They also might inspire some fun summer adventures, since the characters in these books seem to fill their summer in the most interesting ways; solving murders, masquerading as Cupcake Cadets and investigating the death of a giant hippo.
So get your kids into a enjoyable book for the summer, and keep them reading. They will retain more of that valuable learning without even realizing it!
Title: Strike Three You’re Dead
Author: Josh Berk
Target: Grades 4-7
Series: No
What this book is about:
Lenny, Mike and Other Mike are spending their summer reading and watching their beloved Phillies baseball team. When Lenny wins a a contest to be a radio announcer for one inning, he goes to the ballpark, ready to fulfill his dream. The only problem is that the pitcher falls over dead on the mound before Lenny can utter a word. Everyone thinks it was a heart attack, but Lenny and the Mikes think foul play may be involved. What ensues is an investigation by three middle graders, who actually discover more than they bargained for.
Lenny, Mike and Other Mike are spending their summer reading and watching their beloved Phillies baseball team. When Lenny wins a a contest to be a radio announcer for one inning, he goes to the ballpark, ready to fulfill his dream. The only problem is that the pitcher falls over dead on the mound before Lenny can utter a word. Everyone thinks it was a heart attack, but Lenny and the Mikes think foul play may be involved. What ensues is an investigation by three middle graders, who actually discover more than they bargained for.
Why I love this book:
This book was just plain fun. I caught myself laughing out loud more than a few times at the antics of the boys. Lenny is such an appealing character, smart and self deprecating. I also like the girl they hooked up with to solve the mystery, Maria. She is passionate and perseverant and it was fun to see a female character with so much fire.
This book was just plain fun. I caught myself laughing out loud more than a few times at the antics of the boys. Lenny is such an appealing character, smart and self deprecating. I also like the girl they hooked up with to solve the mystery, Maria. She is passionate and perseverant and it was fun to see a female character with so much fire.
Who this book is for:
Great book for baseball fans, but kids who like funny books should enjoy it. You don’t need to know a lot about baseball to appreciate the story, but if you do, it makes it even better.
Great book for baseball fans, but kids who like funny books should enjoy it. You don’t need to know a lot about baseball to appreciate the story, but if you do, it makes it even better.
Final thoughts:
A great summer read.
A great summer read.
To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Strike Three, You're Dead (Lenny & the Mikes)
A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you. Yippee!
Title: Belly Up
Author: Stuart Gibbs
Target: Grades 5-8
Series: No
What this book is about:
A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you. Yippee!
Title: Belly UpAuthor: Stuart Gibbs
Target: Grades 5-8
Series: No
Teddy’s parents have gone to work at America’s newest animal theme park, FunJungle. Teddy has the run of the place while his parents are working, but when the beloved mascot Henry the Hippo turns up dead, Teddy believes something is afoot other than natural causes! The more he investigates, the more danger he seems to be in. Will he be able to prove what happened, or will he be the next victim?
Why I love this book:
Why I love this book:
This is a fun mystery, but I have to admit it tips the gross scales a bit. That will probably be a big selling point for kids, but as an adult I could have done with a little less hippo poop. That said, I was totally caught up in the mystery and actually learned quite a few animal facts in spite of myself.
Teddy is a good character and with his sidekick Summer, they make a strong team. The mystery had enough twists and turns to keep the story moving and the reader guessing. It was also quite educational to understand what goes on behind the scenes at your favorite amusement parks.
Who this book is for:
Teddy is a good character and with his sidekick Summer, they make a strong team. The mystery had enough twists and turns to keep the story moving and the reader guessing. It was also quite educational to understand what goes on behind the scenes at your favorite amusement parks.
I have targeted it a little older because there are some language issues and dead animals, which may bother some. But there is a lot of humor and great twists and turns in the story, so most kids will be thoroughly engaged.
Final thoughts:
Final thoughts:
I prefer my animals belly down after this read!
To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Belly Up
A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you. Yippee!
To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Belly Up
A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you. Yippee!
Title: Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake CadetsAuthor: Eric Luper
Target: Grades 4-7
Jeremy damages his father’s prized Chris Craft boat. He doesn’t have the courage to confess or the money to pay, so he and his best friend Slater decide to enter the Windjammer Whirl, a model sailboat race that pays five hundred dollars to the winner, enough to fix the boat. The catch - you have to be a Cupcake Cadet to enter - and did I mention the cadets are all girls. Jeremy and Slater masquerade as girls to infiltrate the troop and enter the contest. I mean how hard can it be to beat a bunch of girls?
Why I love this book:
Why I love this book:
This book is just a whole lot of fun! Jeremy and Slater are absolutely endearing characters and you feel for them from the start. They are just idiotic enough to pull the scam off and just stupid enough to make it believable without ever going over the top.
I found myself laughing out loud several times, which is rare for me. The humor is intelligent while still including a few gags, and while the book never takes itself too seriously, it never gets ridiculous either, which means the story works.
Who this book is for:
I found myself laughing out loud several times, which is rare for me. The humor is intelligent while still including a few gags, and while the book never takes itself too seriously, it never gets ridiculous either, which means the story works.
I think both boys and girls will really get a kick out of this story! Fun for most kids.
Final thoughts:
Final thoughts:
Never mess with a Cupcake Cadet!
To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets
A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you. Yippee!
To purchase this book, click on the following link to connect to Amazon: Jeremy Bender vs. the Cupcake Cadets
A portion of each purchase goes to support this blog at no cost to you. Yippee!
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