The Unsinkable Walker Bean

Looking for great graphic novel? Look no further than Aaron Renier's new series, The Unsinkable Walker Bean!

The destruction of the city of Atlantis has been a tale that has been told from generation to generation. The story goes that the entire city of Atlantis was destroyed in one night! It were destroyed by two of the ferocious sea monsters. These two evil merwitch sisters have now been sentenced to spend the rest of there lives living deep, down in a trench for the crime they have committed. In order to survive in the darkness below, they turn their victim's bones in to magical pearls that light their domain and provide knowledge of the past, present, and future. It is the desire of many to one day come across one of these bones, and answer the mysteries of the past and future, but it would be at a great cost.

Walker Bean has heard this tale and other sea going fares countless times from his grandfather. He is always in awe of his tales and holds his sea faring grandfather in the highest regard. When his grandfather comes back from his latest voyage at sea, he is deathly ill. Walker rushes to his grandfather's side and is told some interesting news. His grandfather has found one of the magical pearl skulls that has been guarded by the merwitch sisters. His illness was caused by simply looking at the skull! He asks Walker to make a promise. He must find a way to return the skull to its owners.Walker is fearful, but faithful and promises to do as he asks.

And so, Young Walker Bean sets out on a journey to return a item that many men desire to own themselves, men including Walker's father. Walker encounters all kinds of odds and ends along the way as he sneaks aboard a ship of pirates, experiences recurring encounters with man who's not what he seems, and runs from the fabled (and most terrifying) merwitches. If you want adventure your got it in the Unsinkable Walker Bean!

Good news to Walker Bean fans! Aaron plans making this a series and the new book should be out soon! Keep your eyes peeled.

Check out this awesome display Qimby's made for the Unsinkable Walker Bean's release!
 
















If you liked Walker Bean, you might like: 
Game of Sunken Places by M.T. Anderson
The Underland Chronicles by Susan Collins
The Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi
Spiral Bound by Aaron Reiner
Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan 
Meanwhile by Jason Shiga 
The Bone Series by Jeff Smith
Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson
Adventures in Cartooning by Jason Sturm
Treasure Island: the Graphic Novel by Hamilton Tim

The Underneath

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
Illustrated by David Small
Publication Date: 2008
Awards: 2009 Newbery Honor Book, 2008 National Book Award Finalist
Interest Level: 5th-7th grade, Reading Level: 5.4

If your in the mood for an adventurous animal fantasy, The Underneath would be a great novel to check out! An calico cat traverses through the forest alone. She has been abandoned by those she loved dearly and is desperate to find a place to care for her kittens. In the distance she he a song, a song of sorrow and gloom. She follows the sound of the song and finds refuge with the hound dog, Ranger. It is here she discovers a loyal companion who cares her kittens as if they were his own. Together they make a home in the Underneath, a safe haven, below the porch of Ranger's villainous owner, Gar Face. Under the porch, the kittens and their mother will stay safe from the wrath of Gar Face, who kills for pure enjoyment. Under the porch, they will stay safe from the wild birds and snakes, that would make them their meal. It is under the porch where the two little kittens, Puck and Sabine, grow more curious about the world around them.

Curiosity gets the best of little kitten Puck, as he decides to test the fates, and ventures to the outside while his small family sleeps. He feels the warm sun rays under his skin and questions why ever this would be a terrible place to be. His question is soon answer when he is capture by the man Gar Face. His mother quickly comes to his rescue, but she is soon captures too! Ranger will not stand to lose his family and tries to go after the Gar Face, but his chain holds him back. There is nothing he can do! The old hound dog barks and strains at the rusty, old chain, until his voice is raw, and his neck is sore and bleeding. He can only take comfort in the one kitten he has left.

There is more than one tale woven into the story, and each one has an impact on the future of Ranger and his kittens. You will travel back in time and unearth Grandmother Moccasin's sorrowful story. You will meet the stoic Alligator King, who spends his time in the Bayou Tartine, awaiting his next meal. You will learn what events made Gar Face the evil man he is today. And you will read a story about four very strong willed animals, who will do anything for each other. This overpowering devotion for each other gives them the strength resist the urge to give up, and to hold on to the hope that they may find a place they can call home.

Reader beware, this is not a story for the faint of heart. When I first glanced at the cover I was deceived. The bright yellows on the cover and the adorable animals on the front lead me to believe this would be a bright and happy story full of wagging tales and kitten meows. This is a story is not your typical happily ever after. It has that has some very dark elements woven into each story. There is death and suffering, violence and malice that will leave you with tears and broken hearts, but the message you get at the end will send your heart fluttering and cheering for the heroes of the story. The Underneath is a very empowering story that I highly recommend to readers who love of animals, and have a taste for a great fantasy novel.

Underneath Readalikes:
Keeper by Kathi Appelt
Whittington by Alan Armstrong
Poppy by Avi
Wabi: A Hero's Tale by Joseph Bruchac
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Burnford
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo
Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson
Shiloh by Phillip Reynold Naylor
Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls
Nurk: The Strange, Surprising Adventures of a (Somewhats) Brave Shrew by Ursula Veron

Alabama Moon and Dirt Road Home

 Alabama Moon by Watt Key
Publication Date: 2006
Awards: ALA Best Book for Young Adults, 2009 Rebecca Caudill Nominee
Interest Level: 6th-8th grade Reading Level: 5.2

I am always on the hunt for a good book. When looking for a good book, I look for advice from good friends, other literature blogs, and award lists. I was looking through the Rebecca Caudill list, and I saw a nominee from 2009 that had a unique and interesting title. Doing a little more reaseach I looked into the premise of the story and was hooked. Alabama Moon by Watt Key, did not win the Rebecca Caudill award that year, but it was definitely was a nominee worthy enough to make the list.

We are introduced to 10-year-old Moon Blake, and right from the start, you know this is not your average kid. He has lived his whole life out in the woods in complete isolation with his father.They depend on the forests of Alabama to care for them and provide what they need. His father distrusts the law, believing the all government is corrupt. He raises Moon in the wilderness on these princples, training him in ways to survive on his own without the help of others.

One day, Moon and his father encounter a construction crew close to their shelter. His father grows more and more nervous that they will be discovered. His nerves end up getting the best of him when he slips on a dam and breaks his leg. Moon carries his father back to their shelter and cleans the wound the best he can, but without medicine, he cannot prevent the infection from ravaging his father's body. His father knows his time is coming to an end and he asks Moon to make him a promise. He tells Moon he must travel to Alaska to find more people who lived like they did. He must do everything he possibly can to avoid getting caught by the law. Moon makes that promise. It isn't long before his father passes away, and Moon is left with the task of burying his father.

Moon then starts preparations for his trek to Alaska, when he encounters some trouble. The law catches up with him and he is eventually caught by Constable Sanders. He does everything he can to resist capture, fighting tooth-and-nail.to get away. He leaves the constable with quite a few bruises and a bad temper. Moon is sent to jail, and eventually transferred to Pilsons Boys' Home. Moon is introduced to all kinds of new things, like showers, beds with mattresses and pillows, running water, and interactions with boys his own age. He is tempted to stay, but remember the promise he made to is daddy. His desire to escape becomes greater and greater.

He enlists the help of the boys at Pilson to make their daring escape. Following Moon's lead the boys sneak away in the night, steal a bus, and make their way to the forest. Most of the boys choose to stay on the bus and wait for their inevitabel capture. Moon convinces two boys, Kit and Hal, to trek through the forest with him. Moon teaches them all about survival in the wild, and the boys form a close bond. Moon starts to question his fathers advice and learns that life outside of the wild may not be as terrible as he was once lead to believe. Filled action packed adventure on every page, this will soon be a favorite addition to your bookshelf!

I am pleased to announce that Watt Key has also released a companion novel, Dirt Road Home. It chronicles the life of Hal, beginning where the Alabama Moon ended.I don't want to reveal too much and ruin the ending of Alabama Moon, but in this novel, you get to hear Hal's story. Moon is only mentioned a few times, and he never makes an apperance, but you are introduce to variety of new characters that each have their own troublesome tales. This novel takes place primarly in Hellenweiler Boys' Home, and has quite a bit of gang violence, but it also has a great message about defying peer pressure in order to do what is right.

Alabama Moon is a movie! The DVD will be released March 29, 2011. Check out the trailer here:



Alabama Moon Readalikes:
A Million Shades of Gray by Cynthia Kadohata

My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George
Getting Air by Dan Gutman
The Maze by Will Hobbs
Nature Girl by Jane Kelley
Schooled by Gordon Korman
Shipwrecked Gordon Korman
Hatchet by Gray Paulsen
Wild River by P.J. Petersen
Holes by Louis Sachar

Think You Could Survive in the Wild? Check out these books to find out:
Making Shelter by Neil Chapman
Pocket Cuide to the Outdoors by Jean Craighead George
Kids Outdoors: skills and knowledge for Outdoor Adventures by Victoria Logue
Survive in the Jungle with the Special Forces "Green Berets" by Chris McNab
Survival Skils by Libby Roberts

A Tale of a Holocaust Survivor

Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
Publication Date: 2006
Awards: 2007 ALA Notable Children's Book, 2006 School Library Journal Best Book, 2011 Rebecca Caudill Nominee
Interest Level: 6th-8th, Reading Level: 6.1

If you were inspired by Anne Frank, I highly recommend, Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy.

