Mac Undercover by Mac Barnett

From Goodreads,

"Before Mac Barnett was an author, he was a kid.
And while he was a kid, he was a spy.
Not just any spy.
But a spy...for the Queen of England.

James Bond meets Diary of a Wimpy Kid with this groundbreaking fully-illustrated chapter book series Mac B., Kid Spy. The precious Crown Jewels have been stolen, and there's only one person who can help the Queen of England: her newest secret agent, Mac B. Mac travels around the globe in search of the stolen treasure...but will he find it in time? 

From secret identities to Karate hijinks, this fast-paced, witty and historically inspired chapter book will keep readers guessing until the very last page. With full-color illustrations and fascinating historical facts masterfully sprinkled throughout, this series offers adventure, intrigue, absurdity, history and humor. Discover this totally smart and side-splittingly funny new series, and experience what it's really like to be a kid spy."

Goodreads - The Mac Undercover

At the beginning of this school year I applied to be a part of the Scholastic Insider program.  The program sends teachers a book each month for them to review and share with their students.  Surprisingly I was able to get accepted into the program and I received my first book yesterday.  I was absolutely excited and sat down to read my first book, Mac Undercover. 

This book is about a young boy named Mac who gets a phone call from the Queen of England about her missing spoon.  He flies to England and decides to become a spy to help the Queen find her spoon.  As the story unfolds we find that Mac tries to steal the Mona Lisa, but fails when someone else steals it from him.  The book comes to a hilarious end that left me begging for a second book. 

I absolutely loved that this book was packed with historical references and locations.  For example one of the references was the Louvre.  Mac talks about some of the things housed there and informs us of which of them have good names.  I think that this book is packed with so many references that it could be used as a springboard for a research project to study famous buildings and pieces of art.  Students could research the details of the topic and really connect it back to the book.  I think that many of my students will have their interest piqued by something in this book and they will have a strong desire to research and investigate. 

This book was packed with illustrations that went along with the story.  I had mixed feelings with the fact that only a few colors were selected and used to color the pictures, but I eventually got over it.  The illustrations really gave the story a different dimension and they were kind of funny.  It made the book seem more interesting because it has the comical pictures to go along and help the story. 

I am so excited about sharing this book with my students.  I think that many of my boys are going to absolutely love this book, and honestly some of my girls may love it too.  I give this 5 stars. 

A Long Way From Chicago by Richard Peck

From Goodreads,

"Join Joey and his sister Mary Alice as they spend nine unforgettable summers with the worst influence imaginable--their grandmother!"

Goodreads - A Long Way From Chicago

Awards and Nominations:

• National Book Award Finalist for Young People's Literature (1998)
• Newbery Medal Nominee (1999)
• Dorothy Canfield Fisher Children's Book Award Nominee (2000)

I remember checking this book out when I was in school.  I tried to read it, but found it boring.  So naturally I hadn't planned on reading this book.  But I had planned on reading A Year Down Yonder because it is the 2001 Newbery Medal Winner and I'm reading through the list.  But once I realized that A Year Down Yonder is the second book of this trilogy, I knew I had to read the first book.  

This book is narrated by Joey as he tells of the summers he spends with his sister Mary Alice and his grandmother, Mrs. Dowdel.  They first visit in 1929 and end up visiting every summer.  Each chapter is the story and adventures of what happened that summer. 

I read through this book in a few hours.  It was so good.  This book is set up in a unique format because each chapter is a different year and snapshot of the summer that Joey and Mary Alice spent with their grandma.  At first I thought that I was really going to dislike the format and lack of a storyline, but it really grew on me.  The grandmother is very quirky and interesting.  I think that the book being in short story format really allowed the grandmother to be interesting, but also give her some mystery because the kids never knew what she was going to do next. 

This book also had some strong messages that I really loved.  One of my favorites was the strength of women and their independence.  Mrs. Dowdel is very independent in this book and she is strong for being a woman in the 30s.  She does what she wants, when she wants.  The expectations of women during this time were for them to be a housewife and mother.  They were expected to be prim and proper, but Mrs. Dowdel broke all the rules.  She stood up for what was right.  In today's world we see women being overly sexualized and they are seen as objects.  I think that young girls need good role models in literature, and Mrs. Dowdel is an excellent role model for being strong and independent.  

This book is so unique and interesting.  I am so glad that I read it and I'm extremely excited to read A Year Down Yonder.  I think that many kids would enjoy this book as a read aloud.  I am definitely considering reading this to my class.  I give this book 5 stars.  

Saving Winslow by Sharon Creech

From Goodreads,

"Perfect for fans of Charlotte’s Web and The One and Only Ivan, Saving Winslow is an uplifting modern classic in the making about a young boy who befriends an ailing newborn donkey and nurses him back to health, from New York Times bestseller and Newbery Medal winner Sharon Creech.

Louie doesn't have the best luck when it comes to nurturing small creatures. So when his father brings home a sickly newborn mini donkey, he's determined to save him. He names him Winslow. Taking care of him helps Louie feel closer to his brother, Gus, who is far, far away in the army.

Everyone worries that Winslow won't survive, especially Louie’s quirky new friend, Nora, who has experienced loss of her own. But as Louie's bond with Winslow grows, surprising and life-altering events prove that this fragile donkey is stronger than anyone could have imagined.

