Nutmeg Territory

Nutmeg books are pretty important in every grade level of my job. They are books selected by a committee of librarians/teachers covering a range of genres and character issues. Currently, I introduce students to the Intermediate Nutmegs which are recommended for grades 4-6. There are also elementary, teen and high school categories. Each year students can read as many titles as possible from the ten selections and vote on their favorite.

I read six of the Intermediate titles over the summer: Fish in a Tree, Kinda Like Brothers, The Tapper Twins Go to War, Took, Ratscalibur and The War that Saved My Life. I won’t review these here because I’d like to only comment on titles I’ve read within the past month. I finished my seventh 2018 Nutmeg title just a week or so ago. A Whole New Ballgame by Phil Bildner was a cute story of friendship, empathy and teamwork. Friends Red and Rip support each other through fifth grade amidst a new, “radical” teacher who also happens to be their basketball coach. Red’s character is autistic (never stated outright, but all signs point to it) and Rip has developed a strong connection to help Red through the tough changes he must face with their unorthodox teacher.

I liked this story, but think kids with no basketball knowledge will get a bit lost in that part of the plot. The friendship and classroom scenes will engage kids though. Especially their Gross Things project.

Spoiler: I definitely enjoyed the ending too, although it was predictable, it just made me happy and sometimes that is just what you need in a book. I created an Animoto Book Trailer to share with my students. I will share it here!

Two for Two

Why two for two? Well these first two reviews are good reads, but not personal favorites. Next up is Hiddensee by Gregory Maguire. Tough one for me. It was the type of book that I wasn’t really into, but felt compelled to finish since it was recommended by a respected library friend.

I enjoyed Maguire’s Wicked when I first read it quite a while back. This book didn’t match up. It was long, wordy and left me waiting for some excitement. It’s the tale of Drosselmeier’s back story from his childhood as a foundling, through his wanderings into adulthood. The book comes to a close with the story of how the infamous Nutcracker was built, and how it waited through a couple generations before becoming a gift to his goddaughter Klara. Intertwined with this was the strange near-death experience as a child in which Drosselmeier encounters Pan and Pythia. I have to admit my Greek mythology knowledge isn’t too strong. Perhaps I could appreciate this underlying story better if I did my research first.

I think Hiddensee will appeal to those into fairy tale worlds and language. For me, my mind wandered a bit too much through the tale to keep it all straight.

Getting Started

Why do this? Who really wants to read my opinion about books I’ve read? These thoughts are a running record in my mind.

Actually, I wish I started a long time ago. I read nonstop, and I’ve been at it since I was a young girl. This will be a way of keeping track of my reading, but also a way to practice my writing. Anyone who happens to find my posts entertaining along the way is a bonus.

The first book I want to review was finished two weeks ago (yes, I procrastinated a bit). Time is always a factor, and the annoying doubts that I previously mentioned. Anyway, the first book I want to review is John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down. As a former high school English teacher, I am a definite John Green fan. I’ve used his videos, and of course, his books with my classes. In my current role as an elementary librarian, my audience isn’t age appropriate for Green’s books. But, several reviews in library social media groups sparked my interest to push Green’s new book to the top of my reading list.

I admit, I spent the first twenty pages or so thinking the main character was male. I had it in my mind that the book was Green’s memoir, so just assumed a male character. Once I figured out Aza’s gender, I sailed through the book, at times connecting with some of Aza’s obsessive traits, while at other times feeling annoyed by them. Green’s writing is strong as ever, but the characters didn’t have the normal spark for me as they do in his other novels. While the subplots of romance/mystery were entertaining, they just didn’t keep me captivated. I think it felt unrealistic to me.

Maybe someone like Aza needs a break from her sense of reality.