Coquina

Written by Barbara Park Illustrated by Janet Stevens
 * 1. Picture Book:** __Ma! There’s Nothing to Do Here! (A Word from Your Baby-in-Waiting)__

Whether you are expecting a baby or have ever spent time in the womb, and I know you all have, this is a cute and fun book for you. It is written from the perspective of a baby in the womb to his mother. The baby is complaining about being bored and telling his mother all the things he’s been up to. It is very clever because it shows what the mother is going through with the baby’s kicks and hiccups but from the insider’s perspective. Also, it brings to mind little things about babies that we don’t think about anymore after being outside the womb for so long. For example, the baby can’t play hide and seek because he’s so intertwined that he’s too easy to find and he’s tired of the bungee cord and his knees being in his face. Towards the end he tells his mom a little bit about being excited to meet her and what to expect when he comes out. This book is totally unrealistic in that a baby in a womb can not speak to his mother, nor would he know about all the things he’s missing out on. However, the book could be used as a good teaching tool to help kids understand more about where babies come from, either themselves or a new little sibling. It is a good kick off to an age appropriate talk about human growth and development. It is also a less controversial way to bring up pro-life ideas that the baby is a life in the womb.

Written by Jon Scieszka Illustrated by Steve Johnson
 * 2. Picture Book (Fairy Tale/Folklore):** __The Frog Prince Continued__

For anyone who likes fairy tales or even if the unrealistic happily ever after irritates you, this is just the right book. This story picks up where the story of the princess and the frog left off. It’s like the True Hollywood stories of what those actors relationships really turn out to be. The prince and the princess do not get along that well. The prince still wants to be a frog and his froglike tendencies annoy the princess. So the prince goes off to find someone to turn him back into a frog. On his way he meets the witches from Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, Hansel and Gretel, and the Fairy Godmother from Cinderella. He then gets turned into a carriage, turns back into a prince at midnight, kisses the worried princess and they both turn into frogs and they lived hoppily ever after. This book gives a little taste of a lot of different fairy tales which would provide a good introduction to the genre. It could also be used as an example to have the students write their own continuations of different fairy tales. I personally love this story, because I always hated the ending of the Frog and the Princess because the cute awesome little frog became a dumb prince. This just proves that it’s a lot easier to live happily ever after as frogs.

Written by Judy Sierra Illustrated by Stephen Gammell
 * 3. Picture Book (Fantasy/Science Fiction):** __The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School__

This book was not one of my favorites. It is about a kid who feels inferior to his classmates because of their science fair projects. He decides to buy a guarantee winner off the internet. It turns out to be hungry growing slime that eats everything and everyone in its path. The only way to get the slime to stop and get the people back that it ate is to feed it sugar. The kid did not end up winning anything and had to clean up the mess. The book didn’t have much of a point other than that it is a bad idea for kids to buy stuff off the internet without permission.

Written by Trinka Hakes Noble Illustrated by Doris Ettlinger
 * 4. Picture Book (Historical Fiction):** The Orange Shoes

This is a heartwarming story set a long time ago about a little girl names Adella who lived in a very poor country family. She always had to walk to school barefoot because she was the oldest in her family and they could not yet afford new shoes. The other children would make fun of her, but she didn’t care too much because she loved the feel of the dirt rode between her toes. But when she found out about a shoebox social the school house was doing to raise money for art supplies, her parents finally decided they’d have to get her some new shoes. When she wore her shoes to school the other girls were jealous that the poor girl would have better shoes than them. They stepped all over them and scuffed and scraped them all up. She was heartbroken until she realized she could paint vines and flowers on them and make them look even better. At the social they auctioned off their decorated shoe boxes full of food and showed the toe of their shoes and people bid. Her shoe box was decorated just like her shoe and won the highest bid (3 dollars). Her dad ended up giving the last bid because he said that box was priceless just like the girl who painted it. This book is a good story of the love and generosity of a family even in hard times. It is also a good teaching tool about bullying, jealousy, and prejudice.

