The Great Brain by John Fitzgerald

I've heard about this book for many years and finally read it. I gave the book a rating of four out of five. The setting is in a small rural town in the 1890's. The narrator is J.D., John Dennis, but The Great Brain is his brother, Tom. Tom comes up with creative ideas in each chapter, most of them to make money, and J.D. sometimes tries to out think him. That never works. Tom tries to make money when work is being done to install the first indoor toilet in the town. He comes up with a plan to help the sheriff find some kids lost in a cave. He helps a Greek immigrant boy learn to defend himself and learn English. Tom profits from all of these plans, and more, so the reader begins to wonder if Tom has compassion for others.

The book was not what I expected. I thought the Great Brain would be the narrator, and he would create all kinds of wacky inventions. I thought the Great Brain would help others, but Tom came up with all kinds of schemes to get money out of people. Each chapter had its own plot, and Tom's character seemed to change a little as the book moved along. It was funny to see two brothers interact in typical ways and to see how Tom could change almost any situation into a money-making opportunity.

Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel

I gave this book a rating of four out of five. Ben's parents are scientists, and they decide that they're going to "adopt" a baby chimpanzee and teach it to learn sign language. They tell Ben that Zan, the chimpanzee, is part of their family, and that Ben will be like his big brother. Zan learns many words very quickly, but he still acts like a wild animal at times. Ben starts to think of Zan as his little brother and gets upset when his parents treat Zan like a specimen in an experiment. Ben's dad is under pressure to receive grant money to fund his projects, and some people start to question his methods. There are many things going on in Ben's life, and they all seem to add to his stress. The plot takes a serious turn when Ben's father decides to end the experiment. What will happen to Zan?

The conflict is enjoyable, because Zan is an adorable character. We are able to learn about his thoughts and feelings through sign language, although some people think of him as experimental animal. The dad's experimental methods, the animal rights activists, and Ben's personal life all add to the conflict to make things worse.

Revenge of the Whale by Nathaniel Philbrick

This book is a true story, non-fiction, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. The setting takes place in the early 1800's, and the plot deals with the whale ship Essex. This ship was attacked and sunk by a huge sperm whale, and the story became the motivation for the climax of Moby Dick. The story began in Nantucket and followed the crew as they made their way up the Pacific coast of South America. The ship had problems with weather right away, and the whale sank the Essex about halfway through the book. The second half of the book recounted how some of the crew were able to survive three months on the open sea. The description got a little graphic at some points.

The book is written as a documentary, so it won't appeal to everyone. I found the concept of men being attacked by a whale, in the middle of the ocean, and somehow still surviving very interesting. The topic of the book should attract many readers, although the format may turn some people off.

Okay For Now by Gary Schmidt

This book was written by the author of "The Wednesday Wars", and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Doug and his family move to Marysville, New York, and he's having a hard time adjusting. His father is mentally and physically abusive, and his brothers give him a hard time too. His oldest brother goes off to fight in Vietnam, and his other brother has a reputation as a juvenile delinquent. He meets a girl named Lil, but they don't get along right away. Doug's life changes when he visits the library and starts learning to draw pictures of birds. He also starts working for Lil's father on Saturday's by delivering groceries around the small town. The job gives Doug the opportunity to meet various characters in the community, and they each change his life in different ways. Doug's life really changes when his brother returns from Vietnam, but will his return lead to bigger troubles or to a better life?

This book kind of snuck up on me, and it turned out to be better than I expected. The author shared Doug's feelings of despair as he tried to survive his life in Marysville. His life seemed on a downward spiral until he met Mr. Powell at the library. It was interesting how the pictures of the birds were similar to Doug's life. Be sure to make the connections, or you'll miss major points in the plot. There is humor as Doug interacts with various characters, but the plot has many serious moments. The book won't appeal to everyone, but it worked for me.

Armageddon Summer by Jane Yolen and Bruce Coville

I try to make my ratings predict the entertainment value for young readers, and I gave this book a rating of three out of five. Reverend Beelson predicts that God will set the world up in flames on July 27, but his Believers will be saved atop a mountain in Massachusetts. Jed and his father, and Marina's family, move to the camp where they prepare for armageddon. Jed seems to doubt that the prophecy will come true, but he stays at the camp to support his father. Marina believes in the power of God but doesn't understand how he can destroy the rest of the world. The camp is surrounded by an electric fence and armed guards, so the Believers can't leave and the rest of the world can't enter. Things get tense inside and outside the fence as the day of doom nears.

The book was well-written, but I'm not sure how many of my students are ready for the seriousness of this topic. Religion and God are a major focus of the plot, and God's destruction of the non-chosen humans is at the heart of the conflict. Those topics are pretty heavy for my sixth graders. The authors did a nice job of sharing Jed's and Miana's mixed emotions, and alternating their points of view in the chapters was effective. The book has an appropriate audience, but I'm not sure that it's my students.

The lexile level of this book from lexile.com is 820

Skellig by David Almond

I probably could have put this book with the fantasy genre, and I gave it a rating of three out of five. This book will not be enjoyed by everyone. Michael's family has just moved into a run-down house with a crumbling garage in the back. His baby sister is very ill and spends much of her time in the hospital. Michael does some exploring and discovers a strange, old man with bumps on his back living in the garage. The man, Skellig, is very weak and just lays behind the piles of junk asking for Chinese food and beer. Michael and his neighbor, Mina, help Skellig move to a safer hideout and discover there is more to him than meets the eye. The baby's condition takes a turn for the worse, and Michael's world gets all turned around.

The type of creature Skellig might be is unclear, and readers will need to decide for themselves. It's clear there's something special about him, but it's hard to put a finger on. Despite the lower lexile range for this book, there is much more to the story than the words printed on the pages. The plot focuses on characters and theme and forces readers to think. As mentioned at the top, this book is not for everyone.

The lexile level from lexile.com is 490.

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

This is a Newbery-winning book, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Jack Gantos lives in the small town of Norvelt, located somewhere in Pennsylvania in 1962. The town was founded by Eleanor Roosevelt, and Jack's neighbor, Miss Volker, is the town's medical examiner and is also in charge writing obituaries for the original residents of the town. Jack writes and types them for her, and he has a special interest in the history she adds to the obituaries. Jack has time for this job, since he's grounded for the summer for firing his dad's Japanese, souvenir rifle. He manages to get himself into more trouble despite the grounding and discovers some secrets along the way.

The different chapters almost read like short stories, although the plot moved along through the summer. History was a large part of the plot as Jack's dad was a World War II veteran and had Jack digging a bomb shelter as part of his punishment. Miss Volker was a very entertaining character, and Jack learned a lot from her during his visits. In the end, the reader will discover who put the bullet in the rifle fired by Jack and that there was a murder mystery hidden within the plot.