The Junction of Sunshine and Lucky by Holly Schindler

Youtube Trailer          Author's Website

8.5/10

Wonderful story written in first person.  5th graders are the main characters and there is a Man vs. society conflict.  A great story of actions speak louder than words, positive thought and the little guy come out on top, and it takes place in Missouri!!  This is also where Holly Schindler was born and raised.  And....

This book is incredibly full of writers' craft!!

Great leads:
"Old Glory shimmies like she's dancing the jitterbug." Chapter 1
"My head buzzes like the beetle traps in Harold's yard..." Chapter 9
"'Forget the secret ingredient,' Gus announces as he shrugs into his coat."  Chapter 36

Starts and ends the same:
"The cab's completely packed--my best friend Lexie's here with me, along with my neighbor Irma Jean."
"'You all are making more racket than a bunch of skeletons break dancing on a tin roof,'  Gus teases."
"We tumble out of the cab, (at McGunn's) and Gus steers Old Glory toward a yellow piece of machinery--it almost ..." 

--1st pages of story

"We cram ourselves into the cab of Old Glory."
"'You girls are giggling louder than a whole zoo of hyena's'  Gus says as he steers us down Sunshine..."
"At McGunn's, the doors open and we tumble out."

--Last pages of story

Figurative Language Everywhere:
"The notes of our giggles are like the notes of a piano chord..."
"..her skin seems the same shade as imported chocolates."
"The brownie makes my mouth water like a hose with a hole in it."

Metaphors:
"...a big helping of his hearty pumpkin pie laugh."
"...brings her dandelion-seed head to the doorway."

Personification:
"...her word screeches into my brain."
(The truck)  "jiggles so much, she tickles my stomach."
"Excitement leaks out..."

Red Berries White Clouds Blue Sky by Sandra Dallas

Red Berries

White Clouds

Blue Sky 

9.5 out of 10  
Website

Beautiful story.  The author researched used culturally correct vocabulary and voice.  Of course my connection to the text is my ethnicity.  Many parts of the book were significant to me and I am sure my mom would enjoy this read also.  She was two years old in Hawaii when all of this was happening.  There were way too many Japanese Americans in Hawaii to inter.  My grandparents were Nisei.  Born in America, just like Tomi.  They changed their names to American names and burned their Japanese things.  I also have a friend in KC who lived in Honolulu during the Bombing.  She wrote a nonfiction book called Pearl Harbor Child about her experiences.

I also love that in the end, this book comes back to ...WRITING!    Won't give it away.  :-)

This author used a lot of formal and informal language to portray the culture, emotions, and the time period.

     "You Japs bombed Pearl Harbor," he said, then turned and went inside, closing the door.
     "Me and Tomi didn't bomb anybody," Hiro called through the glass, but Mr. Akron ignored him.

     "Shikata ga nai," Mom said.

     Pop shrugged.  "What kind of country puts people in jail for nothing?"  He repeated the word. "Nothing, they chard me with nothing."

RAIN REIGN by Ann M. Martin

10/10

Mrs. Zuber's favorite from 2016 list!

Rain Reign Website

Wow.  So simply written.  It is in 1st person from Rose's point of view.  Everything just works in this story.  It is centered around my favorite thing...Figurative Language.  :-)  Homonyms and Homophones.  What is the difference between homophones and homonyms?  

Ann Martin conveys emotions, thoughts, images, and more using such a personal voice.  I cried a lot as I became more and more a part of the story.  I felt something for the character Rose and began to feel her place in the world.  

This is a must read.  This book shows an authors' craft of how important character is to the story.  

Homophone List:                                  Homonym List:
rows, rose                                             tire
two, to, too                                          fall
their, they're, there                               arm
wear, where, ware                                even

space case by Stuart Gibbs

9/10

Here we are starting the Mark Twain Nominee "Lovefest 2016!"  My favorite one again this year!  Hats off to Lemoncello's Library!!!

Remember, we are reading like a writer here--so trying not to give away plots etc...

I like the originality of this story!  I also liked Mr. Gibbs other nominee a few years back---Belly Up. He has a very creative mind!  Great setting- moon base alpha in 2041.  Great lead character.  I had to try and figure them out.  I like to work for it.  Okay, it is written in first person from Dashiell's point of view.  It is a murder mystery.  

The author adds a lot of detail about what life might be like on the first moon base.  It is written almost like a diary, but not quite.  Great chapter titles and starts.  This author uses good leads.  In between each chapter, there are "excerpts" from "The Official Residents' Guide to Moon Base Alpha."  There is a great twist in the story that caught me by surprise, and that is not something that happens very often.

What kept this from being a 9 or 10.  Dashiell was from the Big Island of Hawaii.  Although the author did reference several locations correctly, Dashiell and his friends he talked to over the phone did not speak correctly.  Having lived on the Big Island for eleven years, so it was hard on me to be so excited about having a connection, but then the connection was slightly off.  I also did not enjoy the interruption of the guide between each chapter, though I couldn't help but read it every time.  I actually enjoyed the footnotes to them more.

Sentences with variety:

"Let's get something straight, right off the bat:  Everything the movies ever taught you about space travel is garbage." 
     -Three idioms! Starts off in second person.  Doesn't start with the, me, he, they, etc.

"Even though the moon base isn't big, there are still a lot of places I'm not allowed inside."

Space Case Website