Some Kind of Happiness

Some Kind of Happiness
by Claire Legrand

Forced to spend her summer with grandparents she has never met while her parents deal with their marital issues, eleven-year-old Finley finds an escape in her beloved notebook. In her notebook she writes lists as well as stories about Everwood, an imaginary place that she has created.  When she sees a large forest behind her grandparents’ home, she  realizes that this is the magical place that she has been writing about. Imagination combines with reality as she and her cousins turn the forest into a real-life Everwood. As she continues to struggle with frequent bouts of sadness and anxiety, Finely realizes her newly discovered Everwood is also home to a past tragic event and a long-hidden family secret.

Combining reality and fantasy, this is a wonderful story that I think many readers will enjoy.  This was one of those books I could not put down until I finished!

Author's website: http://www.claire-legrand.com/

The Infamous Ratsos

The Infamous Ratsos
by Kara LaReau
illustrated by Matt Myers

font-family: "Gentium Book Basic", serif; font-size: 16px;">Being tough can be hard!  That’s what Louie and Ralphie Ratso realize after numerous failed tries to demonstrate their toughness.  Wanting to be tough, like their father Big Lou, they attempt a series of pranks, only to have them backfire with hilarious results.   Will they ever prove how tough they are?

I can see why this book was recently named a Geisel Honor book!  It is a great choice for any reader, but especially growing readers wanting to try a chapter book.   It has short chapters, great illustrations, and a funny story! A heartwarming ending brings this humorous tale to a satisfying conclusion.  I hope author Kara LaReau continues to write about this entertaining rat family.

Author's website: https://karalareau.com/

Ada's Violin

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay
by Susan Hood
illustrated by Sally Wern Comport

For Ada’s family, and most others in the Paraguay town of Cateura, the large, smelly landfill was a source of income, as they searched through it for items to be sold or used for other purposes. When Ada was 11, a devoted music teacher used items from that landfill to change the lives of many children. After advertising music lessons, Favio Chavez found he had more students than instruments. Not wanting to turn away students, Favio was able to turn items from the landfill into instruments. Ada, and other children of Cateura, finally had instruments to play! Over time, the devoted musicians became the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay, which now travels the world, using their recycled instruments to share their music with people all over.

What an inspiring story! After reading this, I found myself searching for more information about the Recycled Orchestra. This will be a great book to share around Earth Day for a recycling/reusing themed unit.

Author's website: http://susanhoodbooks.com/