Hi all, I will be on vacation from June 23rd-July 2nd. I will be reading some great books and try to blog about them while I am gone..but if I am not able, I will start blogging again around July 3rd...Happy Reading!

One of my favorite books of this last school year was undoubtedly, Wolf Hollow.  It ranked right up there with Echo and The War That Save My Life. I never thought of myself as loving historical fiction, but I guess I do because all of these were historical fiction, and I had the hardest time putting these books down. Lauren Wolk has written another novel called Beyond the Bright Sea.  I loved this one almost as much as Wolf Hollow,  In this novel,  baby Crow's parents put her in a small boat and set her out to sea. Fortunately, she washes ashore and a hermit by the name of Osh finds her. As Crow gets older, she wants to find the true history of her family, and an incredible story with some twists, turns, and mystery is unleashed. The 3 main characters, Crow, Osh, and Miss Maggie are unforgettable. I have loved both of these books and now it is hard waiting for her to write another book!

When I saw that one of this year's Bluebonnets was co-authored by a guy with the last name of Cousteau, I was very intrigued. Growing up, I followed famed oceanographer, Jacques Cousteau. He seemed to always have a show on PBS back in the 70's and 80's , and I would be glued to the TV set. It was like he brought the mysteries of the deep right into our living room. His shows were fascinating. When I saw that Follow The Moon Home was co-written by Philippe Cousteau, his grandson, I had to read it right away. Christie Readers will love this story about Vivienne trying to get used to her new home and new school. She meets a new friend and they may their way down to the beach where her friend tells her the buried baby loggerhead turtles hatching. These turtles look for the strongest light to guide them to the ocean, and the beach house lights confuse them. Many times, they do not make it to the ocean. Vivienne and her new friend come up with ways to solve this problem. This book shows that you can never be too young to make some big changes!

 Is That Wise Pig? is another book on this year's TLA's 2x2 Reading List. People of all ages will totally adore the characters in this story, Mouse, Pig, and Cow. Pig and Cow want to help Mouse make some soup. They try really hard giving  Mouse some ideas on what to put into his soup. At first many of Pig's ideas backfire ... but you just have to wait until you see the fun twist at the end.  Kids will want to read this story way more than once! I can see Christie readers loving this book!

The Texas Library Association has a reading list for younger K-2 students called the 2x2 Reading List. It Came In The Mail if a fun picture book currently on 2017's list. In this wonderfully illustrated picture book, Liam is a little boy who wants to get some mail more than anything else in the world. When he sends his mailbox a letter to please send him something, the mail starts piling up! He gets a friendly dragon, pickles, a whale with wings and a ton of other things! He realizes he has way too much so he starts sending his mail to his friends. Be careful what you wish for, you just might get it! Kids who love Mo Willems and Bob Shea, will love this book!

A different book that I thoroughly enjoyed reading that is also a Bluebonnet this year is Some Kind of Courage.  This book has a much different setting than our other Bluebonnets and what a pleasure it was to read! Set back in the 1890's, Joseph has lost all of his family members: his mom, sister, and dad. The man that Joseph is staying with sells the last precious thing that Joseph still treasures: his horse, Sarah. Joseph will do anything to get her back so he goes on a dangerous journey  and finds an unlikely friend to help him out. Readers will not be able to put this book down with the twist and turns that happen to Joseph. This was the first book I read by Dan Gemeinhart, and I can't wait to read his other book in our library, The Honest Truth.

The Magnificent Mya Tibbs: Spirit Week Showdown is another Bluebonnet that will really engage Christie readers. Mya is a fourth grader who really learns in this story who her friends are and who her friends aren't. This fun story line starts with how excited Mya is that the yearly Spirit Week is upon her school and how everyone in her community goes all out for it. Mya has a new friend at school that just moved to her community, and Mya learns a lot about her as she and her classmates have to draw Spirit Week partners. Third  through fifth graders will not only enjoy this book but learn a great deal from the characters' interactions. I am excited about book talking this story to students, and we have the sequel in our library already, too!

Hello Universe is an inspiring story that is told in one day involving 4 different character's point of view. This  neighborhood story tells a tale of unlikely friendships. You have Virgil who feels out of place in his sports crazed family, Valencia who is deaf and feels very much alone, Kaori who is a self proclaimed psychic, and Chet, the neighborhood bully. Virgil is on his way to his friend Kaori's house when he goes missing. It is up  to Kaori, her sister Gen, and Valencia to find him. While on his trail they run into bully Chet  trying to save the day. By the end of the story, Chet is put in his place and new friendships form. For those students who loved Fish In A Tree, One Crazy Summer, and The Land of Forgotten Girls, this book is a hit!

I just finished The Someday Birds, and I had a hard time putting this book down.  Dinner was late last night because I just couldn't stop reading! I think Christie readers will love it , too. Charlie is a twelve year old boy, autistic,  and has 3 siblings. His dad is injured in Afghanistan and returns home for rehabilitation, however, his rehab is not working where they live in Southern California. So, his grandmother takes his dad to Virginia to see a special doctor, and while they are gone, a babysitter looks after Charlie and his siblings. They all decide, except Charlie,  to drive across the country to visit his dad , and all kinds of new adventures begin. They stop at many  famous attractions along the way, and some funny and interesting things happen to them. Sally Pla's debut novel is part madcap road trip and coming of age story. Readers will be hooked as they learn how Charlie finds his place in the world.

  The Dallas Museum of Art's Arts and Letters Live is a literary and perfuming arts series for all ages that showcases award winning authors and performers.  I have heard about this series for years and always wanted to attend. I received an email from one of the FISD librarians a few months ago that Kwame Alexander was going to be at the DMA in June, and I bought my ticket right away! Students and educators can attend at a 50% discount.

