Word of Mouse by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

2^th Grade and Up

What makes Isaiah so unique? First, his fur is as blue as the sky--which until recently was something he'd never seen, but had read all about. That's right--Isaiah can read, and write. He can also talk to humans...if any of them are willing to listen! 

After a dramatic escape from a mysterious laboratory, Isaiah is separated from his "mischief" (which is the word for a mouse family), and has to use his special skills to survive in the dangerous outdoors, and hopefully find his missing family. But in a world of cruel cats, hungry owls, and terrified people, it's hard for a young, lone mouse to make it alone. When he meets an equally unusual and lonely human girl named Hailey, the two soon learn that true friendship can transcend all barriers.

This story is extremely sweet and the illustrations make the story all the more better. Anyone who enjoys the movie Mouse Huntor the book Stuart Little, this is the story for you.

I’ve always thought mice were interesting creatures. Every time I went to the pet store as a kid I loved watching the little white mice run on their wheel. There would always be three or more mice trying to use the wheel at the same time and one mouse would always be facing the opposite direction as the others and would end up spinning around and around before being flung off, so cute. I like mice but only when they’re inside a pet cage, they just look so sweet and innocent. But if I saw one in the wild I’d probably freak out, I don’t know where that mouse has been.

This story reminded me of my original favorite blue mouse, Tutter from Disney Channel’s Playhouse Disney show Bear in the Big Blue House. See picture below:

This show premiered back in 1997 and was one of my favorite shows when I was a kid. You can still find some episodes on YouTube and I highly recommend checking them out.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Mice

Mice can have up to 105 babies a year.

The Secret Horses of Briar Hill by Megan Shepherd

5^thGrade to 7^thGrade

There are winged horses that live in the mirrors of Briar Hill hospital. In the mirrors that line its grand hallways, which once belonged to a princess. In those that reflect the elegant rooms, now filled with sick children. It is her secret.

One morning, when Emmaline climbs over the wall of the hospital’s abandoned gardens, she discovers something incredible: a white horse with broken wings has left the mirror-world and entered her own.

Tucked into the garden’s once-gleaming sundial, Emmaline finds a letter from the Horse Lord. He is hiding the wounded white horse, named Foxfire, from a dark and sinister force—a Black Horse who hunts by colorless moonlight. If Emmaline is to keep the Black Horse from finding her new friend, she must collect colorful objects with which to blind him. But where can Emmaline find color when her world is filled with gray?

A fantastic story set during World War II. This book was written in 2016 but feels like it’s been around longer, like it could’ve been one of the old classics children’s books.

All the children at Briar Hill hospital are there for the same disease, a disease that Emmaline calls ‘still-waters’. ‘Still-waters’ is a respiratory disease called tuberculosis and was one of the most common diseases to have during WWII. 

To learn more about tuberculosis and how this story came to be, read the Authors’ Note at the end of this book.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Horses

The V-shaped part on the underside of a horse’s hoof is called the frog.

The Extincts by Veronica Cossanteli

3^rd Grade to 5^th Grade

George is looking for a job to raise money for a new bike, so when he sees a Help Wantedad for Wormestall Farm, he goes for it. The ad is searching for the Right Person, and George very much hopes that’s him. Before long, he’s involved in a madcap adventure involving creatures both (supposedly) extinct and (previously-thought-to-be) mythological, a new friend, and a maniacal taxidermist who wants the animals of Wormestall Farm in her own private collection…stuffed, of course.

As soon as I read that this farm had not just extinct animals but cryptic animals as well, I knew I had to read this book. I wish this book existed back when I was a kid. I was obsessed with mythical and supernatural creatures when I was younger. I made an alphabetical list of them that I updated frequently.

There are seven different kinds of extinct animals mentioned in this story and I had fun looking them up online. Be sure to check out the glossary at the back of this book to learn more about the animals living at Wormestall Farm.

The only thing that would have made this story even better is if it had a Tasmanian tiger as one of the extinct animals. I learned about this animal on Wild Kratts. See picture below:

Just look at those stripes! And that mouth! I wish these animals were still around.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Cloning

Bringing extinct animals back to life through cloning is possible only for animals that have left cells or DNA that scientists can use in the lab.

