Go for the Gold by Elizabeth Levy

Heidi Ferguson was America's rising gymnast star...until anorexia sidelined her career and left many wondering if she'd ever compete again. Recovery was difficult but Heidi is finally back competing, and she's stronger than ever. She's America's best hope at an Olympic medal in gymnastics and a star at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona. She knows what it will take to win and is ready to go for the gold, but injuries, pressure, and biased judges threaten to get in the way. Heidi is going to give it her all, but will it be enough?

A lot of my childhood books were random ones that, if I had to guess, were picked up from yard sales, book sales, etc, at least before I started defining my own reading preferences. This was a book that I know I had (and still have), but I didn't own or read the rest of The Gymnasts series (with the bizarre exception of Tumbling Ghosts - again, it had to have been a yard sale pick). I loved Go for the Gold as a girl an even had many of the most dramatic lines memorized (I can't tell you which ones, it would give away the plot). It has stood up surprisingly well. It's set during the 1992 Barcelona Summer Games, and even though that's now 20 years ago, not much stands out too much as being dated. Yes, technology has changed, but that's about it. There are things in there that make sense for a reader today: the realities of anorexia in sports like gymnastics, parental pressure, being friendly with competitors while still trying to beat them, carrying the weight of a nation's hopes, dealing with paparazzi and journalists and agents. Set before the Magnificent 7-era of the 1996 Olympics, it makes sense that an American winning the All-Around Gold in 1992 would have been a big deal. Heidi is a likeable character: a determined athlete struggling to balance the expectations and fears of her parents, coach, and friends with her own expectations and fears. This book is long out of print, but if you can find it (maybe at a yardsale? or in a library or a used book store) it would be a great read during the 2012 Olympics.

(Also, is it just me, or does the cover picture look a little bit like teenage Robin on How I Met Your Mother?)

Check out more information on Elizabeth Levy at her website.

Find out more information at Amazon.

Read it with:
The Gymnasts: The Beginners by Elizabeth Levy
Gold Medal Dreams: Chance of a Lifetime by Melissa Lowell
Off Balance by Dominique Moceanu
Winning Balance by Shawn Johnson

Cover Kids: Ashley's Big Mistake by Suzanne Weyn

Ashley Taylor is in demand as a model. She's been on magazine covers, done tons of high-level photo shoots, and has been working steadily since she was a baby. Now she has a chance to add a new item to her resume: actress. Ashley's landed a role on a TV movie. This is her chance to be like her big actor brother, her talk show host mom, and her producer father. Even better, her modeling friends are all joining her in California to do a beachwear shoot. Modeling comes so easily to Ashley, but acting is harder than it looks: she can't remember her lines, she doesn't know how to bring emotion to her line readings, and she doesn't get along with the movie's big star. This could be Ashley's breakout move - or her biggest mistake.

As I mentioned in my post on Chloe Mania, Ashley's Big Mistake was a book I read when I was younger (most likely from a book order at school, since it is a Troll book) and mostly forgot about until I found Chloe Mania in a used book store. There are some things that I remember very clearly from this book, like Ashely seeing her face on the cover of a magazine after a heated lunch at a hotel or Chloe dripping over sandcastles on the beach while she films a walk-on part on a TV show. I had forgotten the main plot of the book, though. Ashley's crisis of identity is interesting even as it is unlikely - that is, the plot of transitioning from cover girl model to a TV movie of the week star is not something that will happen to a lot of people. But underneath that are very real and common emotions. How can you shine in a family of stars? What happens when your dreams are different from those of your parents? How much of your life is defined by who your parents are? Should you do what you love or what makes you famous or rich? And, ultimately, how do you make yourself happy?

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Stacey's Mistake by Ann M. Martin
Chloe Mania by Suzanne Weyn
Tracey's Tough Choice by Suzanne Weyn
Nicole's Chance by Suzanne Weyn

The Baby-Sitters Club Super Special #14: BSC in the USA by Ann M. Martin

Dawn Schafer spent the summer in Stoneybrook, Connecticut with her Mom and her step-father, her brother, step-sister and all of her friends in the Baby-Sitters Club. But now her father has a surprise: he's taking her and her brother back to California in an RV! Not to be outdone, Kristy Thomas' step-father, local millionaire Watson Brewer, also decides to RV across the country with his family; in a show of one-upsmanship, Mr. Schafer invites the rest of the BSC to come along. The cross-country trip is on! With one RV headed north and one taking a southern route, this is one tour of America unlike any others.

