Jay's Journal by Anonymous

From Goodreads, 

"Jay was a sweet, bright high school student who cared about his grades and his friends. He had ambitions. He was happy. And he thought he could handle anything.

He was wrong.

When Jay falls in with a crowd that's dabbling in drugs and the occult, he finds himself in over his head and doing things he never thought possible. Fascinated by the dark arts and in love with a dangerous girl, Jay falls deeper and deeper into a life he no longer recognizes...and sees no way out."

Goodreads - Jay's Journal 

A few years back I read through the Anonymous books that had been published at that time.  (Another has been released since then.)  But there was something about this book that I couldn't pick up and read at that time.  The book quickly got mixed in with the others and eventually got shuffled to the back of where I keep all of my books.  I moved a few months ago and this book ended up at the front of the shelf.  I decided it was time to finally conquer this book.  Conquer isn't a word I use lightly because it took everything in me to finish this book. 

Jay's Journal follows a young boy named Jay who has to keep a journal for his English class.  But Jay ends up falling in with a crowd who starts experimenting with drugs.  Once his parents find out they send him to a facility to get help, he is introduced to something even worse: an occult.  Jay quickly introduces his friends to the same occult material he has been exposed to.  But when Jay wants out he realizes he has no idea how to get out of the mess that he helped create.  

I struggled, and I mean STRUGGLED, to finish this book.  The first book I read that was the same format was Go Ask Alice.  This book is SO similar in writing style and language to Go Ask Alice.  Both books use a triple word format at times like "Dumb, dumb, dumb."  It was repetitive and I personally felt like there was no storyline to the book.  There's a note at the beginning and at the end of this book.  The beginning note talks about how Jay was a real person and this book is the journals he left behind.  The note at the end is from Jay's mother.  Halfway through the book, I started doing a little digging.  Jay is based on a real person named Alden.  And Alden did take his own life like in the book.  Alden also kept a journal like Jay did in the book.  But the reality is that only 21 of Alden's 212 entries were actually used for this book.  This means that the majority of this book was completely fabricated.  And because the author did this it raised all kinds of questions and problems for Alden's family and his town.  People begin to look into where occult activity had taken place and if there had been animal sacrifices like in the book.  Alden's brother even wrote a book about the truth of Alden and this book.  It's just irritating for an author to claim that this is based on a true story and a true person when in all reality the majority of the book was a complete lie.  

This book was a huge letdown and I considered not finishing it multiple times.  But I pushed through and finished it with frustration in my soul.  This was definitely my least favorite of all of the Anonymous books that I've read.  I think if you've read the others you *might* enjoy this, but it definitely did absolutely nothing for me.  I give this 1 star only because I don't believe in giving no stars.

My Weird School Graphic Novel: Mr.Corbett Is in Orbit! by Dan Gutman

From Goodreads, 

"Graphic novel fans, prepare for liftoff! New York Times bestselling author Dan Gutman and illustrator Jim Paillot have brought you an all-new series of My Weird School graphic novels!

In this first book, A.J. and his friends at Ella Mentry School are headed on a field trip to NASA headquarters. But their tour guide, Mr. Corbett, is a total space cadet! And what happens when A.J. accidentally launches the whole class into outer space?!  

Full of visual gags, space aliens, and hilarious full-color illustrations, this is the weirdest graphic novel in the history of the world!

With more than 27 million books sold, the My Weird School series really gets kids reading!"

Goodreads - Mr.Corbett Is in Orbit!

Scholastic Books sent me a box of books a while back to read and review.  I tore through the picture books quickly because, well, they are quick reads.  But I have been working my way through the chapter books.  I initially thought this book was a chapter book, but when I opened it I realized it was a graphic novel!  I have many of Dan Gutman's books in my library but have actually never read one of the "My Weird School" books.  

Mr. Corbett Is in Orbit! is the story of a class of students that visit NASA on a field trip.  But while they are touring NASA they are accidentally launched into space because someone pushed the launch button!  They are extremely worried they will never return until they receive help from an unlikely hero.  

As I mentioned earlier, I have never read any of the books in this series.  I was expecting them to be pretty silly just based on the cover.  But honestly, the book was downright hilarious.  I felt like this being a graphic novel really added to the story because the pictures were just as funny as the actual story.  The story and the antics in this book reminded me a lot of Sideways Stories from Wayside School by Louis Sachar.  I think this would be a great read for a lot of reluctant readers or readers who need the extra visual support while reading.  

