Blog Archives - Blazer Tales

Blazer Tales

There are 4 ways to use this blog: 1) Scroll through to see a variety of books; 2) Click on the 3 lines at the top left to get a drop down menu of books broken down by grade levels; 3) Go to the search box and for title, genre, or subject; and 4) Go to Categories and search by subject matter.

***These reading levels are just a guide to help if needed. Please, please, please do not let any of these numbers deter you from reading whatever you want!!!***

Professional Reader

10 Book Reviews

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

2/24/2018

Interest Level: 5-8; Reading Level: 2.1

What would you do if your mute sister spoke for the first time and asked you to buy some seeds at the flea market? Would you trade your mom's car for them? Well, that's just what Jack did. After getting in so much trouble Jack helps his sister, Maddy, build a garden and plant the seeds. When the garden starts to grow, very strange things begin to happen. Plants come to life and begin to attack, strange peppers seem to give some kind of superpowers, pumpkins and onions go wild, and a dragon might even make an appearance. Jack makes a new friend and Lilly is definitely up for the battle. But what happens when Maddy plants the most dangerous pack of seeds in the garden? A monster grows and takes Maddy away. Will Jack and Lilly be able to save her? This is book 1 of the Mighty Jack series and a must read!

I cannot keep graphic novels on the shelves and this one will not be an exception!

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

2/24/2018

Interest Level: 3-6

@kidlitexchange #partner Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

What if you were having all kinds of problems in your home life and at school but you didn't have a best friend to talk to? Or what if you are having all kinds of problems at home and your best friend is one of those problems? This is the problem that Charlotte and Ben are facing. Ben is a very gifted student that has never missed a day of school. He has led a very low-key life until he finds out that his parents are getting a divorce. This causes him to come out of his shell and run for a student council position. The problem is that this brings him into the light and this causes him to start being bullied. He feels alone at home, he feels alone at school, and he has no friends... that is except for Charlotte. Charlotte lives across the country from Ben and is experiencing problems herself. Charlotte is also very gifted and only has one friend. When her dad has a heart attack, Bridget is the only person she has to turn to. The problem is, Bridget has made new friends in her art class and is embarrassed to be friends with Charlotte. When Charlotte overhears Bridget and her new friends talking about it, it crushes Charlotte and makes her want to run away. How are Ben and Charlotte connected in all of this? They play each other in an online game of Scrabble. As Charlotte and Ben go through a week of trials and tribulation, they end up needing each other for more than just a game. Will Ben have the confidence to continue with his student council election and give his well-prepared speech? Will Charlotte run away from all of her problems, or will she end up finding herself? This is a must read from the Newberry Award winning author, Erin Entrada Kelly.

This book is such an eye opener for me. I am a librarian in a K-6 school and we have a large number of gifted students. This book really helped me to look around and observe how these students are being treated. Ben had that one adult in his corner at school. I want to be that teacher!! Thank you for writing this incredible book about family, friendship, and perseverance!!

Caleb and Kit by Beth Vrabel

2/18/2018

Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 5.9

How would you feel if you were a sick twelve-year-old kid who had the perfect brother and a hovering mom? What if you and your best friend had sort of drifted apart and you didn't really have a friend? What if you by happenstance meet a new friend in the woods who is fun, energetic, mysterious, and full of imagination? Would you risk everything just to keep that friend? This is exactly what Caleb does when he meets Kit. Up to this point in Caleb's life everything is very structured and organized in Caleb's life. Caleb has cystic fibrosis and he has to take his medicines and treatments at the same time everyday, he has to eat a certain amount of food everyday, and he is limited in his activity because he can become tired very easily. It is so bad that even at school he has certain privileges that other kids don't get, and this does not make him very popular. So when Caleb meets Kit, his whole world is changed. She doesn't know about his sickness so she doesn't treat him differently like the other kids do. She is new in town and she just wants a friend too. They both decide to keep their friendship a secret and this is the beginning of their deception. Caleb is supposed to be at summer camp but he ditches most days and sneaks off into the woods for fun and adventure with Kit. But what happens when all of the lying and deceit catches up to him and he gets sick while he is in the woods. What will happen to Kit when the true reality of her home life becomes public? Will Caleb and Kit's friendship survive when all of the lies come crashing down? This is a must read tale of friendship and determination to find ones own self.

