[FOR THE PARENTS] The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane follows the story of a rabbit who doesn't know how to love. Through a series of unfortunate events, he falls into the possession of multiple people and his hard heart begins to soften...

Kate DiCamillo is strongly establishing herself as a must-read for all children. This story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time as Edward finds himself going through various families and learning the ultimate lesson: how to love.

What I loved about this book is that Edward meets all kinds of people: poor people, sick people, young children, grown men, boys who've lost everything. There is such a message of the importance of all humanity underlying this book. It is not simply about little girls with pretty dolls - it's about life. It can be gritty, but it can also be beautiful. And sometimes in the beauty, there's a little sadness.

DiCamillo's writing style is very easy to read and also very alluring. I found myself flying through this little book but also not wanting to put it down. I felt like a child, taking my new flashlight and reading under the covers in the dark, only I knew I had to wake up for work the next morning. It's been a long time since a book enchanted me so.

The reading level is around a high 3rd to 4th grade level and would be perfect for both avid and reluctant readers. I really can't recommend this book enough. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

[FOR THE PARENTS] Where She Fell by Kaitlin Ward

"Where She Fell" by Kaitlin Ward is about a young girl who falls into a sinkhole. As she journeys farther down into the earth via a cave opening that she escaped into, she discovers a group of people who have made this cave their home. And she quickly learns that the cave wants them to stay... This book was at the book fair my school had recently and a student of mine picked out this book and "Lie to Me," by the same author. After finishing the latter, I thought I would try this one out, too. I actually preferred this book, although my student preferred "Lie to Me." I thought there were a lot of creative elements in the cave dwellers and I was fascinated by the concept of the bioluminescents. I actually wished their origin had been explained a bit more. I enjoyed that, with the exception of the main character, no one feels safe -- I mean that it genuinely felt like any of them could have died, which is a bit of a surprise for a middle school book. What I liked: The main character has social anxiety and seeing her work through that was really cool; it was also nice to have a main character with a mental illness that is represented well. All of the cave creatures. The entire cave colony and its desperate form of government.  What I would warn parents about: Pretty steamy romantic scenes, which might be a bit too much for a middle schooler. It should be based on individuals and not something given to everyone. Blood & gore, although nothing I would say that a middle schooler couldn't handle. Who I would recommend this for: Mature middle schoolers. Reluctant high schoolers who are not on reading level.  Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read.  I found it to be creative, adventurous and fun.  I did feel like the cave part dragged ever-so-slightly, however the author had to set the stage for what was to come, so it's perfectly understandable.  It was a very interesting read that I devoured within an hour.