What We're Reading - Curation Team Edition

Welcome to another installment of What We're Reading, a space where Follett Content team members share books that captivate and inspire them. This month, members of our intrepid Curation Team share some titles they’re currently devouring. 

A Harvest of Hearts

By Andrea Eames

Reviewed by Mary Hazel, Classroom Content and Curation Specialist 

My criteria for choosing a book for my end of summer reading was to find something not too heavy in the drama department, but with some sense of mystery, peril, and magical elements. I like a fantasy adventure book to help me escape from reality. A Harvest of Hearts has kept me hooked! Eames has set up a fantasy world in the book without relying on lengthy descriptions, but rather lets the characters explain their experiences. The main character, Foss, is the teenage daughter of a butcher in a medieval-type setting. There is an evil king and his children who wield magic, along with a talking cat, and a prime character who turns from evil to good. Foss is the most likable character. She knows her strengths but does have some self-esteem issues. Although I have not yet finished this book (72% done on my Kindle), I have high hopes that Foss will find a clever way to save herself, her captor, and the kingdom. I expect a mostly happy ending for this strong female heroine, but I predict some villains will get a fairytale-type punishment. 

About Mary

Mary has been with Follett Content Solutions for almost three years as a Classroom Content and Curation Specialist. She grew up in Southern California, and then moved to Illinois where she finished a B.A. in elementary education at Roosevelt University. She taught elementary school in Alaska and Iowa before returning to Illinois. She also achieved a master’s degree in curriculum and instruction along the way. She loves reading books for all different age levels. 

The Frindle Files 

By Andrew Clements, Illustrated by Brian Selznick 

Reviewed by Wendy Miller, Supervisor of Library Curations

I read this book because it is Clements’ last book, a posthumously published sequel to his beloved Frindle (1996). I had read Frindle years ago when I worked in a school and was a big fan of this book and his other school stories. Frindle won 19 state awards and has been nominated for 38. I wondered how this book connected to the characters in Frindle, if you’d need to have read Frindle to enjoy this title, and if today’s students would still enjoy his style of writing. This book pulls together themes of humor, digital literacy, writing, technology, friendship, community, and mystery. Set a whole generation later, it can be read on its own or alongside Frindle. At less than 200 pages, it is a quick read for middle grade students about a boy and his English teacher and the tension over using technology and writing. I like The Frindle Files and how it invites readers to go back and read or reread Frindle. I am wondering, however, if many schools will still have Frindle on the shelf since it’s over 25 years old, and kids today do not use the dictionary or write with a “Frindle” pen much.     

About Wendy

After working as a Children’s librarian and Elementary School Librarian for 10 years, Wendy has curated lists of PreK-8 titles for school librarians around the world for more than 20 years here at Follett Content. After graduating from Hope College in Holland, MI, she received her master of information science degree from the University of Illinois. She currently lives in McHenry, IL, and enjoys reading and cheering on her daughter’s high school basketball team.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI 

By David Grann

Reviewed by Roberta Starck, Curriculum Bibliographer

The Young Reader's Edition for Killers of the Flower Moon has multiple starred reviews and is on 15 lists in Titlewave. Booklist reviewed the title for Grades 6-9, and School Library Journal reviewed it for Grades 8+. I wanted to determine the book’s appropriateness for middle school students (and read it myself before watching the film adaptation).

This narrative nonfiction thriller will capture readers who enjoy True Crime/Mystery genres and are interested in unveiling a part of U.S. history about which we, as Americans, should be shocked and ashamed. It concerns a piece of Oklahoma history from 1921 to 1926 called the "Reign of Terror" that targeted the richest people per capita in the world, the Osage Indians. Appropriate for Grade 8 and beyond, students can learn about the wealth of the Osage tribe and the mysterious deaths of at least 60 of its people from gunshots, bombings, poisonings, and auto accidents. It's a page-turner of a forensic mystery and a window into the many racial injustices suffered by the Osage.

About Roberta

Roberta has been with Follett Content Solutions for 17 years, and her career spans 24 years as a teacher and librarian in elementary and middle schools. She is a librarian on the Library Curations team, where she is responsible for curating lists for school libraries and updating and maintaining lists for Titlewave®. The highlight of her job is “attending weekly publishers' meetings and discovering all the new titles being published!”

We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into the reading journeys of some of our Curation Team members! Be sure to check out Curated Book and Resources Lists to see the great work this team does in action. Looking for your next great read? 

Check out the Best New Books list on Titlewave!