Ms Rush Reads

copyright date: January 5, 2021 primarily marketed for: Middle Grades Unplugged  by Gordon Korman overflows with humor, action, and heart. If you are a Korman fan, this is a perfect addition to your collection. If you are new to Korman, this will be the perfect gateway book. Jett Baranov is the son of a Silicon Valley tech genius. To call him spoiled would be a massive understatement. After a particularly risky stunt, from which his dad had to bail him out, Jett has been sent to spend a rehabilitative summer at the Oasis with his father's right hand man as a caretaker.  At the Oasis, Jett is forced to exist completely unplugged from the devices, social media, and entertainment he has come to rely on. Instead, he is invited to meditate, eat healthy, and relax in natural hot springs.  Of course, Jett is much more interested in finding a way out of the Oasis than he is in participating in any wellness activities. However, as the summer unfolds, Jett becomes entangled in a de...

copyright date: October 2011 primarily marketed for: young adults (high school) The books I love the most are the ones I find myself most compelled to write about.   I am woefully behind on posting about the books I’ve read this school year, yet here I am making time to share another incredible story. I find it is most difficult to share the books I love.   Something about my connection with a story like this makes it seem almost as if nobody else could possibly enjoy it as deeply as I have—surely it was tailor-made to fit my heart and stick to my ribs—how could anyone else find it as perfect a fit?   I don’t know the answer to that, but I sure hope you try this one on because part of me suspects it might fit you just right, too. Since I closed the covers of Maggie Stiefvater ’s The Scorpio Races early this morning, I have been haunted by the rhythm of the story.   The magic of sea still beats in my chest.   Puck’s connectio...

copyright date: June 2011 primarily marketed for: intermediate readers (5 th grade and up) Three things I cannot get enough of are: 1.      books that take place during WWII (there is so much to know about this important time in our history that these stories never get old) 2.      books told from multiple viewpoints (I love the layers of story this reveals) AND 3.      books about elephants (I am in love with these emotional creatures) An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo (author of War Horse ) satisfies my craving for all three kinds of books.  The story is initially told from the point of view of a nurse whose son comes with her to work at an assisted living facility.  Her son, Karl, bounds into the room of one of her most challenging patients.  Upon meeting Karl, the patient begins talking about an elephant that lived in her garden when she was a young girl.  ...

copyright date: 2012 primarily marketed for: young readers (3 rd -5 th grades) “In cheering for Ivan and his friends, we cheer for our own humanity, and our own possibilities.   Read this.” -Gary D. Schmidt “This beautiful, life-affirming story will soar directly from Ivan’s heart into your own.” -Kathi Appelt “A Beautifully written, intelligent, and brave book.   Quite simply, this story is life changing.” -Patricia MacLachlan These are the quotes found on the back of this book.   Enough said, right? Nope. Even these powerful words don’t begin to explain how special this book is.   I want to purchase this book for everyone I know.   I believe this book is the new Charlotte’s Web.   It is that good. The One and Only Ivan is the story of a gorilla who is kept in captivity at a highway-side mall/zoo.   His cage consists of glass walls, a jungle mural, and a cement floor.   Ivan’s story is based on the story of an actual gorilla, w...