Written by Geraldine McCaughrean Illustrated by Paul Howard
 * 5. Picture Book :**__One Bright Penny__

This story is one of cleverness and wit. An old farmer tells his three children stories about when he was a kid you could fill a whole barn for just a penny. Tired of hearing the story one of the boys claims he can fill the whole barn for just one penny. The father tells the children they each have one chance, if they can he’ll give them the farm, but if they can’t he will no longer pay them a penny each week. The first boy Bill tries buys a whole bunch of feathers from a chicken farmer for a penny. He tries to fill the barn, but it doesn’t fill every corner and when they opened the door the feathers flew out. The next boy Bob buys wax and string and makes candles all over the barn and tries to fill the barn with light. But the first candles lit start to burn out and there are spots of darkness, and others go out with the breeze of the door too. The girl Penny is the clever one and with her penny she buys an old banjo from a junk shop and fixes it up. She invites all the neighbors over for a barn party and then shows her father that she has filled the entire barn with music. Sure enough, every corner and cranny he went to in the barn, he could hear her music. He was amazed at what one bright Penny could do with just one penny.

Written by Nikki Giovanni Illustrated by Bryan Collier
 * 6. Picture Book (Biography):** __Rosa__

This is about the life of Rosa Parks and the effect it had on the Civil Rights movement. It tells about how Rosa was a very skilled seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama. She was on her way home from work to make dinner for her husband and she was taking the bus as usual. She sat in the neutral section of the bus, because the black section in the back was too full. At a later stop some white people got on and the bus driver insisted Rosa move. She calmly refused to move, because she had been there first and she believed that it was wrong to treat blacks differently than whites. She was arrested and some women put up signs about it encouraging blacks to boycott the bus and walk. Martin Luther King also spoke about it and for almost a year blacks in Montgomery never took the bus. Because of Rosa’s bravery, it was then ruled that it was wrong to segregate the busses and made a huge step in outlawing segregation in general. This is an excellent overview of the life of Rosa Parks and her impact on the Civil Rights movement. It would be a good tool for younger kids to help them understand more about this time in history.

Written by Ann Martin Illustrated by Nancy Poydar
 * 7. Picture Book (Multicultural):** __Rachel Parker, Kindergarten Show-Off__

In this story a little kindergarten girl names Olivia gets a new neighbor Rachel. Olivia is very smart and good at a lot of things. Rachel comes to her class and can also read and write and has a baby sister and other cool stuff. Olivia thinks that Rachel is a show off, but in reality Olivia is a bit of a show off herself. She can’t stand someone else being as good as her. The two girls are constantly competing over who is better at reading or swinging or has the coolest house. Finally the teacher picks up on it and has the two girls read aloud to the class together and they have to help each other with the words they don’t know. They end up realizing they can work together and have fun being friends instead of always competing. It is a good story to teach kids about friendship and getting along. It is also good tips for teachers on how to deal with kids when they act like that in class.

Written by Patricia Polacco Illustrated by Patricia Polacco
 * 8. Picture Book (Realistic Fiction):** __The Junkyard Wonders__

This was an excellent book to read as a teacher or future teacher. It is based on a true story about a girl named Trisha who has a reading disability that she is overcoming. She moves to a new school so she can not be labeled as the dumb kid anymore and be in a regular classroom. However, she still gets put in the “special” class. At first she is so upset because the other kids she thought were her friends now ignore her because she’s in the “special” class. The other kids in the class are all different in some way either because of a learning disability or physical condition. The teacher of the class calls her class “The Junkyard.” At first I thought that it was terrible she called them that and it was a little weird they all got put in class together just because they were different. Although, it may have been a terrible idea on the school’s part to label all those kids and keep them away from all the “normal” kids, the teacher made the best of it. The called the them the junkyard, not because a junkyard is full of trash, but instead because it is full of so much potential and ability to be whatever someone makes of it. She actually takes her class to a junkyard and they collect things and make them into wonderful inventions. She really inspires her class to be the best they can be and reminds them all the time that they are her Junkyard Wonders. In the end the kids all become great friends and go on to achieve great things in life and they credit it to that teacher who believed in them and encouraged them to be all they could be and more.

