"Fuzzy Mud" by Louis Sachar

Louis Sachar doesn't crank them out quickly but when he does put a book out it is very good.  Such is the case with "Fuzzy Mud" which has bits of "Wolf Hollow" and A.S. King's "Me and Marvin Gardens" in it.  Delightful, simple and short it is the story of a bully, a forest and an ecological disaster.  With a strong page-turning quotient and somewhat unique characters there is something for everyone to enjoy.  Adults will like the subtle sarcasm in the "transcripts of Senate Hearings" while kids will appreciate the reality of school life.  The lead characters, Tamaya and Marshall, are inquisitive, dimensional characters and the bully, as usual, has pain behind his actions.  Could breeze through this in an afternoon.  Another worthy addition to the Sachar canon.

"Salt to the Sea" by Ruta Sepetys

"Between Shades of Gray" was quite good.  This book is brilliant.  Ms. Sepetys writes historical fiction about World War II, often focusing on the forgotten Eastern Front.  This searing tale, told in four voices, is about those brutal final months when Russia's advance and the collapse of Germany's power sent millions scrambling for safety.  The cover image and title reference the climax of the book. a true story somehow lost amidst the "romance" of other similar events.  While "Between Shades of Gray" maintained light strokes and some emotional distance, this book does not.  The brutality of the time is listed with clear detail -- not too much but "enough."  It became haunting for me.  It was a novel I could not stop thinking about long after I had put it down.  It is also very literary in structure and flow.  Again, Ms. Sepetys finds the right balance, making the novel readable and yet poetic.  It is powerful, difficult, worthwhile and sadly beautiful.  Worthy of the Carnegie Medal and other honors places upon it.  Brava.

"Pancho Rabbit and the Coyote: A Migrant's Tale" by Duncan Tonatiuh

Umm ...

"Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverted Kids" by Susan Cain with Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz

So, I selected this book for a bookclub with staff because I am not an introvert but I work with a good many introverts so I wanted to understand them better.  From that perspective the book didn't quite succeed as it is directed at introverted youth and is kind of like a little "rah-rah" tome to help them cope.  That being said, there were nuggets and takeaways.  First, the quiz at the beginning made me think -- am I really the extrovert I think I am?  I landed right in the 50/50 bucket with the questions, so that stood out.  There isn't much research presented but what they do cover is interesting.  Who knew that there are actual brain differences between introverts and extroverts?  The book did make me rethink, as an instructor, about calling on kids and how I lump in "participation" as a vital part of engagement.  Throughout, the insistence that being shy is different than being introverted was kind of lost on me as the point was not well-made.  A breezy, light read, it only fell into the lecture-trap a couple times ("don't do drugs") and was a worthwhile exploration.  My major issue with the book was the constant characterization of extroverts as "popular", "charismatic" and "pretty".  I'm not sure character traits have anything to do with physical appearance and I can assure you, as someone who has always been called an extrovert I have rarely been considered popular (the words "strident" and "outspoken" have been used.) Maybe I need to write my own book to combat these stereotypes!  In any case, I can see this book being a solace to those who struggle with large social interactions -- the very center of school life.