Drum Roll, Please, by Lisa Jenn Bigelow

This is author Bigelow's second book, according to the notes in Drum Roll, Please, but this is the first time I have read her work. Drum Roll follows Melly in her first foray into summer band camp - not just any band camp, but rock n roll band camp! Some usual teen story lines show themselves, such as friendship, romance, family struggles and the emotions that often come with all of that. But Bigelow also winds in a fair amount of musical reference - most of which seems to be catered to the older crowd (like your parents, for example) - that I enjoyed (being a more mature pug, of course), but might slip past many readers.  It won't matter much. Drum Roll is a cute, pretty easy read, and good. The main romantic story line was pretty good and made me keep turning the pages. Some other parts of the book were a little predictable, especially for those of you who are more experienced readers. But overall this is a good read! It won't take up a lot of your brainpower, but is more of a light, vacation-type book. Decent, but not jaw-dropping. 3 paws!

Reading in the time of Coronavirus

Hello, pug lovers and readers everywhere! It's time to add a little something to my regular dog blog as we find ourselves in these odd times - trying to understand something we can't physically see, wondering about how to best take care of ourselves and the humans we love, and at the same time trying not to be bored or fall behind with all the skills we have learned in school, both from the adults around us as well as the friends and peers we share a school life with!

With libraries being closed for the time being, school libraries and public libraries, too, there are a few ways to keep reading, which you know keeps your brain active and growing - a beautiful and beneficial thing to do!  On the Briggs Middle School web page (which you can find by Googling Briggs Middle School Springfield Oregon), there is a Library/Media Center drop-down. In that drop-down, the first link is the Library Web Site. See the red heading for Quick Links? Click on BMS Online Catalog.  Near the top of that page is a link to Audio Books: Click to Listen. Continue on by clicking the green box for Sign in using Springfield School District 19.  That link will take you to Sora, which is free to all Springfield students using your Google account info to sign on. In Sora you have access to thousands of eBooks and audiobooks...so you can keep reading!!!   In addition, there will be a place to add your local public library to your Sora site, so by adding Springfield Public Library you will also gain access to all of the public library's online books...literally thousands of titles to choose from!

I am not a huge fan of electronic reading, but sometimes we have to do things to keep our minds and brains sharp. Please, continue to carve out time from every day to read, and give these electronic books a try. I know I have about 3 books left in print form before I also head to audiobooks, so I'll be on this journey with you!

If these links give you trouble, email my human at kevin.odea@springfield.k12.or.us    He checks his email every day at least once, and will work to get you connnected with more reading. In the meantime, keep checking back here for my awesome paw-rated reviews!

I Lived on Butterfly Hill, by Marjorie Agosin

This is the story of 11-year-old Celeste, a writer, dreamer, creator - a 6th grader! Her life is upended when she is sent to Maine in the United States to live with her aunt because her country has been taken over by the military under a dictator's rule. Before she leaves for Maine, her friends start to disappear, and finally her parents go away to an unknown place to escape the harsh rules that the new government is implementing. Life on Butterfly Hill is changing very rapidly, and Celeste is doing her best to navigate a very fluid and dangerous situation.

Agosin writes in a way that draws you in very easily. Her chapters are short but so full of life that I don't remember feeling more a part of a story than I did when reading this one. Celeste is such a realistic character - I couldn't help but root for her all the way. Her situations were real, meaning not everything ended happily, but enough did to make her your, the reader's, hero! You will love the characters in this story, and perhaps, like me, wonder why our society and our culture isn't more like the one described here in Chile. This book makes me want to travel, and to be nicer to those around me. Who doesn't want to read a book like that? 5 paws!

Swing, by Kwame Alexander with Mary Rand Hess

Alexander is one of my favorite authors, yet I have only read one of his books - The Crossover (but I've read it several times, one of the very few books I have read more than once). Swing happened to be on the shelf last week so I asked my human (your librarian) to being it home. I don't remember a book that has made me snort (laugh) out loud - literally - on more than once occasion while reading it. At the same time, it broke my heart - twice - along the way. This book is such a joy to read...cool, funny, clever, romantic, real, and sad...I highly recommend this, and vow not to wait so long to read another Alexander book! 5 paws!

The Fountains of Silence, by Ruta Sepetys

I grabbed this from the public library just before it closed for the next few weeks. I wasn't sure it would appeal to many middle school readers, but I read another book by Sepetys, Salt to the Sea, and loved it! The Fountains of Silence didn't start as quickly as Salt did, but once it got going, it was a page turner extraordinaire! Sepetys is a master historical fiction writer, equal to Steve Sheinkin, if not better. Where Sheinkin writes totally engaging and fact-filled books, Sepetys adds romance, and what pug doesn't like a little romance now and again? None that I know...

Fountains has a strong romantic story line, set in Spain during the last half of the 20th century. Franco was the fascist dictator who ruled for nearly 40 years, supported by Hitler and Mussolini (both of whom are more widely known) but also supported in many ways by the United States. During Franco's regime, 300,000 babies were stolen from their families and adopted out to wealthier, Catholic families all over the world. Sepetys weaves all of these elements into a totally readable tale...a page turner! If you will allow yourself to dive into some historical fiction, and are ready for a slightly more sophisticated story than most middle school reads, get this! Be sure to carve out a few uninterrupted hours...you won't be able to put this down! 5 paws!

The Wonderling, by Mira Bartok

I can't recall how The Wonderling made it on to my purchase list, but it did, and I'm assuming someone gave it a rave review along the way, which always catches my attention. This book, about a one-eared groundling (part animal, part human) making his way in a very cruel, unforgiving world soon to be devoid of music, is a good one. It blends a little Oliver Twist, a little Edward Tulane, a bit steampunk,  and even a little Lemony Snicket. It is a unique story, in some ways, and well written and illustrated, but it isn't amazing. The protagonist, Number 13, soon to be named Arthur, is a likable character, along with the other minor main characters and protagonists. The story flows pretty well, and kept me reading, although a few times I found my mind wandering just a bit. I don't know...I like this book, but I didn't love it. If you like any of the characters or authors I listed above, you might find a place in your heart for this story. It's worth a read, but it made me want to revisit Edward Tulane again (which isn't bad, as that book is wonderful, but still...). 3 paws.