So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee

I really stretched my brain while reading So Totally Emily Ebers by Lisa Yee. Not because the plot was difficult or anything like that, but I was had to think back to when I read Yee's first book Millicent Min Girl Genius. It is absolutely amazing the way Yee has written three books (The other being Stanford Wong Flunks Big Time) in tandem the way she has.
I read the first book back in 2003 so it was kind of a stretch to think back and try to remember the character of Emily Ebers, the main character in this book. But don't get me wrong... you do not HAVE to read these books in order. No, No, No... In fact Lisa Yee herself says the books "can be read in any order, any day of the week, and at any time, except when you're sleeping." However, I thought is was super fun to compare. I haven't even read the second book, but I will now.
If you read any of the books you know the characters and this book is about Millicent's "best friend" Emily Ebers. Emily is having a hard time adjusting to divorce, her move across country with her mother, making friends, fitting in, and all those other teenage woes. The book is written in the form of diary type entries she is actually addressing to her father. She has decided to give the whole notebook to him when she is done so he can see how her summer was while he was off touring with his band. (Something I would have never done at 12 years old, or 13-31 years old for that matter)
One thing that was a little weird for me, and maybe I am being critical and need to suspend my mind for a minute and get into book world... but there were modern references to things such as a Prius car. The thing that kept bugging me was I kept saying in my head "Was that around in 2003?" Just because the two stories were suppose to be tandem and a few things referenced, I couldn't think back to see if they could have possibly been in the first book. (Does that even make since?) (Okay, I just looked up Prius, it came out in 1997, but I really didn't hear much about it around here until at least the last couple years)
I highly recommend this book, especially if you have read the other two, but not only if you have read the other two. --You don't have to read the other two, but you will want to!

Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass

The very first book I read this summer was Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. What a great book to begin with! I didn't take good notes on this book, because I wasn't thinking ahead to the future, so I am going to do this from what I can remember.
What struck me first about this book is the fact that it has a boy main character but... he has a best friend who is a girl. This is helpful because it leaves no one out when trying to get students interested. I hate to give away the premise or plot of any book, so I am not. Basically Jeremy the main character's father passed away when he was 8 (?). Mysteriously right before his 13 birthday he receives a box containing a present from his dad to be opened on his 13th birthday. The box claims to hold the Meaning of Life. To further complicate this mystery the box takes four keys to open, and of course they are all missing. The story unfolds as Jeremy and his friend, Lizzy go on a quest to find the keys to open the box. In the meantime they are actually unraveling the mystery of the Meaning of Life.
I would recommend this book for students at the end of sixth grade or the beginning of seventh grade. Some of the ideas would be way over the head of my fifth grade students. But I can see 12/13 year olds relating to most everything about this book. I did shed a tear or two in the end. Okay- I was bawling. I hate to mention something bad about this book but I am going to anyway. The book was a bit long. Some of the plot could have been shaved down so as not to lose the meaning of the book, in my opinion. But then again... I didn't write the book.