I Am Grateful For: Downsiders by Neal Shusterman

Downsiders by Neal Shusterman

Love this book! I read it many years ago but I still really remember it.  It was one of the first real YA books I read and it was fantastic.  What always bummed me out was that there wasn't a sequel.  I was lucky enough to meet Neal Shusterman, and I asked him about it.  He said, no there would be no sequel.  So sad! Check it out if you want to see a story that came before books like Gregor the Overlander or The Maze Runner.  It's not identical to them, but it has the same feel.  

Fear the Topside, or be crushed by its embrace

Beneath the sewer grates and manholes of the city lies a strange and secret world called the Downside. Every Downsider knows that it's forbidden to go Topside, and most fear a collision of the two worlds. But fourteen-year-old Talon is curious about what goes on above ground, and one day he ventures out in search of medicine for his ailing sister. There he meets Lindsay, who is as curious about Talon's world as he is about hers.

When Lindsay visits the Downside for the first time, she marvels at the spirit of the Downsiders, and the way they create works of art from topside "trash," like old subway tokens and forgotten earrings. As awed as she is by the Downside, however, she also questions its origins, and when she finds out that this fantastic world is not all it appears to be, she is determined to tell Talon the truth. Then a construction accident threatens to crush Talon's world, and his loyalty is put to the test. Can the truth save the Downside, or will it destroy an entire civilization?

I Am Grateful For: Life as We Knew it by Susan Beth Pfeffer

Ok so it might be kind of weird that I'm grateful for a book that's all about the destruction of the world but I am! It's a great book that really makes you question.  I've read a bunch on dystopia, but this is the first one that got me really thinking about what I'd do how we'd handle it.  After reading this book I'd think about when doing mundane things like washing dishes because I'd realize that if I lived in the book having water to do dishes would be rare! It had that much of an impact!

Miranda’s disbelief turns to fear in a split second when a meteor knocks the moon closer to the earth. How should her family prepare for the future when worldwide tsunamis wipe out the coasts, earthquakes rock the continents, and volcanic ash blocks out the sun? As summer turns to Arctic winter, Miranda, her two brothers, and their mother retreat to the unexpected safe haven of their sunroom, where they subsist on stockpiled food and limited water in the warmth of a wood-burning stove.

Told in journal entries, this is the heart-pounding story of Miranda’s struggle to hold on to the most important resource of all--hope--in an increasingly desperate and unfamiliar world.

I Am Grateful For: Midnighters Series by Scott Westerfeld

The Secret Hour (Midnighters #1) by Scott Westerfeld

OMGosh if you haven't looked at this series you NEED too! I'm so grateful for it because it got me super hooked on a series that I tore through and didn't give up on! It's by Scott Westerfeld that you might know from the Uglies series.  (those are great too) This was a series that came before those, and I wish more people read them because they are just great.  So full of action, so well constructed, great characters and a unique concept!  Please look into this series!!

Nobody is safe in the secret hour.

Strange things happen at midnight in the town of Bixby, Oklahoma.

Time freezes.

Nobody moves.

For one secret hour each night, the town belongs to the dark creatures that haunt the shadows. Only a small group of people know about the secret hour -- only they are free to move about the midnight time.

These people call themselves Midnighters. Each one has a different power that is strongest at midnight: Seer, Mindcaster, Acrobat, Polymath. For years the Midnighters and the dark creatures have shared the secret hour, uneasily avoiding one another. All that changes when the new girl with an unmistakable midnight aura appears at Bixby High School.

Jessica Day is not an outsider like the other Midnighters. She acts perfectly normal in every way. But it soon becomes clear that the dark creatures sense a hidden power in Jessica . . . and they're determined to stop her before she can use it.

A story of courage, shadowy perils, and unexpected destiny, the secret hour is the first volume of the mesmerizing Midnighters trilogy by acclaimed author Scott Westerfeld.

I Am Grateful For: Wendy Mass

Again a post about an author I'm grateful for! Wendy Mass is one of the best middle grade authors out there - especially if you look at the number of kids that read her books and love them.  So many of my students love everyone of her books.  I think they can really relate to them.  In one a girl has to move and she hates it - something they can all relate to (Every Soul a Star).  In another the main characters were best friends for years and have a huge fight (11 Birthdays).  They are just all solid good stories.  She's my go-to author for most of my girls!

Here's a great one.  We use it in lit circles.

In one month Jeremy Fink will turn thirteen. But does he have what it takes to be a teenager? He collects mutant candy, he won't venture more than four blocks from his apartment if he can help it, and he definitelydoesn't like surprises. On the other hand, his best friend, Lizzy, isn't afraid of anything, even if that might get her into trouble now and then.

