The Best Kind of Magic by Crystal Cestari

From Goodreads,

"Amber Sand is not a witch. The Sand family Wicca gene somehow leapfrogged over her. But she did get one highly specific magical talent: she can see true love. As a matchmaker, Amber's pretty far down the sorcery food chain (even birthday party magicians rank higher), but after five seconds of eye contact, she can envision anyone's soul mate.

Amber works at her mother's magic shop--Windy City Magic--in downtown Chicago, and she's confident she's seen every kind of happy ending there is: except for one--her own. (The Fates are tricky jerks that way.) So when Charlie Blitzman, the mayor's son and most-desired boy in school, comes to her for help finding his father's missing girlfriend, she's distressed to find herself falling for him. Because while she can't see her own match, she can see his--and it's not Amber. How can she, an honest peddler of true love, pursue a boy she knows full well isn't her match?

The Best Kind of Magic is set in urban Chicago and will appeal to readers who long for magic in the real world. With a sharp-witted and sassy heroine, a quirky cast of mystical beings, and a heady dose of adventure, this novel will have you laughing out loud and questioning your belief in happy endings."

Goodreads - The Best Kind of Magic

I'm pretty open to reading any book, but I have always found mythical and magical books a struggle to read.  I read the first book in the Harry Potter series last year and really enjoyed it.  However, I had seen all of the movies when I read the book, which I feel made it a little easier to understand.  This book had a catchy cover and I decided to conquer it, especially since it had magic in the title.

Amber is from a prominent line of witches, except she isn't a witch.  Amber is a matchmaker.  She can look into the eyes of someone and instantly see their soul mate.  Charlie, a classmate, comes to Amber asking for help finding his soon-to-be stepmom who has gone missing.  Amber spends time trying to help him and in turn, sees his perfect match.  Amber tells herself to focus on the task and not fall head over heels for him.  Unfortunately for Amber, that is easier said than done.

When I first started this book it was a bit of a struggle.  It felt slow and I couldn't get into it.  I finally made myself sit down one evening and just read to at least page 100.  In that, I really got into the book.  This book is serious at times but has a very light and fun relationship building with Charlie and Amber.  I really liked the characters Amber and Amani.  Amber was a matchmaker born into a family of witches.  She was the odd duck in the family and I absolutely connect with that.  I've always felt like the odd kid of my family because I've been driven by such different goals than having kids as soon as possible.  I understood how Amber felt when Amber's mom would make comments about her not being a witch.  Some of my siblings have made comments about me going to college, and it leaves you with a weird feeling.  Amani was another character that I loved in the book because she was the selfless friend who would go to the end of the earth for Amber.  I like to think that I am similar to that.  Any of my friends could call and need something and I would help them the best I could.  I really wish Amani would have delved more into Amber's future because that would have been the best thing she could do as Amber's best friend.

There was some colorful language in this book and at times it felt unnecessary.  This book also has clear ties to Wiccan rituals and beliefs, but it never felt forced.  There are obvious magical creatures throughout the book such as leprechauns, goblins, witches, and so on.  Some people are uncomfortable with this, but it was all light and fun in my opinion. 

This was a good book and I had originally planned on reading just this one.  However, I do plan on reading the next two books in the series.  This is a fun and romantic read.  I give it 4 stars.

Finding Chika: A Little Girl, an Earthquake, and the Making of a Family by Mitch Albom

tFrom Goodreads,

""Mitch Albom has done it again with this moving memoir of love and loss. You can’t help but fall for Chika. A page-turner that will no doubt become a classic.” --Mary Karr, author of The Liars’ Club and The Art of Memoir

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Tuesdays With Morrie comes Mitch Albom’s most personal story to date: an intimate and heartwarming memoir about what it means to be a family and the young Haitian orphan whose short life would forever change his heart. 

Chika Jeune was born three days before the devastating earthquake that decimated Haiti in 2010. She spent her infancy in a landscape of extreme poverty, and when her mother died giving birth to a baby brother, Chika was brought to The Have Faith Haiti Orphanage that Albom operates in Port Au Prince.

With no children of their own, the forty-plus children who live, play, and go to school at the orphanage have become family to Mitch and his wife, Janine. Chika’s arrival makes a quick impression. Brave and self-assured, even as a three-year-old, she delights the other kids and teachers. But at age five, Chika is suddenly diagnosed with something a doctor there says, “No one in Haiti can help you with.”

