EVERYONE HAS A STORY TO TELL

A book review by Theresa of the Children's Room: 

Soon to be an official eighth grader with visions of time spent honing her acting skills, Anna McConnell’s summer plans have changed a bit. Instead of hanging out with her friends, she is being sent off to stay with her grandmother Mim while her parents sort out some very serious issues in their marriage. While she enjoys spending time with Mim, Anna worries that spending the summer in a place with a reputation as a sleepy little town will be less than exciting. Fortunately for the budding actress the town’s famous Flower Festival is about to happen and she lands the part of a petunia whose job is to promote the event. Stationed at the Library our girl soon meets kids her age and the summer suddenly perks up and seems to have some very interesting prospects. 

But one day while on Petunia duty at the Library she notices something troubling, what appears to be a young girl being kept against her will by a couple in a van. This brief encounter totally changes everything as Anna becomes very focused on finding the truth out about what she has seen. Convincing the adults to not only believe her but help becomes her passion. The difficulty lies in that there is not much to go on in Joan Bauer’s Tell Me, a very suspenseful, sometimes funny and at all times hopeful story. 

For grades 5-8.

BRIGHT LIGHTS, BIG CITY

13 year old Nate Foster is about to make it big. At least, he hopes so. Otherwise, stealing his brother’s fake id and running away to New York City to audition for the Broadway musical version of E.T. will have all been in vain. His only hope of not getting grounded for the rest of his life and having to return to his horrible small town existence as bully bait is to be cast as the lead role. Armed with passion, charisma, wit, and a little bit of naïveté, Nate sets out to conquer New York City and take Broadway by storm.

Better Nate Than Ever by Broadway choreographer Tim Federle is a hilarious story about a kid who will stop at nothing to realize his dreams. It’s a bumpy jouney, but Nate learns a lot about himself along the way. This book will have you howling with laughter and tapping your toes to show tunes as Nate finds himself swept into the crush of the big city, freeloading chips and salsa from every restaurant in Times Square and desperately searching for a place to charge his ancient Nokia phone. It’s a great read for anyone who has ever had a dream and maybe enough courage to chase it.

Grades 5 and up

PIZZA OR FISH GUTS

CAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUS... by Kristen Tracy is a good book and a surprising book, but never a dull book. Camille is in fourth grade. She knows life is not fair. But she just didn't realize how unfair life could be! Falling under the bus is only one of the many unfair things that happen - some of them funny, some of them sad. She tries being a Dingo about it...until she realizes Dingoes aren't as tough as she thought. In the end, she realizes it's not about dwelling in the unfairness, but how you move past it. This book will remind some readers of Beverly Cleary. For 4th - 6th grades.

RABBITS ON STAGE

So you've been reading for about a year now, and it's time for a book that's a little longer. CINDER-RABBIT by Lynn Hazen is not quite a chapter book, but is longer than the usual book for early readers. Zoe the rabbit is chosen to be the star of the school play - Cinder-Rabbit! For the last act, she is to lead the rest of the cast in an onstage Bunny Hop. Unfortunately, thanks to mean Winifred, she's lost her hop. In all the rehearsals, she can never hop quite right. Will she get her hop back before opening night? Read and you will soon find out! For 2nd and 3rd graders.

FUNNY FOX SHOWS OFF!

Sometimes animals seem a lot like humans. In the book FOX BE NIMBLE by James Marshall, the human-like character is Fox, and he has three chapters of funny happenings. Fox really thinks he's hot stuff. But apparently not everyone knows just how great he is, so he makes a point of showing everyone! First he must babysit for the Ling children who are hard to keep still and end up getting Fox on the evening news. Next, Fox injures himself falling on a skate and makes a big deal out of it, even though he wasn't very hurt, just because he is such a show off. He finally puts his antics to good use as the baton-twirling leader of a parade. This is good for 1st - 3rd graders who are almost ready to read chapter books, but aren't ready for anything too long.

MYSTERY IN THE HLLS

The Hollywood Sisters: Backstage Pass by Mary Wilcox is a new mystery series about the Ortiz sisters newly plunked into their rented Beverly Hills mansion from more humble digs in Anaheim. Jessie, the shy and younger sister of the now famous Eva, is determined to stop the bad press, but she seems to only be getting in the way and creating ill feelings with the crew and cast members instead.

For readers in 4th-6th grade.