Jeremy's summer takes an unexpected turn when a mysterious wooden box arrives in the mail. According to the writing on the box, it holds the meaning of life! Jeremy is supposed to open it on his thirteenth birthday. The problem is, the keys are missing, and the box is made so that only the keys will open it without destroying what's inside. Jeremy and Lizzy set off to find the keys, but when one of their efforts goes very wrong, Jeremy starts to lose hope that he'll ever be able to open the box. But he soon discovers that when you're meeting people named Oswald Oswald and using a private limo to deliver unusual objects to strangers all over the city, there might be other ways of finding out the meaning of life.

Lively characters, surprising twists, and thought-provoking ideas make Wendy Mass's latest novel an unforgettable read.

I Am Grateful For: Wake by Lisa McMann

Wake by Lisa McMann

Wonderful first book to a great series! What I'm really grateful for with this book is that it showed me, as a writer, that you can write short sentences a paragraphs and tell a great story! If you've never read a book by Lisa McMann you know what I mean.  She writes these really short sentences and paragraphs but they work so well! That's a bit more my style of writing, so I loved seeing that someone wrote that way and was published. 

For seventeen-year-old Janie, getting sucked into other people's dreams is getting old. 

She can't tell anybody about what she does they'd never believe her, or worse, they'd think she's a freak. So Janie lives on the fringe, cursed with an ability she doesn't want and can’t control.

Then she falls into a gruesome nightmare, one that chills her to the bone. For the first time, Janie is more than a witness to someone else's twisted psyche. She is a participant.

I Am Grateful For: Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Unwind by Neal Shusterman

Love this series! Ok so I've only read the first one, but my daughter and several of my students have read all that are out so far and they LOVE them, so I'm sure I will too :) Great series filled with lots of actions and raising lots of questions.  Check it out!

Connor, Risa, and Lev are running for their lives.

The Second Civil War was fought over reproductive rights. The chilling resolution: Life is inviolable from the moment of conception until age thirteen. Between the ages of thirteen and eighteen, however, parents can have their child "unwound," whereby all of the child's organs are transplanted into different donors, so life doesn't technically end. Connor is too difficult for his parents to control. Risa, a ward of the state is not enough to be kept alive. And Lev is a tithe, a child conceived and raised to be unwound. Together, they may have a chance to escape and to survive.

I Am Grateful for: Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta

Mudville by Kurtis Scaletta

I'm not a huge baseball fan.  I like going to games because I like the atmosphere, but I don't entirely understand the complexities of the game.  You hit that ball and run - that's what I know.  This book taught me how much more it is! I learned all about what goes on on the field.  I now can look at baseball in a new way! Another reason I'm grateful for it - it introduced me to a great author right here in my home state! You gotta love that :)

Welcome to Moundville, where it’s been raining for longer than Roy McGuire has been alive. Most people say the town is cursed—right in the middle of their big baseball game against rival town Sinister Bend, black clouds crept across the sky and it started to rain. That was 22 years ago . . . and it’s still pouring.

Baseball camp is over, and Roy knows he’s in for a dreary, soggy summer. But when he returns home, he finds a foster kid named Sturgis sprawled out on his couch. As if this isn’t weird enough, just a few days after Sturgis’s arrival, the sun comes out. No one can explain why the rain has finally stopped, but as far as Roy’s concerned, it’s time to play some baseball. It’s time to get a Moundville team together and finish what was started 22 years ago. It’s time for a rematch.

I Am Grateful For: N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley

N.E.R.D.S. by Michael Buckley

I'm grateful for this book for a few reasons.  It's funny.  It has a great message that you can be yourself and be cool and do great things.  You shouldn't give up.  And more.  Plus it's filled with those great spy gadgets! Love it.  I also love that it's the first in a 5 book series, so if you enjoy this one there is plenty more to move on to.

Combining all the excitement of international espionage and all the awkwardness of elementary school, NERDS, featuring a group of unpopular students who run a spy network from inside their school, hits the mark. With the help of cutting-edge science, their nerdy qualities are enhanced and transformed into incredible abilities! They battle the Hyena, a former junior beauty pageant contestant turned assassin, and an array of James Bond–style villains, each with an evil plan more diabolical and more ridiculous than the last.

I Am Grateful for Defiance by C.J. Redwine

Defiance by C.J. Redwine

One simple reason - One of my students read this and said "This was the best book I ever read." How could I not be grateful for it with that???

Within the walls of Baalboden, beneath the shadow of the city's brutal leader, Rachel Adams has a secret. While other girls sew dresses, host dinner parties, and obey their male Protectors, Rachel knows how to survive in the wilderness and deftly wield a sword. When her father, Jared, fails to return from a courier mission and is declared dead, the Commander assigns Rachel a new Protector, her father's apprentice, Logan--the same boy Rachel declared her love for two years ago, and the same boy who handed her heart right back to her. Left with nothing but fierce belief in her father's survival, Rachel decides to escape and find him herself. But treason against the Commander carries a heavy price, and what awaits her in the Wasteland could destroy her. 

