BAD KITTY FOR PRESIDENT by Nick Bruel
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When Old Kitty retires as president of the Neighborhood Cat Club, all of the kitties, from both the Left and the Right sides of the street are vying for his position. After the primaries (a rigorous round of baby-kissing), Kitty is nominated to represent the Right in a fierce contest with the Left’s candidate, Big Kitty. After both Kitty and Big Kitty fail to get an endorsement from Old Kitty, they begin their campaigns in earnest. But will a snazzy website and mudslinging TV ads be enough to win Kitty the election?
Bad Kitty for President is a great read for election year. One of the more educational of the Bad Kitty books, the story includes a fairly detailed description of the election process, including definitions of key election-related terms. And of course, the story is hilarious, narrated as though the author is speaking to the cat, advising and admonishing her as her devious mind comes up with new schemes. I am convinced that all cats are as devious as Bad Kitty. I highly recommend the Bad Kitty series to 3rd-4th grade readers who enjoy humor and/or animal stories.
FRANKIE PICKLE AND THE CLOSET OF DOOM by Eric Wight
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Frankie Piccolini and his trusty dog Argile go on many adventures. They hunt for treasure in the Amazon, fight vicious lava monsters in subterranean caves, and save the world from the onslaught of giant mechanical robots–and they do it all without ever leaving Frankie’s bedroom. But when Mayor Mom gives Frankie a choice–clean your room or deal with The Consequences–Frankie chooses The Consequences and the Pickle Cave quickly turns into a giant bottomless pit of dirty clothes, broken toys, and half-eaten, rotting sandwiches. Although it was glorious at first, Frankie’s mess starts to get in the way of his superhero adventures. Even Argile will no longer enter the Pickle Cave. Will Frankie Pickle have to relent and take care of The Consequences once and for all?
One of 2012-2013’s VSRA Virginia Reader’s Choice Award nominees, Frankie Pickle is a prose/graphic novel hybrid about a boy’s incredible imagination and the adventures of real life. This short and humorous book may appeal to reluctant readers, particularly in grades 3-5. It is the first in a series, followed by Frankie Pickle and the Mathematical Menace and Frankie Pickle and the Pine Run 3000.
If you liked Frankie Pickle and the Closet of Doom, you might like Captain Awesome to the Rescue.
GIANT SQUID: SEARCHING FOR A SEA MONSTER by Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F.E. Roper
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If you find these real-life sea monsters fascinating, you will definitely want to check out this new non-fiction book. Written for an upper-elementary age audience, Giant Squid shares facts about the giant squid and its biology as well as exploring the history of scientific knowledge about the giant squid and the legends that once grew up around the enormous sea creature. The book has many illustrations and photographs (some of them fantastically gross!) and may appeal to reluctant readers. I highly recommend it!
CAPTAIN AWESOME TO THE RESCUE by Stan Kirby
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Starting a new school at age eight can be a terrifying experience. Luckily for Eugene McGillicudy, he has an alter-ego as a superhero: Captain Awesome, the MI-TEE-est superhero ever (except of course for Super Dude, the hero in the comic books Eugene likes to read). Dressed in his Captain Awesome outfit, Eugene is prepared to defend his toys from the drool of Queen Stinkypants from Planet Baby (aka, his little sister); he is prepared to face the horrible mind-reading powers of his new teacher Ms. Beastly—err, Beasley; he may even be prepared to face the torments of the pink-ribbon wearing nightmare Meredith Mooney who sits near him in class. But will he be able to figure out who stole Turbo the hamster before he gets accused of losing the precious class pet? And will Charlie Thomas Jones turn out to be the superhero-loving potential best friend he claims to be or just another super villain in disguise? Find out in Captain Awesome to the Rescue! by Stan Kirby.
Different from the typical humorous superhero book for the 2nd-4th grade reader, Captain Awesome himself possesses no superhero powers and fights no real supervillians. The books are about a boy using his huge imagination to survive in the average everyday world with which readers will be familiar. His adventures continue in Captain Awesome vs. Nacho Cheese Man.
CLOSED FOR THE SEASON by Mary Downing Hahn
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Logan was kind of excited about moving to a new city. He would have a chance to escape his reputation as a nerdy bookworm and start afresh with the popular crowd. The minute he moves in, however, his hopes begin to sink. For one thing, the house his family is moving into is in a horrible state of disrepair. For another, waiting to meet him is his new next door neighbor, a very friendly and pushy boy named Arthur who seems to be exactly the type of nerdy bookworm that Logan wants to avoid. But when Arthur announces that a woman was murdered in Logan’s new house, Logan’s previous worries are quickly overshadowed as he gets swept up in a macabre and potentially dangerous mystery. As the clues keep leading to a creepy old run-down amusement park and a possible hidden treasure that pits the young amateur sleuths against despicable, violent thugs, Logan wonders if he has the courage to see the case through to its conclusion.
Although different from Mary Downing Hahn’s usual ghost stories, Closed for the Season has plenty of creepy scenes and suspense to entertain middle grade readers who enjoy thrillers and mysteries. The mystery unfolded fairly predictably, but suspense was built up in the setting of the scenes and the crafting of villains who were neck in neck with the heroes in their race to uncover the secret. I enjoyed this book, and would recommend it to mystery readers in grades 4-6.
