"I Heart Band" by Michelle Schusterman

Wow this book brought back memories! I was never in band, but many of my good friends in both middle and high school were band geeks. I Heart Band is a great adaptation taking the world of a typical middle school band member and making her the main character in a book. Holly is ready for the best year ever. She has mapped out her scheduled, color coded her outfit and can't wait to be reunited with her best friend Julia after a summer apart. But the first day of school gets off to a bad start when her brother spills orange juice all over her and it only gets worse from there. The cherry on top of her awful day is finding out that Julia has made a new friend at camp, a snotty girl named Natasha. Things continue to go down hill as she falls further and further behind in science and just can't quite top Natasha's music playing ability (because of course Natasha plays that same instrument at Holly).

Though this book is going to have a stronger appeal for readers that are also involved musically, there is plenty for all young girls to enjoy. Holly deals with many situations that young girls will completely relate too; changing friendships, difficulties keeping up in school, and dealing with boys are just a few. Michelle Schusterman clearly has a solid grasp on the thought process of a young teenage girl and this book felt incredibly real. I was very impress with this book. Though it's obviously written for a younger reader, it is still very will written and a book that I feel will appeal to many middle grade readers. Girls with a love of music will not want to miss this one!

Happy Reading!
-Melly

"How I Survived Middle School #1: Can You Get an F in Lunch?" by Nancy Krulik

Remember the first day of middle school?  Remember hoping you would come across as cool or at the very least you wouldn't be left sitting alone at lunch?  Didn't you wish there was some sort of guidebook to help you navigate this new environment?  Well thank you, Nancy Krulik!  How I Survived Middle School #1: Can You Get an F in Lunch? opens on Jenny McAfee's first day of middle school.  She is very excited to show off her t-shirt from sleep away camp- she did spend a whole eight weeks there after all!  However, she doesn't realize that camp t-shirts are not considered cool.  She also doesn't expect that her best friend has made new friends over the summer.  When Jenny tries to join Addie and her new friends at lunch, she is more or less kicked to the curb and ends up eating alone in a phone book (remember those?).  It takes Jenny some time to figure out that middle school is quite different from elementary school and she has a lot to learn.

I thought this novel could be quite useful for girls getting ready to make the transition from elementary to middle school (or junior high, depending on how your school system works).  Sure, switching from one school to another doesn't always mean that things will be bad, but it probably means that things are going to change.  Old friends may drift apart due to different class schedules and after school activities, but new friendships will blossom as well.  Krulik did a great job showing how things are going to change as you advance in school, but how you can still have a positive experience.  I really liked this book and hope I have time to read more in the series.

Happy Reading!

-Melly

"Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel" by Jeff Kinney

Why do I insist on writing reviews for books that I loved?  The review usually consists of something along the lines of this book is amazing, you should read it!.  So anyways...Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Third Wheel is a hit!  Jeff Kinney has brought Greg back in all of his middle school craziness- and you won't be disappointed.  This time, Greg is getting ready for the big Valentine's Day dance.  The only problem?  His best friend Rowley is spending more time with Greg's date than Greg is!  As usual, I laughed out loud as I was reading.  Kinney's characters are hilarious and quite believable.  It's easy to dislike how self-centered Greg can be, but since this is his diary, I don't feel too bothered by it.  In that way, I feel that it is a very honest piece of writing.  I always look forward to these books, and can't wait for the next in the series to be released!

*Readers- this is the perfect gift for boys on your Christmas list!*


Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life" by James Patterson

This was my first James Patterson novel.  Middle School: The Worst Years of My Life wasn't quite what I expected.  I found it to be the kind of book that would appeal to the slightly older Diary of a Wimpy Kid crowd.  Rafe Khatchadorian is on a mission- a mission to break every rule in the school handbook.  Each rule broken will gain him points.  This point system is the only thing that is going to get him through the year.  Nothing could possibly go wrong...right?


This book is filled with zany illustrations- my only complaint with these were that they were a bit difficult to take in the details on my kindle (however this in no way affects the quality of the book).  Rafe is a believable character that I feel kids around his age could relate to.  His mom works insane hours to support her children and worthless fiance (therefore leaving her children to fend for themselves against said finance).  He's is not in any way a fan of school and chooses to spend his time causing mayhem instead of focusing on learning.  It is easy to see why this book would appeal to boys.  I really wasn't sure what I would get out of this book since I hadn't read any of Patterson's other novels.  Most of his other writing still doesn't appeal to me, but I did rather enjoy this read and will likely pick up the sequel, Middle School: Get Me Out of Here!




Happy Reading!
-Melly

"Big Nate: In a Class by Himself" by Lincoln Peirce

I choose to read this book after writing my review of Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid.  I didn't realize that I was missing out another fun and funny book!  Big Nate: In a Class By Himself (written in a similar style as the Wimpy Kid books) gives the day in the life as Nate rushes to get out of a social studies test that never comes (and in his rush leaves home with a nearly empty stomach, and no lunch) and  find a way to make his fortune of "today you will surpass all others" come true.  Instead, he finds a way to make every single one of his teachers angry, landing him with a detention each period.


I am nearly certain that Wimpy Kid fans will love Big Nate (and vice versa).  This book was a very quick and easy read but I had a great time with it.  The only let down is that I checked out Big Nate: Strikes Again, but did not bring it with me tonight.  So now I have yet another book I am anxiously waiting to read.  However, I only have to wait a few hours, which gives me little to complain about.  I will definitely be suggesting this book series to everyone!


Happy Reading
-Melly

"The Diary of a Wimpy Kid" Series by Jeff Kinney

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is the perfect book series for any reluctant reader (particularly boys!). It is also perfect for the reader that can appreciate a good laugh! Kinney gets right to the heart of the trials and tribulations of life in middle school, but with a humorous twist. I found myself laughing out loud numerous times, and quickly finished the first three books in one evening. Since then, I have immediately picked up Dog Days and The Ugly Truth on their days of release and am anxiously awaiting Cabin Fever (November 15, 2011).

The books, told through Greg Heffley’s diary, follow Greg’s life as he goes through middle school and deals with his older brother Rodrick, his younger brother Manny and his best friend Rowley. Greg is your standard middle schooler; he thinks he knows everything about everything (which he doesn’t), believes that the world revolves around him (it doesn’t) and still can’t handle doing his own laundry.

I can’t say enough that these books are hilarious! I love these books because they can appeal to just about any age group, even though they are written for young readers. I think that these are the type of books that kids can easily enjoy with their parents. If you haven’t already read them you’re missing out!

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Rodrick Rules
The Last Straw
Dog Days
The Ugly Truth
Cabin Fever (November 2011)




Watch out for the cheese touch!
-Melly