This is one of the later books in the BSC series, and one that I'm pretty sure that I didn't read when it first came out. But what book would be better for July 4th than a road trip exploration of America through the eyes of the BSC? There was something that seemed more... mature about this book; the themes seem to be a bit weightier. Less random baby-sitting, for one thing (the sitting that does get done is only a little bit of looking after Kristy's younger siblings). And yeah, Stacey and Claudia have the lamest fight ever. And Dawn is just kind of there, bitching about meat and junk food. But there's more than that. Jessi deals with discovering the plantation where her ancestors worked as slaves; Mary Anne feels uncomfortable around Dawn's father and tries to deal with the awkward semi-relationship that you would have with your step-sister's father. Kristy is forced to deal with her dad, the man who abandoned his family and has been a pretty terrible dad ever since; Abby confronts the memories of her late father and the vacations that they never took. But don't worry - there's lots of classic BSC stuff in here, too. Mallory dorks out about horses, Stacey falls in LUV, Kristy is obsessed with baseball. If you have fond memories of the Baby-Sitters Club, this is definitely worth a read because of the ways that it balances the heavier stuff with the lighter, more snark-worthy stuff (and the just downright unbelievable).

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Aloha, Baby-Sitters by Ann M. Martin
Baby-Sitters on Board by Ann M. Martin
Baby-Sitters' European Vacation by Ann M. Martin

Cover Kids: Chloe Mania by Suzanne Weyn

Chloe's been modeling for years - even though she's just thirteen. She's always booked lots of jobs, but she's worried that when she gets too old to model as a child model she won't be tall enough to be an adult model. Then a new opportunity comes her way: the TV show that she had a bit part on wants her back. This could be her chance to be an actress! Or a comedian! Or maybe even a music star. But Chloe's finding it hard to balance school, modeling, working in her parents' restaurant, and now acting. Even worse, the TV part seems to use a lot of stereotypes that Chloe's not comfortable with, an interview quotes Chloe out of context, and all of her friends are mad at her? Is this the price of fame?

When I was younger I had one of the books from this series. I probably picked it up from a yard sale or a book order or something (as I often did). I had Ashley's Big Mistake (the book immediately preceding this one in the four-book series)  and I loved the glamour of four teen (really, practically pre-teen) models all being friends with each other. I also was had no idea how to pronounce Chloe, so in my head I read it as Chlow. Anyway. This book picks up where Ashley's Big Mistake leaves off, with Chloe dealing with the doors that appearing on a TV show opens. I still find it a bit bizarre that the activity of one child model would be headline news, but really I guess it makes even more sense now in the age of Twitter and reality TV and everything else. I mean, Chloe becomes a really big star on the basis of...nothing. But there are positive messages about honouring your family and your commitments, what it means to be a good friend, and being true to yourself. If you loved these when you were younger (or discovering them makes you want to read them now), they're actually quite a good readalike for the America's Next Top Model novel series.

Check out Suzanne Weyn's website.

Find it at Amazon. 

Read it with:
Nicole's Chance by Suzanne Weyn
Tracey's Tough Choice by Suzanne Weyn
Ashley's Big Mistake by Suzanne Weyn

The Mystery of the Silly Goose by Elspeth Campbell Murphy

Timothy, Sarah-Jane, and Titus are more than just cousins; they also solve mysteries around their neighbourhood. They've created the Three Cousins Detective Club (TCDC) and often find themselves in the middle of one mystery or another. When Lyddie, an older girl who isn't always very nice to the three of them, tells them that she needs their help, they have no idea what to expect. Lawn ornaments have gone missing from lawns all over the neighbourhood, including Lyddie's grandmother's darling goose. She wants the TCDC to find out what happened and bring the goose back. The TCDC isn't sure where to start, but the lawn ornaments won't be gone for long once they're on the case!

