The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale

The Wizard's Dog by Eric Kahn Gale is a RICBA Nominee for 2019. Nosewise is a dog who belongs to Merlin the Magician. Nosewise knows lots of tricks, like sit and stay, but what he wants to learn are the magic tricks that Merlin teaches to his apprentice Morgana. When Nosewise accidently ends up with Morgana's magic stone around his neck, he can suddenly speak, in words! But before Nosewise can learn any magic, Merlin is taken away by an evil Fae, who wants to use Merlin's magic to become King of the humans. It is up to Nosewise to save his beloved master, with a little help from a boy named Arthur.

I am a big fan of the King Arthur legends and love reading this new take on the  story from the point of view of Nosewise the dog. Nosewise is quite funny and it's cute to see into the mind of a dog, "stupid doors"! Watch a trailer for the book.

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

The Marvelwood Magicians by Diane Zahler

The Marvelwood Magicians by Diane Zahler is one of the RICBA Nominees for 2019. This story's main character is Mattie Marvelwood. She travels around the U.S. with her family as they set up their wagon near fairs and circuses to perform. Mattie is a mind reader. When she touches someone, she can read their thoughts. Her whole family have magical abilities, from her disappearing brother, to her floating little sister. But her family knows that if anyone ever found out that their abilities are real, and not tricks or illusions, they would be in danger. The Marvelwoods join a circus run by Master Morogh and suddenly they and all their new friends are in danger of losing their talents. Mattie has to figure out a way to save her family and friends, without losing a part of herself.

I love magical stories and Diane Zahler's decision to place the Marvelwood family in a circus setting was just perfect! I love how Mattie could understand the thoughts of the circus animals. This story has great imagery, I can easily picture it making a fantastic movie. Read it and see if you agree!

Reviewed by Mrs. Castro

Surrender the Key by D.J. MacHale

Surrender the Key by D.J. MacHale is one of the RICBA Nominees for 2019. It is the first book in a series that promises to be adventurous and scary. In this story Marcus, Theo and Lu quickly get wrapped up in a mystery. Marcus O'Mara is in detention for standing up for a classmate who was getting bullied by a nasty teacher, when a bull runs through the school, smashing into a class trophy case. Yes, you read that right, a bull. Except, Marcus is the only one who can see the bull, the man in his pajamas holding a key, and the message written in broken pieces of glass.... "Surrender the Key".

I thoroughly enjoyed this story and am glad there will be more of them. This is one of the times I don't want to tell too much about the book, because it was fun to discover what is happening as the author unfolds the story. I will say that Marcus and his friends are in grave danger and this was a delicious page turner because I wanted to know what was going to happen next. 

Review by Mrs. Castro

The Losers Club by Andrew Clements

The Losers Club by Andrew Clements is about a sixth grader named Alec Spencer who is in trouble again at school.... FOR READING! Yes, Alec is a sneaky reader, every time a teacher has his back turned, or her attention on something else, Alec has a book open on his lap and he is not paying attention in class. This time his parents have had enough, so he must promise to pay attention and stop reading in school, and since this is the start of a new school year, Alec does try to turn it around. At least he can read in peace during the after school program, when he starts his own reading club. He ingeniously names it the "Losers Club" hoping the name will keep anyone else from joining. Except he does need at least one other person to join in order to start his club, and that turns out to be Nina Warner. Nina is pretty and nice, and most importantly loves to read. But the school jock calls Alec "bookworm" and he seems to like Nina too. Then to make things worse, other kids start joining the club!

Clements is a great author for school stories. In The Losers Club he does a great job of capturing those first feelings of interest in girl/boy relationships. He also will give you a terrific list of books to read as Alec and his reading buddies talk about the titles they love. I hope you enjoy this RICBA Nominee for 2019.

Review by Mrs. Castro

The Trail by Meika Hashimoto

The Trail by Meika Hashimoto is another RICBA Nominee for 2019. It is about a boy named Toby who is attempting to hike a section of the Appalachian Trail.... alone. He has run away from his grandmother and he knows she will be worried about him. He's frightened a lot of the time. There are bears in the woods and he feels bad luck seems to follow him wherever he goes. But, he is one determined boy. Can he succeed in accomplishing the goal he set with his best friend Lucas? Lucas, who should be hiking right along with him, but is not.

