De Lint, Charles. Seven Wild Sisters: A Modern Fairy Tale.  Illustrated by Charles Vess. New York: Little, Brown, 2014. 978-0-16-05356-3. 260 p. $18.00. Gr. 3-7 .
Sarah Jane has six other sisters with lovely red hair, but she is the only one who ventures to the old woman’s house known as Aunt Lillian. While there she learns to take joy in doing things the old fashion way and listening to Aunt Lillian’s tales about the Father of Cats, The Apple Tree Man or even fairies. Later when Sarah Jane is walking she decides to help a ‘sangman and heads back for Aunt Lillian’s advice. They find themselves in the middle of the feud between the ‘sangman and the bee fairies which places that places Aunt Lillian and Sarah Jane in addition to her sisters in great peril. Will they be able to end the enchanted feud and find their way back to their mother? Will they learn more about Aunt Lillian and her past or what the future may have in store? Throughout the novel there are colored illustrated for each section, an illustration to begin the chapters, and several page and full page spread illustrations throughout to provide the reader with a look into the vivid imagination of the story. The novel has received star reviews from School Library Journal and Kirkus Reviews and is a companion novel to The Cats of Tanglewood (Little, Brown, 2013).
Fiction, Fantasy, Sisters, Fairies                              Beth McGuire, Wendover Middle School

 

Pinkney, Andrea Davis. The Red Pencil. Illustrated by Shane W. Evans. New York: Little, Brown, 2014. 978-0-316-24780-1. 324 p.  $17.00. Gr. 5-7.
Turing twelve years old is a big milestone for Amira as she now can wear a toob, now if she can only attend school. She learns to care for her lambs, but nothing can prepare her for the violent attack from the Janjaweed and the loss her family and community suffer. A Sudan relief worker gives her a red pencil and yellow table which reminds her a little bit of the gift branch from her father. She wonders how her mother carries on and continues to pray but notices that her strength is wavering. Numerous illustrations add to the emotion of the novel told in free verse poetry. The novel is inspired from actual events and the author and illustrator have a note in the book to readers. The novel has received star reviews from School Library Journal, Kirkus Reviews and Publisher Weekly.
Fiction, Free Verse, Social Issues                             Beth McGuire, Wendover Middle School

Brown, Jennifer.  Life on Mars.  New York: Scholastic, Inc.,  2014.  978-0-545-77669-1. 229p.  $5.99, paperback. Gr. 3-6.

A moving story, filled with humor and family dynamics for middle grade students.  The novel has both boys and girls taking on more and breaking stereotypes, space, Morse code, entwined with a lot of humor.  The text moves quickly and it is hard to put down.  The main character, who is named after a star, is on a mission to find out if  there is life on Mars, his plan is ruined when his father looses his job and they have to move to LA, a new neighbor helps him get right back on track.  An endearing book about a relationship between an adult and a child that the reader will enjoy and remember.
Science Fiction               Denise Naumann, Eisenhower Elementary

Scieszka, Jon.  Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor.  New York: Amulet Books,  2014.  978-1-4197-1218-0. 180p.  $15.95. Gr. 2-5.
An incredible combination of science, laughter and robots that are in control.  This book contains an extremely entertaining story, mixed with science experiment, hypothesis and observations.  The black, white and red illustrations are phenomenal using labels, charts and maps to build nonfiction text feature reading.  A boy is trying to win a science fair to win the money to pay off his grandpa’s bills.  Not only is he good hearted he really uses his imagination.  This is the first book in an exciting series, with  Frank Einstein 2, being released in the Spring of 2015.  A great read aloud and a great read alone., one that is sure to be reread and explored further.
Science Fiction              Denise Naumann, Eisenhower Elementary

Alexander, Kwame. The Crossover. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2014. 9780544107717. 240 pages. Ages 9-12.
This realistic fiction book, that is written in verse, tells the story of twin brothers who are dealing with the popularity of being the best athletes on their basketball team and their search for individuality. One brother is a talented rapper and contributes to the story through his lyrics, which express his feelings and emotions about his brother who has a girlfriend and his once famous father that is ill.
Realistic Fiction/Sports  Krista Goodzinski, Mars Area Centennial School

Verburg, Bonnie. The Tree House That Jack Built. New York: Orchard Books, 2014.  978-0-439-85338-5. 32 p. $17.99. K-3.
A young boy, Jack, has built a magical tree house by the sea filled with animals running and playing all around. The vibrant acrylic paint illustrations by Mark Teague bring the rhyming text to life as the animals romp across the pages. The story closes with the ringing of a bell and Jack and his friends settling in for a story then, to sleep for the night under a moonlit sky.
Easy Fiction                           Donna Bellerby, Lafayette & Maple Shade Elementary Schools

Giff, Patricia Reilly. The garden monster.  New York: Orchard Books, 2014. 9780545244602. 40p. color illustrations, includes index. $16.99. Reading interest level Gr. 1-3. Accelerated Reader.
Jilli and Jim are best friends and gardening partners. Along with a dog named Fiercely they plan, plant and harvest a garden to participate in the local Vegetable Parade. The only way they can be stopped is if the garden monster chooses to attack their garden.  This is a timely book about the rewards of growing a garden. A great way to plan for next year.
Junior Fiction             Lourie Stewart    Dunbar and Connellsville Township Elementaries

Mann, Jennifer Ann. Sunny Sweet is SO Dead Meat. New York: Bloomsbury Children’s Books, 2014. 978-1-59990-978-3. 198p. $15.99. Gr. 3 and up.
Masha Sweet  is dealing with a lot.  She has a genius younger sister, she is coping with her parent’s recent divorce, and now, her younger sister Sunny has made her into a walking science experiment for her Science Fair.  Masha is furious with Sunny, and attempts to leave the Science Fair, but things go from bad to worse when they accidentally take the wrong bus.  Lost in the city and covered with red dye, Masha must get her younger sister home without calling their mom, who is taking a much needed day to herself.   The relationship that the girls have is strong, but Sunny’s behavior is challenging even Masha’s love for her sister.  Along the way, they meet Masha’s best friend Alice, who is confined to a wheelchair due to spina bifida.  The girls deal with looking and feeling different and how others treat them when they are.   Along the way, they overcome several challenges and find the courage to be who they are despite the reactions of those around them. 

Sunny Sweet is SO Dead Meat is the second of the Sunny Sweet books by Jennifer Ann Mann.  Sunny is a genius whose curious mind and lack of experience with people put her and her older sister Masha into awkward circumstances all throughout the book.  While Masha gets frustrated and angry with her sister, she always takes care of her and helps her. There were several times where I felt upset with Sunny too and marveled at her sister’s love for her that always came through in the end.   This book was a funny and real look at a child who has a sibling who is different, while struggling to fit in as a twelve year old in a new town.  The author also introduces a disabled character who shares her struggles to fit in and her desire to be treated just like everyone else.  This book would be a great read aloud and conversation starter for a unit on diversity or disabilities.  It really connects how everyone feels like they don’t fit in sometimes, but when you have a physical difference, that feeling is constantly with you.   There are lots of things to discuss and lots of ties to Science as Sunny is constantly sharing scientific facts and gathering things for her experiments. I could definitely see this as a book that could be used for writing prompts about many subjects and a tie in to science lessons.
Realistic Fiction                                                                Donna Fernandez, Calvary Christian Academy