"Tyson stared at the book in his hands,
hardly believing his eyes. He'd read it.
The whole thing, In two days! Between
the hours stuck in the conference room
on Tuesday, and then the ones at home
without his Xbox, he'd had nothing to do
but read.
He let the feeling of success sink in."
I have too many TBR piles. Often, it takes a long time for a book to finally find its way to the top of one of them. That is what happened to this book. It has taken me a while to get to it. But hey! Good books are worthy of reading anytime, right? After all, the book itself offers a list of wonderful books on its own Undercover Book List, not all of them recently published. Each one, however, is worthy of being there, and sure to inspire a reader who may not have read it yet. That's what great books do.
This is a great book. It is told about two middle graders who are classmates. Jane's first-person voice is strong and authentic, letting readers know about missing her best friend who has just moved away. A third person voice describes Tyson, a class clown, some of his many antics, and the troubles that follow. Their road to a new friendship is shared in short, alternating chapters that will engage and entertain many middle grade readers.
They don't really know each other well when the book begins. Jane's friend Sienna has left something behind for Jane before moving across the country. It is a message in a library book that begins as a mystery, and is meant to help Jane find a new friend as interested in books and reading as she is. Tyson, who rarely reads and isn't allowed to borrow books from the school library because of unreturned ones, sees Jane find the note. He is intrigued. It begins as a prank, and quickly turns into a real correspondence when Jane answers his initial note. As books would have it, Tyson finds himself more and more interested in the book titles Jane suggests, and begins offering ideas of his own.
Jane is a member of the Kid Lit Quiz team, and recruits Tyson to join. As the team practices for the upcoming regionals, events shake their confidence but never their resolve to keep the team active and participating. Both are struggling with their own emotional challenges, and find help in their new friendship.
While Jane and Tyson are the main focus for the story, they are supported by a wonderful cast of secondary characters. Their story is fast-paced, complementary, and entertaining in all the best ways. The titles suggested by both Jane and Tyson are listed following the story and are an excellent resource for anyone looking for a truly awesome book to read.
What about a Kid Lit Quiz team for your school? I bet you know some kids who would be interested, don't you?
No comments:
Post a Comment