Top Ten Tuesday: Books I wish had sequels

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish.

I haven't done Top Ten Tuesday in a while, but I really loved the topic today so I couldn't resist. Here are my top ten books I wish had sequels. 

1. 

Teach Your Buffalo to Play Drums by Audrey Vernick, illustrated by Daniel Jennewein
OK, so I know that this book IS the sequel to Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? But, I really think this book should be a series. When my students Skyped with Audrey, they even suggested some really great other possibilities for Buffalo books. I would love to see this cuddly buffalo grace the pages of more books.

2. 

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm
Again, another suggestion by my students when we Skyped with Jenni, if she ever thought about writing a sequel to Turtle in Paradise. She said her son suggested she write a book from Beans' point-of-view and I for one think that's a fantastic idea. The Diaper Gang is just too endearing not to experience their mischief again. They've got a "Little Rascals" vibe about them.

3. 

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex
I have heard that Rex IS writing a sequel to Smekday, but until I see a title, cover, and synopsis, I will continue to pine for another book with J. Lo the Boov alien.

4. 

When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
This was one of my read alouds with my sixth graders last year and they LOVED it. So much so that when we finished, they had me tweet Rebecca and suggest that there be a sequel from Marcus' point-of-view called When I Reach You. How awesome would that be?

5. 

Bake Sale by Sara Varon
I would love to see more adventures from Cupcake and Eggplant. :) 

6. 

The Fast and the Furriest by Andy Behrens
I would love to read another installment of Cromwell, the once sedentary, now agility-crazed beagle. I could see the second book being a mystery where Cromwell has to sniff out a criminal.

7.

Where She Went by Gayle Forman
OK so again, I know that this IS the sequel, but I just love Mia and Adam so much that I selfishly want to read more about their story.

8.

The Cinderella Society by Kay Cassidy
There was supposed to be a sequel of this book. In fact, the ending of the first book set it up for a sequel. Goodreads even has the title of the second book, Cindy on a Mission, but somehow, it never came to be.

9. 

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie
I'm torn about wanting a sequel for this book. On the one hand, I would love to spend more time with Junior and learn more of his story. On the other hand, I think a sequel would diminish the importance of his story in the first book. So yeah, I don't know.

10. 

Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer
I loved Hope and I just want to spend some more time with her.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic is: Top Ten Favorite Book Quotes.

However, since this is something my students have done throughout the school year via a graffiti wall

 (an idea I stole from so many teachers on Twitter, I don't even remember whose original idea it was anymore. UPDATE: It was the amazing Donalyn Miller's idea) I'd much rather share with you some of our favorite quotes this school year.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books I Want to See on the Big Screen

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic is: Top Ten Books I'd Like to See Made Into a Movie

1. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

Yes, I know, this book gets put on just about every top ten list I do, but that's how much I love it. This book would be an epic movie. And Adam Rex has mentioned that it's been optioned by Dreamworks, but in the book business we know that doesn't always mean much. This would be an awesome movie though: The United States is invaded by aliens and forced to all move to Florida, the main character's mother gets kidnapped by the alien Boov, she drives to Florida with a rogue Boov named J.Lo in search of her mother. A road trip novel AND aliens? How hilarious is that?


2. Au Revoir, Crazy European Chick by Joe Schreiber

A nerdy, Lithuanian exchange student turns hired assassin? Yes please! All I kept thinking while I was listening to the audiobook is what a rockin' movie this would make.


3. Wonder by RJ Palacio

This is definitely one of my favorite books of 2012 so far and it would make such a wonderful, heart-warming movie.


4. Matched by Ally Conde

 Dystopian literature is so hot right now and I would love to see this one ride on the coattails of The Hunger Games.


5. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

 This one was optioned for a movie the week after it was released. I would love more than anything to see it made into a movie.


6. This Dark Endeavor by Kenneth Oppel

All of Kenneth Oppel's books have such a cinematic feel to them that any of them would make amazing movies. Though I think This Dark Endeavor would make the best movie because of the fantasy/period/classic literature aspect of the story.


7. Delirium by Lauren Oliver

I just loved this book so much I just really want to see it made into a movie. I have no other explanation than that.


8. Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

I have been to Prague before and it is the perfect setting for this creepy novel. I'd love to see it re-imagined for the big screen.


9. Going Bovine by Libba Bray

This book is so absolutely zany and strangely literary that it put me in mind of something like Kevin Smith's Dogma. I could totally see him taking on this movie and making it brilliant.


10. Die for Me by Amy Plum

A Parisian setting and a sexy, undead love interest? This book has movie written all over it!

Top Ten Tuesday: All-Time Favorite Book Characters

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic is: Top Ten All-Time Favorite Book Characters

1. J.Lo the Alien from The True Meaning of Smekday
I know this book gets put on a lot of my Top Ten lists, but I just love it so much. The reason I love it so much? J.Lo the Boov alien. What crazy mad genius would ever think to name an alien J.Lo (and the main character Gratuity)? That is the hilarious mind of Adam Rex. Check out my interview with Adam where explains how he came up with the idea for the name J.Lo (and Gratuity).

2. Augustus Waters from The Fault in Our Stars
Smart, cute, funny, and the most wonderful teenage boy to grace the pages of a book. I mean, he fell for a girl who had visible signs of a terminal disease. There's nothing more honorable and endearing than that.