Years ago, when I was a young girl, I read a series of books that were based on the Ten Commandments. Years later this information surfaced to the front of my brain and I discovered the work of Elspeth Campbell Murphy. I don't think that I read any of the Three Cousins Detective Club books as a child, but there was something about them that seemed like it could have been familiar. The book started with a Biblical quote from Proverbs, but that was really the only overt mention of The Bible or religion in the book. There were themes of living an honest life and being true and fair with your actions, but it was worked into the life and behaviours of the characters. The mystery isn't too scary and the kids are never in danger; they use their head to piece information together and never do anything that goes against their moral compass. This series is, I believe, out of print, but if you are looking for Bible-inspired titles or books like that for young readers, do look up the work of Elspeth Campbell Murphy.

Find out more about Elspeth Campbell Murphy at her website.

Find it at Amazon. 

Read it with:
The Mystery of the White Elephant by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
The Mystery of the Silent Nightingale by Elspeth Campbell Murphy
The Mystery of Wrong Dog by Elspeth Campbell Murphy

Rough Waters by S.L. Rottman

Scott can't believe that his parents are dead. They were killed in a car accident and now his entire life is changing. He and his older brother Gregg are moving away from their home state of California and going to live with their uncle in Colorado. They've never met this uncle and have no idea why he was estranged from his brother (their father). In order to earn their keep, both brothers start working at their uncle's rafting company, learning the ropes and making trips down the rapids. As Scott struggles to make the best of his new life, Gregg becomes increasingly out of control. Torn between loyalty to his brother and his growing relationship with his uncle, Scott will have to make some difficult choices in order to keep his family afloat.

If I was going to booktalk this book for teens, I would describe it as "Ponyboy goes rafting." Despite being set in a different time period and involving different characters, there was a lot in this book that reminded me of The Outsiders (which happens to be one of my favourite books). Scott is facing a number of difficult situations; he makes a lot of important choices, both good and bad, throughout the novel. It's easy to forget that he's not yet fifteen because he is responsible and hardworking, but he also has a hard time standing up to his brother and learning the difference between snitching on someone and telling the truth. I've never had a desire to go rafting before, but this book makes it seem really appealing (while not toning down the fact that it can be a very dangerous outing). When I first read it I didn't know that it was originally published in the 90s; in hindsight this helps to explain the lack of modern technology (cell phones, the Internet, computers) but truthfully I didn't even really notice this while I was reading. I would definitely recommend this to any reader who likes action-based books but also enjoys reading about relationships between people.

See more about the author at S.L. Rottman's website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Peachtree Publishers.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
The Stalker by Gail Anderson-Dargatz
The Summer My Life Began by Shannon Greenland
Hero by S.L. Rottman

Karen's Telephone Trouble by Ann M. Martin

Karen loves using the telephone to get funny jokes and to find out her horoscope. Then she has to call all her friends and tell them the jokes. She can't help it if she's popular! But she's spending a lot of time on the phone...and the other people at the Big House are getting really mad at her. Then she finds out that her telephone calls cost money and she has no way of paying the bill. What is she going to do?

Readers of The Baby-Sitters Club and the Little Sisters series who are easily annoyed by the character of Karen Brewer should probably steer clear of this one. The cover shows her looking pretty pleased with herself as she flouts the rules and inconveniences her family members. A lot has changed in the fifteen years or so since this book was published, particularly around telephones, so that adds a particular element that kids today might not have personally experienced. Also, it made me smile that at the end of the book Karen decides to fix her trouble by emailing her friends instead...as if mid-late 90s computers wouldn't use telephone lines! But if you're looking for jokes that a second grade class finds funny, there are lots of them in here.

Find it at Amazon. 

Read it with:
Karen's Witch by Ann M. Martin
Karen's New Year by Ann M. Martin
Karen's Pony Camp by Ann M. Martin

The Bremen Town Musicians retold by Brian Wildsmith

An old donkey knows that his master wants to get rid of him, so he decides to leave the farm and join up with the musicians of Bremen Town. He still has a fine voice, after all. After he sets out he comes across some more animals: a dog, a cat, and a rooster. Little do they know about the adventures that they will have on their way to Bremen Town.