Written by Jane O’Connor and Jessie Hartland Illustrated by Jessie Hartland
 * 9. Picture Book:** __The Perfect Puppy for Me!__

This story does not have much of a plot, but it is a nice little “tail” about a boy finding the right dog. He gives an overview of a lot of different breeds of dogs and what is good and bad about them. There are also a lot of side notes about how to care for and train dogs. Also, he writes things about how dogs interact like sniffing each other’s butts and cautions about going up to dogs based on what their tale is doing. The book is more than just a boring list of facts about dogs, because it has lots of pictures and the notes are written from a kids perspective and in a kids handwriting on the side of the text. This would be a good book for a student who loves dogs and especially someone who is thinking about what breed of dog to get. I personally loved the book because I can relate so much to the boy who at the beginning talks about loving dogs so much and having lots of books, movies, posters, hats, and toys, but no real dog yet. I was so much like that as a kid. I had everything dog, but no dog until I finally got a puppy a little over a year ago. I went through the same thing this boy did in trying to figure out the right breed. I decided on a Beagle and named her Clue. In the book the boy decided on a Labradoodle and named him Doodle.

Written by Jane O’Connor Illustrated by S.D. Schindler
 * 10. Picture Book:** __The Snow Globe Family__

This is a short story about a big family and a little family. It is an interesting look at how your perception can change a lot about how you look at things. The little family lives inside a snow globe in the big family’s house. The big family never even notices the people inside the snow globe anymore. They used to get snow storms a lot, but now they just get flurries once a week when the maid dusts the mantle. They miss the big snow storms so they could go sledding. One day the big family gets a snowstorm and goes out to play, but leave the baby inside. The baby notices the little family in the snow globe and finally climbs up the mantle and gives it a good shake. The little family is so happy and both the families enjoy time out in the snow.

Written by Rosemary Wells Illustrated by Susan Jeffers This first book in the McDuff series tells how McDuff starts off falling out the back of the pound truck and finds his way. He just wants a warm dry place to sleep and something to eat. Finally he finds a nice couple who takes him in, bathe him, feed him, and of course fall in love with him and name him. It a sweet little story for anyone who loves dogs. McDuff is a sweet adorable little white dog who reminded me of a Bichon Freeze that I dog sat for once. In the end of the story the illustration shows them all sleeping and the man holding his wife’s hand and holding McDuff’s paw from down on the floor matt.
 * 11. Picture Book:** __McDuff Moves In__

Written by Rosemary Wells Illustrated by Susan Jeffers
 * 12. Picture Book:** __McDuff Goes to School__

This is another story in the McDuff series about the little white puppy. In this book McDuff gets new neighbors who are French. Their little black dog Marie is very good at listening so McDuff’s owners decide they need to take him to doggy training school. The problem is that they never take time to practice with McDuff at home so he doesn’t know how to follow the commands. McDuff goes out and plays along the fence with Marie and listens and watches Marie’s owner give commands in French. McDuff begins to follow as well and the neighbor gives him treats for listening. When it comes to graduation day the dogs have to show they can pass the obedience tests and McDuff doesn’t know any of the commands until the neighbor helps out and gives them in French. McDuff then obeys right away. This is a good lesson for kids on training a dog or really in owning any pet: you have to take the time to work with them.

13. **Picture Book:** __Animal Crackers Fly the Coop__ Written by Kevin O’Malley Illustrated by Donna Mark

If you like really lame jokes then this story will be your cup of tea. It’s about a hen who’s bored with laying eggs and decides she wants to be a comedian. Along the way she meets a dog, cow, and cat who happen to have the same dream. Together the four of them find their way and fulfill their dream of starting a comedy club. Throughout the whole book they are always telling jokes, one liners, and funny animal play on words that just make you want to grown, or howl, or moo, or something.

Written by Patricia MacLachlan and Emily MacLachlan Illustrated by Dan Yaccarino
 * 14. Picture Book:** __Bittle__

This sweet little story is for anyone who loves animals or babies. The dog and cat in the story are dealing with their owners bringing home a baby that they see no need for. They decide to call her Bittle because she is just a little bit of a thing. The story follows the life of a young baby from the perspective of the pets and helps you get into their heads and see what they might be feeling when a new baby comes into the picture. The dog doesn’t recognize it’s smell and insists on hiding all of his bones again so the baby doesn’t find them. The cat tries to tell the baby that the sounds it makes are unnecessary. But eventually they learn to love Bittle because the cat can curl up with her and keep warm and the dog can lick it’s feet and eat all the scraps from around the highchair. It’s a good lesson in being content with your situation and looking for the good in life.

