Fiction Friday: Celebrating Children's Literature in October

Three more days, people! Three more days and October will be complete. Whoo-hoo!

To celebrate the end of one of the most stressful months of the school year, let's link up and share some of our favorite books (recently read or long time favorites) with an October edition of FICTION FRIDAY!

I started Fiction Friday this summer to help me get through my ever growing list of books I was dying to read.  I discovered lots of wonderful new books and by turning my own reading challenge into a weekly linky party I learned about even more.

Now, that I am back in school, I can't keep up with every Friday, but I am hoping to keep up monthly and be able to share a few more outstanding books with y'all.  In turn, I hope you will all link up and share your good reads with me too.

First up...

 

Happenstance Found

by P.W. Catanese

Happenstance Found is the first book in the relatively new trilogy, The Books of Umber.The book begins with the discovery of a boy with unusually green eyes in a cave with no memories of his previous life.   This is Hap and he is more than just an young boy with striking eyes.  He can see in the dark, jump unimaginable heights, and sees a mysterious thread that leads him places. He is taken under the care and guardianship of Lord Umber, a great adventurer, explorer, and scholar of sorts whose knowledge of music, science, architecture, and more is well beyond any in the realm. Together, Hap and Lord Umber try to uncover Haps past and figure out who he is and who he is meant to be in this mystical land.

The book unravels slowly as you learn more and more about the characters, their secrets, and their back stories. The author gives you small pieces of information but keeps you wanting more all the time. It's a great book to look at foreshadowing. With so many questions, I was glued to this book. I had to know more and I had to find out if my predictions were right.  For example, what does Umber keep in his room that provides him with endless information?  The answer might surprise you...or not...if you follow the clues.

Honestly, I thought this was one of the best fantasy books for grades 4-6 that I have read in awhile.  For students who enjoyed The Lighting Thief, this would be another good series for them.  It would also make a great read aloud because here is so much to uncover as you read.

And now...

A Crooked Kind of Perfect

by Linda Urban

Zoe has always wanted a piano - a beautiful, lovely, piano that will allow her to play in Carnegie Hall one day.  Unfortunately for Zoe, her father has a different idea and buys her an organ that comes with free lessons.  With a mother that works non-stop and a father that won't leave the house, Zoe's life is far from perfect.  The organ lessons are just the icing on the cake.  Yet, as Zoe begins to play the organ she discovers an unexpected talent.  She ends up with an opportunity to perform in Perform-O-Rama organ competition.  And, if she can get there on time and not let her nerves get the better of her, it may turn out to be exactly what she has been looking for.

Written with great voice, Zoe comes to life in these pages and you can't help but fall in love with her and root for her.  Her family is far from perfect, but through all the dysfunction there is a lot of love and Zoe soon learns that life may not always turn out they way you think, but that doesn't always have to a bad thing.

This book is appropraite for grades 4-6.  Many of my girls read it last year and loved it! It is not a difficult read and for your more mature 4th graders, they will be captivated with Zoe just like I was.

So, there you have it.  Two more excellent books to add to the Fiction Friday master list.  I can't want to see what you have been reading in October.  Please link up and share your newest discoveries or old favorites in children's literature.   Remember to grab my linky button and link back to me so others can find all the posts.

Happy Reading!