The story of the Bremen Town musicians (the original folktale) is not one that I was familiar with as a child; I was definitely in my late teens before I even came across it. So I don't have the cultural association with the story and I didn't know how the tale was going to unfold. It definitely zigged and zagged from where I thought it was going to go, but I was happy to see a (spoiler alert) happy ending. Animal lovers will be drawn to the theme of animals taking charge of their lives and triumphing over adversary, although some could find the idea of older animals facing their mortality (often at the hands of humans) to be kind of dark. The illustrations are strong at depicting the different textures of animals and wildlife (a common theme in Brian Wildsmith's work), and there are a lot of details and smaller things to look for. This looks like a reissue of an earlier edition, so if your library is looking for a shiny new copy of this folktale, definitely give this one a look.

For more information on Brian Wildsmith, check out his website.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Star Bright Books.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Jungle Party by Brian Wildsmith
The Bremen-Town Musicians by Ilse Plume
The Bourbon Street Musicians by Kathy Price

The Invitation by Diane Hoh

Cass throws the hottest party of the year and only the hottest kids in towns are invited. This year her parents are out of town, she has a brand new sauna, and an awesome band is going to be playing. But to make sure it's a party that no one forgets, she also has something special planned...something different. Sarah and her four friends were surprised to receive invitations; they aren't in Cass's group of friends at all. Sarah doesn't really want to attend, but her friends convince her to go. It will be a night that none of them ever forget.

(Some spoilers below.)

The Invitation starts off a bit slowly as it introduces characters and sets up the plot, but once the story got going I didn't want to put it down. Some elements were predictable (of course Sarah and her friends weren't invited because Cass was trying to be friendly), but trying to figure out who was behind the creepy turn of events made for a nice suspenseful mystery. Who was the real target? Several of the guests had people from their past who might have been the culprit. I didn't know that this was an older book until I was finished reading it (it looks like it was originally published in 1991), but that accounts for some of the questions/observations that I had while reading the book (for example, why don't these kids call each other on cell phones? And I think something that is described as a huge source of shame in the book is something that, while still illegal, would be less of a big deal now). Still, even with those time differences, this is a creepy, suspenseful mystery for kids who like to read books that might scare them just a little bit.

(The eBook file that I was reading had a number of spelling/typographical errors, but it was also clearly marked as an uncorrected proof, so I do hope that that gets addressed before it's released.)

I read a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of Open Road Media.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Silent Scream by Diane Hoh
Virus by Diane Hoh
The Accident by Diane Hoh

Karen's in Love by Ann M. Martin

Karen Brewer is back - and she's in love! Well, maybe...she knows that she really likes Ricky Torres and she might even love him. They're engaged to be pretend married, and Karen's really happy. But then she and Ricky have a big fight; they're barely even talking anymore, and Ricky seems more interested in Pamela Harding! Valentine's Day is coming up. Will these two be able to work it out?

Even as a child, the concept of marrying someone in elementary school was strange and kind of scary. I suppose it's just a general kind of playacting, but at the end of the book (spoiler alert?) Karen is contemplating changing her name, which to me seems a bit extreme. Anyway. People who dislike Karen as a character will find a lot of ammunition here, from Karen's behavior at Pamela's birthday party (which she self-justifies away) to her ongoing fight with Ricky and her patronizing approach to fellow student Natalie. I do like the scenes of her getting ready for Valentine's Day: making homemade cards for family, buying little funny cards for classmates, wearing all red, eating an all red breakfast, a class party. Those did bring back memories, even if the central plot of second-grade marriage didn't.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Karen's Surprise by Ann M. Martin
Karen's New Year by Ann M. Martin
Karen's Goldfish by Ann M. Martin

Stacey and the Stolen Hearts by Ann M. Martin

Stacey is really excited about Pete Black's great Valentine's Day fundraiser. The Student Council will sell Valentine-grams for $1 and then hand them out on February 14. It seems like all of Stoneybrook Middle School has gotten swept up in the spirit and the fundraiser is a big success. But then the valentines are stolen while Stacey's on duty... and the list of suspects is a mile long. Even worse, someone is making the private messages very, very public. What's Stacey going to do?