Written by Margaret Read MacDonald Illustrated by Mary Newell DePalma
 * 15. Picture Book:** __The Squeaky Door__

This little tale is based on a Puerto Rican folk song called “La Cama” meaning “the bed.” In this story a little boy is staying with his grandparents. The grandma asks if he’ll be scared to stay in a room by himself and the boy says, “No Not Me.” But when the squeaky door shuts he cries out. The Grandma trying to solve the problem brings in the cat to sleep with him. When he is still scared she each time brings in another animal including the dog, the pig, and even the horse until the bed breaks. Then she just lets the little boy sleep with her and grandpa. The next day she fixed the bed and the squeaky door and the little boy wasn’t scared to sleep alone. This is a silly and cute story because in the pictures you see the grandma going outside and getting the animals, cleaning them up, and putting pajamas on them. This can be a good lesson in problem solving and help kids talk about fears. Most kids can relate to being scared of the dark. I could really relate to this book, because I was always scared to death to sleep in a room by myself at my grandparents’ house.

Written by Mo Willems Illustrated by Jon J Muth
 * 16. Picture Book:** __City Dog, Country Frog__

At first I loved it, but then I hated it. Frogs and dogs are two of my favorite things in the whole world so I thought a book about them would be great. Also, I could really relate to the beginning when the city dog moves to the country and gets to run free, because my city dog Clue loves going to my grandpa’s farm and running free. City dog meets a friend sitting on a rock names country frog. Country frog teaches city dog country frog games in the spring. In the summer country dog comes back and teaches country frog to play city dog games. In the fall they just sit and remember all the fun they had together. But in the winter the book takes a terrible turn for the worst when city dog comes and country frog is not there. I thought at first he was just hibernating, but when city dog comes back in the spring and country frog is not there and he makes friends with country chipmunk instead. I thought it was horrible to kill off a frog in a children’s book.

17. **Picture Book:** __Dogku__ Written by Andrew Clements Illustrated by Tim Bowers This is not just a cute story, but a good example for an English lesson on haikus. It’s a fairly common story about a stray dog finding a family that just never gets old. The dog shows up at the house and the family lets it stay “just for a while.” In the book you get to see all the little enjoyable things dogs do like hang their head out the window, get table scraps, and play with children. It also addresses the perils of a dog’s life being left home alone once the kids start school. So he reverts to other joys of chewing on dirty socks and rolling around in the trashcan. Then you have the climax of whether or not the family is going to keep the dog, but in the end they always do. The whole story is told in haiku form and could be used to help kids learn to write their own stories in haiku.

Written by Mercer Mayer Illustrated by Mercer Mayer
 * 18. Picture Book:** __Just My Friend and Me__

This Little Critter book is about the boy having a friend over to play. He mostly just talks about all the fun things he and his friend do together. His friend is always beating him at something, breaking his stuff, or not helping clean up. In the end the boy restates that it’s nice to have a friend over to play, but sometimes it’s just good to be all alone. It is a good lesson in being a good friend and being good to your friends. A lot of kids can relate to wanting to have a friend over, but then when they get there they end up not getting along as well as they hoped. The boy’s friend is always selfish which makes it not as much fun for the boy. A good discussion to have after reading this book is how to not be so selfish so you are a fun friend to be around and also how to deal with friends when they are being selfish.

Written by Amy Krouse Rosenthal Illustrated by Scott Magoon
 * 19. Picture Book:** __Spoon__

This story is cute and useful because it teaches kids about the different uses for the utensils and about being content with who you are. Spoon is upset because he doesn’t get to do as cool as stuff as his friends fork, knife, and chopsticks. But then Spoon finds out that they are just as jealous because spoon gets to dive head first into a bowl of ice cream, measure stuff, clink on a cereal bow, and relax in a hot cup of tea. Spoon realizes he has it pretty good and should be happy they were all made just the way they are for the purpose they are. The end is clever because Spoon gets to spoon with his family.

