Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale

Beautiful Martina has several suitors who want to marry her, but she doesn’t know which one to choose. Grandmothers know everything, and Martina’s grandmother has the perfect trick to find the best match for her granddaughter. She tells Martina to spill coffee on each one’s shoes when they visit.
But how can spilling coffee help find a good husband? Spanish title: Martina Una Cucarachita Muy Linda: Un Cuenta Cubano
The pictures are awesome!!! This is a must read for all.

The Luck of the Loch Ness Monster

A small girl named Katerina-Elizabeth was a very picky eater—and she really hated oatmeal. What could she do when her parents sent her to Scotland to visit her grandmother via a huge ship that served her oatmeal for breakfast? Throw it overboard, of course! A small worm following the ship discovered the oatmeal and began to munch away. The sea
worm began to look forward to his gooey breakfast every day, and by the time they all reached Scotland, the small worm was no longer small. What will become of this sea worm, now that Katerina-Elizabeth is no longer on the ship? Find out what became of the worm—and what we call him today. by Mackin Booktalk

Great little story with fabulous pictures. There is an excerpt in the back that tells some facts about the legend of the "monster".

Help Me, Mr. Mutt!

Do you hate the food your owner feeds you? Are you tired of being dressed up in cutesy costumes? Everywhere dogs like you are wondering what to do with your problem owners. Who can you turn to for advice? Why, Mr. Mutt, of course! He is a Canine Counselor and knows just what you can do to make your owners behave!
This book reminds me of Mark Teague's Dear Mrs. Larue. Instead of the dog going to obedience school, this mutt is a counselor. Cute little book. Great ideas for letter writing.

Yum! MMMM! Que Rico!: Americas' Sproutings

Did you know that blueberries were used in medicine and in making gray paint? Did you know that the United States produces more blueberries than any other country? What do blueberries, chili peppers, and vanilla have in common? They all have their origins in the Americas! Can you guess what other foods are grown in the American countries? You’ve probably eaten peanuts, but how about prickly pear? Learn about fourteen yummy foods from all over South, Central, and North America. But be warned—you’ll be hungry after reading this book! This book has beautiful illustrations.

What to do About Alice?

Running a country keeps a President very busy. But Teddy Roosevelt also had a problem no other President had—his young daughter, Alice. Alice was eager for new adventures and wanted to experience everything in life. She was a tomboy, not a prim and proper young lady as girls were supposed to be at that time. Her father called it “running riot;” she called it “eating up the world.”
Whether it was introducing White House visitors to her pet snake or sledding down the White House stairs, Alice’s actions caused lots of excitement! by Mackin Booktalk

There are many great books about Teddy Roosevelt, but this one shows his character as a father. This is a great biography about a beloved family that once lived in the White House.

Where I Live

Diana loves her family, so the tension she feels at home unsettles her. She is afraid that perhaps her parents are thinking about a divorce. But Diana’s parents are worried because her father has lost his job. Bad news turns to worse when her parents decide they must move in with Diana’s grandfather in another city. Suddenly Diana realizes how much she loves her home. She loves her room, from the astronomy charts on the walls of her room to the window where she can wave to her best friend. Everything she sees reminds her of what she is going to lose. Will anything be able to replace the things Diana has to leave behind?

This book is written as a poem. The chapters are short, and it is a fast read. If you have ever been faced with moving, you will identify to this book.

The Penderwicks on Gardam Street

The Penderwick sisters are facing a major crisis. Their Aunt Claire has revealed that their mother, as she was dying, wrote a letter to their father encouraging him to date again. The sisters are afraid that their widowed father will start seeing other women, so they hatch a “Save Daddy” plan. They will have to find the worst possible women for their father to meet, so that he will never want to date again. But finding horrible dates is quite a challenge, especially when their lives are in such a commotion anyway.
Rosalind can't stop thinking about their annoying neighbor, Tommy, and his silly new girlfriend. Twins Skye and Jane decide to make their lives easier by switching homework assignments—which doesn’t turn out as they expected. And Batty’s new friend Ben, the baby next door, goes on a hunt for the Bug Man. But the girls are determined to stop their father from dating. No other woman could make him happy and fit into their family. Or is there someone? by Mackin Book Talk
This book is awesome!! I loved every minute of it.

Two Minute Drill

Chris Conlan and Scott Parry don’t seem like they have anything in common. Scott, the new kid at school, is the smartest one in his class, and he is finding it hard to fit in. He also loves football, but, as he says, football doesn’t love him. He is very clumsy, and he has a secret. Popular Chris is the star quarterback of the team. He also has a secret.
When Chris rescues Scott from bullying football players, they become friends—and learn each other’s secrets. Can they now work together to solve both their sports and school problems? by Mackin Booktalk

This was one of my favorites. I couldn't put the book down. I love the game of football, and this has football and more; friendship, bullying, and proving that you have what it takes to be a star in a new town!

The Hound of Rowan

While visiting an art museum, twelve-year-old Max McDaniels sees a vision of a mysterious tapestry. He learns that he is of the “old blood”—he carries the “old magic” inside him. Max becomes a student at Rowan Academy, an exclusive boarding school for children with abilities like his. He discovers a new world of magical creatures and new surprises. However, not everything is perfect, and Max’s resentment of the bully Alex soon earns him an enemy.
Even worse, Max also learns about the fight against Astaroth, an evil being determined to dominate the world. Astaroth and his minions are causing the disappearances of priceless artwork and of gifted children…like Max. Someone at the academy is secretly on Astaroth’s side and is betraying the students. Max will have to pick a side in this ancient struggle between good and evil. But if he decides to fight against evil, will he be the next victim? by Mackin Book Talk
If you like Harry Potter, you will like this book.

