Mrs. B is reading…After Ever After

After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick

If you’ve read Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie by Jordan Sonnenblick, then you MUST read After Ever After.

Actually, if you haven’t read Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, you should still read After Ever After…and then read Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie too.

Actually, let’s make this easy…if you see a book by Jordan Sonnenblick…read it.  And let me just say in advance…you’re welcome.

After Ever After is another winner by Jordan Sonnenblick.  He spent 11 years teaching middle school before he started writing full-time.  Maybe that’s why when you read his books you can tell that he gets what it’s like to be a middle school student.  

After Ever After is a follow-up to the book Drums, Girls and Dangerous Pie, in which 8th grader Steven Alper is faced with his 5-year-old brother’s leukemia diagnosis.  In After Ever After, Jeffrey Alper, Steven’s brother, is now in 8th grade himself and has his own story to tell.

Though in remission, the cancer is never far from Jeffrey’s mind.  He still worries that it will return.  In addition, he has to handle all of the normal stuff that middle school students deal with.  Like just meeting the girl of his dreams.  And trying to figure out what is up with his best friend Tad, a fellow cancer survivor, who has been acting strange and keeping secrets. Also, there are the impending state standardized math tests that Jeffrey must pass or he'll be forced to repeat the 8th grade.  On top of it all, he'd love to be able to talk to his brother Steven about everything, but unfortunately Steven is "wandering around Africa with a pair of bongos strapped to his back" trying to "find himself.“ 

After Ever After is an honest, funny look at a middle-school student's emotional roller-coaster of a life.

Cover2Cover made the local news!

Check out this post on the Patch about our Skype session with author Donna Gephart.

Mrs. B is reading…The Grimm Legacy

The Grimm Legacy by Polly Shulman

When one of Elizabeth’s teachers recommends that she apply for a job at the New-York Circulating Material Repository, not only did she like the idea of earning some money, but she also thought it might be a good way to make a few friends. Being the new girl at school wasnt easy.

The Repository is similar to a library, but instead of books, it has collections of objects for people to borrow. It has everything from shoes to tea sets and globes to rugs. It even has historical items, like a wig worn by Marie Antoinette. But the most valuable collection is hidden in a secret room in the basement. Only the most trusted repository employees will receive access to the Grimm Collection, where magical items from the Grimm fairy tales are kept. Things such as spindles and straw and a golden egg. Oh, and even a magical mirror that speaks in riddles and can tell you anything that you want to know!

Elizabeth and her new friends get caught up in a dangerous adventure to try and catch the thief when the magical items begin to disappear. And, to make it even more it more important to find the criminal, they have to do it quickly before they become suspects!

Cover2Cover...Our Virtual Author Visit

Have you ever tried a new trick on your skateboard and then Tony Hawk showed up to show you how to do it?  Ever been practicing your karaoke skills and then have Katy Perry knock at the door and ask you to sing a duet? Ever been tossing the football around and then have Ben Roethlisberger stop by to give you tips on how to throw a perfect spiral?

Well, had you attended this month’s Cover2Cover book club meeting, you would’ve had the opportunity to read a book and then have a virtual discussion with the author!  The book club members read How to Survive Middle School in January.  After Mrs. Barbarino put a post about the meeting on this blog, the author of the book, Donna Gephart, contacted Mrs. B and offered to Skype with Cover2Cover. 

 

The virtual visit with the award-winning author was scheduled for March 7th, World Read Aloud Day.  During the Skype session, book club members heard Ms. Gephart’s history with reading and were given the inside scoop on the life of a writer.  It was especially interesting to hear how personal experiences often find their way into books.  Like how a 2^nd place finish in a school talent show led to the “unfortunate hula hoop incident” in her soon-to-be-released book, Olivia Bean, Trivia Queen.  Book club members were even able to ask some of their own questions before Ms. Gephart closed the Skype session by reading an excerpt from her upcoming book.

Check out Donna Gephart's blog post about World Read Aloud Day.

Still don’t believe Cover2Cover is THE place to be?  Read what some of the members have to say:

- “Book club is more than reading a book.  It helps you realize how fun reading can be.  In Cover2Cover, we have played games, discussed how books we read relate to our lives, and we even Skyped with Donna Gephart.  And for those who get hungry, we get to eat yummy snacks.”

- “We get to read great books; We do fun activities; We get to Skype with a funny author”

- “Meetings are super fun!”

It’s not too late to join Cover2Cover.  We are reading After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick for our next meeting, scheduled for Wednesday, April 11th.  See Mrs. Barbarino in the LMC for a copy of the book and a permission slip.  Who knows what exciting things will happen next?  You sure don’t want to miss out!.