The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty

When Lucy was a young child she was hit by lightning that caused her to be both a mathematical savant, and to be obsessive compulsive.  Lucy lives with her grandmother and has been home-schooled until her grandmother decides that Lucy needs to improve her people skills with children her own age. Even though Lucy has technically already graduated from high school, she enrolls Lucy in middle school and challenges her to make at least one friend.

This is a book similar in feeling to Fish in a Tree or Wonder.  Lucy is a likable character, and the reader really hopes she will figure out the whole, "how to be a friend" thing.  It is also a good book about the importance and power of Math. I am not sure why the author had her gain her savant characteristics by being struck by lightning instead of being born that way.  Maybe she was trying to help the reader think, "this could be me," and hence relate with the character a little more. (2018 293 p.)

DK Findout! World War II

I can't get the text to wrap around this image.

DK Findout! is a new series by DK that is very much like their old Eyewitness series.  It it has the same kind of format with lots of pictures and small text boxes. This volume contains all the standard topics and information on WWII.  I discovered a few facts that I didn't know before like that Russia had a group of women bomber pilots that went out at night.  The Germans called them Naghthexen, or night witches (which is pretty cool).  DK is a British publisher, so this book has a European perspective on the war.  I read the book on my Kindle, and when I was done I was disappointed to find out that it seems to only be available in paperback (and ebook), and that our library doesn't have a physical copy.  These kind of fast fact books are great to check out and put on the coffee table.  I used to do that when my kids were at home.  During the course of the week each of them would pick up the book and spend at least some time looking through it. These are also great for the reluctant reader kids who can't be bothered with fiction stories. (64 p., 2017)

Five Worlds: The Cobalt Prince by Mark Siegel (et alii)

Here is the second in the graphic novel series that started with The Sand Warrior.  This one starts with a look into the world of Oona's sister, Jesse.  We learn how she got to be on the "other side" and why she abandoned her sister.  Will the sisters be reunited and discover the truth about the dark future that threatens the five worlds? This is a richly imagined fantasy will very well done and engaging illustrations. I might like it even better than Amulet. The characters and plot are quite complex, and it is definitely for readers who have more sophisticated graphic novel fantasy tastes. I also appreciate that the writers keep it completely free from any "mature" content. (244 p. 2018)

The Penderwicks at Last by Jeannie Birdsall

This is the most recent and (maybe) the last of the Penderwicks series.  In this one the original sisters are all grown up and Rosalyn is getting married.  She decides to get married at Arundel, and so all the family returns to where the story started.  This one is written from the point of view of Lydia, who is 11 and the half sister to the original four.  She gets to experience the magic of Arundel for the first time and makes a friend in the daughter of the groundskeeper.  It has the tone of the other books and I think it ties the story up quite nicely.  Some bloggers were disappointing in the "shipping" (i.e. who ended up marrying whom), but I think in real life not everyone ends up marrying the person they thought they would.  I actually think that is a good message for a children's book. As I was reading it I realized that I actually skipped the 4th book, The Penderwicks in Spring, and now I have to decide whether I will go back and read it. (2018, 294 p.)

Big Foot and Little Foot by Ellen Potter

Hugo and his Sasquatch family live in a system of caves deep beneath the forest. The first rule for little Sasquatches, or Squidges, is that they must never be seen by humans. Hugo longs to see the outside world, sail the ocean, and have adventures, but he knows that he will probably live his whole life in the village's cavern. Then one day, during stealth training outside the cave, he happens upon a human boy. Can they possibly be friends when their races fear and distrust each other?

This is a gentle story written in accessible language and featuring child-friendly black and white illustrations. Potter's message of overcoming prejudice is timely but not heavy handed. This is a good choice for fairly young kids who might like a little bit of excitement, but not too much. (2018, 136 p.)

Restart by Gordon Korman

Chase wakes up in the hospital with no memory of the first 13 years of his life. People tell him that he fell from the roof of his house and hit his head, but he has no memory of that either. When he heals well enough to return to school, he begins to discover that he was a big-shot on campus, star of the football team with a close knit group of friends. He also discovers that he was not a model citizen and did some things that he now regrets. Now he needs to decide if he wants to reclaim his former status, or keep his new friends who are the very nerds he used to persecute.

This was not my favorite of Korman's books, but it was pretty good. It took quite a suspension of belief that someone's personality would change that much because of amnesia.  It was also hard to believe that Chase would forget all the people he knew, but not everything else, like how to do math or play football.  The selective nature of his amnesia was a bit too convenient.  If you can swallow that, then the rest of the book is interesting and thought provoking.  You are cheering for Chase to realize that his old life and friends were really lousy and he should keep his better, albeit more humble, new life.  This one would be an interesting one for a parent/son book club. (2017, 243 p.)

Sam the Man and the Chicken Plan by Frances 0'Roark Dowell

Sam wants to earn some money like his sister does, but there are not many jobs for a 7 year old boy.  Finally he finds one tending the neighbor's chickens while she is on vacation.  Sam likes the chickens so much he decides he wants to buy one of his own, one that lays blue eggs.  His parents loan him the money to buy it, but now Sam has to find a way to pay back his parents.  Meanwhile he can hardly wait for his chicken to lay her first egg.  Henry needs a plan to earn money and pass the time before the first egg comes. 

This is my intermediate book of the month. I chose it because the 3rd in the series got a starred review.  It is a cute story with a likable character written in simple language.  I wouldn't call it particularly thrilling, or even funny but it has a good message about perseverance. It is maybe a good choice for a quiet kid who doesn't need a lot of excitement.  (144 p. 2016)