MCDS LRC
  • Home
  • Blogs
    • Librarian Picks
    • Student Picks >
      • Submit Reviews
  • New Books
  • Resources
    • Black Lives Matter
    • Distance Learning Resources
    • Databases
    • Student Resources by Grade >
      • 3rd Grade
      • 5th Grade
      • 7th grade
      • 8th Writing
      • 8th American Decades
      • Kelli Rice Spanish Resources
    • Building Info
    • Community Connections 365
    • Volunteer Resources >
      • Access Follet Library Software
      • Check In books
      • Check Out Books
  • Lower School
  • Upper School
  • Parent & Teacher

MCDS Library

Overdrive (eBooks)
Databases 
Library Catalog
Blog
Librarian Picks (Favorite Books)
Student Picks
Lower School Corner
Upper School Corner
​Parent & Teacher Corner
New Books by Genre
Distance Learning

E-mail the Librarians

Bad Sister

2/24/2022

0 Comments

 
Picture
Charise has always been a bad sister. From the moment her younger brother was brought home, she was jealous of how much attention he got. As he got older and ruined her drawings, tried to steal her cat, and made her look bad with his natural ease around others she only grew to resent him more. And yet he kept coming back and trusting her. But when a game goes too far and he gets really hurt Charise tries to change. Can she be the big sister she wants to be? Or is she destined to be bad forever?

I've read a lot of stories about "bad" siblings, but they usually aren't from that sibling's perspective. This one is even more unusual because it's a memoir. It's brave of Harper to tell this story where she isn't shown in the best light and I really appreciate that she did. Harper gives insight into what was going on in her head when she did the things she did and it's a great exercise in empathy. This is an excellent choice for anyone who has experienced a difficult sibling relationship and fans of memoir comics in general. 

Bad Sister by Charise Mericle Harper, illustrated by Rory Lucey 

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
​tags: character driven, comics, contemporary fiction, family life, SEL

0 Comments

Elfie Unperfect

12/31/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Elfie has never fit in at Cottonwood Elementary and never made any friends, despite her cousin being in the same grade. The students there are too chaotic, break the rules, and don't care enough about their grades in group projects. Which is why she's so excited to start at the local private school where everyone wears tidy uniforms and the curriculum is challenging and everything will be perfect. Then Elfie gets kicked out on her very first day. While she's waiting for the school's honor code review board to sort out the misunderstanding, she has to go back to Cottonwood. Slowly Elfie's perfect life unravels until she's left with a bigger mess than ever. But if she can learn to accept the imperfections, she might just be able to turn the year around.

This book had me laughing from the first page as I recognized my own younger self. Luckily for Elfie she progresses far faster than I did and reading about her emotional journey is at turns heartwarming and hilarious. A warm and wise novel for children especially recommended for over achievers and perfectionists who will empathize with Elfie and learn some important lessons as they read and laugh their way through her story.

Elfie Unperfect by Kristin Mahoney

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, People of Color, school stories, SEL

0 Comments

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs

12/31/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
When Lydia's mother dies after a long battle with cancer, she moves in with her aunt Brat. Brat and her wife have an odd life, living on an old farm with a retired farmer. They seem to have their hands full with people and animals to take care of, so Lydia is surprised when they decide to adopt a second dog. Lydia is not a dog person and this one acts bizarrely and pees all over the house. But he has a strange charm and soon worms his way into all of their hearts. But just as Lydia starts to feel settled in to her new life, her world threatens to be turned upside down once again.

This is the kind of heart-warming, emotionally intelligent story that I've come to expect from Leslie Connor. The characters are warm and well-drawn and welcome the reader in with a friendly embrace. Even when bad things happen, good people step up to make them right. Excellent for anyone looking for a tear jerker with a happy ending, especially dog lovers.

