The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh

Quotable Quotes

"But then I guess you never really know what happens next.  You can only do the best you can while you're in the moment."

"...the more you walk down a path, the more you start to feel that you can probably handle whatever it is you find at the end."

"...don't think being scared should stop you from something--big and important."

"...it's not worth it to be with people who make you feel like you can't say what you want to say.  Or be the way you want to be."

"You can't wait for someone who isn't going to be there for you."

"...every path is as new as the day you walk it."

"I'm the only one who gets to walk my path..."

Recommended for anyone who has ever felt left behind or different or unseen or human

When Bea finds herself losing her friend group, she retreats and questions everything about herself.  As the new poetry director of the school newspaper, she meets new people and discovers that maybe, just maybe, she is enough, just by being her true self.

This story...these characters...I know these characters...they walk through the doorway of my classroom every single day.  The Beas who suddenly find themselves on the outskirts of friendships they've had "forever", trying to figure out what happened, what went wrong, and how to repair it.  The Briggs filled with positivity and light and energy--willing to help and stand up and be themselves.  The Wills never quite fitting in, staying in their own world, sensitive to everything and everyone around them.  The S's feeling pulled between two worlds and not really being sure where they belong, trying to circumnavigate many different roles, losing themselves.

The Way to Bea by Kat Yeh is a true mirror to children--no, not just children--humans everywhere.  I see so much of myself in Bea.  In elementary school, I went to a different school EVERY year--with each move, I had to decide who and how I was going to be--sometimes I could just be my quirky, strange self; other times I became someone whom I didn't recognize.  How many of us as adults still struggle with this???

Thank you, Kat Yeh, for your honesty and beautiful words.  I can't wait to put this into the hands of the Beas, Briggs, Wills, and S's of the world.

Now, if you will excuse me, I need to go download a few songs from Bea's playlist. Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes...

A Whisper of Horses by Zillah Bethell

Before I begin raving about this book, I must first share a little information about how I came to know about it.  I will start off my saying that Dan Gemeinhart has somehow become my fourth grade classes' "spirit animal" this year.  After reading Some Kind of Courage aloud to my students, they have become somewhat obsessed with him.  At least once a week someone asks me if I have heard whether or not Some Kind of Courage is going to be made into a movie or have a sequel AND when he will write more books (I have since added both The Honest Truth and Scar Island to my classroom library, AND we are not so patiently awaiting Good Dog).  With every writing minilesson I present, students refer to Dan Gemeinhart's writing as "perfect examples" of the concept--no matter what the concept seems to be.  With all this being said, when I saw a Twitter recommendation for this book by him, I knew I had to add it to my collection.  To say I was not disappointed is an understatement.

Recommended for those who enjoy stories of dystopia, adventure, and friendship

A Whisper of Horses by Zillah Bethell is a dystopian novel written for middle grades.  Serendipity lives in a walled city where people have been separated into very unequal classes.  When Seren's mom dies, she finds herself in possession of a map that she believes shows the last place on earth where horses still exist.  Her journey to find this place is an adventure that introduces Seren to new places, new people, and may just help her find her place in the world.

The cast of characters in this book are so well developed that they lingered with me even when the book was closed, and I continued to wonder about them after the final page.  Ms. Bethell has accomplished something truly amazing in that even though the main character is a girl, both boys and girls will want to read this book (I can testify to this based on what is going on in my classroom).

It is quite difficult for me to believe that this is Ms. Bethell's first children's book.  What a fresh voice for children's literature!

P.S.  I have already purchased her next book, The Extraordinary Colors of Auden Dare.  

Zinnia and the Bees by Danielle Davis

Note:  I received a copy of this book in an author sponsored giveaway on Twitter.

Zinnia is having a very bad day.  First, her "yarn bombing" prank goes awry, then her brother disappears, and, to top it all off, bees move into her hair! As she deals with one problem after another, she learns the true meaning of friendship, trust, and home.  

This clever story is told intermittently through Zinnia's voice and the voice of Bee 641 who is in charge of finding a new home when an accident forces (or allows) her bee family to find a new hive.  It is witty, clever, and just really, really good.

I don't knit, but I feel the need to learn how to do so in order to create some of my own "yarn bombs".

Congratulations, Danielle Davis, on this wonderful debut novel.  I can't wait to not only share Zinnia's and Bee 641's story with my students, but to also see what you produce next.  

This is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans

Recommended for fans of fantasy, adventure, mystery, and the Spirit Animals series

My review will be somewhat brief because I don't want to divulge anything.

This is Not a Werewolf Story by Sandra Evans is definitely not a werewolf story--even though I kept thinking it might be until almost the end of the story.  Raul is a student at the One of Our Kind boarding school.  He is a loner and somewhat of a misfit.  When a new student shows up at the school, Raul just may have a chance at friendship, but, first, he has to come to terms with what happens to him each weekend when he visits the woods.  He also has to determine just how much he can share AND who exactly he can trust.

With a cast of characters that kept me guessing about whose side they were on until the last page, this story was mesmerizing.  I finished it in one sitting, and I am so hopeful that Raul's story will continue in another book.

I can't wait to book talk this one to my class.  There will be a line of readers waiting for it.  

The Seventh Most Important Thing by Shelley Pearsall

Recommended for those who enjoy reading about redemption, relationships, and forgiveness

When Arthur T. Owens makes a rash decision that lands him in juvie, he has no idea what his victim, James Hampton, has in store for him.  Given a list of the Seven Most Important Things and an old shopping cart, Arthur is tasked with scouring through trash to find the items.  Through his work, he makes discoveries about himself, his family, and the world around him.  Told with raw emotion and tenderness, this is a story that will touch your heart and make you look at things a little differently.

As much as I adored this story, the author's note about the real James Hampton was a wonderful bonus.  I immediately went online to research and read about this very, very interesting and talented individual.  I couldn't stop poring over the photographs of his masterpiece.

Thank you, Ms. Pearsall, not only for writing a beautiful tale but also for introducing me to James Hampton.

Gertie Milk & the Keeper of Lost Things by Simon Van Booy

Recommended for fans of adventure, science fiction, and fantasy

I happened upon this title while browsing in a bookstore.  Having never heard of the author or the title, I was immediately drawn in by the cover.  After reading the blurb, I was more than intrigued.

What a wonderful tale Simon Van Booy has created!

When Gertie Milk wakes up on the shore of the island of Skuldark, she doesn't remember anything about herself.  She soon discovers that she is the next chosen Keeper of Lost Things.  Along with the help of Kolt, a fellow keeper, Gertie is off on one adventure after another to return important artifacts in history to those who have lost them.  

Trying to stand in their way are the Losers who are trying to destroy all that Gertie and Kolt must accomplish.  In an unexpected twist, Gertie discovers something about herself that she never imagined and is forced to decide upon which side her loyalty lies.

Usually when I get to the end of a book and realize there could be a sequel, I am disappointed because I like good strong endings where everything is neatly resolved. That is not the case here, however.  I am so, so delighted that Van Booy left this open for a possible sequel.

One of the most clever stories I have ever read!   Congratulations, Simon Van Booy!  Now, when can we expect a sequel?!?!