Author Archives: Melendra
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The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
Posted on December 27, 2012 by Melendra in animals, NewberyIvan is a gorilla, a mighty silverback to be precise. However, confined to his mall domain without a gorilla troupe to lead, Ivan rarely thinks of his life in the jungle. He’d rather think about his friends Stella, the aging elephant in the domain next door, and Bob, a stray dog. Or, perhaps even the [...]
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Castle of Shadows by Ellen Renner
Posted on November 27, 2012 by Melendra in Fantasy, MysteriesAlthough she’s a princess, Charlie’s life hasn’t been easy. In the five years since her mother’s disappearance, her father hasn’t been himself. Instead of ruling the country or taking care of Charlie, he spends his time making elaborate castles out of playing cards. In some ways, this isn’t so bad because it means that Charlie [...]
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Mira’s Diary: Lost in Paris
Posted on October 29, 2012 by Melendra in Fantasy, Historical FictionBy Marissa Moss When Mira gets her mother’s postcard, she’s not sure how to react. After all, her mother had disappeared six months ago, and now one measly postcard. Still, Mira’s father is convinced that the postcard is a clue and that Mira’s mother, Serena, might be in trouble. He takes the family to Paris [...]
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Leave It to Chance
Posted on March 28, 2012 by Melendra in Graphic Novelby James Robinson and Paul Smith Trick or Threat & Other Stories: Volume 2 of Leave It to Chance Monster Madness & Other Stories: Volume 3 of Leave It to Chance These exciting graphic novels seem to have it all: vivid, full-color illustrations and a fun, oversized format, as well as a strong female protagonist, [...]
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Hades: Lord of the Dead
Posted on February 28, 2012 by Melendra in Graphic Novel, Nonfiction>by George O’Connor Although it is named for Hades, this fourth volume in the graphic novel series, Olympians, actually presents the story of Persephone. In this modified version of how Persephone came to be Queen of the Underworld, Persephone has both more gumption and greater control of her fate. When Persephone briefly rebels against her [...]
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My Name Is Mina
Posted on January 26, 2012 by Melendra in Realistic FictionBy David Almond In this prequel to Skellig, Almond shifts his focus to Michael’s friendly, if odd, neighbor Mina. Mina’s being homeschooled, because, as she is quick to point out, “we feel that schools are cages.” But it isn’t really homeschooling that makes Mina different.Rather, it is her intelligence and creativity.It helps that her mother [...]
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Amelia Rules: The Meaning of Life. . .and Other Stuff
Posted on January 21, 2012 by Melendra in Graphic Novel>By Jimmy Gownley Amelia feels like nothing good in her life lasts: her parents’ marriage, Aunt Tanner’s support, even the clubhouse she and her friends built. And, she’s not sure if it all has something to do with her, but some words of advice lead her to an insight that could change everything. This time [...]
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Okay for Now
Posted on January 16, 2012 by Melendra in Young Adult/Teen>By Gary Schmidt Doug doesn’t want to move from New York to Marysville, but he figures it won’t change much. He’ll still have a mean older brother to beat him up. He’ll still have an even meaner father, and his oldest brother will still be in Vietnam. But, something strange happens in Marysville. From the [...]
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An Elephant in the Garden
Posted on January 10, 2012 by Melendra in Historical Fiction>By Michael Morpurgo None of the nurses at the nursing home believe Lizzie when she says that she had an elephant in her garden, but it’s true. The elephant, Marlene, belonged to the Dresden zoo, but when the Allies started bombing the city, Lizzie’s zookeeper mother brings the elephant home hoping to protect it. Little [...]
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The Shadow Speaker
Posted on December 28, 2011 by Melendra in Science Fiction, Young Adult/Teen> By Nnedi Okorafor-Mbachu In a not-to-distant future in West Africa, fourteen-year-old Ejii possesses strange powers brought on by the environmentalist bombs that were dropped before she was born. With the ability to speak to shadows, Ejii is among the superhumans mistrusted by much of humanity, including her own father. Ejii’s father wants the world [...]
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