The responses to my post on handling sensitive topics in MG were so thoughtful and hopeful and caring, I have to give away two copies of my new book instead of one. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone working with and helping our kids, both those who struggle with serious issues and those trying to understand them. You are all my heroes.
The two winners are
childrensreader and Laurie Morrison.
Hello Mixed-Up Filers!
Hope all of you are well since my last post. I’ve been doing well and am thrilled that we have now reached my favorite time of the year…SUMMER!
YAAAY!
I love summer. When I was a kid I loved it because it meant getting off from school for a couple of months and getting to hang with my friends, play sports, go to the movies, go to camp or do absolutely nothing at all. The choice was mine. Usually, I would get up early, meet up with friends, and not come in from the day until evening. The world was an adventure, limited only by my imagination.
But, you know what I wanted above all else in the summer? Fun!
So, that is what I’m posting about to start the summer off…books that I found FUN!
First up is, My Brother Is A SuperHero, by David Solomons. This was a really fun book right from the start. Eleven-year-old, Luke, leaves the treehouse he shares with his brother Zach to go to the bathroom, and while he’s gone, an alien gives Zach superpowers and instructs him to save the universe. This is for all those people who have ever been to a party and then heard the next day, “You’ll never believe what happened right after you left!” Doesn’t that always seem to be the case? But this time, superpowers were on the line. From the petty jealousy Luke has and then having to step up and save the day, there were plenty of laugh out loud moments.
Next up, Sammy Feral’s Diaries of Weird: Vampire Attack, by Eleanor Hawken. I feel stupid, but I had never heard of this series, which meant, of course, that when I picked up this book, I didn’t know it was a series at all. Now, I want to get all the other books in it. The book follows the title character as he deals with an army of invading bats, and his younger sister becoming suddenly ill after receiving a strange bruise on her neck. What could be more fun than the possibility of your little sis turning into a vampire?
Third on my summer fun list is, My Seventh-Grade Life in Tights, by Brooks Benjamin. In this book, Dillon wants to be a dancer and his dad wants him to play football. The humor was very good in this one and I enjoyed it quite a bit. It also made me think of the movie, Billy Elliot, a film I absolutely loved, so that had a lot going for it too.
Another fun one was, Pilfer Academy: A School So Bad It’s Criminal, by Lauren Magaziner. This book was also so much fun. George is kidnapped and taken to Pilfer Academy, where he is taught to be a thief. The supporting cast of characters is very funny and makes this book extra fun to read. What kid wouldn’t love to go to a place to learn to be bad?
Finally, my last book on my summer fun list is, The Last Boy at St. Edith’s, by Lee Gjertsen Malone. In this book, seventh-grader, Jeremy Miner, is the only boy left at St. Edith’s and he can’t stand it. His mom won’t let him transfer, so he decides to pull pranks until the school expels him. Do you see a pattern with the books I like? Kids getting in trouble is always fun to me!
Anyway, that’s it for this month. I was told if I didn’t adhere to the rules, a fairy would lose her wings, and I can’t have that on my conscience.
Until next time, Mixed-Up Filers!
Jonathan
Congratulations, TickledSpirit! Your flaming arrow weed control idea has won you a copy of THE NINJA LIBRARIANS: SWORD IN THE STACKS by Jen Swann Downey! (This is an update-in my excitement, I’d picked another MUF contributor. Oops!)
Please email louisegalveston @ gmail dot com to claim your book!