MAGIC PICKLE by Scott Morse
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In a secret underground lab, a scientist’s experimentation with kitchen vegetables resulted in the birth of a highly skilled, superhuman government agent known as “Weapon Kosher.” And yes, he is actually a pickle. For years, Weapon Kosher has been dormant in Dr. Jekyll Formaldahyde’s laboratory–which happens to be underneath Jo Jo’s bedroom. Now the Brotherhood of Evil Vegetables is causing havoc in the outside world and only Weapon Kosher (or “Magic Pickle,” as Jo Jo likes to call him) can stand in their way.
While not a stunning literary achievement, the Magic Pickle series has its funny moments. It will likely appeal most to readers in grades 2-4 who like silly science fiction stories. Read-alikes include the Dragonbreath series, Zombiekins by Kevin Bolger, Whales on Stilts, the Lunch Lady series, and Captain Underpants. Readers who enjoyed the Magic Pickle books and are ready to move up to thicker, more challenging novels may like Michael Buckley’s N.E.R.D.S. series.
THE PROFESSOR AND THE MADMAN: A TALE OF MURDER, INSANITY, AND THE MAKING OF THE OXFORD ENGLISH DICTIONARY by Simon Winchester
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The creation of the Oxford English Dictionary was the most expansive and grueling project that Sir James Murray ever undertook. The goal of the project was to create a comprehensive record of every word in the English language, including its origins and examples of its usage in literary context. Such a feat would have been impossible were it not for all of the volunteer submissions from philologists around the country, who mailed Murray examples of words quoted in context from literature. One of the most frequent word-donors was a man called Dr. W. C. Minor. Outside the man’s obvious love of literature, Murray knew nothing about this doctor, but he was determined to meet the man who had provided so many of the OED’s valuable contextual examples. When he discovered that Minor was a convicted murderer incarcerated in an insane asylum, however, he realized that the doctor’s past was even more startling than his immense vocabulary.
This is one of my favorite non-fiction books for grown-ups. The history of the dictionary is fascinating to a word nerd like me, and each chapter is paired with entries from the OED. The story of Minor’s life and the glimpses into the nineteenth century criminal justice system are also very interesting. I highly recommend this book to non-fiction readers and lovers of words.
Readers who enjoy reading about criminal justice in previous centuries may also enjoy The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher by Kate Summerscale.
THE CHAMELEON WORE CHARTREUSE by Bruce Hale
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Chet Gecko is a fourth grade private eye. He is also a lizard. When a dame with a sob-story about a missing little brother corners him after class, he knows he’ll have to take the case. With the help of Natalie, the mockingbird, Chet Gecko follows a trail of clues that lead him closer and closer to the missing kid and the sixth grade Gila Monster who may be behind the disappearance. If only his teachers didn’t keep getting in the way . . .
Chet Gecko narrates his story in a style worthy of the best film noir voice-over. With clues, twists, and a touch of danger, this series is sure to win the affections of elementary school readers who enjoy humorous detective stories. Third and fourth graders who liked the Nate the Great series as beginning readers should definitely check out Chet Gecko. He’s quite a character.
If you liked the Chet Gecko mysteries, you might like “Who Could That Be At This Hour?” by Lemony Snicket and Half Moon Investigations by Eoin Colfer.
CHARMED LIFE by Diana Wynne Jones
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Cat has always been a kind and quiet boy with few special talents—quite unlike his older sister Gwendolyn, the self-centered, bossy, young witch. In the tragic boating accident that claimed the lives of their parents, Cat survived only by clinging to Gwendolyn. With nowhere else to go, the two children are sent off to live with their powerful enchanter relative, the Chrestomanci. Gwendolyn hopes that Chrestomanci will train her in magic, but he seems unimpressed with her talents. Insulted and greedy for power, Gwendolyn flees to another dimension where she hopes to rule as queen; as a result, her counterpart from that alternate world, Janet, gets stuck at Chrestomanci castle. As Cat and Janet try to cover up Gwendolyn’s escape by pretending that Janet is Gwendolyn, Cat begins to realize that there is something odd about his sister’s powers—and he may not be as talentless as he seems.
Charmed Life begins a classic fantasy series that is often overlooked in the post-Potter world of children’s literature. But readers who enjoy Harry Potter, Charlie Bone, Septimus Heap, and other similar fantasy series should definitely check out the Chrestomanci books. Diana Wynne Jones builds an intricate and fascinating collection of fantasy worlds filled with cool magic and intriguing characters. I highly recommend this series.
If you liked Charmed Life, you should check out The Secret of Platform 13 and other fantasy novels by Eva Ibbotson, Midnight for Charlie Bone by Jenny Nimmo, The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, and Magyk by Angie Sage.
DOES MY HEAD LOOK BIG IN THIS? by Randa Abdel-Fattah
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When Amal makes the decision to wear the hijab full time, she knows that some people will support her–her friends from her old Muslim private school, for example, and even some close friends from her new Catholic school. But from everyone else, she is prepared for the worst: the stares, the ridicule, the assumptions that she is a terrorist or an oppressed woman forced into submission by an anti-feminist culture, etc. What she doesn’t anticipate is the sense of freedom, confidence, and identity that comes from wearing the hijab. As Amal continues to navigate the many stresses of high school–parental pressures, bullying at school, and a crush on a wonderful boy who may or may not share her affections–she learns more about herself, her personal and cultural identity, and the diverse cultural identities of her friends and neighbors.
Amal is a fun, snarky, and genuine narrator who realistically captures the common experiences of the typical teenage girl while also providing a window into a culture that may be unfamiliar to some readers. This book would be a tough sell for boys, but teen girls who enjoy realistic fiction should definitely check this one out!
Susan the Librarian 