Tag: bullies

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Fantabulous Finale by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Random House Books for Young Readers in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Kyle Keeley is back, and this time he’s hoping to win it all! Mr. Lemoncello is giving away his entire empire to a 13-year-old kid, and Kyle wants to be that kid.

Kyle isn’t the only kid hoping to win. There’s Simon and Soraiya in New York and Gloria in Florida as well as Betina in California. As Kyle gets to know the other contestants – 13 in all – his confidence starts to waver. Most of his closest friends chose to sit this one out, and he could have too. He’s not sure his gaming skills are best in the group. And running the Lemoncello empire requires more than game skills. But he also knows that Charles Chiltington is up to no good. Kyle has to stay in the game to keep Charles from ruining the Lemoncello legacy.

Review

A lovely send-off for, as Chris Grabenstein says in his acknowledgements “this particular arc of the Lemoncello universe.” While there are new stories – and graphic novels – still to come, this is a satisfying conclusion to the initial book series. The games are fun, and the contestants for the most part are endearing kids who hope to succeed. I loved that there was space for several series regulars to sit this one out. They set a boundary for themselves and pursued their passions – it was great!

Thankfully the Chiltingtons did most of their scheming off-page because I have been over Charles since the All-Star Breakout Game. But he got to make a final appearance and close out his arc while Kyle and Mr. Lemoncello closed out theirs. At least for now.

Teachers, librarians, and series fans will want to finish the series and pick this one up. There’s tons here to love!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great! Might re-read.

THROW BACK: The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur by Richard Byrne

THROW BACK: The Really Really Really Big Dinosaur by Richard Byrne

Posted on by Jaymie

This review was originally posted on my Bring on the Books blog on November 2, 2012. This did become a book I would read to my students frequently – and it was always a hit! This is the sort of book that kids want to read again when it’s done so they can check out the illustrations for all of the hints they missed the first time through. One of my favorite memories is a kid blurting out something he noticed in our first read through and having him Shhh (with a wink) so the other kids could discover it too.

Summary and Review

A little dinosaur is minding his own business, counting jellybeans, when a bigger dinosaur walks by. Being a friendly little guy, the small dinosaur offers the bigger dinosaur one. But the bigger dinosaur is a bit of a bully, and he decides he wants all of the jellybeans. But they don’t belong to the little dinosaur. He says they actually belong to his BIG friend. The two dinosaurs argue back and forth about who’s the biggest and best until the big dinosaur finally meets the little dino’s very BIG friend.

Fantastic!! So funny! I can imagine reading this to my students – they will love it!!

5 out of 5 stars

REVIEW: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

REVIEW: Hello Stranger by Katherine Center

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received a free electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Sadie feels like she’s been dropped on an alien planet. She’s developed face blindness, and there’s no way for her to prepare for the cascade effect of that disorder. People she’s know for decades are suddenly unfamiliar – visual strangers who have to be identified in new ways. Voices alone aren’t necessarily enough. She can’t even recognize or discern her own face in a mirror.

The whole thing is traumatic enough by itself. Then add in her estranged father and step-mother trying to suddenly insert themselves into her life. But it’s all compounded by the fact that Sadie is a portrait artist. Faces are literally her business, her livelihood. And the highly esteemed portrait contest in which she is a finalist has a deadline right around the corner. She desperately needs the prize money – and the professional boost and affirmation. But there’s no guarantee when the condition will resolve – or if it ever will.

Review

I initially requested the review copy of this – and ordered two print copies of the book along with tickets to an author signing event – completely on the merits of The Bodyguard, one of my favorite reads of 2022. I didn’t even read the synopsis. “Oh, Katherine Center? The author of The Bodyguard? Yes, please!” And THEN I read the synopsis.

And I thought, “Oh no, what have I done?”

I was not looking forward to the face blindness storyline.  And I wasn’t sure this was a story I could even like. But I had already committed. So I decided to wait to read the story until after the author event so that if I didn’t care for it, I would still have been able to be fully on board for the event.

The author event was delightful. If you ever have a chance to hear Katherine Center speak, you absolutely should go. She’s a hoot! I love her philosophy of writing and enjoying romance. We waited 90 minutes after her presentation for the chance at a photo op and signed books – and it was completely worthwhile.

As was the book.  The psychology of this was fascinating – from Sadie’s early attempts to cope with her diagnosis to the family drama that became a focus later in the book.  Sadie is absolutely delightful, even in her most difficult moments. There are many laugh-out-loud sections as well as passages that begged to be read out loud. (There’s also a true villain who is one of the most vile “mean girl” sorts of characters I have ever encountered in a book.)

There’s a ton here to enjoy. I knew early on where the whole story/romance was headed, but the journey to get there was absolutely enjoyable – and there were still a few surprises along the way.

Fans of romance books with a slow burn (closed door) and a strong emphasis on personal growth for the main character should check this one out.  And the author’s (many) fans should pick this up without hesitation.  (Language)

Rating: ♥♥♥♥*

*♥♥♥♥ = Great!