Written by Wendell Minor Illustrated by Florence Minor
 * 20. Picture Book:** __If You Were a Penguin__

I loved this book because I have always been fascinated by penguins. Scamper was one of my favorite movies and the penguins are my favorite part at the zoo. In fact, it is one of my goals to hug a penguin. The book is a simple for younger kids to understand some of the things that penguins do. It ends in saying that penguins can do a lot of cool stuff, but some of the things you can do too. This could be used as a beginners type of compare and contrast assignment. They could compare and contrast themselves to penguins in what they can do the same and what they can’t do the same.

Written by Wendell Minor Illustrated by Florence Minor
 * 21. Picture Book:** __Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear?__

There really is no plot or story line at all in this book, so it is not good for developing comprehension. It just asks one animal what it hears and it replies that it hears the next animal. It is great for younger students to learn by repetition and learn what sounds all the different animals make. I still have a book that our teacher helped us each make that was a take off of this book. She took a picture of each of us and had our own page and wrote our names and asked what they see and it was always the next student in the class. I think this book could be a great start to a class book like that.

Written by Beverly Cleary Illustrated by Tracy Dockray
 * 1. Intermediate:** __Ramona’s World__

I loved this story because it was kind of like watching a reunion movie of your favorite childhood TV show. As the most recent book in Beverly Cleary’s Ramona series it is much later than the other books. I always read all the older ones when I was little. In this book Ramona is just a little older (turning 10) and it goes through all the trials and joys of being a 4th grader. There is not too much of a tied down story line, but a lot of random entertaining happenings all within the course of one school year. Ramona babysat her baby sister Roberta and she spits peas everywhere. Then on her school picture day the man says “Peas,” and Ramona made an icky face. She was so disappointed in her pictures when they came back. At first she hated her teacher because she made her work on spelling, but she eventually realized she had her best interest in mind. She made a new friend and had lots of fun with her including falling through her attic floor into her living room. The best thing about Ramona is that she is totally herself and doesn’t mind who knows it. She has a huge imagination and knows what’s important in life like having good calluses on your hands from playing on the monkey bars a lot.

Written by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Anyone who has ever had a dog or wanted a dog will love this heartwarming story. I had seen the movies when I was younger and it was fun to read the story and see the similarities and differences. The great thing about the book is that you get to see into Marty’s head and feel how he was feeling about the poor dog Shiloh. The book starts off with an eleven year old boy Marty walking the long rode home through the woods one day and a little Beagle follows him home. He finds out the dog belongs to a man named Judd who is very mean to his dogs. The second time Shiloh runs away and comes right to Marty’s farm, he hides him up on a hill in a pin. He always sneaks out there to play with Shiloh and love on him and sneak table scraps to him to eat. One night Shiloh gets attacked by a big German Shepherd who jumped the fence. Marty’s parents find out about what he’s been doing and are upset, but take the dog to the vet. They let Marty keep him just until he’s better. When Judd finds out he refuses to even sell Shiloh to the family. After Marty sees Judd kill a deer out of season he talks him into letting him work for 20 hours and not tell about the deer in return for keeping Shiloh. At first Judd acts like he will never keep up his end of the bargain, but in a turn of events he and Marty learn to get along and Judd finds the one soft spot in his heart. This is an excellent story about a boy’s love of animals and also a lesson in discerning right from wrong. I loved the book so much because I have a little Beagle at home myself. I think most kids can relate to the idea of wanting to protect a little dog from harm.
 * 2. Intermediate:** __Shiloh__

Written by William H. Armstrong This was probably the worst or at least one of the worst books I have ever read. I have had it since I was a kid, but never bothered to read it. Now I’m glad I didn’t. I would have hated it even more then. It looked like a nice book about a boy and his dog, but I didn’t realized it would really be about “a boy.” Literally the boy was never named and neither were any of the other people in the story, unless you count “the boy’s mother and father” as names. The only one named was Sounder the dog. It was set in the times where blacks were sharecroppers for white people and very mistreated. This family with no names were very poor. After stealing to provide food for his family the father gets put in jail. When the father is moved somewhere else the boy spends years looking for him. Sounder goes after the father too and gets shot and beat up, but finally comes home all crippled and injured. Years later the father comes home also crippled and beaten by a mining accident. Sounder is so glad he’s back he finally howls again for the first time since he left. Then they go off hunting together again and the father is too tired and dies in the woods. Then Sounder crawls under the porch and dies. Again, not only was this book horribly depressing, it was also incredibly boring and slow. I would not recommend this to anyone, ever.
 * 3. Intermediate**: __Sounder__

