You Don't Even Know Me

You Don't Even Know Me: Stories and Poems About Boys by Sharon G. Flake


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


I have read other books by Sharon Flake, The Skin I'm In, and Money Hungry, and enjoyed both of them very much. She is a popular author here at Maxson, because her writing rings true. This collection of short stories and poems was interesting, and I think will be a hit with both boys and girls. I know she is writing with inner-city students in mind, and so sometimes the stories are a bit hard to take, gritty and sad. I hope that any students who check this book out will find a positive message in her stories.




View all my reviews

Moon Over Manifest

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool


My rating: 5 of 5 stars


What a wonderful story, with terrific characters, and some good guys and villains. The setting is the 1930's, and so perhaps some background might be needed for middle-schoolers, and the flashbacks bring you to WWI, which many students know absolutely nothing about, but still...
A twelve year-old girl named Abilene is put on a train to the town of Manifest, leaving her daddy behind to work on the railroad. Abilene is not shy, and so makes some friends. She is trying to "discover" her father's boyhood in Manifest, but seems to be running into roadblocks at every turn. There is a mystery in this town, and the three young ladies have decided to try and solve it. And, Abilene is missing her dad, and wondering if he has abandoned her. I loved this book!




View all my reviews

Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning

Archie, Peyton, and Eli Manning: Football's Royal Family by Jeanne Nagle
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

With only 38 pages, lots of pictures and captions, and even some sidebars, this is an extremely readable book about the Manning family. I am big fans of the Manning brothers, and actually remember Archie Manning playing in the NFL (ouch) so I was interested in how the Mannings were raised, what kind of home life they had, etc. This is a good pick for any middle school student, and they should actually be able to finish this in one sitting.


View all my reviews