MG Realistic Fiction: Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson

Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John David Anderson
Format:  ARC paperback
Pages:  300
Release Date:  June 21st 2016 by Walden Pond Press
Genre:  MG Realistic Fiction
Source: Review copy provided by the  publisher in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted at Word Spelunking 

 My first introduction to John David Anderson's books was when I read The Dungeoneers for Round One of the MG Speculative Fiction Cybils, it even made it onto the finalists list. The Dungeoneers was one of my favorite books from last year.   Needless to say, when I saw that Anderson had a new book coming out and he was delving into realistic fiction, I was pretty excited to read it.  The premise sounded awesome.  


Ms. Bixby's Last Day is the kind of story that packs a punch, it centers around the tough subject of a beloved teacher who is very ill and the three students who want to give her the perfect day she has always dreamed of.  Steve is the genius, Topher is the creative artist and Brand is the new kid at school, who at first was just looking for a place to eat his lunch when he met the other two.  Since then they have been pretty good friends.  Friends who know very little about each other, except for maybe that they all like video games and pizza, but still eat lunch together every day.  Ms. Bixby is their teacher and someone who has become very important to each of them,  just how much the other doesn't know.  So, when Ms. Bixby becomes so ill that she has to leave before the end of school year party, naturally they are distraught.  There was so much that each of them had wanted to tell her.    When they also find out that Ms. Bixby's condition has gotten worse and she is now being transferred to a hospital out of town, the trio plan to skip school and visit her in the hospital. What ensues is a road trip across town gathering all of the items Ms. Bixby said makes for a "perfect day."  Their trip has its obstacles, but somehow they seem to manage to have their celebration with Ms. Bixby after all.   The beauty of Ms. Bixby's Last Day lies in finding out just what each of the boys connection to Ms. Bixby was and why she was so important to them. I just love how the story alternates between each of the three boys and we learn a little bit more about each of them.   It's such a touching story filled with humorous moments, stories about the boys at school, their home life. These three kids are so realistically portrayed that I found myself sobbing buckets when I reached the end.  I truly hope that Anderson writes another story about Topher, Steve and Brand.  Even though the book has its sad moments, Anderson always seemed to find a way to add lighter tones to the story too and by the end of their journey, I knew these boys forged a bond to last a very long time.   Ms. Bixby's Last Day will stick with me for a really long time, and I know this will be a book that I will read again and again.   A huge thank you to Aeicha at Word Spelunking  and Walden Pond Press for the autographed ARC of the book.  If you've read Ms. Bixby's Last Day, feel free to leave me your thoughts in the comments.  Otherwise, I hope you'll get the chance, it's not a book that you want to miss.  If you need further convincing, here is an excerpt from the publisher.

Top Ten Tuesday: Six of my Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year (2016)

Top Ten Tuesday is a Meme hosted by The Broke and the Bookish  This week's Top Ten Tuesday is Ten of my Most Anticipated Releases for the Second Half of the Year (2016)

So I picked six books that I really want to read over the next several months, which might be a bit of a challenge cause the majority are publishing in August through October, why does it need to be during Cybils?  I'm just going to have to get creative to sneak these all in.  

1.  Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling expected publication July 31st 2016

This seemed like an easy choice for me, I've adored all the other books and I always enjoy any new content that Rowling's comes up with on her Pottermore site.  

 2.  The Creeping Shadow (Lockwood and Co. #4) by Jonathan Stroud expected publication September 13th 2016

Stroud is one of my favorite authors and I can't wait to delve back into London, ghost hunting, see what is happening with Lucy and Lockwood and Company.  

3.  Mabel Jones and the Doomsday Book by Will Mabbitt expected publication October 4th 2016

I've become quite fond of Mabel Jones and her madcap adventures.  There is something about Mabbitt's humor and Ross Collins illustrations that I find so entertaining to read.  

4.  Cloud and Wallfish by Anne Nesbet expected publication October 4th 2016

This sounds like a fascinating historical fiction, which I'm always on the lookout for me and my kiddo to read.  I'm also interested in the main character who has a stutter and the way the author chooses to describe it.  

5.  Nevernight by Jay Kristoff expected publication August 9th 2016

This one is a YA Fantasy where a "fledgling killer joins a school of assassins, seeking vengeance against the powers who destroyed her family." Yeah and the authors says he threw in some blood magic and living shadows, yep sounds intriguing.  

