Nerdy Apple Bottom

In continuing on with my reading challenge from Booking Mama, I’ve read a couple more young adult books. These were both read in my youth.

Footsteps on the Stairs by CS Adler was read aloud to my class in fourth grade by Mrs. Mills at Ballwin Elementary. I remember being riveted by it. I think I even checked it out from the school library to read ahead.
It is about a 13 year old girl named Dodie who is spending the summer at a creepy beach house with her mom, new stepdad, and his two kids. One is a daughter her age and the other a son a few years younger. The girls are total opposites and don’t take to each other right away.
Then strange things start happening. They hear… FOOTSTEPS ON THE STAIRS! And the boy sees fighting girl ghosts. So the kids all work together to solve the mystery.
I loved this as a girl and still enjoyed it today. There were several things that I did not remember though. Dodie is a comfort eater (I’m sure I didn’t know that term when I was 9), there was a little reference to sex, and some codependence (again, not a term I would have known.) Also, though I was from a family of divorce, I don’t remember that as being a theme in the book. It is addressed pretty well, in addition to the whole concept of “blended” families.

It took me a while to find this one as I didn’t remember the title. I remembered being a bit freaked out by the book though.
It begins with a brother and sister ages 5 and 10, trying to survive in the world. Turns out a virus has killed off everyone over the age of 12 so the kids are left to die or fend for themselves. Though very improbable, it’s still a good read when you are 10 or so. The two main characters use their brains to figure out where to find food and to ultimately form a city of children that has schedules and jobs and a defense department. Of course there are also enemies to deal with throughout, but usually it is the brain that saves them, more so than the brawn.
I will say however, it was written very simplistically. At times it seemed almost too simple as far as words and furthering of the plot.

This was our book club pick for December, which also marks the one year anniversary of our little gang. I read most of it and listened to all of it on audiobook. I really enjoyed the book for the most part. SantaLand Diaries was my favorite. A couple of the others seemed to go on a little longer than I would have liked. And there were a few items that seemed just a tad too macabre or non-PC enough to even make me cringe a bit. All in all, I’m looking forward to reading more of his work.

As for what I currently have checked out from the library:
Janet Evanovich’s how I write : secrets of a bestselling author
Shelf discovery : teen classics we never stopped reading
The cat ate my gymsuit
Summer of my German soldier
The grounding of Group 6
Harriet, the spy
The secret garden

So nothing new. I had to renew most of these since I hadn’t gotten to them yet. Hope to do some major reading over the holidays, but chances are good I will not.