Carolyn

I Love You, Michael Collins is not a true story, but I'm sure it hits home with a lot of people when it comes to the “celebrities” that they look up to.

In this story, Mamie, is directed to write a letter to one of the three Apollo 11 astronauts. With most students picking Neil Armstrong or Buzz Aldrin, Mamie takes a different route and writes to the main pilot, Michael Collins. Mr. Collins is almost never mentioned by anyone (most people don't know who he even is) but Mamie takes it upon herself to let him know just how great he is.

A one time assignment to write a letter becomes a passion for Mamie. She writes him a letter almost everyday until the day he lands safely back on earth. She writes about her family problems, her best friend, Buster, her cat, Campbell, and asks him all sorts of questions about his life and family.

What I love most about this book is that she is rooting for the underdog. I'm sure there is a better way to say that, but I can't think of one currently. Mamie learns everything she can about this man and comes to find out that it was a struggle for him to get to where he is. She also realizes that he may be the most important one on the Apollo 11 mission; without him, no one will get home.

The emotions that Mamie goes through during the story are vivid in her messages to Mr. Collins. Haven't you ever just wanted to tell someone everything that's on your mind? Although she had never met this man and he didn't get most of her letters before his trip to space, she feels confident that he's reading them and that he cares. Back when a time when there was no social media to connect with people that we admire, letter writing was the only way to go and there are no “read receipts” for snail mail.

I thought that some of the issues that Mamie had to deal with, like both of her parents more or less abandoning her and her sisters being unaware of how to take care of a ten year old were a little too much for this story. I understand she needed something to write to Mr. Collins about but it just seemed weird and out of place and something that wouldn't actually happen, even in 1969 (but I could be wrong).

If you love space, diaries, the moon, and kids becoming friends with adults, then this is a book for you. It will make you smile, laugh, and even cry a little but it's a story with heart.

Fifth grader Tamaya Dhilwaddi and seventh grader Marshall Walsh walk home from school together every day. When their normal path is too dangerous to walk thanks to the school bully, Chad Wilson, Marshall decides to take a detour through the woods that they know they aren't allowed in. Tamaya has no choice but to follow - she's not allowed to walk home alone. They find themselves lost and surrounded by the strangest fuzzy goop. Little do they know that this mystery mud is being investigated by the United State government.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

The story telling in this book is amazing. I love how the author goes back and forth from the kids to the trial. You get glimpses of the problem at the beginning of the book but the gravity of the situation doesn't really hit home until you see the effects that the fuzzy mud has had on Chad.

Speaking of Chad, I didn't even think about the fact that Tamaya threw the mud in his face. I was so focused on Tamaya's rash and the secret she was trying to keep for her friend that when they mentioned that Chad wasn't at school, my heart dropped.

I'm always a sucker for a story where the bad guy doesn't end of being so bad in the end. Chad, like a lot of kids, had to accept help for the sake of everyone and it's clear that now he has some friends for like (whether he wants to admit it or not).

Raine and her mother move around a lot. After being in 5 different schools in 3 years, Raine hopes that Yielding is a place that will stick. They move into a bright pink house that is full of mystery. The family that lived there before suffered a loss - their daughter Emily disappeared one night on her way to a sleepover. Raine is special, though. She collects memories that she finds all over town in an attempt to solve the mystery that has been plaguing the town for months.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

Emily isn't missing and she isn't dead. Using her powers and tips from neighbors and classmates, the discovers that Emily has been living in her basement this whole time! She's been hiding from a high school arsonist that is out to get her because she knows his secret. Raine uses her abilities to help her out but it's not before they are both put in a terribly dangerous situation.

My favorite part of this book was the mystery. With all of the sneaking about and the small hints at Emily's fate, it's hard not to be involved with the case. The subtle hints about the fires and the small memories that seem like nothing can easily draw you in once you start connecting the dots.

You can never go wrong with stories about overcoming bullies, too. Jennifer (the bully) is an awful person and even though we don't really know why, we do find her weakness and Raine and her new friend, Shirlee, take matters into their own hands to bring her down.

Despite this being a mystery/sci-fi kind of story, it also has heart. Raine is standoffish at first, trying her best to make no friends because she thinks her mom will make them move again after her next boyfriend messes things up, but by the end she's created friendships with people that she didn't even realize would be important to her.

The whole collecting memories thing was actually pretty cool, but I wish there would have been more of a backstory to that, other than her grandmother having that ability too. I want to know more about the origins and how and why it came about.

Overall, I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars.

This book stole my heart.

I am a firm believer that animals have more capabilities than their people give them credit for. This book shows how a dog that thought of himself as a failure worked hard to find a new purpose in life.

Chester was trained to be a service dog, but after he failed his certification because he hates out noises, he thought he'd never get another chance. When a family comes along in search of a friend for their autistic son, Gus, Chester bring it upon himself to help this boy like he knows he can.

After a lot of time spent observing the boy, Chester learns the dos and don'ts of life with Gus. Don't make too much noise. Don't get too close to him. Don't lick him. Don't ask too many questions.

That's right. Chester finds himself bonded to this boy in such a way that he can't even describe it at first. Gus, who doesn't talk, seems to understand the things that Chester asks him and he answers back (some of the time). Using this new tool for communication, Chester gets Gus to trust him because he needs him now more than ever. But Chester has just been told he's not allowed in school anymore because he's not a certified service dog.

Strange things have been going on with Gus lately and it all comes to a head once the fire alarms go off at school. Being frightened at first, Chester loses track of Gus but forces his way to his boy. He finds Gus passed out in a closet and Gus is taken to the hospital for a few days.

Gus has epilepsy.

Now Chester has a renewed sense of responsibility for the boy and their relationship changes daily.

Can Chester be the dog that Gus needs him to be?