In Linda's Library

Student Essay

2011-12-28T15:35:00.004-05:00

Our school added several new students in September, as it does every year. One of those students, who I will call Kasey, is in fifth grade. A recent essay he wrote for class caught my eye and I have asked him if I can copy it hear on the blog. I wanted it first because I think it is well written and also because he writes about Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis, a book which is also a favorite of mine.

One of My Most Favorite Books

A favorite book of mine is called Buddy, Not Buddy. It was very interesting and amazing. It had a monster and a boy named Bud. The boy hated having to deal with people calling him Buddy.

I thought the book had lots of details and lots of excitement. It was very interesting the way they explained the book and the order they put the story in. Although there were some parts I didn't like at all and they were very heart breaking. It has some favorites, too, like the time he was out on his own. I didn't know that people back then were living on their own. If I lived on my own it would be a disaster waiting to happen and I most likely would not have survived without my mother, father, or my little brother. In fact, this book taught me something. It's not all about you and your needs and wants. You're lucky for what you have and you should appreciate all of it. The book talked about a monster int he beginning as I said and before it was very creepy. There was running up a hill as a monster chases them. I am pretty sure they were scared because I was scared and I was just reading the book. If you ever get to read it, I thought it was fabulous.

Non-Fiction is True Enjoyment

2011-10-30T12:28:00.004-04:00

Non-fiction is not dull reading. New and beautiful books on topics from poetry to pandas and biographies to ball games come out every month. While I will indicate ages of the intended on audience on this, keep in mind that non-fiction appeals to all ages.

Panda Kindergarten by Joanne Ryder is aimed at humans in kindergarten through second grade but everyone will enjoy the photographs of panda babies at play. Learn how panda rescue efforts are keeping these amazing creatures alive.

Can You Survive the Titanic? An Interactive Survival Adventure by Allison Louise Lassieur is part of an interesting new series of choose your own adventures. In these historically accurate stories, the reader is asked to make decisions that a person would have had to make in the actual situation. Should a young person on the Titanic go above deck or wait for friends or family? Should he jump overboard and try to swim to safety? A wrong choice can lead to death. A great deal of historical fact is presented in a format that will appeal to readers in grades three and up.

Odd Ball: Hilarious, Unusual and Bizarre Baseball Moments by Timothy Tocher helps verify what I have always suspected--part of baseball's appeal is the expectation of the unexpected. With funny drawings to illustrate the many odd facts, this will be enjoyed by baseball fanatics who will surely share the stories with everyone within ear shot. This book will hit a home run with readers in grades three and up.

Demi creates some of the most beautiful biographies in any collections. Her illustrations are detailed and intricate and so are the stories she tells. Look for biographies of a wide range of people such as Tutankhamun, Muhammad, Buddha, Jesus, Marco Polo, Gandhi, The Dalai Lama, Mother Theresa, and many more. The illustrations make these seem as though they may be picture books, but you will find solid, well researched biographies inside the covers. It will take reading ability at the fourth grade level or above to digest all of the information provided.

Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed From a Single Word by Bob Raczka with illustrations by Nancy Doniger is a playful exploration of words, anagrams, and poetry that delights those who are able to see how the poem grows out of a single word. The revelation of this trait and the often pun filled nature of the poems are perfectly amplified with simple illustrations. The illustrations in my other favorite poetry book of the year are lush and filled with fairy tale charm. Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse by Marilyn Singer with illustrations by Josee Massee offers two views of familiar fairy tales in poetry that reads up and down to offer differing perspectives. Poetry lovers, aficionados of word play, and those who simply enjoy a fairy tale will all enjoy this unique collection.

I Feel Better with a Frog in My Throat : History's Strangest Cures by Carlyn Beccia admittedly plays on the gross factor while introducing medical treatments from days gone by. Who doesn't squirm at the thought of swallowing live frogs or sprinkling ground up mummies on a wound? The book's multiple choice quiz format encourages discussion and sharing with others. Many of the cures that may seem crazy are shown to have a sound scientific basis while others are revealed to be more harmful than helpful. Readers in grades two and up will find much to share in this unusual book.

Enjoy the facts and fun of a good non-fiction book.

Middle School: Not Too Busy for a Good Book

2011-10-30T09:44:00.005-04:00

It seems as though middle school and high school students barely have time to think let alone read for pleasure between homework, friends, sports, music, and all the other things they do. Just like adults, however, many find that escaping into a good book can rejuvenate them. Publishers are eager to find books that will fascinate and hold the attention of this group. It can be difficult, however, for middle school students to pick among the many Young Adult titles. Some offer much more mature subject matter than these younger young adults want. Here are a few titles that I have enjoyed recently. Parents need to know that many are good for adult reading, too.

This Dark Endeavor: The Apprenticeship of Viktor Frankenstein by Kenneth Oppel is truly creepy which befits a "prequel" to Frankenstein. This novel looks at the family life if the young Frankenstein boys Viktor and Konrad. When the young twins and their cousin stumble upon The Dark Library filled with tomes on alchemy and the dark sciences, their father forbids them to ever visit the room again. Viktor is drawn to the the library, especially when Konrad falls deathly ill and the doctors seem unable to cure him. Filled with hope and foreboding, I imagine that Mary Shelley would enjoy this novel. My first stop after reading it was to revisit the original which I predict is what middle school readers will do as well. This is not a story for younger readers nor for the faint of heart. Oppel also wrote the adventure series about bats that begins with Silverwing, a fascinating adventure for readers in grades four through six. More recently he wrote Half Brother which takes middle school readers into the world of a young man whose family chooses to study and raise as chimpanzee in their family, soon to become a beloved half brother.

A real horror is depicted in Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys which begins with the night in that Soviet officers barge into the home Lina, a young Lithuanian girl. The family is separated from the father and sent to Siberia where Stalin orders them to work in the beet fields under cruel conditions. Lina consoles herself and her family by drawing pictures and trying to find ways to get them to her father. The author is a Lithuanian refugee and much of this book is based on stories from her own family.

The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen is capturing the hearts and minds of strong young women, whether they are runners or not. Jessica, a high school junior, looks to be in line for scholarships and accolades for her running prowess when an accident claims her leg. The novels traces her sorrow, depression, and climb back into an appreciation of her life and how she can use what she has to help others as well as herself. This could be a terribly treacly story, but it rises above this through the author's talent, humanity, and clear appreciation of running. Van Draanen has also written the Sammy Keyes detective girl series for readers in grades four and up. Runaway, a touching novel in the form of the journal of a girl who runs away from home and must fend for herself, is another Van Draanen novel that will be enjoyed by middle school readers.

The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter is a truly odd book. It is this oddness that makes it so enjoyable. The three Hardscrabble children are used to having their father go off for weeks at a time to paint portraits of royal families around the world, but never before have they stayed with their odd great-aunt Haddie who lives in a full size playhouse near an old castle once owned by the Kneebone family. What follows is explorations of folk histories, magic, and some harsh realities. The story is alternately hilarious and heartbreaking. It is book that demands a reader who is willing to ride its roller coaster of emotions.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai is simply beautiful as it tells the autobiographical story of a young Vietnamese refugee who is resettled in Alabama. Told in free verse, the story conveys the beauty of Saigon, the agonies of refugee camps, the slow process of adapting to a new country and customs, and the strength of family and hope. The poems are often humorous and almost always poignant.

A Long Walk to Water: Based on a True Story by Linda Sue Park follows the lives of two young people in Sudan. Salva is only 11 in 1985 when his home town is attacked by rebel soldiers. The story of his escape across the war torn countryside to refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya and eventually to the United States is told honestly but without too much graphic description of the horrors. His inspiring efforts to help his homeland are mirrored in the alternating chapters about Nya. In 2008, Nya must walk long distances to get drinking water for her family. It seems like a miracle when Salva and his organization drill a well in the village, which also makes possible Nya's dream of going to school.

You may notice a conspicuous lack of fantasy on this list. You will have no problem finding this genre from middle school readers. These titles will help those who want more than vampires in their reading list.

Reading Up a Storm

2011-10-30T08:31:00.007-04:00

Once a child discovers a love of reading there is often no stopping the demand for more and more and more books. Authors and publishers know this so there is always something new on the bookshelves. The problem for parents is that tastes are being more clearly defined. Some students in grades 2-5 will only read fantasy and others want nothing but historical fiction. So your first step is to know your customer. Then you can simply enjoy the ride. The list of interesting and exciting books for this age is long. Here are a few suggestions.

The Flint Heart by Katherine Paterson and John Paterson is a generously adapted folk tale . The tale begins during the Stone Age when a man asks for ultimate power through the creation of a talisman. The spirits breathe such power into the little stone heart that the wearer becomes an unbearable tyrant. When the original owner dies the heart is buried and left untouched until the early 20th century. Then it can only be destroyed with the help of a brother and sister team, their dog, a German made hot water bottle, and legions of fairies. The book is easy enough for many second graders yet interesting enough for much older readers. Humor and adventure abound in both the text and the vibrant illustrations by John Rocco. It would make a great family read.

Invisible Inkling by Emily Jenkins is in some ways a very typical school story. Hank is a young boy who is just a little bit different from the other kids at school. He is a bit of a loner, creates models out of matchsticks, and invents interesting ice cream flavors for the family store. One day he rescues an invisible (not imaginary) bandapat who demands food and shelter. The two, Hank and the bandapat, become partners in solving their problems with some hilarious results. The under story of the novel is about bullying. I have to agree with the critics who suggest that the school authorities do not do a particularly good job of handling the bullying, but if they had acted appropriately, the methods that the bandapat suggests would not be as interesting, amusing, or necessary. Emily Jenkins also has written the very enjoyable Toys Go Out series.

What is zipping off my library shelves these days? Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce. Big Nate was originally a comic strip. Now Peirce has brought this spunky young man into novels that are full of energy and humor. One review I found called them a combination of Diary of a Wimpy Kid and Calvin and Hobbes. That describes them so well that I don't need to add another word.

Bigger Than a Breadbox by Laurel Snyder at first seems like yet another story of a family that is splitting up and the effect on the children. Yes, it is that, but it is so much more. Rebecca is hurt and angry when her mother moves the family away from Dad to another state to live with their grandmother. Gran tries to be understanding, even letting Rebecca claim items from the attic to use in her own room. One of these is an old fashioned breadbox that reveals magical powers. Whatever Rebecca wishes for appears in the box, as long as the wish will fit. At first it is a seagull to remind her of home but soon the requests grow to money and other ways to help her fit in at her new school. When Rebecca learns more about how things appear in the breadbox, she has to deal with some huge moral issues. This book offers an interesting twist to some familiar concepts.

Louis Sachar recently wrote Card Turner, a young adult novel about playing bridge. Now Meg Wolitzer has written an enjoyable tale of Scrabble competition. The Fingertips of Duncan Dorfman begins with the revelation of Duncan's ability to read print with his fingertips, a talent that one of his new classmates soon realizes could be useful when playing Scrabble. From there the story widens to include other contestants in the Youth Scrabble Tournament. Duncan, April, and Nate all have their own reasons for going to the tournament, but only one team can win.

Please look at former posts on this blog for more of my suggestions. There are many good books just waiting to be discovered.

Hone Reading Skills on These Titles

2011-10-29T16:13:00.004-04:00

One of the most exciting times in a person's life is that moment when all those funny looking squiggles come together to make words and those words make sense and suddenly a new world is opened within the covers of a book. Those of us who grew up with Dick, Jane, Sally, and Spot can appreciate the early readers of today more than young people who never knew life before The Cat in the Hat. I have talked about early readers before so I will simply urge you here to wander through that section of your library or bookstore to find those that interest your new reader. You will find some familiar friends who are just as much fun as you remembered--Frog and Toad, Mr. Putter and Tabby, Commander Toad, and Amelia Bedelia. Newer characters include Fly Guy and Piggie and Elephant. My biggest advice is to not buy only those tied to the latest pop culture. Let your child learn to read with some of the tried and true titles. They get lots of Pokemon, My Little Pony, Dora, and Diego on TV. Books with those characters won't hurt them, but do you really want them to be the only things they know?

Suddenly your child is ready for chapter books. These are sometimes hard to find because along with reading skills come definite opinions of what to read. Here are a few suggestions.

Girls have lots of options at this age like Junie B. Jones, Ivy and Bean, and, my favorite, Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. All of these have several books in the series and feature spunky, funny girls who will remind you of that perennial favorite, Ramona Quimby by Beverly Cleary.

At first glance, it may seem that there are fewer books aimed at boys at this level but look again. Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar, Ready, Freddy by Abby Klein, and The Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith are all good starting points for getting boys to enjoy adventure and humor in the same book.

Attach of the Fluffy Bunnies by Andrea Beaty will remind many people of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey or Fat Camp Commandos and others by Daniel Pinkwater because of its wild and weird events. This is something that may not please mom nearly as much as it pleases young readers, most of whom value odd attacks sugar crazed alien bunnies. Books of this type start many a reluctant reader down the road to fine literature.

Kate DiCamillo has written some wonderful novels for older readers and dabbled in picture books yet it seems that her first chapter book series Mercy Watson often gets overlooked. Mercy is a very spoiled pig who likes good food, a trait that often leads to disaster. Her doting humans find a way to make everything seem normal and fine. These are always good for a smile.

Everyone loves Doreen Cronin's picture books like Click, Clack, Moo, and Diary of a Worm, so it is no surprise that she has written a great chapter book. The mystery The Trouble with Chickens features J. J. Tully, a wise if not always patients dog who though he was retired until two chicks come asking for help to find their missing siblings. The story takes exciting and humorous twists on its way to a satisfying ending.

Enjoy the search that for those books that build the bridge to becoming a life long reader.

Pick Up These Picture Books

2011-10-29T13:02:00.004-04:00

Picture books are the easiest of all books to select. The process is simple. Find a bookstore or library and head to their picture book section. Pick up books at random and leaf through them. I can spend hours (and much money) doing this. Picture books can be totally irresistible. They can also be pretty but not well written or beautifully written with illustrations that spoil it all. You have to be careful, but you are sure to find something that appeals to you.

The key is to have the picture book you select appeal to you and, if you plan to share the joy, your listener. Here are some picture books that appeal to me.

Peter Brown is a fairly new discovery of mine. His two most recent books drew my eye to the large, friendly looking bear on the cover. Children Make Terrible Pets features that young bear hugging a small boy. The story and its charming illustration show Lucy,the bear. interacting with her new pet child. She appears to be having a wonderful time with Squeak, as she names him, until he exhibits behavior problems, just as her mother had warned. A suitable moral is learned at the end. In YOU WILL BE MY FRIEND (yes, it is in all caps.) Lucy is desperately searching for a friend. Her bumbling approach seems to make success impossible. Or is it? Could another clever moral await?

Eric Litwin and James Dean have two charming, simple stories about Pete the Cat with another one coming out in May of 2012. In Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes this very cool cat puts on his new white shoes and proceeds to walk through various items (i.e. fresh fruit, mud) which change the color of his shoes but never interfere with their cool factor. Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes takes a tour of school letting his shoes make him feel confident in every location. The rhythm of the text makes these books a joy to read aloud.

Ahhh... Jon Agee! This author, illustrator never lets me down. His most recent, My Rhinoceros, is no exception. A young boy goes to the exotic pet store and selects a rhinoceros. Initially it seems to be a real dud because it doesn't do anything of interest. Am expert tells him that he has a perfectly good rhino because all rhinos do is pop balloons and poke holes in kites. That seems boring until the rhinoceros proves that he is a super hero and saves the day. While you are in the Agee section, take a look at Milo's Hat Trick, Nothing, The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau, and all the others.

I am sure I have said it before, but I will say it again. No child today should grow up without being introduced to Mo Willems. The Pigeon books (Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus and many more), the Knuffle Bunny books, and the Elephant and Piggie books are all destined to be classics. Read them all. Then read Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed, Amanda and Her Alligator, and Leonardo the Terrible Monster. All of these will make you laugh. Finally, savor City Dog, Country Frog. It will fill you with joy. You can't go wrong with Willems.

Eric Carle has a new book out called The Artist Who Painted a Blue Horse. It is a tribute to the artist Franz Marc but what young readers will care about is that it features Carle's bright and interesting illustration collages along a path to creative thinking. It is beautiful.

There are so many more great authors and illustrations of children's books that I could go on for hours. I will stop here and simply encourage you to go look for yourself.

Adults reading in the Fall

2011-10-29T11:28:00.004-04:00

It is that time of year again when folks at school are gearing up for our annual book fair on November 13. My biggest contribution, aside from the joy of joining everyone for a remarkably fun evening, is making some suggested reading lists. Here are my top five suggestions for adults.

Since River of Smoke the second in the Ibis trilogy has just come out, it seems the perfect time to suggest you read the first in that trilogy by Amitav Ghosh. The Sea of Poppies is long and often complicated, but by the end of it I was totally absorbed in the story and the lives of the myriad characters is this story set in and around Calcutta, India shortly before the outbreak of the Opium Wars in China. It has taken Ghosh several years to add the second book and I have not yet had the chance to read it. I forgive him this long writing time because it was clear in the first that he carefully researched his story and worked painstakingly to craft every word.

Birds Without Wings by Louis de Bernieres is another long and often complicated novel that is well worth the trip. Set in Anatolia as the Ottoman Empire is crumbling, the story takes the reader into the lives and minds of a wide range of people who populate a small town. There are the famous like Mustafa Kemal and the everyday people like the potter, the priest, and the children who interact within a system that is open to all. Muslim Turks, Christian Greeks, and Armenians support each other when they can while often gossiping about each other. As in Captain Corelli's Mandolin de Bernieres has a beautiful way with words.

Love Marriage by V. V. Ganeshanathan takes the reader to Sri Lanka via Toronto as it looks at the long time fighting in Sri Lanka through the eyes of Yalini,a young woman who left the country with her family when she was two years old. Now her uncle has fled Sri Lanka to to die in Toronto. He is not allowed into the U.S. because he is a leader of the Tamil Tigers and branded as a terrorist. Various marriages--for love or arranged--offer the road map for a trip through the history of the family and the country, as well as the narrator herself. Ultimately it is a story of love through many definitions. Emerson School will host Ms. Ganeshanathan in November for an evening of discussion.

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larsen sticks with me because it is so quirky. Any description of it should be accompanied by the same maps, diagrams, photos, and footnotes that fill the ample margins of the over-sized book. T.S. Spivet is a 12 year old boy living in rural Montana when his detail filled maps of nearly everything are submitted to the Smithsonian by an adult friend. Soon T. S. is riding the rails to accept a special post at the Smithsonian and his life is turned upside down. This is a coming of age story unlike any other.

As I scanned my bookshelf this morning, my eye fell on a book that is one of my long-time favorites, The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester. Like so many people, I read and enjoyed Winchester's The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary. This book takes a broader look at the writing of the dictionary and its impact on the lives of the people involved as well as the world as we know it. There is little more fascinating to me the words and this book made me wonder if I should have been a lexicographer.

There are so many good books to read and so little time. As always, I would enjoy hearing what you suggest as good reading in any genre.

Hi Ho! Hi Ho! It's Back to School We Go

2011-09-05T13:05:00.005-04:00

Whether it is just coincidence on my part or a theme of authors and publishers this year, I discovered many new (at least new to me) books about going to school during my summer reading. I would like to share some of my favorites with you.

Young Adult Novels about school are often filled with teen angst and carry messages that adults think young teens need to hear from wiser minds. Of course, sometimes these messages are so heavy that no self-respective teen is going to pay it much heed. The novels that I enjoyed this summer were able to either ignore the need of a message or convey that message in a moving and memorable manner.

The Accidental Genius of Weasel High by Rick Detoria (grades 6 -9) features a boy with plenty of typical high school issues. This novel is plausible and enjoyable through the generous use of humor, interesting plot twists, and friendly, cartoon illustrations. Larkin has a quirky girl for a friend but is suddenly wishing for more in the relationship and he has a believably spoiled sister to add to his problems with adjusting to school and his quest to get himself a quality camcorder.

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson (gr. 8 and up) manages to deal with a very heavy topic in a believable and moving way while injecting much needed humor to break the tension. The protagonist was raped at a party just before the start of ninth grade. Frightened and confused, she called the police but never told a soul about the rape itself. For this act, her peers she her as a snitch and effectively shun her. The story shows the painful steps that help her regain her voice both literally and figuratively. This story has become a classic in the ten years since it was first published and is worthy of being read by every student embarking on the high school adventure. I found it much more moving, believable, and readable than the currently popular Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher.

Scrawl by Mark Shulman (gr. 6-9) appeals to my bias for novel in journal form. This journal is assigned by a teacher as something of a last chance to escape expulsion from school. The teacher is to be admired for being strict and fair with her assessments as the writer moves from anger to inklings of understanding.

The Wednesday Wars and Okay for Now by Gardy Schmidt are two novels about connected characters but they are certainly stand alone books. The Wednesday Wars takes place in New York City in the late 1960s with a trouble-making student forced to stay after school to work with a teacher. He learns to appreciate Shakespeare and education in surprising ways. Less enjoyable to me was Okay for Now which follows a secondary character of the first book when his family moves to rural New York in search of work. It has many issues with family problems, crime, and even Vietnam War veterans. Both books feature good storytelling and generous dashes of humor.

Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea (Gr. 5-8), like too many books for readers of this age, tries to address too many issues in one story so that none is given the attention it deserves. That said, it is worth reading this book for the stellar writing and intriguing concept. Mr. Terupt is the new teacher for a group of angry and troubled students. Through the use of controversial and interesting teaching methods, Mr. Terupt gets the students to bond . When tragedy strikes, they deal with it individually and as a group. The book is told in multiple voices.