A Home for Goddesses and Dogs by Leslie Connor

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th
​tags: animals, character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, SEL, tear-jerker

0 Comments

Music for Tigers

11/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Louisa wants nothing more than to spend the summer rehearsing with her violin for her big audition with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. But her environmentalist parents have other ideas. They went off on an expedition observing toads and sent Louisa to stay with her uncle in the wilds of the Tasmanian jungle in Australia. At first Louisa is scared stiff of the spiders and snakes that could be lurking in any corner, but soon she learns that even more fantastic creatures may be lurking in the jungle. Creatures like the widely-believed to be extinct Tasmanian Tiger. As she learns more about the history of Tasmania and her family she becomes determined to find and save the enigmatic creature that is drawn to her music. But with her uncle's home set to be bulldozed, will she be able to find it before it's too late?

This is an excellent read for music and animal lovers everywhere. The book completely transported me to Tasmania and made me fall in love with its native fauna. Even tasmanian devils are cute as babies. Louisa is a great character who grows immensely over the course of the book and watching her friendship bloom with Colin was a delight. Highly recommended.

Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
​tags: animals, character driven, contemporary fiction, disability, friendship, global perspectives, SEL, social justice, summer vacation

0 Comments

The disability experience

11/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
20% of Americans have a least one disability. Many innovations aimed at adapting the environment to their needs have had wide-reaching benefits from closed captioning to curb cuts. How can we further understand the disability experience past, present, and future? What stereotypes exist that hurt all of us? How can we better understand each other and celebrate the diversity that exists in the world? To find the answers to these questions and more, check out The Disability Experience!

This is a great overview of the many varied experiences of people with disabilities presented in a fun, accessible way for teens. Because it covers such a wide range of topics from sensory to physical to intellectual disabilities the book doesn't go too far in depth to any one. This would be a great, eye-opening introduction that will hopefully inspire more reading and dialogue.


The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
​tags: disability, nonfiction, SEL, social justice

0 Comments

Wink

11/9/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Some kids crave popularity, but Ross just wants to be ignored. He hates the spotlight and would rather just doodle comics quietly while his peers look past him. This is hard when he becomes "cancer kid." At first the whispers around him at least contain fake sympathy, but when his treatment leaves him with a permanent squint, dripping eye goo, and a ridiculous protective hat, the whispers turn to outright disgust and cruel memes about him start circulating. Luckily he has one friend who has stuck by him and a new-found love for music. Will Ross's performance at the talent show be epic? Or will it be another mortifying moment he'd rather forget?

This book, based on the author's own experiences, has a lot of heart and a surprising amount of humor. An excellent choice for anyone looking for a realistic fiction book. Highly recommended.

Wink by Rob Harrell

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, friendship, humor, school stories, SEL

0 Comments

Roll With It

10/20/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ellie loves her grandparents, so when her grandfather starts getting dementia and her mother decides to move in with them, she is thrilled. Maybe she can even win the local baking contest her grandmother always talks about. The only downside is starting at a new school. Ellie's mother worries that the small school will not have the same supports for a student with cerebral palsy as her old one. Ellie just wants to be left alone without having an awkward aide follow her around all day. At first her new school seems impossible to survive. But as Ellie makes new friends and new recipes she learns how to roll with all the unexpected changes.

This is a funny and sweet story about family and friendship. Bakers will appreciate Ellie's culinary efforts and letters to her favorite chefs. There's some serious issues touched upon, but it never feels heavy as Ellie's sense of humor shines through. Recommended for child bakers and fans of heart-warming tales.


Roll with It by Jamie Sumner ​
Erica's Picks
4-6th grade
​tags: 

0 Comments

Turtle Boy

9/18/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Will loves turtles, but he hates being called turtle boy. The specimens he collects from the nature preserve behind his school are silent but supportive friends he can study and understand. The kids at school, on the other hand, only call him "turtle boy" because of his small chin. It turns out to be more than just a cosmetic concern, and the doctor says he'll need corrective surgery soon. But Will has been terrified of hospitals ever since his father unexpectedly died during a routine operation. Then his rabbi assigns Will to cheer up a RJ, a teen dying from an incurable illness, as his community service project for his Bar Mitzvah. Both boys seem to hate it at first, but Will's life changes in ways he never would have believed once he discovers RJ's bucket list and becomes determined to help him finish it.

This is such moving story that I didn't even mind the buckets of tears it made me cry. All of the characters are well drawn and learning about their interests from herpetology to drumming was fascinating as well. Highly recommended, but have the tissues ready.

Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein 

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, SEL, tear jerker

0 Comments

The Magic in Changing Your Stars

3/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
Ailey knows he has the moves to make the Scarecrow in his school's production of The Wiz really shine. But at his audition, his mind goes blank and he completely chokes. He isn't looking forward to telling his family, but when he gets home there's much bigger problems: his grampa is in the hospital. Grampa tells Ailey about the time he met Bojangles and was given a pair of tap shoes and invited to audition, but he never worked up the courage to try. It's his biggest regret in life. When Ailey finds the tap shoes in the closet and makes a wish, he's transported back in time. He has the chance to change his grampa's life, and maybe his own too.

The author's love for history shines through. I love how the characters are named after Alvin Ailey, Benjamin Banneker, Mahalia Jackson and more (there's a list in the back with brief bios of their real-life counterparts). Henderson also does an amazing job conveying the tap sequences through onomatopoeia (I would love if it was made into a movie just so I can see the dances). Ailey's love for his family is the moving force behind the novel and a great warmth radiates from that. It' would make an excellent read-aloud with plenty of jumping off points for discussion.

The Magic in Changing Your Stars by Leah Henderson 
2nd - 4th
Erica's Picks
​tags: family life, historical fiction, People of Color, SEL

0 Comments

This is How We Fly

3/29/2021

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's Ellen's last summer before college, and all she wants is to spend the time with her best friends before everything changes. But Xiumiao seems like she's already moved on. Then Ellen gets grounded for the whole summer by her step-mother. Luckily her other best friend, Melissa finds a loophole. Ellen's parents are always on her about getting outside and exercising more, so Melissa convinces them to let Ellen out of the house for quidditch practice. At first Ellen only agrees to it because the alternative is being stuck indoors doing chores all day. But soon this all-gender, full-contact sport with a bunch of geeks running around with PVC pipes between their legs starts to grow on her. She finally understands the appeal of sports, and she starts to understand some more things about herself too. It wasn't the summer Ellen wanted or expected, but it will turn out to be one she will never forget.

There's a lot to love about this book full of enthusiastic geeks and misunderstandings. The relationships are complicated and authentic. The protagonists are on the cusp of adulthood and figuring out their identities and exploring their gender and sexual orientation in a way that will ring true to many teens. I am not a sports fan but Ellen's journey from hating exercise to enthusiastic team player was moving. As was the way the characters learned from their mistakes and false assumptions. A great summer read.

This is How We Fly by Anna Meriano
Erica's Picks
7th & 8th
​tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, LGBTQ, People of Color, SEL, sports, summer vacation

0 Comments
<<Previous

    RSS Feed

    Need a book?

    Then you've come to the right place!  Follow the blog to see the latest recommendations from Tessa and Erica.  Browse by subject to see past recommendations in each category.  

    Book Talk Videos

    Find Tessa and Erica's video book talks here

    Categories

    All
    1st Grade
    2nd Grade
    3rd Grade
    4th Grade
    5th Grade
    6th Grade
    7th Grade
    8th Grade
    Adventure
    Animals
    Art
    Biography
    Book Fair 2020
    Character Driven
    Comics
    Contemporary Fiction
    Crime Caper
    Diaries
    Disability
    Dystopian
    Erica's Picks
    Fairy Tales
    Family Life
    Fantasy
    Fast Paced
    Friendship
    Global Perspectives
    Historical Fiction
    History
    Horror
    Humor
    Issues Fiction
    Jennie's Picks
    Kindergarten
    LGBTQ
    Magical Realism
    Makers
    Mental Illness
    Mystery
    Mythology
    Nonfiction
    Novels In Verse
    People Of Color
    Picture Books
    Poetry
    Retellings
    Romance
    School Stories
    Science
    Science Fiction
    SEL
    Short Stories
    Social Justice
    Sports
    Steampunk
    Summer Vacation
    Supernatural
    Survival
    Tear Jerker
    Tessa's Picks

    Archives

    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    March 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    May 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    September 2019
    May 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    January 2017
    September 2016
    May 2016
    February 2016
    October 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

Library Blog

Librarian Picks

Databases

Lower School Corner

Upper School Corner

Parent & Teacher Corner