Coming soon to a theater near you:

Flipped by Wendelin Van Draanen 

Flipped was selected for the 2003-2004 Texas Bluebonnet book list. It has been that long since I read it but it was my favorite title on the list that year.  I thought it was a terrific book for 5th grade (and beyond.)  It is a sweet and sympathetic look at kids as they move from childhood to tweens to teens.

Bryce and Juli alternate telling the story.  Second grader Bryce is appalled by Juli's enthusiasm for him and her chickens. As they hit junior high though, he decides there is something about Juli that he quite likes --  just as she is about done with him forever as he shows no appreciation for her family, her chickens or her special tree.

Much of the book's wonderful humor comes from their two different perspectives of the same events.   I will be interested to see if they even try to  translate this to the screen.  Rob Reiner directs.  I wonder how this book arrived on his radar.

 I hope the movie is worthy.




Wendelin Van Draanen website

Great books I've read in 2007

Babymouse: Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm, 2006
Down Girl and Sit: Smarter than Squirrels by Lucy Nolan, 2004
What Athletes are Made Of by Hanoch Piven, 2006
The Fetch by Chris Humphreys, 2006
Our Seasons by Grace Lin and Ranida T. McKneally, illustrated by Grace Lin, 2006

The List Goes Ever On and On

This is an ongoing list of books I would h-a-v-e to aquire for a school library.


Story Picture Books
A Splendid Friend, Indeed by Suzanne Bloom, 2005
It is the Wind by Ferida Wolff, illustrated by James Ransome 2005.
Cowgirl Kate and Cocoa by Erica Silverman, painted by Betsy Lewin, 2005
Snip Snap! What's That? by Mara Bergman, illustrated by Nick Maland, 2005
Little Sap and Monsieur Rodin by Michelle Lord, 2006
My Shining Star: Raising a Child who is Ready to Learn by Rosemary Well, 2006
The True Story of Stellina by by Matteo Pericoli, 2006
Duck & Goose, written and illustrated by Tad Hills (E)
Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin
Our Tree Named Steve by Alan Zweibel, David Catrow, illustrator



Nonfiction
Balls by Michael J. Rosen, 2006
ER Vets: Life in an Animal Emergency Room by Donna M. Jackson (E)
Sky Boys: How they built the Empire State Building, by Deborah Hopkinson & James E. Ransome (E)

Fiction
Hugging the Rock by Susan Taylor Brown, 2006
The Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor, 2006
Hi Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold, 2005 (E)
Blood on the River: James Town 1607 by Elisa Carbone, 2006
Hit the Road by Caroline B. Cooney, 2006
Victory by Susan Cooper, 2006
The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett, Brett Helquist (Illustrator) 2006
London Calling by Edward Bloor, 2006 (JH)
Travel Team by Mike Lupica, 2004
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathan Stroud, 2006
Ark Angel by Anthony Horowitz, 2006
Enthusiasm by Polly Shulman, 2006 (JH+)
Heat by Mike Lupica, 2006
Free Baseball by Sue Corbett, 2006
B For Buster by Iain Lawrence
The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan and the sequel The Sea of Monsters
Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
Babymouse series by Jennifer L. Holm & Matthew Holm
A House of Tailors by Patricia Riley Giff,
Skybreaker by Kenneth Oppel (seqel to Airborn)
Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach
Last Shot by John Feinstein
Jimmy Coates: Assassin? by Joe Craig
The Sea of Trolls by Nancy Farmer
Happy Kid by Gail Gauthier (JH)
The Bridesmaid by Hailey Abbott (JH)
Code Orange by Caroline B. Cooney (JH)
Chicks with Sticks: It's a Purl Thing by Elizabeth Lenhard (JH)
Blood Red Horse (2005) and the sequel,
Green Jasper (2006) by K. M. Grant