Writers for students in second through fifth grade tend to tread more lightly when dealing with school issues. These books are more apt to be humorous (think Louis Sachar's Sideways Stories from Wayside School) or historical (like Belle Teal by Ann M. Martin). That does not mean that there are not some good and clever books about school experiences, but you are more apt to laugh than cry while reading them.

Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon (gr. 2-4) does a great job of dealing with being the different kid in the class by making the hero the only dragon in a school of more prosaic reptiles. There are plenty of cartoon illustrations, often with speech bubbles, so the reading is fun and appealing. The story has a lot that is familiar like unwanted homework, a bully, a nerdy but true friend, and struggling to meet parental standards, but mostly it has lots of humor. I predict that the series of which this is the first will be a big hit.

School! Adventures at the Harvey N. Trouble Elementary School by Kate McMullan (gr. 2-4) advertises itself as a "Very Punny Book" and that it is. The puns are what kept me reading as I discovered interesting names and clever turns of phrase. The stories themselves are light and short in a way that is reminiscent of Wayside School.

The Fabled Fifth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming (gr. 3-5) is another Wayside School look-alike that will appeal to young readers who want a laugh in a school setting.

It is the First Day of School...Forever by R. L. Stine (gr. 4-6) surprised me because I actually liked most of it. My students know that I am not wild about Stine's Goosebumps series because the stories seem more inclined toward gore and adrenalin rushes than actual plot. This story is not short on gore and excitement but it also has a solid plot, thus making me and the hoards of devoted R. L. Stine readers happy. The story may be every kid's worst nightmare--the first day at a new school keeps happening over and over and over, with each day a little more horrible than the last. It is the surprise ending that made it all worth the read for me.

Picture books generally are eager to make sure that the youngest readers and listeners are eager to go to school. They acknowledge that it is scary to leave the familiar and go off to a new school and thus strive to make school look fun and appealing. Much to my joy, more and more picture books about school are adding surprises and humor.

Marshall Armstrong is New to Our School by David Mackintosh (gr. 1-4) offers a great twist on the new kid in school issue. The narrator is a student who thinks that this new kid, Marshall Armstrong, is just plain weird and wants nothing to do with him. The illustrations highlight Marshall's quirkiness that may at first be off-putting, but turns out to be truly awesome.

Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes by Eric Litwin (gr. K-2) shows all the great things to be discovered at school as Pete takes his cool school shoes on a tour of school life. There is little plot but lots of energy, rhythm, and vibrant illustrations.

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills (gr. K-2) is about an unconventional school, to say the least. Rocket is a dog doesn't know he wants to read until a friendly bird shows him how much fun it can be. The bird follows the same steps that teachers follow in every school as Rocket is introduced to the basic principles of the sounds of letters and how they go together to make words and sentences and stories.

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School by Lauren Child (gr. K-2) is not new but it is too absolutely my favorite back-to-school book to miss mentioning it. (Many children now know Charlie and Lola from their television show. The TV success and a decline in the appeal of these books seem to have a direct correlation. This is one of the first of the Charlie and Lola books, perhaps even before the TV program.) When Charlie tells Lola that she will soon start school, she can think of many reasons why she does not need school and will not like school. Of course, it all ends well, but not before lots of questions about school have been humorously answered.

Head back to school knowing that you are not the first to have worries. As you read the books for older students, you can be glad that you don't have all of their issues and that the first day only happens once a year.

End of Summer Thoughts

2011-09-05T11:58:00.004-04:00

Every year as school comes to an end in June I make a list of all the things I am going to accomplish during what at that time seems like a long summer that lies ahead. The list includes things for home (paint a room, clean thoroughly, fix something that is need of repair), for me (read, sew, craft a bit, socialize, lose weight), and for school (organize something so that it is more user friendly, get some new books, plan for the coming year). These lists have been a major project in themselves in years past. This year they were more scratched notes and thoughts.

Neither of these approaches seem to work completely. I did some of the things on my lists, but I am far from completing most of the things on my list. We did get one room painted, but the transition of that room into a guest room is still far from complete nor are the two other rooms that were a part of the transformation looking much different from than they did in June. Socialization was an important part of the summer, but there are still many people that I want to see. I also am into an intensive exercise program that is getting me on that bumpy road to fitness. The library is a little better organized, but much of what I did gave me ideas for other changes that must now wait until school gets under way.

One thing I did succeed in doing was to read some good books (and some not so great ones). As is always the case, however, I found more to add to my list of books that I want to read. Here are a few of the adult titles that I read and enjoyed this summer.

The Worst Hard Times by Tim Egan offers a fascinating and clearly well researched look at life in the heart of the Dust Bowl. It is not as well written as I would have liked, at times repeating itself or making confusing leaps in time or place, but it made up for those lapses by offering a very complete story of people who lived in this time and place. The relationships between the environment and politics should give us pause in today's world.

Freedom Summer: The Savage Season that Made Mississippi Burn and Made America a Democracy by Bruce Watson looks at yet another devastating time in America, the summer that the Freedom Riders headed south to register African Americans to vote. The story is difficult as it gives straight forward accounts of the people who were killed in tortured in this agonizing and powerful time.

The Reading Promise: My Father and the Books We Shared Together by Alice Ozma is a memoir that centers around a pact between a young girl (the author) and her father, a school librarian. They agree to read together every night for 1,000 nights. There are tales of having to read in a parking lot or even over the phone so that they can meet their deadline as they move beyond those 1,000 nights. It is high praise for the joys of reading together and a good reminder that no one is too old to enjoy sharing a book. Keep reading to your children.

Swamplandia! by Karen Russell is not the only fiction I read this summer, but is what I enjoyed most because it is a wonderful melange of odd characters in unbelievable yet realistic settings. The Bigtree family has owned Swamplandia since Grandpa moved to Florida to find his fortune. Instead he finds lots of large gators to wrestle and from their a show grows. The story begins, however, as the glory days are ending. Grandfather is now in a nursing home. Grandfather Sawtooth's son, Chief, is struggling to keep things going after his wife, the star of the show, dies. The three children all try in their own ways to save the park. The symbolism of The World of Darkness amusement park is worthy of a literature class discussion. I know not everyone likes quirky stories, so I will forgive you if you are put off by this book. However, if you like a wild romp, this could be just the book for you.

Now, I am composing lists of things to accomplish during the school year. Let's hope that get some of those things done.

Suggestions from Parents

2011-06-10T17:07:00.002-04:00

At a recent meeting of the parent organization, the parents offered a list of some of their favorite titles. I happy to share it with everyone.

For Young Readers to Young Adults

Out of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper grades 4-8
The Running Dream by Wendelin Van Draanen grades 5-8
The Candymakers byWendy Mass grades 4-6
Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan grades 4-7
World Without Fish by Mark Kurlansky grades 3 to adult
The Cardturner by Louis Sachar grades 6 to adult
The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley grades 7 to adult

For Adult Readers

Unique Ability: Creating the Life You Want by Catherine Nomura, Julia Waller and Shanon Waller non-fiction
The Presence Process by Michael Brown non-fiction
The Help by Kathryn Stockett fiction
Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China by Jun Chang non-fiction
Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women by Geraldine Brooks non-fiction
Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky fiction
Poser: My Life in 23 Yoga PosesI by Claire Dederer non-fiction
Still Alice by Lisa Genova fiction

I hope this list helps people find some good reading. I know that I have now added some more titles to my "to be read" list.

Plenty of Picture Books

2011-06-05T13:19:00.002-04:00

Picture books are so personal and so easy to browse that I will spare you long descriptions and offer instead a list of authors and titles that I enjoy, with brief comments.

Beatric Rodriquez tells wonderful stories without writing a single word in the richly illustrated The Chicken Thief and its follow-up Fox and Hen Together.

Melanie Watt amuses young and old with her Chester books, You're Finally Here, and Have I Got a Book For You?.

Lane Smith brought joy to book lovers with It's a Book. Book lovers also appreciate Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates, Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein, and The Little Red Pen by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummell.

Personal histories can be found in the autobiographical Everything But the Horse by Holly Hobbie of Toot and Puddle fame and the story of Jane Goodall's childhood aspirations in Me...Jane by Patrick McDonnell who also wrote South, Just Like Heaven, and the Mutts comics.

I have a deep affinity for the illustrations of Quentin Blake and find great pleasures in his picture books such as Loveykins, Mrs. Armitage and the Big Wave, and Mrs. Armitage: Queen of the Road.

The illustrations of David Wiesner are quite different from those of Blake, but they should not be missed. Try Art and Max, The Three Little Pigs, or the almost wordless Tuesday.

Bob Graham has a soft heart and gentle humor in his books like Max, How to Heal a Broken Wing, and April and Esme, Tooth Fairies.

Bonny Becker has a trio of stories about unexpected friendships and understanding in A Visitor for Bear, A Birthday for Bear, and Bedtime for Bear.

If you like puns and silly jokes mixed with familiar folk tales you cannot beat Kevin O"Malley's Animal Crackers Fly the Coop and Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share.

Finally, Mo Willems is almost unstoppable with one hilarious book after another, each with a pigeon hidden somewhere in the book.

The Elephant and Piggie series of beginning readers.

The Cat the Cat series for beginning readers

Knuffle Bunny and its sequels

Naked Mole Rat Gets Dressed

Don't Let Pigeon Drive the Bus and others in the series

Hooray for Amanda and Her Alligator

City Dog, Country Dog is by Williams with illustrations by Jon Muth. It is a touching story of friendship that will warm your heart. It is not like any other Williams book and I don't remember any pigeons in it.

Everyone can appreciate a good picture book. Don't miss them just because you are over six.

For Upper Elementary and Middle School Readers

2011-06-05T11:52:00.002-04:00

There are some marvelous new middle grade and young adult novels just waiting to be enjoyed. Here are some that I have enjoyed recently.

The Unnameables by Elen Booraem takes place in a dystopian world on an island on which America's Puritan roots have been allowed to stagnate into increasing rigidity. When a young boy is washed up on the shore he is given to a kind family to raise, but he always feels like an outsider. This is especially true when he reaches the age at which he is about to be given his profession and a name that matches that occupation. Only those things that are useful have names and what Medford Runyuin likes to do is carve wood into pieces of art and those are not deemed useful at all. There are some rather creepy characters in this story of the value of self and of artistic expression. I liked Booraem's book Small Persons With Wings so much that I have an earlier blog post devoted to it.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper is the moving story of a young girl who has cerebral palsy and an active mind. Her biggest problem is that few people take the time to understand her grunts and gestures. When she gets a machine similar to that used by Stephen Hawking, she can suddenly display her brilliance, except that it takes people a long time to believe it is real. There is plenty of heartbreak and plenty of hope in this realistic contemporary novel.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thankha Lai is one of the most beautifully written stories of immigration that I have ever read. Ha, her mother, and three brothers flee Saigon as the city is beginning to fall and eventually find their way to Alabama where they must start a new life. Written in free verse that is beautiful, heart-wrenching, and humorous, this is a clear and poignant look at refugees, their travails, and their strengths.

Gods of Manhatten by Scott Mebus will keep those who enjoy tales of adventure and intriguing asking for the next in this series which has Manhatten being ruled by those who have gained fame in this famous borough. Politicians, sports stars, and others are given important roles in the mythology that has become the city, but it is the original residents, the Munsee people, who are fighting to regain the city after being locked in Central Park. The blend of actual people and settings with high fantasy makes this a pleasure to read.

The Rise and Fall of Mount Majestic by Jennifer Trafton finds Persimmony Smudge leading a dull life on the Island at the Center of Everything until she finds a magic pot that leads her on the adventure of a lifetime. Guafnoggle the Jester and Worvil the Worrier join her as Persimmony searches to see if the odd rise and fall of their island is really the slow breathing of the a sleeping giant under the soil. Plot twists and interesting characters appear at every turn.

The Boy in the Dress by David Walliams won a 2011 Stonewall Honor Book Award. It tells the story of 12-year old Dennis who likes soccer and fashion designing. When his fashion-forward friend (and school "hottie") Lisa convinces him that he should put on a dress that she has designed and come to school as her French exchange students friend, he discovers that wearing a dress can be comfortable. The confusion and problems that arise are predictable, but the story and accompanying illustrations by Quentin Blake make for enjoyable reading.

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia perfectly grasps the interactions of sisters everywhere while addressing a troubled and often troubling slice of American history. In the summer of 1968 Delphine and her two younger sisters are sent from New York City to Oakland, California, to visit the mother they have not seen since the youngest girl was born. Cecile, their mother, is less than thrilled to see them and promptly tells them to go out to buy their dinner at the Chinese take-out around the corner and to stay out of the kitchen where she prints fliers and writes poetry. During the day, the girls get breakfast and attend a camp run by the Black Panther Party. The girls get an education in politics and people as they gain an understanding of their family's foibles.

The Mysterious Howling (The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place series) by Maryrose Wood is a take-off on many themes of classic literature. A sweet, innocent young girl, Penelope Lumly is sent from the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females to become the governess for three surprising children at Ashton Place. Lord Frederick has found three children raised by wolves and now wants to benefit from them in any way he can. (He belives in the idea of "Finder's Keepers".) His new bride Lady Constance sees them as savage nuisances but hopes that Penelope can tame and educate them in time for the Christmas Party she is planning. This is a humorous mix of Jane Eyre and Lemony Snicket that improves on both former stories in ways that are totally unexpected.

Enjoy!

Fiction For Those Just Getting Into Longer Books

2011-06-05T11:11:00.003-04:00

I struggled with the title of this post. Giving grade guidelines for good reading is more than a little tricky. Some first graders will find much to enjoy in the books on this list but so will many people in grades five or six. Clearly, I enjoyed reading them and sixth grade is only a vague memory for me. Nonetheless, they are aimed at those people who have reading abilities that are blossoming and life experiences that do not need to be colored by more mature works.

The first on my list appears to be a picture book but its story is one that needs more maturity to appreciate than is required by Goodnight, Moon or Babar. The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polocco, like many of her stories, is autobiographical. It talks about the experience of moving to a new school where she dreams of now longer being in a special class. She has a new friend and a new teacher who tells all the students in her class that they fit the definition of "genius". Alas, the other classes soon make this group of interesting children aware that they are the "junkyard" and Trisha learns that she is again in a special class. She does not realize how special it is until the teacher challenges them to bring out their genius in a way that will surprise, amuse and amaze.

Doreen Cronin is already a beloved picture book author for titles like Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type and The Diary of a Fly so it should be easy to get readers to try her new novel The Trouble with Chickens: A J. J. Tully Mystery. No one will be disappointed. Here is a classic detective story featuring a dog Private Investigator, a family of confused chickens, lots of twists, and plenty of puns. It is the start of a series so we can look forward to investigating and laughing with J. J. Tully in many more tales.

Jon Scieszka has proven over and over again that he can write for kids whether in picture books like The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Stinky Cheese Man, and Math Curse, series like The Time Warp Trio, collections of stories like Guys Read, or his memoir Knucklehead. Now he has a hilarious new series about space aliens in the classroom. Spaceheadz (SPHDZ, Book #1) introduces Michael on his first day at a new school. Things don't look good when he is in a group with two weird kids who claim they are Spaceheadz from another planet and talk in TV jingles. These kids expect him to save the world. Not far away, in a tiny one-room apartment, Agent Umber is put on alert by his employer, the Anti Alien Agency. Umber will remind adults of Maxwell Smart but the Spaceheadz defy comparison. The slapstick humor is matched with interesting graphics and pages of odd facts.

Strong characters are popular for readers at this level so I will leave you with lists of authors and titles that are somewhat similar. If you like one of these strong and mostly humorous books the odds are you will enjoy the others. Remember, the main character does not have to be of the same gender as the reader for the story to be enjoyed.

Books and series with boys as the central character:
Justin Case: School, Drool and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Big Nate (series) by Lincoln Peirce
Diary of a Wimpy Kid (series) by Jeff Kinney
Marvin K. Redpost (series) by Louis Sachar
Shredderman (series) by Wendelin Van Draanen
Stink (series) by Megan McDonald Stink is the little brother of Judy Moody.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and other Scary Things by Leonore Look

Books with girls as the central character:
Clementine (series) by Sara Penny Packer
Allie Finkle (series) by Meg Cabot
Ramona Quimby (series) by Beverly Cleary
Judy Moody (series) by Megan McDonald
Amber Brown (series) by Paula Danziger
Ruby Lu, Brace and True by Leonore Look
Ellie McDoodle (series) by Ruth McNally Barshaw
Ivy and Bean (series) by Annie Barrows and Sophie Blackall
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee
Year of the Dog and Year of the Rat by Grace Lin

Happy reading.

Non-Fiction Not to be Missed

2011-06-05T09:55:00.005-04:00

Non-fiction for young readers becomes more interesting and and eye-catching every day. The books on this list are not so much designed for research as for enjoyment. They tell interesting stories that just happen to be true. To add to the pleasure, they are full of fabulous illustrations or, in a couple of the titles, amazing photographs. These are a great way to get younger readers to realize that there is much to enjoy in non-fiction and an ever better way to spark interests that may well lead to deeper investigations.

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill ( grades 2 and up) won both a Caldecott Honor award and the Coretta Scott King Artist Award this year for its amazing illustrations by Brian Collier. With little text, this magnificent work of art tells of an impressive artist who was also a slave known only as Dave the Potter. Dave crafted huge clay pots for the plantation owners but his special touch is obvious in their beauty. Additionally, he added a simple poem to each of his pieces which are still be uncovered today. Even if you don't feel the urge to rush out and make a pot, you will be moved by the stunning book.

Wonder Horse: The True Story of the World's Smartest Horse by Emily Arnold McCully (grades K-4) tells of another slave who did amazing things. Bill Key was born a slave in 1833 and grew up with a special affinity for animals. After Emancipation, he became a veterinarian who believed in the power of kindness which led him to raise an injured Arabian colt that he taught to recognize letters, identify the primary colors, tap out answers to simple arithmetic, make change, and dance. Key took his horse out on the road, billing it as an "Equine Wonder". When a newspaper questioned the horse's intelligence, Key brought in Harvard professors to confirm that his horse was no a hoax. Do not overlook the final notes that talk about discrimination that Key faced as well as the work of organizations like the SPCA.

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery (grades 4-8) is the latest in the Scientist in the Field series. This one takes the reader to a small island off of New Zealand to meet the flightless, nocturnal Kakapo who, at about nine pounds, weighs in as the world's heaviest parrot. They have cat-like whiskers and a growl like a dog. Although they can live to be 100, there are only 87 of them left in the world, in large part because they have never thought of humans as a threat. Montgomery covers just one short part of the hatching season, showing the ups and downs that are all part of the hard work, scientific methods and pure luck that fill each day. The photos by Nic Bishop beautifully capture both the birds and the scientists who are working to save them.

Nic Bishop also publishes books of his own work. His latest is Nic Bishop's Lizards. If you have not seen Bishop's other books you will be rushing out to find them after seeing the brilliant, colorful, energy packed photos here. Each photo is accompanied by a brief essay filled with fascinating facts. Don't forget to read the author's note at the back of the book which describes the lengths to which Bishop will go to get the perfect picture. Other subjects that have been "shot" by Bishop include Butterflies and Moths, Frogs, Marsupials, and Spiders as well as many more critters in books with other authors.

A Butterfly is Patient by Dianna Hutts Aston (grades K-5) features beautiful soft illustrations by Sylvia Long. The illustrations are matched with descriptions and facts that are almost poetic as they lead to new appreciations of butterflies. Equally beautiful and informative are two other titles by the same author and illustrator--A Seed is Sleepy and An Egg is Quiet.

The bright colors of Biblioburro: A True Story from Columbia by Jeanette Winter (grades K-6) will catch your eyes but is the story that will capture your heart. Luis Soriano is a teacher in a remote area of Columbia who decided that people in the villages around him needed access to books. He loaded up his two donkeys, Alpha and Beta, with a small collection of books and set off with stories to tell and books to loan. That collection has grown since he began in 2000 and now even has a building in which it is stored. Students who have easy access to books and libraries can find new appreciation through this simple story that includes not just books and donkeys, but also bandits.

Chris Van Allsburg, a master illustrator best know for fantastic fantasy picture books like Jumanji, now offers us non-fiction that suits his black and white illustrations to a tee. Queen of the Falls (grades 1-5) is the story of Annie Edson Taylor who at 62 became the first person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel. She hoped for fame and fortune but found little of either. People were skeptical of an elderly woman claiming to be such a daredevil. Van Allsburg captures the magnitude of both her courage and her disappointment.

Pop! The Invention of Bubblegum by Meghan McCarthy ( grades K-4) is as bold and pink as a chunk of Double Bubble and as full of surprises as a bubble that pops just a minutes too soon. Walter Diemer was an accountant at the Fleer family candy factory who could not give up on a project in the next door office to find a gum that made bubbles. His boss had long given up hope, but Walter kept working until, in 1928, he found a recipe that worked. The rest, it could be said, is history, though if you want more history and trivia of gum and bubbles there is plenty of that here too.

Poetry for Readers Young and Old

2011-06-05T09:06:00.002-04:00

This week I briefly listened in as poet and prose author Sarah Messer presented a poetry workshop for second grade students. One of the things that was immediately evident was that children enjoy poetry and many were able to jump right in to create some thoughtful, humorous, imaginative poems.