The author, Jennifer Roy, had recently discovered, her Aunt Syvia (renamed Sylvia when she immigrated to the United States) was a survivor of the Holocaust. Jennifer and her aunt felt they needed to share her story with the world, so Jennifer recorded all that her aunt recounted. She created a stirring novel, written in first-person free verse, so the story flows so nicely and your are finished before you know it! It moves so quickly it will leaving you craving for more.

Syvia was only four years old when Nazis invaded her hometown, and forced her to move into a ghetto in Lodz, Poland. She was forced to leave her home for a small, one-bedroom apartment that she was expected to share with her mother, father, and older sister. Things around her change dramatically. There were curfews and her close friends and neighbors are always disappearing. Her family is forced to sell what little possessions they managed to bring with them, even Syvia's most precious companion, her doll.

Conditions only grew worse for Syvia and her family in the ghetto. More and more people were forced to live in the already cramped space. The Nazis were allowed to shoot anyone in the ghetto, whether they had broken a law or looked at them the wrong way, sometimes for no reason at all. Syvia had even witnessed the a murder in the middle of a crowded street.

The food was always sparse and what little food there was, was usually rotten or filled with dirt, glass, or debris. Syvia survived harsh winters that froze her fingers, and resulted in the death of many neighbors. She managed avoid the trains that would bring her to the Nazi concentration camps, thanks to her cunning father. She escaped the wrath of the Nazis and certain death by hiding in a dismal graveyard in the freezing cold night. When she finally walked out of the ghetto, she was ten years old.  270,000 people entered the ghetto and only 800 walk out. 12 of those 800 were children. Syvia was one of these children.

You will be reading true survivor story. You will travel on a journey with a girl who overcame all odds, no matter how terrible, because, even in the worst of times, the love of her family and hope for the future kept her alive. I highly recommend you read this book and prepare for a life-changing experience.

Check out this website to learn more about the Lodz Ghetto: http://www.holocaustresearchproject.org/

More Stories about the Holocaust:
Parallel Journeys by Eleanor Ayer
Tropical Secrets: Holocaust Refugees in Cuba by Margarita Engle
Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
The Grand Mosque of Paris by Karen Gray
Hana's Suitcase by Karen Levine
Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
Maus & Maus II by Art Spigelman
Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli
Behind the Bedroom Wall by Laura Williams
The Book Thief by Marcus Zuska

Want to find out More?
We Remember the Holocaust by David A. Adler
Tell Them We Remember by Susan D. Bachrach
Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitlers Shadow by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
The Hidden Children by Howard Greenfeld
The Holocaust by Patricia Levy
Smoke and Ashes: the Story of the Holocaust by Barbara Rogasky
Hiding to Survive by Maxine B. Rosenberg
Always Remember Me: How One Family Survived World War II by Marisabina Russo
Life in a Nazi Concentration Camp by Anne Grenn Saldinger
Anne Frank: Beyond the Diary by Ruud Van der Rol

The Museum of Thieves

Hey readers! I have another great new series that is sure to wrap you in. The Museum of Thieves is a exciting new series by author Lian Tanner.

In the city of Jewel, all rules are expected to be followed. It is a world that expects you to remain meek and timid. Anyone that displays any sign of impatience or gives any indication of boldness, are quickly dealt with by the Blessed Guardians. All children are to remain chained to an their parents or a Blessed Guardian until their sixteenth birthday, to "protect" them from the dangers of kidnappers, disease, ferocious animals, and drowning. There is no war, no pain, and no hazards. The city of Jewel seems like a place of peace and security, but looks can be deceiving.

Twelve year old, Goldie Roth is a girl who has constantly defied her Blessed Guardians Hope and Comfort. Don't let the names of the Guardians fool you. They are demanding, oppressive, and cruel. They strike fear into the hearts of many. No one dare cross the Blessed Guardians, not even the adults. Anyone who steps out of line is forced to wear heavy brass chains that weight down their shoulders, and those who wear the these chains are shunned by others. Goldie has been made to wear the Punishment Chains many times.

Goldie is counting down the days to Separation Day, the day she no longer has to wear the thin silver chain that confines her to the guardians. The day she is free from the Blessed Guardians tyrannical control. The day they can no longer force her to wear the dreaded Punishment Chains. The day when she will be free to walk the streets of Jewel on her own! The Grand Protector, ruler of the city of Jewel has decided to lower the age of Separation to twelve, and to Goldie, this news is golden!

Goldie is anxious for the day to arrive and will even do as Guardian Hope and Guardian Comfort command, if only it will mean her separation from these horrible chaperons. The day has finally come, Goldie has made it to the stage. The scissors are just about to cut her chain, when suddenly the Fugleman, enters the ceremony with some terrible news. There has been a bombing, and the Separation Ceremony must be canceled. This is the worst news Goldie has ever heard. She cannot endure another four years with the Guardians, she just can't! She makes a quick plan of escape and is off before anyone can stop her.

