Thornhill, by Pam Smy

A fairly new book by an author I have not heard of before...wow, this book is dark! A young girl growing up in a boarding home in 1982 is bullied by the other girls, and severely bullied by one girl in particular. At the same time, in the present day, a girl has moved into the house next door to where the boarding school once operated, and she finds connections to the bullied girl, although she is no longer there...so, her ghost? The story develops along the way, and the book is told alternately with words and with drawings, both by author Smy. This is one of the darker stories I have ever read, reminding me of Holly Black, perhaps. I admit it disturbed me a little. 4 scared paws.

Catwoman: Soulstealer, by Sarah J. Maas

Wow, sometimes it just takes a little while to finish a book, you know? Now that it is raining less (slightly!), and sunny more (slightly!), I find myself laying on the back deck in the sun, barking at birds and chasing insects, and my reading lags a little. Anyway, I managed to get through this 3rd book in the DC Comics chapter book series, and it was...okay.  While I read I was trying to think of what I wanted to read next (not a good sign while reading a book to wonder about the next one) and whether I wasn't as fond of this book because the main character is a villain instead of a hero, like Wonder Woman or Batman.  I'm not sure, but this one was just okay, of the first three in the series so far. It had action, romance, adventure, super heroes (although the "good" superhero was Batwing...never heard of that character before, have you? It had all the elements of a great story, and it was...good. Not bad, but not great. I still think Wonder Woman was the best of the series so far, and I'm looking forward to book #4, Superman! In the meantime, if you read Catwoman, let me know what you think of it! I love to be talked into a so-so book being really great for someone! 3 paws.

Harbor Me, by Jacqueline Woodson

My brother, Henry, was the runt of his litter. We have the same parents, but I was born in the first batch of puppies, and he was born in the second. Not only does that make me the older sister (and smarter, of course, in every way), but it means we had different experiences in our dog youth. One result of that difference show itself in our eating habits. Henry eats from a special dish made with extra shapes within the bowl to force him to eat more slowly. As the runt, I imagine he was the last to get to Momma for food, and that has made a lifelong impression on him - not a good one, necessarily...he eats like he has never eaten before, and like he may never get to eat again! The special dish helps him slow down so at least he tastes some of what he is eating...how much is debatable!

I share all of that as a way to introduce you to the latest book by author Jacqueline Woodson.  The book, Harbor Me, will make you read slowly, just like Henry's dish makes him eat slowly. You cannot read this book quickly, it just will not allow it. The words are not long or difficult, the book itself is less than 200 pages. But the story has such a richness, such a depth to it, that it forces you to read slowly. The characters, their situations, the exchanges between them as they meet for their weekly ARTT sessions....it all is put together so perfectly, and so descriptively, that you have to read slowly. The story is like a really rich, thick, homemade ice cream; you want to keep every bite in your mouth as long as possible until you just have to swallow it - and then you can't get the next bite into your mouth fast enough!

The only thing I wasn't sure of about this story is how mature main character Haylie's reflections and thoughts are. She is written like a 50-year-old wise woman, but in the story she is in the 6th grade. It seemed a little like Woodson was telling some of her own story, perhaps, in this book, but that isn't a bad thing. Whether that is true or not, if you have any liking whatsoever of realistic fiction, I highly recommend this book! Or any book by Woodson, for that matter...she is a master writer, and she shines in Harbor Me. Wow. 5 paws!

         Henry in front of me at home!

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean

About twice every school year I have to read a book meant for adults. Not sure why, just need something different. This spring break I read The Library Book, and what a treat! One of the reviews calls this book a love letter to libraries, and I couldn't agree more! Using the devastating fire in 1986 of the Los Angeles Public Library as the background to explore not only the fire, but libraries around the world, I loved this book! Not sure if any of my owner's middle schoolers would enjoy it as much, but if libraries just seem like one of the greatest things since peanut butter in a kong, than try this one! The BMS library doesn't carry it, but the public libraries do! Enjoy! Blink blink! 5 paws!

The Lifters, by Dave Eggers

This is one of the newer books in the library since the start of the new year, and one I didn't really pay much attention to until a student returned it and told my human that it was good. So, he brought it home and I gave it a try! It reminded me of a mix of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl, Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library by Chris Grabenstein, and something Neil Gaiman might write. In other words, it was quirky and odd, but it kept you reading...it isn't anything I can put my paw on as far as what I liked and what I found odd, it was simply a mixture of everything. But a good mixture! The story is a fantasy tale where this force called The Hollows blows tunnels underneath places where people are experiencing sadness or turmoil.  Gran, the main character, finds himself becoming one of the Lifters - someone who tries to keep the ground from collapsing- and thus houses, schools, churches, buildings, etc. I can't totally compare it to anything else I've read, which on its own is a good thing - so often books seem to follow the same script a lot, so something different is a welcome change! But it's almost too quirky...I don't know - YOU read it and let me know what you think! I give it 4 paws...how many would you give it?

What Elephants Know, by Eric Dinerstein

This is a wonderful book, and as difficult to explain as it is wonderful! It takes place in Nepal, and Dinerstein uses a lot of Nepalese language (which he defines at the back of the book). So it took a little while for me to get the rhythm of the writing...a slow start. But once I discovered the rhythm of the writing, the rhythm of the entire story opened up like a glorious surprise! This book is about nature, and elephants, and the bonds between people and nature, and about human greed and life in another place, far from here, but then not so different in many ways. If you like elephants, you must read this!  If you like nature, you must read this as well. If you like adventure but also beautifully written scenes and events, not in a traditional style but in a very descriptive style that will make you feel like you are in the jungle with Nandu and Dei Kali, his "mother", then give this a try. 