Written by Gordon Korman This is a really fun book for all ages, but probably written for middle school ages. The main characters are all in middle school. The most interesting thing about the book is that it is written in first person from four different perspectives. Every chapter changes who is telling the story, so you hear it from all sides. The main boy is named Wallace Wallace and he has vowed never to lie. One of the main girls Trudi Davis thinks she’s in love with Wallace. The other main girl Rachel Turner is the president of the drama club and her chapters are written as letters to Julia Roberts telling her all about what’s going on in her life. The fourth narrator is Mr. Fogelman who is the English teacher and drama director and writes his chapters as memos to himself. The story starts off with Wallace Wallace talking about how he hates that in all the famous dog books the dogs always die. He writes a report about the book he had to read, “Old Shep, My Pal” in which the dog dies. He is blatantly honest, like he always is, and gives it a terrible review. Mr. Fogelman who happens to love the story makes Wallace serve detention after school during his drama rehearsals of the play, “Old Shep, My Pal” until he writes a nice review. Wallace who refuses to ever tell a lie continues to be on detention and miss football practice which makes the whole team and eventually the whole school hate him, because the team can’t win without him. As it turns out he’s not that great at football, but the team wants something to blame their losses on. As Wallace spends more and more time at these drama rehearsals he keeps giving advise to change the play and make it better and all the actors love it. Mr. Fogelman finally gives in and lets Wallace change the play so much that it is almost a completely different play. Throughout this whole time someone is trying to sabotage the play. Wallace has since become good friends with the drama team, but would he betray them and ruin their play? Or is it someone from the football team who’s mad at Wallace? It is exciting and mysterious right up until the end of the book as to what is really going on with this play. This book was very refreshing after reading a dumb book like Sounder. I totally agree with Wallace Wallace, the dog shouldn't die. Overall, I would definitely recommend this book to older kids and young teens.
 * 4.** Intermediate: __No More Dead Dogs__

Written by Jeff Kinney Illustrated by Jeff Kinney This is no ordinary book, that’s for sure. I could almost read this in one sitting. For anyone who is not really interested in reading, this is a great book to start out with. There are almost as many pictures as there is text and it all works together to create a very funny story. It’s entertaining and very relatable to anyone who is in or has been through junior high, both boys and girls. It is written from the perspective of a boy named Greg Heffley in the form of his journal about his second year of junior high. He goes through normal junior high stuff, like dealing with his friends, fitting in, trying to get along with his brother and not be embarrassed by his mother. There is also one haunting memory from his summer that only his big brother knows. One of his main goals is to make sure his brother Rodrick doesn’t tell anyone about what happened this summer. However, things get very interesting when Greg learns what happens to the truth when it gets sent around as rumors.
 * 5. Intermediate:** __Diary of a Wimpy Kid (Rodrick Rules)__

Written by Diana G. Gallagher This is one of a series of mystery books based on the Nickelodeon TV show from the 90’s that I always used to watch. It is perfect for anyone who likes mysteries. In this story Shelby Woo and her friends go to a horse barn and end up getting involved in a mystery. One of the prize horses is about to run a race that will determine whether or not his owner can sell him for full price. In the middle of the race the rider suddenly falls off because the bridle breaks. After checking it, they realize the strap has been cut, but by who? All the evidence points to Shelby’s friend who works there with the horses, but she knows it’s not him. She sets out to prove her friend innocent and determine who is guilty. The suspect list consists of the owner who might collect insurance if the horse is hurt, another rider who will get paid for more riding time because this rider was hurt, a man who wants to buy the ranch, and the lady who might buy the horse for half price if he doesn’t do well. Will Shelby the amateur detective be able to crack this case?
 * 6. Intermediate:** __The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo: Cut and Run__

Written by C.S. Lewis
 * 1. Adolescent Book (Fiction):** __The Magician’s Nephew (The Chronicles of Narnia)__

