Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle

A couple of weeks ago we did a team building activity at school.  (Yes, in March…)  Anyhow, it was a fun way to work with a group.  We had to list 20 things that we love/make us happy, another list of something, and five dream jobs we would do it we could.  It is risky sharing these jobs.  These are things we want to do, but maybe probably lack the skills to actually do.  Since I was a kid my dream was to be a Broadway star.  Sing, dance and win a Tony.  To be totally honest I lack everything to be able to do this.  I can’t sing, trust me or ask around.   I can’t dance; it’s not that I have two left feet they can’t even find the beat.  Of course I do perform daily.  I am a supporting actor and get to share center stage with 26 very dramatic characters. You’re always welcome to catch my daily matinee.

Every Sunday I read the New York Times Book Review.  Recently, there were two middle grade books reviewed about the theatre.  Better Nate Than Ever by Tim Federle perked my interest.   I decided that since there were 22 books on my to be read stack I would get a new one to read instead.  Please, don’t even try to figure out the logic to that!  Well I’m glad I did.  It was a gritty and charming story of Nate’s guest to be what I will never be:  a Broadway STAR!

Nate’s best friend Libby finds out that there are auditions for the musical version of ET.  Together they plan his escape from his small town outside Pittsburgh to New York to audition for a role.  Life for Nate is not easy.  He is over weight, and, well, he sings show tunes all the time.  Not the easiest way to survive middle school.  His parents fight all the time and his brother calls him the same names he is called at school.  Who wouldn’t want to escape? 

Once Nate arrives in New York he works very hard to reach his dream.  Along the way he meets his estranged aunt and her roommate and discovers the importance of family.

Middle Grade classification!  Publishers have to lump books together.  It helps all of you know where to start, but sometimes just putting them in a category isn’t enough.  Better Nate Than Ever is listed at a 9-13 year old book.  There are nine year olds that will enjoy this book, but putting it in a fourth grade classroom library is doing a disservice to a wonderful book.  This book should have book talks in 5^th, 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th grade classrooms and libraries.  Student’s dreams must be fostered, and allowed to bloom.  Given what is dominating media coverage this week gay students must have books that show that they are OK.  Luckily, Tim Federle wrote a book that will help many of these kids see that it will get better. 

Rump The True Story of Rumpelstilskin by Liesl Shurtliff

NBC’s Grimm is one of my favorite shows.  The show is an updated version of the Brothers Grimm. During the first episode the viewers discover that Nick Burkhardt, a Portland detective, is actually a Grimm.  For centuries Grimms have battled the evils.  As a Grimm, Nick can see what creature is really hidden behind the façade of a human.  It is this play on old stories that are so fun to watch and read.

Recently I received an advance reader’s copy of

Rump The True Story of Rumpelstilskin by Liesl Shurtliff.  Now any play on the word butt is going to get a boys attention.    This book definitely does not disappoint.  Rump’s mother died during childbirth.  Her last partial word was her new babies name….Rump!  I mean how sad?  She died before even saying his whole name.  In this magical land little gnomes run around announcing the name of newborn babies.  It was hard growing up and being the butt of so many jokes.  (Sorry I couldn’t help it.)  It is a hard life for Rump and his grandmother.  He must work in the gold mines all day, there is little food, and he is bullied non-stop. 

Rump does have a friend named Red.  Her grandmother lives in the forest.  See another twist to the old stories. As Rump gets older he discovers that he can spin straw into gold.  This of course leads to many bad times for the two friends.

I am not going to give away more about the story because you need to have fun reading it. I am ordering a copy this week for the classroom, so that it gets passed around and read by kids.  Rump is filled with humor, no parents, evil people, magic and more humor.  It has everything a boy read wants, and needs in a book.

Too often books based on old stories get lost in trying to take themselves too seriously.  Ms. Shurtliff has fun, and that is why I REALLY enjoyed Rump The True Story of Rumpelstilskin.

spy school by STUART GIBBS

 There is something about espionage that fascinates me.  Kim Philby and the Cambridge Five, and Aldrich Ames of the CIA intrigue me.  What drives a person to be a spy?  What makes them turn into a double agent?  I don’t read many spy books, but I love to watch spy shows.  Right now I am streaming MI-5 on Netflix, one of my favorites movies is Another Country loosely based on Kim Philby; and Homeland on Showtime is nail biting.  And the crème de la crème James Bond which keeps getting better. 

My mom once said, “James Bond movies are OK.  They’d be better if they were more realistic!”  Really, what can you say to that?  Except, if they were more realistic they wouldn’t be any good.

Last year Guy’s Read Book Club read belly up by Stuart Gibbs.  It was by far the favorite book of the year.  Many parents ended up reading it as well.  Recently, I found Mr. Gibbs newest book spy school while scouring the shelves at The Bookies.  I was very excited to see a new book from a great author.  After finishing the book I stand by my statement about Stuart Gibbs.

