When Zachary Beaver Came To Town

Book: When Zachary Beaver Came  To Town

Author: Kimberly Willis Holt

Publisher: Yearling

Pages: 240

Grade Level: 4^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

Nothing ever happens in Antler, Texas. In the summer of 1971, Toby is having a rough time adjusting to major changes in this town, specifically his mother leaving to pursue personal dreams in Nashville and his best friend Cal’s older brother has been shipped to Vietnam. Just when he thinks the changes have ended, the fattest boy in the world makes an appearance in Antler and sparks a new adventure for Toby and Cal making that summer one they would never forget.

This book is a National Book Award Winner and is written for every boy that ever needed to read a book for school. Holt takes serious subject matter and makes it easy to comprehend. There is a lot of turmoil, and the characters are so well developed that you feel their pain when and you celebrate their triumphs. It is definitely a book for older children, teens and adults. I am so happy that certain schools have this book on their reading list and use this book for class discussions because children have so much to gain from reading this novel.

The Fault In Our Stars

Book: The Fault In Our Stars

Author: John Green

Publisher: Dutton Books

Pages: 336

Grade Level: 9^th Grade and up

Rating: 5 Stars

Picture This: You are a 16 year old girl with cancer. You lug around an oxygen tank to help you breathe and your parents expect you to be more social so they force you to go to weekly Cancer Kid Support Group. Your buddy Isaac (who lost an eye to cancer) finds out he will have to lose his sight completely, and decides to bring his friend Augustus Waters to the meeting he publically announces this awful news. Augustus may have lost his leg to cancer, but he is the most gorgeous boy you have ever seen. Augustus takes an interest in you and he begins to change your life in a way you could never imagine.

John Green does it again! This book is so moving; you need a box of tissues, but you will also laugh out loud. You will get so emotionally attached to each character and truly feel a part of these people’s lives. Green is such a master storyteller and has amazing character development; you will not be able to put the book down. It is also an interesting topic that isn’t often written about in YA lit. This book is a must read!!

Earwig And The Witch

Book: Earwig And The Witch

Author: Diana Wynne Jones

Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky

Publisher: Greenwillow Books

Pages: 128

Grade Level: 2^nd Grade and up

Rating: 4 Stars

Earwig is an orphan who loves living in the orphanage. Everyone does everything she wants for her, the cook, the other kids, even the boss. Earwig’s life changes when a strange looking woman and even stranger looking man adopt her. She immediately assumes the woman is a witch and gets excited about learning all kinds of spells from her new mom. When the witch makes Earwig her slave, Earwig starts to take charge of things in her new home and teach the witch that everyone deserves a loving home.

This book is so much fun! It is fast-paced, gender neutral and the perfect recommendation for children starting chapter books. Readers will cheer for Earwig as she concocts spells of her own, befriends a cat, and truly creates a home for herself. The pictures compliment the text beautifully and this book is the perfect suggestion for what you should read next.