2012 Bluestem Award Books

I am always very excited this time of year to get the award lists for the upcoming school year and begin reading those. Here is what I have read so far:
1. Just Grace by Charise Harper. A very appealing novel for girls in 2nd-3rd grade. The ending is left very open for a new series.
2. Animal Heroes: True Rescue Stories by Sandra Markle. This is nonfiction and includes stories of how animals have helped save people's lives in various ways. This will appeal to a wide variety of students.
3. Adventures in Cartooning by James Sturm, Andrew Arnold and Alexis Frederick-Frost. Very cute-will also appeal to a wide range of kids. The authors tell you how to make a comic; the directions are embedded in a comic story about a knight who wants to fight a dragon. I was chuckling the whole way through.
4. Dying to Meet You: 43 Old Cemetery Road Book One. My favorite so far; this short novel is told completely in letters after a grumpy old author with writer's block moves into a haunted house. This is the first in a series and I can't wait to read the next one!

Getting back on the horse

It is absolutely shameful how long I have been away from this blog! I read all the time, but simply haven't made this a priority. I am thinking about adding a guest author of the week next year.
What I'm reading now:
Deadline by Chris Crutcher.
When the Stars Go Blue