Mitch and Janine bring Chika to Detroit, hopeful that American medical care can soon return her to her homeland. Instead, Chika becomes a permanent part of their household, and their lives, as they embark on a two-year, around-the-world journey to find a cure. As Chika’s boundless optimism and humor teach Mitch the joys of caring for a child, he learns that a relationship built on love, no matter what blows it takes, can never be lost.

Told in hindsight, and through illuminating conversations with Chika herself, this is Albom at his most poignant and vulnerable. Finding Chika is a celebration of a girl, her adoptive guardians, and the incredible bond they formed—a devastatingly beautiful portrait of what it means to be a family, regardless of how it is made."

Goodreads - Finding Chicka

Ever since I read Tuesdays With Morrie in high school, Mitch Albom has easily been one of my favorite authors.  His books are always so thoughtfully written and I feel that they make me question things around me.  My mom told me that she had picked up a new book by him and I knew that I had to get a copy for myself to read.

This book is Mitch Albom's journey back into nonfiction as he tells the story of Chika.  Mitch operates an orphanage in Haiti which is where Chika was left at just three years old.  But soon Chika was having health problems that made Mitch and his wife make the decision to bring Chika to America to hopefully get better care.  Mitch first saw it as a job, but soon found that Chika had completed their family and was a piece that was missing in their life.  Finding Chika is the story of Mitch trying to understand and deal with loss and love in life. 

All of Mitch Albom's books are full of life lessons.  I could reread Tuesdays With Morrie every year and take something completely different away from it.  This book is yet another that I found a nugget of wisdom that really made me stop.  The quote, "The most precious thing you can give someone is your time, Chika, because you can never get it back.  When you don't think about getting it back, you've given it in love."  This quote really stuck with me.  I had a principal who always said, "The most precious thing you can give someone is your time because you can never get it back."  There were extra things that I would do for my kiddos or to make a lesson really "stick".  She always made it seem as if I was wasting my time on silly things.  I also remember talking to her about my boyfriend and the plans we had with each other especially concerning the future, and she said that same quote to me.  But the quote from this book really made me stop and think.  It doesn't matter if I give my time to someone or something, as long as it matters to me.  Who and what I choose to give my time to is my decision, because 98% of the time I'm giving my time out of love.

This book is written in a very unique style, much like Tuesdays With Morrie.  The book rotates from past to present as it tells life lessons and memories of Chika.  The style that it is written in takes some getting used to, but it really tells the whole story.  We can see glimpses into moments that most people take for granted.  I feel like this showed that Chika was just a child and her illness didn't define her.  Albom's writing style also allowed us to get Chika's story, as well as seeing how Mitch was coping with her being gone.  While reading the book I could tell that Chika's passing left a gaping hole in the lives of Mitch and his wife, Janine.  They had altered their calm life to center around Chika and her wild spirit.  In the chapters where Chika "visits", you can tell that Mitch is mourning her and trying to learn how to be a family of two again.   I think this book was very much a way of healing for Mitch, and we the readers were just along for the ride. 

Albom has a very unique writing style, and this book was written a lot like Tuesdays With Morrie.  This book rotates from glimpses of Chika in a specific moment, to the present, to the past while Chika was sick.  Each of these components was just as important as the next as it fully captured Chika's spirit and attitude.  Being able to read a short glimpse of Chika in a specific moment really reminded me that Chika was just a child going through a horrific illness, but yet it didn't bring her down.  There were chapters where Mitch was in the present writing the book and Chika would appear.  This really showed the relationship that Mitch and Chika had.  I definitely feel that Mitch "seeing" Chika was a way for him to cope and deal with the loss that he was experiencing.  The portions of the book that took place in the past told the story of Chika and her fight against DIPG.  Each page and each chapter was written with love and was pieced together in a way that allowed the story to flow and ebb so that the reader was constantly on a roller coaster of emotions. 

This book did not disappoint.  (Mitch Albom's books NEVER disappoint!)  It was full of emotion and real life.  Parents need to read this book.  I don't have kids, but it made me want to stop and cherish every moment I have with my nieces and nephews.  Life happens fast and literally, anything can happen that changes the course of what you had planned.  I give this book 5 stars and recommend it to fans of Albom's or parents who need a good heartfelt read. 

Squint by Chad Morris and Shelly Brown

From Goodreads,

My name is Flint, but everyone in middle school calls me Squint because I’m losing my vision. I used to play football, but not anymore. I haven’t had a friend in a long time. Thankfully, real friends can see the real you, even when you can’t clearly see.

Flint loves to draw. In fact, he’s furiously trying to finish his comic book so he can be the youngest winner of the “Find a Comic Star” contest. He’s also rushing to finish because he has keratoconus—an eye disease that could eventually make him blind.

