It's Monday! What Are You Reading? 8-4-14

Thanks to our dynamic hosts: Jen at Teach Mentor Texts and Kelle at Unleashing Readers.
Head to either blog to find reviews as well as dozens of links to other blogs filled with reviews!


 What I Read this Week:

Fleabrain Loves Franny by Joanne Rocklin
Amulet Books, 2014
Historical Fantasy
288 pages (ARC)
Recommended for grades 4-6

Well, this book certainly caught me off guard!  Of course the cover and title suggest a fantasy-a girl and a bug as friends... But the story starts with such a realistic feel to it that when the fantasy begins you're almost not expecting it.
Franny is a young girl recovering from polio in the 1950s.  When the story opens she is in an iron lung-not a light and fluffy opening.  I was immediately drawn in to this historical story, and enjoyed the way the author explained what Franny was going through in a way that would build background knowledge for young readers.
Now, once Fleabrain the...flea, enters the story, things start to get a little crazy.  This flea has super powers, which are in his saliva.  The things Fleabrain and Franny do together are a bit out there, and in one way I was confused by the odd direction of the story, and in another sense I understood Rocklin's choices in how the relationship between bug and girl played out.
The author's note provides a nice historical background to the story, and following that is a series of discussion questions.
This is a book geared toward girls that enjoy high fantasy.

On Deck:


Thanks for stopping by!  Have a great reading week!


Comments

  1. LOVE that cover for Fleabrain Loves Franny! - I think my daughter would be the perfect reader for this book - she loves historical fiction and fantasy. WE (my daughter and I) just read Hope is a Ferris Wheel! We both liked it a LOT. Enjoy! Happy reading and baby snuggles :-)

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    1. I think my reply just went into cyber nothingness after writing it...anyway, again: I am loving Hope is a Ferris Wheel! Fleabrain certainly threw me for a loop, and I'm interested in kids' reactions to it. And, I'm having lots of wonderful baby snuggles! :)

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  2. Sounds like quite a mash-up of a book! Might make for some interesting conversations about genre.

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  3. I'm quite intrigued by your description of Fleabrain Loves Franny--what a strange book! Adding to my list.

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