3. Melinda from Speak
Melinda has such a powerful voice even though she never talks. Her story will stay with me for a long time.

4.Micah from Liar
Even though I am ambivalent about how I feel about this book, you can't deny that Micah is one memorable character. One that you will question and doubt what is truth and what is lies throughout the entire novel.

5. Holden Caufield from The Catcher in the Rye
One of the few canonical classics I actually enjoyed in high school, Holden is one of the first characters I remember discussing with friends during our own time, meaning not in class. Back then we liked Holden even though we knew he was a pathetic mess.

6. Auggie from Wonder
Born with a severe facial deformity, we meet Auggie for the first time when his parents decide that 5th grade is the perfect time for him to stop being home schooled and start attending real school. Auggie's sweet nature and lovable intelligence makes him one of the most memorable characters to grace children's literature in a long time.

7. Julian Singh from The View from Saturday
The perfect poster boy for weirdness and kindness. Julian and The Souls are the reason I came back to books after a long absence.

8. Minny from The Help
The characters from this novel stayed with me even during breaks from reading. I would find myself cooking dinner or doing laundry and thinking to myself, "I wonder what Skeeter's going to do about this?" or "I can't believe Minny did that!" Or "Oh my gosh! That Hilly is so evil!" But Minny was sassy and mouthy and one of the most fabulous characters to ever grace the pages of a book.

9. Enzo the dog from The Art of Racing in the Rain
This book is one of the most emotional reads I've ever experienced and it was all told from the perspective of a dog. The most wise dog you will ever encounter. One you wish was your dog.

10. Adam and Mia from If I Stay/Where She Went
I am a dubious reader of romance so when I encounter a couple like Mia and Adam who are so perfect for each other and whose relationship has a strong foundation (not this insta-love crap that so much YA lit seems to be spewing out these days), that is something I will remember as a reader.

Top Ten Tuesday: Top Ten Books That Were Totally Deceiving

Top Ten Tuesday is hosted by The Broke and the Bookish. Today's topic is: Top Ten Books That Were Totally Deceiving

1. Liar by Justine Larbalestier
 
This is the ultimate book of deception. When you read the synopsis, you get the sense that it's realistic fiction, but then you get midway through and the author adds a strange fantasy turn, which makes you wonder: is this really true, or is this all part of the protagonist's grand deception?
 
2. The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex

The cover of this book is rather banal and passive compared to the brilliant humor and action that resides in its pages. This is one of those books that has gained popularity in my classroom based on me being a book pusher. Then kids talk to other kids and the book gets passed around a lot. (Plus it doesn't hurt that I played them a snippet of the audiobook which is, as I have said many times already, the best audiobook in the history of audiobooks!) Otherwise, it would probably just sit on the shelf because kids look at the cover and don't get a sense of the hilarity they will experience between the two covers.

3. The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
 
You only have to read the first six words of the plot synopsis and many immediately think to themselves, "This book is going to be sad. I don't want to bum myself out by reading it." But here's the thing: not only is the sadness worth experiencing, but it is full of humor and beauty too. Yes, this is a book about cancer, but it is so much more than that.

4. The Future of Us by Jay Asher and Carolyn Mackler
 
I was expecting this book to be more profound than it was, but it was just an easy fluff read. Not to mention the fact that it's written as YA, but I almost think people in their 30s who were in high school in 1996 (like me) will enjoy this book more than teens. Lots of feelings of nostalgia bubbled up in me as I read this book. And I hate that even though this story takes place only 15 years ago, it reads like historical fiction.
 
5.  Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

 I had the opposite reaction to Beauty Queens as I did The Future of Us. A book about marooned beauty pageant contestants? I was expecting fluff: a wild, campy romp through a desert island with some ditzy cheerleader types, which is how the story starts off, but the more invested in the story you become, you begin to realize that this book is also a political statement, an imploring to get the reader to question the gender roles and stereotypes we've become accustomed to in our society.

6. Pie by Sarah Weeks
 
There was a piece to the mystery of this book that I felt was not addressed at the end and it kind of deceives the reader, which is normally fine because mysteries are all about red herrings and having us believe one thing only to realize it was something else entirely, but the problem is, that something else entirely was incomplete and left the reader feeling dissatisfied (at least it did in my three literature classes of 60 sixth graders).

7. Bad Taste in Boys by Carrie Harris
 
 I hate zombies. There. I've said it. And I don't apologize for it. But Carrie Harris doesn't take herself too seriously and neither does this book. The light-hearted, silly humor is what kept me reading and reminded me that anything done with enough kitsch and camp can turn something dreaded into something fun.

8. Virtuosity by Jessica Martinez
 
So the synopsis of this book makes you think that Carmen's prescription drug addiction will be one of the main conflicts of the story. That is so not the case. It's only really briefly mentioned in a couple scenes. The main conflict is really Carmen's crazy, psycho stage mother and how her overbearing attitude leads her into the arms of her fiercest competitor.

9. Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
 
I had heard so many great things about this book but the historical period and heft of it left me feeling intimidated and worried that the subject-matter would be dry and boring. How wrong I was. In fact, the historical aspect of the book is merely just one layer of a very complex, contemporary story. 

10. Shine by Lauren Myracle

First of all, the cover and title of this book don't really seem to quite mesh with the story. This is a story that could appeal to boys with a different cover. But another reason for the deceptiveness of this book is that it is about so much more than a hate crime. And I don't want to say anymore for fear of giving too much away.