McKell is the new girl at school and immediately hangs with the popular kids. Except McKell’s not a fan of the way her friends treat this boy named Squint. He seems nice and really talented. He draws awesome pictures of superheroes. McKell wants to get to know him, but is it worth the risk? What if her friends catch her hanging with the kid who squints all the time?

McKell has a hidden talent of her own but doesn’t share it for fear of being judged. Her terminally ill brother, Danny, challenges McKell to share her love of poetry and songwriting. Flint seems like someone she could trust. Someone who would never laugh at her. Someone who is as good and brave as the superhero in Flint’s comic book named Squint.

Squint is the inspiring story of two new friends dealing with their own challenges, who learn to trust each other, believe in themselves, and begin to truly see what matters most.

Goodreads - Squint

I have this really bad habit of shopping Scholastic Reading Clubs like I'm shopping on Amazon.  I will just sit and scroll through the books and add them to my cart or my wishlist.  I tend to read more "girly" books because well... I'm a girl.  The longer I teach the more I have noticed that I need more books that are geared toward boys.  When I saw this book it caught my eye.  After reading the summary I knew it was a book I needed to read and hopefully add to my library.

Squint is about a young boy named Flint who has a rare eye condition that could one day leave him blind.  Flint loves comics and he loves to work on his own comic book.  He is frantically trying to finish his comic before his eyes fail and leave him blind.  In the midst of being an outcast and focusing on his comic, a girl named McKell comes over and sits with him one day at lunch.  Soon one day becomes two which then becomes an adventure.  Flint and McKell quickly become friends, but they soon learn they both have secrets and they both have obstacles to overcome.

This book left me with so many emotions.  I want to first talk about the character Danny and his role in this book.  Danny is McKell's sister and he has progeria, which is a disease that causes a child's body to age fast.  Danny had obstacles in his life, but he managed to make the best out of it and challenge people.  His challenges ranged from being funny to going on a new adventure to making a new friend.  Danny really pushed positivity and his character was hysterical and I felt like I would sit and watch his videos all day if they existed.  I think this positivity is so important because it really pulled multiple characters together.  Danny's positivity helped McKell deal with her challenges of making friends or trying out for the talent show.  But I think Danny's videos and positivity really helped Flint see that his life wasn't as bad as he thought it was and that he should take it day by day.  It really made me stop and think about all the times I've complained about stuff going on, when in reality my life could be a whole lot worse than what it is.  I felt like this positivity message was a big and important vibe in the book.  When the book started to get to a low point it felt like Danny's videos were worked into the story to bring light to the situation at hand.

I have absolutely nothing negative to say about this book.  It was well written and there was no inappropriate language.  I do want to talk about Flint and his comic book that he was creating.  I enjoyed getting to read the story while Flint was working on his comic.  I think it would be awesome for Chad Morris and Shelly Brown to create the comic that flint was creating and make it into a graphic novel.  It would be a great opportunity to have that crossover from fiction to the comic existing.

This book was packed with well rounded characters that I felt I could easily relate to and connect with.  The positivity throughout the book really kept me pushing forward and made me want to finish it as quickly as I could.  I think that some of my fifth grade boys are going to really like this book.  I give this 5 stars!

My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen

From Goodreads,

"Gary Paulsen has owned dozens of unforgettable and amazing dogs. In each chapter, he tells of one special dog, among them Cookie, the sled dog who saved his life; Snowball, the puppy he owned as a boy in the Philippines; Ike, his mysterious hunting companion; Dirk, the grim protector; and his true friend Josh, a brilliant border collie."

Goodreads - My Life in Dog Years

Most people can think back to a pet they had in their life that was a huge part of their life.  Most pets, especially dogs, are forgiving creatures that love unconditionally.  My Life in Dog Years is Gary Paulsen's stories from his life with his favorite and most memorable dogs.  Some of the dogs were only in his life for a short time and some were there for an extended period.  This nonfiction book was a perfect collection of feel-good stories about dogs. 