Often adults neglect to bring the joys of poetry to the children around them. My theory is that many of us had that natural appreciation of poetry chased from us through many long hours in English classes that asked us to delve into the hidden meanings of each and every word until we no longer heard the heart of the work. (I have seen reviews of a book called Readicide: How Schools are Killing Readings and What You Can Do About It by Kelly Gallagher. I have not read it, but it is a tempting title, isn't it?)

To counteract this feeling that poetry is deep and difficult, even painful, many people turn to humorous children's poets like Shel Silverstein and Jack Prelutsky. Both of these men have created poetry that kids love to memorize and share. My favorite Silverstein book is Runny Babbit and you won't want to overlook Prelutsky's Scranimals or the beautiful illustrations and haiku in If Not for the Cat.

Unfortunately, many people stop with those two stellar poets. This means that they may never learn about nature with Joyce Sidman in stellar collections like Ubiquitous, Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night, and Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Sidman has also made one of my favorite poetry book to read to cover-to-cover; This is Just to Say: Poems of Apology and Forgiveness which is filled with humor and a generous shot of heart-wrenching emotion. For concrete poetry at its best, Sidman gives us Meow Ruff: A Story in Concrete Poetry which appears to tell a simple story unless you take the time to read the free verse that is a part of every picture.

Speaking of concrete poetry--poetry that is in the form of a picture--be sure to look at A Poke in the Eye: A Collection of Concrete Poetry presented by Paul B. Janeczko. These poems pack a lot of punch. Then you can join Janeczko in other explorations of poetic forms in A Kick in the Head: An Everyday Guide to Poetic Form and A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing and Shout.

Douglas Florian always presents beautiful illustrations along with his poems, many of which explore nature in new and interesting ways such as in Insectlopedia which introduces insects, Poetrees that talks of trees, Dinothesaurus: Prehistoric Poems and Paintings, and Lizards, Frogs, and Polliwogs. Look for the many more titles Florian has presented. They will amazes, delight, and inform you.

Naomi Shihab Nye visited Emerson School several years ago so I hold a special place in my heart for her. Her poetry is a little more challenging than some of those above but do not let that deter anyone over eight or ten from giving it a try. 19 Varieties of Gazelle: Poems of the Middle East speaks to Nye's connections to the Middle East and her concerns for its future with one of the poems telling of her experiences on September 11, 2001. Explore her other books, both of her own writings and collections of the works of others. You are sure to find words that will move and inspire you.

Humor is not out of the question for older poetry readers. Check out the concrete poetry arranged to tell a story in two by John Grandits. Blue Lipstick introduces fifteen year old Jessie as she tackles life with often humorous observations. I laughed out loud the first time I read through this book. Technically, It's Not My Fault offers a similar look at Jessie's eleven year old brother Robert.

Poetry offers many options--humor, pathos, description, excitement, heart, history, stories, and visual images. Enjoy it all in bites large and small.

8 Months of Interesting Reading

2011-06-04T09:39:00.006-04:00

If it is spring, it must be time to thing back on what I have read this past school year.

Much like the Michigan spring weather this year, great adult reading was not readily evident for much of what should have been spring. Nonetheless, here are some of my recent reads that I enjoyed and think others might as well.

FICTION

Beautiful Creatures by Tracy Chevalier introduces readers to an under-appreciated woman of the 19th century, Mary Anning, who was the first woman to find and assemble skeletons of previously unknown prehistoric animals. Chevalier chooses not to dwell so much on the scientific importance of the work of Mary Anning as on the friendship between Mary, who was the Sunday school educated daughter of a carpenter in Lyme Regis, England, and the London born and raised, upper class Elizabeth Philpot. The result is a story of crossing usual social boundaries in ways that benefit and burden both women, while introducing and a woman and a field of study often overlooked in the literary world.

Room by Emma Donoghue got a great deal of hype this year. It is not a perfect book but it is an interesting imagining of what life would be like for a five year old raised without any contact with the outside world. It is a testament to the strength of a young woman, the boy's mother, who was kidnapped and, in one of those horror stories we hope to never hear about again, kept against her will by a man who keeps her for his personal use. She has her kidnapper's child and it is that child who, five years later, narrates this story. Ma has made the 11' x 11' room that is their home a world of its own. What is most upsetting for Jack is when he and his mother escape from the only home he has ever known. I am particularly impressed with the conclusion of this story. Too many books, like news coverage of these events, would end with the escape and let us assume that they all lived happily ever after.

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand by Helen Simonsen appealed to me with its very British feel and its look at racial and class conflicts. When a retired British major, a widower, begins to find the widowed proprietress of a local shop interesting, this breach of class standards is further complicated by the fact that she is Pakistani. There are some pithy insights when Major Pettigrew takes Mrs. Ali to his local golf club. The humor throughout the book is firmly grounded in a recognition of the absurdities of life.

NON-FICTION
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown presents some of the most fascinating and readable non-fiction I have encountered in years. I know little and generally care even less about astronomy, but Mike Brown has a knack for making it interesting, exciting, and even fun. While he did not actually kill Pluto, it is Brown's work that lead to the decision by those who make such decrees that Pluto did not merit being called a planet unless we wanted to suddenly have myriad new planets. I was most intrigued by the process of locating new celestial bodies and then the politics and protocols of naming them.

Homer's Odyssey: A Fearless Feline Tale or How I Learned About Love and Life with a Blind Wonder Cat by Gwen Cooper is a good read for a lazy afternoon. It is not profound but it is enjoyable to read about a young woman (the author) who adopts a blind cat and finds that he has changed her life. She could have bogged this down with life lessons, but she manages to primarily keep to the story of love and persistence for both Homer and herself.

Strength in What Remains: A Journey of Remembrance and Forgiveness by Tracy Kidder follows the pattern of many of Kidder's books of introducing a person who has faced a difficult past and/or is now giving back to the world in amazing ways. Deogratias, the subject of this book, was nearing completion of medical school in his homeland of Burundi when the genocide began. With much bravery and a generous dose of luck, he escapes with his life and eventually makes his way to New York City. The reader follows his paranoia driven attempts to find direction in his life. It is through chance meetings with some remarkable Americans that doors open for Deogratias, but it is personal drive that leads him back to Burundi to build clinics and spread medical care to those people who were not so lucky.

The Other Wes Moore: One Name, Two Fates by Wes Moore is an interesting look at how just a few small events can change a life. Wes Moore, the author, discovered another Wes Moore whose life almost mirrored his own. Both men are African Americans who were born in Baltimore at approximately the same time, both were raised by single mothers, and both had ample opportunity to join gangs and deal drugs. What are the differences that made one a Rhodes Scholar, White House Fellow, and author with many more indicators of success while the other is currently in prison for shooting a police officer?

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot tells the story of Henrietta Lacks, a poor African American woman who in 1951 was in her twenties and dying of cervical cancer. It also tells the story of cells that were scraped from her body and encouraged to replicate themselves to be used in medical and scientific research for the past sixty years. Neither Henrietta nor her family understood what was happening; her surviving children did not even know of the existence of HeLa cells and their connection to their mother until decades later. Skloot interviewed Henrietta's family, primarily her daughter, to give voice to their story. While some people made millions of dollars from research with HeLa cells, the Lacks family can not afford medical care for themselves. On the other hand, the cells have helped to save millions of lives. Henrietta's family struggles to come to terms with this dichotomy. So do I.

There are so many good books waiting to be read. I hope we all find them and the time to read scads of them this summer.

Stimulating My Thinking

2011-05-30T12:06:00.003-04:00

My school is searching for the perfect books to suggest for faculty and staff to read over the summer so I have been frantically trying to read things to suggest for everyone. Let me list some of them here and hope that other ideas will come our way.

Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms by Gloria Ladson-Billings was suggested by my daughter who is a mathematics teacher in a California high school. She was wise to suggest it for me. While talking more about inner city "at risk" classes than those of a private school in the mid-West, Ladson makes many valid points for every teacher. My favorite quote, "Apathy is not an option," sums up much of what she is suggesting we should all do to get to know each student as an individual, including the role of various cultures in our teaching and learning processes.

The Hardest Questions Aren't on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School by Linda F. Nathan may at first seem to have little to do with an elementary school in a mid-sized college town, but that misconception is quickly dispelled. Nathan speaks eloquently of what all schools can do and need to do to serve all students. She talks of three areas of focus:

Structuring a school to give guidelines for establishing a unifying framework and shared values.

Supporting teachers to help foster good teachers and the good administrators who support them.

Addressing inequality through how we and why we need to discuss racial issues.

Fires in the Mind: What Kids Can Tell Us About Motivation and Mastery by Kathleen Cushman found its way to me shortly after I read The Element: How Finding Your Passion Changes Everything by Sir Ken Robinson. This proved to be great timing for Cushman shares many of the same ideas as Robinson but applies them to how we reach students in ways that help to put those young learners into their element. I like the idea of finding ways to apply the concepts in real life situations.

Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other by Sherry Turkle keeps appearing in my thoughts these days, perhaps because the new technologies are so ubiquitous in our lives today. This book deals first with the social and psychological impact of using interactive "caring" robots to replace human caregivers or to offer solace to people who are otherwise disengaged. Then it goes into the uses of our social networking capabilities from text messages to Facebook and more. Turkle is quite convincing in her arguments that we need to look carefully at where we are allowing these new technologies to take us.

Unequal Childhoods: Class, Race, and Family Life by Annette Lareau is old enough that there will be an update from ten years later coming out later this year. Lareau presents a sociological study of home life and school success of upper elementary students of varied socio-economic and racial groups. It is important to teachers to think about how one's culture, especially, it appears, one's socio-economic status, affects their approach to working with teachers and the educational system. All parents want the best for their children, they simply have different backgrounds that define both what is wanted and how to seek it. Lareau does a good job of pointing out both the positive and negative effects of each differing approach to child rearing. This is a book that helps one remember that a child is more than the person who a teacher sees for six hours a day.

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth, and Happiness by Richard H. Thaler and Cass Sunstein looks at both the economic and behavioral side of how it is possible to shape decisions without taking away any of the choices. They dub this "libertarian paternalism", a term which took me awhile to understand enough to embrace or reject. While their topics of discussion range from Medicare benefit selection to same sex marriage, they also have much to offer that could be applied to life and helping students to make improved decisions. At the very least, it makes one more aware of the nudges that we encounter daily as well as how many things could be changed to offer more positive or productive nudging.

Whistling Vivaldi: And Other Clues to How Stereotypes Affect Us by Claude M. Steele is what I am reading right now. At the mid-point of the book, I am totally fascinated by the social psychological findings of how stereotypes affect student performance. Steele is quick to note that all of us are affected by stereotypes and that often those stereotypes can have negative effects on our performance. Does the stereotype that women are not as good at math as men make women more likely to do poorly at math? The studies suggest that it does. Similarly, race, age, class, and much more affect our self-perceptions and thus how we perform. I am optimistic that Steel will provide not only more insight into these differences in the second half of the book as well as some ways that teachers and society can help to counteract this stereotype threat.

These are a good start. I would love to hear what others are reading in these areas.

LOC @ MACUL

2011-03-20T20:35:00.005-04:00

Thursday, March 17, found me at the Annual Conference of the Michigan Association of Computer Users in Learning (MACUL). Cobo Hall in Detroit was hopping with approximately 4,000 educators from around the state. All of them were interested in the hows and whys of using the latest technology in the classroom. There were lectures and workshops and a room full of vendors all eager to share what is exciting to them.

Of all the things that I heard and saw, the most exciting was a talk by two Michigan school librarians who last summer had the kind of experience that makes any librarian green with envy. They spent a week with other librarians from around the country training and sharing at the Library of Congress (LOC) in Washington, D.C. Their primary goal was to help the LOC improve its website and its outreach to teachers. This site is listed as My LOC and is slightly different from the main LOC site. Both sites are well worth visiting.

They began with some basic facts about the nation's library which contains some 147,000,000 items on 838 miles of shelves. LOC resources also include 15 million digitized works with more coming on line all the time. The smallest book in the Library of Congress is Old King Cole fit onto pages measuring just 1/25th of an inch square. The pages must be turned with a needle. More interesting facts rotate on the LOC sites so visit them often if you like trivia.

Teachers perked up their ears when we were presented with examples of the vast array of primary sources available on-line at the LOC. We saw the rough draft of the Gettysburg Address, copies of period sheet music, pictures of great Americans along with copies of their speeches, and just touched the tip of the iceberg.

I encourage everyone who has any interest in American history, to search these sites often, whether for research or just for the fun of it.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2011-03-13T15:34:00.002-04:00

Wouldn't it be nice to be able to tell you that I have found the perfect book or books to read for St. Patrick's Day? Alas, that will not be the case today. There is not much to get excited about in terms of books for good St. Paddy. There are few stories that directly name the day and none of those that I have seen are good to read aloud.

So, we go to books of leprechauns and Irish lore. Both Tomie DePaola and Gerald McDermott have retold Irish folk lore. Depaola has two tales of Jamie O'Rourke who is said to be the laziest man in all of Ireland. These stories are good for a laugh but are long for the youngest listeners. McDermott's books can also be wordy but it is worth taking a look at Tim O'Toole and the Wee Folk or Daniel O'Rourke. If you like telling stories rather than reading, any of these would be a good choice to fit to your own style.

Clever Tom and the Leprechauns by Linda Shute is better suited to reading to younger groups (kindergarten or first grade) who are excited about leprechauns. Our first grades are visited by leprechauns at this time of the year, so I leave this book for them to share. After all, they are the ones who introduced it to me.

For older students, there is the option of looking at Irish history. While there are many lengthy informational books about Ireland and its history, the best one I can think of for reading aloud in one sitting is The Long March: The Choctaw's Gift to Irish Famine Relief by Marie-Louise Fitzpatrick. This is an illustrated telling of a little known story of American aid to victims of the Irish the Potato Famine. The Choctaw Indians themselves suffered much loss and hardship in 1847, yet the group empathized with the the Irish enough to collect $170 (equivalent to about $5000 today) to send across the seas to help. It is a moving tale of giving even when times are hard.

What will I be doing with classes this St. Patrick's Day? I will pick and choose between facts about Ireland and Irish tales. A to Z Ireland by Justine and Ron Fontes offers colorful pictures and 26 interesting snippets about the Emerald Isle which is a good, quick introduction.
Then we will talk about snakes, which were supposedly driven from Ireland by St. Patrick. (Of course, most people agree that there never were snakes on the island and that the snake is symbolic of evil, but we will not let that stop me from spreading the old legend to the youngest classes.) Older students will learn about the Blarney Stone and we will play a game we call "Blarney" which is loosely based on that great old game show, "To Tell the Truth". Since our school teaches students to prepare for all kinds of careers, I figure knowing how to tell half truths convincingly may someday prove valuable for someone.

I am sad to report that I won't be wearing my giant shamrock earrings this year. I will be a conference on March 17 and my substitute will get the joy of working with the super excited children. I hope she remembers to wear green.

The Joys of Visiting Authors

2011-03-13T14:55:00.004-04:00

It is my goal to bring at least one author to the school each year so in my eleven years as the school librarian I have met a number of different authors. It is fairly easy for me to impress the kids with some name dropping, even it is a name they have never heard before. It is fun to meet fellow book lovers, especially those who have written books that are on my list of favorites. Every author has important things to share with the students and with me.

Usually, I am a nervous wreck before the visiting author comes. This year I was much more relaxed. I knew things could go wrong but I also knew the author would take it all in stride. For once I could tell the students that not only was there a visiting author coming but that she was my personal friend. I have known Valerie Scho Carey since her daughter and mine were in first grade together, more than twenty five years ago. We go out for a meal together every so often just to keep track of what the kids are doing and to share ideas. Valerie is a brilliant woman who just happens to have a knack for writing picture books and retelling folk tales. When her very first book Harriet and William and the Terrible Creature was reissued this year, it seemed like the perfect time to invite her to talk to our students.

Even the wiggliest of classes settled down when Valerie began to tell them a story or read from her own works. The kindergarten and first grade classes have asked me about Quail Song several times since Valerie read it to them. Of course they loved the story but they also wanted to know more about how it came to be and to compare other stories. They are also eager to demonstrate a coyote wail for me. The third through fifth grade students enjoyed Tsugele's Broom in a presentation that was made more interesting by the inclusion of pictures of a shtetl. Valerie shared these to show us how her father's memories of childhood in shtetl inspired the story. I enjoyed listening to the students who came to her for advice on how to improve their won writing. Since Valerie has taught writing, she was the perfect person to ask about these issues.

It is indeed a pleasure to have had a friend come to speak as an authority on writing. She is an authority but I could relax and enjoy the presentations because she is also a friend.

There have been many other author visits over the years. Some were wonderful. Some were not. Here are a few of the highlights.

I will forever treasure the wonderful day spent with Naomi Shihab Nye that ended with driving her across the state and sharing a wonderful, relaxed, fun filled dinner with her. Now I not only enjoy her novels (especially Habibi) and her many volumes of poetry, I have that personal experience to read into every word she writes. I think that our students felt the same about her visit several years ago because they were writing poetry for many weeks and months afterward.

Mark Crilley was someone I frankly invited in large part because he lives not far away. I barely knew his books and had had only minor success getting students to read them. He brought his Akiko books to life for me and for every person who listened to him. It was like having a stand-up comedian with a highly polished act come to the school. The fact that we could read his books and learned about the writing process was a wonderful bonus. He, too, inspired many creative stories and fantastic illustrations long after he had headed home. I still can not keep his books on the shelves even though few of our current students were here when Mr. Crilley came but many have heard the legendary tales about him.

Christopher Paul Curtis is as nice, funny, and caring as the characters in his books. I take a little vicarious pride in being able to say that when he visited our school for the second time, he handed me his laptop for self-keeping, telling me that he had the manuscript for his next book right there and did want to risk losing it. That manuscript turned into Elijah of Buxton which is a book I think everyone over the age of twelve should read at least once. Mr. Curtis is a serious author, but he clearly still has a lot of joyfully young boy in him and he channels that into every book he writes.

There have, alas, been some real bombs. These authors will remain nameless here because I know they tried and their writing is much better than their presentation skills. However, I am still haunted by the man who scared several students with his somewhat cross-eyed stare. He drew derision from others when he dozed off almost in mid speech. Another author was just plain B-O-R-I-N-G. My daughter says that she can not remember a thing about that author's book other than that it nearly bored her into a stupor.

There is another author visit coming this year for our middle school students. Again, I am not too stressed. Will Purves is another friend and former co-worker who is eagerly awaiting the finished copy of his first young adult novel. He will be at the school in April. We are all hoping that big box of beautiful books will arrive before then.

Small Persons with Wings

2011-02-25T13:08:00.004-05:00

Usually on this blog I try to give you a list of books, but I can't wait to create a list to tell you about a book I just finished reading.

Small Persons with Wings by Ellen Booraem was a true joy to read. The story has it all--humor, school with its many social issues, hints of romance, art, science, French, Latin, and fairies. The first thing you will learn is that the little folks in this story prefer to be called "small persons with wings" or Parvi Pennati from the Latin parvi homines (small persons) and pennati (with wings). Call them parvi, for short. Mellie, who narrates in a voice that rings true, had a friend who was a parvi pennati until one fateful day when she was in kindergarten. It was then that, in an attempt to make friends and get invited to a popular girl's birthday party, she told the other children that she had a fairy and would bring him to school for show and tell. Fidius, her parvi friend, was aghast at the idea and flew off in a huff, leaving behind nothing but memories and a little toy man made of china. Her school friends promptly named her Fairy Fat adding the fairy story to their previous taunts about her weight. They tormented her mercilessly for years in a classic example of bullying at its worst.

Mellie did not give up easily. In face, she talked so much about her small person with wings that she was sent to the school counselor to talk about her "issues". When her parents were called in to drive home the point that fairies were only in one's imagination, Mellie felt she could no longer trust herself and fell to memorizing lists and learning interesting facts about artists in attempt to no longer worry about her social problems or her memories of Fidius. These facts appear throughout the rest of the book. I learned artist trivia that I am sure I will be sharing for years. (Did you know that Vincent Van Gogh had a sunflower named after him or that someone made a portrait of Queen Elizabeth out of 1,000 tea bags?)

Things change when Mellie is thirteen and her family quite unexpectedly inherits the tavern that had been run by her paternal grandfather who no one in the family really liked. The family moves to the tavern where they meet a cast of interesting characters and Mellie learns about the family pact with the Parvi Pennati that must now be addressed some 1300 years after first came to be.

There is so much to this book that I could go on for pages. Girls in grades five and up should especially enjoy this book, but I can not imagine anyone not finding something to enjoy here. Find it! Read it! You will believe in small persons with wings--or at least hope that they have more stories to share.

All School Read In

2011-02-19T12:21:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, February 18, the school was amazingly, beautifully quiet as all students, teachers, and administrators spent half an hour reading. It was almost magical.

Also almost magical was the introducing of books by African American authors to the students. Wednesday afternoon a fifth grade class came to me. During their check out time, the kids looked at my displays of books by African Americans and picked out ones that they thought they would like to read. I was so glad I had put out my multiple copies of The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis because two girls chose copies to read. Later in the day, they came back with two classmates who wanted to read the same book. "We are going to read it," they said, "and then have our own book discussion." This was all on their own. I am proud and hope to hear soon of the success of their book discussion group. It could lead to even more discussions.