I always read with the people I would recommend a book to in mind, but this one is a challenge...it takes some time to get started, to fall into the language, but if you make it, the reward is awesome. This book probably won't please everyone, but those it does please will be very, very satisfied!           5 paws!

Squirm, by Carl Hiaasen!

Everyone should read one Carl Hiaasen book in their lifetimes...at least one. This is my third, and it is a good one! My first ever was Hoot, still my favorite of his - perhaps because it was the first! The second was Flush, which I liked but it was a little too much like Hoot for my to love love it. And now Squirm, his newest, is my third. All of his books for teens have environmental themes to them, which makes them unique from most other teen work, and also something I appreciate and enjoy. The books I have read also take place in Florida, where Hiaasen lives, although Squirm splits time between Florida and Montana. In short, a good story about a teen, Billy, who moves a lot due to his mom's obsession with bald eagles, his search for his dad, who left the family when Billy was younger, snakes, grizzly bears, poaching (killing animals illegally for fun or money), and nature...with some Native American elements thrown in for added depth. I like that Hiaasen writes for teens, but not in an overly dramatic or typical "teen" way - more like he's writing teen stories for adults, or adult stories for teens. He also writes many adult novels, but I've only read his teen books so far, and I would recommend any of them to you, especially if you've never tried one! 4.5 paws!

Merci Suarez Changes Gears, by Meg Medina

This is the newest Newbery medal winner that I picked up last weekend from the bookstore. I wasn't expecting to have time to read it for a while, but snow days = a lot of time to read, so I got to it more quickly than I thought I would! SO glad I did! Now and then the Newbery winner will be a book I don't find that interesting (Criss Cross, for example), but mostly this award, given once a year to the best of the best, hits it on the head. Merci is a winner!

Mercedes Suarez is in 6th grade at a private school. She got in thanks to scholarships, but many of the other kids in her school have families who can afford the school, so already Merci is set apart from many of her peers in this way. She lives in one of three houses in a row on her street, the other two being occupied by her grandparents and by her aunt and uncle and nephews. This theme of extended family plays into the story strongly and is something else that sets her apart from her classmates. Lastly, her grandfather has Alzheimer's Disease, and is starting to show itself in ways that Merci sees but doesn't understand. Mix all of this together in a bowl, along with Merci just trying to figure out life being 11 or 12 years old, and you have the ingredients of a story...in Meg Medina's hands, you have the makings of a really, really good story!

Medina's strength seems to be in her character development. Every character in this book stands alone, I think, and Medina shows both the positive and negative sides of many of her characters. No one is all good, and no one is all bad, which makes life a challenge sometimes, right? It also makes this realistic fiction story very realistic, and hard to put down! One of the better books I've read this year so far - and it should be to be the Newbery winner! Don't let the cover throw you off - it did me, a bit, as it seems more like an elementary book.  It could be, but also a really good book for middlers as well...5 paws!

Tight, by Torrey Maldonado

Happy snow day, Tigers! Personally, I don't care for the white stuff, nor the clear wet stuff (rain!), as I'm not one to have my paws wet...but I hear kids playing outside and know what a day like this means to many of you, and I hope you have a great, safe, snowy day out there!

Luckily I had a couple of extra unread books this weekend, since my person cannot bring any books home from school when there is no school...Tight is a new title to your library that I've wanted to read after hearing some really good things about it. That said, I admit I was a bit skeptical for the first 30 pages or so...I had a hard time getting into the main character's brain, I think because author Maldonado uses very realistic language for his characters, and not being an urban dog, per se, I didn't really relate for a while. Kind of like when your teachers or parents try to be all cool by using language you use with your friends...doesn't work very well, or at least not very often! Funny, sometimes, but not enjoyable in the long term! Anyway, once I got used to the books language and settled into the story, I really liked it!

A well-told, short book about a young man, Bryan, growing up in a less-than-perfect household, in a less-than-perfect neighborhood, with some less-than-perfect people around him at school. You get the picture. He meets another young man, Mike, who seems really cool and smart, but seems to have another side to him, one that draws Bryan in, and soon he is doing things he wouldn't do on his own. The consequences get him into a few very "tight" situations that he has to navigate.

Maldonado's second book - I'm not sure if this one is so good I would go find his first, but probably...this is worth your time, especially if you like realistic, street-lit fiction. Not quite Jason Reynolds, but he may get there soon! 4 paws!

The War That Saved My Life, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

Yay! What a great story! It's been a while since I've read a book like this one, one with a sequel that I would have started after I read the last sentence if I had finished it in the library and not at home on the weekend. This story takes place at the start of World War 2 in England, so it's historical fiction and realistic fiction both, and very, very good! In fact I put it up there with some of my all-time faves, like Walk Two Moons and Princess Academy, as far as really good, well-told stories. You can't help but root for Ada and her brother, and hope her evil mother just goes away and never comes back! Give this books a try - you will not regret it! I can't wait to read the second book, The War I Finally Won. I don't even want to write anymore about it, I just want to start the next book...wonderful!
5 paws!