Kwame Alexander is a poet and educator who wrote the 2015 Newbery Medal winning book, The Crossover. which is in the Christie library. Some of his other critically acclaimed books, Booked and the poetry book Out of Wonder, will be in the Christie library this fall. His books are a must read for students. He writes usually with middle grade readers in mind, but his motivational messages are great for all ages. He gave  many inspiring stories of his writing process, and how he overcame many obstacles in his life to keep on writing.

Fathers and sons and their relationships are the focus of many of his books. Many kids were in attendance, and it was wonderful to hear how Kwame talked about how 'No' should not define your life, and how you should say 'Yes' more often so  life's wonderful experiences are not missed out. It was a treat!!

I had seen The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon on Twitter several times late last year and wondered about the book.  I found it at Half Price Books yesterday and sat down to read it, and I am so glad I did. This true story starts out with  St. Louis hosting the World's Fair and America's first Olympics. Hundreds of thousands of people came from all over.  Forty two racers signed up for the Olympic marathon, and only 32 showed up. Readers will love all the twist and turns that happen during the race. Towards the end of the race, there are only 3 runners racing towards the finish line. One drove part of the way in the race, one showed up from Cuba and cut off his pants to look like shorts ( and wants to stop along the way to talk to onlookers so he can practice his English) , and one was  helped by his trainers to cross over the finish line. Some funny things happen, and you will want to keep on reading to see who wins the race. Christie readers will eat this book up!  There are lots of extra pages before and after the story that give all kinds of interesting facts about the race and the runners. Reader engagement will be at an all time high with  the wild ride this book takes them on, and I can't wait to read it as a read aloud!

Whoosh: Lonnie Johnson's Super Soaking Stream of Inventions  was one of Horn Books Best Informational Books of 2016, and I can see why. Lonnie Johnson is an African American boy who loves to create and make things in his family's small house. Lonnie overcomes academic and social diversity to finally make one of the funnest inventions for children. A wonderful message of not giving up and to keep trying!! :) This picture book is a must read for all kids, and I cannot wait to read it to students at the Bluebonnet Breakfast Club in the fall. They will love it. Here is the annotation from the Bluebonnet website:

Despite a test telling him it wasn’t his strength, “Lonnie wanted to spend his life designing things, building things, and getting them to work.” Then one day, he accidentally invented the Super Soaker! From NASA engineer to toy inventor, Lonnie Johnson never gave up on his dreams and passions. In this biography, discover Lonnie Johnson’s undefeated determination, his many inventions, and be inspired to make a splash and follow your own dreams!

Readers will fall in love with Emma in The Key to Extraordinary, another book on this year's Bluebonnet list. In this story, Emma, gives cemetery tours to raise money to save her family's bakery, The Boneyard Cafe. While she is trying to save her family home, she is hoping to have her "destiny dream" like  her ancestors did that showed them what their destiny in life would be.  This book has a lot of mystery and twist and turns such as a mysterious boy that doesn't speak and possible graveyard ghosts that readers will find as a page turner! Here is the annotation from the Texas Bluebonnet website:

Emma comes from a long line of extraordinary women who were destined for greatness: musicians, boxers, Revolutionary war spies, and scientists. Everyone is wondrous... everyone except for Emma. When Emma's destiny dream finally arrives, it takes her through an old cemetery, a treasure that may or may not be real, and a haunting song that comes from a ghost. To discover herself and save her family's Boneyard Cafe, Emma has to unlock the answer before it's too late. 

Another laugh out loud picture book that our library will have in August is Penguin Problems. You can never go wrong with a book written by Jory John and illustrated by Lane Smith. People of all ages will immediately fall in love with Penguin. Penguin wakes up on the wrong side of the tundra one morning and hilarity ensures. He complains about everything! Nothing is quite right.  He soon meets a walrus who helps him change his perspective on life. People of all ages will get the great message of this book that will  definitely be a keeper in our library!

Another Bluebonnet  book both boys and girls will enjoy is Soar. Jeremiah is born with a weak heart, and he has the best attitude, he lets nothing get him down. Since he had a heart tranplant, he cannot play his beloved game of baseball, but decides to appoint himself as the team coach. His town's favorite baseball team is hit with a terrible tragedy, and it is up to him to bring baseball back to Hillcrest, Ohio. This inspiring novel will take you on a great adventure with Jeremiah! Here is the annotation from the Texas Bluebonnet List website:

Jeremiah lives and breathes baseball, but a heart operation keeps him from playing. When his new community is devastated by a player's death and the ensuing scandal, Jeremiah is determined to save everything he has come to care about. No one really expected a twelve year old to turn to coaching, but that may be exactly what the team needs. Full of heart, Soar will take readers on a flight through the extraordinary

The Great Shelby Holmes  is another book on this year's Bluebonnet list. Girls and boys will love this book. Shelby Holmes is 9 years old and is in sixth grade, and as you can guess, not your average child.  She lives in Harlem, and is the best detective anyone has ever seen. When 11 year old John Watson moves downstairs, he isn't sure of what to make of her. Together, they try to solve a very tough crime of a lost dog that is going to be the sure fire winner of the upcoming  Manhattan Dog Show. Here is an annotation from the Texas Bluebonnet List website:

With his mother in the military, John Watson is used to moving and making new friends. However, he has never met anyone like Shelby Holmes, whom at age nine is already known around town for solving crimes. He also never expected to become involved in the disappearance of a prize-winning dog just days before the annual dog competition! Will John and Shelby be able to solve the case in time?