Written in the spirit of Creech favorites Moo and Love That Dog, this standout tale about love and friendship and letting go will tug at the heartstrings."

Goodreads - Saving Winslow

I ordered this book through Scholastic.  Upon receiving my box I realized that this book was missing.  They sent me an e-mail and said that the book was on back order and that they would send it as soon as they had more in stock.  After school started I received the book in the mail.  I had some spare time while my kids ate snack and decided to start reading it.  As I read, my students would sit staring at me, mesmerized as I read to them.  It was the most amazing spectacle to see a group of kids so focused and interested in a book.

Saving Winslow is about a baby donkey that is quite sickly after it is born on Uncle Pete's farm.  Uncle Pete takes the baby donkey to his nephew Louie who decides he is going to save the poor donkey.  Louie names the baby donkey Winslow and vows to make sure he survives.  While he is trying to keep the baby donkey alive he continues to miss his brother Gus who is in the Army.  As time progresses Louie continues to miss his brother, but he also gets to experience Winslow growing up and going through firsts.  The book comes to an exciting climax as neighbors start complaining about Winslow being in the neighborhood.

Not only is this book adorable, it has a wonderful message about hard work, determination, and perseverance.  Everyone told Louie that the baby donkey was going to die, but Louie was determined to make it live.  He wanted to make sure that the donkey thrived the same way that he had as a baby.  Everyone around him continued to tell him how hard it was going to be to raise a baby donkey, but Louie still persevered and put in the hard work.  I think this is a wonderful message for kids.  They need to learn that if they want something bad enough they just have to be determined, put in the hard work, and persevere when it gets hard.

One thing that I didn't like about this book is the mystery of Louie's brother Gus.  We know that he is away in the Army and that Louie misses him.  But we don't know if he is gone to training or if he is gone to war.  There was a lot of mystery surrounding him and I felt like we just lacked information about him.  I think that my students would have enjoyed this book more if Gus had come home at the end of the book instead of Louie just getting a letter saying he was coming home.  My students and I wanted more closure with Gus and Louie and their relationship. 

Overall, this was a wonderful book.  My students really enjoyed it and they were sad when it ended.  I passed it on to another class and hope that they take the time to read it.  I give this 5 stars and recommend this to young students and to teachers.

What Waits in the Woods by Kieran Scott

From Goodreads,

"It's a beautiful, sunny day. Callie Velasquez holds hands with her boyfriend Jeremy as they follow Callie's new BFFs Penelope and Lissa up the trail. The four friends are embarking on a camping trip -- a trip that immediately goes awry. They lose their way on the trail, and encounter a charismatic stranger with questionable motives. And when Callie stumbles upon a dead body, it becomes clear that the danger that lies in the woods is deadlier than she could have ever imagined. Tensions mount and friendships are tested as these teenagers try to survive the most sinister of circumstances."

Goodreads - What Waits in the Woods

Awards and Nominations:

• Missouri Truman Readers Award Nominee (2018)

It is finally October which means I can break out all the scary and spooky Halloween movies!  When I was younger I never wanted to watch the scary movies.  I was worried they would give me nightmares.  Then one day I walked in on my brother-in-law watching Saw and was hooked on the horror movie genre.  While I have always said I would read any book, I think I may have found a genre that I'm not a fan of: horror/thriller mystery.  While this was a good book, I had some mixed opinions on it. 

What Waits in the Woods starts with a recovery journal entry by an unknown person.  The story then quickly begins with four friends setting off for a five day hiking and camping trip in the woods.  The first night three of the seasoned campers tell Chicago native Callie that the skinner murdered some teenagers in the same woods they are in.  Callie is obviously freaked out, especially when they all start hearing creepy laughing in the woods.  Things go fine for a couple days, but then they veer of course and find themselves face to face with a stranger who says he has a cabin not too far away.  All of the teenagers just hope and pray they will all make it back to civilization in one piece.  

I did enjoy this book, but I really would have enjoyed it in movie format instead.  There are two problems I had with this book.  One is the author's fault and the other is my fault because of the author.  My first problem is that the book was slow.  Super slow.  The book started out calm enough, but there wasn't any escalating events throughout the book.  People weren't getting attacked and they weren't dying.  I was almost to the end of the book before the first death happened and an injury just moments after the dead body was discovered.  The book lacked fire and pizazz.  If this book was turned into a movie it would have to be really beefed up to make it scary.  I felt very bored through the first two-thirds of the book.  

My next problem is due to the book being slow.  I ruined the book for myself.  The book wasn't progressing with exciting events and horror, so I went to the internet.  I googled who the killer was and ruined the ending.  No one in the book was being attacked or murdered, and frankly there wasn't anyone to point the finger at.  I couldn't take it anymore because it was taking so long to form a suspect list, so I just found out who the killer was.  It of course made the ending disappointing and then I was looking for signs throughout the entire book, but a decision had to be made.  I was either going to stop reading the book or find out who the killer was thanks to Google. 

I honestly feel like I was more bored than thrilled with this book.  The slow progression was irritating.  I like horror movies because I feel like I'm racing to figure out the killer, but with a book it just isn't the same.  If you do decide to read this book, DON'T go look up who the killer is.  Just read the book and let it play out.  I give this 3 stars out of 5.  I won't be putting this in my classroom library, but would recommend it to teenagers and fans of the mystery/murder genre.