Girl Under a Red Moon: Growing Up During China's Cultural Revolution

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to The Kid Lit Exchange Network and Scholastic Inc. for the review copy of Girl Under a Red Moon: Growing Up During China’s Cultural Revolution by Da Chen. All opinions are my own. This book was released on September 3, 2019.

This book is a memoir about the injustices faced by many innocent people during the Cultural Revolution in China during the 1960s and 1970s. The main characters are eight-year-old, Da and his thirteen-year-old sister, Sisi. Da and Sisi’s grandfather had his land taken from him and he was sentenced to grueling labor in a work camp. His crime was being a landowner, and there is no room for that in the new communist order in China. Once their grandfather becomes too weak for manual labor, Da and Sisi’s father is ordered to take his place. Sisi and Da must learn to navigate the world around them when it seems like everyone is out to get them.

This book gives a heart wrenching first-hand account of what life was like for some during the Cultural Revolution. Some chapters are difficult to read because they are so heartbreaking, but this is an important story that needed to be told. Scholastic recommends this book for mature readers grades 6 and up, but I would recommend this book for grades 9+. There are some mature topics in this book including rape and graphic descriptions of violence that a middle schooler is just not mature enough to handle. I learned so much from this book, and I highly recommend it. Amazon affiliate link below.

All Your Twisted Secrets

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to The Kid Lit Exchange Network and Epic Reads for the review copy of All Your Twisted Secrets by Diana Urban. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled to be released on March 17, 2020.

This book is Breakfast Club meets thriller! Six students are invited to a special scholarship dinner with the mayor. However, once all six students arrive the door slams and locks. While trying to find a way out, they discover a bomb, a syringe, and a note. The note tells them that they must use the poison in the syringe to kill one of them, or the bomb will go off, and they will all die.

This book is simply amazing for any novel, let alone a debut novel! There are many twists and turns, and it is thrilling! The style of writing kept me flipping through pages quickly as most chapters ended on a cliffhanger. Each chapter also alternated between the present situation locked in the room and the past year of high school for the six teens. I was worried I would get bored by the flashback chapters, but I actually found them exciting, and I enjoyed learning more about the characters. I love thriller/mystery books and read them frequently, so I tend to figure out the ending before it is revealed. In this book, I was only able to figure out the ending about 25 pages before it was revealed, but there were still some surprises that I didn’t see coming! I would recommend this book for ages 16+. Amazon affiliate link below.

I'll Never Get All of That Done!

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to NetGalley, Boys Town Press and Smith Publicity for the review copy of I’ll Never Get All of That Done! by Bryan Smith and illustrated by Lisa M. Griffin. All opinions are my own. This book is scheduled to be released on February 11, 2020.

This picture book focuses on a boy named Blake. Blake keeps getting overwhelmed with all of the tasks that he needs to complete. All he can think is, “I’ll never get all of that done!” Then his mom teaches him a strategy called P’s. The three P’s are prioritize, plan, and post. Blake’s mom teaches him that strategy to help him manage things such as preparing for a bake sale, completing homework, and catching up on school assignments. The book also discusses that prioritizing means doing the things that need to get done before the things you want to do.

This is another great book in the Executive FUNction series. Many kids need to be explicitly taught time management skills and this book is a great resource for doing that! I liked that the P’s were explained a few times throughout the book because children need to see information multiple times to really let it sink in. I also liked the discussion about doing need to’s before want to’s since this is a discussion that I often have with the students in my classroom when they tell me they would prefer to do something else. Recommended for students in grades 2 - 5. Amazon affiliate link below.

What Were You Thinking?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

What Were You Thinking? By Bryan Smith and illustrated by Lisa M. Griffin is a MUST have for any elementary classroom. This book was originally published in 2016 by Boys Town Press.

This picture book focuses on Braden, a third-grade boy that loves to make jokes and be the center of attention. Braden struggles to control his impulses and will often act without thinking. Braden’s teacher guides him to make appropriate choices by teaching him a simple technique. Before he does or says something, Braden’s teacher wants him to ask himself, “Will this make the situation better or worse?”

My partner teacher and I used this book as part of our morning meeting a couple of weeks ago in our fourth-grade classrooms. Since then, we have noticed several students recognizing that their actions made the situation worse. Some students have even begun to catch themselves before they act impulsively! I can’t thank this book enough for providing the language kids need in order to take control of their actions. Amazon affiliate link below.

Weird Little Robots

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Candlewick Press for the review copy of Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi and illustrated by Corinna Luyken. All opinions are my own. This book was released on October 1, 2019.

Penny Rose is nine years old and has just moved to a new town. She has struggled to make friends and spends most of her time building robots in the shed in her backyard. After spending her birthday alone, she makes a wish for a friend. The next day things begin to change. Her robots come to life and start moving on their own. She also befriends a girl named Lark, and they begin to work together on the robots. Then one day Penny Rose finds an invitation in her locker to join a secret science club. Penny Rose must choose between her only friend and joining the club.

This is a heartwarming story about friendship, loyalty, and promises that I feel many kids will be able to relate to. I also love that this book focuses on girls interested in science and STEM. With a few beautiful hand-drawn illustrations sprinkled throughout, this would be a good book for readers that love graphic novels. This book would be ideal for grades 3 – 6. Amazon affiliate link below.

Wildfire

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5

Thanks to the Kid Lit Exchange network and Scholastic Inc. for the review copy of Wildfire by Rodman Philbrick. All opinions are my own. This book was released on September 3, 2019.

From the author of Freak the Mighty, comes this new book about 12-year old Sam that gets separated from his campmates just as a wildfire rages through the area. The next few days are filled with action as Sam tries to remember what his late father taught him about surviving. Along the way, Sam meets a 14-year old girl named Delphy, and they work together to try and survive and make it back to civilization.

At less than 200 pages, and packed with action, this book would be great for reluctant readers! I didn’t want to put the book down, and there was a lot of action to keep the plot moving quickly. I liked that the end of the novel included more information about wildfires as well as safety tips. This book would be ideal for grades 4 – 7.

I liked this book so much, that I purchased a copy for my fourth-grade classroom, and this book hasn’t been on my bookshelf since I first placed it there! Students are lining up to be the next one to read it! Amazon affiliate link below if you are interested in purchasing your own copy!