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Blazer Tales

Welcome to BlazerTales... where it's all about the book reviews.

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!!!***

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

2/24/2018

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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!

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You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

2/24/2018

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Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 4.7

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!!

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The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

2/18/2018

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Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 6.4

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!

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

2/6/2018

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Interest Level: 3-6; Reading Level: 5.7

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!

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Blazer Tales

Mighty Jack by Ben Hatke

You Go First by Erin Entrada Kelly

The Unicorn Quest by Kamilla Benko

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

Laurie Evans

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