The Secret Tree by Natalie Standiford

Sounds like a great read….

MMS Reading Listmania!

At first, Minty’s life seems like so much fun: Summer is just starting, her best friend Paz lives next door, and all the kids play together in the woods near Minty’s house. However, things aren’t perfect for Minty: Paz is suddenly making new friends and leaving Misty alone more and more often. She doesn’t even want to practice for roller derby anymore. One day, while Minty is walking by herself in the woods, she comes upon a tree with a hollowed out trunk. Sticking out of the hollow is a small slip of paper. A message. It reads: “I put a curse on my enemy. And it’s working.”

What? Who wrote this message and why did he/she leave it the hollow of a tree?

As the days pass, Minty finds more messages. They are all written in different handwriting, and they all contain secrets: “Nobody loves me except my goldfish,” “I’m betraying my…

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“Saying Good Bye” – a blog posting by Caroline Clooney

“Saying Good Bye” – a blog posting by Caroline Clooney

Caroline Clooney has authored 91 YA novels and is  true inspiration to all  YA writers.  This blog post is about her book A Face on the Milk Carton and its sequels.  Last year I had to buy several copies of these novels to meet the high demand.  Clooney is prolific and diverse in subject matter so there is always a book that will interest every type of reader.

A curse, a conspiracy and a mystery….

Wrapped
Jennifer Bradbury

So, I can judge a book by its cover. In early December, I distributed the Scholastic Book Club flyers to my students when I saw the Scholastic cover for Wrapped. I had to have it!

Jennifer Bradbury creates a clever and daring protagonist. Agnes is a teenager set to debut in England’s high society. Her mother hopes to find her a husband and a secure position in society. Agnes, meanwhile is well educated beyond the norm for young ladies of the time and not nearly as excited as her mother is about her debut.

Invited to Lord Showalter’s home for the first party of the season, Agnes is selected to help unwrap a mummy! Well, as strange as that seems, this is just the beginning of what appears to be a curse, a conspiracy, and a mystery all in one.

Bradbury gives readers a healthy dose of history about England in the early 1800’s, Egypt, and the discovery of tombs and their mummies. Bradbury also accurately describes the way artifacts were often treated at the time.

I highly recommend this novel, it gives readers an entertaining look at archeology, history, high society and the ending is a spectacular surprise. I am thrilled, and I think you will be too, to know that there will be a sequel!