Category: book of the week

Why’d They Wear That?: Fashion as the Mirror of History, Sarah Albee
Nonfiction

Booktalk: Did you know that Celtic warriors painted their bodies blue before battle? Or that wealthy Mayans intentionally elongated their babies’ skulls? Or that seventeenth century Russian men had to pay a tax in order to have a beard? Maybe you’re all about bright colors: did you know that purple dye originally came from the crushed bodies of thousands of snails, which smelled so bad that no one could live anywhere near them?! Continue reading “Book of the Week: Why’d They Wear That?, by Sarah Albee”

Paper Things, Jennifer Richard Jacobson
Realistic fiction

Booktalk: Ari’s life has fallen apart. Her dad died fighting in Afghanistan, and in second grade her mom died after a long illness. After that she and her brother Gage lived with her mom’s friend, but he got tired of following her rules and decided to strike out on his own. So now he and Ari are homeless – they sleep in Gage’s friends’ apartments, crashing on any couch they can find while Gage looks for a job and a permanent place to live. Continue reading “Book of the Week: Paper Things, by Jennifer Richard Jacobson”

Brown Girl Dreaming, Jacqueline Woodson
Memoir in verse

For our final week of Poetry Month, we have an award-winning memoir in verse. Brown Girl Dreaming tells the story of Jacqueline Woodson’s childhood in the ’60s and ’70s, and her experiences growing up as a Black girl during those tumultuous years. Continue reading “Brown Girl Dreaming, by Jacqueline Woodson”

Lizard Music, Daniel Pinkwater
Science fiction

First line: “I figure that Mom and Dad were having some kind of trouble and needed to go away by themselves.”

Booktalk: When Victor’s parents decide to take a vacation, leaving him alone with his sister Leslie, Victor is THRILLED – especially once Leslie takes off on a camping trip. Finally, Victor has the house to himself. He can do whatever he wants – he can order pizza with anchovies, he can build model airplanes in the kitchen, and best of all, he can stay up late to watch TV. Continue reading “Book of the Week: Lizard Music, by Daniel Pinkwater”

The Thief, Megan Whalen Turner
Adventure

First line: “I didn’t know how long I had been in the king’s prison.”

Booktalk: In a land similar to Ancient Greece where intrigue rules the day, Gen has an extremely useful skill: he is the greatest thief on earth. Unfortunately, he is also the biggest braggart on earth – and when he talks a little too much about his escapades, he ends up in the king’s prison, which is where we meet him. Continue reading “Book of the Week: The Thief, by Megan Whalen Turner”

The Green Glass Sea, Ellen Klages
Historical fiction
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Feynman, Jim Ottaviani & Leland Myrick
Graphic nonfiction

Booktalk: This week we have a double feature: two books about the invention of the atomic bomb during World War II. Continue reading “Book of the Week: The Green Glass Sea; Feynman”

Rooftoppers, Katherine Rundell
Adventure

First line: On the morning of its first birthday, a baby was found floating in a cello case in the middle of the English Channel.

Booktalk: On Sophie’s first birthday, she is found floating in the English Channel, tucked into a cello case: a victim of the sinking of the Queen Mary. She is rescued by a tall strange man named Charles, who adopts her and takes her home to live a thoroughly unconventional life in London. Charles’s shirts are 50% silk, 50% hole, and he lets Sophie have the run of the house and do as she pleases. She doesn’t go to school, but she still learns a lot, because Charles is an educated man and a great reader. Continue reading “Book of the Week: Rooftoppers, by Katherine Rundell”

Breadcrumbs, Anne Ursu
Fantasy

First line: It snowed right before Jack stopped talking to Hazel, fluffy white flakes big enough to show their crystal architecture, like perfect geometric poems.

Booktalk: Hazel and Jack have always been best friends. From the age of six on, they’ve braved the freezing Minneapolis winters together, inspired by their heroes: Harry Potter and Superman, Meg Murry from A Wrinkle in Time and Lyra from The Golden Compass. Now that they’re older, though, it’s harder to stay friends. Both of them have disasters waiting for them at home – Jack’s mom has become sad and distant, Hazel’s dad walked out – and at school their classmates tease them constantly. Continue reading “Book of the Week: Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu”

Cosmic, Frank Cottrell Boyce
Science fiction

First line: “Mom, Dad – if you’re listening – you know I said I was going to the South Lakeland Outdoor Activity Center with the school? To be completely honest, I’m not exactly in the Lake District. To be completely honest, I’m more sort of in space.” Continue reading “Book of the Week: Cosmic, by Frank Cottrell Boyce”

The Crossover, Kwame Alexander
Realistic fiction/Verse

Booktalk: This year’s Newbery Medal winner is The Crossover, a novel in verse by Kwame Alexander. Thirteen-year-old Josh Bell and his twin brother Jordan are basketball stars, just like their dad, whose professional career was cut short by a knee injury. The twins do everything together: walk to school together, listen to music together, and of course, play basketball together – at least, until Jordan gets a girlfriend and Josh doesn’t. Continue reading “Book of the Week: The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander”