I Eat Poop. A Dung Beetle Story by Mark Pett

I Eat Poop. A Dung Beetle Story by Mark Pett - 42 pages

Goodreads: 

Dougie has a secret: he’s not a ground beetle.
He’s a dung beetle, and he loves eating poop.

Dougie knows he should be proud. Dung beetles help process waste and do other extraordinary things! But Dougie also knows that if anyone at school saw his lunch, he’d be an outcast.

One day, the lunchroom bugs out over a classmate eating poop, and Dougie must make a choice. Can he stand up for his friend—and for his true self?

I Eat Poop. is packed with important social emotional learning themes and is great for classroom or at home discussion. Read I Eat Poop. for conversations about:

*Bullying and being kind
*Standing up for your friends and speaking up for your beliefs
*Being proud of your culture and heritage
*Embracing diversity and accepting and celebrating differences

The book also includes incredible, STEM-related facts about bugs.

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik (The Scholomance #1), 336 p.

"A Deadly Education is set at Scholomance, a school for the magically gifted where failure means certain death (for real) — until one girl, El, begins to unlock its many secrets.

There are no teachers, no holidays, and no friendships, save strategic ones. Survival is more important than any letter grade, for the school won’t allow its students to leave until they graduate… or die! The rules are deceptively simple: Don’t walk the halls alone. And beware of the monsters who lurk everywhere.

El is uniquely prepared for the school’s dangers. She may be without allies, but she possesses a dark power strong enough to level mountains and wipe out millions. It would be easy enough for El to defeat the monsters that prowl the school. The problem? Her powerful dark magic might also kill all the other students."--Amazon blurb

Naomi Novik is one of my favorite contemporary fantasy authors. This storyline feels fresh and is edgy and interesting. Novik did not disappoint with her writing. This coming-of-age and finding-your-powers story is great.

 

My Little Monster, v. 1 by Robico

My Little Monster, v. 1 by Robico - 176 pages

Haru believes he is in "love" with Shizuku.  Shizuku just wants to get back to her studies.  But when these two meet it becomes a quest for Haru to make friends.

This was an interesting manga.  I liked the two main characters.  They are a good contrast from each other.

Nameless Asterism, v. 1 by Kina Kobayashi

Nameless Asterism, v. 1 by Kina Kobayashi - 180 pages

Shiratori, Washio, and Kotooka are the best of friends since they started middle school.  Just one problem -- they are in a love triangle and don't know it.  Shiratori has a huge crush on Kotooka.  Kotooka secretly likes Washio.  And Washio is just crazy for love in general.

It took a while for me to get into this manga.  It wasn't until the last couple of chapters that I really got hooked.  I think part of it was jut that I kept confusing the different characters up.

Daytime Shooting Star, v. 1 by Mika Yamamori

Daytime Shooting Star, v. 1 by Mika Yamamori - 200 pages

Suzume moves to Tokyo to live with her uncle and go to school.  The first person she meets in Tokyo is a weird stranger that helps her in the park.  The first friend she makes is the boy that sits next to her in class that blushes furiously at her touch.  And her homeroom teacher is none other than the weird stranger . . .

I really enjoyed this first book of a new manga series.  Unfortunately, I'm going to have to wait to read more volumes until they come out.  I'm looking forward to them.

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck

The Teacher's Funeral: A Comedy in Three Parts by Richard Peck - 190 pages

Russell Culver was hoping when the schoolteacher died that would mean the school would close and he wouldn't have to go anymore.  However, he's horrified to discover that instead his older sister Tansy will be the new schoolteacher.

I listened to this on audio.  I really liked the book.  The only complaint I had is that I wish it would have continued the story through the entire school year rather than ending in the winter.  I wanted the story to continue.

It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy

It Wasn't Me by Dana Alison Levy - 327 pages

When Theo's self-portraits at school are vandalized he thought things couldn't get worse.  Then his photography equipment is messed with.  Now he is spending his spring break at school with the five most likely culprits trying to fix things with a Justice Circle.  They'll learn to trust each other enough to open up and get the truth of what really happened. 

This is basically a kids retelling of The Breakfast Club.  It's updated to make it more relevant to today's youth.  I was a little disappointed in this book.  I have really enjoyed Dana Alison Levy's other books.  This just felt like it had been done before and didn't really have anything new to add.

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck

A Season of Gifts by Richard Peck - 176 pages

It's 1958 and there is a new family living next door to Mrs. Dowdel . . . a family that desperately needs her help whether they know it or not.  There's 12 year old Bob who is shy and being picked on by bullies.  There's 14 year old Phyllis who is obsessed with Elvis Presley.  There's 6 year old Ruth Ann who is looking for a larger than life role model.  And there are their parents, a young minister and his wife, who are adjusting to small town life.  As they go through the fall season from the start of school to Christmas, they'll realize just how special Mrs. Dowdel is and all the gifts she's given them.

This is a companion novel to Long Way from Chicago and A Year Down Yonder.  I really enjoyed listening to these books on audio.  The narration is wonderful.  The stories are fun, lively, and interesting.  I would highly recommend these to anyone looking for a fun read or listen.

Akuma No Riddle, v. 1 by Yun Kouga

Akuma No Riddle, v. 1 by Yun Kouga - 164 pages

Takaku is sent to Myojo Private School to participate in the special Class Black.  Class Black is made up of 12 assassins all aiming to kill the 13th student Haru.  But will Takaku be able to kill Haru?

