Waiting Is Not Easy!

Willems, M. (2014). Waiting is not easy! New York: Hyperion Books for Children.Piggie has a big surprise for her friend Gerald, but he doesn’t have the patience to wait. Gerald is eager to receive his surprise because Piggie told him it was a very big surprise that they could both share. As the day goes on Gerald gets too impatient and he tells Piggie he no longer wants his surprise. Piggie simply waits patiently for her surprise for Gerald to arrive. As night falls and the stars illuminate the sky Gerald is able to see his surprise. Waiting Is Not Easy! is a 2015 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. Students who enjoyed this book will enjoy reading a New York Times Bestseller and Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book I Broke My Trunk! by Mo Willems.

Sisters

Telgemeier, R. (2014). Sisters. New York: Graphix. Raina always wanted a sister, but when her wish finally came true things didn’t turn out the way she expected. Amara wasn’t the sister Raina wanted. Amara was cute, but grouchy and never wanted to play with Raina. As the girls got older their relationship got worse. Not even having a little brother, Will, could mend their relationship. Then one summer her family traveled from San Francisco to a family reunion in Colorado and the girls realized for the first time that their parents were not getting along so well. Raina and Amara must find a way to get to know each other and together find a way to keep their family together. Sisters is on the 2015 Great Graphic Novels for Teens list. You can enjoy the book trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08jIF1VJjeM.

Find Me

Bernard, R. (2013). Find me. New York: HarperCollins. Wick Tate has had so many bad things happen to her that the only person she can trust is her little sister Lily. Wick’s father is a dead beat criminal who abused them and is on the run and her mother committed suicide by jumping off a building. Now Wick and Lily live with their foster parents, Bren and Todd. Life should be happy and normal for Wick, but things get turned upside down when Tessa Waye commits suicide and her diary ends up on Wick’s porch with the words FIND ME. Wick needs to find Tessa’s rapist because Tessa revealed in her diary that the next victim will be Wick’s little sister Lily. Wick can’t trust the police because Detective Carson is out to get her and he hates her, but she finds a new ally in Griff a classmate who is also a hacker. Together Wick and Griff will need to save Lily. Find Me is on the 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list. Students who loved this modern realistic fiction thriller should read the follow up novel Remember Me.

The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus

Bryant, J. (2014). The right word: Roget and his thesaurus. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Peter Mark Roget loved to make lists even as a young boy. He was always in search of using the right word. He was a shy boy and his family moved a lot so he found that books were his constant friends. He studied a lot and at the young age of nineteen he became a doctor, but he was too young to practice. When he was finally old enough to practice medicine he started caring for the poor, but he still continued to write his lists in a book he was writing. Other books with lists were published, but none were as popular as Roget’s book which he called a thesaurus. The Right Word: Roget and his Thesaurus won the 2015 Robert F. Sibert Medal and is also a 2015 Caldecott Award Honor Book. Student and teachers who enjoyed this biography will also enjoy reading Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet.

Can't Look Away

Cooner, D. (2014). Can't look away. New York: Point. Fifteen-year-old Torrey Grey is at the top of her game and is an internet celebrity thanks to the videos she posts with beauty and fashion tips. Then her world is turned upside down when her twelve-year-old sister Miranda is killed by a drunk driver. Torrey has nightmares and is living with guilt because she got in an ugly argument with her sister right before the accident. To live with their grief Torrey’s family moves to Texas and she must start all over again in a new school. Torrey’s life is so torn apart that now she doesn’t know who she can trust until she meets Luis whose family owns the local funeral home. Torrey learns about El Dia De Los Muertos and now she thinks the holiday can help her find closure to her sister’s death. Can't Look Away is featured on the 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list. Students who enjoyed reading this novel will also enjoy Skinny by Donna Cooner.

Famous Last Words

Alender, K. (2014). Famous last words. New York: Point. Willa is leaving everything behind in Connecticut and moving to Hollywood with her mom and her movie director stepdad Jonathan. Willa is desperate to make her mother happy, but Willa is tormented with the guilt of her father’s death. After several attempts to contact her dad in the afterlife, Willa finally makes contact with a ghost, but it isn’t her dad. This ghost is connected to the murders committed by the serial killer referred to as the Hollywood Killer, who murders his victims as he recreates scenes from famous classic movies. Willa will need to trust the ghost to help her figure out who is committing the murders. Along the way, Willa will need to decide who she can trust in Hollywood and finally allow herself to fall in love. Famous Last Words is on the 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list. For more on this book view the trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccGdG0H3AVY.

Mikis and the Donkey

Dumon Tak, B., & Watkinson, L. (2014). Mikis and the donkey. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Mikis lives a normal life on the Greek Island of Corfu until his Pappou (grandpa) gets Mikis a donkey. Immediately Mikis treats his donkey like a family member and not a working animal. Mikis names his donkey Tsaki and together they have many adventures. Mikis and his Pappou learn some important lessons on caring for animals with love and affection. Mikis and the Donkey is the 2015 Batchelder Award winner. Readers who enjoyed Mikis and the Donkey will enjoy reading the 2012 Batchelder Award winner Soldier Bear by Bibi Dumon Tak.

Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer

Alender, K. (2013). Marie Antoinette, serial killer. New York: Point. Colette Iselin is excited to visit the city of romance, Paris, on a class trip. Not only does she want to capture all the sights and sounds, but she also wants to learn more about her family’s French roots. While in Paris, Colette discovers a terrible family secret linked to the death of Queen Marie Antoinette and she must now find a way to stop the queen’s ghost who is out for revenge. Colette enlists the help of Jules her cute tour guide and her classmate Audrey to help her stop Marie Antoinette’s ghost from murdering anymore descendants of the families that played a part in the queen’s death. For an exciting look at the novel find the book trailer at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7VagziP6ghA . Marie Antoinette, Serial Killer is on the 2015 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adult Readers list.

