The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate

You may remember Bob from The One and Only Ivan. Ivan, a shopping centre gorilla had two main friends in the first installment - Bob, a small dog, and Stella, an elephant. Later another small elephant comes to join them - Ruby.  Ivan, Stella and Ruby are held captive in this shopping mall and used for the 'entertainment' of visiting shoppers. Bob, on the other hand, is free. Early in his life Bob was abandoned so he has huge trust issues and opinions about humans.

"Name's Bob.
I'm a mutt of uncertain heritage. Definitely some Chihuahua, with a smidgen of papillon on my father's side. 
You're probably thinking I'm some wimpy lap dog. ... But size ain't everything.
It's swagger. Attitude. You gotta have the moves."

At the end of The One and Only Ivan, Ivan and Ruby and the other shopping mall animal circus performers are taken to a zoo. The zoo is a place of safety and companionship. Bob goes to live with their friend Julia.

"Me I lucked out. My girl, Julia, whose dad had worked at the mall, decided her family needed a dog. Who was I to argue? Two square meals, my own bed, all the belly rubs I could beg for. What dog in his right mind would say no to that?"

Bob lives near the zoo and Julia is happy to take him to visit Ivan and Ruby. Life seems goodexcept Bob longs to find his big sister Boss. Then a hurricane threatens everything.

If you need more plot details read this review by Ms Yingling - she plans to purchase two copies of The One and Only Bob for her library!  I suggest you should do this too.

I read The One and Only Ivan in 2012 and it affected me deeply. Kirkus used the perfect word to describe this book - bittersweet. Later another book about Ivan was published which covered the true life story of Ivan (see below).  Now we have The One and Only Bob. These books are a perfect pair but I am glad I took the time to re-read The One and Only Ivan (take a look at this publisher trailer) in conjunction with this new title.

Listen to an audio sample from page 8 onwards.

The novel’s fluid meshing of loyalty, forgiveness, and trust will leave readers hoping that the author has more one-and-only stories to tell. Publisher’s Weekly

With this companion, Applegate picks up where her Newbery Medal winner left off, and fans will be overjoyed to ride along in the head or lovable, self-deprecating Bob on his storm-tossed adventure. His wry doggy observations and attitude are pitch perfect … Kirkus Star review

Look for this book in the Non Fiction section of your library [599.884]

I adore the writing of Katherine Applegate. I have mentioned before I think EVERY LIBRARY (School and Public) should have a copy of Wishtree. I also think every library needs these two books - The One and Only Ivan and The One and Only Bob. Katherine Applegate is also the author of the Endling series which I also adored.

Swimming against the storm by Jess Butterworth

According to a Cajun legend, loup garous wander around in forests and swamps of Greater New Orleans and Acadiana. These creatures have a man’s body and a wolf’s head... 

I do enjoy survival stories and oddly I also really enjoy books set around swamps. Swimming against the Storm fits the bill perfectly. Grab your wet weather gear and your courage - you will need both when you enter this book!

Eliza, her sister Avery and their mum and dad live in Coteville, Louisiana. Their backyard is the bayou. Mum and dad make their living from shrimping. As this story opens Eliza has turned twelve. This is the day Eliza can go shrimping. Her sister is only ten and so she is left behind. Avery is deeply disappointed and upset.

 Eliza has imagined this day for years but she is not prepared for the reality of the by-catch. There are crabs, fish of all sizes, plastic debris, shrimp of course and a beautiful sea turtle all caught up in the nets. Eliza is distressed to see the turtle is hurt and while her parents do gently put him back many of the beautiful fish are left to die on the floor of the boat. Eliza had no idea shrimping also meant the death of so many precious sea creatures.

The sisters have a great relationship but jealousy over the shrimping outing is a real threat. Avery tells Eliza she and her friend Grace have found something mysterious and interesting on a small island in the swamp. After the disaster of the shrimping outing Eliza is keen to reconcile with her sister so the two set off. First they travel in a small motorboat and then jump into a pair of kayaks. Avery leads her sister across a small island to a footprint.

There is a legend in the bayou of a creature called a Loup-garou. Have they found evidence this creature really exists?

Meanwhile an oil company are advising all residents to leave the area and find a different place to live because the land is subsiding and sea levels are rising. Leaving the area will mean the end for this small, close knit community.

This area is also famous for wild hurricanes. Eliza, Avery, Grace and their friend Huy decide to investigate the mystery of the Loup-garou. If this creature does live in their swamp then maybe they can save their home. This is an action packed atmospheric story. You will feel the wild wind lashing at your hair, the mosquitoes biting your exposed skin and the mud of the swamp sticking to your clothes and hair. I loved final scenes which are filled with tension as the hurricane rages and the kids race home ready to reveal the truth. The title is perfect. There is the real storm, the storm of corruption by the oil company and the storm between the two sisters which Eliza is desperate to heal.

Swimming against the Storm will be available in April this year. I would follow this book with titles by Carl Hiaasen such as Chomp and The Explorer by Katherine Rundell.

I also very keen to read these two earlier titles by Jess Butterworth:

Rain Reign by Ann M Martin

"If you can read, you'll love this book."  

This is the claim on the front cover and it is so true as are the words in the quotes below.

I have wanted to read Rain Reign for months so I was excited on Friday when it was returned by the student who donated it to our school library.  I wonder if she read it?  I certainly did.  I read this whole book in one sitting very late into the night.

Rose is a very special girl.  She lives with her Dad but she needs to be careful of his moods and temper.  One night he brings home a stray dog.  Rose names him Rain because it is raining when he arrives and because Rose loves homonyms.  Rain, reign and rein.

"I am the only student in my class who's interested in homonyms.  ... Homonyms can be surprising and fun, and that's why I started a list of them."

Rose relies on routines and rules.  She loves her dog Rain and her wonderful uncle Weldon who lives on the other side of their town but the balance of her life changes with the arrival of Hurricane Susan.

"In our yard two trees have fallen, the birch and the elm... the water is so deep that it's flowed over its banks and flooded both the road and the lower part of our yard. ...I turn around wondering whether it's okay to wake my father... I'm about to knock on his door when I realize that I haven't seen (scene) Rain."

This is a heart-breaking and affirming story.  Ann M Martin has written a wonderful book.  Rose is a truly memorable and special girl.  I give this book ten out of ten.

You might like to use this simple trailer.

You might also enjoy So. Be. It., Wonder, Rules by Cynthia Lord, My life as an alphabet, Counting by 7s and Looking for X by Deborah Ellis.

Rain is a wonderful friend to Rose.  If you love books about dogs you could try Because of Winn Dixie, One dog and his boy and Shiloh.

What Martin has created here is an impeccable character study of a kid who sees the world a bit differently than most, and masterfully shows how those around her are affected by her uniquenesses.

Martin has penned a riveting, seamless narrative in which each word sings and each scene counts.