If you like adventure, magic, or mystery, or if you have ever thought about the possibility of other worlds, then you will probably enjoy this book. It is the prequel to the classic series of The Chronicles of Narnia. In this story two children named Digory and Polly go on an exploration of their old houses and wind up trapped with Digory’s uncle the magician. He tricks them into putting on his experimental rings and they get sent to another world. There is a series of different events that the children get themselves into, including meeting a terrible witch, being tempted to do things they shouldn’t, and meeting Aslan the lion. Aslan awakens Narnia, crowns a king and queen, and sends the children on a mission. The children learn from Aslan that if you misuse something, it may get you the result you want, but you won’t end up liking it. This could be a good lesson for many ages in obeying and resisting all sorts of temptations. Doing the wrong thing at the wrong time may seem like an irresistible idea and be great at first, but will eventually be regretted. At the end of the story it is explained how the wardrobe gets made and makes a porthole to Narnia for all the following books in the series. I really enjoyed this book because I’ve read some of the other books and seen the movies and this helped me understand where it all came from. Also, I love exploring and adventure.

Written by Margaret Haddix At first this book was an awesome and exciting mystery. It starts out with a mysterious plane landing out of nowhere and only witnessed by a few people. It is then forward 13 years and two boys meet who are both adopted. They both receive a letter in the mail that simply says, “You are one of the missing.” Later they receive a letter saying, “Beware, they are coming back to get you.” The boys Jonah and Chip, along with Jonah’s sister Catherine, make it their goal to figure out who is sending the letters and where they really came from. After snooping in files in Chip’s house, they get the number of an FBI agent who was involved in their adoptions. They go visit him and he is no help and only asks them questions. However a mysteriously appearing and disappearing man gives them a file to look at and they sneakily get pictures of the lists in the file. Then they call all the numbers on these lists of witnesses and survivors. The survivors are all about 13 years old and all adopted. One witness who agrees to meet them was the lade who saw the plane land 13 years ago. As the story progresses it gets very exciting and more mysterious. I found it very fun to read, because I was always all about being a detective and figuring out stuff when I was a kid and even now sometimes. But the last part of the book gets weirder and weirder. You think it’s going to have a cool ending and reason that all these babies showed up on a plane and are now being gathered all together without knowing it and send mysterious letters. However, it is not a cool ending. It’s all about time travel and totally lame. The kids have to decide if they want to go back to where they’re supposed to be and die, but preserve time the way it is supposed to be. The whole reason they were there was just dumb and very disappointing as an ending.
 * 2. Adolescent Book (Science Fiction):** __The Missing: Book 1: Found__

Written by Andrea Seigel This book attracted me right away because the cover is a big picture of a fort with macaroni and cheese on it and it is entitled “The Kid Table.” The basic idea of it is about seven cousins who always have to sit at the kid table. It intrigued me, because my cousins and I still sit at the kid table, but unlike this bunch, we actually love it. The family in this story is actually a lot different than my family. The language in this was ridiculous. I have never read a book that used the “F” word so much. The family was just all around pretty messed up. The main character was a girl named Ingrid. She and her five teenage cousins had been sitting at the kid table together their whole life and desperately want to be free from it. They also have one younger cousin who is four. The main character herself in the very beginning admits to being a little slutty and makes some unnecessary comments about her lifestyle. The oldest of the cousins is 19 and she is sleeping with her new boyfriend. One of the other girl cousins has an eating disorder and gets sent away for awhile. One of the boys is gay and keeps trying to make his family notice, and the other boy want to be a rebel so bad he goes streaking at one of the family parties. The narrator makes lots of comments about their family not being into stupid god stuff. The book follows the family through four different family gatherings throughout one year. There are some good things that happen like the girl with the eating disorder gets some help and makes great improvements. One of the aunt and uncles’ marriage gets a lot better. The cousins in general learn a lot and grow a lot closer. However, the main story line of the book is that Ingrid is flirting and eventually making out with her older cousin Brianne’s boyfriend. They both know it’s not a good idea, but they do it anyway. The last section is about the wedding of Brianne and her boyfriend. First, the gay cousin decided the middle of the wedding is the time to announce that he’s gay only to find out that the whole family already knows. Then just when they are about to get married something completely unexpected happens. Overall, the book was a fun look into what other people’s families might be like and they work through all the differences in them. However, the content and the language was not impressive to me at all.
 * 3. Adolescent Book (Fiction):** __The Kid Table__