Heartbeat

Title: Heartbeat
Author: Sharon Creech
Recommended for: Grades 3-7

Annie loves to run. Better yet, she loves to run barefoot alongside (or in front of :) her best friend Max. Max, however, just wishes Annie would join the track team or that he had enough money to by himself a pair of running shoes. Annie has some wishes herself. Mainly, that the baby that is growing inside of her Mom's belly isn't an alien, that she can draw the picture of an apple in a way that is special, or that her grandfather's health improves. This story, written in free verse by one of the best authors when it comes to voice and characterization, is one that everyone should take just a little time to read.

Project Mulberry

Title: Project Mulberry

Author: Linda Sue Park

Recommended for: Grades 3-6

Julia and her best friend Patrick are in the Wiggle Club, which aims to teach kids about farming (something that fewer and fewer of us have experience with as generations pass). As Wiggle Club members, they have to create a project that, if good enough, gets to be entered into the state fair. Julia and Patrick end up deciding to raise silkworms, although Julia isn't a big fan of the idea. Through the project, they encounter many challenges: finding a way to raise the silkworms, disagreements both as friends and project partners, and also personal obstacles.

Will Project Mulberry be a success for Julia and Patrick? If you are a fan of science, learning about different cultures, stories about friendship, or realistic fiction, pick up this book by the Newbery-winning author Linda Sue Park.

Code Talker

Title: Code Talker
Author: Joseph Bruchac
Recommended for: Grades 5-8

Until 1969, the United States military kept a vital component of its success during World War II a secret: the Navajo Code talkers. Joseph Bruchac brings to life the story of one Navajo man, Kii Yazhi, who grew up going to a boarding school which wouldn't allow him to speak his Navajo language. Ironically, Kii Yazhi's ability to hold onto this language made him an important asset to the Marines during World War II. Any military, whether American or not, needs a way to communicate information without it being intercepted by the other side. Since the Navajo language was spoken by so few and difficult to learn, it made the perfect communication tool for the U.S. Military.

As always, Bruchac gives the reader a perspective on Indian life that only he knows how. We can't help but be remorseful for the hurt delivered upon nations of indigenous people in our country's past and hope to find a way to celebrate the gifts that people such as the Navajos brought and continue to bring to the United States.

If you are interested in World War II, historical fiction, or Native American experiences, you will enjoy Code Talker.

Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083

Title: Surviving Antarctica: Reality TV 2083

Author: Andrea White

Recommended for: Grades 6-9

Science fiction, when well-written, is probably my favorite of all the genres of literature. Surviving Antarctica is definitely a well-written science fiction novel because it makes you wonder "What if?" and it seems like the situation that the characters find themselves in could potentially happen.

In Surviving Antarctica, the year is 2083 and public education is only available through government television. Anyone who wants a tradition high school and college education either has to have the money for it (which only the very rich do) or win through The Toss, and only a small percentage win The Toss. Robert, Polly, Billy, Andrew, and Grace didn't win their Toss, but they instead "won" a chance to get rich through being picked to participate in a new Historical Survivor game called Antarctic Survivor. The 5 will redo the failed voyage of Robert E. Scott's 1912 journey to the South Pole and hope for better results. If achieved, they will earn big money, and if voted MVP, even more riches.

Being a fan of the reality series Survivor, the book does an amazing job of bringing up some ethical issues of reality television as well as the government involvement in the entertainment industry. It's interesting to note that the author's husband is currently the Mayor of Houston, Texas. I'm sure that gives her an interesting perspective!

If you like adventure, survival, and a good page-turner, you MUST read Surviving Antarctica by Andrea White.

Check out more about the book and author at:

http://www.survivingantarctica.com/index_aw.html

http://www.harpercollins.com/authors/26088/Andrea_White/index.aspx