As far as Baby-Sitters Club Mysteries go, this one was pretty enjoyable. It was a mystery that made sense to have thirteen-year-olds investigating it (I wasn't screaming at the book for them to go to the police). Plus, it has the late-in-the-series character of Cary Retlin, who I always enjoy reading about. (In this book he even has a secret basement lair!) There are some other plots going on, including the mandatory one involving children (this time it's a Valentine's Day party at the library) but even that didn't seem over-the-top. Stacey did have a few passive aggressive comments about her best friend Claudia that I probably wouldn't have picked up on when I was younger, but in general this was a good entry in the BSC series.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Karen's in Love by Ann M. Martin
Abby's Un-Valentine by Ann M. Martin
Stacey's Ex-Boyfriend by Ann M. Martin

Inside Edge by Christine Brennan

Figure skating is a sport that captivates it audience. Behind the sequins and glitter there is hard work and strength; behind the perfectly made up faces there is heartbreak and sacrifice. In Inside Edge, journalist and author Christine Brennan goes beyond the surface to profile skaters - veterans, stars, up-and-comers and a year in the life of figure skating. Beginning where the 1994 Olympics leave off and culminating with the 1995 World Championships, this is a book that figure skating fans cannot miss.

I received this book as a young figure skating fan in 1996 and immediately read it from cover to cover. When I was at home over Christmas, I picked up my dog-earred hardcover copy and read it again. I was amazed by the level of detail in this book and how candidly some of the people involved spoke about the sport. Some of the chapters become interesting because of what came later - Tara Lipinski is profiled as a young junior skater who might be trying to do too much too fast (she would win the 1998 Olympic gold medal, although in 1995 she was not able to win the junior national title), while Rudy Galindo is looked at as a perennial also-ran who was destined to anonymity (he would win the 1996 national title and the 1996 world bronze medal). This book is a snapshot (or maybe a series of time lapse photographs) of a particularly interesting time for skating. Post-1994, skating enjoyed some of its highest levels of popularity, so there were incredible outlets for skaters to develop their art, perfect their skills, and earn money.  It was also a time of a number of different threads that would shape the sport for many years to come: the shift of the top women skaters from young women to young teens to even younger teens, the portrayal of masculinity shown by Elvis Stojko and others, the necessity of having the top triples and quads to compete, the conflict between the sport's professionals and amateurs. Beneath all of this is incredibly solid writing and a skill at asking the right questions. Even though it's now more than fifteen years since it was published, Inside Edge still stands as a must-read book for skating fans.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
Edge of Glory by Christine Brennan
Figure Skating: A Celebration by Beverly Smith
A Year in Figure Skating by Beverly Smith
A Passion to Skate by Sandra Bezic
Stars on Ice by Barry Wilner

Franklin's Christmas Gift by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark

Franklin loves Christmas. It's a very special time for him. But he doesn't know what gift to donate for his class's toy drive. It's hard to part with all of the toys that he loves so much, and when he tries to decide, he gets sidetracked by all of the Christmas fun, like baking cookies, making cards, and playing Christmas music. Then it's time for the toy drive. What will Franklin do?

Franklin is such a great character because no matter what he does, children can relate to him. He wants to do the right thing, but he doesn't always know what that is - and it's not always the easy thing to do. Franklin's Christmas Gift brings up a lot of great concepts to talk about with kids, like charity and generosity. What is the true meaning of Christmas? What kinds of gifts mean something to other people? This would be a great book to be paired with a family activity, like making presents or donating toys to charity.

Check out the websites for Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark.

I received a review copy from NetGalley from Open Road Media.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Franklin in the Dark by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark
Franklin Goes to the Hospital by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark
Franklin's Christmas: A Sticker Activity Book by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark

The Jolly Christmas Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg

There aren't many Christmas stories about postal workers. Sure, elves and Santa and even the characters in A Christmas Carol are more closely associated with the holiday. But how do people think that their packages get from one house to another? How do Christmas cards get to the homes of loved ones? How are those fruitcakes carried all over the world? Postal workers! The Jolly Christmas Postman celebratese the work of one such postal worker as he carries cards and gifts to many different fairy tale and nursery rhyme characters.

