When Max's family adopts a dog, Max and his older brother agree to share the work of taking care of the dog. Once again, however, his older brother leaves many of the tasks to Max. Will Max's work with the dog be worth the trouble? This is a great story about sibling relationships and the rewards of taking good care of a pet. The story of the relationship between these two brothers continues in the second book in the Monkey Reader series, Monkeys and the Universe. (Reading Level: 3.2)

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 12/30/2010

ISBN-10: 0374350299

ISBN-13: 9780374350291

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Bailey City has some pretty weird grown-ups living there. But could the swimming teacher at Camp Lone Wolf really be a sea monster? This is number 14 in The Adventures of the Bailey School Kids. They are going to find out!

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 3/27/2009

ISBN-10: 0780782291

ISBN-13: 9780780782297

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At the beginning of the Revolutionary War, hoping to keep bloodshed away from their valley, a 12-year-old Delaware Indian boy, and his white friend, search sacred land for the bones of a legendary beast.

Reviewed by: sc

Date read: 4/13/2009

ISBN-10: 0399227830

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Abilene has always known where her home is: it is with her dad. In the 1930s United States, Abilene and her dad hop trains from town to town. Abilene's home is 'all over. My daddy says it's not down in any map. True places never are.' So when he sends her away from him to a town she's never known except through stories, Manifest, Kansas, to live with a man named Shady she's never met, Abilene is bewildered. On her first night there, searching for a hiding place for her treasured possessions, she stumbles upon a box with mementos and letters to a mysterious boy named Jinx. This discovery leads to a search for a spy, and Abilene finds more than she ever expected: the hidden past of Manifest, Kansas, a story that blends the history of a fortune teller, a boy running from the law after a murder, and the country in a time of war. As Abilene unravels the threads of the tale, she uncovers secrets that lead her back to the one place she hopes to be: home. Winner of the 2011 Newbery Medal, this book by first-time author Clare Vanderpool blends history, intrigue, and the love of families, both the ones we're given and the ones that choose us, into a tale that affirms the power of stories to heal, change, and bring people together.

Awards won: John Newbery Medal

Reviewed by: emc

Date read: 1/13/2011

ISBN-10: 0385907508

ISBN-13: 9780385907507

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Commenter: Valerie, grade 52

Minnie LOVES spaghetti! In fact, she is too busy twirling, cooking, and eating spaghetti to play with her friend Freddy. Can Freddy find a way to get his pasta-loving friend away from the spaghetti so he has someone to play with? This is a delightfully funny story, told in verse, for the beginning reader.

Similar books: Is the Spaghetti Ready? by Frank B.Edwards; On top of Spaghetti by Paul Brett Johnson; Doodler Doodling by Rita Golden Gelman; Pizza Pat by Rita Golden Gelman

Reviewed by: mb

Date read: 8/3/2009

ISBN-10: 0590457837

ISBN-13: 9780590457835

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