While I was reading this book it really made me think about dogs that have been in my life and the impact that they have had.  Shiloh and George both stood out while I was thinking about my life in dog years.  Shiloh came into my life when I was 4 or 5.  A guy my dad worked with said he was trying to find a home for a beagle that had been abused and was kind of aggressive.  My dad being the big-hearted person he is said he would take the dog.  He picked up the dog and brought him to our house.  I immediately told my mom that he looked like the dog off the VHS cover of Shiloh.  I referred to him as Shiloh from that day on and it stuck.  Shiloh was very scared for a short period after arriving at our house.  He was never aggressive and he was showered with love.  He lived a happy life with us and enjoyed the freedom when we moved to a new house with plenty of land to roam on.  He lived to be eleven or twelve years old.  Shiloh really taught me that even though you can have a bad start in life, your situation can change for the better.  The other dog that came to mind was George.  George was an AKC registered English Bulldog.  We got him as a puppy and he was really mine and my dad's dog.  I have so many memories with George.  I remember the day I moved into the dorms at college.  I cried while I was leaving because I was going to miss him so much.  George was always there when I needed someone to talk to or when I didn't feel good.  I remember being checked out of school early one day because I had a severe sinus infection.  After going to a clinic and getting a prescription I went home and crawled in the recliner.  George promptly crawled in the recliner and laid with me for hours while I rested.  He always knew when you needed him, and he was there for me and my dad more times than we can count.  George taught me that dogs have souls and emotions and can understand what we need.  George taught me, unconditional love.  This book was Gary Paulsen's story of his life and dogs that have been a part of it.  It was a book of reflection and it made me reflect on my life and how fortunate I have been to have such wonderful pets in it.

I really enjoyed this book, and my only complaint is that I wish there had been pictures of the dogs included.  I give this book 3 stars.  It was really good, but of course, there was no plot since it is nonfiction.  This is a great book if you like dogs or books by Gary Paulsen.  I think Gary Paulsen fans would really enjoy getting to know the background of some of the dogs he writes into his fictional books. 

Resist by Alan Gratz

From Goodreads,

"An exclusive, action-packed story about one girl's daring rescue mission during World War II.

Can Samira survive the dangers of D-Day and find her mother in time?"

Goodreads - Resist

I posted my review of Allies last week, which told the story of D-Day.  One of the characters in the book was named Samira.  Her piece of the story was very short and straightforward, and unfortunately, I felt it was incomplete.  Scholastic partnered with Alan Gratz to publish and release the special edition story of Samira.  I am so glad that I was able to get the entire 5th-grade class as well as myself a copy to read because it really concluded Samira's story for me.

Samira's story really starts in the book Allies.  Samira's mother is part of the French Resistance.  The morning of D-Day Samira's mother is taken by Nazi's after she is caught trying to help a family escape through a window.  Resist picks up with Samira trying to hide from the Nazis and find her mother at the same time.  It is a short story that flies by with brief chapters full of history.

After reading Allies I felt that Samira and James did not get their complete story told.  Luckily Samira's story is told in this book.  I hate that it wasn't included in the original story, but I'm also really glad that this was written so that her story would come full circle and be complete.  I felt that this book really showed more of the dark side of the Nazis that in Allies.  Allies is completely told from the perspective of those with the Allies.  There is very minimal interaction with the Nazis.  Resist however takes us to the middle of the woods where Nazis force people from the town of Bayeux to dig their own graves.  I think this really put it in perspective the mindset that they had.  I also liked the innocence that a child had when he asked why they were having to dig.  He was a child caught in the middle of a war and he didn't understand that he was digging his own grave.  That was the purest form of innocence.  Gratz really did a great job of telling the rest of Samira's story.  My only complaint is that I wish it had just been included in Allies. 

This is an absolute companion story to Allies.  I do think you need to read Allies before reading Resist.  I give this 3 stars.  I really wish that this entire thing had been in the original story instead of being a side story. 

Allies by Alan Gratz

From Goodreads,

"Alan Gratz, the bestselling author of Refugee, weaves a stunning array of voices and stories into an epic tale of teamwork in the face of tyranny -- and how just one day can change the world.
June 6, 1944: The Nazis are terrorizing Europe, on their evil quest to conquer the world. The only way to stop them? The biggest, most top-secret operation ever, with the Allied nations coming together to storm German-occupied France.

Welcome to D-Day.

Dee, a young U.S. soldier, is on a boat racing toward the French coast. And Dee -- along with his brothers-in-arms -- is terrified. He feels the weight of World War II on his shoulders.

But Dee is not alone. Behind enemy lines in France, a girl named Samira works as a spy, trying to sabotage the German army. Meanwhile, paratrooper James leaps from his plane to join a daring midnight raid. And in the thick of battle, Henry, a medic, searches for lives to save.

In a breathtaking race against time, they all must fight to complete their high-stakes missions. But with betrayals and deadly risks at every turn, can the Allies do what it takes to win?"