At nineteen, Logan McEntire is many things. Orphan. Outcast. Inventor. As apprentice to the city's top courier, Logan is focused on learning his trade so he can escape the tyranny of Baalboden. But his plan never included being responsible for his mentor's impulsive daughter. Logan is determined to protect her, but when his escape plan goes wrong and Rachel pays the price, he realizes he has more at stake than disappointing Jared. 

As Rachel and Logan battle their way through the Wasteland, stalked by a monster that can't be killed and an army of assassins out for blood, they discover romance, heartbreak, and a truth that will incite a war decades in the making.

I Am Grateful for Mary Downing Hahn

Today's post is a bit different because it's focused on an author and not just one book.  Many times I'll get students looking for "spooky" books.  I always turn them to Mary Downing Hahn.  They never fail to please my younger students (5th/6th graders) who like something spooky.  I like that they fit the bill, but they don't go so far that they really really scare the reader.  They walk the line perfectly.  

One of the best:

Wait Till Helen Comes

Twelve-year-old Molly and her ten-year-old brother, Michael, have never liked their seven-year-old stepsister, Heather. Ever since their parents got married, she's made Molly and Michael's life miserable. Now their parents have moved them all to the country to live in a house that used to be a church, with a cemetery in the backyard. If that's not bad enough, Heather starts talking to a ghost named Helen and warning Molly and Michael that Helen is coming for them. Molly feels certain Heather is in some kind of danger, but every time she tries to help, Heather twists things around to get her into trouble. It seems as if things can't get any worse.

But they do -- when Helen comes.

I Am Grateful For: Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

Hex Hall by Rachel Hawkins

I love this series I really do.  If you haven't checked into it you really should.  It's fun, has enough action to keep you involved and has a nice bit of romance.

Three years ago, Sophie Mercer discovered that she was a witch. It's gotten her into a few scrapes. Her non-gifted mother has been as supportive as possible, consulting Sophie's estranged father--an elusive European warlock--only when necessary. But when Sophie attracts too much human attention for a prom-night spell gone horribly wrong, it's her dad who decides her punishment: exile to Hex Hall, an isolated reform school for wayward Prodigium, a.k.a. witches, faeries, and shapeshifters.

By the end of her first day among fellow freak-teens, Sophie has quite a scorecard: three powerful enemies who look like supermodels, a futile crush on a gorgeous warlock, a creepy tagalong ghost, and a new roommate who happens to be the most hated person and only vampire student on campus. Worse, Sophie soon learns that a mysterious predator has been attacking students, and her only friend is the number-one suspect.

As a series of blood-curdling mysteries starts to converge, Sophie prepares for the biggest threat of all: an ancient secret society determined to destroy all Prodigium, especially her.

I Am Grateful For: Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

Bad Kitty by Nick Bruel

If you haven't read one of these books you need to - even you have no one in your life the right age for them.  I bought a box set for my 6 year old for Christmas, and they are great! We laugh a lot when we read them, so that makes them wonderful.  What's really fun for us is that we have two black cats, so Bad Kitty reminds us of them sometimes.

From the creator of The New York Times bestseller Boing! comes the riotous story of a cat gone berserk -- four times over an in alphabetical order each time. Kitty is not happy when she's told that her favorite foods are all gone and all that's left are Asparagus, Beets, Cauliflower, Dill...and 22 other equally unappealing vegetables. So she: Ate my homework, Bit grandma, Clawed the curtains, Damaged the dishes, and so on, through Z. Only when tastier things arrive (An Assortment of Anchovies, Buffalo Burritos, Chicken Cheesecake...) does she Apologize to Grandma.

Now, Roaring Brook is proud to introduce a new edition so deliciously funny, someone's already taken a bite out of it. With two die-cut ñbitesî on its side, special endpapers, and a brand new piece of artwork within, this eye-catching novelty edition of a proven best-seller is sure to be . . . devoured!

I Am Grateful For: The Godsend by Bernard Taylor

The Godsend by Bernard Taylor

Ok so this one, if I read it now, I'm sure would be horrible but when I was in school (early high school I believe) I LOVED this book. I read it over and over. Now when I think back on it - what horrible book to reread so much! But I've always had a love for horror books and this one fit the bill. Maybe some day I'll reread it.

THE CHILD...

Bonnie. Born in mystery of an unknown mother. Abandoned the morning of her birth. Adopted by the Marlows, who already have four children of their own.

THE OBSESSION...

Once unleashed, where will it end? The ultimate evil. Profound. Shattering. Ask Bonnie - demonic possession is child's play.

THE NIGHTMARE...

At first they are accidents. The crib death of the Marlow's baby. The drowning of their son. Then a third child's neck is broken. And the unspeakable is begun..