Surprises According to Humphrey

Humphrey the hamster still lives in Mrs. Brisbane’s classroom, and there are a lot of surprises in store for him—some exciting, but others not so good. Some of the students, including Raise-Your-Hand-Heidi, Don’t-Complain-Mandy, and Sit-Still-Seth, are still having problems, and Humphrey is happy to help them find solutions.
He is very excited when I-Heard-That-Kirk brings in a surprise for him: a hamster ball! Now he can see everything that goes on outside his cage. He also discovers some of the frightening things, like Sweetums, a cat with pointed teeth. Then Humphrey finds out that Mrs. Brisbane has the biggest problem of all. How will he be able to help her? by Mackin

We had a science teacher at Vogel that had a hamster as a class pet. The hamster would roll around the classroom in the ball. Sometimes he would cross the hall and come into my room!! He was always a pleasant surprise. Cute book that is a fast read.

Piper Reed: Navy Brat

Nine-year-old Piper is not having an easy time. She is the middle child in her family, she is dyslexic, and she is a Navy brat. She is not happy when her father announces that once again he is being transferred to a new Navy base. Piper has moved more times than she can remember and she is tired of having to make new friends again. This time they are moving from
California to Florida, where her father will have to leave on ship duty for six months. And to make it all worse—school has already started. by Mackin Book Talk

I really enjoyed this book. It is a fast read and reminded me of every time that I moved to a new state. I can remember living in Miami and watching the Blue Angels flying over our community. We would stand in awe of the pilots and their bravery.

Maybelle in the Soup

Maybelle the cockroach lives under the refrigerator at the Peabody house. She knows she should keep out of sight, but she is so tired of eating food off the floor. When some Very Important Guests arrive for dinner, Maybelle sneaks onto the table for a taste of some of the delicious soup…and ends up having a big adventure! by: Mackin Book Talk

This is a very short story that is full of SMALL adventure. The main character, Maybelle, is a little whiny, and it is hard to get past the fact that she is a COCKROACH!!!

Savvy

Mississippi Beaumont ("Mibs" for short) simply cannot wait for her 13th birthday. In the Beaumont family, 13 is when family members get their "savvy," or unworldly power. For Mibs's older brother Fish, it's control over the elements, and for her mother it's the ability to do everything perfectly. Unfortunately, Mibs's excitement is cut short when her father is injured in a car accident. Convinced that her new powers will be able to save her Poppa, she and some new friends climb aboard a bus carrying pink bibles on her birthday, in the hopes of getting to the hospital. Instead they find themselves headed in the wrong direction with the cops looking for them. Mibs's real savvy isn't what she expected, and neither are her traveling companions.

I had a hard time putting this book down. It was a fast read and full of adventure. While I was reading it, I kept asking myself, "What would I want my Savvy to be?"

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and other Scary Things

ALVIN HO IS an Asian American second grader who is afraid of everything—elevators, tunnels, girls, and, most of all, school. He’s so afraid of school that, while he’s there, he never, ever, says a word. But at home he’s a very loud superhero named Firecracker Man, a brother to Calvin and Anibelly, and a gentleman-in-training, so he can be just like his dad.

I liked Alvin Ho. He is a kid that is NOT afraid to be a gentleman!! A lot of kids have two personalities; the one at school and the one at home!! Alvin needs a way to merge his two personalities to become the perfect kid.

The Golly-Whopper Games

Ladies and gentlemen!Boys and girls!Welcome to the biggest, bravest, boldest competition the world has ever seen!The Gollywhopper Games! Are you ready?

Gil Goodson sure hopes he's ready. His future happiness depends on winning the Golly Toy & Game Company's ultimate competition. If Gil wins, his dad has promised the family can move out of Orchard Heights—away from all the gossip, the false friends, and bad press that have plagued the Goodsons ever since The Incident.
Gil's been studying for months. He thinks he knows everything about Golly's history and merchandise. But does he know enough to answer the trivia? Solve the puzzles? Complete the stunts? Will it be more than all the other kids know? Gil's formidable opponents have their own special talents. He must be quicker and smarter than all of them.
The ride of Gil's life is about to begin.
Win! win! win! by: Harper Collins

If you like the book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, you will love this book. The book is full of mind boggling puzzles that the reader can try to solve along the way. Great book that is fun and easy to read.

Someone Named Eva

Someone Named Eva

This story takes place during World War II. A small town in Poland is taken over by Nazi Germany and the families are split apart. Children are measured and evaluated to see if they have what it takes to become part of the "perfect" German society. Eva is stripped away from her family and placed in a school to learn how to become a perfect German girl. After being forced to forget her native language and learning German, she is adopted by a German family. This new family holds many secrets about what is going on during the war. Eva struggles to hold on to who she is while trying to fit into this new family.

This is a great book full of action. The ending explains what is real and what is fiction. Unfortunately, most of what you read actually happened. Two thumbs up for this Historical Fiction Novel!!