Breadcrumbs - Anne Ursu

Breadcrumbs by Anne Ursu
I've heard great things about Breadcrumbs and there's something about the cover that I really like. This story was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's Snow Queen. One of the things I loved about Breadcrumbs is one doesn't have to be familiar with Snow Queen to lose themselves in this story. It's simply very well done and lives up to the early praise. Hazel and Jack her best friend because he's the only one who gets her. In the fifth grade at a time when boys and girls no longer hang out Hazel and Jack are still good friends. Then one day out of nowhere Jack is mean to Hazel. Soon after Jack's parents tell everyone he's went to live with an elderly aunt no ones heard of. After hearing a story about Jack's where abouts no one else but a dreamer like Hazel would, she sets out to rescue the boy that was once her best friend. Hazel enters the forset filled with wolves in search of woman made of ice who has Jack. I could feel the danger as soon as Hazel entered the forest.

"The air was a tangible thing, rushing into Hazel's lungs as she breathed, touching her skin like a curious ghost. It carried with it the smell of old leaves and wide open sky. She was in the wood at the end of the world, or perhaps at the beginning. She looked behind her, to remind herself of the place she came from but it was gone. The wood stretched out in every direction. It was as if she had sprouted there. She had stepped into the woods in the park and landed in an entirely different place. She knew this might happen. She'd been to Narina , Wonderland, Hogwarts, Dictionopolis. She had tessered, fallen through the rabbit hole, crossed the ice bridge into the unknown world beyond. Hazel knew this world. And it should have made it easier. It did not."

This is one of those stories that one knows will be good after the first page. One of the things I truly appreicated is that the author reconginzes that the small moments are as in important as the big one. There was a lot of care put into this very enjoyable story. There are a few beautiful illustrations sprinkle throughout the story.

Darth Paper Strikes Back - Tom Angleberger

Darth Paper Strikes Back by Tom Angleberger
This is the sequel to The Strange Case of Origami Yoda which I enjoyed but not as much as most. Though I loved Darth Paper Strikes Back. It just clicked for me. All the same kids are back including Dwight with his origami Yoda. Dwight is a little awkward, never knowing the right thing to say but for some reason his origami Yoda which he wears on his finger gives great advice. Now in the 7th grade, everyone is looking forward to getting Yoda like advice when needed, but everything goes wrong when Dwight's least favorite person Harvey makes a Darth Paper, that's far from nice. The school isn't big enough for two origami Star Wars characters. Soon after Darth Paper appears Dwight is kicked out of school.

Tommy, Sara, Mike and some of the other kids open a new case file to prove to the school board that Dwight should be let back into school. Everyone shares a story about how they were helped by Origami Yoda. Like the first book, the story is filled with some wonderful illustrations. (great choice for Wimpy Kid Fans) The origami Yoda is so adorable. The narrator is a boy named Tommy. One of the books many strengths are the voices of the kids who support Dwight. Once again it was nice seeing the weird kid as the main character. The chapters are short with great names like Origami Yoda and the Body Odor in Wonderland. The ending was so unexpected and I absolutely loved it. Now I am all about the Origami Yoda books. In the back there are instructions on how to make an origami Yoda and a darth paper.

Silhouetted by the Blue - Traci L. Jones

Silhouetted by the Blue - Traci L. Jones
Serena will be starring in the school play The Wiz even though she's only in the 7th grade. She lives with her dad and younger brother Henry. Serena's dad has a very bad case of the blues forcing Serena to take on more responsibilities at home. Living by the code of what happens at home is no one's business, everything soon becomes too much for Serena.

I loved Serena's voice and this story. This is the first YA novel I've come across that truly explores the topic of depression. The author handles it with beautiful skill and care. Silhouetted by the Blue could've easily become an issues book but Jones did excellent job of developing Serena's world. The readers gets acquitted with the many sides of Serena - one loves the theatre, and is able to escape the pain through acting. Another has wonderful memories of her mom, another is doing her best to hold her family togehter. And yet another falls for a boy who is always there no questions asked.

This is Jones third Young Adult novel, her debut Standing Aganist the Wind was my favorite until now. The only thing I would change is the cover, it doesn't do the story justice.

Read an excerpt

Galaxy Games - Greg R. Fishbone

Galaxy Games by Greg R. Fishbone
For his 11th birthday, Ty Sato's Japanese's relatives named a star after him. Ty's father an astronomer, takes Ty and his friends to the observatory to see his star. Soon it becomes clear that Ty's star is something else but no one knows what. As Ty Sato moves closer to earth at a very fast speed everyone begins to panic. Ty doesn't like all the attention from his name sake.

The chapters alternate between Ty Sato in Nevada, his cousin Daiki in Japan and an alien girl named M'frozza. Ty Sato is a silver spaceship from M'Frozza planet, Mrendaria. M'Frozza is desperate to protect the honor of the Mrendarians in the galaxy games and she needs help from the primitive planet of earth. The galaxy games are universally accepted competition amongst kids to settle all conflicts. Ty Sato is unknowingly becomes a part of the galaxy games.

Fishbone created great characters with excellent dialogue and chapter transitions. The three main characters - Ty, Daiki and M'Frozza are all well delevoped and likeable. There are a few illustrations sprinkled throughout the novel. Galaxy Games was a lot of fun and very well done. An excellent choice for reluctant readers.

An excerpt

Dear Baobab - Cheryl Foggo, Qin Leng

Dear Baobab by Cheryl Foggo illus. by Qin Leng
Maiko misses the giant baobab tree in his African village when he has to go live with his uncle and aunt. At his new school Maiko is teased about his ears. Maiko finds comfort in a young spruce tree under the mailbox. When he discovers that the young tree is about the same age as him, Maiko begins to confide in it.

"After that, Maiko would say, " Hello tree, same age as me," on his way out and on his way in. Sometimes, he sat on the step and shared secrets that he told to no one else. He talked of his village and the baobabs, and how he missed his friends at the school where he had gone after his father and mother died. He told of how lonely he felt as the wind blew him across the wide ocean in an airplane, and how strange it was, at first, to sleep in the red brick house."

When Maiko learns that his uncle and aunt plan on chopping down the spruce because they're worried about the houses foundation, Maiko does everything he can to save it. This is a wonderful story and I love the connection the author makes with Maiko and the spruce. Both find themselves rooted in an unexpected place.

The cover art didn't grab me nor did it do the interior illustrations any justice. Once you open up the book, Leng's illustrations are a very good match for the story. Dear Baobab is text heavy making this great story, perfect for young listeners or readers ages 5 up.