The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg

*Award-winner- John Newbery Medal

Mrs. Olinski, a sixth grade teacher, chose Noah, Nadia, Ethan and Julian to be on the sixth-grade Academic Bowl team.  Typically the students are selected based on their high-honor roll status, but Mrs. Olinski decided to handpick the team.  As they rise to the top in the competition, people wonder how and why they make such a good team. 

Different chapters are dedicated to different characters.  Readers discover how the four are connected and how their relationships develop, transform and deepen.  

To be honest, as I read this book right before bed each night (so I was tired, which may have been half of the problem!), I had a bit of trouble keeping the characters straight- who belonged to whom and who was connected to whom.  If I had a student or tween read this book, I would would recommend that he keep a list of the characters and how they are connected to each other. 

The book switches from character's back story to the friendship development to the Academic Bowl throughout the story.  Strategy to use: monitor for comprehension

Warnings/points to discuss: One of the "mean boys" in the class writes a note on Julian's book bag calling him an ass.  The word b**** is used to  describe a female dog.  A few mentions of puberty, divorce, kids making fun of Mrs. Olinski who is confined to a wheelchair.

Camino Island by John Grisham

I read a lot of John Grisham books during my college years and early twenties.  I looked forward to reading one of his works again.

A group of men steal F. Scott Fitzgerald's original hand-written manuscripts from Princeton University's Firestone Library.  An investigative agency recruits a young writer in a slump who needs to pay off her huge student loan debt to infiltrate a book store owner's graces.  Investigators believe he bought the manuscripts.  

As Mercer befriends Bruce Cable, she realizes that she truly likes him and regrets her commitment to trying to  send him to prison.

This was an entertaining read, but not as satisfying as recent reads (Gentleman in Moscow, Pride and Prejudice, Lord Peter Wimsey, Murder on the Orient Express, Flavia de Luce mysteries, Peace Like a River etc). I did not appreciate Bruce's view of women and how he and his "wife" regard their marriage (see warnings).  

Warnings: A lesbian couple (no explicit details about their intimacy) is part of the group of friends, lots of drinking, Bruce and his wife Noelle are fine if they are intimate with other people, Bruce typically sleeps with women authors who come to his store for book signings, Noelle has a boyfriend (who is married) in France whom she visits regularly, Mercer sleeps with Bruce many times over one weekend.

The above warnings are why I hesitate to read most adult fiction anymore!

Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli*

-Award-winning-Newbery Medal

Jeffrey Lionel Magee is an orphan.  He runs away from loveless aunt and uncle and settles into a small town which is racially divided.  As he interacts with the different families from both "sides", he realizes the similarities, not the differences.  Using his incredible abilities, he brings people together.  

This book will encourage lots of discussion.

Pair with The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo (discuss similarities). 

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

Points to discuss/warnings: racial issues, violence, swearing, underage drinking, child neglect

 

The Call of the Wild by Jack London*

Buck has lived the posh life in California on a large estate.  One of the workers steals Buck and sells him.  Soon Buck is struggling to survive in the Yukon territory during the 1890's Klondike Gold Rush.  His intelligence and work ethic serve him well as adjusts to pulling sleds, tough sled dogs,  and cruel men.  

Well-written.  Lots of challenging vocabulary for modern readers.

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

Points to discuss/warnings: animal cruelty, violence, death

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo*

An arrogant, selfish china rabbit is separated from his owner.  As he experiences harrowing situations and diverse owners, he begins to transform and view others differently.  

A sweet story of heart change.

*Highly recommend.

-I own this book.

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles*

My husband's relative recommended this book to me.  I am so glad she did!  

After the Russian Revolution,  in 1922 Bolshevik leaders sentence Count Alexander Rostov to spend the rest of his life in the Metropol hotel.  The Count has known a life of leisure and independence.  Now he must find purpose and place in the confines of the hotel.  As he contemplates his circumstances, Alexander begins to find hope and relationships within his "prison".  

The excellent prose, the witty humor and the well-developed characters have made this book one of my all time favorites!  

The pace is slow in the beginning, but during the last quarter the plot intensifies.  

Mr. Towles is a magnificent author .  The amount of research involved to create this book plus the thought behind the plot and characters is impressive.  

**Highly, highly recommend.

Warning: Mr. Rostov has a relationship with an actress, Anna.  Details are not provided, but the reader knows without a doubt that they are intimate.  I am so thankful Mr. Towles did not describe those scenes.  

-I own this book.

My friend could not get into this book and stopped reading it.  Readers looking for an intense plot throughout its entirety should look elsewhere.  

Connect the Dots by Keith Calabrese*

I read this newest book by Mr. Calabrese to my ten-year-old son.  Most nights he would beg me to keep reading even though it was late, and he was tired!

In the prologue, the reader witnesses the adult characters twenty-five earlier.  Many of the seemingly insignificant events offer the reader vital background to the main story.  

A missing genius.  An allergic reaction.  A dog walking job.  Mathematical formulas.  All somehow connect!

Oliver and Frankie, sixth graders, are adjusting to middle school and both are dealing with issues at home.  Oliver's dad left his mom for a younger woman while Frankie feels taken for granted as his parents are consumed with work and often ask him to watch his out-of-control twin brothers.  A new girl, Matilda, introduces them to a world of investigation and criminals.  She convinces Oliver that he is being followed and that the man who is dating his mom is dangerous.  

Little by little the three friends uncover secret identities and begin connecting events.   

The question to ponder-if one could control events in life with a mathematical formula, would one truly be happy?  

I especially like how the author does not insert agendas that are all too common in middle grade and young adult books.  He also has boys as the main characters with a fun girl, which makes it appealing to both genders.  So many books have strong female protagonists over admirable male protagonists.  

Mr. Calabrese writes a solid, exciting story with likable characters.  

*Highly recommend.

-We own this book.