Friday Society

The Friday Society by Adrienne Kress
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In Friday Society we see a new side to the steampunk novel with three feisty heroines, whose lives become intertwined as they end up working together on what begins as a murder mystery. but becomes something much larger.  The girls, Cora, Michiko, and Nellie are all apprenticed to different men: Cora, as an intelligent lab assistant to Lord White, an inventor, Michiko a would-be Samurai to the swindler Sir Callum Fielding-Shaw, and Nellie to the magician, the Great Raheem.  All are talented in their own way, which comes in handy as they try to solve the terrible crimes that are happening in London beginning with their mutual discovery of the murder of a scientist.  The story provides plenty of fun, intrigue, and romance as the girls learn to use their talents working together.   There are a lot of anachronistic elements in dialogue and mannerisms for the Edwardian setting, but I doubt the audience of middle school girls and higher will notice them.  In fact, middle school girls should really enjoy this fun adventure.


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One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate is briefly about a silverback gorilla who is stuck in a cage in the Big Top Mall and Video arcade.  He has been there so long he has forgotten about his life in the wild and is somewhat content to watch television and talk with his friends in the Big Top Mall, Stella the elephant, and Bob, the stray dog.  When a new baby elephant, Ruby, joins the group, Ivan discovers his natural role as a protective silverback as he tries to keep his promise to the dying Stella, to save Ruby from being doomed to the fate he and Stella have endured.   He launches a plan using his skills as a gorilla artist to save Ruby.  Although this book was on display for several months last year, it didn’t receive many checkouts.  But, it is an excellent story.  Like many Newberry winners, it is not one that students clamor to checkout, but they usually are pleasantly surprised when they do.  They will enjoy it is a compelling story that is easy to read. Teachers should consider using it for a read aloud in the classroom because chapters are short, and there are many discussion points along the way.



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