Goodreads - Allies

War stories have always fascinated me to some extent because I am from a military family with my brother, my dad, and my grandfather all having served.  My paternal grandparents have a very interesting story considering during WWII my grandfather was fighting for the Allies, while my grandmother was born and living in Nazi Germany.  They met and the rest is pretty much history.  I have been told by my grandmother that my grandfather stormed the beaches on D-Day.  While I don't know the truth in this (I am searching historical records to try to find out), this book definitely felt like a personal connection nonetheless. 

Allies is the story of D-Day told from various perspectives.  The stories vary from young boys seeing war for the first time to paratroopers being dropped in the middle of nowhere to a girl who was just trying to get her bathing suit off of the beach.  The stories are pieced together to give a complete view of D-Day.

I sat down and tore through this book as quickly as I could.  I started it a few minutes after midnight and read until 3:30 in the morning.  I forced myself to go to sleep and ended up waking up at 8:00 the next morning and finished reading it.  This book was absolutely amazing.  I loved the different perspectives from D-Day and feeling their pain and struggles on that day.  I also loved the history and time that went into making this book.  Most of this I already knew just from being in school and coming from a military family.  However, I was really intrigued by the If Day that James spoke about in his section of the book.   I thought it was the strangest thing to include in this book until I stopped and researched it.  I had no idea that in Winnipeg, Manitoba there was a thing called If Day where the entire town basically pretended that they were under Nazi regime.  The entire thing was to bring awareness to the war and to encourage people to purchase Victory Bonds.  While I was researching this my boyfriend came in to share something with me.  I told him about If Day and even he had no knowledge of it.  This book was packed with information and it was pieced together in a way that kept the story action-packed and interesting. 

The only things I didn't like were that I didn't feel Samira and James got a fair share of their story.  Samira's story was at the beginning and she was never mentioned again until the very end of the book.  James had his story, but I don't recall him being present in the final chapters when everyone was in Bayeux.  I will say that Gratz did write a short story for Samira and it was published through Scholastic.  I was able to get copies for all of my students.  I have yet to read it but I plan to drop a review once I finish.  I'm hoping that Samira's story will be filled in and completed. 

This book was absolutely amazing.  It was packed with adventure and suspense.  I literally could not put it down.  I give this an easy 5 stars.  Anyone interested in WWII books or books about D-Day will absolutely love this.

Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick

From Goodreads,

"Newbery Honor author Rodman Philbrick sends readers straight into the nightmare of a raging wildfire as 12-year-old Sam is trapped by explosive flames and deadly smoke that threaten to take his life. Can he survive?
Flames race toward Sam Castine's summer camp as evacuation buses are loading, but Sam runs back to get his phone. Suddenly, a flash of heat blasts him as pine trees explode. Now a wall of fire separates Sam from his bus, and there's only one thing to do: Run for his life. Run or die.
Lungs burning, Sam's only goal is to keep moving. Drought has made the forest a tinderbox, and Sam struggles to remember survival tricks he learned from his late father. Then, when he least expects it, he encounters Delphy, an older girl who is also lost. Their unlikely friendship grows as they join forces to find civilization.
The pace never slows, and eventually, flames surround Sam and Delphy on all sides. A powerful bond is forged that can only grow out of true hardship-as two true friends beat all odds and outwit one of the deadliest fires ever.

At the end of the novel, information about wildfires and useful safety tips add to the reader's understanding of one of the US's most dangerous natural disasters."

Goodreads - Wildfire

I'm a little slow getting around to reading books.  I received this book as an advanced reader's copy last school year.  I decided it was time to read it since I've had so many students ask about getting this book in my classroom library.

Wildfire is a survival story told by Sam who was at summer camp when the fire started.  His camp was being evacuated, but when he ran back to get his phone a wall of fire was between him and the bus.  Sam had to fight through the night to survive and eventually finds a girl named Delphy who is also lost in the burning woods.  The two team up in hopes they can continue to outrun the fire and survive.

This book was definitely a page-turner.  It has been a while since I have powered through a book the way I went through this one.  The entire time I was reading, I was on the edge of my seat wondering if they were going to survive.  This book is packed with adventure and thrills.  I really liked that there were small pieces that came together that reminded Sam of his late dad.  It felt like fate that he found a Jeep that helped save his life, and throughout the early days of trying to survive he kept referring back to things his dad had taught him.  It felt like it was a type of closer for Sam as his father's advice helped him and Delphy survive.

My copy was an ARC and it did have a few grammatical errors.  There was also a small continuity error at the beginning of the book, but it didn't impact the overall storyline.  The book had appropriate language and events for a young adult book.

This book was so good and I am very excited to put it into my library.  I expect that some of my adventure-seeking boys will enjoy this book.  I give it 4 stars and recommend it to anyone looking for a thrilling adventure read.