The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers

The 2024 Newbery winner is The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers. I just finished reading it and it made me laugh out loud several times. If you like books about animals who converse like humans, you might enjoy reading this out loud to your class.

It's about an art loving dog and a bunch of his animal friends who live in a park. They have all kinds of adventures, but the main theme is that they need each other to work together and solve their problems. One scene has a group of raccoons trying to create a diversion as part of their plan. They attack one of the park ranger's vehicles and are jumping up and down on it to set the alarm off, and then urinating on it while standing on the roof. All while the humans are running around the car saying, "Oh my God!, Oh My God!, OH MY GOD! The raccoons have gone nuts!"

Also as a little perk, all "the illustrations are classical paintings by artists long departed".

By Mrs. Castro

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill is 2017's Newbery Award Book. This book is the story of a town drowning in sorrow. Every year they believe they must take the youngest child born to a clearing in the woods and leave her there as an offering to the witch who lives in the woods. The townspeople are told it is the only way to stay safe from the witch. The story is about one little baby girl, Luna who is left in the clearing and the witch who comes to collect her.

If you like well told stories of magic, with witches, warlocks, dragons and bog monsters, you'll love this book. I couldn't put it down! In my opinion a well deserved Newbery winner.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is about twins whose whole lives revolve around basketball. The older twin, Filthy MCnasty, and JB, his younger brother are both basketball stars. Their dad went to the world championships when he was younger and when he was doing a slam dunk, he hurt his knee. He could have had surgery for the injury but he decided not to. That was the end of his career and he never competed again. Skip foward years now and he is teaching his twins to be basketball prodigies.

One day in school JB finds a new girl walking in the cafeteria, and she is a basketball player too. Filthy MCnasty doesn’t approve of “Miss Sweet Tea”, the new girl, aka JB’s girlfriend. He starts spending all his time with her and he starts skipping practices and games. Meanwhile, the twins dad starts getting sick and he won't do anything about it. Will the twins make up and go to the championships? Is their dad going to be ok? What will happen to Miss Sweet Tea?

This book is both intense and caring. I give this book four and a half stars because the detail is AMAZING and you can feel the tense times the character goes through. You feel and live what is written on these pages. I like this book because it reminds me of the hard times but you will make it on the other side eventually, because life gets better.

-amazinga142

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander is the well deserved winner of the 2015 Newbery Award.   Wow, what a great book!  Told in poetry that is bold and powerful, this book sings!  The author tells the story of twin brothers who are basketball stars on their school team.  Lots of fast action on the court will thrill basketball fans.  The book goes deeper than basketball, because what is happening on the court reflects the complications of life off court.  Drive toward the hoop with this heart hammering winner of a book.  I finished it in a single reading.  Could not put it down!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo

Flora & Ulysses by Kate DiCamillo is the delightful winner of the 2014 Newbery Award.  DiCamillo is one of my favorite authors.  She wrote Because of Winn-Dixie, and The Tale of Despereaux, to name two of her most popular novels.  Flora and Ulysses has easily become another one of my personal favorites.  It is a simple story, rich in vocabulary and peopled with funny, quirky characters.  Flora is a young girl whose parents are separated.  She befriends a squirrel, named Ulysses, who had been accidentally vacuumed up by her neighbor, Tootie.   The poor squirrel seems near death, until Flora takes charge of the situation with CPR and mouth to mouth resuscitation.  Yes, mouth to mouth resuscitation - on a squirrel!  The ensuing, rollicking, comical, wondrous adventures of Flora & Ulysses begins.  Pick up a copy as soon as possible and read this one out loud with your classes. They will love it!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is the 2013 Newbery winner.  I read it in just over two hours this morning.  It is a story told from the point of view of a gorilla named Ivan.  He lives in a cage in a mall, with an elephant friend Stella, and a small dog named Bob.  When a baby elephant, named Ruby is brought to the mall, Ivan makes a promise to Stella that he now must find a way to keep.  But how will he help Ruby to live with other elephants, so that she will not become a solitary elephant, the way he is the one and only Ivan?  Loosely based on true events in the life of Ivan, a real shopping mall gorilla, this book brought me to tears.  It would make a great read aloud for teachers and should be on all students' "must read" list.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate is a RICBA nominee of 2014. Ivan is a gorilla that used to live in the wild with his family. Now, he lives in a mall with other animals. There are some sad parts with his best friend Stella. Stella is an elephant. I loved the ending and I think you will too!

