The Remarkable Journey of Coyote Sunrise, by Dan Gemeinhart

 What a great book title, right? It sounds like an old western movie or something....love it! Another OBOB book for the upcoming season, and not the first for author Gemeinhart. A few years ago his book The Honest Truth was also part of OBOB. In that season, Truth was possibly my least favorite book of the year, but kids loved it! In fact, even since then a few teachers have used that book in small book groups, and kids still love it! I, however, did not love it...I didn't even really like it. So when I saw that another book by the same author was part of OBOB, I was tentatively hopeful that this book would be better.

I was not disappointed. Early on this book reminded me a lot of Sharon Creech's Walk Two Moons, one of my favorite books of all time! Moons is one of the few books I have read more than once, and every single time I get tears in my puggie eyes! I'm pretty stoic, so making me cry is tough to do, but every single read?!? Once my brain had made that connection between that book and this one, though, I was a bit skeptical that Gemeinhart would be able to reach that sort of high standard. 

He almost reached it...almost, but close enough for me to highly recommend this book to you. I didn't get teared up during this one, although he really, really tried! And Walk Two Moons is one of the best books ever, in my opinion, so although Coyote Sunrise didn't hit that level, it is one of the better books I've read this year! A wonderful story about a young girl Coyote, and her dad, Rodeo, a bus, a cat, and a few unexpected friends. Oh, and loss. Grief. But also a police chase, a goat, a runaway teen...tough to explain the entire plot, but let me just say that this is really good, and chances are pretty good you will shed a few tears along the way. Coyote is very hard not to be friends with...I think you'll count her as your friend by the time you finish the story. 5 paws!

It's Trevor Noah: Born A Crime, by Trevor Noah

 Another book in this coming year's OBOB season, Born A Crime is the autobiography of comedian Trevor Noah. Noah was born in South Africa of a White father and Black mother, which was an actual crime at that time and in that place. Born and raised in a system of legal racism called Apartheid, Born A Crime tells Noah's story of trying to exist between and among Blacks and Whites when he fell into neither category. Raised solely by his mother, he navigated childhood and teenage years like many kids do, but in a country that severely limited what certain people could and couldn't do based on their skin color. Sound familiar? The differences between where he and his mom could live, where they could go and when, what she could do for work, where he could go to school - every aspect of their lives was impacted by this terrible system of government, one that existed legally for about 50 years.

If you don't read many non-fiction books, including biographies, give this a try for something different. So much of what happens to Noah and his family will be difficult to believe, and then to think that he was able to rise out of that life and become the success that he is today is simply amazing! This book reminds me a bit of Hole In My Life, the autobiography of Jack Gantos (author of the Joey Pigza series), which is also incredible once you read his story of where he came from and where he was able to land. 

Another really good OBOB for the coming year...a tail wag for that! And 4 paws for this book!

Becoming Muhammed Ali, by James Patterson and Kwami Alexander

 This wonderful book was made even more wonderful by the fact that it was a gift from a student - thank you, Kai!

Written by two authors - James Patterson, known for the I Funny and Middle School, Worst Years of My Life series, and Kwami Alexander, author of one of my all-time favorite books, The Crossover, as well as Undefeated, Swing, and Booked. Two amazing, accomplished writers, writing together, can only mean one thing - an awesome book, of course!

Written both in verse and in chapter format, this book tells the story of Cassius Clay, who later became Muhammed Ali. In this novel you'll meet Cassius, and his friends, all growing up in Louisville, Kentucky, with a young Cassius already knowing that boxing was what he was meant to do, and being the greatest was what he was meant to be. If most people bragged on themselves like Clay did growing up, it would probably end badly. But for Ali, it was just...who he was! And it worked! He would go one to become a 3-time World Boxing Champion, and this book ends with this success. But it focuses mostly on Cassius as a boy and a teen, and along with Walter Dean Myers' The Greatest, one of the best books about Ali I have read. He was more than a boxer, for sure, and that is also touched upon in this book, although not in a heavy-handed or preachy way. 

A really remarkable American, one you should know about. This book is a great place to start! 5 paws!

The Rest of Us Just Live Here, by Patrick Ness

 Hi, Readers!

