Eyes Like Stars Lisa Mantchev

Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev Before I start telling you how great this book is I will begin with the cover, a Jason Chan original. When I saw the Eyes Like Stars cover, my first thought was what a lovely cover, but I don't think that's a book I'd like. Yes, I did judge Eyes Like Stars by its cover but its okay to do that with books just not people. But still there was something about the cover that made me read the book synopsis.

"Beatrice Shakespeare Smith is not an actress, yet she lives in a theater. She's not an orphan, but she has no parents. She knows every part, but she has no lines of her own. Until now. Welcome to the Théâtre Illuminata, where the characters of every play ever written can be found behind the curtain. They were born to play their parts, and are bound to the Théâtre by The Book--an ancient and magical tome of scripts. Bertie is not one of them, but they are her family--and she is about to lose them all and the only home she has ever known."

It sounded strange and different, just the type of book I would love. 17 yr old Beatrice has grown up in Theatre Illuminata but now she must prove her worth or she will be put out on the street. Beatrice decides to become a director and she has less than a week to put on a play. I don't even have the words to tell you how lovely this book is. Mactchev has filled this books with some very interesting characters. There are the four Midsummer Nights fairies who stay close to Beatrice throughout the book. All the fairies are male except one. There's also the young pirate Nate, who Beatrice like. For protection Nate convinces Beatrice to wear a scrimshaw charm around her neck. When Beatrice touches the charm she can see the true intention behind any ones word. Eyes Like Stars is beautifully different like James Kennedy's Order of the Odd Fish. I loved the rhythm of Eyes Like Stars, at the end there's a play within a play and it works so well. Manctchev writing is wonderful. I happily and easily lost myself in Eyes Like Stars. I highly recommend it. Ages 12up The book will be released in July.

While you wait if check out
The Order of Odd-Fish by James Kennedy - Another beautifully different book, I loved.
or
Suite Scarlett by Maureen Johnson - I really enjoyed this . Not so different like the other two but still far from common. Like Eyes Like Stars Suite Scarlett as a play and some drama.

Knights of the Hill Country Tim Tharp

Knights of the Hill Country by Tim Tharp This book was published in 2006. About a week ago I saw this book mentioned on Lori's blog Get in the Game- Read. It reminded me that I wanted to read Knights of the Hill Country. Now I am very thankful for that reminder because it was a wonderful book. Hampton is a straight talker, with a Midwest twang. Like Texas, in Oklahoma football is only second to God, the book opens with Hampton speaking of the pressure his teammates face trying to go undefeated for a fifth season.

"Every game this season, the pressure weighed down more and more. It was carrying around a sack full of rocks, only every time you got to thinking you could lay it down, someone would throw another sack full of bigger rocks up on top of you. If we could keep it going this would be Kennisaw's fifth undefeated season in a row. For thirty some years, no knights team had strung together that many wins, and them old-time players from back then was still heroes around the hill country of eastern Oklahoma. More than just.hereos, they were flat out legends"

Hampton understands at the end of the season, his team will either be legends or weighed down for life by one loss. This book is about so much more than football. Tharp gives us all the sides of Hampton. He's a star on the football field but doesn't let it go to his head. He is quiet guy, who has trouble finding the right answers in class or the right words for girls. He's loyal to his best friend Blaine and his father, even though it might time to for some distance. He likes Sara, a girl his friends wouldn't approve of.

"But the way she looked at me, it was like she seen something in me nobody else did. I wasn't sure what it was she seen, but it felt good, like stepping out on the porch on a summer morning and its already warm. A whole new day waiting on you. Course, that wasn't something I could tell her. I could bowl over a hundred blockers and plow down quarterback after quarterback, but I couldn't hardly say two words to this little five foot four inch tall girl."

Tharp has written a wonderful story about change, consequences and choices. I highly recommand The Knights of the Hill Country. There is so much to love about it. Ages 11up

Q&A with Tharp
Bookslut in Training review

The Lemonade War Jacqueline Davies

The Lemonade War Jacqueline Davies, I was excited when I saw this book was now available in paperback. I didn't get a chance to read in hardcover, though I really wanted to, I read some great reviews, including the one over at Fuse#8 . This book was definitely worth the wait. Five days of summer left, Evan and his younger sister, Jessie, engage in a lemonade war. Whoever sells the most lemonade gets to keep all the money. Normally, the two get along, with Evan always looking out for Jessie. This upcoming school year, Jessie is skipping the third grade. Now Evan will be in the same class as his younger sister. He doesn't take this news well. The two agree to the lemonade war for different reasons. Evan to prove he can beat his younger sister. Jessie to show Evan, she's not a child. The chapters are short and alternate between siblings. Allowing the reader to see the point of view from both characters perspectives. The chapters are named after financial terms which are defined at the beginning of each chapter. With chapter headers like joint venture, underselling, and slump, the Lemonade War is great middle grade book about finances. I really enjoyed this book. Evan and Jessie are very different but both are very likeable characters. Davies writing was great, and you'll want to keep reading to see who wins the war. Lemonade War would make a great boy/girl book club read. Fans of Andrew Clements will enjoy this book. Ages 8up

Say Hey, Happy Birthday Willie Mays

Baseball great Willie Mays is celebrating 78th birthday today. It gives me a good reason to show May's classic catch. Willie Mays played in the Negro leagues, got over 94% of the vote for the hall of fame, is Barry Bonds godfather, and a class act. Happy Birthday Willie Mays.

Two middle grade reads Willie Mays is mentioned in,

Keeping Score by Linda Sue Park
The Prince of Fenway Park by Julianna Baggott

On a related note, I believe I pulled something in my throat cheering for my team tonight. Pitching duels are great unless its your team. When its your team its hard to, breathe, talk or watch. The later the game goes without a score the churning in your stomach will not be ignored. Its even harder when its against a divisional rival. My Mets where playing the Phillies. If you know nothing about baseball its along the lines of Cubs/Cardinals, or Yankees/Red Sox. If those two references don't help, I am sorry there is nothing I can do for you. Any how in the 7th inning it was still scoreless. The Mets were playing at home, and the home team always bats last in the inning, that way the home team gets the last up in the game. (A part of home field advantage) Bottom of 7th, Mets first baseball Delgaldo gets a leadoff walkout. The next two players are out quickly. So its two outs and a man on first. Tatis, a pitch hitter (PH) is up to bat, he hits a weak ball to the Phillies 3rd baseman. The 3rd baseman should've ate the ball (not thrown it ) because he was not going to make the play. Instead he rushes the play and throws it over the first baseman. Allowing Delgado to score from first. Delgado is not young, and his knees are not the best. They are no where near Kirk Gibson territory but still for Delgado to score from first on an error throw with two outs in the bottom of the seventh in a scoreless game , against a rival team that won the World Series last year, is definitely worth a primal deep down scream that threatens my vocal cords. And of course the Mets won, if they didn't I wouldn't have posted this. So I'll go to sleep tonight with a sore throat but it was totally worth it. If you've read this entire post and you're not a baseball fan congrats. You never know it may come in handy for trivia one day. I need some tea


Willie Mays may not have a chocolate bar named after him, but there is this jazzy song.

Enter to Win Perfect Chmeistry

Edi over at Crazy Quilts, has done a great Cinco de Mayo countdown. Go check it out, and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Perfect Chemistry by Simone Elkeles.