As with the original The Jolly Postman, this book contains envelopes with things that you can pull out - letters, books, games - and enjoy along with the characters. There's something truly delightful in opening up each envelope and examining what's inside. This is particularly true because of the genius attention to detail that Janet and Allan Ahlberg pay to all words, illustrations, and little touches. This book has more in the way of games and fancy stuff than the original one, which I found kind of overwhelming, almost as if it was too much of a good thing. But it also means that there's lots for children to return to and explore. Even twenty years after it was first published, this remains a lovely Christmas book that will delight children and provide lots of quality reading time for the whole family.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
The Jolly Postman by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Each Peach Pear Plum by Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Postman Pat Has Too Many Parcels by John Cunliffe

Karen's Wish by Ann M. Martin

Christmas is coming, and it's Karen's favourite time of year! Her parents (who are divorced) have sorted it out so that Karen and her brother Andrew can celebrate Christmas with both families. She's even going to experience Hanukkah with her best friend Nancy! Now she can concentrate on singing Christmas songs, doing Christmas crafts, and making her Christmas list. But when she learns that Nannie is in the hospital, it doesn't feel right to be celebrating. All Karen wants for Christmas is for her family to be at home and healthy. Will her Christmas wish come true?

I'm pretty sure that this book was one of my first introductions to Hanukkah, at least at a level about what it means for kids and families. Karen (who can sometimes work my last nerve) is a character that I find to be easy to relate to here; she's excited about Christmas but worried about her step-Grandmother, and there's that awful feeling that things aren't going to be right for Christmas. As usual, I do think that the adults in her life should have talked things out with her a bit more, particularly around her feelings of survivor's guilt (even though she had nothing to do with Nannie's accident), but (spoiler alert) everything turned out okay in the end.

(Also, the scene that's shown on the cover totally never happens. Nancy and Karen give each other their presents at different times. But it does match up with what Karen and Nancy are wearing in the story. And Nancy (on the left) is rocking a dress that I totally would have seen on people at the time.)

For a more in-depth take on the book, check out the BSC Revisited.

Find it at Amazon.

Read it with:
Mallory's Christmas Wish by Ann M. Martin
Karen's Angel by Ann M. Martin
With You and Without You by Ann M. Martin

The Huron Carol illustrated by Frances Tyrrell

The Huron Carol has always been one of my favourite Christmas songs, and in this book illustrated by Frances Tyrrell, it has gentle illustrations to go with the powerful words. Winter has crystalized the woods; stars peek out as small points of light on a velvety dark background. People from many nations come to see a small child who has been born in a humble setting, bringing him traditional gifts to honour him. And there, in the presence of the newborn baby, they will find beauty, peace, and joy.

 The song was originally written by Father Jean de Brebeuf (1593-1649) in the Huron language as a retelling of the Nativity story. The song survived past his death and was eventually translated into English by J. E. Middleton in 1926. An afterword in the book, "The Story of The Huron Carol," talks about the history of the song but also of the Huron people. Additionally, there is a lot of information on the illustrations for the book at Frances Tyrrell's website, including the sources and inspirations for the images.

Find it at Amazon Canada.

Read it with:
The Huron Carol by Ian Wallace
A Christmas Celebration by Avril Tyrrell
Woodland Nutcracker by Avril Tyrell

Mallory's Christmas Wish by Ann M. Martin

Christmas in a big family can be great, but Mallory is starting to find it a bit overwhelming. She has seven brothers and sisters, and Christmas feels like it's getting out of hand. That's why she suggested that this year they have an Old Fashioned Christmas. There's just one problem - after winning a contest, the Pike family is being filmed by a local TV station. How can they have a traditional Christmas if they're doing everything in front of a camera? This might be the worst Christmas ever!

When I first read this book, the idea of Mallory fantasizing about worldwide stardom after a local TV news feature seemed laughable; now, it seems totally possible. A large family on TV? How normal! There's a small subplot, about a retirement home that's throwing a holiday craft/rummage/bake sale and the Baby-Sitters Club totally takes over. One chapter mentions how Stacey is resentful that she is expected to give up spending holiday time with her boyfriend in order to babysit for free. I wish that there was more of that examined in the series, particularly after Stacey rejoins the BSC after quitting. But then no one really reads as age appropriate in this series. Mallory, in the first chapter, laments as to how hard it is to buy for kids these days because they grow out of things so fast. Except she's 11, and she's around her brothers and sisters every day. The outcome of the story, that the family ends up rejecting the camera crew and giving up on their dreams of fame, isn't even worth giving a spoiler alert for, because it's just so predictable. But I think in terms of Christmas-themed BSC books, this is better than the even-more-of-a-cliche story where Mary Anne spends too much on presents and then has to secretly earn money before her family finds out.

Find it (used) on Amazon. 

