Finished Two More . . .

I can’t begin to guess how many football games I have attended in my life — both of my brothers played and both of my sons, too. My oldest son started in 7th grade (2001) and played through high school. My younger son also started in 7th grade and continues to play for the University of Tulsa. So it’s been constant football at our house since 2001, yet I can’t remember ever reading many”football” books. But this week I read and enjoyed Football Genius by Tim Green. It tells the story of 12 year-old Troy White who is growing up in Atlanta, Georgia and is desperately trying to win a starting spot on his football team. He feels at a disadvantage because he doesn’t have a father while the other kid trying for the same position has a father who is coaching the team. The story really takes off, though, when Troy discovers that he has a special talent for predicting the next football play before it happens. He can do this for any team, any position or any player. When his mom gets a job working in public relations for the Atlanta Falcons, Troy feels this is his chance to use his special talent and help his favorite team turn their season around. But there are many obstacles, bullies, and security guards to get around before Troy can put his plan in place. There’s lots of football information, lots of action, and lots of suspense in this book. A very good selection in a series of books by former NFL player and now best-selling author Tim Green. Give it a try — whether you like football or not — I think you’ll enjoy the characters, the setting (scenes in the Falcon’s stadium and locker room!) and the fast pace of the story.

Next I read Wonder by R.J. Palacio. This book gets a spot on my “best books of all time” list. It’s the amazing story of Auggie Pullman who is starting fifth-grade at Beecher Prep. Because he was born with a facial deformity (he’s had 27 surgeries so far) he has been home schooled up to this point. But now his parents feel it is time for him to go to public school. Auggie wants everyone to realize that is he an ordinary kid on the inside, but it’s hard to get anyone to know him because of his appearance. This book will make you laugh out loud and it will make you cry as well. This is an incredible story about families, about kids at school, and about learning what is important in life. A must-read for everyone — put it on your list to read this year!!

This Entry is Secret -- Don't Read It!!

I finished The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch and while I would like to tell you about it, I was instructed by the author not to do so. (I will tell you a few things if you promise to keep them secret.) The main characters are Cassandra (Cass for short) and Max-Ernest, though I don't think those are their real names, just the ones picked by the author for story-telling purposes. Cass always carries a backpack with her, filled with survival gear, as she worries that disaster is just around the corner. Max-Ernest is small for his age, hyper, and always telling jokes, though not many people find them funny. That's all I can tell you, though, so you won't recognize them if you happen to see them around town -- or even in our school!
I don't know when or where the story takes place, either; it's another one of the many secrets you'll find in this book. But I do know that I enjoyed unraveling the mystery of the missing magician along with Cass and Max-Ernest and was amazed at their courage in the face of villains and dangerous situations. I recommend these books to all mystery-lovers and all fans of Lemony Snicket books. The authors have a similar writing style that I think you will enjoy.
This book is the first in a series of five; I realized that our library only has the first three, so I've added the others to my next book order.
Enjoy this book -- but don't tell anyone!!

Great Sciene-fiction Selection

I finished Erratum by Walter Sorrells on Sunday. An erratum is a writer or publisher’s error in a publication. In this story, the error is in the universe, and it is up ten-year-old Jessica Sternhagen to make corrections. One day, Jessica stumbles into a bookstore that she has never noticed before. There she is handed a book titled Her Lif, which turns out to be a page by page account of everything Jessica has ever done in her life. (But Her Lif is an erratum, a printer’s error; the book should be titled Her Life.) The words in the book change with each choice that she makes in her life. And things get really crazy when Jessica realizes that she has the ability to save the universe by altering present events to change the past. Sound confusing? It is, to some degree, but it’s also fast-paced and exciting as Jessica, along with her friend Dale, face nonstop action, danger, and even alternate dimensions as they make choices that will have very long-lasting consequences for themselves and the entire universe. Will they have the courage and the intelligence they need to understand how to use this powerful book? Check out Erratum for yourself and find out!

I’ve started The Name of This Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch. I picked up the book when I was looking for books with great beginnings for an activity I do with 5^th grade at the beginning of each school year.  Who wouldn’t love a book that begins, “WARNING: DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS PAGE!”? Which reminded me that several other books I’ve blogged about have great beginnings as well. Fifth-grader Jim L. pointed out the great first line in Misty Gordon and the Mystery of the Ghost Pirates:  “Mr. and Mrs. Gordon liked it when people died.” And Stormbreaker had a nice first line as well: “When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it’s never good news.” Don’t you love it when a book has a great beginning and then backs it up with a terrific story?! Let me know if you find other books with great beginnings. . . and I’ll let you know if the rest of The Name of This Book is Secret lives up to its first line.

Oh, and don't forget to give me suggestion on what to read next.