6.  Crooked Kingdom (Six of Crows #2) by Leigh Bardugo expected publication September 27th 2016

Six of Crows was one of my favorite book reads with my kiddo last year.  I'm really looking forward to learning more about Wylan's story.  Lovely setting, writing and characters.  

So, what books made it on your most anticipated list?  Feel free to share your link in the comments.  

MG Realistic Ficiton: The BFF Bucket List by Dee Romito

The BFF Bucket List by Dee Romito
Format:  ARC paperback
Pages:  235
Release Date:  May 3rd 2016 by Simon and Schuster/Aladdin
Genre:  MG Realistic Fiction
Source: Review copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted at Literary Rambles

Skyler and Ella are two peas in a pod, best friends since forever.  However,  when Skyler starts wanting to watch scary movies and go bowling with a new group of friends when Ella would rather just hang out together, she knows that something is terribly wrong.  It seems like all the things they had in common are just drifting away, but Ella refuses to let that happen, instead she comes up with a Bucket list of activities for her and Skyler to complete together.  At first, Skyler loves the idea, adding talking to their secret crushes to the list, but slowly new friends and accidents seem to get in the way of the doing the list together.  And with both Ella and Skyler keeping a huge secret from each other, things go from bad to worse.  Will the girls be able to make up and complete their BFF list after all? 


This is the summer before Ella and Skyler are set to enter high school, they've each got big plans,  as well as a few secrets that they've been keeping.  The BFF Bucket List really captures that feeling of two friends outgrowing one another,  where at first you enjoyed doing all the same things, but then start to have new interests and hobbies that the other person doesn't have.  For Ella and Skyler, it's a struggle watching their friendship change,  and they each deal with it in very different ways.  Ella comes up with the list of tasks to complete and Skyler tries to broaden their group by bringing along other people or just doing the activities that she wants to try without Ella.  You get a feel for what each of the girls is thinking via the alternating of chapters between the duo.  I found the story easy to relate to and Romito really captures the feel of soon to be high schoolers.  The activities on the bucket list were quite creative and the best friend photo shoot and random acts of kindness were two of my favorites, what fun it would be for two best friends to come up with their own lists together.   As Skyler and Ella would say, "major fun" (with a salute).    

MG Historical Fiction/Fantasy: The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox

The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle by Janet Fox
Format:  Hardcover
Pages:  388
Release Date:  March 15th, 2016 by Penguin Random House
Genre:  MG Historical Fiction/Fantasy
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted at Word Spelunking

Something is not right at Rookskill Castle, a rundown Scottish manor shrouded in mystery. The castle is a temporary boarding school for children escaping the Blitz, but soon it’s clear there is something terribly wrong. There are clues hinting that a spy is in the house, and there are undeniable signs of a sinister magic. When the children in the castle’s temporary boarding school begin disappearing one by one, it’s a race against the clock for twelve-year-old Kat Bateson, her two younger siblings, and their new best friend.

My initial reaction to The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle was that it was unnerving, not quite creepy, but very unsettling. The story takes place in Scotland and has all the feel of being mysterious, dark, and drafty.  Something seems to be lurking in the corridors of the castle, and there are rumors that the castle is haunted, what with the strange sightings of young children wandering the grounds. Yet, there are only small hints to what this mysterious thing is.  The Charmed Children of Rookskill Castle begins with some historical background on what a "chatelaine" is,  think a charm bracelet but worn at the waist, and a creepy poem about the charms on one particular chatelaine (Lady Eleanor's).  The plot then slowly unfolds with each chapter alternating between time periods, characters, charms on the chatelaines and just what the Lady of Rookskill's plans are.  I really enjoyed the way the story unfolded, it kept things tense and suspenseful, so much that it was very hard to put it down.  I really wanted to see how everything was going to come together and boy did it.  Lovely atmospheric story, with great historical details and suspense, plus Fox leaves things open enough that there could be another book.   

