Fantastic Book Friday

Where The Mountain Meets The Moon is the story of a young girl named Minli.  Minli and her parents live in the poor village of Fruitless Mountain.  Their tireless work, day after day, provides them with only the smallest amount of food.  Ma is dissatisfied with the life they have and would love nothing more than a change in fortune.  Inspired by Ba's exciting stories, Minli decides to leave home and seek out the Old Man of the Moon, in the hopes that he will tell her how to change her family's fortune.

Thus begins a long and dangerous journey.  Along the way, Minli befriends a lonely dragon, and he becomes her constant companion, as he, too would like to ask a question of the Old Man of the Moon.  Together, they outsmart some monkeys, search for the Guardian of the City of Bright Moonlight and a borrowed line, encounter an evil green tiger, and listen to a wealth of old stories.  They also make many new friends who are more than happy to assist Minli and Dragon in whatever way they can.

Meanwhile, Ma and Ba are worried sick about their precious daughter and fear they may never see her again.  Will Minli succeed in finding the Old Man of the Moon?  And if so, will he be willing to help her?  The ending of this exciting tale may surprise you.   

Check out the book trailer for Where the Mountain Meets the Moon

Fantastic Book Friday

One Crazy Summer is the story of eleven year old Delphine and her two sisters, Vonetta and Fern.  It is the summer of 1968, and the three girls have been sent to Oakland, California to spend a month with the mother who walked out on them years ago.  Coming from Brooklyn and their loving Papa and Big Ma, this is a significant shift in their reality.  Their mother, Cecile, is cold and unwelcoming and makes her displeasure at having these house guests readily apparent.

Cecile, who has rechristened herself "Nzila," wants nothing but to be left in peace and quiet so she can work on her poetry and printing.  As it is at home, Delphine is tasked with watching over her sisters and keeping them well fed.  Cecile sends the girls to a summer day camp run by the Black Panthers at the nearby People's Center.  There, the girls slowly make friends and learn about Huey Newton, Bobby Hutton, and how to protect their civic rights when dealing with the police. 

Will the girls ever develop a relationship with their mother?  How will the rest of their summer play out?  Find out in the award winning book One Crazy Summer, by Rita Williams-Garcia.

Check out the official book trailer

Fantastic Book Friday

One of my favorite books that I read over the summer was The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate.  Inspired by a true story, this emotional novel tells the tale of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who lives in a cage at the Big Top Mall. Ivan has friends at the mall, an elephant named Stella, a dog named Bob, and a little girl named Julia.  They perform for humans every day of the year.  While Ivan has resigned himself to his life at the mall, he is not entirely happy.  But all that changes the day Ruby arrives.  Ruby is a baby elephant who has a tragic past.  She was brought to the mall from a circus, where she was treated very poorly.  All of a sudden, Ivan's life has a new purpose; to keep Ruby safe.  If his plan succeeds, Ivan, Ruby, and everyone else involved with "The Littlest Big Top on Earth" will have their lives changed forever.  Winner of the 2013 Newbery Medal, The One and Only Ivan will stay in your heart long after you've finished the last page.

Check out the book trailer for The One and Only Ivan.

Katherine Applegate answers questions from students about The One and Only Ivan.