The only downfall, which I have with many graphic novels, is the lack of actual reading.  I always feel like I am missing out on so much of the story when I read a graphic novel.  I feel like they condense the story down to the bare parts and the dialogue and leave out the details since it's a graphic novel that has pictures.  I think kids need to read graphic novels, but they also need to be able to read a chapter book that requires them to use the details and imagery in their book to create a picture in their mind. 

This was a funny book and I think some of my fifth graders will definitely enjoy this.  I give this 3 stars.  I felt like I missed out on part of the story since it was a graphic novel.  

See You On a Starry Night by Lisa Schroeder

From Goodreads, 

"Juliet has just moved to a beachside town with her newly separated mother and her moody older sister. When she meets their new neighbor, Emma, the girls form an instant bond. Emma's big family takes Juliet in, and the girls have fun together -- starting with the night they throw bottles with secret messages into the sea.

Then someone writes back to Juliet's message. An email arrives, inviting her to join the Starry Beach Club. All she has to do is make someone else's wish come true.

So Juliet and Emma set off to help as many other people as they can. It's fun! But as Juliet spends more and more time away from home, enjoying her new town and Emma's family more than her own mom and sister, she starts feeling lost. It's been easy to find others to help. But maybe her star would shine a little brighter if she brought it closer to home."

Goodreads - See You On a Starry Night

I've been on a bit of a break from reading.  A few months back I flipped life upside down and made some major changes.  This led to me moving to a new town and a lot of adjustments to the new normal.  But now that summer is here and in full swing I am trying to read as much as possible.  The chair on my front porch and I have become great friends over the past few weeks. 

This book follows a girl named Juliet who has had her life completely uprooted.  Her parents are now divorced and her mom decided that they all needed a fresh start in a new town.  Juliet misses her dad and her friends and the life she used to have.  On the first day in the new town, Juliet walks down to the beach.  What she doesn't expect is that she is going to run into a girl named Emma who is the same age as her.  Emma wants Juliet to write a letter, put it in a bottle, and throw it out to the ocean. The two soon become friends but become closer when Emma's bottle is found.  The person who found the bottle wants Juliet to become a member of the Starry Beach Club and make someone's wish come true.  Juliet and Emma soon set off on a quest to make a wish come true and find out who found the bottle. 

I love that this book addresses the feelings that a child experiences when their parents get a divorce and move to a new town.  Juliet is upset about her parents getting a divorce.  We see her have full-fledged meltdowns.  I think many kids who have been through or are going through the separation of parents can connect with Juliet.  I also like that in this book we see Juliet, her mom, and her sister move to a new town for a fresh start.  Juliet struggles with the new move.  She misses her dad and her friends from her old town.  She is having to start at a new school and will be going in with no friends.  She is clearly overwhelmed with all the changes.  Kids will absolutely relate to this if they have ever had to move to a new school and leave their old friends behind.  I also really liked that this book addresses the anger that is experienced during a big life transition like Juliet was going through.  Near the end of the book, we see everything kind of pile up inside Juliet until she explodes.  Luckily, her family and Emma are there to help her through the tough time and she learns how to better express herself and her anger.  I haven't read many books written for middle school kids that address divorce and moving to a new school like this book does.  

While this book addressed the divorce/moving situation tastefully, there were a couple BIG problems.  The biggest issue with this book was that Juliet was emailing someone who she did not know.  Every time she emailed the person or they emailed her, I was thinking that it could be a predator.  Juliet was just freely talking with someone who she didn't know.  I felt like there was a missed opportunity here.  Schroeder should have written it in for Juliet or Emma's parents to find out about this mystery person so they could have a conversation about being safe online.  And even worse is that Juliet and Emma set up a time to meet this mystery person!  Which luckily it ended up being a girl that was their age and went to school with them.  But still!  These two girls have obviously not been taught about being safe online and not meeting up with strangers.  Also, I didn't like that Juliet's mom just let Juliet go to the beach unsupervised.  It felt extremely irresponsible on the part of her mom, especially since they just moved to a new town.  I also didn't like that Juliet met Emma on the very first day in town.  I felt like Juliet needed to just kind of soak in the aloneness for a chapter or two before she met Emma.  I just didn't feel like it was realistic for Juliet to meet Emma the very first day during her very first walk on the beach.  

Overall, this book had great coverage of divorce and moving to a new town.  But I was so bothered by the fact that no one in this book had ever been taught about internet safety.  And the fact that it was never addressed honestly left me upset because this is such a huge thing with kids having access to ALL kinds of technology 24/7.  I give this 2 stars.  It will of course go into my classroom library, but it isn't high on my recommendation list.  

