Sunday Review

My first review of the year!  I'm doing something a little different this year because of my participation in Kid Lit Frenzy's  nonfiction challenge.  I'm going to review my fiction reads on Sunday, as usual, and my nonfiction reads on Wednesday.  So you'll have to wait until Wednesday to see how I'm doing on stepping up my nonfiction reading.  Here are the fiction books I read this week:



  Cinder by Marissa Meyer

	fairy-tale, fantasy-science-fiction, mock-printz-2013, strong-girl-character, young-adult-book

 

 



My first book finished in 2013! This is a futuristic version of Cinderella and quite entertaining. Cinder is 16 years old and a cyborg living in New Beijing. She's also a mechanic who catches the eye of Prince Kai when he brings her a malfunctioning android for her to fix. He invites her to the annual ball, but she is worried about him finding out that she is a cyborg, which is considered a technological mistake by most of society. Cinder also has a younger stepsister, her only human friend, who...moreMy first book finished in 2013! This is a futuristic version of Cinderella and quite entertaining. Cinder is 16 years old and a cyborg living in New Beijing. She's also a mechanic who catches the eye of Prince Kai when he brings her a malfunctioning android for her to fix. He invites her to the annual ball, but she is worried about him finding out that she is a cyborg, which is considered a technological mistake by most of society. Cinder also has a younger stepsister, her only human friend, who has come down with the dreaded plague that is rampaging through Earth. Her evil stepmother sells Cinder to the royal scientist who uses her for research to find the cure for the disease. While studying her, Dr. Erland finds out some stunning secrets about Cinder that she doesn't even know about herself. I can't wait for the sequel, Scarlet, which comes out in February.   Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute by Jarrett J. Krosoczka allusion, books-for-boys, graphic-novel, humor, inference, reluctant-readers, visual-literacy   Jarrett J. Krosoczka is a TED talker!       One of my book gaps is graphic novels, so I'm trying to correct this.  I told my students about this gap before break, so Paige brought in Lunch Lady and the Cyborg Substitute and some Babymouse books to borrow over the holiday.  I thought this one was so funny!  "SERVING JUSTICE! AND SERVING LUNCH!"  Younger kids will love this story about three kids wondering what their lunch ladies do when they're not serving lunch. Wouldn't you like to know?! I like the higher level skills you could teach, too - inference and allusion (James Bond).  Amulet: The Stonekeeper by Kaz Kibuishi adventure, fantasy-science-fiction, graphic-novel, intermediate-kids-book, reading-gap-challenge-2013, reluctant-hero, strong-girl-character, visual-literacy   Wow! What an adventure. This book grabbed me in the first couple pages with the tragic beginning. This graphic novel has a high interest level, and I can't wait to book talk it tomorrow. I'm not really sure if my fourth graders have been introduced to the series. I'll be curious to find out. I can't wait to hear more about 2013 books that are coming out.  Let me know what you're reading and looking forward to in the upcoming year!  Any 2013 graphic novels or nonfiction titles you know are going to create some buzz?  I also LOVE young adult novels, so I can't wait to hear about what is coming in 2013!