Other children have already come back to me to tell me how much they enjoyed what they read and asked for similar books to read over break. I was thrilled when an eighth grade boy rushed over to put dibs on a biography of Spike Lee. Another brought back The Old African by Julius Lester and stopped to tell me how interesting it was.

The only drawback to the day came with the realization (I keep forgetting this obvious fact) that if I pull out 200 books for display they will eventually all need to be put away. Although many of the books will go home with kids over the break, I put away an awful lot of books yesterday afternoon.

Books by African Americans

2011-02-13T10:17:00.006-05:00

The morning of Friday, February 18, will find a hush falling over our school as we engage in an African American Read In sponsored by the Black Caucus of the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE). The goal is to have everyone in the school from the youngest kindergarten student to the head of school take 30 minutes to Drop Everything and Read. The NCTE encourages us to take this time during Black History Month to read a book by an African American author.

The goal of finding reading material for each member of our school community got me thinking about many issues. Last spring when I heard Christopher Paul Curtis speak at a luncheon, he pointed out that there are still only two widely published male African American authors for young men in grades three to eight, Curtis and Walter Dean Myers. As I found books in our collection that comment kept coming to mind.

Our middle grade fiction by African American authors is something that I think about often as a part of collection development. Pulling books by African American authors makes clear how difficult it is to find good books--perhaps any books--that fit in this category.

Bud, Not Buddy, The Watsons Go to Birmingham--1963 and Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis are all popular in our collection though his Mr. Chickee books are a bit harder sell, perhaps because they do not have the historical aspect and the more intense stories or simply that they are aimed at a big younger audience. I have met Curtis and listened to him talk several times and he seems to be just what we want as a model for our young men. He is caring, thoughtful, philosophical, and filled with energy, enthusiasm, and humor.

Walter Dean Myers is amazing but harder to get young men in our school to read. I am not sure why. My favorite of his books is Monster, but that is only for the oldest of our students as it is a difficult topic, dealing as it does with a young man standing trial for robbery and murder. Fallen Angels and Handbook for Boys are also good titles that I clearly need to promote more actively. Myers has a wide array of titles in addition to his fiction. Poetry, history, picture books, and even a memoir (Bad Boy) are brought to us by this talented author. Don't miss Walter Dean Myers son Christopher Myers' exciting adaptation through illustrations for Lewis Carroll's Jabberwocky. It is a book that any basketball player will love.

We have a few fiction works by Julius Lester (Days of Tears, This Strange New Feeling), but, once again, they are for older readers and a hard sell for me. Lester has done one of the most beautiful versions of an African American legend in The Old African and has some history and even a picture book discussion of race, Let's Talk about Race, in our collection. I have great admiration for everything that Lester has created and urge you to seek out his writings.

Other fiction African American fiction for middle grade readers is almost exclusively written by women--Virginia Halmilton, Pat McKissack, Jacqueline Woodson, Mildred Taylor and Sharon M. Draper. All of these authors well deserve the accolades that they have received for their many works of fiction.

We have more non-fiction by African American authors than we do fiction. Not surprisingly, I suppose, many of them deal with the civil rights movement and the history of slavery. There are a few titles that I must mention that fit in this category. Warriors Don't Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock's Central High by Melba Beals is a just what the title promises. Being among the first to integrate a hostile high school was an honor of sorts but also a horrible experience. Picture, if you will, being escorted to high school with the National Guard not always willingly being called in to protect you from jeering and threatening fellow students.

Toni Morrison offers a somewhat gentler look at school integration in Remember: The Journey to School Integration though the stunning black and white photos will grip at your heart on each page.

Two other historical works that are worthy of your consideration: Harlem Hellfighters: When Pride Met Courage by Walter Dean Myers which looks at the the 369 Infantry of World War I, an African American regiment that had to fight both the war and the battles of racism. They stood up for democracy when few American would stand up for them. Black Hands, White Sails: The Story of African American Whalers by Patricia C. McKissack and Fredrick L. McKissack looks at another under-recognized group when they look at the impact of African Americans on whaling ships and how they helped shape the abolition movements.

Non-fiction by African Americans is not limited to history and social movements. Wynton Marsalis has a beautiful book about jazz called A-B-Z Jazz which uses poetry and modern art to present brief looks at 26 jazz musicians. This is not a simple picture book, but a work of art and biographical collection for readers with the time and interest to pursue it in detail.

Sports lovers will find that many of their favorite athletes like Tiki Barber and Venus Williams have written about their sports. Other people have written biographies of some of the greats. Walter Dean Myers has written ultimate boxing biography in The Greatest:Muhammad Ali. The most beautiful sports book I have ever seen is We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson. Pick it up just for the pictures and you will soon be drawn into the narrative.

There are some beautifully illustrated works of some poetic greats. The Negro Speaks of Rivers by Langston Hughes is beautifully illustrated by E. B. Lewis in a book which drew accolades when it was published in 2009 and has drawn many to discover this moving work. Maya Angelou's Life Doesn't Frighten Me is perfectly suited for the bright and powerful paintings of Jean-Michel Basquiat. I wish I had Angelou's voice to read this aloud with the proper impact, but whatever your voice it cries to be read out with emotion. Ntozake Shange uses poetry to remember growing up in presence of African American leaders like W. E. B. DuBois, Dizzy Gillespie, Paul Robeson and others. It is history told with love and lyricism.

The most beautiful new art book is an award winner this year (Coretta Scott King Award, Caldecott Honor Book). Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave by Laban Carrick Hill uses amazing illustrations by Bryan Collier to supplement the text about a slave who created beautiful pottery. Dave has no last name because he was a slave, but he left his simple poems on each pot he created so historians are able to trace a bit of his story. This is a must have book for anyone who loves pottery, especially those who have had the chance to use the wheel.

Don't forget the beautiful folk tales by such people as Verna Aardema (Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears, Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain), Ashley Bryan (Beautiful Blackbird), Virginia Hamilton (The People Could Sing, Her Stories), and John Steptoe (Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters). There are many, many more that fit in this section, but this will give you a start.

Finally, look to the picture book section. This section offers much from which to choose, so I will simply list a few of my favorites. My Painted House, My Friendly Chicken, and Me by Maya Angelou, The Big Box by Toni Morrison, Precious and the Boo Hag by Pat McKissack, Dear Mr. Rosenwald by Carole Boston Weatherford, and Sweet Music in Harlem by Debbie A. Taylor, an Ann Arbor author.

While the number of African American authors for young people is slowly growing, the books that are currently available will offer something for every reader and listener. Consider joining us at 8:30 on Friday, February 18, 2011, to take some time to enjoy some fascinating writing by an African American author.

Lunar New Year Greetings

2011-02-13T09:31:00.003-05:00

The start of the Year of the Rabbit got notice in my library classes but it has been sadly overlooked here. Of course, it is never too late to enjoy some good reading or wish you all the best in the coming year.

Most of the books you will find about the Lunar New Year will focus on Chinese customs. It might be easy to miss a beautiful story of New Year's celebrations in Korea. New Clothes for New Year's Day by Hyun-Joo Bae will first attract the reader with its lovely illustrations that delicately depict the donning of new and very special clothes. The words are spare and gentle while capturing the excitement of a child's first chance to wear these tradition-laden clothes. I was thrilled the first time I shared it with a class to have a young Korean girl bring me her New Year's clothing to show me the next day. This book is a real treasure.

One interesting Chinese New Year book is The Day the Dragon Danced by Kay Haugaard. I will concede, as one reviewer complained, that it can be wordy at times, but I will counter that it is a wonderful melding of cultures and universal worries. A young African American girl takes her grandmother to the Dragon Dance parade celebrating the New Year in their city's Chinatown. Grandmother is a bit reluctant but the girl is persistent. Then she has to watch carefully for the shoes under the long, long dragon for one of the dancer is the girl's father. She even has the opportunity to do her part to keep the dragon moving smoothly along.

For amazingly beautiful illustrations it is always a safe bet to turn to Ed Young who has many retellings of Chinese and Japanese tales as well as some that are original stories. One of the many stories of the origins of the Chinese Zodiac is the focus of Cat and Rat: The Legend of the Chinese Zodiac. The illustrations are dark, not ominous but simply set in the night or int he water, so not so great for group readings, but they are also stunning and well suited to sharing one on one. The excitement of the race to win the twelve coveted spots on the zodiac is strong. I have read many very different stories about the selection of the animals to be part of the twelve year cycle. This is a favorite for both story and illustrations.

If you want to understand the customs and traditions that surround the Chinese New Year, D is for Dragon Dance by Ying Chang Compestine may be just what what you want. It is a simple A-B-C book which offers 26 points of interest about the holiday along with bright, vivid illustrations that will keep that young person on your lap interested when the words are more than they want. Yes, this is the same Ying Chang Compestine who brought us The Story of Noodles, The Story of Chopsticks and many others. All of these books are a good jumping off point for a look at Chinese culture in general.

Finally, local author and China expert Carol Stepanchuk has compiled a collection of stories, recipes, and information about four Chinese festivals in her book Red Eggs and Dragon Boats: Celebrating Chinese Festivals.

There are many websites to help you delve further into the Chinese Zodiac, which is something all of my students love to do. Here is just one of them. Remember when you are assigning an animal for year of birth that the Lunar New Year by definition is not a stable date and moves from mid January to mid February. If you were born before the middle of February, be sure to find a zodiac that will tell you exactly when the New Year began the year you were born.

Whatever you zodiac sign, this is the year to be hoppy all year long.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-13T09:14:00.005-05:00

While everyone hopes for a wonderful celebration of Valentine's Day whether it be a romantic dinner out with a special someone or the joyful exchange of cards at a classroom party, it is doubtful that you will find many Valentine's related books to share with your children. The reading of romance novels is one option for older readers, but finding picture books that address Valentine's Day in any but the most saccharin manner is a difficult task.

A trip to the local bookstore yesterday suggested that they, too, were struggling to find anything worthy of a good display. Most of their books were about kisses for parents or hearts for someone else. Not much depth or plot was shown in any of them, though they may inspire a good exchange of hugs and kisses as part of the bedtime story ritual.

The one Valentine picture book that I have found that I am willing to read more than a couple of times is Love, Splat by Rob Scotton. Splat, as many of you already know, is a lovable but shy cat. In this book, he has his eye on a lovely, fluffy white cat as the one who should be the recipient of his one homemade Valentine's card. Unfortunately, a big, burly, something-of-a-bully cat has the same idea and gets his card to Kitten first. Who will Kitten choose, Splat or Spike? The story is one of good over the less well intentioned and as such is enjoyable and filled with just enough conflict to keep the interest of readers and listeners aged four to seven or so. As with all of Scotton's books, it is the illustrations that steal the show. It is impossible to resist the friendly, soft cats who inhabit this and all of the other Splat books.

Use Valentine's Day to snuggle up with that favorite young person, but don't dwell on finding a book that directly addresses the topic at hand. It is just not worth the effort.

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day

2011-01-16T14:07:00.003-05:00

My daughter tells me that when she was in kindergarten or first grade that she kept looking for the crown on the king as they discussed Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. That is just one of the many confusions that children find about this day of honoring King and civil rights movement. Adults worry that too much information will upset young children but we want to teach the importance of his words and deeds on the lives they lead today. Then we struggle over when and how to introduce more of the events and people of this time and the issues that still resonate with us in today's world. Whatever the books I share with children on this issue my main purpose is to instill a sense of self-worth and self confidence in the children while helping them shape ideas of how they can work for positive change in their lives and their world.

There are myriad books available about the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Some are simple biographies and others are anthems to the man, sometimes making him a king of sorts. Parents looking at these books will want to decide what is the message that they most want to convey.

For me, the words of King are a large part of what inspired people to join him in the cause. These words form the core of the beautiful, awarding winning Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by Doreen Rappaport. Illustrations in watercolor and collage dominate the over-sized pages of this picture book while the sparse text centers around quotes from King's speeches. The story ends not with his death, which is briefly presented
("...(H)e was shot. He died." )but with the promise that his words are immortal. While this book is aimed at children aged four to nine, it will be appreciated by all ages.

Perhaps the most often quoted words of Dr. King come from his "I Have a Dream" speech. King's sister Christine King Farris has written a picture book for slightly older (grades 2 and up) students remembering the days when her brother was writing his famous speech. March On!: The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World begins with some facts about Dr. King but its main focus is on the day in 1963 when he gave his speech as well as the work he put into making the speech one that would move every listener. The reader of this book will be carried directly to the midst of the crowd who listened and took the speech to heart. In My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers Growing Up with the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Farris tells more personal details of her brother in a picture book for slightly younger listeners.

Walter Dean Myers is an author whose work spans from picture books to young adult fiction with a generous dose of non-fiction and poetry thrown in for good measure. He, too, has written a picture book biography of Dr. King. I've Seen the Promised Land: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. begins in 1965 with the story of Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott and ends with King's support of the striking sanitation workers in Memphis in 1968 and the assassination a few days later. The highs and lows of the these turbulent years are both covered with an emphasis on the nonviolence that King preached, a concept made more powerful by the illustrations of the violent response to the marches.

Older readers (grades 4 and up) searching for more information on Dr. King will find a lot to enjoy in Tonya Bolden's M.L.K.: The Journey of a King which primarily employs photographs to supplement the biography. Some readers will be surprised by the reluctance that Dr. King expressed at being drawn into a leadership role. Sidebars and extended quotes add depth to the comfortable writing style.

In future posts I will touch on books that look at other leaders of the civil rights movement. The books here will give you a start for celebrating the birthday of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Happy Kwanzaa

2010-12-24T13:25:00.002-05:00

Much like the other December holidays, Kwanzaa has few truly worthy books for me to suggest. There are those that are preachy and/or teachy but few that add a good story to that mix.

Luckily there is a new one this year that is charming, clever, and teaches a great deal about this holiday that is not well understood outside of the African American community. Li'l Rabbit's Kwanzaa by Donna L. Washington is perfect for young listeners to learn a little bit about the seven principles of Kwanzaa with a sweet text and bright illustrations leading them along. Li'l Rabbit wants Granna Rabbit to be well enough to join in the traditional feast, Karamu, but Mama Rabbit is too worried and Granna is too ill to make it happen. Li'l Rabbit sets out to find a way to cheer everyone and celebrate the way they have in years past. Of course Li'l Rabbit is successful in some joyfully surprising ways. The book includes an explanation of Nguzo Saba--The Seven Principles of Kwanzaa with instructions to look back through the story to find examples of each principle. My group of young listeners who had barely heard of Kwanzaa left the library knowing a little more about the holiday and smiling over a good story.

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medearis is a somewhat more complex story that springs from an original African folktale. Readers will learn about the Ghanian art of weaving Kente cloth as well as the seven principles of Kwanzaa as they follow this story of a father, a weaver, who asks his sons to make gold from silk tread. They learn to work together while each bringing unique talents to the problem. The story reads like a true folktale and does not get overly preachy. I have had older students come back to request a re-reading of this story and talk about what they learned from it when they first heard it in first or second grade. The illustrations are beautifully lush with lots of red and gold. The book also includes notes about the holidays and some craft ideas.

May your Kwanzaa and the new year be filled with the seven principles of Kwanzaa:
Umoja--Unity
Kujichagulia--Self-Determination
Ujima--Collective Work and Responsibility
Ujamaa--Cooperative Economics
Nia--Purpose
Kuumba--Creativity
Imani--Faith

Merry Christmas

2010-12-24T12:51:00.002-05:00

Frankly, I find good children's books for Christmas to be few and far between. Most either try too hard and end up being schmaltzy or seem to feel that a carelessly placed Santa here and there means that there is no need to focus on plot. Therefore this list is short and has taken much more thought than is evident.

When I was a child the Christmas Eve tradition was to sit under the tree while my mother read Clement Clarke Moore's A Visit From St. Nickolas (Also commonly known as The Night Before Christmas). Now, nearly 200 years after it was first written, there are still myriad editions of this classic available. My advice to anyone looking for a copy to keep for family Christmas for years to come is to look at as many different ones and choose the illustrations that best suit your idea of what the story should include. If you are looking for video editions a quick Google search will find many. My students in grades K-2 preferred a video made in 1950 that starred marionettes but I confess that it got old quickly for me. They said the video with Wynton Marsalis was too confusing even though they giggled along with me through many of the scenes.

There are just two picture books that stick out in my mind as being worth a Christmas visit. Readers who are just getting a grasp on Christmas symbols as well as those who are older will enjoy Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke. The curious chicken, Minerva Louise, tries to understand the lighting bugs on the tree outside the farm house. More confusing changes are found when she slips inside, like the chicken who sits atop the indoor tree and has laid colorful eggs all over the tree. Children love to point out her mistakes as she identifies the items that mean Christmas to most children, but apparently not to chickens.

Olivia Helps with Christmas by Ian Falconer will appeal to adults as well as the children to whom they read this clever book. Olivia, the young pig of great charm and energy, is eager to help her family get ready for the arrival of Christmas. As the song in Free to Be You and Me (or was it Free to Be a Family?) says, "Some kinds of help are the kind of help we all could do without." Olivia is a perfect example of this truism, but it is impossible to angry with her since she is so earnest about her efforts and her excitement.

I am not sure why there are children's novels written for Christmas. I can rarely get anyone to try to read them. Often a good story goes unread just because it is set at Christmas. That is the case with The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman. This discussion of how a class can decide on one wish that will be fair to everyone is a worthy one, if not the best written book by Gutman. The genie arrives on the day before break begins with one wish to give fifth grade class, but only if they can decide together in just one hour. The resulting suggestions and the discussions about them are both humorous and philosophical. I wish that teachers could share it with their classes throughout the year but this emphasis on Christmas limits its appeal and its usefulness.

The Christmas Rat by Avi is another book that could be set at any time of the year and be just as good. I have gotten some people to read this at other times of the year when they request a scary book. Eric is an eleven year old boy who is home alone in the his apartment because it is Christmas vacation and waiting for the exterminator that his mother has sent to come. The exterminator turns out to be one very strange man who enjoys his job a little more than he should. Don't read this book when you are home alone.

I suggest that instead of limiting yourself to Christmas books, you reach out for a good book set any time of the year. Forget about the weather and lose yourself where ever the book takes you.

Happy Hanukkah

2010-12-13T12:17:00.004-05:00

Yes, yes, I know that Hanukkah is long over for the year, but I had to share my favorite books of the holiday with students before I could readily tell folks which ones I like best. I am sticking with my favorites, all of which are by the amazing Eric Kimmel who not only writes books of stories from the Jewish tradition, but also has myriad original stories and retellings of folktales from world cultures. Simply stated, any book with Kimmel's name on it is worth a good look and probably belongs in your collection.

For the younger listeners in my group, I prefer The Chanukah Guest which features a hungry and confused bear who drops in on Bubba Brayna when he smells her latkes cooking. Bubba Brayna is a good cook but, as she nears the age of 100, her eyes and ears are failing her. She mistakes the bear for the rabbi. Kids love the confusion as they go through the rituals of the first night of the holiday.

Students in second grade and up invariably request Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which has a little bit of humor, lots of almost ghastly goblins, and several clever tricks to suit every taste as Hershel works for eight nights to save Hanukkah. Reading it out loud is hard on my voice as I try to make each goblin from the one the size of a horsefly to the gigantic King of the Goblins have a different and appropriate voice.

Storytellers and their listeners delight in The Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm. Perhaps you already know how the city of Chelm came to be filled with fools when angels were sent to deliver fools, the wise, the honest, the dishonest, and so forth in even number to every city around the world. Unfortunately for Chelm (but a boon for storytellers), the angel carrying fools, tripped upon approaching the city, filling it full of fools with no room for the more clear headed. This book includes that history plus eight examples of the problems of having a city of fools. There is the story of the pitchfork that is used for a menorah, the young boy who finds something far, far better than chicken fat for frying latkes, and the stranger who rents them a magic spoon for mixing up the best latkes ever. The stories read well and are joy to tell.

Speaking of telling stories, it is one of the joys of my job to listen to the stories that the children tell. I asked them to tell me about Hanukkah. While some of the students told stories that matched very closely what I have been told and read, some were an interesting mix of stories from various holidays, not all of which were Jewish. Locusts, various kings, babies in the rushes and in mangers, and Santa Claus all made guest appearances before we got things narrowed down a bit. I was pleased to see the smiles of those who knew the story from Hebrew School and were so proud to share it. However, my favorite moment may have been when it took a Muslim and a Hindu to give the most accurate description in a class of first grade students.

Five for the Adults

2010-10-24T19:35:00.004-04:00

Book fair books are not just for kids. I like to add a few of my favorite adult books. As I moaned about in an earlier post, I have not read a lot that excited me over the past few months. So I decided to suggest some older books for your enjoyment. In years past I have sent out lists of suggested reading for adults and inadvertently included books that are no longer in print. Oops! Today I decided to make sure that everything I suggest is still available so I went to the bookstore and looked at the paperback shelves. Here, in no particular order, are some of the books I saw and remember fondly.

Peace Like a River by Leif Enger is a lovely, heart-wrenching story by the 11 year old boy who wants to keep his family intact after his older brother guns down bullies who break into the family home. What can or should a family do to help and protect a brother who has done something horrible, yet, perhaps, justifiable?

Still Alice by Lisa Genova tells the story of the onset of Alzheimer's through the voice of a woman who is diagnosed at a very young age. She makes a list of things that she must remember and slowly watches them fade away. The picture is grim yet beautiful. The author works with Alzheimer's patients which makes the reader feel that this is a fairly accurate portrayal.

