Tag: libraries

REVIEW: Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert

REVIEW: Shelved Under Murder by Victoria Gilbert

Posted on by Jaymie

[I received an electronic review copy from Netgalley and Crooked Lane Books in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.]

Summary

It’s time for the Taylorsford annual Heritage Festival,  and librarian Amy Webber is hoping the library can have a successful fundraiser during the event. They’ve made arrangements to have several pieces of art from a local artist, Rachel LeBlanc, for sale. Ms. LeBlanc’s international reputation could help boost sales for the library.

When Amy and her boyfriend, Richard, go out to the LeBlanc’s to get the paintings, they find Rachel dead. Who would want to kill an artist? When the police find a stash of paintings that may be forgeries, it looks like the obvious motive.

All of the art news leaves Amy’s aunt, Lydia, thinking a lot of her deceased husband, Andrew, who was a painter. His work never caught on like he – and Lydia – always hoped. But it’s good enough to interest several of the locals.

When an art expert is brought in to help the police with the murder case, he is the perfect person to appreciate Andrew’s work. But an odd painting from Andrew’s collection raises forgery questions once more, and this time about Aunt Lydia’s beloved husband. Amy and Richard are drawn once again into a murder investigation. And they might not like what they find.

Review

This is book two in the Blue Ridge Library Mystery series, and it’s an excellent sequel to book one which I reviewed last year – and loved! The characters in this series are terrific. Amy and Richard are a solid and endearing couple. No love triangle here! The dynamic in Aunt Lydia’s marriage which is explored in this book was really interesting. The mysterious Kurt Kendrick is back, and we get a few more insights into his character as well. The author does a great job of developing these characters and relationships while still keeping the mystery front and center in the book.

And the mystery is good. There are lots of twists and hints throughout. I had to just read to the end to get the whys and whatfors to go with all of my suspicions.

I really enjoy this mystery series. Be sure to read these in order because this book shares details about the mystery in book one. If you don’t want a spoiler, read A Murder for the Books first. Book three will be out in early 2019 – Past Due for Murder – and I already having it on my reading list. This is a “keeper” series for me. I look forward to seeing what happens for Amy and Richard next.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥½

REVIEW: Ban this Book by Alan Gratz

REVIEW: Ban this Book by Alan Gratz

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Amy Anne is a quiet girl. A reader. She’s bright and articulate, but people don’t always know that. Amy Anne has a comeback and a response for everything that happens around her – from obnoxious sisters, to unfair expectations at home, to things that happen at school. But Amy Anne keeps all those thoughts on the inside.

When Amy’s favorite book, From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is removed from the school library by Mrs. Spencer, an overzealous parent, and an acquiescing school board, Amy Anne has a lot to say. She even prepares a speech for the school board. But when it comes time for her to speak, Amy Anne keeps her seat, keeps her speech, and keeps quiet.

Unfortunately, Mrs. Spencer isn’t done “protecting students” from the books in the library. So Amy Anne gets an idea. She’ll start her own library and run it out of her locker. And she’ll stock as many of the banned books as she can get her hands on!

Review

This is a fantastic book! I loved Amy Anne from the first page! I longed to speak up for her and rescue her, but it’s so much more satisfying to watch her find her own voice along the way.

There are three main things going on in this story. First,  this is a love letter to the power of books. Books can teach us about things we don’t know, they can entertain us, and they can help us understand ourselves and others. There’s a guest appearance by author Dav Pilkey that is terrific.

Another big piece is the free speech/censorship issue the school goes through. The author does a great job of helping Amy Anne see the “villain” as more than a book-hating monster. It’s fantastic.

Finally this is the story of Amy Anne finding her voice. Her thoughts and feelings about things around her are often right on target. But she doesn’t say them so nothing can change. The evolution of THIS part of the story was my favorite.

I highly recommend this book to parents and librarians and teachers. This would be fantastic to read aloud with a class or for a kid’s book club. There are questions in the back for discussion or writing as well as common core standards references for teachers.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello's Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein

REVIEW: Mr. Lemoncello’s Great Library Race by Chris Grabenstein

Posted on by Jaymie

Summary

Mr. Lemoncello has a new game for Kyle Keely and the other members of the Lemoncello Library board of trustees. The winners – and there will only be two of them – will get to travel to libraries across North America and share new holographic exhibits with them. The game is Mr. Lemoncello’s Fabulous Fact-Finding Frenzy.

Twenty-four kids in two-person teams will compete for five slots for the Frenzy. In the Frenzy, those players will research five historic figures who are going to be honored with special exhibits at the library. The winners will also get the first copies of Mr. Lemoncello’s newest holographic game!

