FINISHED:

Choldenko, Gennifer. (2004). Al Capone does my shirts. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

[Ok, well, I wasn't completely WOWED by this one. Not even sure that I would consider it a Newbery Honor book. Parts just seemed a bit overwrought and overly dramatic, and I never really ever got the sense that it was truly 1935 in San Francisco. There was one mention of brushing his teeth with his finger after mixing some kind of toothpaste powder in his palm, but, otherwise, I never felt like it was taking place in the past. Pretty interesting touch to have a character with autism, since I doubt that has ever really been explored in a historical children's book, and I appreciated the main character's dedication (and utter frustration) to his autistic sister, but still wasn't really won over that much. Great recommendation for kids who live in the area, though.]

STARTED:
Hale, Shannon. (2005). Princess academy. New York: Bloomsbury.

[Keep hearing about this one and seeing it come and go at the library. Hate to be sexist, but I just felt like reading something a little "girly"...]

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