Books 5, 6, 7

Rather an eclectic selection for this post.  We had a snow day on Groundhog's Day so I caught up on some things, like reading. 

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick  Have had this book on my shelf for awhile and finally read it, almost in one sitting. After reading The Invention of Hugo Cabret and reading a few review of this book I just had to get it.  It was wonderful.  I find Selznick's storytelling through the combination of text and image fascinating. In Hugo Cabret he tells one story, however in Wonderstruck, he tells two stories beginning 50 years apart.  Ben's story, in text, begins in 1977 and Rose's story, in images, begins fifty years earlier.  The stories alternate and then begin to intertwine.  

Selznick's book includes things that pique interest in a variety of topics: Deaf Sign Language, Museum Dioramas, The American Museum of Natural History and just museums in general, and Cabinets of Wonder, to name a few.  The author's notes at the end of the books give insight to the things that inspired and influenced him while writing the book.

Also check out these two sites: 

http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com/ 

http://www.wonderstruckthebook.com/essays.htm

Strike Three You're Dead by Josh Berk  A combination of sports and mystery.  Lenny Norbeck is a HUGE Phillies fan.  Lenny, with the help of his two best friends - Mike and Other Mike - enters the "Armchair Announcer" contest.  The winner gets the opportunity to announce one inning of a Phillies home game.  

Lenny wins, but before his chance to announce arrives, the pitcher falls dead on the mound.  Lenny can't believe it.  He had just met R.J Weathers, a 19 year old, just beginning his career.  Lenny, Mike, Other Mike don't think it was "natural causes" that killed Weathers and the mystery begins.  Along the way to solving the mystery of Weathers' death, they uncover several more secrets about ball players and the team.  

I read this so I could recommend it to some of my reluctant boy readers.

Devil's Food Cake Murder by Joanne Fluke
A quick read mystery-recipe book.  Like Goldie Schultz, the caterer, Hannah Swensen, the baker, cooks up delicious desserts while solving mysteries.  This time it is the death of Matthew Walters,  a visiting  minister. Walters is filling in for the Reverend Knudson who has gone on his honeymoon.  While looking into Walter's background Hannah discovers that he really isn't dead, or rather the dead man isn't really Reverend Matthew Walters.  
Two boyfriends and cat with quite a personality, all liven up Hannah's life as well.

Picture Books:
Sammy and the Robots
Leo the Lightning Bug
There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly 
After reading the book, the preschoolers helped retell the story with a set of animals and an old lady with a very big mouth.
A Chair for My Mother

October Sky

October Sky is a wonderful autobiography by Homer Hickam.  Homer is growing up in a small coal mining town in West Virginia. His live is changed when he and his mother watch the Russian Sputnik satellite pass overhead in 1957.  He decides he will make and launch a rocket of his own.  Werhner von Braun is his hero.

The high school freshman is joined by others and they form the Big Creek Missile Agency. Their early experiments create problems, like blowing up his mother's garden fence.  They convince the mine machinist to help, and  eventually gain the support of the entire town.

The book follows the group through their remaining high school years, concluding shortly after graduation.  Along the way the boys and the town deal with the realities of life.  Father and son relationships, sibling rivalry, mine disasters and strikes.

It is a great read;  reminding one to hold on to their dreams and shot for the stars.