The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

2/18/2018

Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 6.4

@kidlitexchange #partner Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Imagine that you and your family have to spend the summer in your late great-aunt's antique-filled mansion because she has gone missing (and presumably dead) on one of her treasure-hunting trips. How boring would that be, right? Well that's what Claire thought. This was supposed to be a summer filled with sleepovers with best friends and summer camp because this was her last summer before middle school. At lease Claire has her sister, Sophie, to hang out with, that is until she goes missing! While Claire and Sophie are exploring the massive rooms in the mansion they come across something very odd... a ladder in the fireplace. Claire doesn't care where it goes, but Sophie is always an adventurer and Claire doesn't want her exploring alone because of her sickness. When they reach the top of the ladder they find a whole different world full of scary, dark creatures. They barely escape with their life and Claire makes Sophie promise never to go up there again but later when Sophie goes missing, Claire knows just where to begin her search. What Claire does not realize is that she is about to start on an adventure herself full of magic and trouble and even making some great friends in the process. Will Claire find Sophie, save her, and bring her back home? Will the friends that Claire makes in this magical land help her or deceive her? If Claire can't find Sophie, will she even be able to save herself? This is a must read for a fantasy-genre loving reader, a friendship and family loving genre reader, and especially for the adventure loving genre reader!!

This book from start to finish will grab you and won't let go. It is such a great story and it will leave you sitting on the edge of your seat wanting more. This is one of those books where you say "I want book 2 and I want it now!!" I have never thought of myself as a huge fantasy genre person, but this books has definitely changed my perspective!

February 15th, 2018

2/15/2018

Grump The (Fairly) True Tale of Snow White and the Seven Dwarves by Liesl Shurtliff

2/6/2018

Interest Level: 3-6

Did you think that fractured fairy tales were only for picture books? Well then think again! Liesl Shurtliff has spun an incredible story around a classic fairy tale. From the day Borlen (nicknamed Grump) was born he was never like the other dwarves. Because of unusual circumstances, he was born near the surface instead of deep within the earth. Borlen has never fit in the other dwarves and he actually gets sick when he has to go to work deep in the mines. His dream is to one day go to the surface and see what is above the dirt, but this is forbidden. Then one day Borlen got his chance to go to the surface and his life would never be the same again. He becomes "friends" with the evil queen and his life is wonderful until she tricks him and everything goes down from there. Will Grump do what is right and help save Snow White or is he bound by the queen to carry out her vengeance? This is a must read for anyone who is a Disney fan, a fairy tale fan, or just anyone who loves a great book!

Shadow Weaver by MarcyKate Connolly

2/6/2018

Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 5.8

@kidlitexchange #partner Thanks to the @kidlitexchange network for the review copy of this book - all opinions are my own.

Imagine that you were born with special powers and you could weave the shadows into anything you wanted. Pretty cool, right? Well not so much for Emmeline. She has had this power since she was born but because bad things seem to happen around her, everyone thinks she is weird and scared of her. Her only friend is her shadow named Dar. Dar is always there for her and is her best friend. When Emmeline's family has a noble family come to their house to stay, they say that they can take her away and rid her of her powers. Emmeline's parents are all for this but Dar will not have this. Dar tells Emmeline that if she will help turn her human then she will change the noble's mind. When things go terribly wrong and the nobleman falls into a coma, Emmeline and Dar have to run away and escape. Emmeline has never been outside the borders of her house. When Emmeline comes across a boy that seems to have powers similar to her will he befriend her or will he turn her into the guards that are chasing her? Will Emmeline be able to turn Dar into a human and have a true best friend? Read this truly creepy book about what friendship is, what friendship isn't , and how Emmeline finds out the truth between the two.

I absolutely loved this book and could not put it down. My older elementary students and middle school students are always looking for different scary, creepy books. It seems like I can never keep this section stocked in my library. Thanks goodness for Shadow Weaver because I now have a new series to add to this collection. I know that this book, plus book 2 (when it comes out) will not stay on the shelves. This is a must read for the person looking for this genre to read!

Bringing Me Back by Beth Vrabel

2/4/2018

Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 5.8

What if you went from hero to zero in your high school overnight? What if you went from the most popular kid to the most hated kid overnight? This is exactly what happened to Noah. He was the popular quarterback who won state championships and everyone loved him. That is until the night before the championship game in which his mom made a very bad decision and changed his life forever. Now Noah is living with his mom's boyfriend and Noah knows that as soon as his mom gets out of jail, he will be kicked out. Not only did his mom make a very bad decision, Noah made a very bad decision in the championship game that cost his school their football team. But just when Noah thinks he is as low as he can go, he spots a bear at the edge of the football field that has a bucket stuck on it's head; a bucket that was discarded from a fundraiser to bring back football. Noah can't help but feel guilty for this too because as time passes the bear is slowly dying. Will Noah ever have a friend again? Will his former friends ever forgive him? Will the town ever forgive him? Will Noah find a way to save this bear or will it die just like his friendships and his reputation? Read this incredible book to find out all of these answers. Trust me, you want to know how this ends!!

I cannot describe how amazing this book is. It touches on so many aspects that kids go through in school and gives them hope that things can look up if they just give it time. I am a slow reader but I read this book in one day. Don't miss out on this one!!