It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 3-31-14

If you live in Maine you know that it's been a long winter.  You also know that spring has been rather reluctant in showng herself.  This past weekend we had one glimpse of what is ahead, and it felt glorious!  My favorite outside activity this weekend was letting the dogs bound around the dog park for while.  You really can't help but be happy when you watch dogs play!  What are you enjoying about the approaching spring?

As usual, thanks to our dynamic hosts:

 Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kelle at Unleashing Readers!!

Books I Read this week:

Duke by Kirby Larson

Scholastic, 2013

Historical Fiction

232 pages

Recommended for grades 4-6

It's hard to even choose a beginning point when thinking about all the reasons I love this story.  In this WWII story readers follow 5th grade Hobie through the ups and downs of daily life.  Ups include the pickup baseball games after school and through the summer, they include the cakes his mother makes with her sugar rations, and ups come in the form of new friendships.  But Hobie's biggest up becomes his biggest down.  Duke, Hobie's beloved German shepherd, is the brightest star in Hobie's life while his father is away in the war.  Hobie, and many citizens, are doing all they can to support the war effort- Larson weaves in these small acts, such as the students lining up at their teacher's desk once a week to purchase war stamps.  But when Hobie is approached and told about the Dogs for Defense war effort Hobie must dig deep to find out how much he is willing to sacrifice for the war.  

Hobie is a character that is honorable in every sense of the word.  From small acts like occupying his younger sister when his mother needs a moment of solitude, to larger acts, like...you guessed it, sending his best friend away for the war effort.  Dog lovers beware, you will need a tissue.

Wake Up Missing by Kate Messner

Bloomsbury, 2013

Science Fiction

272 pages (ARC edition)

Recommended for grades 5-8

After becoming familiar with Messner's last two fast paced kid-centered mystery/adventures, I was ready for more fast paced action!  In her newest novel, we meet a group of 12-14 year olds that are hoping to get state of the art treatment at I-CAN, a "miracle clinic in the swamp," promising to reverse the damage caused to the brain during a concussion.

Once at the clinic, things seem a little off.  Soon the kids are discovering that the two doctor's treating them are in fact up to something far more serious.  The doctor's are involved in a scheme to create a team of geniuses, using DNA and microchipping data to transform these teens into minds like: Marie Curie, Thomas Edison, Robert Oppenheimer, and on.  Once the team is created they can begin working on secret government projects in the war against terror.

Full of the fast paced action Messner fans will expect, but this time with a cool science fiction backdrop.

I'm Currently Reading:

On Deck:

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a happy reading week!