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving may be the best of this well-respected American author. Owen Meany is a dwarfish boy who accidentally kills his friend's mother and believes that perhaps he is a messenger of God. It is a tightly written story with much to offer.

The Power of One by Bryce Courtenay is the story of an English boy growing up in apartheid South Africa. Race can not be ignored but the essence of this powerful work is the boy's growth to adulthood in a story filled with pain and joy and humor.

Black Swan Green by David Mitchell is another coming of age story, this one set in England at the time of the Falklands War. Jason Taylor narrates the story in a way that he never could orally due to a stutter that haunts his every interaction as he covers his life over a span of 13 months in 1982 and 1983.

Five Favorites times Five

2010-10-24T17:33:00.004-04:00

In preparation for our upcoming Book Fair, November 14, I am publishing five favorites in several different categories. Please go back through earlier posts on this blog for more ideas. Then tell me some of your ideas for books that I forgot to mention. If you add your thoughts in the comments section more people will get to see them.

Middle School Readers are not always easy to please. No matter how many adult suggestions they get, it is their peers who ultimately will direct them to the books that are popular now. Here are a couple of new titles and some older books that are worth considering again.

Archvillain by Barry Lyga (grades 5-8) is the first in a promised series. The narrator thinks a lot of himself because he is, after all, a genius who is embarrassed by how stupid his parents and classmates all seem to be. When he is mysteriously slimed in a meadow near his school (could it have been a meteor shower or an alien invasion?), he becomes even stronger and smarter. That would be good if there were not now an alien among them with similar strengths. How can the alien be outwitted before he takes over the world? Can being bad do good for the world?

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper (grades 4-7) is told by a young girl with cerebral palsy who has never been able to communicate with any but her closest care givers and then only in the simplest fashion. Because of this she is kept in special education classrooms with no expectations that she understands anything. When she gets a special computer program similar to that used by Stephen Hawkings, she is able to show her vast knowledge and earns a spot on the school quiz bowl team. Instead of a simplistic, happy ending, this book ends realistically, but with a solid dose of hope.

The Prince of Mist by Carlos Ruiz Zafon (grades 6-8) is an eerie story of a boy who moves with his family to a deserted house on the coast of Spain during World War II. Soon they learn of a boy who died in the house and a strange magician who had power over the people who live there. Adults and many teens have read and enjoyed Zafon's Shadow of the Wind without realizing that Zafon began his writing career with this book for young adults.

Daddy Long Legs by Jean Webster (grades 6 and up) was one of my favorite books when I was young and I am thrilled that it is still around nearly 100 years after its first publication. It is a romantic story of young orphan who is given the task of corresponding with the benefactor who has sent off to a good school. Told in letters illustrated with girlish drawings, it is a joy to watch the romance grow with unexpected results. A girl can dream and I dreamed my way through this book more than once. I can not guarantee that today's teen will love it the way I did, but, as I said, a girl can dream.

The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman (grades 6 and up)and the rest of this His Dark Materials series rank with the greats of fantasy. The trilogy is a magnificent creation of parallel worlds, philosophical discussions, and magical beasts. Don't bother seeing the movie which totally missed the beauty and impact of the stories and left out many important parts.

Fiction for Grades 3-5 must take into accounts the varying interests of the readers. Some readers want to try a little of everything and are willing to bite off more than they perhaps can digest. Others will want the safety of a familiar series. Either approach is probably just right. Don't ignore those series, but this list will introduce some books that might have been missed.

Half Magic by Edward Eager (grades 3-6) was the book that pushed me happily into a long phase of reading every bit of fantasy that I could get my hands on--including every book Eager ever wrote. When I can get a new reader drawn into these books I consider it public service. They have just the right blend of family, fantasy, magic, and humor.

Freddy the Detective by Walter R. Brooks (grades 3-6) is just one of a series that my daughters and I laughed over as we read through them all. Freddy is pig who imagines himself to be quite talented, though that is debatable. Readers soon learn to appreciate all of the quirky characters on the farm.

Spacehedz by Jon Scieszka (grades 3-5) is a book that I almost did not pick up. There was something about the look of the cover that I could not appreciate. It got great reviews so I finally dived in and I am so glad I did. The cover is perfect for this story of a young school boy is given the task of welcoming two new students who just happen to be space aliens. They have learned everything they know about earth from advertising. This leads to much confusion and hilarious situations. I am now proud to be a Spacehead.

On the Blue Comet by Rosemary Wells (grades 4-7) will come as something of surprise to those who think of Rosemary Wells as writing only charming picture books. With beautiful illustrations by Bagram Ibatoulline, this slice of life from 1929 to 1942 is complete with real characters like Ronald Reagan and Joseph Kennedy. Oscar Ogilvie is an 11 year old boy living in Cairo, Illinois, with his widowed father with whom he shares a love of model railroads. The depression, however, means that they must sell the trains and their house to survive. The heads to California to find work, leaving Oscar with a very uptight aunt. Things progress rapidly when Oscar jumps into the model trains to escape a bank robbery. He travels across the country and ten years into the future . The excitement is palpable and the historical facts make it seem real.

Justin Case: School, Drool and Other Disasters by Rachel Vail (grades 2-5) boldly enters the realm previously held sway by the likes of Ramona Quimby, Judy Moody, and Clementine, with the trials and tribulations of elementary school. The difference is that Justin is a boy so he sees things a bit differently than those girls did. Readers who like, or think they would like, The Wimpy Kid will like enjoy the antics Justin records in his diary.

Beginning Readers are books with limited vocabulary and, thanks to Dr. Seuss and others, a good story. The large type helps those just mastering reading to speed through the stories and lots of illustrations help fill gaps in comprehension.

The Cat on the Mat is Fat by Andy Griffiths is a thicker book with several stories to help readers feel that important sense of accomplishment. The stories are pure silliness with simple black and white illustrations and plenty of rhyme.

Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst features a very spoiled girl who is not willing to give in when her parents refuse to buy her a brontosaurus for her birthday. They have given everything else she has ever wanted so why not this. After arguing her point for nearly two weeks, she runs away from home. The author kindly offers several alternative endings so everyone can live happily ever after.

Buzz Boy and Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold is the latest in this amusing series of easy readers about a boy and his pet fly. In this tale, they become superheroes in a comic book written by the boy. I have yet to meet a child who does not appreciate the sly humor in these wacky stories.

Ten Apples Up on Top by Theo LeSeig always surprises me by how much young readers enjoy it. It is among the simplest of simple stories. The build up to the climax gets kids to the edge of the seats--either with anticipation or laughter.

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik is one of those books that makes mothers get a little teary eyed. Little Bear is such a sweet fellow with such heartwarming adventures that it is impossible not to love him. Luckily for adults, young readers love him, too.

Picture Books truly are for readers of all ages. There was a recent New York Times article about how picture books are not selling the way they did in years past. Don't miss these wonderful books or think that people are ever too old to enjoy a good picture book.

A Bedtime for Bear by Bonnie Becker follows nicely on the heels of A Visitor for Bear. The little mouse is back to see bear, this time planning to spend the night. Anyone who has ever had a sleep-over knows that even the most well meaning guest can disturb set routines and bear likes his routines to be just so. Of course these friends work it out perfectly, but it is not easy.

Children Make Terrible Pets by Peter Brown caught my eye immediately with its cover illustration that reminded me a bit of the best of Tomie DePaola. A happy little bear brings home what she hopes will be a perfect pet--a child that she names Squeaker because to her ears that is all he can say. Mother's repeated warning that children make terrible pets does not bother little Lucy. She and Squeaker have fun but the child is also a bit of a bother.

Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco will be best appreciated by readers in grades three and up. It is Polacco at her best as she remembers her own experiences as a new student put in the "special" class for children with troubles learning in the usual ways. Thanks to a very special teacher, the class learns lessons about their own strengths and teaches the school bullies a few lessons as well.

Harry the Dirty Dog by Gene Zion is an older book that endures because it is such a good story. Harry is a white dog with black spots who hates to take a bath. When he wanders away and gets terribly dirty, his family does not recognized the black dog with white spots who comes back home. If you are dirty enough, Harry realizes, a bath is wonderful.

Caps for Sale by Esphyr Slobodkin has many imitators but is still the best "monkey see, monkey do" book there is. Act out the story with any group of monkeys you might encounter.

Non-Fiction is sometimes a hard sell to readers of any age. Happily for all of us, there are more and more non-fiction books that are as enjoyable as fiction.

For Good Measure: The Ways we Say How Much, How Far, How Heavy, How Big, How Old by Ken Robbins (grades K and up) is the best introduction to measurements that I have ever seen. Using photographs and a paragraph or two of interesting text, this book helped me understand and relate to measurement in ways I never had before.

Hot Diggity Dog: The History of the Hot Dog by Adrienne Sylver (grades 1-4) features a hot dog space ship on its cover which is a good clue to the irreverent history that is presented within. The hot dog is an American staple so why not learn about its humble origins and rise to fame. Lots of bright illustrations and interesting sidebars add to the enjoyment of this food history.

Ballet for Martha: Making Appalachian Spring by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan, illustrated by Brian Floca (grades 2-6) is a collaborative effort that tells the story of the collaboration that became an American classic. Choreographer Martha Graham, composer Aaron Copeland, and set designer Isamu Noguchi are the contributors who are shown working together to create a masterpiece. If you are planning to see any ballet in the near future, read this book for a fuller understanding of what goes happens before the curtain opens.

Weird by True 2: 300 Outrageous Facts from National Geographic (All ages) is bright and bold and full of facts that will keep anyone who picks it up flipping through it for more trivia to amaze and amuse friends and family. It is a perfect bathroom book but will also prove useful in a backpack, at the dinner, or on the coffee table.

The Cartoon History of the Universe by Larry Gonick (Grades 6 and up) is just one in a large series of cartoon introductions to history, science, and more all set in a fun and funky graphic format. The beauty of it is that the reader does not even realize how much is being learned in a way that is hard to forget.

These are just a few of my favorites. Look back through the blog for more and come see me for personalized suggestions. Happy reading.

Quick Suggestions

2010-10-15T14:14:00.003-04:00

I was a little surprised when the Parent Organization (ESPO) took me up on my offer to briefly speak about some good books at their meeting this past week. Time was of the essence, both for me to gather books and for the meeting to end at a reasonable time. Life was wild last week, but I had several good new books that I had just finished reading, so I grabbed them along with a couple of other favorites. Then I edited my growing pile. (Word to the wise: Never ask a librarian to talk about a few good books. Librarians have trouble picking out just a few favorites. We love to talk about good books almost as much as we love to read them.)

Here are the books that I showed at the ESPO meeting. All are well worth your time.

PICTURE BOOKS

The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez--I can not say enough good thinks about this wordless and wonderful book. The pictures are detailed and the surprise ending is just exactly what I would have wanted to have happen if I had thought about it clearly.

Olive Goes to Venice by Ian Falconer--The amazing pig's latest adventure takes her to Venice where she learns to love gelato. This is not my favorite Olivia book but that is simply because the others are so good.

Art and Max by David Wiesner--Two friendly lizards share an appreciation of art which leads to a demonstration of many art media. There is a solid mix here of humor and art.

LOWER SCHOOL READING: Grades 1-3

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee--These two girls seem like opposites but that does not stop them from being great friends. The firendly and engaging illustrations show the girls' visible differences--one is quite tall and the other is short--and the differences in what interests them. This is a wonderful example of how best friends come in all sizes.

ELEMENTARY--Grades 2-5

Tumtum and Nutmeg: The Rose Cottage Tales by Emily Bearn--More beautifully told tales of two mice with just the right about of adventure. and a hefty dose of charm. If you loved the first book, you will love this one, too, but you don't need to read them in order.

UPPER ELEMENTARY AND MIDDLE SCHOOL--Grades 5-8

Scumble by Ingrid Law--This is the sequel to Savvy. Both books are about a family which gains unexpected magical powers on their 13th birthday. Magic is not always easy for those who get to handle or understand.

Toby and the Secrets of the Tree by Timothee de Fombelle--This sequel to Toby Alone continues Toby's quest to save the tree that is his entire world, people with good people and those who would rather destroy the tree than lose their power. The environmental moral is strong and the story is even stronger.

NON-FICTION

Bibiloburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter--This simple picture book tells a powerful story of a man who takes books by burro to children in the mountains of Colombia. Google "biblioburro" to see videos and read some inspiring articles.

Marsupials by Nic Bishop--Bishop takes the most astounding wildlife photos I have ever seen. Check out all of his other books as well--Frogs, Butterflies, Spiders, and Lizards. One of my favorite parts of each book is the end piece where Bishop explains how he gets his photos. Many take hours and hours of waiting and hoping.

I will soon be putting up more lists as we prepare for our annual book fair. Keep checking back for those suggestions.

The Story of Reading

2010-09-20T21:23:00.003-04:00

It has been nearly a year since I attended a conference on the brain in Boston. When I returned from the conference my own brain was filled with myriad new concepts and exciting ideas while being blurred from the exhaustion of travel and long days full of lectures, some stimulating and some not so much. I pushed the ideas to the back burner with promises to get back to them.

Now I have been asked to join others who went to the conference and others like it to present to the staff about what we learned. Yikes! What did I learn? What is worth sharing? Why didn't I take better notes?

One statement has stayed with me all these months. Let me paraphrase. "Human beings took about 2,000 years to develop a practical alphabet which allowed humans to read. We expect children to learn how to read in about 2,000 days." This idea was presented by Tufts University professor of child development Maryanne Wolf. To remind myself of what she said at the conference and to understand and expand on those thoughts, I just finished reading her book, Proust and the Squid: The Story and the Science of the Reading Brain. This book proved to be a readable treatise that provides just what the title promises.

Since I can not do justice here to all that it has to say nor give you the time and space you deserve to really ponder the many ideas and concepts, I will just encourage you to read it. You will soon be thinking of what reading means to you, what really determines fluency, who is an expert reader, and what is the cause of dyslexia. Here are a couple of my favorite ideas and some thoughts about them.

Dyslexia, she states, is often accompanied by enhanced creativity. The book explains in some detail why this seems to be the case. The conclusion should be obvious but that is often not the case at all. Dyslexic people are often taunted for this complicated way that their brain functions. It is not unusual for peers and even teachers to call them stupid or lazy. The important thing for all of us is to remind dyslexic people of all ages of their special talents--help them find those talents and then put them to use while helping them learn strategies to acquire learning. As a society we run the risk of missing the next great thinkers, inventors, artists, and other potential world changers if we do not take the time to foster the growth of these people and utilize their amazing gifts.

Reading changes the way we utilize language and thus the way we understand our world. It is nearly impossible to read something without images, memories, and connections springing unbidden into your thinking. Wolf wonders what the impact of new formats for reading and writing will have on reading. Will digital reading with the ease of jumping from one thing to another, clicking to learn definitions, that "back" button waiting to lead us back to where we were, and the way information is organized radically change our idea of knowledge? Socrates worried that the alphabet would negatively impact our memories (perhaps it has) and that it would make us believe we had knowledge when all we had was information (again, perhaps it has). What will our newest technologies do to these same things? Will we assume that we have knowledge because we have done a Google search and copied and pasted ideas from someone else?

Can you tell that I have delved into many new thoughts after reading this book? That is what reading is all about.

Ending Summer with a Bang

2010-09-06T15:33:00.002-04:00

If you read my last entry, you know that I ended it by feeling a little disappointed that I had not read enough books that I truly loved this past summer. Thank goodness that I finished the summer with a great read--so great that I can't wait to talk about it.

Many people have enjoyed Silverwing, others in that series about bats, and various other titles by Kenneth Oppel. Now Oppel has a very different new book. Half Brother takes place in the 1970s when interest in human relationships with other species was growing. (Think of Koko and her kitten or the chimps that went into space.) At that same time of protest about many things there were the beginnings of animal activism, protesting testing on animals. Ben Tomlin, the narrator of this book, is thrown into the middle of all of this at age 13 when his family brings home a baby chimpanzee which they hope to teach to use sign language. If that is not unsettling enough, Ben has had to move across the country from Toronto to Vancouver where his father, a psychologist, will now be working. He is put in a private middle school and works to makes friends, especially with the very cute daughter of his dad's new boss. So there is some good old fashioned love interest and teen angst in this book. It offers a nice balance to the odd life that Ben lives with a chimp for a baby brother. He and his dad soon disagree about what role Zan, the chimp, has in the world. Is Zan a little brother or science experiment?

There is much here to enjoy. The writing is good and will tug at the heartstrings of all but the most jaded amongst us while offering up difficult questions to ponder about the importance of scientific investigation as well as the importance of keeping humans humane. I highly recommend this book to middle school readers and their older siblings and parents, too.

What I Read All Summer

2010-08-31T07:29:00.004-04:00

It is that time of year that people in education--whether students or teachers--think back to the summer that is rapidly disappearing and take assessment of what they did. I remember the annual "What I Did Last Summer" essay from my youth. (Every fall, my junior high English teacher titled his "Painting Lines on Idaho Highways", a title that reassures me every year that my summer was pretty darn good.) In most ways this is one of those essays, but looks not so much at what I did, although it suggests that I spent a significant amount of time with my nose in a book, but what I read.

This summer I tried to pace myself by alternating my reading assignments. I would read an adult book for pleasure, then a children's or young adult novel, then a professional development book, and then another work of juvenile fiction. I mixed it up with picture books and simple non-fiction whenever the mood hit or I made a purchase for the library. As I look back at all that I read, I realized that this was not a summer of many truly great reads. For your sake, I will only include those that I am willing to suggest that others might enjoy reading.

PICTURE BOOKS

City Dog, Country Frog by Mo Willems, illustrated by Jon Muth is a perfect read for the beginning or the end of summer. It talks of the passing of the seasons and of friendships that grow and change. There is no need to mention that the illustrations are perfect, but it is there is no way I omit a reference to the smile on the face of a happy dog and a joyful frog.

A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Erin E Stead is the work of a couple who spent a part of their year in Ann Arbor, which makes the book more special to those of us who live here. However, this book has merit no matter where one lives. The story is of a zookeeper who tends to the needs and concerns of his animals above and beyond the usual call of duty. The animals are beside themselves when Amos McGee is so sick that he can not come to work. They respond just the way that true and trusted friends should.

The Church Mouse by Graham Oakley is not a new book. In fact, finding it in the bookstore took me right back to when I read and re-read it with my children. At first take this tale of mice who befriend the old cat in a church seems a bit verbose, but then the charm of each character--from the mice to the cat to the old English vicar--takes over. The humor is perfect, as is the exciting climax. The illustrations by the author are rich with color and detail.

FICTION--Grades 5 and up
My Life with the Lincolns by Gayle Brandeis was not exactly what I expected and much better than I had anticipated. The narrator, Mina Edelman, is a 12 year old girl living in the Chicago area in 1966. She is convinced that her family is the reincarnation of the Abraham Lincoln family. She has figured out how their names and interests reflect those of the Lincoln's. The connection should be clear to everyone since her father whose initials are A. B. E. advertises his furniture as "Honest Abe's" and even puts on a stovepipe hat and beard for his television advertisements. Mina sets three goals for herself--not to die at age 12 like Willie Lincoln did, keep her mother from going crazy, and keep her father from being shot. The difficulty of these goals becomes more intense when her father gets increasingly involved with the Civil Rights movement and takes Mina along with him to meetings and protests. The story rapidly shifts from hilarious to serious and back again. I admire and respect Mina Edelman for all she thought and did and I admire the author for capturing the time and the feelings of a young girl so perfectly.

Whales on Stilts by M. T. Anderson is one of those books I have been meaning to read for years. It is one strange book. A team of middle schoolers with an eye for adventure--Lily who has yearns for adventure and keeps an eye out for the unusual, Katie the heroine of a popular series of horror stories who actually lives the stories, and Jasper who is known as the Boy Technonaut--spend their summer investigating the employer of Lily's father. Lily becomes suspicious because her dad's boss wears a paperback over his head and seems to be designing stilts for whales, whales that plan to take over the world. The story is full of high tech adventure, crazy ideas careening out of control, science gone mad, and friendship.

Smile by Raina Telgemeier is a biographical novel in graphic format. Entering middle school is challenging in the best of times, but looking decidedly different just makes it worse. Raina fell hard on her front teeth just weeks before beginning sixth grade. This led to months in complicated orthodontia gear while undergoing various surgeries to correct the problem. The story does not dwell on the medical aspects of this ordeal but on the additional burden it places on her struggles to be liked in school. The resulting story is well suited to the graphic format which helps move the story along, giving evidence of how truly out of place she looks without having to describe the look.

The Cardturner by Louis Sachar caused more than one head to turn when it was published earlier this year. Sachar is well-liked for his many successful books like Holes and Wayside School is Falling Down, but who can pull off a young adult novel about playing bridge? Sachar can. There is a strong story with adventure and magical reality here that will keep the reader ready to go to the next bridge tournament. The author teaches bridge, too, while thoughtfully marking those parts that are detailed strategy both so they can be skipped when reading for the story and re-read when the interest is on the game. Our school's resident bridge expert gave it his stamp of approval.

London Calling by Edward Bloor takes the protagonist through an old Philco radio back to the time of the London Blitz to experience war first hand. There is a lot of history here and a lot of heart. This a tough book because it takes a close-up look at life for the average working family in London in 1940. Equally important is its consideration of the accuracy of history and what makes someone a hero.