While the kids are competing for fun prizes, rival game makers have come to Ohio to stir up trouble for Mr. Lemoncello. The kids will need everything they are learning about research if they have any hope of saving their library and their friend.

Review

I can’t think of a better middle grade series to hand to any and every kid you know than the Mr. Lemoncello books. When I was teaching, these books clicked with a variety of readers (including adults). This is the third installment of a book- and library-loving series that I would recommend for home, classroom and library use across the board.

This book shakes up some of the usual characters. Kyle is still front and center – and I love him. He’s a flawed character, but earnest and teachable. Fans of the series will recognize other kids in the story from previous books. But Kyle gets a new partner in puzzle-solving this time around. It’s a great way to see him grow!

The story reminded me of book two in this series and a little of the Harry Potter books in that Mr. Lemoncello is in danger but he steps back to let the kids work to save the day kind of like Dumbledore often does in Harry Potter. Mr. Lemoncello trusts the kids with his livelihood, his reputation, and his future. And the kids rise to the occasion. I thoroughly enjoyed this, especially the final conversation Kyle has a the very end of the book. So fun!

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD - Books about Books

SATURDAY SMORGASBORD – Books about Books

Posted on by Jaymie

I am such a book geek. And I say that with pride. I love finding people and authors and communities that love books as much as I do. Here are some books – for all ages – that share a love of books, reading and bookish places.

Books for Kids

Bunny’s Book Club – There are a couple books on this list that are TBRs rather than books I have read. This is one of those. I haven’t found this one in person to check it out, but it looks perfect. I hope to read this one soon.
Doris the Bookasaurus – Doris’ love of books is annoying to her little brothers because it keeps her from playing with them. When she shows them a book they love, though, everything changes. This is darling.
Library Lion – I always looked forward to reading this story about a lion in the library to my students. It’s lovely, and students really connect with it.
Madeline Finn and the Library Dog – Madeline struggles with reading, but a program at the library where she can practice her reading with a dog helps her grow as a reader. This is delightful. You can read my review here.
Wild About Books – This is one of the picture books we often by for new babies. Sure, it’s not a book they can enjoy right away, but it is such a great love letter to books that we are confident families will grow to love it like we did. This was another favorite to read aloud when I was teaching.

Books for Older Kids/Teens

Escape from Mr. Lemoncello’s Library – The epitome of books about books! This outstanding middle grade story about kids competing in a book-based contest in a futuristic library has been a hit with every student I ever handed it to. Book 3 in the series comes out this fall and a movie of this first book will be coming to Nickelodeon soon.
Finding Serendipity – First in a series about a girl who discovers a land where stories live. In book one, Serendipity gets help finding her missing mother by the main character in her mother’s famous books. I enjoyed sharing this series with students.
Fish in a Tree – The main thing I remember about this book is the origin of the title which is a quote reportedly from Einstein that says if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree it will always think it is stupid. The main character in this book has dyslexia and finally has a persistent and observant teacher who discovers it and helps her. This was a fantastic story!
The Losers Club – I just finished this AWESOME story (I’m still trying to find a review slot for it here on the blog). At the center of the story is a boy who is getting in trouble every day at school – for reading. So he starts a club for kids who want to read, but he calls it the Losers Club so a lot of people don’t join and mess up his quiet reading time. Not only did the story highlight reading, but it also talked about a lot of books kids might enjoy.
The School Story – Andrew Clements wrote The Losers Club and also The School Story which is about a girl who writes a book and secretly tries to get it published. This is one of my favorite early Clements stories along with Frindle, No Talking and The Last Holiday Concert.
Bookishly Ever After – Earlier this year I reviewed this book for older teens about a book nerd who tries to use the characters from her favorite books to help her negotiate a romance.
I Kill the Mockingbird – I adore this book about a group of teens who hide copies of To Kill a Mockingbird in order to get everyone talking about it.  While this one is written for a middle grade audience, I found that my older students connected with this better than the younger ones. This works for all teens.

Books for Adults

Classified as Murder – This is the second book (my favorite) of the Cat in the Stacks mystery series about a college librarian who works in the archives. Fantastic mystery series, terrific cat that adds a fun component to the series. Here you can read a review of the most recent book in the series.
A Dark and Stormy Murder – Outstanding mystery series about two writers collaborating on books while solving mysteries. You can read my review here.
The Eyre Affair – This is the other book on this list I have not read. I have several of the books in this series about a literary detective, but I haven’t tried it yet. I thoroughly enjoyed the author’s Nursery Crimes series.
Weird Things Customers Say in Bookshops – This nonfiction book is laugh-out-loud funny while also being a little sad when it comes to true stories from folks who work with books.
The Writing Desk – I recently read this fantastic Christian novel about two writers in different time periods and the ways their stories connect. Excellent.

 

Do you have any favorite books about books?