I had always meant to read Raymie, so I requested that my human bring both home. After finishing them in a short period of time, my human went and bought the middle book, Louisiana, which I finished as quickly.  DiCamilo is the author of some classics, such as Because of Winn-Dixie and The Tale of Despereaux. She is one of only a few writers who have ever won more than one Newbery Award.  In other words, she is really good at what she does!

These three books are no exception. Imagine something you REALLY like...food, art, a sport, music...and then imagine some "good" examples of whatever you imagined...for example, being a pug, I like to eat. The kibble I get for breakfast and dinner is good.

Now imagine something that is really good. The treats I get for being extra cute are really good.

Now think of something that makes your mouth sing! When my human gives me a piece of swiss cheese out of the fridge, it is EXCELLENT!!!  My curly tail wags and I spin in circles until I wan to fall down!

These three books are cheese out of the fridge! Sometimes I think about putting my own dog thoughts on paper, and as I read these quick stories, I only hope that I can write as good as this someday. Realistic fiction, and I don't know if I've read anything more real. Read these...all three of them. Your life will be changed. 5 paws (and a piece of cheese)!