The Little Butterfly That Could by Ross Burach

From Goodreads, 

"WHAT IF I CAN'T?

“Will elicit plenty of giggles." -- Kirkus Reviews

Which way to the flowers?

That way. 200 miles.

How am I supposed to travel that far?!

You fly.

Can I take a plane?

No.

Then I'll never make it!

This comical companion to Ross Burach's The Very Impatient Caterpillar pays loving homage to every child's struggle to persist through challenges while also delivering a lighthearted lesson on butterfly migration. Remember, if at first you don't succeed, fly, fly again!"

Goodreads - The Little Butterfly That Could

This is the final picture book that I received from Scholastic.  I have mixed emotions being done with the picture books.  I love picture books because they are simple and usually pack an important message in the few pages they have.  They also have beautiful illustrations that complement and strengthen the story.  But I am also really excited to jump back into chapter books.  They usually have a deeper message and more connectable characters than picture books.  Plus they take a little more time to devour and are books that I can put in my classroom library. 

The Little Butterfly That Could is the story of a butterfly that gets lost.  He is trying to fly to find the flowers with a group of migrating butterflies when he gets lost in the clouds.  He asks a whale for help, but the butterfly keeps saying that he will never make it.  But the whale keeps encouraging him until the butterfly works up the courage to make the 200-mile trek to find the other butterflies. 

This book resembles the story of the little engine that could.  But this is the story of the butterfly that could.  This is apparently a follow-up book to the book The Very Impatient Caterpillar.  I thought the butterfly in this book was extremely annoying.  He was whiny and exhibited a little bit of anxiety.  The butterfly had a constant fear of making the trek because he didn't think he could do it.  But the whale was overly encouraging and was able to convince the butterfly that he could do it.  The whale was by far my favorite just because he was so positive and honest.  This book was left open so that there could be another book following, but honestly, I don't think another needs to follow.  The book has fitting illustrations.  The whale seems calm, cool, and collected, but the butterfly is a hodgepodge of colors and seems chaotic just like the butterfly actually is.  I think this book could definitely be used in a classroom to talk about having grit and perseverance.  I think kids would also enjoy it if the book was read so each of the characters has a different voice.  

I don't think this is a book I can use in my classroom.  It would really fit best in an elementary classroom.  It has an important message about continuing on even when things get tough.  I give this 3 stars.  It wasn't great, but it wasn't terrible. 

My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World by Malcolm Mitchell

From Goodreads, 

"From Super Bowl champion and literacy crusader Malcolm Mitchell comes an exciting new story that shows even reluctant readers that there is a book out there for everyone!

Meet Henley, an all-around good kid, who hates to read. When he's supposed to be reading, he would rather do anything else. But one day, he gets the scariest homework assignment in the world: find your favorite book to share with the class tomorrow.

What's a kid to do? How can Henley find a story that speaks to everything inside of him?

Malcolm Mitchell, bestselling author of The Magician's Hat, pulls from his own literary triumph to deliver another hilarious and empowering picture book for readers of all abilities. Through his advocacy and his books, Malcolm imparts the important message that every story has the potential to become a favorite."

Goodreads - My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World

Just one more book until I've finished the picture books in the Scholastic book box.  I've enjoyed being an insider even if I did receive some books that I won't use in my classroom.  This one is definitely one of my favorites that I was lucky enough to receive. 

My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World is the story of a boy named Henley who struggles to read.  He gets nervous when it's his turn to read, but he does like to read and look at the pictures.  One day his teacher gives him a homework assignment to bring his favorite book to school the next day to share with the class.  The only problem is that Henley doesn't know what his favorite book is.  Henley sets out on a quest to find his favorite book in the whole wide world. 

I love that this book is written by a sports star and that Mitchell struggled with reading.  The beginning gives a brief background of Malcolm's life.  It never says that he has dyslexia, but it is definitely implied that he has dyslexia which impacted his reading.  I would honestly love for there to be a book of him or even Henley talking about how he struggled with reading, found out he had dyslexia, and the process of learning to read with this.  But this book puts it out there that if you can't find your path or favorite of something, you can just make your own.  I also love that this is a book within a book.  The book that Henley talks about in the book is the book that we are all reading.  It's just a fun little tidbit that doesn't make us wonder what his favorite book was about because we are reading it!  The illustrations in this book were super simple but super adorable.  I loved that the colors were bright and vivid and that the pages were glossy paper.  

