Dead end in Norvelt by Jack Gantos - ESSENTIAL

Gantos, Jack Dead End in Norvelt, 352  p. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011. $15.99 Language: G (0 swears, 0 'f') Violence: PG, Mature Content: G.  This is the 2012 Newbery Winner.  Jack makes a big mistake at the beginning of the summer which gets him grounded indefinitely.  His only ticket out of his room is to help his elderly neighbor, Miss Volker write the town obituaries.  Set in a "dying" small town in Pennsylvania, Jack gets involved with Hell's Angels, a possible murder mystery, a refurbished airplane, an old man who rides a giant tricycle and more adventures than a grounded boy is entitled to  have.  

I loved this book.  He has successfully mixed fact and fiction, (Jack Gantos is the main character and Norvelt, Pennsylvania is a real place) Gantos has peppered the story with historical references.   He tells how this small town has changed over time, since it's founding during the Depression until Jack's childhood of Post WWII.  There were several places where I laughed out loud. His depiction of Old Miss Volker and her arthritic hands is one of the best parts of this book.  I would recommend Dead End in Norvelt to any middle school student and Elementary 4th grade and above. It's a great boy read as well.  There is some "fake" cussing.   This is a delightful book, well deserving of this prestigious award.    EL/MS - ESSENTIAL.  Lisa, Reading Teacher

Bubble in the Bathtub by Jo Nesbo - ADVISABLE

Nesbo, Jo Doctor Proctor's Fart Powder: Bubble in the Bathtub, 425 pgs. Aladdin, 2011. $15.99. Language G (0swears), Sexual Content G; Violence PG; Doctor Proctor sends Lisa and Nilly a postcard asking for the two friends to help him save his love in the past. They are asked to get the time traveling soap and come help him change history, but that is easier said than done. When these three fiends travel through time they change history all over the place and find two unexpected friends. 

A interesting story that has simplified the idea of time travel to easily captivate kids so that they can understand the concept too. Wonderfully funny and just as exciting a love story for boys as it is for girls. With all the pictures giving this chapter book a picture book feel it is a great book for children transitioning between the two. EL - ADVISABLE. Student Reviewer: KU

Extraordinary by Adam Selzer - ADVISABLE

Selzer, Adam.  Extraordinary, 324 pages.  Hyperion Books, 2011.  $15.99.  Language: PG-13 (50 swears, 0 "f"); Sexual Content: PG (Some kissing and a couple references to "making out"); Violence: PG (no real details).  Jennifer is mad.  She can't believe that Eileen Codlin wrote her story in a way that makes girls think that they can become princesses.  Yes, her fairy godmother did butt into her life, but Jennifer never became a fairy princess.  So Jennifer takes matters into her own hands and she tells the truth about what happened to her and her friends.  This book takes place in Des Moines just like I Kissed a Zombie and I liked It; it's just six years later.  Jennifer wants to be extraordinary, but she feels that there is not much to her.  But when her fairy godmother (actually a man) comes into her life, things get interesting.  I really enjoyed this book.  I wouldn't say that I cared about the characters as much as I have in other books, but I still cared enough to find out what would happen to them.  But this is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time.  The whole Eileen Codlin thing is just the frame that Selzer uses to tell the story, but it works well.  And it was a great commentary on books that lead girls to believe in fairy tales (because we men sure aren't going to live up to those dreams).  I believe boys and girls alike will enjoy this book, but they have to be ready to stop thinking Aurora and Belle are the end-all, be-all.  I am, however, not marking this as essential because I don't know if everyone will enjoy it as much as I did.  MS, HS - ADVISABLE.  Brent Smith, Reading Teacher

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos - ADVISABLE

Gantos, Jack Dead End in Norvelt,  341 pgs. D&M Publishers, Inc.,  2011. $15.99  Language – (4 Swears, 0”f”), Sexual Content – G; Violence – G. Jack Gantos’  plans for summer vacation are shot down when he is grounded for the whole summer. Locked in his room, he escapes by reading old history books his mother gave him.  He is volunteered by his mother to help an elderly neighbor, Ms. Volker.  He becomes her typist as she dictates obituaries of the original Norvelt residents.  Jack eventually looks forward to helping Ms. Volker each day, it gets him out of his room and he gets to see his best friend Bunny.  In the end, this book was really about a town and the stories it had to tell.  This book is actually very interesting, especially for the age it is intended for. It had a slow beginning.  I didn’t care for Jacks parents at first; they both were so dysfunctional.  I was half way through the book when it suddenly dawned on me that what I was reading really did happen.  The author did a good job in developing the relationships in the book especially the relationship between Jack and Ms. Volker. This book would be great read for elementary and middle school age children.  EL, MS – ADVISABLE.  Reviewer:  Elaine Miller

Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka - ADVISABLE

Scieszka, Jon (editor).  Guys Read: Funny Business, 256 pgs. Walden Pond Press (Harper Collins), 2010. $16.99. Language-PG (no swears, but some might find a few things crude); Violence-G; Sexual Content-G.  This book is a compilation of short stories.  The only common ingredient is that they are supposed to be funny.  In the stories, everyone wants to be friends with a nerd, a boy learns if he has super powers, we all discover how Artemis Fowl was created, and a father wishes his boy could be more like the turkey in the back yard.  I enjoyed reading these stories.  Some were, obviously, better than others, but I still am glad to have read this book.  I think maybe the best way to read this book is not necessarily cover to cover, but rather have the readers choose the stories they want to read out of it.  Therefore, if you have this book on your shelf, I recommend that you do not do any sort of assessment on it, but just let the books be enjoyed.  Because some of the stories are so funny I couldn't stop laughing.  MS, HS – ADVISABLE.  Brent Smith, Reading Teacher.

Killer Koalas From Outer Space by Andy Griffiths

Griffiths, Andy, Killer Koalas From Outer Space. Macmillan Books, 2010. Language: G, Violence: PG, Sexual Content: G

Killer Koalas that rip off your face, two parents that are so bad at being parents they never should have had a kid, Brian whose bad ideas are deadly, and more short stories and anecdotes for humor fans.

Half told in words, half told like a graphic novel, to the average person, this book would make absolutely no sense. To a boy, this book would be an awesome collection of random laughs and fun illustrations.  Although I didn’t really get into it myself, I think boys who like Captain Underpants, Wiley and Grampa’s Creature Features, and other books by Andy Griffiths would probably love this book. EL (4-6). ADVISABLE. Reviewer: Kira M, Youth Services Librarian, WHI Public Library.