Hound Dog True by Linda Urban

Hound Dog True by Linda Urban (Harcourt/2011)

Fifth grader Mattie Breen has moved countless times – every time Mama feels like the going gets tough. This time they’ve moved in with Uncle Potluck. Mattie has a plan – as she accompanies him on his rounds as janitor at her soon-to-be new school, she decides she will prove herself a useful custodial apprentice and maybe he will allow her to continue working with him during recess and lunch so she will not have to face being friendless. She keeps notes in her notebook – the same kind of notebook she used to write stories in before something happened at her last school to make her stop. When Quincy Sweet visits her aunt next door, Mattie would like to avoid her, but it seems impossible. Could Quincy be another girl to make her feel bad? Or could Quincy be a friend?

A story about a painfully shy girl, who wants a friend, but doesn’t know how to go about making one. I was cheering her on the entire time. Heart-warming with touches of humor, this is a fabulous story about being brave.

I loved Linda Urban’s debut book, A Crooked Kind of Perfect, and was so happy to read this one! I can’t wait for her next!

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Recent Reads

Books I’ve read and enjoyed recently:

Heist Society by Ally Carter    Hyperion/2010 MG/YA fiction

Teenager Katarina Bishop had left the life, pretty much disowning her family of thieves by pulling the ultimate con job and landing at one of the most prestigious boarding schools, until Hale gets her expelled.  She returns to the life she vowed to leave when she learns her father’s life is in danger – a powerful criminal believes Kat’s father has stolen from him. Without the blessing of her Uncle Eddie (head of the family), Kat forms her own crew to rob The Henley, a reknown London museum. The chemistry between Kat and Hale is positively electric, and when Kat adds Nick, a virtual stranger to the crew, sparks fly. The suspense is tense and exciting, the characters a fun mix, and the story fast-paced!

The Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson    Harper Collins/2011  YA fantasy

On her 16th birthday, Elisa marries a man she’s never met, the king of a neighboring kingdom, to form an alliance for her father, also a king. While Elisa’s older sister will someday rule her kingdom, Elisa is to leave her home forever for a strange land, accompanied only by her lady-in-waiting and her nurse. Elisa is the bearer of the Godstone, a blue stone that resides in her navel, connected to God and a duty she must somehow fulfill. When she arrives in her new home, she wants nothing more than to entice the handsome king to fall in love with her, but she soon learns he keeps a mistress. Elisa is kidnapped and learns of the ravages of war, she must decide what she should do. There is a wonderful love story within this adventurous and fantastic tale! Looking forward to the next book!

Amy & Roger’s Epic Detour by Morgan Matson    Simon & Schuster/2010  YA fiction

In the aftermath of a tragic car accident that killed her father, Amy (age 17) has stopped driving and her family has fallen apart. Her mother has put their home on the market and moved to CT to start their new life. Amy is to follow after school lets out. Since she doesn’t drive, her mother arranges for the son of a family friend, Roger, to drive her from CA across the country. For their own personal reasons, Amy and Roger decide to take a long detour, ignoring her mother’s precise driving instructions. Along the way they make discoveries about the country, themselves, and each other, leading to important revelation and a growing friendship that turns into something more. The author mixes humor with the story to keep the story from being dark, while expertly delving deeply into both characters’ emotions. Loved this book! Thanks to The Reading Date for suggesting this book!

Uncommon Criminals (Heist Society Novel) by Ally Carter   Hyperion Books/2011  MG/YA fiction

This is book two in the Heist Society series, and Kat Bishop and her crew are back for yet another adventure. I don’t want to give a summary here in case I divulge spoilers for book 1 (see above).  Let’s just say that i hope there’s a book 3 in the making!

What have you been reading lately?