FICTION--Grades 3-5

I have to confess that I did not find much that really excited me in this section. Here are some titles that I am confident will be enjoyed by many, even if they did inspire me enough that I want to write about them.
The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Justin Case: School, Drool, and Other Daily Disasters by Rachel Vail
Whittington by Alan Armstrong
Amelia Rules by Jimmy Gownley (a graphic work)
The Adventures of Ook and Gluk: Kung-Fu Cavemen of the Future by Dav Pilkey (a graphic work)
The Secret Zoo by Bryan Chick

YOUTH NON-FICTION

Kakapo Rescue: Saving the World's Strangest Parrot by Sy Montgomery with photos by Nic Bishop is worth looking at just for the pictures taken on an island of the coast of New Zealand where scientists are struggling to keep this strange, beautiful, and friendly bird from extinction. Once you see the pictures, however, you will want to read the text to find out more about this amazing bird and the scientists who work with it. As is always the case, Sy Montgomery tells her story well.

Pop! The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy greets you with a bright cover that, yes, truly pops. Who could resist the life story of bubble gum with any cover but the cartoonish illustrations in this simple, picture book style history capture the joy of the subject from the very first bite.

Biblioburro: A True Story from Colombia by Jeanette Winter is another picture book style non-fiction that will capture readers of all ages. Deep in the wilds of Colombia lives a teacher named Luis who has more books than his small home can hold. In an act of good will that warms the hearts of librarians everywhere, he loads his books on the back of his burro and sets out to share them with the children of neighboring villages. The illustrations capture the feel of South America and the story will captivate young readers and listeners. The author includes more information about Luis and his work to share the joys of a good book.

ADULT PLEASURE READING

The Selected Works of T. S. Spivet by Reif Larsen appealed to me on many levels. First, the format of the book is wider than the usual novel, allowing for copious footnotes and illustrations in the sidebar. These are the notes of the young narrator who has an eye for detail. Secondly, the narrator is a young man coming of age in an unusual age. Who wouldn't like that?
Thirdly, he lives in a small town in my home state and is fairly eager to leave. Finally, it is primarily a long (rail)road trip. It is almost impossible to describe the story so I will leave it to you to discover it for yourself just as T. S. Spivet discovers his world.

The Horse Boy: A Memoir of Healing by Rupert Isaacson is part travelogue with beautiful descriptions of the trip between Ulaan Baatar and the forest of Siberia on the edge of Mongolia where the reindeer people live, part spiritual journey as the author's family learns about the beliefs of the area and explores their own thoughts, and part a study of autism. Somehow this books melds those diverse aspects into a usually cohesive story. If treating an autistic child with shamans in remote corners of the world works for them, who am I to argue? I saw the movie of this book earlier in the year and would recommend it along with the book.

Mathilda Savitch by Victor Lodato is yet another book written in the voice of a twelve year old. (This must have been my summer of remembering adolescence.) Here is a girl trying to understand the death of her older sister and why her parents have totally shut down. That is pretty heavy stuff but throw in the concerns about terrorism that are everywhere around her and you will be doubly surprised by the humor that abounds throughout the book.

PROFESSIONAL READING

Unless you ask I will spare you the details of the books I read that were supposed to make me a better teacher, librarian, and person. I will put only the title information so you can decide if you want to pursue them further.
Crossing Over to Canaan: The Journey of New Teachers in Diverse Classrooms by Gloria Ladson-Billings
The Hardest Questions Aren't on the Test: Lessons from an Innovative Urban School by Linda F. Nathan
Brain Rules by John Medina
Race Matters by Cornel West

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel Pink

I read over 70 books this summer from picture books to the heavy stuff and these are the only ones that really spoke to me. Go figure.

Mockingjay

2010-08-30T21:38:00.004-04:00

Yes, I have now successfully completed the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. It didn't take long because this is a "can't put it down" novel. I am not going to give you a review of these books other than to tell you that I enjoyed them and can easily understand why millions of people aged 12 to 80 have devoured these dystopian, young adult novels.

What has fascinated me is the discussions that I have been having with my young (as in middle school and high school) friends. Many spent the early part of August counting down the days to the Mockingjay release that marked the conclusion of the trilogy. They wondered if the author would adequately tie up all the loose ends. They worried that it would not be as exciting as the first two in the series (The Hunger Games and Catching Fire). They were stressed that someone would tell them how it ends before they had a chance to read it. (Note to all readers: Don't spoil the ending for others, no matter how much you want to gloat about reading the book first or how excited/upset/disappointed you are by it. Plain and simple, that is unfair to other readers.)

Now these young adults are debating the fine points of the plot and the writing. What is the message? Why did the people who survived live while others who we loved died? Was there too much violence or not enough? Was the writing equal to the plot or the plot equal to the writing?

The protagonist and narrator of the series is a young woman but most of the discussions I have seen and heard from my group have been between young men. That, to me, is the sign of a good young adult novel. Both boys and girls are reading and discussing the book. And they are proud to have read some fine literature and not in the least upset that the book focuses first on a woman. I am very lucky to have gotten a chance to be a part of these discussions, especially when I can merely eavesdrop. Thank you, Facebook.

Adults, some time to read these books and discuss them with the young adults in your life. Or just read them because they are good stories. Here is an essay from the New York Times Book Review about the joys of reading young adult books. Start reading or you will never know what you have been missing.

Chickens to the Rescue!

2010-08-28T17:19:00.003-04:00

As I searched for books to share with campers this summer and as I put them away, I kept seeing picture books featuring chickens. Two of my recent acquisitions are also picture books that talk about chickens. I do not know how poultry flew to the top of interesting picture books, but they seem to be everywhere. Here are some of the best of the flock.

Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman is a joy to read aloud. Make sure everyone can see the illustrations showing the chickens in swimsuits as they rescue things down the well or showing amazing strength as they stop the pick-up and save a cow stuck in the tree because they are half the story. Listeners are soon chanting along "Chickens to the rescue!" whenever the humans or other farm animals have another problem. They won't be prepared for the twist at the end.

The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato will likely strike a chord with anyone who has an older sibling who was not immune to some heavy duty teasing. I can easily imagine my older brother convincing his rather gullible little sister that she is, in fact, a chicken. The older sisters in this charming story go to the extent of putting eggs and some feathers in their sister's bed. She gets the last laugh and they get in trouble with Mom and Dad.

The Plot Chickens by Mary Jane Auch features a book loving chicken who decides that she should write a book. She solicits the aid of three quirky hens and sets to work. Alas, publishers are less than excited about books by chickens. The entire story is filled with puns and plays on words that add fun to the working plot. That alone would make this a book worth reading, but there is the added bonus that it works as an good introduction to the writing process from start finish. Use it as a reference when writing a story of your own.

Speaking of chickens who like books, Book! Book! Book! by Deboarh Bruss turns an old joke about a chicken in the library into a full story with plenty of conflict. There is plenty of humor, too, as the farm animals head to the library--they are lonely and bored when all the kids go off to school--and try to ask for a book. The librarian can't interpret "Neigh, neigh" or "Bow Wow" but she knows just what to do when the chicken says, "Book! Book! Book!" (or "Bawk! Bawk! Bawk!). This is a story made for telling and dramatization.

The Featherless Chicken Chih-Yuan Chen offers a moral of acceptance of all, even those who look very different and have no sense of style. It is the wonderful, amusing illustrations that make the book soar above its moral to include humor and interesting discussion possibilities. It is never preachy and always fun.

Stuck int he Mud by Jane Clarke also plays with a familiar theme. We all know the story of a giant vegetable that requires everyone in the neighborhood to pull it out of the ground. In this telling of the tale, it is a little chick who is appears to be stuck in the mud. Its worried mother summons everyone to help save her baby. The twist at the end will bring smiles all around, except, perhaps, for the mother hen.

The Minerva Louise series by Janet Morgan Stoeke also plays with the unexpected. In this case it is the confusion that Minerva Louise, a chicken, has with the items that her farm family has around. Start the school year with Minerva Louise at School and then follow her escapades as she finds a hat, a friend, or decorations for Christmas and Easter.

If you have a high tolerance for puns and almost painfully bad jokes, you will enjoy two books by Kevin O'Malley. I find that fourth and fifth graders are the best audiences for Gimme Cracked Corn and I Will Share and Animal Crackers Fly the Coop. Both books are retelling of familiar folk tales with a twist that will keep readers laughing and groaning at the steady flow of jokes as they gradually realized what tale is really being told. They shout out, "Hey, isn't this that story about, you know, those animals who scare the crooks?" Yes, they are right, of course.

The most serious book on this is Ruler of the Courtyard by Rukhsana Khan which takes place in Pakistan. A little girl is afraid of the chickens in her courtyard so she scurries to get to the bath house. She tells herself that she must be brave but it is difficult. While working up the courage to recross the courtyard she spies what she is sure is a snake just a few feet from her feet. When she gets the courage to deal with the snake, she realizes that chickens are not as scary as she thought they were. The illustrations are bright and bold, capturing both the tensions and the relief that this charming girl feels.

My two newest additions are among the most appealing books I have encountered recently.

Interrupting Chicken by David Ezra Stein will ring true to anyone who knows someone who interrupts. The young chicken wants a bedtime story but every time his father starts a familiar story, the chicken interrupts with a quick finish for the story. When father suggests that the interrupting young one tell the story, there is a flurry of activity as the story gets scribbled into a notebook. I especially like the colorful illustrations of the story itself juxtaposed with drab pictures in the storybook. The interruptions jump right into the storybook itself.

The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez has no words at all but tells an adventurous tale of a chicken taken from its friends by a fox. The detailed illustrations follow the fox as her runs off with his catch with her friends, a bear, a rabbit, and a rooster, in hot pursuit. The surprise ending is just what I wanted to happen and should thrill young readers who are sure to pour over this book again and again, creating their own explanations of what is happening between the chicken and her friends and then when she is with the fox.

Enjoy a chicken book or two. They will have you clucking for more.

Singapore Connections

2010-08-05T14:19:00.002-04:00

Soon after school got out in June, I was treated to a visit from the librarian at the Canadian International School in Singapore. She is also Aunt Sarah to some of my favorite Emerson students. One of the wonders of the world is the connections that are made this way.

Sarah and I had a nice time speaking "librarian" together, comparing what we do and why we do it. I have high hopes that together we will find a way to connect our two schools on opposite sides of the world, sharing those things that make our schools special as well as the myriad things we have in common.

One of the interesting things done by the International Schools in Singapore--there are several--is to all vote on favorite books. The librarians of the schools nominate books to be short listed for the Red Dot Awards each year. Students in each of the schools vote to have the final say in choosing four titles to be anointed with the coveted Red Dot. Go to the Red Dot website to see the winners and the nominees for 2010. One of the most interesting things to me is the variety of choices at each of the four reading levels. They strive to have titles and authors that represent the world. This means that some of the books are very familiar to me while others have never crossed my path. Sadly, many of those in the latter category are not readily available in the USA, having been published in Singapore or Australia or some other interesting, but far away, place.

Wouldn't it be fun to get a group of loosely tied schools together here for something similar? I have my eyes and ears open for schools near and far that might want to develop a similar program.

Thank you, Sarah, for introducing me to this program. I will keep watching your suggestions. Who knows where this will lead us.

Choice Books

2010-06-21T10:32:00.002-04:00

At some point during the 2009-2010 school year, all of the fourth graders in Mrs. B.'s class got the chance to pick the book they read from the genre of their choice. To conclude the reviews from Mrs. B.'s class, here are reviews of some of those choice books.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
Moose is with his family on the same island as public enemy #1! He doesn't have any friends on the island because they all live in Santa Monica, where he used to live. He goes to school in San Francisco where he plays baseball on Monday. He helps this girl named Piper with her "Projects". Like the time she took all the other students' clothes and washed them in her own washer and said they were done by Al Capone. That plan backfired and Moose got in a lot of trouble even though he didn't do anything. Alcatraz Island is a place where the worst criminals of all live. Moose has never seen the criminals before but he knows they are out there. Will Moose ever see Al Capone? Read to find out.
Rating: I give this book ***** stars because I love every part of it. I also liked that it is actually true that kids used to live on Alcatraz and I would be way too scared if I lived on an island with a bunch of criminals.

Stormbreaker by Anthony Horowitz
Stormbreaker is about a boy, Alex Rider, whose uncle dies. He has been told that he died in a car accident, but when he finds his uncle's car there was a bullet hole in the window. A little later he finds out that his uncle was a secret agent. Now Alex has to finish his uncle's mission. The mission is to go to Sayle Enterprises and find out what the Stormbreaker is.
Alex is only doing the mission to figure out who killed his uncle. Is Sayle the nice guy Alex thinks he is? Will he be able to stop this computer from being launched?
Rating: I rate this book *** stars because I do not like shooting and killing and spy books. I do not think many girls would like this book, but boys who love these things would love it.

Savvy by Ingrid Law
This is a book about a girl named Mibs which is short for Mississippi in the Beaumont's family. Mibs is about to turn 13. Thirteen is the age that all Beaumont children get their savvy, their magical power. A few days before her birthday disaster strikes; Mibs' dad was in an accident on the highway. This upsets Mibs terribly when her father doesn't wake up. When she has a birthday party that Miss Rosemary arranges at the church, she finds a pink bus that has Salina written on it. That was the city that her dad was in at the hospital. She was risking a lot because damage could be done with her savvy. She gets on the bus and runs away with her brother Fish, her brother Samson, Miss Rosemary's son Will, Will's sister Bobbi, and Lester a pink Bible delivery man. They ran away to get to Mibs' father but Lester has stops on the way.
Mibs thinks her savvy is waking people up because that morning she had woken up the pet turtle and woken her sister Gypsy. She assumes that she can wake her father. This leads them to a huge adventure that is risky and dangerous. Will Mibs' savvy turn out how she thought it would? Will she be able to wake her father?
Rating: ***** I give this book 5 stars because there was always something exciting going on. I could never stop reading this book.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma by Trenton Lee Stewart
Reynie, Sticky, Kate and Constance are some of the most talented kids int he world. The whisperer is a powerful weapon that can bring back memories, brainsweep, and many other things. Mr. Curtain is the evil brother of Mr. Benedict and the maker of the Whisperer. Mr. Curtain has a new plot to retake his Whisperer and rule the world. Mr. Curtain bribed a high ranked government official to take the Whisperer. The Ten Men raid the house and captured the children. It is up to the four children to stop Mr. Curtain, S.Q., and his evil ten men. What will happen in this book of good, evil, ten men, sentries, buckets and briefcases? Read to find out.
Rating: I would rate this book *****five stars. It was one of the best books I have every read. It always kept me on the edge of my seat. If you like Harry Potter and Percy Jackson you will love this book. It ends my favorite series of all time.

An Acceptable Time by Madeleine L'Engle
Polly O'Keefe is the daughter of Meg O'Keefe. She moves in with her grandparents, Alex and Kate Murray. She likes living with them very much. One day Polly was walking over to the Star Watching Rock and all of a sudden she was in a different place. The trees have moved, everything has changed, the Star Watching Rock is small and in better condition. Polly was about 3,000 years ahead of her time. She looked around and about an hour later she was back in her own time. She ran back to her grandparent's house and told them everything. Her grandma told her that she went through a time gate. She also told Polly that she should never go back tot he Star Watching Rock. The next day Polly's friend Zachary came over. They take a little walk and end up going through the time gate. They get stuck in the time gate and Zachary gets very ill. They have to wait there until the time gate will reopen. Will they be OK? Will they get back to their own time? Read the book and find out!
Rating: I would give this book 5 out of 5 stars because it kept me at the edge of my seat. It did take me a long time to read, but it's worth all the time.

Peter and the Shadow Thieves by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson, illustrated by Greg Call
This book is about a boy named Peter who can fly and lives on an island with his other friends and protectors that call themselves the Mollusks. But there is trouble on that island. The trouble is pirates! They are out for Peter's friends but they know they can't attack the boys with the Mollusks around, so they try to sneak there by using a distraction. While that's going on at the island, Peter is flying to London with his fairy Tinker Bell to help his friend Molly. She is about to be attacked by different pirates and a creature that takes people's shadows. They are attacking Molly's family because her family has a very special object called star stuff. The star stuff is so important because it has powers that can do all sorts of things. For instance, it can make people fly. What will happen to the boys, Peter, and Molly? Read to find out.
Rating: I give this book ***** stars out of ***** stars because I think this book is very, very good and got me at the edge of my seat. Though I think you should read the first one first because then you will know what will be going on.

Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary
This book is about where Maggie does not want to learn cursive. Maggie is forced to learn cursive. Then the teacher finds out that Maggie is not doing what she is supposed to be doing. So then Maggie's mom gets a note from the teacher. Then Maggie starts writing her name in cursive when everyone was practicing letters. Then Maggie becomes note monitor and she delivers notes to the principal and the principal writes back. Then she still does not want to learn cursive. Did she learn to write cursive? Read the book and find out.
Rating: I give this book ** stars because there was not any excitement.

The True Confesions of Charlotte Doyle by Avi
Charlotte Doyle is a young lady attending Barrington School in England, until her father sends for her to come to America on a ship called the Seahawk. Once on board, Charlotte hears strange rumors about the captain, Mr. Jaggery. She thinks he's a nice gentleman and when he tells her to look out for two circles, a round robin, she says she will even though she was warned by a man named Zachariah not to trust him. When she sees one and tells Captain Jaggery, she sees he is the murderer everyone told her about. She tries to stop him, but she just made it worse. and now captain and crew are mad at her. She needs to prove to the crew she is sorry, but what can she do?
Rating: I give this book ***** stars out of five, because it was exciting.

Redwall by Brian Jacques
Redwall is a book about castle times but with animals in it. Rats are attacking Redwall and Mossflower forest. They are experienced fighters and will not stop at anything. Mattiaus is a mouse; he has lots of adventures and he is one of the main characters. One of his adventures was he had to fight a serpent to get a famous sword that might save Redwall. Will Redwall stand or will it be burned down by the rats, read the book to find out.
Rating: I would give this book ***** because it was a really good book and I loved it. I would recommend this book to other people and I think they would enjoy it.

More Fantasy Reviews. Thanks Grade 4!

2010-06-21T09:57:00.002-04:00

Let's finish up the reviews of fantasy novels from Mrs. B.'s fourth grade class, 2009-2010.

The Secret of Platform Thirteen by Eva Ibbotson
One day three nurses take the prince out of Platform 13 and a nasty old woman, Mrs. Trottle, steals the prince. Four rescuers, a hag, a wizard, a giant and a fey, have to try to rescue the prince. The king and queen have to make the giant invisible so people will not notice him. All there is left of him is his eyeball floating in the air. The only way people will not be able to see the giant is if he shuts his eye, and he only had to do that a couple of times. The rescuers try really hard to impress the prince but all he does is insult the creatures.
All of the rescuers have lots of feelings and one the island people care a lot. The prince grew up with a rich mother so he is very spoiled. He always makes an excuse to skip school, then he says he wants to go out for lunch and has a lot of junk food. The hag got so mad when she saw this that she wished she was never a rescuer. The rescuers only have nine days until the portal to Platform 13 closes, but they never give up.
One day the wizard brings out something that will only come out once in five hundred years and the prince insults it. Then it goes back in. The four rescuers try many things to get the prince back but it is really hard. Will the four rescuers be able to save the Platform by bringing the prince back?
Rating: I rate this book **** stars because the book had many details and I didn't want to put the book down. Some parts were sad, but I think this would be a good book to read!

The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien
This book is about a long time ago when dragons were the kings of the earth. In the book is a dragon who likes to steal gold and sleeps with his eyes half open and can smell anyone and anything. It's also about a man named Bilbo Baggins who tries to steal the gold from he dragon. Bilbo Baggins is a small, little, fat, intelligent man. He is not big on adventures but he's good at many things. You can find out what he's best at if you read the book.
Rating: I do say *** out of ***** for everything. It's not bad but it's not good.

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
This book is about a boy whose parents get murdered, but he escapes to the nearby graveyard to be raised by ghosts. By the age of six he can talk well; he knows math; he knows lots of other knowledge of the spirits. His personality gets DARKER. He soon is captured by ghouls, and that was getting to be a nightmare until his magical tutor finally got the perfect chance, and she took it! After so long his family's killer hunts him down until he tricks him, but he brings friends along! Again he finds himself running away from an unstoppable man. In the end he barely defeats them and see the future the he was always waiting for...
Rating: I gave this book 4/5 stars because the book was sweet and sad.

Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
The book Artemis Fowl is about a 12-year-old boy named Artemis Fowl who wants a lot of fairy gold. One night on the full moon he captured a fairy to lure the other fairies to his house so he could get more gold. What Artemis didn't know is that he captured the brave Captain Holly Short. Now, down in the inner core where the fairies live Commander Root (another fairy) is getting geared up with his gun and his other equipment to save Holly. After a while, Commander Root finds out where Artemis lives (he lives in a house in Dublin, Ireland) and gets to the house. With a little help from the mulch-digging and eating dwarf Mulch Diggums, Commander Root is able to get into the house. Will Holly ever escape and what will happen to everyone else?
Rating: I will rate this book 3 out of 5 stars because it wouldn't catch my attention. There would be some funny and interesting parts, but to me it was not a book that I would read again.

Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Alice goes to her dad's friend's house and follows a white rabbit (March Hare) down a very long rabbit hole. As she was falling, she tried to grab as many things as she can to stop her from falling any deeper. Because everything she grabbed was loose, the objects (vases, flower pots, paintings, etc.) ended falling on top of her. (All she could see falling down was just darkness down to the world of Wonderland.) Alice meets the Mad Hatter, who later becomes her friend. He tells her that she has to go to the Red Queen's castle to get the Vorpal Sword, to slay the Jabberwockey on Frabjous Day. Alice sneaks into the castle but Stayne, the Knave of Hearts, sees her and tells the Red Army to attack her. She gets free. On Frabjous Day, Alice is supposed to slay the Jabberwockey's head off, but Red Queen got in the way and Alice killed her. Everyone was happy, even Stayne, the Red Army, and everyone who lived in Wonderland except the Jabberwocky. Will the Jabberwockey kill Alice? Or will Alice slay the Jabberwockey? Read the book to find out.
Rating: I would give this book 4 out of 5 because some parts were interesting and some parts I wanted to stop reading. It's not the best or worst book I have read.

Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridly Pearson, illustrated by Greg Call
Peter and the Starcatchers is about Peter Pan before he became a magical person. Peter was born in 1775 and he never died because of the stuff called star stuff that was very powerful and had magic powers. Star stuff is something that falls to earth from space and these people called starcatchers find the star stuff and get rid of it. Peter meets a young starcatcher named Molly and they become friends and try to get rid of the star stuff before Black Stache. Black Stache is a pirate who loves treasure. In the end Black Stache does not get the star stuff and is carried away by his first officer called Smee.
The main characters are Peter, Molly, Black Stache, and Smee. Peter is a red headed boy who likes to be in charge of his friends who are orphans. Peter is also an orphan. Molly is a girl who belongs to a rich family and is a starcatcher who found the star stuff and is trying to get rid of it. Black Stache is a pirate and loves to have treasure and will do anything to get it. Smee is Black Stache's first officer and has been first officer longer than any other.
Rating: I would rate this book ***** stars because it had a lot of action and was very exciting at all times. Also was never boring and it kept me at the edge of my seat the whole time I was reading it, I never wanted to put the book down at all so that's why I loved it.

The Fantasy World of Fourth Grade

2010-06-20T16:53:00.002-04:00

Moving right along with the book reviews by the 2009-2010 fourth graders in Mrs. B.'s class, we are now up to fantasy, one of my favorite genres.

Many Waters by Madeleine L'Engle
Sandy and his twin brother Dennys mess up with their father's science experiment and end up in a desert populated with munchkins. Sandy and Dennys get a sunstroke and suffer for a couple of months and have to put up with some things such as death, captivity, and a big flood. Then Sandy and Dennys meet Noah. Like in Noah and the Ark. Then Noah introduces Grandfather Lamech. Grandfather Lamech said that El has told him that a flood is coming. El is like a god that only people that believe in him can hear him. So Noah, Sandy, and Dennys build an Art. But will Sandy and Dennys be able to put up with all these things? Will the people on the island be able to survive the flood? Will Sandy and Dennys be able to get back home? Read the book and find out.
Rating: I would give this book 5 stars because I always wanted to know what will happen next to Sandy and Dennys and wondered if they were going to get back home.

Seven Day Magic by Edward Eager
There were five children named Barnaby, Abby, Fredericka, John, and Susan. They go to the library one day and Susan checks out an old book. When they are walking home Susan opens up the book. There is nothing in it! She shows the other children. When they get home they check all the pages and realize that exactly what they had just said was in the book. Maybe it's a magic book. Fredericka wishes for a dragon. They go outside. A dragon swoops down and grabs Fredericka. Will the children save Fredericka and unravel the mystery of the book?
Rating: I would rate this book * one star. It wasn't exciting or funny. A couple of times I wanted to stop reading and start a new book. It was one of the worst books I have ever read.

Emily Windsnap and the Monster From the Deep by Liz Kessler, illustrated by Sarah Gibb
This book is about a curious eleven year old girl named Emily Windsnap. She loves to explore. One day when she was exploring with her friend, Shona, they found a cave. They decided to see what was in it. They found a huge monster called the Kraken! That monster was Neptune's monster. (the King of the Sea) When Neptune found out that the monster had escaped, he was furious. Emily and Shona were the only people who could calm the Kraken down. Meanwhile Emily's enemy, Mandy, was going to go on a cruise with her family and it wasn't going well. What will happen to Emily and Shona? Read to find out.
Rating: I give this book four stars out of five stars because I like funny books better and some parts were boring. Other than that, I really liked it.

The Sisters Grimm and the Tales From the Hood by Micheal Buckley, illustrated by Peter Ferquson
This is a great book about two girls named Sabrina and Daphene and their family. The family lives in Ferryport Landing, a town full of everafters (live people that were in fairy tales). In this book they have to complete two missions. The first one is about Mr. Canis, the old bodyguard for the Grimm family. Mr. Canis is a friendly man but when he has anger he blows with rage and turns back into the big bad wolf. The police have been looking for the big bad wolf for years to put him in jail so when the police see him they arrested him. They have to get Mr. Canis out of jail before it's too late.
The second problem is that Sabrina and Daphene's parents are under a sleeping spell. Goldilocks is the only one who can break the sleeping spell because she truly loves Mr. Grimm. But they are out of luck because Goldilocks is moving from town to town because a man is chasing after her. Even though they have to battle against the man and get Goldilocks back they get to see the beautiful cities like Paris, Chicago, New York, and they even get to see the ocean. Will they complete their missions in time?
Rating: This book had an abundance of action in each chapter. There was magic, mystery and suspense. I give it 5 stars.

Which Witch? by Eva Ibbotson
Arriman the Awful needs a wife. Even though he is the blackest wizard there is, he is aging quite rapidly and needs a son to take over his role. Which witch will he choose? Will it be Mabel Wrack, half mermaid and great at fishy magic; Old Mother Bloodward who knows every spell in the book except the turn-yourself-young-again spell or the Shouter twins who would kill each other to win over Arriman? All of the witches are scared of Madame Olympia who knows the blackest magic in the universe. Poor Belladonna doesn't stand a chance against the other witches because she only specializes in white magic, not black. Belladonnna already realized that the young wizard is alive but Arriman doesn't have a clue. What will happen?
Rating: I gave this book four stars because most of the time it was exciting and had nail biting moments. The rest of the book gave me no emotions.

The Giggler Treatment by Roddy Doyle
This book is about adults getting the giggler treatment. The giggler treatment is about if adults are mean to the children then they get poop on their shoe. Adults get poop on their shoes until they stop being mean to the children. The Gigglers don't poop. The dog owner makes Rover poop outside and the Gigglers get the poop and pay Rover 20 pence.
Mister Mack was being mean to his children because he put his kids in bed early because they broke the kitchen window. The Giggler thought the kids were in their rooms for a long time but they were in their room for two minutes. The Gigglers put poop on the sidewalk. Does Mister Mack step on the poop? Read the book to find out.
Rating: I give this book ***** stars because the book was funny. It was funny because the gigglers were hilarious.

The Candy Shop War by Brandon Mull
The Candy Shop War is about four friends, Nate, Summer, Pigeon, and Trevor, who discover a candy shop owned by Belinda White. She is a magician who gives magical candy to children in exchange for shady tasks. Her goal is to drink from the fountain of youth, a thing of liquid that would make her more powerful and younger. After the children find out she betrayed them they go to Mr. Stott, the ice cream man, who is also a magician. He helps them try to beat Belinda to the treasure. Belinda recruits three bullies from their school, Denny, Eric, and Kyle. She also gets a few magical creatures, a Gusher, A Fuse, and a Kinetic. Will they be able to stop Belinda White?
Rating: I would give this book five stars because it had a lot of action an magic in it. I also would recommend it to other people.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien, illustrated by Zena Bernstein
It all started with a family of four field mice and their widowed mother named Mrs. Frisby. Her children were called Teresa, Martin, Cynthia, and Timothy. One day Timothy became terribly ill with pneumonia and the seasons were turning from winter to spring. The only problem, other than Timothy being sick with pneumonia, is that in a matter of time Mr. Fitzgibbon, the farmer, and his sons pull out the plow. Mrs. Frisby's house is right in the middle of the field and she needs to find a way to move her house before time runs out. Luckily, she finds a magnificent species of super rats called the Rats of NIMH who can help her. Can she persuade the rats to accompany her with the help of her children, a crazy crow named Jeremy, an out of this world owl and another field mouse named Mr. Ages?
Rating: I liked this book because it was thrilling and always made me wonder what would happen next. I GIVE THIS BOOK FIVE STARS *****

Inkheart by Cornelia Funke
Twelve year old Meggie and her father, Morimer, were snug in their house when suddenly a strange man appeared outside. Mortimer led him inside and took him into his office. The next thing she knew Meggie was in the car on the way to her Aunt Elinor's house. Aunt Elinor was obsessed with books and her walls are all book shelves. Meggie and Mortimer take the stranger with them whose name is Dustfinger. When Mortimer reads aloud characters come out of the book. He read Dustfinger out of a book named Inkheart. When someone comes out another person goes in. When Dustfinger came out, Mortimer's wife went in. Dustfinger is a fire eater. He puts on a show for Meggie later at night. The next day they are off to Capricorn's village.
Capricorn is a cold souled person whose heart is ink black. Capricorn captures them and puts them in a horse stall that Capricorn uses as a dungeon. Later they escape and find an old shack to hide in. After awhile Dustfinger sets fire to Capricorn's house as a distraction. What will happen next? Read Inkheart to find out.
Rating: I give this book ***** stars because I loved the adventure in the book.

Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Coraline had just moved to a new apartment, but her parents still ignore her. They are always busy. Then one day, Coraline found a locked door. when she unlocked it, she found another world. Living there is a magical mother. Coraline thinks the other world is a wonderful place, until one night at dinner her magical mother says she wants to sew buttons on her eyes. Coraline goes back until her magical mother steals her parents and locks Coraline in a secret room. In the room there are three ghosts that the magical mother already stole. They tell Coraline to find their souls and she will be free from the magical mother. The magical mother says if Coraline can find the souls and where she hid her parents, Coraline can go back to her world with them. But how can Coraline find them? And what if the magical mother doesn't let her go back.
Rating: I give this book ***** stars because it was really suspenseful and it had a lot of action in it.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Jess is a boy who loves to run. He also loves to make up animals and draw them. One day a girl came to live next to Jess. Her name was Leslie. Leslie and Jess became best friends. They wanted a place for just the two of them. They find a creek and a tree hanging over it. That gave Leslie an idea. She tied a rope onto the tree sot hey could swing across the creek.
Then they started to build the castle. They built and built every day after school until it was finally done. They named the area Terabithia.
On Easter they had to go to church. Leslie found out and wanted to go with Jess's family. Leslie went with them. When they got there, Leslie started reading the Bible. She said, "I don't believe this." Jess's sister said, "If you don't believe this then you might not got to Heaven!" Still, Leslie didn't believe it.
One morning, Jess got a call from his favorite teacher to go to the Smithsonian with her. Jess was so excited he told his mom and was running to the driveway, where the teacher would be waiting. On the car ride, he thought about Terabithia. Then he thought of Leslie. Jess forgot to tell Leslie! Jess thought she would be fine and everything will be all right. Or will it?
Rating: I give this book **** stars because it made me want to read more. At the end of the chapter it stopped at an important part and made me want to continue reading. I think some people may not like this book though because it wasn't as action packed as other books.

The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, illustrated by Brock Colein
This book is an action of adventure that inspires children to read the fantasy and mystery of Omri and his action figures. Imagine a young boy with his action figure coming to life and trying to defend themselves from danger. How the action figures come to life is a secret you can uncover by reading the story. Many magical things begin to happen as you go deeper and deeper into the book and discover the purpose of Omri's birthday present, the cupboard. Omri finally discovers the secret, but you can only find out by reading this fantasy story.
Rating: I really enjoyed the book because it was full of adventure and magic. Even though it was a fantasy book, I still felt like it was a real story! It was easy to read because it was so exciting and in parts of the book it had dangerous parts. I would give it 5 stars and I would suggest that all my friends should read it.

Fablehaven by Brandon Mull
Fablehaven is a story about a girl named Kendra and her younger brother Seth. When their parents are going on a cruise, Kendra and Seth must go to their grandparent's house until their parents are back. While Kendra and her brother are at their grandparent's house they soon discover a big secret. Their grandparents own Fablehaven, a secret sanctuary that gives magical creatures a place to stay. They find out that fairies, satyrs, and freaky demons all exist and find refuge in these secret sanctuaries. Kendra and Seth gain all of this knowledge fast and soon after quickly find trouble. An evil witch named Muriel is set loose in Fablehaven and she wants to release Bahumat, an evil demon who could destroy Fablehaven and everyone in it that has taken refuge at Fablehaven. Can Kendra and Seth, along with their grandparents, Lena, and Dale (who are new friends) save the day? The existence of Fablehaven and the existence of themselves? Read the book to find out.
Rating: I give this book 5 stars because each chapter was full of suspense and the author has so many wonderful ideas. I would highly recommend it to people who love magical creatures!

Half Magic by Edward Eager
Half Magic is about a girl named Jane who has a magic coin. The problem is the coin only wishes half of your wishes. So they travel around making unsafe wishes and it turns into a big problem, they mess up history, their cats speaks English and meows, and their little sister has only half her body.
Everybody in town is worried because a dog statue starts speaking and Mark's friends play basketball with half a body. Now they are worried because they messed up everything and might not be able to fix it. They only have limited wishes and they have only a couple more wishes left. Can they fix all their problems? Will anybody believe them? Will they be able to fix any trouble?
Rating: I give this book ***** stars because it really caught my attention so I felt like I was int he book.

More mysteries--Thanks, 4th grade

2010-06-19T21:34:00.003-04:00

More mystery books reviewed by Mrs. B.'s 2009-2010 fourth grade class.

Daredevils by Franklin W. Dixon
One day Frank and Joe Hardy were watching a movie called "Flame Broiled". When the movie was over they went home to find that their dad had a note from Brian McCaully, an old friend in Hollywood. It said that his son, Terrence McCaully (a friend of Frank and Joe, also a stuntman) was entering the Daredevil Fest and thought someone didn't want him to compete. Now the boys have a one way trip to Hollywood to solve the mystery.
While they're in Hollywood they meet some pretty suspicious suspects and do a lot of dangerous stunts like hang-gliding, sky diving, and extreme truck driving.
Rating: I give this book 4 stars because it made me want to look deeper into the book and find all its secrets. It made me want to read it for hours and hours.

Stolen Stegosaurus by Paleo Joe
This book is about two kids, Dakota and Shelly. Shelly is 9 years old and she thinks she knows everything. Dakota, on the other hand, is much different. He's average. He is 10 years old. Dakota doesn't like Shelly very much. He thinks she's a total brat. They go on a dino dig with their friend Paleo Joe. They head out to North Dakota because that is one of the best digging sites. Then Shelly finds some dinosaur eggs and thinks she is the best person in the world. They figure out that the dino eggs belonged to a stegosaurus. Then they find some bones of a stegosaurus but don't find any more! Can they find the dino bones? Read the book and find out!
Rating: I would give this book only half a star because it didn't really catch my attention and it didn't really have much action. I would recommend it if you are the type of person who likes mystery books.

Disappearing Acts by Betsy Byars
Disappearing Acts is a book about a girl named Herculeah Jones, and her friend, Meat. Herculeah is a detective who helps Meat with finding his father who ran away when Meat was born. When Meat goes to joke classes at Funny Bonz Night Club, he finds a dead body in the bathroom. When the director goes back to check, the body is gone. Meat tells Herculeah, and she comes back to look. But then she finds a clue to Meat's case and she thinks she can find his father. Can she solve both cases? Which case will she choose? Read the book to find out.
Rating: I gave this book **** stars because it was good, but it was sometimes a little boring.

Howliday Inn by James Howe
This book is great. It's about a family who goes on vacation and leave their pets, Chester and Harold, at Chateau Bow-Wow. Chester gets worried that Howard and Heather are werewolves. When Harold wakes up, Chester has gone missing. Harold can't trust anyone, not even Howard or Heather! He talks to his friend Max--Louise has now gone missing, too! They look at the gate and it was opened. What happened to Chester and Louise?
Rating: I gave this book five stars because it has a lot of detail and is interesting, but I knew that they would solve the mystery.

Chet Gecko in Farewell My Lunch Bag by Bruce Hale
In this book someone has been stealing food from the kitchen and if the lunch lady does not figure out who has been stealing the food from the kitchen she will lose her job. So the lunch lady asks Chet for help and Chet agrees. It is only because he does not want to say good-bye to stink bug pie. Chet's partner, Nattily Attired, helps him with this mystery. They try talking to many people who do not like the lunch lady, but none of them did it.
This book takes place at Emerson Hicky Elementary. All the teachers there are mean. The only nice grown-up is the lunch lady. Can Chet save his stink bug pie and the lunch lady? If you want to find out, read the book!
Rating: I rate this book **** because it was good, but if you read it again it is no fun because you know the ending and it will not be a mystery. This book had a lot of details.

Bunnicula by Deborah and James Howe
This book is about two children that have a dog named Harold and a cat named Chester. One day they go to a Dracula movie and find a bunny; they name him Bunnicula. Chester finds out what Bunnicula is doing every night. Chester is worried that Bunnicula is going to take over the house. Will Bunnicula take over the house or will Chester and Harold stop him?
Rating: I give this book a * star rating because it was not really a mystery book. It was boring. A lot of other people like this book, but, personally, I don't.

Seven Day Magic by Edward Eager
This book is about five children who love to read. One day they find a book at the library that is due in seven days instead of fourteen days. While they start reading it, they notice that it is about their own lives. They didn't know where the book came from. They start making wishes to the book thinking they would come true, and they do. Their first wish was to go to Oz land and help save the munchkins from the evil dragon. They traveled there from a flying house. Mr. Oswaldo is the one who made the house fly by using a special potion. Ms. Funkhouser is Mr. Oswaldo's maid who cleans up all the magic that goes wrong. Will the five kids save the munchkins or will the dragon eat them all? Read to find out.
Rating: I gave this book **** stars because people who like adventure and mystery would love it. Also that most parts were exciting and they kept me on the edge of my seat.

The Tower Treasure by Franklin W. Dixon
This book is about the Hardy boys. The Hardy boys are the main characters in The Tower Treasure. First is Frank Hardy. He has blond hair and is a little older than Joe Hardy. He is also a little more responsible than Joe. Joe Hardy has short black hair and is more athletic than his brother, Frank. He is also a little more positive than his brother. The setting takes place in Bayport, New York. Bayport is a small town with a a lot of people. This is where Frank and Joe were born and raised by Mrs. and Mr. Hardy. The mystery in this book is about money and jewels that were stolen from these rich people called the Applegates. When the Applegates found out that some of their property was stolen, they were both furious. What will happen next? Will the Hardy boys solve the case or not? Read to find out.
Rating: I would rate this book **** because it had a lot of action in it and it was really good at times, so I would recommend this book to all readers.

The Hardy Boys and the Arctic Patrol Mystery by Franklin W. Dixon
This book is about two boys named Frank and Joe Hardy that go to their friend's house. A man tries to kidnap them from solving the mystery of their disappearing friends. They go to Iceland to give a man named Rex Hallbjornson $50.000 for saving a billionaire's life at sea. The pilot of the plane is the man who kidnapped Frank and Joe's friends. They killed him and then the plane crashed, but they were fine. Will the boys catch the thief? Read the book to find out.
Rating: I would give this book a **** star rating because the book had a lot of suspense and I never was bored of it.

Sammy Keyes and the Psycho Kitty Queen by Wendelin Van Draanen
This book is about a girl named Sammy Keyes who notices a problem in her neighborhood: there are cats disappearing everywhere and their owners aren't happy. In this book, Sammy goes out of her way to find these kitties. Now for the facts: There are dead cats in garbage cans. There were wrestlers that had weird names. Some people were acting very suspicious. Cats were forced to fight each other. A police officer was dressed up as the wrestler Al Gato. Crazy people were betting on fighting cats. The main characters in the book were Sammy, the sleuth; Mom, the liar; Grams, the worrier; and Tony, the betrayer. Now you know the basics of the book. Read it for the fun of it!
Rating: My rating was 4 out of 5 stars. It was awesome!

Nancy Drew and the Invisible Intruder by Carolyn Keene
This book is about a teen-age girl detective named Nancy, who loves to solve mysteries! The mystery in this book is about an invisible intruder who tries to get a deed to a hotel. In order to do that he has to scare the people who are staying at the hotel. Eventually the word will spread that there is a ghost in the hotel. He wants that because nobody will stay there and it will get bankrupt. Nancy has to try to find the person who is making all these ghosts appear and report that person to the police. Will Nancy be able to find the person before the hotel gets bankrupt? You'll have to read to find out.
Rating: I give this book *** stars out of five stars because it was a little boring. I never got interest in the book and I knew Nancy would solve the mystery.

Nancy Drew and the Mystery of Nancy's Mysterious Letter by Carolyn Keene
This book is about a teenager named Nancy Drew who gets a letter that is supposed to be for a famous actress named Nancy Smith Drew. While Nancy is trying to find Nancy Smith Drew, another mystery has taken place. Nancy's friend, Ira Nixon has a stepbrother named Edgar Nixon who has stolen a LOT of money from him. When Nancy stays at the hotel that Nancy Smith Drew stayed at, she finds out that Nancy Smith Drew is going to marry Edgar Nixon. Finally, Nancy finds Nancy Smith Drew at an airport. When Nancy tells Nancy Smith Drew that she is about to marry a thief, she doesn't know what to say. Then Nancy sees Edgar walking to the bathroom. Will she ever catch him?
Rating: I will rate this book *** stars out of five stars because it was to read but it was too short of a book.

