Moon Over Manifest

by Claire Vanderpool - Newbery Award Winner 2011

I really prefer mysteries and suspense, and so I read this historical fiction novel simply because it won the award. I struggled a bit to get into it - not because it isn't a "good" book - but because I like more action right from the beginning. I am so happy that I stuck with it all the way to the end. As I read, I began to really get to know the characters and while it seemed a little disjointed at the beginning, it all tied together in a way I never could have imagined (yet seemed so perfect) in the end. By the time I was finished, I knew exactly why it won the highest young adult novel award in the country. It's a story about a young girl in 1936 who's dad sends her to live with an old friend from his past for the summer. She spends the summer looking for clues to her dad's past with a couple of friends and finds herself reading old newspapers, old hidden letters, and hearing stories from an old Diviner. I definitely recommend this book - especially if you like stories about kids that lived long ago. Enjoy and let me know what you think when you read it.

Comments

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Cabin Fever

by Jeff Kinney I was so lucky to get the new Diary of a Wimpy Kid book in right before Thanksgiving and it wasn't quite ready for the shelf so I brought it home to read it. It was a great day to start my Thanksgiving. It's another fun story about Greg Hefley and his diary of some time in the winter. My favorite part was when he used mascara to paint a 6-pack on his tummy to look like he did lots of sit-ups. What was your favorite part?

The Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan The first in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is pretty good. It mixes a current story with ancient greek mythology. I was never a fan of mythology, but this story kept me reading until the end. I enjoyed the twists and turns and would recommend it to any age 3rd grade and up!

Minnesota's Hidden Alphabet

Photography by Joe Rossi Text by David LaRochelle Wow! Wow! Wow! I had heard of this book many times when it was recommended to me, but it is so much better than I could have imagined. The photographs of our alphabet in nature are enchantingly beautiful and the tidbits of information about Minnesota are interesting. I can't wait to share this will you!