MG Realistic Fiction: Ramona the Pest by Beverly Cleary

Ramona the Pest  by Beverly Cleary
Format:  Paperback
Pages: 211
Release Date: Scholastic
Genre:  MG Realistic Fiction
Source: Library

Ramona is about to start Kindergarten and she couldn't be more excited.  At school, she meets her new teacher, Mrs. Binney.  Mrs. Binney has important rules like sitting quietly and keeping your hands to yourself.  There are even lessons on how to write your name, but the school doesn't turn out to be as much fun as Ramona had anticipated.   Especially when Mrs. Binney reprimands Ramona for pulling on Susan's bouncy curls and insists that she never do it again.  Ramona wants to stop pulling Susan's hair, but she knows that she can't promise Mrs. Binney that she will never do it again.  

It had been a long time since I've re-read Ramona the Pest, way too long.  I'd forgotten how special Ramona was to my reading experiences growing up.  She is such a sweet girl, not nearly as much of a pest as people made her out to be.  She may be strong-willed and know what she wants, and is willing to go after it, but she is also adorable and sweet and has a kind heart.  Qualities that I've always admired about Ramona.     I loved how the story started with Ramona's early experiences going to Kindergarten and followed along with her year.  Every once in awhile stopping for a few misunderstandings that happen when you put a bunch of children in a classroom.  The cutest moment was when Ramona met Mrs. Binney and she tells her to "sit here for the present."   Ramona takes this to mean that she is going to receive a present from her teacher, even I wanted to give her a present over the misunderstanding.   Ramona strikes me as trying her best to behave in Kindergarten, and she seemed to want Mrs. Binney to like her, to please her.   Ramona's Kindergarten sounded like it was more fun than work. This got me thinking about all the ways that Kindergarten must have changed since I was growing up.   Sure there are still the early rules about sitting in your seat, raising your hand, moving to printing upper and lower case letters.  But, I couldn't help think about the things that are different.  For instance is there still time for art projects, and  are there parties?  I know Halloween parties where you wear costumes are probably a thing of the past.  Is Kindergarten more work than they used to be?   I remember learning through pretend play, having a  grocery store with a cash register and selling plastic fruits and vegetables to my friends.  Even gluing macaroni onto to a piece of paper to write our names.  I kinda envision a Kindergarten of today with Ipads and drills on the letters of the alphabet.  Yet,  children of today are also learning things at a much earlier age than I did.  I see this even with my kiddo in middle school,  so I guess in some ways change is good, as long as there is still time for laughter and creativity.   Ramona the Pest was such a delightful re-read and I'm hoping to pick up a few more books in the series.  Such fun to visit another time and reflect on the similarities/differences.   

MG Fantasy: Gorilla Tactics (Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions #2) by Sheila Grau

Gorilla Tactics (Dr. Critchlore's School for Minions #2)  by Sheila Grau
Illustrations by Joe Sutphin
Format:  Hardcover
Pages: 304
Release Date:  March 1st 2016 by Amulet Books
Genre:  MG Fantasy
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted by Aeicha at  http://wordspelunking.blogspot.com as a part of March Middle Grade Madness).  

Runt is back in another installment of Dr. Crichlore's School for Minions.  Runt's sixteenth birthday is quickly approaching, so he is desperate to find  out who put this curse on him and convince them to break it.  If he can't get answers soon, he will end up dying on his birthday.   When hints surface that the Great Library might have answers for him, Runt once again enlists the help of his friends, Skye and Frankie to locate the spies (librarians) who have been tasked with protecting its wealth of knowledge and location.  But, Runt is not the only one who is seeking the Great Library,  and what is going on with Dr. Critchlore hosting a fashion show to try and save the school?  

I'm always initially drawn to Dr. Crichlores's School for Minions by the cover and illustrations by Joe Suphin, and I just love the detailed map at the beginning too.  Quite eye catching and engaging.  It really draws you into these characters.   And my are there some characters, all with very unique personalities.  I'm kinda partial to Uncle Ludwig, who seems to know much more than he is letting on (he's in the bottom right of the cover). It's hard to not like the trio of Skye, Frankie and Runt though too.   Runt has always had a rocky time at the School for Minions.  After the first book, he found out that his friend Skye was keeping an important secret from him and getting into the Junior Henchmen program has been more challenging than he expected.  Runt has taken to making to-do lists to help stay focused on his tasks, but still faces the same problem most of us face when starting these lists, eventually you have to revise and add things to them almost constantly.  Skye has been trying to make amends with Runt for keeping the secret from him that he isn't a werewolf,  which left him feeling pretty hurt and humiliated for much of the first part of the book.  It isn't until Runt is put into a similar situation where he has information about Skye's past that might be hurtful to her, that he see's why she kept things to herself for so long.   It isn't easy to tell your friend the truth all the time.  I liked that Runt  finally realizes just how unfair he has been, but felt bad for him being in the same situation.  I expect we'll learn much more about Skye's past in the next book.  Gorilla Tactics seemed to move along at a much faster pace then the first story, with more action and some nice twists in the plot.  Lots of plots, with the school takeover, the fashion show to try and save it, who cursed Runt and why? and Skye's past.  Plus there was a new mystery for Runt to solve about his own past sending him and his friends off to follow the clues.   Yet, everything tied together nicely,  and despite a few unanswered questions at the end, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.  