This is the first in a short manga series.  I found the premise interesting -- a little similar to Assassination Classroom which I really enjoyed.  However, I found this book to be slow.  It might be because it is a lot of character background setting up the story.  I'm not sure if I'll keep reading the series or not.

Openly Straight & Honest Ben by Bill Konigsberg

Openly Straight by Bill Konigsberg - 320 pages
Honestly Ben by Bill Konigsberg - 326 pages

These two books tell the stories of Rafe and Ben at an all boy's school and how their relationship develops over time.  Rafe moves out east to the boarding school to reinvent himself so he is not the "gay" kid.  He meets Ben who quickly becomes his best friend and possibly something more. 

I definitely liked Honestly Ben better than the first book.  I really struggled to finish Openly Straight.  I just didn't care for the character of Rafe in the first book.  I'm not sure that the second book would make much sense if you haven't read the first one though.

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder

These Happy Golden Years by Laura Ingalls Wilder - 289 pages

This entry in the Little House books really focuses on Laura and Almanzo's courtship.  I decided to continue listening to the series on audio and chose this as my next book.  It has always been my favorite book in the series and that remains true in the audio version.

The Berenstain Bears and the Big Spelling Bee by Stan & Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears and the Big Spelling Bee by Stan & Jan Berenstain with Mike Berenstain-32 pages

I enjoyed reading Berenstain Bears (and watching the show) as a kid, so I wanted to read a few picture books for the challenge this month. I was in the school spelling bee a few times (and finished 2nd 3 times), so this book looked interesting to me. I enjoyed reading this. The cool thing about the Berenstain Bears is that it offers a lesson to kids and this one is no different. Papa Bear pushes Sister Bear when he learns that she has won her class spelling bee and has made the school spelling bee. He is vicarious about Sister Bear's being in the school spelling bee (which is a word Sister Bear must spell during the spelling bee) and he only realizes it when Sister Bear has to spell the word correctly. The lesson offered is to not take undue pleasure from another's success and push him or her too hard.

Black is for Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Black is for Beginnings by Laurie Faria Stolarz - 168 Pages

"Stacey’s nightmares are back. And all she wants to do is go to Colorado and work things out with Jacob. But before Stacey and Jacob can have a future, they must face their pasts. Black is for Beginnings reveals the never-before-seen backstory—and what lies ahead—for the young, spellcasting lovers."

Red is for Remembrance by Lauri Faria Stolarz

Red is for Remembrance by Laurie Faria Stolarz - 320 Pages

"After Jacob's disappearance, Stacey tries to move on with her life, and meets fourteen-year-old Portia, struggling with her own nightmares that foretell murder--the girls find the boy in Portia's dreams living in a cult-like community with a dark side, where another member bears a remarkable resemblance to someone Stacey used to know."

Silver is for Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Silver is for Secrets by Laurie Faria Stolarz - 277 Pages

"School is over, and now Stacey, her boyfriend Jacob, and their friends have rented a beach cottage for the summer. No more stress, secrets, or stalkers. But then Stacey's nightmares return—predicting the cruel death of Clara, a mysterious girl with a secret. And now Jacob, the only one who understands Stacey's magic, is keeping secrets, too. Is he betraying Stacey's trust or protecting her from revenge and tragedy?"

White is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz

White is for Magic by Laurie Faria Stolarz - 301 Pages

"Sixteen-year-old hereditary witch Stacey Brown is having nightmares that predict death again, but this time the murderous stalker is after her."

Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz

Blue is for Nightmares by Laurie Faria Stolarz - 283 Pages

"Sixteen-year-old hereditary witch Stacey Brown has nightmares of her roommate being murdered and hopes that her magick will be enough to protect Drea--unlike the last person whose death Stacey dreamed."

The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky

The Golden Day by Ursula Dubosarsky - 149 pages

The class at the top of the stairs often goes to the park to think, to draw, and to write.  The eleven little girls in the class are led there by their teacher Mrs. Renshaw to meet with the poet Morgan.  Then one day Mrs. Renshaw takes the little girls to the park but only the little girls return to school.  What happened to Mrs. Renshaw?  Where did she go?  And will she ever return?

I listened to this on audio.  It was an interesting look at how secrets and how they affect those who keep them.  I would definitely recommend this book to anyone.

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Clare Cassandra and others

Tales from the Shadowhunter Academy by Cassandra Clare and other authors- 655 pages

This is a compilation of short stories featuring Simon as he attends Shadowhunter Academy.  While I enjoyed the various stories it did seem that the stories focused more on the history of the Shadowhunters than on Simon himself.

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli

Leah on the Offbeat by Becky Albertalli - 343 pages

Leah feels as if she doesn't fit in.  Her family is just her mom who is obsessed with Leah and her friends high school experience.  Her friends are paired off into couples making her always feel like a third wheel.  And she can't seem to let anyone know that she is bisexual . . . especially Abby the girl she's had a crush on for a couple years.

This is the sequel to Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda.  It focuses on Leah and Abby, two of Simon's best friends.  While I did enjoy this story, I didn't like it as much as the first story.  This is probably because Leah just isn't as likable a character.  She's very awkward and uncomfortable in her skin.