As a follow-up to the wonderful, informative, and sometimes unusual things Michael Sullivan talked about during his tour of Nebraska in April, I would like you to know the Library Commission has one copy each of two of his professional titles available for loan: Connecting Boys with Books: What Libraries Can Do and Connecting Boys with Books 2: Closing the Reading Gap. We also have a copy of Stephen Krashen’s book: The Power of Reading: Insights from the Research. (I have that one checked out right now, but if you want it, I can finish it later.)
I am in the middle of reading The Vanishing Violin by Michael D. Beil, the second book in “The Red Blazer Girls” series. The four girls (in seventh grade) live in New York City and attend St. Veronica’s School, and are soon embroiled in several mysteries. This title also contains puzzles and codes to be solved while the team works on a mystery about a missing violin. Humor, a nasty classmate, some typical middle school issues, and (very) light romance will attract readers. Familiarity with the first book (The Ring of Rocamadour) will be helpful. The codes and puzzles add a fun dimension to the story, and the reader is challenged to solve them before the text reveals the answers.
(The Nebraska Library Commission receives free copies of children’s and young adult books for review from a number of publishers. After review, the books are distributed free to Nebraska school and public libraries.)