Now the hunt is on as the Guardians raid the city for the runaway child. She has become an outlaw. Her parents will go to Repentance (a jail for adults) and, when she is caught, she will be forced into Care (a jail for children). Goldie is distraught with what she has done and does not know where to turn. She is being followed at every turn by the Guardians and a strange man, and it is only a matter of time before she gets caught.

Enter the Museum of Dunt. Goldie stumbles upon the strange building in her attempt hide from the Guardians. It is her she meets a strange cast of characters that care for the building, and is soon recruited to care for the building herself. In a museum that is ever changing, and has quiet a temperament, she discovers this might be harder than expected. As she learns her new trade, Goldie discovers dangers that could destroy her city if ever released. There is a sinister plan brewing that just might release these dangers, and it is up to Goldie and her new colleagues to stop it!

The next in the series, City of Lies, is due to come out some time in October 2011.



If you like The Museum of Thieves, you might also enjoy:
The Search for Wondla by Tony DiTerlizzi
Gregor the Overlander Series by Susan Collins
The Clockwork Three by Matthew J. Kirby
Theodosia Series by R.L. LaFevers
The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch

Hey Bloggers! Check out this survey...

Ms. Rebecca has created a survey to find out what you want to see on her very own blog! Those who complete the survey are eligible to win a prize. Just print out the confirmation page at the end of the survey and turn it in to the library by December 1st, 2010.

To learn more click here:  http://creteteens.wordpress.com/2010/11/01/blogsurvey/

To complete the survey click here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/2QKTMCL
                    Don't forget to print out the confirmation page! 

To see more of Ms. Rebecca's blog click here: http://creteteens.wordpress.com/

- Miss Michelle

A Tale of the Brothers Reckless

One of my favorite genres is fantasy, especially ones that incorporate fairy tales and folk tales. If you're in the mood for a dark tale, try Reckless by Cornelia Funke. A word of caution to the reader: this is not your typical happily-ever-after. Cornelia digs deep into the original tales of the Brothers Grimm and weaves them into her tale of the brothers Reckless.

Our story begins with Jacob Reckless..His father has disappeared, leaving him to look after his younger brother, Will, and his grief-stricken mother. Jacob is going through a lot and it shows in his demeanor. He takes refuge in his father's study, looking through his things and reminiscing all the times they shared together. As he searches through his father's study for clues to where he might have gone, Jacob discovers a strange message left in one of his father's books. "The mirror will open only for he who cannot see himself."

As Jacob takes a closer look at the mysterious mirror, it soon reveals it's more than what it seems. He decodes the message and soon finds himself in an parallel universe called Mirrorworld. Jacob finds it much easier to live in the world behind the mirror, and spends more and more of his days behind it. It is his world, his secret, and he does not wish to share it with anyone.

Twelve years have past since discovering the mirror, and he has been able to keep his secret well hidden. He has become very familiar with the world, establishing himself as one of the greatest treasure hunters in Mirrorworld. One day, in his haste to escape reality, he makes a mistake, and his secret is discovered. Will has followed him in!

This is where all his troubles begins. Something has happened to his brother, something terrible, and it is up to Jacob to save him. Only Jacob knows the secrets of the world, and he will do anything it takes to uncover the one thing that will relieve his brother from this terrible curse. Jacob reluctantly enlists the help of his trusted companion, the shapeshifter, Fox, and Will's girlfriend, Clara. Thus begins our harrowing journey through a world where witches lure children in to houses made of sweets, dwarfs will do just about anything for a bit of gold, and Fairies are capable of creating fates worse than death.

This is a book for older readers, so if you're in fourth grade, you may want to wait another year before you pick it up. The beginning is a bit confusing, but I urge to not let this deter you from reading further. It gradually pieces together, and by the end of the book you will be very satisfied with the story that unfolds, and it will leave you craving for more. If you do find yourself loving the book your in luck! Funke is making this into a series and book 2 is soon to come.

If you still need more convincing, check out the book trailer:


Activity: What is your favorite fairy tale? Create a diorama of the fairy tale or one of their fairy tales represented in a book like Reckless. Share a picture of your diorama with us in a post or bring it in the library for display.

If you like Reckless, you may be interested in:
The Sister's Grimm Series by Michael Buckley  
Troll's Eye View edited by Ellen Daltow and Terri Windling
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Ella Enchanted by Gail Carlson Levine
The Fairest by Gail Carlson Levine
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaman
Into the Woods by Lyn Gardner
The Witch's Boy by Michael Gruber (a personal favorite)
Straw into Gold by Gary Schmidt
Crowfield Curse by Pat Walsh


Other Books by Cornelia Funke:
Dragon Thief
Ghosthunter Series
Igraine the Brave
Inkheart
Inkspell
Inkdeath
The Thief Lord
When Santa Fell to Earth 

-Miss Michelle