Bluebonnet List quick post

I've been reading a bunch of the 2012-2013 Bluebonnet list nominee novels and thought I'd put a bunch in one post.

Benjamin Franklinstein Lives: Fun, intelligent sci-fi read for 4th graders into science. 3*s

Wild Times at the Bed and Biscuit (actually from 2011-2012 list): Cute, funny "talking animal" books for 3rd graders, younger as a read-aloud. On par with Babe stories and characters. 4*s

Misty Gordon and the Ghost Pirates: A plodding mystical "adventure" in which the titular pirates don't arrive until the final chapters. Give to readers who liked The Books of Elsewhere from last year's list. 2*s

Wonderstruck: Another solid illustrated novel from Selznick, though without some of the Hugo charm and novelty. Quite a moving ending that I wonder how young readers can relate to. 3*s

Play, Louis, Play: Delightfully written, snappy read. A slightly weak ending, though, that does not do the rest of the book justice. 4*s

Aliens on Vacation (listened): An entertaining alien summer adventure. More young romance than I've read on the BBonnet list before! 3*s

Hero by Mike Lupica

Hero by Mike Lupica.
Audience: Grades 6 and up

My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Fourteen-year-old Zach learns he has the same special abilities as his father, who was the president's globe-trotting troubleshooter until "the Bads" killed him, and now Zach must decide whether to use his powers in the same way at the risk of his own life.

Comments: Excellent origin story that leaves you eager for the next adventure! Even out of his sports element, Lupica still writes with a perfect blend of plot and character that propells you through the story [faster than a speeding bullet...sorry, can't resist].
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet list 2012-2013
Read-alikes: Hero by Perry Moore (Moore's is for a reader who can handle LGBT lit)

The Cheshire Cheese Cat (audio)

The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy and Randall Wright. Narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

Audience: Grades 5 and up
My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: Tired of dodging fishwives' brooms and carriage wheels, alley cat Skilley yearns for the comfort of Ye olde Cheshire Cheese, a popular London inn. Once installed at the Cheese, Skilley looks forward to a life of ease. But a resident mouse named Pip uncovers Skilley's scandalous secret, and the desperate cat is forced to make a pact with him. The ensuing mayhem threatens the peace of Ye olde Cheshire Cheese-and the entire British empire!
Comments: The language, the characters, the cheese! Rich is the best word I can find to describe this wonderful new tale (tail?) that reads like a classic.
Awards: Texas Bluebonnet list 2012-2013
Read-alikes: Charles Dickens
Quote: "You want the truth, Master Skilley? Then find out just what manner of cat you really are...and brazenly, unabashedly, boldly, be that cat." (Maldwyn, p120)

Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by Patterson (Audio)

Middle School, the Worst Years of My Life by Patterson (Audio)

Audience: Grades 5-7
My Rating: 1* of 5

Summary: When Rafe enters middle school, he teams up with his best friend, "Leo the Silent," to create a game to make school more fun by trying to break every rule in the school's code of conduct.
Comments: Middle School, the worst book about it! Patterson seemed intent on grabbing a piece of the Wimpy Kid pie, but forgot a crucial ingredient to its recipe for success: humor. Unlike Greg Heffley, Rafe is neither sympathetic nor entertaining in his escapades. Plot turns are predictable and characters are as 2-D as the illustrations throughout. In the end, I was too indifferent and annoyed to find anything poignant. Probably a great read for middle school boys--but I missed the point entirely.
Read-alikes: Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Kinney, You by Benoit

The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na (picture book)

The Thingamabob by Il Sung Na.

Audience: Preschool & up
My Rating: 5* of 5

Summary: One day, he found the thingamabob. He had no idea what it was or where it came from. . . . So begins the story of a curious elephant and a mysterious red object. But what is it?!
Comments: A delight on every page! A perfect marriage of outstanding story and art, somehow easily being both adorable and hilarious simultaneously.
Awards: I'd give it the Caldecott if I could!
Read-alikes: Book of Sleep by Na

Ship Breaker by Bacigalupi (audio)

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi. Narrated by Joshua Swanson.

Audience: 12 and up
My Rating: 3* of 5

Summary: In America's Gulf Coast region, where grounded oil tankers are being broken down for parts, Nailer, a teenage boy, works the light crew, scavenging for copper wiring just to make quota--and hopefully live to see another day. But when he discovers an exquisite clipper ship beached during a recent hurricane, Nailer faces the most important decision of his life: Strip the ship for all it's worth or rescue its lone survivor, a beautiful and wealthy girl who could lead him to a better life.
Comments: In a nutshell: I prefer Hunger Games. Swanson's accents were ethnically confusing--I wonder if this was conscious choice or his lack of dialect prowess? While the first third of the story compelled me, the author's storytelling rhythm eventually bored me, as did his repetitive phrases: "blossomed with pain," etc. Richard Lopez: now there's a fascinating, utterly repulsive villain the likes of which I have not read in a while!
Awards: Printz award, National Book Award finalist
Read-alikes: Hunger Games by Collins

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge

Page by Paige by Laura Lee Gulledge.

Audience: 7th grade and up

My Rating: 4.5* of 5

Summary: Paige Turner has just moved to New York with her family, and she's having some trouble adjusting to the big city. In the pages of her sketchbook, she tries to make sense of her new life, including trying out her secret identity: artist. As she makes friends and starts to explore the city, she slowly brings her secret identity out into the open, a process that is equal parts terrifying and rewarding. Laura Lee Gulledge crafts stories and panels with images that are thought-provoking, funny, and emotionally resonant. Teens struggling to find their place can see themselves in Paige's honest, heartfelt story.
Comments: Picked this up on a whim and was wowed by the Agents of Whimsy! A quintessential representation of the teen, self-absorbed, but working through the process (in this case artistic) of self-awareness and expression. Artwork is outstanding--conveying as much if not more than text--ranging from funny to profound. My only complaint was that the slight conflict between Paige and her friend Jules never really seemed resolved.