Seconds: A Graphic Novel

O'Malley, B. (2014). Seconds: A graphic novel. New York: Ballantine Books. Twenty-nine-year-old chef Katie runs the successful restaurant, Seconds, but she can’t wait to open her own restaurant of which she can be part-owner. Her love life is awful and the plans for her new restaurant have stalled. Her top waitress gets badly hurt in the kitchen and Katie wishes she could have stopped the accident. Then Katie meets the mysterious house spirit, Lis, which lives at Seconds. She gives Katie an opportunity to erase her mistake and all she has to do is eat a magic mushroom, wish the mistake never happened, and go to sleep. Upon waking up Katie realized that the mistake was indeed erased. Now with a drawer full of mushrooms Katie strives to live the perfect life not realizing the dangers of continuing to erase the past. Seconds: A Graphic Novel is on the 2015 Great Graphic Novels for Teens List. This graphic novel is geared for high school students and can be used to teach a lesson on characterization and complex character relationships using the detailed illustrations.

I Lived On Butterfly Hill

Agosin, M., & O'Connor, E. (2014). I lived on Butterfly Hill. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. Eleven-year-old Celeste Marconi lives happily in Valparaíso, Chile with her parents, her Abuela Frida, and her Nana Delfina. Celeste’s life is perfect until the military warships arrive in the harbor. Soon after Chile’s President, President Alarcoń, is killed and a dictator referred to as The General takes over. Those who are artists, poets, writers, or those who help the poor are considered subversives by the new regime and must go into hiding in order to survive. Celeste’s parents are doctors who care for the poor, so they must escape leaving Celeste behind. After her parent’s departure, life in Chile gets worse so Celeste is sent to live in Maine with her aunt. Celeste must learn to live in a foreign place with a foreign language. Three years later Celeste faces her return home, but doesn’t know what she will find left in her beautiful Valparaíso. I Lived on Butterfly Hill is the winner of the 2015 Pura Belpré Author Award. This novel can be used to teach a unit on government as well as teach a lesson comparing the similarities and differences between democracy and dictatorship and the consequences on the people.

A Boy and a Jaguar

Rabinowitz, A. (2014). A boy and a jaguar. . New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Alan loves animals, but he is sad because he has a stuttering problem. His teachers have labeled him disturbed and have put him in a class for disturbed children. His parents take him to many doctors who can’t find a solution. Alan is only fluent when speaking to animals. Inspired by a sad and lonely jaguar at the Bronx Zoo, he promises that if he can ever find his voice he will be the voice for all animals to keep them away from harm. While in college, Alan is enrolled in a program that helps him speak without stuttering. Later he moves to Belize to study jaguars. There he convinces the prime minister to set up the world’s first jaguar preserve. Based on Alan Rabinowitz’s true story, A Boy and a Jaguar is the 2015 Schneider Family Book Award winner. This book can be used to teach a lesson on autobiographies and point of view.

Mr.Putter & Tabby Turn the Page

Rylant, C. (2014).Mr.Putter & Tabby turn the page. New York: Houghten Mifflin Harcourt. Mr. Putter and his cat Tabby love to read books together. Tabby curls up on Mr. Putter’s lap, on Mr. Putter’s feet, or on Mr. Putter’s head while Mr. Putter reads aloud. One day while Mr. Putter was at the library he saw a sign that announced a special reading time with pets at the library. Quickly Mr. Putter signed Tabby and himself up. Later, Mr. Putter told his neighbor, Mrs. Teaberry about the special reading time and she quickly agreed to sign up with her dog Zeke. Mr. Putter soon became nervous because he thought that Zeke who is always full of energy would ruin the special event. The event was successful as both Mr. Putter and Mrs. Teaberry delivered different story time experiences to the children with the help of their pets. Mr.Putter & Tabby Turn the Page is a 2015 Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor Book. Students who enjoyed this book will also enjoy reading Mr. Putter & Tabby Take the Train.

Popular a Memoir: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek

Wagenen, M. (2014). Popular a memoir: Vintage wisdom for a modern geek. New York: Dutton Books. Maya is at the bottom of the social ladder. She is the girl who wears braces, glasses, and shops for clothes at thrift stores or Wal-Mart. Maya’s dad gives her a 1950s popularity guide, written by Betty Cornell, a former teen model. Maya decides at the beginning of her eighth grade year to follow the advice in the book to see if it will really lead her to popularity. Wearing pearls, girdles, and gloves Maya tells the hilarious story of her rise to popularity with minor setbacks and heartbreak along the way. This memoir will resonate with girls of all ages who are struggling in school or have been in Maya’s shoes before. This novel is an excellent tool to teach a lesson on theme. Popular a Memoir: Vintage Wisdom for a Modern Geek was awarded the 2015 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction.

The Crossover

Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. Seventh grade twins Josh and Jordan Bell are unstoppable basketball stars. Their father is the one and only basketball legend Chuck Bell. The boys eat, sleep, and breathe basketball until Jordan meets the new girl, Alexis, and soon the bond between Josh and Jordan is damaged. Josh feels neglected and angry. To make matters worse their father’s health is in jeopardy. The twins must find a way to repair their relationship and survive a great loss if they want to win their first championship. The Crossover is a 2015 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book. This novel is written in verse and is an excellent resource to teach a lesson on poetry and figurative language.