Patricia's Picks

Hello again everyone! Here are this week's recommendations.

In the Tear Jerker Picture Book Department:

The Lemonade Club by Patricia Polacco
I recently picked up this picture book and fell in love with it. Best friends Traci and Marilyn love being in Miss Wichelman's fifth grade class. Miss Wichelman always encourages her students to turn lemons into lemonade. But when Marilyn states losing weight and feeling tired all the time, things change. Marilyn has leukemia. Traci and the whole fifth grade class rally around their friend, even shaving their heads to show support. When the girls discover that Miss Wichelman is also fighting cancer, they start the Lemonade Club to encourage one another.
Based on a true story of Polacco's daughter Trace, her best friend, Marilyn, and their teacher Cynthia Wichelman, this story is heartwarming and encouraging.



In the Step Up to the Plate Department:

The Batboy by Mike Lupica
I'm not usually a huge baseball fan, but Mike Lupica is usually a big seller. So when his new novel came out, I decided to give it a shot.
Brian Dudley feels like he's living the dream in his summer job as a batboy for his hometown Major League team. Even though his mom doesn't understand it, especially after his dad left them for the sport; baseball is what makes Brian feel alive. But when his baseball hero, Hank Bishop, seems to be nothing like Brian imagined, and his own hitting sinks into a slump, Brian starts to wonder if baseball's really what it's all about. Brian and Hank soon discover that sometimes you just have to step up to the plate and swing for the fences, even if the only one rooting for you is yourself.



In the Sucked Me In, But Freaked Me Out Department:

The Body Finder by Kimberly Dertling
I started this book this morning and could barely put it down all day. Generally, I don't enjoy intentionally scaring myself, which is why you'll almost never see me watching a horror movie. But the love story hooked me in, and the scary parts made me read faster.
Violet has always been able to sense when a living creature has been killed, and been able to sense the signature on the being that killed it. Usually this is just an annoyance, like when her cat kills a mouse. But when teenage girls start turning up murdered, the local police start hunting a serial killer. To make matters worse, Violet has been the one to find several of the bodies.
In the midst of all this tension, the boy who has always been her best friend, has suddenly become the only thing she can think about. Watching Jay and Violet grow from just friends to something more was the best part of this book. Jay clearly cares for her more than anything, and that devotion only grows deeper as they get closer to the serial killer.
I enjoyed this book, but I felt like there were a few holes in the plot. Maybe I watch too many shows like Law & Order and Bones, but I wanted to hear a little more about the investigation. All in all, the combination of romance and suspense was definitely a hit with this reader.