Carsyn's Review: Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam

Title: Cracker! The Best Dog in Vietnam
Author: Cynthia Kadohata


From Shelfari, "Cracker is one of the United States Army's Mose Valuable Weapons: a German shepherd trained to sniff out bombs, traps, and the enemy. The fate of entire platoons rests on her keen sense of smell. She's a Big Deal, and she likes it that way. Sometimes Cracker remembers when she was younger, and her previous owner would feed her hot dogs and let her sleep in his bed. That was nice, too. Rick Hanski is headed to Vietnam. There, he's going to whip the world and prove to his family and his sergeant -- and everyone else who didn't think he was cut out for war -- wrong. But sometimes Rick can't help but wonder that maybe everyone else is right. Maybe he should have just stayed at home and worked in his dad's hardware store. When Cracker is paired with Rick, she isn't so sure about this new owner. He's going to have to prove himself to her before she's going to prove herself to him. They need to be friends before they can be a team, and they have to be a team if they want to get home alive. Told in part through the uncanny point of view of a German shepherd, Cracker! is an action-packed glimpse into the Vietnam War as seen through the eyes of a dog and her handler. It's an utterly unique powerhouse of a book by the Newbery Medal-winning author of Kira-Kira."


I would recommend Cracker to many people.  If you like historical fiction or dog stories, you'll love Cracker.  If you are like me and not a fan of either historical fiction or dog stories, there is still something of interest in this book for you.  If you are just looking for a good book, you should read this book. 

Review: Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly

Title: Velma Gratch & the Way Cool Butterfly
Author: Alan Madison 


From GoodReads, "IT'S HARD TO BE VELMA entering first grade. That's because everyone has marvelous memories of her two older sisters, who were practically perfect first graders, and no one even notices Velma. But all that changes on a class trip to the butterfly conservatory, a place neither of her sisters has been. When a monarch roosts on Velma's finger and won't budge for days - no one will ever forget it . . . or her!

Kids will enjoy reading about everything butterflies, from migration to metamorphosis, as they follow Velma's own transformation."


Any kid that has ever been in the shadow of an older sibling will be able to identify with Velma Gratch.  The youngest of three girls, Velma tries to crawl out from behind the shadow of her older sisters.  After unsuccessfully trying several ideas, she comes into her own due to her love of science.  The wonderfully humorous illustrations in this terrific book add to the appeal.  My students especially liked the illustration with Velma peering into the jar.  After reading this story, the students were curious as to what some of the butterflies mentioned in the book looked like, so we spent some time looking at them.  This book lends itself well to many scientific experiments and explanations.  An awesome story with a subtle lesson always gets me a "flutter". 

Emily's Review: Swindle

Title: Swindle
Author: Gordon Korman


From Shelfari, "After a mean collector named Swindle cons him out of his most valuable baseball card, Griffin Bing must put together a band of misfits to break into Swindle's compound and recapture the card. There are many things standing in their way -- a menacing guard dog, a high-tech security system, a very secret hiding place, and their general inability to drive -- but Griffin and his team are going to get back what's rightfully his . . . even if hijinks ensue. This is Gordon Korman at his crowd-pleasing best, perfect for readers who like to hoot, howl, and heist."


The book, Swindle, was a book I thought had mystery and suspense. The book showed friendship, trust, and dog loyalty. I recommend the book, Swindle, to readers who love to "break the law"! The main character is "The Man With A Plan". He gets his baseball card taken away by a swindler and has to work to get it back.

Kaylee's Review: The Road to Paris

Title: The Road to Paris
Author:  Nikki Grimes


From GoodReads, "Paris has just moved in with the Lincoln family, and she isn't thrilled to be in yet another foster home. She has a tough time trusting people, and she misses her brother, who's been sent to a boys' home. Over time, the Lincolns grow on Paris. But no matter how hard she tries to fit in, she can't ignore the feeling that she never will, especially in a town that's mostly white while she is half black. It isn't long before Paris has a big decision to make about where she truly belongs."


     This is a touching story about a girl (Paris) who moved to many different foster families and finally comes across a loving family, the Lincoln's.  But Paris can't decide if she should trust them.  I really loved this book.  It made me want to cry in some places, but it also made me want to read on.  

Review: Martina the Beautiful Cockroach

Title: Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale
Author: Carmen Agra Deedy


From GoodReads, "Carmen Agra Deedy delivers a deliciously inventive Cuban version of the beloved Martina folktale, complete with a dash of café Cubano.

Martina the beautiful cockroach doesn't know coffee beans about love and marriage. That's where her Cuban family comes in. While some of the Cucarachas offer her gifts to make her more attractive, only Abuela, her grandmother, gives her something really useful: un consejo increible, some shocking advice.

You want me to do what? Martina gasps.

At first, Martina is skeptical of her Abuela's unorthodox suggestion, but when suitor after suitor fails The Coffee Test, she wonders if a little green cockroach can ever find true love. Soon, only the gardener Pérez, a tiny brown mouse, is left. But what will happen when Martina offers him café Cubano?

After reading this sweet and witty retelling of the Cuban folktale, you'll never look at a cockroach the same way again."

I had the pleasure of hearing Carmen Agra Deedy speak to a group of teachers and librarians at the Plum Creek Literacy Festival in Seward, Nebraska.  She was an amazing storyteller and gave us lots to take back home to our schools, including the importance of storytelling.  I purchased Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale at the festival.  The book included a CD of Carmen Agra Deedy telling the story in her own unique way.  I have shared her version with library classes from second through eighth grade and I can honestly tell you that every student has been engaged.  I would highly recommend buying the book and making sure it has the CD included.  It is truly amazing.

The story is a wonderful testament to the lesson that it is more important what people have on the inside rather than what they look like on the outside and has a unique way of pointing this out.  I also liked the underlying lesson of respecting our elders demonstrated beautifully by the relationship Martina has with her grandmother.  This is a terrific book and one that should be shared with as many people as possible.