I Am Grateful For: Okay for Now

Okay For Now

Gary D. Schmidt

I loved The WEdnesday Wars. Loved it! But when I read Okay For Now I fell in love with it as well.  I amazed me that Gary D. Schmidt was able to take this small character from The WEdnesday Wars and let me into his world so that I could see and understand him better.  It was pure magic for me.  Plus, as a teacher it also reminded me to remember that all my students come to school with backgrounds I may not know that affect their behavior and abilities.  Such a good book.

National Book Award Finalist "[A] stealthily powerful, unexpectedly affirming story of discovering and rescuing one’s best self."—Booklist, starred review In this companion novel to The Wednesday Wars, Doug struggles to be more than the "skinny thug" that some people think him to be. He finds an unlikely ally in Lil Spicer, who gives him the strength to endure an abusive father, the suspicions of a town, and the return of his oldest brother, forever scarred, from Vietnam. Schmidt expertly weaves multiple themes of loss and recovery in a story teeming with distinctive, unusual characters and invaluable lessons about love, creativity, and survival.

I Am Grateful For: I Spy

I Spy

Walter Wick

Our family loves these books.  My boys spend hours looking and looking at them.  We'd be lost without them!

I Am Grateful For: Down a Dark Hall

Down a Dark Hall

Lois Duncan

I honestly could've said anything by Lois Duncan, but this is my favorite one.  I'm grateful for her books because they are what I read when I was in middle school.  They were creepy and fun (yes fun!).  What I like is that I've got kids reading them now!!

Kit Gordy sees Blackwood Hall towering over black iron gates, and she can't help thinking, This place is evil. The imposing mansion sends a shiver of fear through her. But Kit settles into a routine, trying to ignore the rumors that the highly exclusive boarding school is haunted.

Then her classmates begin to show extraordinary and unknown talents. The strange dreams, the voices, the lost letters to family and friends, all become overshadowed by the magic around them. 

When Kit and her friends realize that Blackwood isn't what it claims to be, it might be too late.

I Am Grateful For: Walk Two Moons

Walk Two Moons

Sharon Creech

I'm thankful for this one because it reminded me how completely wonderful middle grade books can be.  Sharon Creech wrote a beautiful story about a young girl dealing with a difficult time.  It was touching and powerful.  

"How about a story? Spin us a yarn."

Instantly, Phoebe Winterbottom came to mind. "I could tell you an extensively strange story," I warned.

"Oh, good!" Gram said. "Delicious!"

And that is how I happened to tell them about Phoebe, her disappearing mother, and the lunatic. 

As Sal entertains her grandparents with Phoebe's outrageous story, her own story begins to unfold — the story of a thirteen-year-old girl whose only wish is to be reunited with her missing mother.

I Am Grateful For: The Forest of Hands and Teeth

The Forest of Hands and Teeth

Carrie Ryan

Oh this one's simple - it introduced me to zombies and books with zombies! I'm forever grateful!!!!

In Mary's world there are simple truths. The Sisterhood always knows best. The Guardians will protect and serve. The Unconsecrated will never relent. And you must always mind the fence that surrounds the village; the fence that protects the village from the Forest of Hands and Teeth. But, slowly, Mary’s truths are failing her. She’s learning things she never wanted to know about the Sisterhood and its secrets, and the Guardians and their power, and about the Unconsecrated and their relentlessness. When the fence is breached and her world is thrown into chaos, she must choose between her village and her future—between the one she loves and the one who loves her. And she must face the truth about the Forest of Hands and Teeth. Could there be life outside a world surrounded in so much death?

I Am Grateful For: Before I Fall

Before I Fall

Lauren Oliver

I loved this book.  It's a great reminder to all of us that life is short and we should live it in a way that we are proud of in the end.

What if you only had one day to live? What would you do? Who would you kiss? And how far would you go to save your own life?

Samantha Kingston has it all: looks, popularity, the perfect boyfriend. Friday, February 12, should be just another day in her charmed life. Instead, it turns out to be her last. 

The catch: Samantha still wakes up the next morning. Living the last day of her life seven times during one miraculous week, she will untangle the mystery surrounding her death—and discover the true value of everything she is in danger of losing.

I Am Grateful For: The Shining

The Shining

Stephen King

I LOVE this book - that's it.  That's why I'm grateful for it - because I love it!

Danny was only five years old but in the words of old Mr Halloran he was a 'shiner', aglow with psychic voltage. When his father became caretaker of the Overlook Hotel his visions grew frighteningly out of control. 

As winter closed in and blizzards cut them off, the hotel seemed to develop a life of its own. It was meant to be empty, but who was the lady in Room 217, and who were the masked guests going up and down in the elevator? And why did the hedges shaped like animals seem so alive? 

Somewhere, somehow there was an evil force in the hotel - and that too had begun to shine...