The Day the Mustache took Over is a middle grade novel—meaning it’s great for upper elementary. It’s the story of a set of twin boys who get into a ton of trouble and can’t keep a nanny. They fight a lot and struggle with following rules.
April 2016 Book Haul
Last week my brother and I went to Omaha for a concert and the next day we went bookstore hopping. I thought it might be interesting to share what books I got and why I chose them! I will be doing reviews of all (I hope!) of these in the future.
Not in the House, Newton!
Maybe you can tell from the picture, but this book is well loved. You can tell by the tattered dust jacket—the creases tell the story of a book that was read many times by little kids. It surprises me that the dust jacket still exists, actually. But I’m glad it does!
The Ice Dragon
While it didn’t feel like his other books, it definitely did fit into the world of Westeros. And Martin’s voice still left its mark. I am intrigued by how this little story fits into the bigger picture—and it whetted my appetite for more of Martin’s books.
The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend
I bought this book twice. Last year at the Scholastic Book Fair there was a paperback copy of The Adventures of Beekle and the cover drew me in. I didn’t read it before I added it to my stack. At the time, I didn’t know it was a Caldecott Nominee—but the cover was so inviting and well crafted that it makes sense. (Honestly, if you had told me it was a nominee at the time I wouldn’t have known what that meant.)
Daughter of Smoke and Bone
Daughter of Smoke and Bone is a story of magic—of wishes—angels and monsters. It’s a paranormal Romeo and Juliet with spiritual warfare. It’s intense.
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
I’ve grown to love these coming of age books. And I’m very excited about the rest of the Harry Potter books.
Pretzel
It’s a cute book. It’s definitely different from what I’m used to seeing in newer children’s books. But it’s good. I would read it to my kiddos and discuss the different aspects of it with them.
Red: A Crayon's Story
The wonderful thing about literature is that the reader brings a particular set of lenses to a story and through those lenses we each make our own meaning.
The Lightning Queen
There are so many elements of this story that I love. I love that at its core it’s a story about family—about grandfathers passing on traditions. It’s a love story, too. It’s a story about friendship that stretches over years and miles. It’s about growing up, and facing life and death. It’s beautiful.
The Revenge of the Shadow King
For Christmas this year my brother gave me several books that he really enjoyed. One of which was The Revenge of the Shadow King, the first book of the Grey Griffins series by Derek Benz and J.S. Lewis. (Hint: I already bought the sequel.)
Deep Blue
This book got bumped up on my reading list because we wanted to know if it would be a good fit for an elementary school library. I think that strong readers will still find it interesting and not too challenging of a read, though I do think it will be a better fit for middle school and high school students.
Rump
Should you read Rump? Yes. If you like stories of magic and hope and overcoming life’s challenges. Yes.