GALLOP GALLOP GALLOP!

If you have ever tried to make a paper airplane or made an attempt to fly a kite, than you should learn about the man who by observing birds, realized that objects could also fly as well... This man's name is Leonardo De Vinci and let's just say that he was one very cool man. He is also known for his other skills, such as painting, sculpting and drawing. But, you would be surprised to learn that with all his accomplishments, what bothered him the most was his inability to sculpt a huge horse out of bronze which was commissioned to him… He never did finish the sculpture and this haunted him even on his death bed... In the year 1977, a discovery was made...The rest, as they say is history, literally... LEONARDO'S HORSE by JEAN FRITZ is definitely what I would call a work of art!

For 3rd and up grades.

TANGLED LIVES

Amedeo Kaplan, same first name as Modigliani, is new in town and befriends William who is helping his mother with the estate sale of his other new neighbor in St. Malo, Florida. He is intrigued by William and by his desire to be a discoverer, and soon they "discover" a sketch by Modigliani that takes them on a journey of the nature of heroism, history of degenerate art & the Nazis. The lives of people in the past and the present are all interwined in this complex story where people aren't just good or bad but are just...people.

The Mysterious Edge of the Heroic World by e. l. Konigsburg is for mature readers in 7th grade and up.

DANGER IN ART

While in a small London town, Calder becomes intrigued by a piece of art work created by the artist he was named after, Alexander Calder. The sculpture mysteriously disappears one day and so does Calder. His father and the police are clueless as to how to find Calder so they must enlist the help of his two closest friends to search for clues. His friends must set aside their personal dislikes of each other to find him before it is too late.

In this third art mystery novel, The Calder Game by Blue Balliett, the puzzle lover finds himself within a life size maze that has somehow swallowed him up without leaving a trace.

For readers in 4th - 6th.

THIS IS WHAT I READ

Logan has a reputation that preceeds him at his new school because of something terrible that happened with his old best friend Zyler. He tries to act like everything is normal, but the bullying he experiences and the way his parents act around him just makes his life miserable. As his school year progresses, Logan learns ways to escape his tormentors and process his feelings. I find that I really like books that don't tell you too much information at the beginning of the story. Books that have a personality you have to get to know before you finish the story are always more entertaining for me than those that tell you everything you need to know about a main character before the end of the first chapter. THIS IS WHAT I DID by Ann Dee Ellis is one of those books. The theme is similar to the book SPEAK by Laurie Halse Anderson as far as it's controversial subject matter, but is reflected through the eyes of an eigth grade boy. Definitely worth reading, but this book is really only appropriate for 7th and 8th grades.

WHEN ART WAS LIFE!

Charlotte is a young American girl living in France with her mother and father, who is an impressionist artist. They live right next door to Monsieur Monet, run into Monsieur Gaugin while vacationing by the sea, and travel to New York where her father is comissioned to be a featured artist in a fancy gallery there. The story unfolds through Charlotte's journal, as she details the many exciting things that happen in France and New York, and what it's like to be alive in the 1890s. It even includes a recipe and quite a few paintings, post cards and other artistic tokens. A good story for 3rd-5th grades.