MG Adventure: The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele

The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin by Elinor Teele
Illustrations by Ben Whitehouse
Format:  Hardcover
Pages:  352
Release Date:  April 12th 2016 by Walden Pond Press
Genre:  MG Adventure
Source: Review copy provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review via a Giveaway hosted at Unleashing Readers

Opening Line Chapter 1:  "Once upon a time there was a boy who made coffins." 

John and Page Coggin, live with their Great-Aunt Beauregard in the town of Pludgett, ever since their parents died.   Great-Aunt Beauregard runs the family coffin making business, making them the "Supreme Craftsmen of Death."  John has labored for years building the coffins, while his younger sister Page went to school.  At night, he would tell her stories about their parents or make up these characters that go on wild adventures. John also loved to tinker, and was quite imaginative, hoping one day to have an invention that would ensure he and his sister could leave the family coffin business behind. If they don't get away soon, John worries what Great-Aunt Beauregard has planned for their future. When Great-Aunt Beauregard does finally announce her plan, it's much worse then John feared, she want's to make John the heir to the casket business and have Page join them as the beautician to the deceased.  John can't stand by while his Great-Aunt forces his sister into the family business, so the two decide it's time for them to runaway.   One of the first people they meet is Boz, who offers them employment with the Wandering Wayfares, a circus that Boz has a history with.  At first, things are working out for the siblings, but when one of John's inventions goes horribly awry, they are off once again, this time trying to escape the clutches of Great-Aunt Beauregard.  Will they find a safe place to live at the bakery, or at an ancient dig site?  Or will John just have to give in and sign Great-Aunt Beauregard's contract when she captures and threaten's his sister?   

For six years, John's creativity has been stifled being "ensconced in sawdust,"  so it's easy to see why he works so hard to earn the acceptance of the people he meets along the way (Maria and Miss Doyle) by building various contraptions to make things easier, faster or more economical.  Often things went horribly wrong with his inventions, yet despite his failures, his friends that he makes encourage him to keep trying.  John is most successful when he works with others on his inventions, I think there is a valuable lesson in here about accepting help. I felt like John's character grew from being pretty indecisive and meek to having more confidence and willing to stand up for his friends and family.  He also learned to keep trying.  His sister Page was also a wonderful character, in the way that she supported John, but also when she refused to separate from him, she could have stayed with any of the people they met, but she had confidence that he would come up with a plan. The major appeal of the story though for me was Boz, he was such a hoot, with his extraordinary vocabulary and use of large words.  I particularly enjoyed the word combinations he made to take a simple idea and make it much more complex. For example, when he asks John the question, "Where are the foundations of your perambulation?" (AKA shoes.) Something about those word choices just tickles me.  He does this throughout the book and adds much of the lighter moments to the story.   As an adult, I appreciated them, my kiddo, probably not so much.  A dictionary might have been necessary to decipher what he is saying, but he was just so amusing to listen to.  I also enjoyed that Boz was flawed, in that he ran away when things got dicey, but when it really mattered, he stepped up and comes to John's aid.  Great-Aunt Beauregard reminded me of Snidely Whiplash from the Dudley Do-Right cartoon on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, a little more comedic then villainous.  Overall, I quite enjoyed The Mechanical Mind of John Coggin.  As a side note, there are wonderful suggestions for using this book as a vocabulary activity at Unleashing Readers, where I also found this link to the educational activity kit based on the book created by Walden Pond Press.  

Cover & illustrations by Ben Whitehouse

http://villains.wikia.com/wiki/Snidely_Whiplash