THROW BACK: The Candymakers by Wendy Mass

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on March 11, 2011. I wasn’t a school librarian yet when I wrote this, but I was running a creative writing club for elementary school students, two different age groups, at the time. This book became the gold standard of middle grade fiction for me. The STRUCTURE of the story is brilliant, with each of the four main characters telling their version of the A section of the story, one after the other. Each new walk through the material gives the reader new information and insights about the characters and the story. Then, the focal point character comes in and tells the B section of the story to wrap everything up. It’s truly brilliant!

Summary


Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.

Four children gather at the Life is Sweet candy factory to prepare for the Annual New Candy Contest. They will spend two days together, learning about candy making and developing their own candy for the contest. Each one has a story – a “secret” – a “battle.” But if they can learn to trust each other, they can make something amazing happen.

 

Review


Outstanding! Fantastic! In a lesson for my writing students about good story beginnings, I read the first paragraph or two of eight different children’s books. This is the book that 21 out of my 22 students in one class said I should read first. They couldn’t have chosen better. Great twists and turns. Amazing connections between the kids that come out little by little. The author starts with Logan’s story and then layers each of the others over that before putting everything together to wrap up the overall story arc.  I cannot say enough about how much I enjoyed this book. And I raved about it to both of my groups of students. I returned the library’s copy as soon as I finished with it and ran out to buy my own copy. Now I can read it again, read it to my son, and share it with more students in the years to come.

5 out of 5 stars

Recommended for: children 8 and up, writing teachers, classroom teachers, summer reading for families

BOOK NEWS: September 5, 2023

Happy Labor Day to everyone in the US. Here are some of the books release during this first week of September!

Book for Kids


Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Sleigh! – A new book for the Pigeon!
How the Grinch Lost Christmas – A sequel!
A Lot Like Batman – A young Batman negotiates starting school for the first time. This looks darling!
Secret Society of Aunts and Uncles – A novice uncle gets some training in uncleology in this new picture book by Jake Gyllenhaal. With illustrations by Dan Santat, this looks like a must read to me.  I already have this on hold at the library.
Cat on the Run – From the author of the Bad Guys series comes a new hero – Princess Beautiful – a cat video star who is accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Yes, please!
Cryptid Club: Chupacabra Hoopla – Book 3 in the Cryptid Club series. Something is stealing food at the school, so the Cryptid Club is on the case.

 

Books for Older Kids/Teens/Young Adults


The Curious Vanishing of Beatrice Willoughby – Thirteen years after Beatrice disappeared, six households are invited to a celebration of All Hallows Eve – and to help solve the mystery. This sounds AMAZING! I already pre-ordered this one.
The Mona Lisa Vanishes: A Legendary Painter, a Shocking Heist, and the Birth of a Global Celebrity  (Nonfiction) – Discover the history of the Mona Lisa in this new nonfiction book for middle grade readers!
Who Was Accused in the Salem Witch Trials? (Nonfiction) – New from the folks at Who HQ.
Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose – Book 9 in the Enola Holmes series. When a man connected to American publishing goes missing, a young author, Rudyard Kipling, seeks out Holmesian help. But he refuses to hire Enola, and instead moves on to Sherlock. But Enola won’t be dissuaded from investigating. Yes, please!
The Fallout – Book 2 in a dystopian series about our world, on the brink of a collision with a comet, and the holograms who come to offer rescue. Or do they? I have GOT to pick up the first book in this series!
Maybe Meant to Be (LGBTQ+) – Everyone thinks Sage and Charlie belong together, and they are just waiting around to see them finally figure it out. But a new boy at school leaves Charlie questioning the new feelings he is experiencing, and Charlie’s distraction leaves Sage to see if there might be something between her and Charlie’s twin brother. Fascinating!
Suddenly a Murder – Seven friends enjoy an end-of-high-school 1920s themed party until one of them ends up dead.

 

Books for Adults


Brynn and Sebastian Hate Each Other (Trade Paperback) – America’s sweetheart has to repair her reputation which means keeping her sunny disposition around the reclusive former journalist who is her driver while she’s back in Adelaide Springs. I am a big fan of Bethany Turner, and I can’t wait to pick this one up.
Death in the Romance Aisle (Trade Paperback) – Rarity is starting over after breast cancer with a new bookstore in Sedona. But the exciting return of her best friend’s brother coincides with a murder, and she can’t help but wonder if the two events are connected.
Enchanted to Meet You (Trade Paperback) – New from Meg Cabot. A woman banned from the World Council of Witches finds herself having to help save West Harbor from sinister forces. So looking forward to this one!
Fly with Me (Trade Paperback, LGBTQ+) – A nurse who goes viral for saving a life on her flight agrees to play fake girlfriend for the co-pilot whose airline is reaping the benefits of the heartwarming story.
The Long Game (Trade Paperback) – A soccer exec banished to redeem her reputation with a kids’ soccer team runs afoul of a local soccer star who wants to run her out of town. This sounds adorable!
Look Out for the Little Guy (Hardcover) – An “autobiography” of Marvel character Scott Lang (aka Ant Man).
Main Character Energy (Trade Paperback) – A struggling author has the chance to inherit a gorgeous villa in the French Rivera from her beloved late aunt. She just has to finish her novel first. YES. This is top of my list for this week.
Mother-Daughter Murder Night (Hardcover) – Lana misses her high-powered life as she finds herself fighting cancer and living with her daughter and grand-daughter.  But when her grand-daughter becomes a murder suspect, Lana puts her drive to use finding the real killer. Yes, please! Another for my list this week.
Witches Get Stuff Done (Trade Paperback) – First in a new series. The local librarian is eager to get access to Shaddow House now that it is under new ownership. The new owner, though, is just trying to wrangle her newly discovered magical powers as well as her new haunted home. Sounds fun!

 

THROW BACK: Goldlilocks and Just One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on November 16, 2012. And I was right – this was a fantastic read aloud for the library. I developed a lesson series for the end of the school year based on fractured fairy tales and this was one of the books I used in that curriculum.

Summary and Review


A bear gets lost and wanders into the big city. Looking for a quiet place to rest and regroup, he wanders into a penthouse where he looks for some “just right” porridge, a “just right” chair and a “just right” spot to nap. When the family comes home, the bear and the mom recognize one another from a long ago adventure when the roles were reversed.

Such a cute twist on the classic Goldilocks story. I can’t wait to read this one to my students. It is a treat! I’m thinking about pairing it with Children Make Terrible Pets or Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs for reading time in the library.

5 out of 5 stars