Rebound

Rebound

By Kwame Alexander

It’s 1988, and 12-year-old Charlie Bell is going through some hard times.  His father has passed away, and he doesn’t know how to deal with it.  Neither does his mother.  When Charlie gets caught stealing, his mother reaches the end of her rope and sends Charlie to his grandparents’ house in Washington D.C. for the summer.

Charlie does not want to go, but at least he has his cousin Roxie.  Roxie LOVES basketball and she’s good.  Charlie is not so good, and he’s afraid to play.  But when Roxie’s teammate gets injured, Charlie is forced into the game.  With a bit of practice, he learns that he can play.  And after a few more rough times, he learns that playing basketball is a better way to cope with problems than getting into trouble.

As Charlie’s grandfather tells him, “[Life] is a team sport.  You can surround yourself with people who don’t play by the rules, or you can surround yourself with those who do.  But if you choose wrong, don’t start complaining when the coach takes you out the game.” (p. 374)

Rebound is not your typical novel.  It’s written as a series of poems with a bit of graphic novel thrown in.  The words flow quickly and easily, and the poems are inspiring.  More than once I was brought to tears.

Highly recommended!

Poison Is Not Polite

Poison Is Not Polite

By Robin Stevens

It’s 1935 and 14-year-old Daisy Wells has returned from boarding school to her British country estate for the holidays.  This year, her best friend, Hazel Wong, has accompanied her.

Although Hazel is from Hong Kong, she attends school in Britain.  Because it’s 1935, she is one of very few Asian people to be known by the British upper classes.  Hazel is always aware that she is different from those around her.

Yet Hazel fits in with the other British girls perfectly.  Not only are she and Daisy best friends, but they have also started the Wells and Wong Detective Society after solving a murder in a previous book.

This holiday they will celebrate Daisy’s birthday.  As the partygoers arrive, Daisy and Hazel size them up.  There’s Aunt Saskia, who seems overly excited by valuables of any kind.  There’s Uncle Felix, who has some strange connections in law enforcement.  Lord and Lady Hastings, Daisy’s parents, are also there, arguing all the time.  Then there’s Mr. Curtis, who seems a little too friendly with Lady Hastings.  Also present are Miss Alston, the governess, as well as other servants and friends.

When one of the guests turns up dead, Wells and Wong are determined to solve the case, even if it puts them in danger.

This story is very British, filled with High Tea, hedge mazes and boarding schools.  It reminds me of the game Clue, where everyone is a potential suspect.  Hazel and Daisy must work their way through the clues, slowly ruling out suspects until the big finale.

For those who like a good murder mystery, this book is highly recommended!

 

The Goldfish Boy

the goldfish boy

       
The Goldfish Boy by Lisa Thompson

Matthew Corbin is 12 years old and lives in a quiet cul-de-sac with his parents. Matthew has stopped going to school because he suffers from severe obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). He continually cleans his room and washes his hands so much that the skin is raw. 

Matthew spends his days in his room, or in the room across the hall, known as the office. From each of these rooms, he can see the whole street, front and back, and spends his time watching the comings and goings of his neighbours and making notes about them in his notebook. 

One day Teddy, the toddler next door, goes missing and it looks like Matthew was the last person to see him before he disappeared. As the investigation develops, Matthew and his friends Melody and Jake work together to do some detective work of their own with Matthew observing and Melody and Jake doing the legwork on the outside. 

Will Teddy return home safely and  will Matthew and his friends be able to solve the mystery in time?  This is a well written story with a good mystery and a good honest look at OCD. With Matthew narrating, we feel what he feels and get a good understanding of the difficulties he faces daily and the strength he needs to step outside his comfort zone to solve the mystery of Teddy's disappearance.

Wolfie & Fly

Wolfie & Fly

By Cary Fagan
Illustrations by Zoe Si

Renata Wolfman (a.k.a. Wolfie) is a loner.  She has her own ideas about how things should be done and friends just get in the way.

One day she finds a giant refrigerator box just lying around.  She decides to build a submarine.  After adding a porthole, a control panel, a steering wheel and a propeller, Wolfie is ready to play!  But she is soon interrupted by a knock at the door.  It’s her neighbour, Livingston Flott (a.k.a. Fly), and he’s hiding from his mean older brother.

Wolfie has no intention of playing with Fly, but when Fly notices her submarine, there is no getting rid of him.  Annoyingly, Fly has his own ideas about what should be added to the submarine.  Wolfie is surprised to find that some of his ideas are actually good!

But when the two of them get inside the submarine, that’s when the magic really happens.  Can they really explore the ocean in their homemade sub?

Ask yourself, is it better to play by yourself or with a friend?  Wolfie might just change her mind about being alone all the time after she finally gives in to playing with Fly!

Wolfie & Fly is a fun easy read – perfect for early chapter book readers!

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package

By Kate DiCamillo
Illustrated by Chris Van Dusen

“Eugenia Lincoln was a practical person, a sensible person.  She did not have time for poetry, geegaws, whoop-de-whoops, or frivolity.” (p. 1)

When an unexpected package arrives, Eugenia’s world gets a little off-kilter.  Her sister, Baby, is thrilled.  Even the neighbours, Frank, Mrs. Watson and Mercy the pig, arrive to investigate the large box on Eugenia’s doorstep.  

Much to everyone’s surprise, the box contains an accordion.  No one in the house plays the accordion, making the instrument’s arrival even more mysterious.  Eugenia immediately makes plans to get rid of it – after all, she must have order!  An accordion that nobody plays will throw the house into chaos!

Eugenia places an ad in the newspaper to sell the accordion.  This leads to the arrival of Gaston, the accordion teacher.  After he practically forces Eugenia to play the instrument, strange things begin to happen.  Music, it seems, has a transformative effect.  Can it really soften Eugenia’s heart?

Eugenia Lincoln and the Unexpected Package is the latest installment in Kate DiCamillo’s hilarious Tales from Deckawoo Drive.  It’s perfect for early chapter book readers and makes a great read-aloud too!

The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid

The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid

By Kara LaReau
Illustrated by Matt Myers

Louie and Ralphie Ratso want to build an arcade – not a video game arcade, but the kind you find at a carnival.  They decide that if they get to work clearing out a vacant lot, they can transform it into the Big City FunTime Arcade.

But the house next to the vacant lot looks haunted.  Louie is especially scared of the house and the possible ghost that lives inside.

Meanwhile, at school, Ralphie is teased for helping a girl that everyone calls Stinky.  Before he knows it, the whole school is singing the K-I-S-S-I-N-G song about them.  Ralphie is afraid of being made fun of, but he doesn’t know what to do about it.

Luckily, Louie and Ralphie’s dad reminds them not to let their fears be the boss.

When part of the new arcade goes through the window at the haunted house, Louie has to retrieve it.  Can he face his fears and knock on the door?

Can Ralphie stand up to the bullying and teasing at school?

And can two little rats and all their friends really build the Big City FunTime Arcade?

The Infamous Ratsos Are Not Afraid is a lighthearted book about facing childhood fears and having fun.