I'm so sorry that this month was so slow in postings...being a pug of many talents, I was helping write questions for next season's OBOB and it took me away from my regular reading schedule for a while. But, I'm back - more ornery than ever, sharing my pug wisdom about all things books with YOU, my favorite audience!

The Rest of Us Just Live Here isn't super new. In fact, it came out in 2015. But it's been one of those books that I keep hearing about and wanting to read, and, well, the time was right to read it! And, well...it was very...high school? The main characters are a few weeks away form graduating high school, but a group of kids in their school start to disappear. And it happened before, years ago. Not in an April Henry sort of way, but more of a slightly funny Twilight sort of way. Does that make any sense? No? It probably shouldn't because this book's story line was a lot like that, too.

It's not a bad book - in fact, when it was released it got oodles of starred reviews! But it's not a great middle school read. I don't even know if it's a great high school read, but perhaps kids that age are truly more angsty, so the angst throughout the book will resonate with them. It didn't really curl my tail. It was good, but not great. Would I recommend it? If you are 8th grade or above, and you really like sarcasm and teen angst, you would probably really like this! If that is not you for any of the listed reasons, you could find a better book. Pretty easily. 3 paws. Next!

Fighting Words, by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley

     Author Bradley wrote one of my favorite historical fiction books, The War That Saved My Life. It won a Newbery Honor, which is a very big deal in the book world. In Fighting Words, which I believe is her fourth book, she won yet another Newbery Honor. She is clearly a very talented writer!

    Fighting Words is a very important and powerful story. Brubaker writes in the author notes that she was abused as a child. Fighting Words is a story of abuse, so it is powerful and serious. The story of sisters Della and Suki, who have landed in a foster home after their addict mother nearly blows them up in a hotel room making meth, are trying to deal with the memories of abuse at the hands of their mom's boyfriend that lasted several years. It is not an easy road.

    But at times it is a healing road. And that part of the story is beautiful and full of hope. Both girls look hard for their power and their voice. In the mind of such a talented writer, their story unfolds, in all of its imperfections and pain...and strength.

    This is a very important book, and so honestly written. 5 paws, and a wag for Brubaker for her bravery!

Everything Sad is Untrue (a true story), by Daniel Nayeri

     Before writing this blog I had to check the reviews to make sure I had picked up and read the right book. I mean the reviews verified that this book is for middle and high school, but after reading it, and even during, I could not decide who would be the best audience for this story. In most ways, everyone should read this book. It is unlike anything I think I have ever read, in good ways. But at the same time, it is written in such a unique style that I'm not sure who would stay with it long enough to find the story's rhythm, then ride that rhythm to the end of the book.

    At the most basic level, this is the story of Daniel, an Iranian boy who flees Iran and ends up living in Edmond, Oklahoma with his mom and sister. He is telling the story of how he came to be in Oklahoma to his classmates in the form of a class show and tell. That is a very, very simplistic version. What fills all the rest of the pages is everything that happens to him and his extended family prior to that, and all the feelings of everything that has happened along the way. And since. It is so hard to describe, as Nayeri's storytelling is so unique that I don't know how to describe what happens in the book. The closest I can come to the narration is The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie. Except Everything Sad leaves out the intimate details.

    Before I finished reading this book I knew I would immediately start it over again, so that the first 100 pages made more sense to me than they did the first time. Once I found the rhythm of the writing I was swallowed up by Daniel's story. It will change you, if you are willing to stay with it until you, too, find the cadence of the writing. 5 paws. This book will stay with me for a very long time, and perhaps with you, too!

Daughter of the Pirate King, by Tricia Levenseller

 A very fun pirate story that I happened upon by accident! This book was sent to Briggs by mistake, and was meant to go to another middle school in Texas. Briggs got it instead, and taking that as a sign, I read it! The first in a now 2-book set by Levenseller, this is the story of Alosa, the daughter of the pirate king, and thus someday-to-be queen of the pirates. She is smart, sassy, and part siren, which gives her powers over men that humans don't normally possess.  The book is full of action, and sass, and more than one example of Alosa using her female charm and appearance to get what she wants. A few times that means the book borders on being too mature for middle school, so I don't know if I'd recommend this to many 6th grade readers, and maybe not many 7th grade readers, but most 8th graders and high school readers would probably be okay with the sexual suggestions throughout - suggestions, but no explicit details.