I Am Princess X by Cherie Priest

High School

Libby and May, two best friends created a princess together. Libby drew the comics, May wrote the stories, and Princess X fought monsters, ghosts, and other assorted creepazoids from her haunted house high on a hill.

A few years later, Libby was in the car with her mom, driving across a bridge on a rainy night. When the car went over the side, Libby passed away, and Princess X with her.

Now, May is sixteen and lonely when she sees a sticker slapped in a corner window – a figure in a gold crown, pink dress, red Chucks, and a long katana sword…

Princess X?

Suddenly, May sees the princess everywhere: stickers, patches, graffiti – an entire underground world built around a website at IamPrincessX.com. The more May explores the comic, the more connections she finds between Libby’s death and Princess X’s adventures. And that means only one person could have started this phenomenon – her best friend, Libby.

It’s hard to put into words how great this story is.

This book is part regular teen novel, part graphic novel. As someone who loves reading comics, on paper and online, I loved that this book had a large comic theme to it. I was just a bit disappointed that there weren’t more comics; they only lasted about half way through the book. 

Telling a story based on things that happen to a character but spicing it up with powers and/or specific details isn’t a new concept. It’s been used before. Examples: The Disney Channel Original Movie, ‘Read It and Weep’ and Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends episode ‘The Bloo Superdude and the Magic Potato of Power.’ But the mystery and story in this book is better than all those other stories combined.

Another big part of the story’s plot is the Internet and computer hacking. As someone who visits only a handful of websites and has zero knowledge on hacking, most of that stuff was lost on me. For info on hacking check out the show ‘Limitless’, episode ‘Arm-ageddon’. The episode talks about how hacking is really boring and complicated. 

I kind of cheated with this book. I had bought the book from ‘Barnes and Nobles’ a while ago and recently found the book on audio. So, I just listened to the audio while following along with the physical book. I kind of recommend doing this. May has a Georgia accent and it doesn’t really show unless you listen to the audio. Plus, it plays music in the background at the exciting parts.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about the Internet

There are more than 300-trillion-trillion-trillion possible Internet addresses – 100 for every atom on Earth’s surface.

The Great Treehouse War by Lisa Graff

5^thGrade and Up

Winnie’s last day of fourth grade ended with a pretty life-changing surprise. That was the day Winnie s parents got divorced, the day they decided that Winnie would live three days a week with each of them and spend Wednesdays by herself in a treehouse smack between their houses, to divide her time perfectly evenly between them. It was the day Winnie’s seed of frustration with her parents was planted, a seed that grew and grew until it felt like it was as big as a tree itself.

By the end of fifth grade, Winnie decides that the only way to change things is to barricade herself in her treehouse until her parents come to their senses and her friends decide to join her. It’s kids versus grown-ups, and no one wants to back down first. But with ten kids in one treehouse, all with their own demands, Winnie discovers that things can get pretty complicated pretty fast! Even if they are having the most epic slumber party ever!

Yet another book that got my attention by having a cool cover. Just look at that tree house. I love tree houses! I always wanted a big treehouse like the ones on the show Treehouse Masters. Here’s an example of an awesome treehouse.

I know divorced kids must have it tough but this girl’s life takes the cake. She has to spend every other day with either her mom or her dad (who can’t be in the same room without arguing) and spends Wednesday by herself in a tree house between the two houses. Apparently, it was a ‘sensible decision’. And the parents are constantly competing for her attention. They don’t seem to care if their daughter is doing well in school; all they care about is outdoing the other. It’s hard for me to believe that two people can hate each other so much that they let their child suffer because of it.

What makes this book so unique is the way the story is written. Throughout the story, there are various posted notes with random comments, drawings, emails, newspaper articles and many other fun things.

This weeks’ Weird but True Fact about Tree Houses

The world’s most expensive tree house, located in the United Kingdom, cost 3.7 million pounds to build (about $6.1 million).