Good Dog by Dan Gemeinhart

It's rare to come across a book with so much heart, friendship and paws so when I did see this book on the shelf I immediately picked it up and devoured it.

Brodie was a good dog and I say "was" because he is now in an in between place where dead animals go to hang out. He senses that his owner, who he calls "his boy" needs him and so he makes the tough decision to go back to the physical realm. He is able to do so but as you might expect there are a few strings attached. His boy is facing some challenges of his own but how will Brodie be able to help his former owner if he can no longer touch him, or anything for that matter?

For a mission of this magnitude, Brodie can't go it alone and along the way he meets Tuck, the faithful friend who is the perfect foil for the more thoughtful, deliberative Brodie. He also meets Patsy, an alley cat who is as streetwise as they come and shows the dogs how to move around now that they are in physical form.

Brodie's boy is in danger from someone he loves and so the trio of animals are in a race against time to save him. There is more danger too with a pack of evil demon dogs who have their own evil motives for hunting Brodie and co.


The question of whether we have souls is a tricky one but I think the ending was handled in a very satisfactory manner. My takeaway from this novel is that bullies come in all shapes and sizes but with a little bit of heart we can stand up to them. I recommend this book for ages 9 and up.

The Unteachables by Gordon Korman

All Mr. Kermit wants to do is wind his teaching career until he can take early retirement. His "career" has long fizzled out after a scandal in his early days sucked all the joy out of him. His nemesis in the district office is not letting him go gently into the night however and orders his principal to give him the worst class out there- The Unteachables.


Mr. Kermit is a veteran however and he spends his days drinking coffee from a humongous mug and doling out worksheets. Then between the dogged persistence of his younger colleague and his students, Mr. Kermit finds the old spark being reignited but will it be too late?

Korman tells the tale from various viewpoints so the reader gets to see the perspective from various characters in the novel and their motivations.  Any student can learn as long as their are caring, willing adults in their school.

As I myself make my return to the school environment this school year I intend to not view any student as an "unteachable" and instead do all in my power to reach them where they are. Some read alikes to this book are Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher and The Losers Club by Andrew Clements.

Courage by Barbara Binns

 T'Shawn and Dontae are best friends and life for them in Chicago is good for the most part. T'Shawn and his younger sister Rochelle live with their mom and the family has been through their fair share of hardship what with the dad's passing and the incarceration of the eldest son Lamont. Then out of the blue, T'Shawn's mom announces that Lamont is being released early and his reintegration into the family does not come easy especially as Lamont is still holding on to some painful memories from the past.

Author Binns is a Chicago native and her familiarity with the people and places is apparent. It is always refreshing to read novels written by natives as they are usually intimately familiar with th history and culture of a specific region. Binns is also familiar with some of the negative aspects of life in the Windy City and she sprinkles some of those facts throughout the novel as well.

One of my takeaways -and I hope that young readers of all ethnicities who read this book feel the same-is that that although it is easy to judge people because of their past and because of appearances, one never knows the real story. in this book, Lamont's conflict is with himself and also with other people he encounters/

This novel would be a great addition to any classroom library. Young urban readers will love seeing themselves reflected in its pages while readers from other parts of the country will get a window into the lives of kids different from themselves.  Some read alikes to this novel are David Barclay's The Stars Beneath Our Feet, Christine Kendall's Riding Chance and Torrey Maldonado's Tight.

We're Not From Here by Geoff Rodkey

I've been on a bit of a sci-fi kick lately and have consumed some movies and some books that have challenged me to think. The book, We're Not From Here in particular is one that gave me much to consider. To Rodkey's credit he presents a doomsday scenario in an accessible way.


The young protagonist Lan Mifune and his family have had to leave Earth after humankind destroys it. His mom and dad are higher ups in the government and as such he witnesses firsthand how hard it is to find a new planet for humans to live on. When the government of a planet called Choom does accept them it seems like a miracle until after the long space voyage, the planet's rulers change their mind.

After much back and forth and patient negotiations, Lan's family is chosen to be a test case. Nothing less than the fate of humankind rests on them being able to make a great first impression. of course, we soon see that this may be harder to do than expected.

The fact that the story is told from Lan's point of view allows us to see events through his filter.
It's not often that you see a book written in such an accessible way with issues that are relevant to us today- in this novel humans are basically refugees trying to go to a place where the government doesn't want them. The book starts in media res but we can assume that humankind was not too nice to the each other and to the earth hence why Lan and the survivors find themselves elsewhere. I especially liked the various themes that Rodkey explores as young kids today may very well be able to empathize with some or all of them. This book is aimed at ages 9 and up. Some read alikes are Mars for Humanity by Brandon Terrell, Earth to Dad by Krista Van Dolzer and  The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex.

Front Desk by Kelly Yang

The immigrant story comes in many forms but one common theme is that most people view the United States as a land of opportunity and are willing to work hard for what they want. Author Kelly Yang's autobiographical work rings very true with many real life experiences.

I cannot imagine growing up in a hotel and basically always being on duty but this is the story that Mia Tang describes as she relates how she grew up in California. Despite this,  What makes the story worse is that her family is taken advantage of by someone from their own background. Unfortunately it is sometimes true that immigrants are the ones who take advantage of other immigrants because they know how desperate they are to get ahead.

Many times however, immigrants tend to band together and Yang's descriptions of the various Chinese uncles and aunts who stop by is spot on. The generosity and hospitality of Mia's parents is also one way that they sought to hold on to their culture. In a desert of hard work, the sharing of tea is an oasis for them.  Although Mia and her family are all the way in America they still are part of an extended clan and Yang's descriptions of how life changed in China are eye-opening.

This book has been on a ton of lists for 2018 best books and deservedly so. Some read alikes for the 9-12 age group are Everlasting Nora by Marie Cruz Miranda and I'm Ok by Patti Kim.

The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor

I love underdogs. I love stories about underdogs and I love to see them do well. Mason Buttle is one  such underdog. He is big (biggest kid in his grade for that matter), sweats a lot and is not the best speller and this is probably why I was rooting for him from the first page.

Buttle has seen a fair amount of tragedy in his life, his entire family has an when we meet them, they live in a crumble down house next to a huge apple orchard. Their neighborhood has seen a lot of expansion in the last few years however and some of the people are nice, others not so much. Like Matt Drinker for example, a lacrosse playing kid who delights in tormenting poor Mason.

Mason to his credit doesn't let all his. there is one thing that still haunts him though, the weird death of his best friend Benny Kilmartin. Some people in town treat him weirdly as if they don't believe the story he told about the last time he saw Benny.  The local police officer, Lieutenant Baird is doggedly pursuing the case and drops by the Buttle household from time to time much to Mason's dismay. Out of nowhere Mason makes a new best friend, Calvin Chumsky and the two friends forge a strong bond. But when Calvin goes missing Mason finds himself in a whole heap of trouble.

This is a book with drama, humor and some serious issues all rolled together. I recommend it for ages 10 and up.  Some read alikes are The Parker Inheritance by Varian Johnson, The Secret Sheriff of Sixth Grade by Jordan Sonnenblick and The Season of Styx Malone by Kekla Magoon