Daughter of the Pirate King starts off strong and very good, stays steady throughout, and then peaks again with some twists at the end. I had a lot of fun reading this, and it reminded me of older pirate books I remember, such as Vampirates, and maybe even a little of Charlotte Doyle. If you like Pirates of the Caribbean, give this a try! Alosa may well be the next Jack Sparrow! 4 paws, but not a book for all grade level of readers.

The Storm Runner, by J.C. Cervantes

 One of a number of Rick Riordan Presents (RRP) books that I have been eager to read, and one of next year's OBOB books as well! This is author Cervantes's second book but the first of hers I've read. If you are familiar with Rick Riordan, author of The Lightning Thief series and many others, you might be excited about this publishing adventure he has going on. Using RRP, he is promoting new authors who write books similar to The Lightning Thief in that they are action/adventure stories with mythology at their core. In the case of The Storm Runner, the mythology is from the Mayan and Aztec culture, which is very cool!

Unfortunately, I don't feel like this one lived up to expectations. It was good, but fell short of great all the way through. It was as though Cervantes had a long list of gods and goddesses, and she was determined to include every single one in the story, whether or not it fit or made the story better or not. So what we get as readers is a lot of Mayan and Aztec god names, but several of whom are completely unneeded in moving the story forward. I'll be honest, by the midway point I was wanting to get to the end to see what happened. By the end I was trying to finish and thinking about what I would read next. Not a good sign, right?

If you like Riordan's work you might like this better than I did (although I also like his work, but didn't care much for this). I really liked another RRP book, Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, so I won't give up on these books quite yet. But Storm Runner? Hmmm 3 paws for the story, and a wag because the other RRP books are hopefully better. Interested to know what you think of this one!

Dairy Queen, by Catherine Gilbert Murdock

 My human (your librarian!) handed this book to me Friday afternoon, and asked if I wanted to read it. It is an older realistic fiction title, and book 1 of a 3-book set. But I always love the idea of a strong female protagonist (main character in the story), and in this book, DJ is a perfect lead - smart, strong, independent, and flawed...I loved her right away in this book!

DJ lives on a farm in Wisconsin, and due to family circumstances (that many of us can related to), she spends most of her awake time working the farm and going to school. She has little time for anything else, until the quarterback for the rival high school football team shows up one day wanting to "help" work the farm. His coach has sent him to get back in shape for the upcoming football season. Girl meets boy - she's a farm girl, he's a popular athlete, they attend rival high schools - things happen! Until DJ discovers that 1. She enjoys football, and 2. She's good at it! So, SHE decided to try out for her high school team!

If you like sports themes in a book, there is enough here to satisfy your love of sports. If you love a good romance, like a Jenny Han book, for example (To All the Boys I've Loved Before), you'll enjoy this as well! If you like strong, independent girls (or boys!) in your stories (like I do!), you'll like this also! 

This is Murdock's first book, and the first of three in this set. The author writes DJ perfectly - sarcastic, smart, caring, trying to navigate a dysfunctional family, romance, school, life...the characters in this book have stayed in my brain long after I finished reading. That, to me, is the sign of a really good book! Read this! 4 paws and a wag!

Nowhere Boy, by Katherine Marsh

 My first OBOB book from next season, and this was wonderful! Marsh is also the author of several other books, The Night Tourist being the one I remember seeing but not yet reading. Now that I have read Nowhere Boy, I look forward to reading Tourist, and perhaps more of her work!

Nowhere Boy tells the story of two boys, Ahmed from Syria and Max from the United States. Two teen boys with much in common but also with many differences. Their paths cross in really well-told ways, with credit to Marsh and her beautiful storytelling abilities. I hesitate to explain too much of this story as it sounds like an Alan Gratz book in some ways (which is a good thing), but outside of refugees being a large part of this book as well as some of Gratz's books, the writing style is very different between the two. Gratz tells a tense, fast-moving story, and does it very well (see my previous blog about Refugee). Marsh tells a tense, fast-moving story with more heart, somehow...it really worked for me as few other books have. This story and these characters will stay in my head and heart for some time. That is the sign of an exceptional book (and author)! 5 paws!