This book is really cute.  I think that kids might connect with this book because they too struggle with reading.  But some may also read this book because it is written by a famous football player.  I give this book 5 stars!

Ravi's Roar by Tom Percival

From Goodreads, 

"This engaging book in the Big Bright Feelings series is a clever take on temper tantrums.

Ravi never minded being the smallest in his family. Until one day, his short arms can't reach the monkey bars, he can't find anyone during hide-and-seek, AND he's too little to ride the big slide. Ravi is so mad--so furious--that he can't control his temper anymore . . .

. . . and he becomes a ferocious, roaring TIGER!

Being a tiger is great. Tigers can do anything they want! But who wants to play with a growling, wild tiger who won't share or behave? Ravi is about to discover something very important about voicing his feelings.

The Big Bright Feelings picture books provide kid-friendly entry points into emotional intelligence topics--from being true to yourself, to worrying, to anger management, to making friends. These topics can be difficult to talk about. But these books act as sensitive and reassuring springboards for conversations about mental and emotional health, positive self-image, building self-confidence, and managing feelings."

Goodreads - Ravi's Roar

We are nearing the end of the picture books that came in my Scholastic book box.  There are only 2 more after this one.  That being said, this book focuses on anger and how a kid can deal with it. 

Ravi's Roar is the story of a boy named Ravi.  Ravi is too small and always misses out on things because he is so small.  Page by page he gets angrier and angrier until he turns into a tiger.  Once Ravi is a tiger everyone gives him what he wants and he gets to do all things he couldn't when he was just a boy.  Will Ravi learn his lesson and learn to control his anger? 

This book really sent some mixed messages.  The book is about a boy who gets angry and he turns into a tiger.  At this point, there were two messages I got and they were very mixed.  One was that as a kid if you throw a fit you will get what you want.  Ravi gets angry, turns into the tiger, and gets what he wants because everyone is scared of him.  The other message was that as a kid you need to learn how to control your anger or else no one will want to play with you.  These messages are very contradicting of each other.  This book implies that you can manipulate people to get what you want if you just get angry.  I don't know how kids would take this book and the message in this.  Maybe as an adult, I'm reading too far into the message of this book. 

I did not like this book.  I didn't like the message in this book as it had mixed messages.  I give this 1 star.  It would fit best in an elementary classroom, but I think an adult should definitely talk to the students about anger and managing it. 

The Couch Potato by Jory John

From Goodreads, 

"The Couch Potato has everything he needs within reach of his sunken couch cushion. But when the electricity goes out, Couch Potato is forced to peel himself away from the comforts of his living room and venture outside. And when he does, he realizes fresh air and sunshine could be just the things he needs..."

Goodreads - The Couch Potato

I'm still reading and reviewing the books that Scholastic sent me.  I actually read this book to a class of 6th graders when I received my book box.  I laughed my entire way through the book and kept making mental notes of all the amazing ways I could use this in my classroom. 

The Couch Potato is the story of a couch potato who doesn't want to ever leave his couch.  He has all the coolest gadgets to ensure he doesn't have to get up to get anything or do anything.  But one day the electricity goes out and the couch potato must get up and DO something.  Will he be a couch potato forever? 

The figurative language in this book is insane.  While I was reading it aloud I was cracking up with all the puns that were in the story and even in the illustrations.  This book is packed with puns, alliteration, and personification.  The puns were all potato-related and every single one was absolutely hilarious.  This would be a fun book to kick off a figurative language unit or to use to teach puns in particular.  This book also packs a pretty positive message for kids today.  We all need to get away from electronics and get outside.  Kids are so glued to their phones or computers or the television that they don't know how to play outside and have fun like a normal kid.  Being a "couch potato" can have a negative impact on relationships with others, our health, and our mental state.  At the end of the book, it even comments that it's okay to be a couch potato but to not do it every day.  

The only negative thing I have to say about this book is that there are pages and illustrations that you need to see to really understand the joke or that it is talking about different items.  On one page the couch potato is referencing the different electronic devices that he has, but he never says the name.  He says things like, "See? I have this. And this. And this. And one of those...." This continues as there are pictures on the page that go along with the story.  It's just one of those things that you need to see so it makes sense as it is being read.  

I really enjoyed this book and plan to use it next year during my figurative language unit.  I hope my students enjoy the puns as much as I did!  I give this 5 stars.