I liked the part when Ivan lives in a house with Mac and his wife. I liked this part because it is funny when a gorilla lives in a house. This book reminds me of animals I see locked in cages. Kids bother them by scaring the animals and hurting them. It also reminds me of when people play with animals. This is a great book I recommend it to animal lovers.

Reviewed by: #hashtag

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is the 2012 Newbery award winner. Jack Gantos is the author of the Joey Pigza books, so if you like those, you'll probably enjoy this one too.  The main character, named Jack, suffers from gushing nosebleeds every time he gets nervous.  Jack is growing up in a small town in Pennsylvania.  He gets involved in a summer mystery, while helping an elderly neighbor write obituary (death) notices and American history articles for the local newspaper.  This is a humorous story and has a cast of goofy characters that will make you smile.

Reviewed by Mrs. C.

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson

Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson is a book I can really connect to.   I also have a favorite sibling.  This book is great if you are in to sad books.   Wheezy is the poor twin that gets no attention and only has one friend whose name is Call.  Wheezy is not very pretty and her sister Caroline is beautiful.  Wheezy feels very unloved.  She lives on an island in the mid-50s.  This book is very sad, but this stuff happens in real life.  Don’t be embarrassed to read it in school, even if you have a kid named Jacob in your grade.

Reviewed by Bunny 123

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry is a great read, and keeps you wondering.  A boy named Jonas is selected to be the Receiver of Memory as his job for the community.  In this community there is no color, everything is the same, and everything is chosen for you, like what you do for a living and who you marry.  When you begin to have feelings for someone, which they call Stirrings, you have to take special pills so that way everything stays in order and you don’t fall in love with anyone.  Jonas meets his instructor and calls him Giver. Giver and Jonas don’t like sameness and hatch a plan to let everyone know what it’s like to have freedom.  Does their plan work?  Read to find out (;

Reviewed by rainbowspongebobninja

I recommend The Giver by Lois Lowry. This book takes place in a community in the future with no war, no emotion, and no freedom. The Giver is about a boy named Jonas who was chosen to receive special training when he turned 12.  His job was supposed to be secret.  He cannot talk about his day with the Giver.  He will not be allowed to finish training if he did.  The Giver is a person who can see in the future and the past.  The Giver is very important to the community because when the council members can’t make an important decision, they ask the giver to look into the future.  If the Giver makes a bad decision or something goes wrong, the whole community fails.  Follow Jonas on his journey to become the next Giver.  I love this book; it’s sad, adventurous and exciting.  I give it five stars.  If you read this book it will make you cry.   

Reviewed by Gummybear40153

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool is the Newbery award book of 2011 about a young girl named Abilene who lived in Kansas during the great Depression.  But the book is less about the Depression or history, and more about a young girl who is living in a strange place, without the comforting presence of her father.  Abilene misses her dad and looks for signs of him in the town where he grew up.  The story line jumps back and forth between Abilene's experiences meeting new friends and her search for a mysterious ghost-like character called the "Rattler", and the story of the people who lived during the town's past when her father was just a boy.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

The Graveyard Book was the Newbery Winner of 2009.  I thought maybe some of you had not read it yet, and needed to hear a little bit about it first.  The main character's name is Nobody Owens.  Because his parents are murdered when he is just a toddler, he ends up being raised by ghosts and lives in a graveyard.  This is a book full of magic and adventure.  Bod, as his friends call him, lives under the constant danger of being found by the evil man who had killed his parents.  If you want to find out if Bod can escape danger and live a normal life, you're going to have to read the book.  Let me know when you do.  I'd love to hear what you think about it.  Mrs. C.

The Graveyard Book is by Neil Gaiman.  If you like spooky, a little bit creepy books, then you’re going to love the book called The Graveyard Book. The Graveyard Book is a one of a kind story told by Bod Owens, short for Nobody Owens.  Bod, ever since he was a kid, lived in a graveyard.  A man named Jack has been trying to find him and is trying to kill him.  Now Bod has never been out of the Graveyard and is thinking about trying to leave.  Will Bod try to leave or won’t he.  Find out by reading this book.  I like this book because it has lots of voice and character.  I like this book also because it’s adventurous.  If you love spooky and adventurous books then you’re sure going to love this book.  I hope you enjoy it like I did.  

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