Read it with:
Holiday Time by Ann M. Martin
Karen's Wish by Ann M. Martin
The Secret Life of Mary Anne Spier by Ann M. Martin

Chickadee Winter by Dawn L. Watkins and illustrated by Gabriela Dellosso

Jack's grandparents' place is not at all like New Mexico, and he's having a hard time adjusting. He misses the weather, the food, and everything about his home, and he's not sure if he even likes it in a place where winters are so cold and there's snow everywhere. Jack and his sister Nora are staying with their grandparents and Christmas is getting closer, but Jack is in no mood to celebrate. Maybe the chickadees that fly around his grandfather will help him to understand how this kind of winter, while different than what he's used to, can still be fun and beautiful.

It's very easy to relate to Jack: he's a young boy who feels like his life has been turned upside down, he misses his old life, and he's afraid about what the future will bring. His parents are only briefly mentioned in this book, and it doesn't sound like he has a very close relationship with his grandparents (although they are doing a good job of taking care of him), so he feels a little bit lost. The illustrations are at their best when they're depicting Jack's grandfather (as on the cover), a quiet man with strength and peace. Also beautiful are the different shades used to show the sky: light blue, dark blue, white, purple, yellow, orange... Jack might be missing the vibrant colours of New Mexico, but the illustrations show how even when there's so much 'white' going on in winter, there can still be many different subtle details. This book will resonate with both animal lovers as well as children who are struggling to deal with changes in their lives.

I received a review copy from NetGalley courtesy of BJU Press.

Don't miss Gabriela Dellosso's website.

Find it at IndieBound. 

Read it with:
The Cranky Blue Crab by Dawn L. Watkins
Very Like a Star by Dawn L. Watkins
Karen's Plane Trip by Ann M. Martin

Franklin's Halloween by Paulette Bourgeois and illustrated by Brenda Clark

Franklin is excited for Halloween! He's got a great idea for a costume and he's going to go to a party with his friends and then go trick-or-treating. Everything is set for a great day...as long as nothing too scary happens!

Franklin's Halloween is a book that I can see being read in bedrooms, libraries, and classrooms all over the country at this time of year. There are lots of classic Halloween themes: the importance of choosing the perfect costume, wanting to be scared (but not too scared), the friend who gets sick and has to miss out on trick-or-treating. Franklin's Halloween was originally published in 1996, but it easily speaks to kids' experiences fifteen years later.

I read a review copy at NetGalley courtesy of Kids Can Press and Open Road Media. (They're partnering to bring Franklin e-Books to a new generation of readers.)

See more about Franklin and author Paulette Bourgeois at her website.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Franklin in the Dark by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark
Franklin Fibs by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark
Franklin is Lost by Paulette Bourgeois and Brenda Clark

Murder She Wrote: A Palette for Murder by Donald Bain

After a grueling schedule of writing and teaching, famed mystery writer Jessica Fletcher is looking forward to nothing but rest and relaxation in the Hamptons. But she's barely been there for twenty-four hours before someone dies right in front of her! While indulging in her secret passion for art, the model -by all appearances, a healthy young woman- in Jessica's class silently passes away from an apparent heart attack while modeling. Compounding the mystery is that a year ago a promising young artist also died of a heart attack. Two identical deaths in two years is strange, but as Jessica discovers more about the circumstances, could she have uncovered some murders?

A Palette for Murder, first published in the mid-90s, has a quaint datedness about it. Jessica is worried about the media getting a hold of the information that she is participating in art classes with - gasp! - nude models. Would that be shocking these days? I can see it maybe appearing on something like TMZ, but then it would be quickly overtaken with an actual sex scandal or something. Also, she disguises herself with sunglasses and a turban, and in the days before camera phones, it kind of works. Anyway, the actual story was pretty enjoyable. Unlike other MSW novels, the murder takes place fairly quickly, so there are lots of pages for the twists and turns to fall out. And when Jessica is making an indignant speech on the first page, you know there will be more where that came from.

Find it at IndieBound.

Read it with:
Murder She Wrote: You Bet Your Life by Donald Bain
Murder She Wrote: The Highland Fling Murders by Donald Bain
Murder She Wrote: Destination Murder by Donald Bain
Murder She Wrote: Provence - To Die For by Donald Bain
Murder She Wrote: The Fine Art of Murder by Donald Bain