I have to say, I am starting slow with my reading this summer, but I started with one that I've been looking forward to for some time: Marley: A Dog Like No Other. It's the true story of the author and his wife (and eventually their children) as they raise and live with probably the worst dog ever! But sometimes the worst dog ever can be the best dog too. Marley is enormous, doesn't take to training well, is terrified of thunder storms (and chews everything in sight when they strike), greets people by tackling them, and in general, slobbers over everything. They story is hilarious and bittersweet, and I loved it all the more, because I have a Marley at home--his name is Xander and he is a similarly ill-trained, misbehaved, and much-beloved dog. Marley: A Dog Like No Other is a quick read! Highly recommended.
Ready for more fun reading? Summer is the perfect time to get a head start on the book challenge for next year. The list is ready... CLICK HERE to see all the great new titles! As for me, I'm starting with the ones below! Check back in July to see what I thought of them.
I chose this book for the Book Challenge List because it had a crazy title! While this is definitely not a Newbery contender, I was entertained with this quick read into the life of Annabel Craven, who has just moved into her crazy great-uncle's house in a new town. On her first day of school, on a shortcut through the graveyard, she finds a cell phone that suddenly starts to receive texts from ghosts! There is an accidental death (and a subsequent ghost Anna has to help), hijinks in school, and general wackiness that Anna has to deal with as she tries to fit in.
Flora & Ulysses: The Illuminated Adventures is Kate DiCamillo's latest Newbery winner, and it's unlike any of her previous novels. Although still touched by her imitable talent for adding a dreamlike quality to her characters, and reflects all of her characters' unending search for love, this book has a bigger sense of fun than her other novels. There is a delicate sense of humor that streams throughout the book. The novel is interspersed with graphic-novel-like illustrations (thus the "illuminated" adventures) and the characters end up in some wacky situations. A fun, short read, this book, DiCamillio says, was inspired by a vacuum cleaner and the word, "capacious." Watch her Newbery acceptance speech I've posted below to learn more about this beautiful story. (If you re-read The Tale of Despereaux, however, she uses the word in that book too!)
I read The One and Only Ivan this past school year, as I am trying to read as many Newbery Honor and Medal-Winners as I can. This book won the gold medal in 2013. It is written in verse, which means that the whole book is basically one big poem, but verse novels are not exactly what you would expect from poetry. Each chapter is very short, even sometimes less than a page. These kinds of novels allow you to experience the characters and emotions of a story, rather than get bogged down with lots of descriptive details. This novel is a beautiful story about Ivan, a gorilla who lives in a shopping mall. The novel is told from his point of view, and depicts how his life changes in various ways as he lives in a cage, has friends, learns how to paint, and dreams of freedom. A beautiful story and a very quick read! |