Spy School is a covert school located in Washington DC.  The CIA runs it, and its sole purpose is to train kids to be spies.  Most of the instructors are ex CIA operatives.  In other words that are too old or incompetent to be spies!   One day an average nerdy, 12 year old, named Ben Ripley comes home to find Alexander Hale, a spy, sitting in his living room. (Later we find that Alexander Hale is a total “Dig Me!”) Alexander is there to take Ben to spy school.  Ben is a mathematical genius, so he is told that he has qualified to be a spy.  What they didn’t tell him was the truth.  He is, actually, supposed to be a patsy, or a trap. While at Spy School he makes new friends, new enemies, and quickly finds out he is in over his head. Oh, and he saves the day.

OK, so that was a very brief blurb on the book.  I figure I would spend the time writing about what I like about the book.  Just like belly up, it is very funny.  Not slap stick funny, but situational funny.  Mr. Gibbs creates these very unrealistic situations that once you finish reading you say. “On, I could totally see that happening!”  The book is filled with wonderful characters.  It is very hard to figure out friend or foe.  This is important in a mystery.  I, also, like that Ben knows that he is not perfect. 

Another thing I like about the book is the layout.  Each chapter is titled, followed by location, date, and time.  I am not going to give the chapter number, but one chapter is titled:  

Interrogation 

Cheney Center for the Acquisition of Information

Most kids aren’t going to get the references, but REALLY how funny is this!

I quickly read this book, and I am giving it to a student this morning.  Unfortunately, the book is not right for Guy’s Read.  It is very much a high 4^th grade and above.  Not just reading level, but content.  You know just because they can read it doesn’t make it right. 

The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket by John Boyne

Thank you Random House for my copy.

Last spring I was reading a blog post about John Boyne’s new book.  I got excited because at the beginning of last year I read Noah Barleywater Runs Away as my first read aloud.  I loved it and more importantly my class loved it.  After I finished reading the blog post I called The Bookies and asked them to order me a copy.  “No problem.  It will be published January of 2013.”  I went back to the post and realized that it was a British blog.  Needless to say I had to wait a few months to read it.  I am happy to say it was worth the wait for The Terrible Thing that Happened to Barnaby Brocket.

Barnaby is not a normal eight year old. He is far from normal.  Barnaby floats.  He does not obey the laws of gravity.  This is a major problem for his parents because they DO NOT want anything to do with the abnormal.  Something terrible happens that sends Barnaby on a fabulous journey.  He travels from Sydney to Brazil and beyond.  On his journey he meets wonderful people that don’t fit the normal standards.

Mr. Boyne’s writing is not your typical middle grade writing.  It challenges the reader.  Not because it is too hard to read, or too weird.  He just makes us think really hard about our lives.  The longer I spend with young kids the more I realize that they like to be challenged this way.  At one point one of the joyful characters Barnaby meets says, "Just because your version of normal isn't the same as someone else's version doesn't mean that there's anything wrong with you," Kids (actually we all) need to hear this, or in this case read something like this. 

I have a list of kids I can’t wait to share this book with.

Four Mile by Watt Key

Judging the Cybils Book Awards is quite the adventure.  The excitement starts in August when I apply to be a judge. It is an honor to be chosen.  Then the waiting starts.  Which books will be nominated?  How many have I already read?  The lists start appearing.  Yay, I read that one.  I have no idea what that book is.   Next it is “Oh my god!  What have I done?  I can never read all these!”  Short lists are started, revised, revised, revised.  Discussions start, and finally the BIG chat about what we will send on to the final judges.  (For the record that job sounds WAY TOO stressful!)

http://www.cybils.com

Through the whole process I am reading books that I can share with students. Every year I end up shortlisting books I have never heard about.  This alone makes it worth the experience.   One standout this year is Four Mile by Watt Key. Foster is a twelve year old that lost his father to a fatal accident on their farm.  His mother starts dating a lowlife named Dax.  Foster knows the guy is bad news, but doesn’t have much control in what happens.  Foster’s anger towards Dax is understandable, but not always controllable.  In one of their fights Foster smashes the windshield on Dax’s truck.  He must paint the fence along the property to pay for the damage.  It is here that Foster meets Gary, an Iraqi war vet wander the country.  This chance meeting changes everything.

Four Mile is gritty.  It is everywhere in the book.  This grittiness is what makes this book stand out.  The sorrow that Foster and his mom are feeling is dark and gritty.  The relationships with Dax are stressful for the characters and the reader.  The secrets that Gary carries are unnerving.  I had trouble putting down this book.  At the end I immediately thought about what Foster will be like as an adult.  These are just some of the reasons why it was easy for our group to shortlist Four Mile by Watt Key for the Cybils’ shortlist.

It is definitely a high middle grade book.  Given the theme I would say 5^th grade to 8^th grade.

KINDOF SPOILER ALERT:  DOG ON THE COVER!