I love hiking and have traveled most of the trails in Rhode Island, so this book appealed to me. I like how Toby faces his fears when he is feeling completely overwhelmed, always trying to remember the rules of survival he learned from Lucas's father. I also enjoyed the characters Toby meets along the way, the other hikers, and a very hungry dog who needs a friend just as much as Toby does.

Review by Mrs. Castro

Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher

Sidetracked by Diana Harmon Asher is a Rhode Island Children's Book Award Nominee for 2019.  Joseph, is a student who has difficulty paying attention in school. He is in 7th grade and has trouble making friends because he is different. His resource teacher Mrs. T. encourages him to sign up for the track team. A new girl in school, Heather joins the team too. Together they face the rigors of preparing for a competitive sport and the bullies that seem to dominate in all schools.

Oh wow! I loved this book. The characters are so likable, and well developed by the author that you will feel you know Joseph and Heather. Joseph has Attention Deficit Disorder and Asher seems to know just what it is like to be easily distracted. Full of humor and heart, this is an excellent read aloud for the start of school. This book encourages empathy, a respect for differences, and an understanding of what it is like to struggle to succeed. A great "do your best" lesson.

Review by Mrs. Castro

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez

The First Rule of Punk by Celia C. Perez is the 2018 Kids Read Across Rhode Island book. The book is about a girl named Maria Luisa, but she likes to be called Malu. Malu calls her mom SuperMexican, because she feels that her mother pushes her to speak Spanish and wants her to learn about her Mexican background. When Malu has to move away from her dad and live with her mother in Chicago for two years, she is not happy. Some of the kids at her new school are not nice and they call her a "coconut", brown on the outside, white on the inside. They make fun of her because her Spanish isn't fluent and she dresses like a punk rocker. Malu struggles to fit in at her new school and still follow the first rule of punk, "Be yourself."

Sprinkled throughout the book are references to Punk music, which Malu loves, and copies of her zines. Malu's zines are small books she creates with text, drawings, and pictures cut from magazines. Malu uses the zines to explain how she is feeling. I thought this book was very interesting. I think you will enjoy how tough and resilient Malu is as she fights to find her place in the world. It would make a great beginning of the year Read Aloud for teachers. I am sure many students will want to create their own zines about their family cultures as an extension activity.

Review by Mrs. Castro

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

In the book Dog Man by Dav Pilkey, George and Harold are thinking of a new comic to write and they come up with dog man. Dog Man is part human and part dog. He turned into this because he was hunting a criminal with his human friend and the criminal set down dynamite and blew them up. The doctors said the only way he would survive is if they put the dog’s head on the human’s body. Dog Man fights crime with his super sense and he also has super strength.

I thought this book was funny and fun to read. It is a graphic novel. The pictures are meant to look like a 9 year old drew them, because George and Harold are 9 and 8. And did you know that Dav Pilkey wrote the Captain Underpants books?

Review by Ath1eticbeast15

The Detention Club by David Yoo

In The Detention Club by David Yoo, Peter and his friend Drew try to get popular.  They have many failed attempts and his sister always mocks him.  Peter’s sister Sunny is like the queen of the school. She is also very smart.  They have a very bad relationship and when they take T.A.G class together, Peter thought of a great invention.  Everyone was expecting Sunny to win like always, but what you find out next is shocking.  When Peter finds out there is a school thief on the loose he takes advantage to try to get popular again.  Once you find out who the school thief is, you will be flabbergasted.  Who do you think the thief is?  Will Peter’s plan work?  Do you think Peter and Drew are going to get popular?

I love how the author made this book a very funny book.  I may not love reading but this was a very great book and made me want to read more.  It was very funny and very suspenseful.  This book is full of joy, excitement, and anger.  This book can also be relatable to people like me. I am a great collector and I love to show people my findings.  This book is great book and I recommend you read it.       

Review by #ManCityAreUndeafeated

Real Friends by Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham

The book Real Friends is a really good book. The authors are Shannon Hale and Leuyen Pham. It is about a girl who doesn't want to go to school because she did not know anybody. Read to find out what happens next. Will she go in to school or stay home with her mom? I hope you like it. It’s really good.

I like this book because it tells you what real friends are about. I love how it has a lot of detail and information. It actually reminds me of when I went to this school and did not know anyone. That is what I like about this book.

Reviewed by:  THE UNICORN