Edith Smith's Reading Blog

 This book is oddly adorable. Carl and his friend Pooder (yes, that's what he goes by) set up an experiment to "reboot" Carl's dad who is a minimalist and an environmentalist. That means Carl is forced to live an environmentally friendly-minimimalist lifestyle. When it comes to wanting to meet a pretty girl, Peggy, that might create some problems for him! So, following the advice from a dog training pamphlet, Carl begins the experiment and the results of his various trials are hilarious silly!  The best part of this is the simple and straightforward way it's written. It's like Carl is simply talking to you while you wait for the bus or for lunch to be delivered. This book is as non-threatening as they come. Publication date is October 5th, so pre-order it now! -TK

  This book is a lot of fun and is full of heart. In the village of Perchance creatures known as Screechers are seen as a nuisance for making loud noises and emitting skunk like odors. The town has put a bounty on their heads and that is not ok if you ask eleven year old Willodeen. Willodeen loves all animals, but she especially drawn to the odd ones, partially because Willodeen herself is a bit of a loner oddball.  Having lost her family in a terrible fire, and being taken in by two wonderful ladies, Birdie and Mae, Willodeen is determined to solve another one of the villages problems: their biggest tourist attraction and the lifeblood of their yearly faire, the Hummingbear, have begun to disappear. Can Willodeen protect the hated Screecher and bring back the beloved Hummingbear at the same time, or is this once lovely village going to fade away to nothing like these two creatures? This is a light and easy read that students will love! I can't wait to add it to my classroom librar

  This book has been advertised as a Ferris Bueller's Day Off with a dangerous twist. While completely accurate and awesome, I wonder how many young adults will understand the reference! In You'll be the Death of Me three friends decide to skip school for one last day of fun, just like when they were younger. As they are leaving, they notice a classmate of theirs also leaving so they decide to follow him. And then he is murdered, leaving Ivy, Mateo, and Cal as they only witnesses to the crime. Soon Ivy is suspected and the three friends need to figure out a way out of this together so else all three are in deep trouble! Every book  Karen McManus writes is thriller gold. I have many on my classroom shelf so if you see this blog, come grab any of them. Unfortunately you are going to have to wait to grab this one as it is set for publication on November 30th. But, trust me, it'll be worth the wait! -TK

  This a wild read! Three days after two students go missing, a strange app appears on the phone of one of their classmates. Jackie seems to have been tasked with playing the game in order to help the missing students, Peter and Kat, survive. Even though there seemingly is no connection, a very strange one begins to form as Jackie makes it past each level. There are twists and turns and a whole lot of surprises! This serves an interesting look at the consequences of gaming while also telling a very compelling story. I think students will really enjoy Capsule.