Mel's Book Corner

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid Genre: Graphic Novel Author: Jeff Kinney Major Awards: #1  New York Times Bestseller, ALA Notable Book Age Group: 3rd-8th grade Diary of a Wimpy Kid chronicles the life of middle-schooler, Greg Heffley in comic form. The book is told from his point of view, as he is the one writing his daily life in his journal. Greg deals with his fair share of unfortunate circumstances throughout the story that many  middle schoolers deal with, as well. For one, he is one of the smallest boys in his class, so that alone is a big deal to a middle school boy. He also is struggling to fit in, and wants nothing more than to be popular (especially among the girls!). It doesn't help that his neighbor, Rowley always asks him if he wants to go "play" after school, which sets Greg off because what middle schooler asks to "play?" The correct term in middle school would be "hang out", according to Greg. In his desire to fit in, he has a fail...

Title: Junie B. Jones Has a Monster Under Her Bed Genre: Audiobook Author: Barbara Park Major Awards: None Age Group: Kindergarten-3rd grade This is the story of Junie B. Jones finding out that maybe monsters really do exist. On picture day, Junie B. wears a sweater with a dinosaur on it. She tells classmate, Paulie Allen Puffer that dinosaurs aren't even real anymore, but she still likes them. This prompts him to bring up the fact that dinosaurs may not be real, but monsters sure are. This stuns Junie B., and she argues that they aren't real, even her parents say so. Paulie Allen says that his seventh grade brother says that they are real, and this is why there is droll on your pillow when you wake up. Junie B. then goes on a mission to prove to herself that monsters, in fact, are not real. She questions her classmates, saying "Guess what, there's no such thing as monsters. There's really, really, not. So a monster doesn't even live under my bed pro...

Title: Joey Pigza Loses Control Genre: Newbery Author: Jack Gantos Major Awards: Newbery Honor Age Group: 4th-8th grade This is the story of middle schooler, Joey. Joey suffers from a very bad case of ADHD, which makes life difficult. He is newly medicated with a patch, which is the only reason he can keep sane most days. His parents are divorced, and he has always lived with his mother. One summer, Joey's mother decides it is time that Joey get to know his father, so she takes him to Pittsburg to spend the summer with his father. What Joey does not know is that his father is exactly like him without medication. His father talks a mile a minute, and is filled with a ton of energy. His father struggles with his own issues: he is an alcoholic, drug addict, and has spent a lot of his life in jail. Despite these challenges, Joey is excited to spend his summer with his father because he so desperately wants to have a relationship with him. His father coaches a baseball team, an...

Title: The War That Saved My Life Genre: Newbery Author: Kimberly Brubaker Bradley Major Awards: Newbery Honor Age Group: 5th-8th grade This is the story of siblings Ada and Jamie and their experience during World War II. Ada was born with a clubfoot, and was basically useless in the eyes of her mother. She was not allowed to go to school or outside of their apartment her whole life because her mother was ashamed of having a daughter with an "ugly foot." Her mother (Mam) malnourished her, locked her in cabinets, and verbally and physically abused her because of her foot. Her brother, Jamie, on the other hand could do no wrong. He went to school, was allowed to play with friends, and he lived a more normal childhood. One day, word got out that children were being sent away from London, where Ada and Jamie lived, because of a possible invasion by Hitler. Jamie would leave, but Mam said that Ada would be stuck at home, bombs or not, because nobody would want her. This p...

Title: Last Stop On Market Street Genre: Multicultural Author: Matt de la Pena Major Awards: Newbery Medal, Caldecott Medal Age Group: 1st-3rd grade This is the story of CJ and his nana who ride a bus to Market Street each Sunday. Though this is their weekly routine, CJ starts to feel different about it this day. He asks why they have to wait in the rain for the bus. His nana replies, "Trees get thirsty, too." He asks why they don't have a car. His nana replies, "What do we need a car for? We got a bus that breathes fire, and old Mr. Dennis, who always has a trick for you." He asks why a man on the bus can't see. His nana replies, "Some people watch the world with their ears." He asks why it is so dirty in their part of town. His nana replies, "Sometimes when you're surrounded by dirt, you're a better witness for what's beautiful." This statement completely shifts CJ's mood, making him see the world in a new way. ...

Title: Same, Same but Different Genre: Multicultural Author: Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw Major Awards: None Age Group: Kindergarten-2nd grade This is a sweet story of two pen pals living on different sides of the world. Elliot lives in America, and Kailash lives in India. Elliott started the pen pal process by mailing a picture of his world to Kailash in India. Kailash mailed back a picture of his world in India, and while they looked a bit different, they were both still the world. Elliot mailed a picture of himself in his tree house and said "I love to climb trees." Kailash also mailed a picture of himself in a tree, but with monkeys and exotic animals in the tree with him. He said "I love to climb trees too. Same, same but different!" Elliott then mailed a picture of him and his family in front of their house and said, "I live in a red brick building with my mom, dad, and sister." Kailash mailed a picture back and said, "I live with my family ...