REVIEW: Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang

REVIEW: Rules of the Ruff by Heidi Lang

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy of this book from Netgalley and Amulet Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

Jessie is spending the summer with her aunt and uncle and cousin “Ann-Marie.” Ann-Marie used to be just Ann and she was fun to hang out with back then. But when she became friends with Loralee, she wanted to be called Ann-Marie instead. She never sticks up for Jessie when Loralee is hateful, cruel or manipulative. Ann-Marie usually doesn’t pay attention to Jessie unless Loralee stands her up.

So Jessie decides to find her own summer fun by pestering her grumpy neighbor, Wes, to let her join his dog-walking business. Wes agrees to take Jessie along only if she learns the Rules of the Ruff – his rules for working with dogs.

Jessie learns a lot about the dogs – and about Wes – through their partnership. When a rival dog walker moves in on Wes’ business, Jessie is incensed. When she hears that the rival doesn’t even love the dogs like Wes does, that it’s just a job to her, Jessie decides to serve up a little vengeance and get Wes’ clients back. But things quickly turn ugly and the Rules of the Ruff might not be enough to set things right again.

Review

This was a cute story with characters that produced some strong emotions in me. Loralee is horrible. She’s a typical, hateful middle grade bully/mean girl, and she’s just awful. Monique, the rival dog walker, really ticked me off, too, with her cavalier attitude about putting Wes out of business. Max and Ann’s inability to stand up to Loralee at times was infuriating. The author did a great job developing characters that incited strong feelings.

I loved Jessie’s persistence and self-acceptance. She never tried to be something she wasn’t. And she makes some really selfless choices in the book that were both painful to read and also inspiring.

On one level, this is a dog story but even more than that it’s a relationship story.  Jessie’s relationships with each of the characters tell the reader so much about Jessie and about the people around her. The Rules of the Ruff come in handy with people, not just with dogs. Hand this to your favorite dog lover and be prepared for him or her to really connect with these characters, too.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: The Loser's Club by Andrew Clements

REVIEW: The Loser’s Club by Andrew Clements

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Alec is a reader. He loves getting lost in a story. He reads his favorite books over and over – and he has LOTS of favorites! You would think that Alec’s teachers would love Alec’s affinity for books.

They don’t.

Alec tends to read all the time and everywhere. Including in the middle of class. Like when he’s supposed to be doing an art project or listening to the teacher’s lesson. So Alec is in trouble at school. For reading. If he wants out of trouble, he has to pay attention all the time in every class.

Fortunately, Alec goes to an after school program every day for 3 hours. This is a perfect block of time for reading. But he has to choose an activity from an approved list. Reading alone is not one of them. So Alec starts a reading club. Not a book club to talk about books but a club for reading. For sitting quietly, all afternoon, to read. Alec figures if he calls it the Loser’s Club, kids won’t want to join. Because lots of kids usually means lots of noise and distractions. SO, if he can find one other reader to join his Loser’s Club, he’ll have his after school reading sanctuary. But who would want to join “the Loser’s Club?”

Review

I adored this book. The last few Clements books haven’t clicked for me like my old favorites – Frindle, No Talking, The Last Holiday Concert, etc. But this one fits in perfectly with those older treasures.

Alec is a fantastic character. His description of comfort books could have been written by me (actually, all of chapter 7 is delightful). I loved him as a young man trying to navigate middle school, and I loved him as a reader.

The family Star Wars obsession was icing on the cake for me. SO many fun moments in the story centered around that. Alec’s own “Jedi mind trick” was outstanding fun.

While this is primarily about books and reading, it is also about friendship, dealing with bullies, responsibilities at school, growing up and dealing with reality outside of your favorite fiction. For me, this book was perfect. I highly recommend this for a family purchase, a library purchase and for all middle grade classrooms!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher

REVIEW: Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Joseph is a worrier. If there’s something to worry about, Joseph has been thinking about it and stewing over it for awhile. But it’s just one of the things that makes Joseph the target of bullies. He has ADD and receives services in a resource room. He’s not athletic, and in sports like soccer, he’s afraid of the ball. Joseph has accepted these things as his lot in life.

Until he meets Heather. She’s confident, athletic, and she’s not afraid of a bully. As Heather and Joseph become friends first and then cross country teammates second, she challenges his self-perceptions and his expectations. Joseph will always have his quirks, but maybe he’ll surprise himself with some grit, determination and confidence in himself.

Review

This was delightful! From start to finish, I adored Joseph and Heather. The friendship is mutual. Heather helps Joseph, but he gets to help her, too. They bring out the best in each other without needing a romantic subplot. Just awesome friends.

Joseph is trying to overcome a lot. And it all felt genuine – the struggles and the triumphs when he had them. I especially loved how the cross country team came together for him in the last race.

Everything clicked for me in this book – the story, the kids, the adults, the things that were resolved and the things that weren’t There’s awesome humor as well as heart-tugging moments. It was perfect.

Thanks to Netgalley and Amulet books for providing an electronic review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