Sammy Keyes and the Hollywood Mummy by Wendelin Van Draanen
This book is about a girl named Sammy Keyes who lives with her grandmother. She runs away with her best friend, Marrissa, to see her mother who left one year before to become a movie star. When they arrive in Hollywood they discover that her mother pretends she is twenty years younger, dyes her hair, makes fake newspaper clippings about her acting, makes fake roles, and changes her name to get the part of Jewel in a T. V. show. Max, the man that Sammy's mother is going to marry, is secretly trying to ruin her career. When the friends are trying to rescue Sammy's mom, they have to go through obstacles and little mysteries along the way. Will they be able to stop Max and the maids that help along the way in time?
Rating: I gave this book four stars. It was full of suspense, mystery, adventure and action.

Mystery Books--Reviewed by 4th grade

2010-06-19T20:07:00.003-04:00

Here are some reviews of mystery books by Mrs. B.'s fourth grade class, 2009-2010. Enjoy!

The Hardy Boys and the Secret of the Caves by Franklin W. Dixon
This book is about the Hardy Boys an their friends having a goal to solve mysteries. They are famous as detectives in the city of Bayport where they live. Their goal is to fight crime and they get into a lot of personal trouble along the way. In the end, they safely return to Bayport with the mysteries solved.
The Secret of the Caves takes place in many different locations. First, the Hardy Boys start out near Bayport where they live. Then they go to a college to look for a missing professor, to the railroads, to the cliffs, and end up at the honeycomb caves on the sea!
Rating: I give this mystery book five stars ***** because it made me feel like I was a character in the book. Another reason why I give the book five stars is because I couldn't stop reading it because it was so good.

Nancy Drew: The Ring Master's Secret by Carolyn Keene
This book is about Nancy drew, an eighteen year old girl who loves to solve mysteries. The story is Nancy's aunt sends Nancy a small horse charm bracelet with a big mystery behind it. Nancy discovers that the horse charm bracelet is missing one charm. Nancy is soon trying to find where the missing charm could have gone. Nancy found out that a woman named Lola Flanders had sold the bracelet at a shop because she needed the money. Nancy went looking for her.
Soon the circus comes to River Heights and Nancy's friend Teddy wants to go so Nancy is to accompany him. While Nancy is watching the parade her little friend, Teddy, runs up to Cinderella's carriage. Nancy chases after him into the carriage. Nancy meets a young girl in the carriage named Lolita and she soon finds out that she is Lola Flander's daughter. When Lolita said her mother supposedly died in a circus accident Nancy's hope falls. However Lolita still has hope that her mother is alive. Will Lolita ever find her mother who is supposedly dead and will Nancy ever find the last charm to her bracelet? Read the book to find out!
Rating: I give this book ***** stars because it was really detailed and fun to read.

The Hardy Boys: Mystery of the Firebird Rocket by Franklin W. Dixon
When the Hardy Boys get asked by their father, Fenton Hardy, to go to Princeton College to help find a missing rocket scientist they start on the case. They find a clue at Princeton that leads them across the world to Australia. They follow the criminals around Australia. On the way Joe almost gets run over by a car. Finally, they find the gang's hideout, an old house in Alice Springs. There were guards all around the house and they couldn't get in. Will they sneak into the house and save the scientist?
Rating: I would rate this book three stars ***, but compared to the other Hardy Boys books I have read I would give it two stars **. I liked all the action, I was on the edge of my seat. Like the other Hardy Boys, I would highly suggest it.

Under the Mountain by Maurice Gee
This book is a slow starter and is fast to end. It's almost all bad. I didn't like the book that much because I couldn't find anything to really follow in the book. The book was all jumping to different places; it didn't really tell you what was going on that much. It did have good parts but a lot of bad parts. The bad parts are when the book is trying to tell you what's going on, but it just can't get it right. The good parts are the fast pages that don't have ten things going on. I'm sorry but this is a book I want to stay away from.
Rating: not the best but not terrible--two stars **

The Mystery of the Mixed Up Zoo by Gertrude Warner
This book is about James, the grandfather of the children Henry, Jessie, Violet and Benny. James' friend, Edward, owns a zoo. Someone keeps switching the signs at the zoo. A lot of animals are not behind bars. Someone stole the monkey. They found out who stole the monkey. Read the book to find out who stole the monkey.
Rating: I give this book ** stars because I don't like zoos. I also didn't like it because it had too much adventure.

The Egypt Game by Zilpha Keatly Snyder
April, Melanie, and Marshall come up with the idea for the Egypt Game. They find the A to Z shop backyard and think it is a perfect place to play the game. They set up there and have a great time, but at Halloween they slip away from the group and go to Egypt. Some kids follow them and climb over the wall. These kids want to join, so now they have six players. They come up with the idea of using hieroglyphics to send secret message to each other. At the same time there is a murderer on the loose int he neighborhood. He tries to catch the members of the Egypt Game. Will the children be all right?
Rating: I would give this book 2 stars because it did not have very much mystery in it. I did like it because it moved right along.

Spiderkane and the Mystery Under the May Apple by Mary Pope Osborne
This book contents are about a young butterfly named Leon who runs away from home and falls in love with another butterfly whose name is Mimi. Mimi is in a detective group. In the time he is away from home, Leon stays in his friend's house that are also in the group. The leader of the group is a spider named Spiderkane. One day Mimi has mysteriously disappeared from under her May Apple. Leon is desperate to find her. The only way to find her is for the group to lead Leon on a wild adventure he will never forget. Will they find Mimi? Read to find out.
Rating: I give this book ** stars because it kept me on the edge of my seat if I was in one.

4th Grade Reviews--Historical Fiction

2010-06-19T16:45:00.003-04:00

Here is the second batch of reviews by wise and insightful fourth graders from Mrs. B.'s 2009-2010 class.

Bound for Oregon by Jean Van Leeuwen
This book is about a family who wants a better life and decides to move to Oregon. They move to Oregon in a covered wagon and meet some troubles along the way. Their wagon is pulled by cattle, whose names are Ben and Buck. The main character's name is Mary Ellen. She has two sisters named Louvinia and Cynthia. They travel with many nice people who are also moving to Oregon. One of their main problems is staying healthy, because there are a lot of sicknesses going around.
Rating: I give this book four stars out of five stars because I like it a lot, but all they did was travel. Other than that I think it was a great book!

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes
This book is about a boy named Johnny Tremain whose mom died while he was growing up. Her name was Lavina Lyte. He lived with a woman named Mrs. Lapham who makes him get up at 5:00 a.m. to get milk for breakfast. He also delivered the Boston Observer [newspaper] to all the houses along the wharf and still had to get to school on time. He was a silversmith and one day he was mending an old spoon when he burned his hand. He had some trouble working, but he got the hang of it. He ran away to the place where the Boston Observer was printed. There he met a boy named Rab and he learned to ride a horse instead of walking to deliver the newspaper. Now, he didn't have to get up early and get the milk for breakfast. He helped as a troop in the Battle of Lexington. In the war someone dies! Read the book to see who died.
Rating: I would give this book a ****star rating because I didn't understand part of it, but the other part of it was very interesting.

The Pushcart War by Jean Merrill
The Pushcart War is about a time in New York a few decades ago. At this time, trucks had just been invented and were at war with the pushcarts. The reason of that is because they wanted all cars and pushcarts off the streets so they could go a lot faster and get more money, but the pushcarts wanted to fight back so they shot pea pins into the truck tires. A pea pin is a pin stuck into a pea. Who will win in the end and will this war ever stop?
Rating: I give this book 4 stars because it was really good, but I would prefer a mystery better.

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Little Women is a book about four girls: Meg, the oldest; Jo, the tomboy; Beth, the shy one; and Amy, the youngest. Their father is away being a doctor to soldiers in the Civil War. One day, Jo meets a neighbor named Laurie, and he starts becoming a very good friend. Meg falls in love; Jo writes a book; Beth gets scarlet fever; Amy becomes an artist; and Laurie makes a camp. Everything is wonderful, until their father gets wounded in the war. They all hope he'll be all right, but what if he doesn't get better? Little Women is a book you should read.
Rating: I give this book *****out of five stars, because it was really interesting and funny.

The Misadventures of Maude March by Audrey Couloumbis
In the beginning Sallie and Maude's aunt gets shot and they have to move into the Reverend's house. There was a catch to staying there. They had to do all of the housework. After a few days Maude wants to run away. Sallie agreed. They stole some horses and boys clothes and were off. The next day they were hungry. It turned out that Sallie packed food. Later, they met up with their aunt's killer. He led them on an adventure they will never forget.
Rating: I gave it **** stars because it had so much adventure and suspense.

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Bella had just arrived in New York from Italy as a small town girl. She came to America to help earn money for her family so she looked for a job right away. She got hired at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory.
Yetta was a co-worker from Russia and met Bella at the shirtwaist factory and then a strike comes in hand. She had never heard of a strike so she just followed the crowd. During the strike Yetta and Bella became great friends.
Jane was very wealthy and lived in New York her whole life. When she heard about the strike she stepped in. When she was in the crowd of the strike, she met Bella and Yetta and all three girls became best friends.
After the strike was over the workers went back to making shirtwaists. But then a tragedy happens. There is a fire. People were screaming and being burned to death. But who survived? Read the book and find out.
Rating: I would give this book 5 stars because it kept me at the edge of my seat and it would be a book that I would like to read over and over again. But the one thing I didn't like about this book is that it took a long time to get to the fire and all the action.

Willow Run by Patricia Reilly Giff
Willow Run is about a girl named Meggie who has to move to Willow Run, Michigan, during World War II so her father can make B-24 fighter planes. She had a wonderful grandfather who she didn't want to leave behind but had to. She met new friends and spent her days with her new friends or writing letters. She had an amazing adventure with new friends. Meggie's older brother, Eddie, went to war, but now Meggie and her family received a letter that said Eddie was missing in action. Will Eddie ever come home? Read the book to find out.
Rating: I give this book **** stars because it was not the best book I ever read. I don't want to read it again, but I would recommend it to other people.

A Journey to the New World: The Diary of Remember Patience Whipple by Kathryn Lasky
First, my book was about the Mayflower and the Pilgrims that went on an adventure to the New World (which was the U.S.A.) The Pilgrims sailed on the waves that were torturous and sailed away from England. The rough waves made it hard for the Pilgrims to sail across the ocean and to survive the whole way through the sea. Almost half out of all the pilgrims died on the ocean that had strong and tough waves. Whipple was very lucky to survive on the Mayflower. Next Whipple's mother made her a diary so she could remember what she has been through on the journey to the New World and she called her diary Dear Imp. When the pilgrims got to shore, they almost fell back because the land was so beautiful. Finally all the pilgrims lived as happily as could be.

Code Talkers by Joseph Bruchac
A small Indian boy goes to a school in the U.S.A. and learns how bad some whites can be. He shakes it off and goes to high school. He didn't go to college because he wanted to be a Marine. He was in World War Two and was a code talker in the war. His job was to talk to other code talkers in their language. Their language is very hard to speak, so it was the best code for the war. It's all about the reader in this book. It keeps you wanting to read and read and read some more. It let's you have good momentum when you read, so you can't slow down or speed up it's so good. I couldn't really let out anything. I can only say read it for the facts and have a good time doing it.
Rating: **** I liked it because there was always something going on. It also didn't go away from the story or branch off.

Keystone Kids by John R. Tunis
Spike and Bob Russel play shortstop and second base for the Vols. When a Brooklyn Dodgers scout asks them if they want to play on the Dodgers they accept. The team gets into a slump and falls to 9th place. They hire a new catcher named Jocko Klein. The manager makes Spike the coach of the team. Jocko is a great player but he is Jewish and some of the players can't get past their prejudices. Some of the other players treat Jocko badly. The team starts getting into fights and losing games. Can Spike save the team from falling apart?
Rating: I would rate this book four stars ****. I love baseball and it was very interesting. I would highly suggest this book especially if you like baseball.

Farmer Boy by Laura Ingalls Wilder
This book is about a boy named Almanzo Royal and his two sisters, Eliza Jane and Alice. It was Almanzo's first day at school. There were big bullies who came in late from recess and made a lot of noise. One of them got in trouble. Their plan was that when they got into trouble they would get sent to the teacher's desk. Then they would pounce on the teacher. When they pounced on the teacher something happened. Read the book to find out what happened.
Rating: I give this book *** stars because it made me think too much about farms.

Fourth Grade Reviews

2010-06-19T12:40:00.002-04:00

School is officially out for the year. One of my great end of the year surprises was the gift of a collection of book reviews by Mrs. B.'s fourth grade class (2009-2010). I have gained their permission to post them with no further credit to the authors of these thoughtful reviews. I will be posting them here a few at a time over the summer. Thanks, kids.

This first group of reviews is for historical fiction. The reviews end with a rating based on five stars with five being the highest possible rating. (Please note that typos are mine as I am typing these in to make sure that they are readable.)

The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
This book is about three musketeers and boy named D'Artagnan. The three musketeers are Athos, Porthos, and Aramis. D'Artagnan wants to be a musketeer so he goes to Paris. These four people try to save the beautiful queen. They do this when the cardinal sets a trap for the queen who loves the Duke and pretends to love the king. The queen only married the king to stop the war between Spain and Paris.

Here is the trap: One day the king gave the queen a wedding gift that had fourteen rubies. The cardinal told someone to steal two of the rubies. Will Athos, Porthos, Aramis, and D'Artagnan be able to save the queen?

Rating: I rate this book **** because it had a lot of action and details, but I don't like books that have a lot of killing. This book was very interesting in some parts.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis
Bud is an orphan in Flint, Michigan. His mother died when he was only eight years old. Now he is all by himself in an orphanage doing nothing all day. He found a flier one day of a band. It looked a lot like his father was in the flier that he had found. That is impossible because Bud had never known his father. So Bud will no go on a journey to find the band and possibly his father. But there is one problem. How can Bud get to where his father is with no transportation and having to travel across the state of Michigan? Will he make it? Read to find out.

Rating: I give this book 4 stars because you never know what's going to happen in the next chapter. It gets more hair raising as the book goes on.

Old Yeller by Fred Gipson
My historical fiction is about a dog named Old Yeller and about a boy named Travis. Old Yeller is an ugly, hungry, and yellow dog who comes to steal Travis's meat. Travis's little brother, Little Arliss, says he likes the dog and decides to keep it. Travis has hated Old Yeller but now he's family so Travis watches him like he watches Little Arliss. He grows up to like Old Yeller and soon Old Yeller likes him. Their father was away and will come home soon. What will he think of Old Yeller? Will he treat him like Travis did?

Rating: I gave this book *** stars because I have read better books before.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare
Matt is a 13 year old boy who built a cabin with his dad. One day his dad goes to get his family from their other home far away. It's the first time Matt stays home alone for at least a week. During that time, Matt meets an Indian tribe. The leader of the tribe wants his grandson (who is is 15) to learn American words and how to read. For that, the Indian boy teaches him how to set traps and fish with spears. One day Matt loses track of what day it is but it's been a month since his dad left. Matt now is really worried that his dad isn't home. Is Matt's dad okay? If he's alive, where is he and will he come back or abandon him?

Rating: I give this book *** stars because it was a good book and wanted to keep me reading, but the title didn't match the book. There was only a little part about the sign of the beaver.

Fearless by Elvira Woodruff
Fearless is about a boy named Digory who lives in a village called Mousehole. One day a man comes to Mousehole and says that Digory's dad's ship, the Flying Cloud, had sunk on the rocks of the Eddystone Reef--a reef so notorious for sinking ships that every sailor's motto was to curse the Eddystone Reef. After two seconds, his family decides to send him up to the city of Plymouth to see if his dad survived. It looked like he didn't. Digory couldn't stand losing his father, so he gave it a chance. By the time he got up there, he had gotten kidnapped, saved and met his little brother; that's a day! The next day he learned that no one had survived the sinking of the Flying Cloud. On that same day he met a man of great taste, Master Henry, who invites them to be his servants. Soon they arrive at their destination, Littlebury. After one hour of being his servants Digory becomes Henry's apprentice and Cubby (Digory's brother) is moved to a higher rank of servant. While this is happening the big storm is stirring. One day Master Henry travels to the Eddystone Reef to make repairs on the lighthouse. Digory wants to help but that took a lot of convincing. His job was to bring candles to power the light, but finding a boatman to cross the storm of the century will be tough...

Rating: I would give it 4 out of 5 stars because I loved the book.

Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
The book Fever, 1793, is about a 14 year old girl named Mattie who lives in Philadelphia. One hot, sunny day Mattie found out their maid, Polly, had gotten sick and died from the yellow fever. After Polly passed away, many other people started getting sick. Then, in the next week, 100 people had died. Then Mattie's mom gets the yellow fever so Mattie has to go into the country with her grandfather. The next morning, the grandfather got a carriage and they set off on their trip. On the way there, Mattie's grandfather had a real bad cough. When they reached the borders of the country, two doctors were there to check if they were sick. When the doctors said grandfather was sick, grandfather and Mattie are kicked out of the carriage and are on there own. What will happen to Mattie and will her mother survive?

Rating: I will rate this book 4 out of 5 stars because it was interesting but it was hard to read.

Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery
This is a book about an adventurous eleven year old girl named Anne. Her adventures are action packed and exciting. Anne was a girl who didn't have that much but made the best of what she had. She always got in trouble even when she was trying to do the right thing. Lots of times words slipped out of her mouth that she should not have said.

Matthew and Marilla Cuthbert wanted to adopt an eleven year old boy from the orphanage to help out on the farm. Even though they asked for a boy they are sent an eleven year old girl. When Anne comes to Green Gables she is impressed with all of the beautiful scenery and is always thinking about enjoyable things. they want to keep her because they think she will bring joy to their life, but Matthew and Marilla don't know whether it is what they should do.

Anne meets a girl her age named Diana. They always enjoy every moment of their life with each other because they didn't always have a good friend. Will Diana's mom allow Anne to stay Diana's friend?

Rating: I give this book 4 stars. Most of the time it had adventure and action.

Reading is Fun--Don't You Forget It

2010-06-01T21:37:00.003-04:00

"Enjoy the summer, but read and do math." That is what the sign outside a local elementary school says. I saw it a couple of days ago and it still nags at me. The sign makes it sounds as though reading and enjoying summer are mutually exclusive. Good grief! I read for enjoyment all the time and look forward to summer in part because it often means more reading time. I also sometimes use the extra free time to do math puzzles and word puzzles.

This is one of my many pet peeves. When adults make reading or learning seem like punishment or a required time-out from having fun, then kids and adults soon view such things as not possibly being fun.

Let's show those folks the truth. This summer, I challenge everyone to read and have fun at the same time. Read while hanging upside down! Read books that make you laugh. Read books that make you cry. Read something that you read and enjoyed when you were half the age you are now. Read inside and outside. Just read for the pure joy of it.

Have a great summer by reading--and doing math.

Top Ten from the Kids

2010-05-23T12:50:00.002-04:00

I recently asked the students in Kindergarten through Fifth grade to create a list of their top ten favorite books or series. The hardest part was narrowing it down to just ten. Here are their favorites--at least as of the day that we discussed them.

KINDERGARTEN

Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold
Timothy Tunny Swallowed a Bunny (poetry) by Bill Grossman
Chickens to the Rescue by John Himmelman Excuse Me--Are You a Witch? by Emily Horn Dogs and Cats by Steve Jenkins Froggy series by Jonathan London
Martha Speaks by Susan Meddaugh
Superhero ABC by Bob McLeod
Critter Sitter by Chuck Richards
The Great Fuzz Frenzy by Janet Stevens

FIRST GRADE

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs by Judi Barrett Berenstain Bears books by Stan & Jan Berenstain Planting a Rainbow by Lois Ehlert Tacky the Penguin books by Helen Lester
Worst Witch at School by Jill Murphy Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
Dumb Bunnies by Dav Pilkey
Little Pea by Amy Krouse Rosenthal David Goes to School by David Shannon

SECOND GRADE
Secrets of Droon series by Tony Abbot Garfield comics by Jim Davis
Hardy Boys series — Franklin W. Dixon
Guinness Book of World Records
Babymouse series by Jennifer and Matthew Holm Nancy Drew series by Carolyn Keene Rainbow Magic series by Daisy Meadows
Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne Dumb Bunnies books by Dav Pilkey
Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton

THIRD GRADE
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke
Ghosthunters series byCornelia Funke
Warriors series by Erin Hunter
Diary of a Wimpy Kid series by Jeff Kinney
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E. L. Konigsburg
Guardians of Ga’hoole by Kathryn Lasky
Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren
Judy Moody series by Megan McDonald
Michigan Chillers series by Jonathan Rand Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

FOURTH GRADE--TOP 11

The Frog Princess series by E.D. Baker The Name of This Book is Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch
The Sisters Grimm series by Michael Buckley
The Incredible Journey by Sheila Every Burnford Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer
Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Candy Shop Wars by Brandon Mull
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick Mysterious Benedict Society by Trenton Lee Stewart

FIFTH GRADE

Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson Frindle by Andrew Clements
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards
Inkheart series by Cornelia Funke Chet Gecko mystery series by Bruce Hale Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull
Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan
Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling
Septimus Heap series by Angie Sage The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznik

If I do say so myself, that is a great list for any reader. I was so impressed and proud of the variety and depth of all the titles that were suggested. We could have created a top fifty list for each grade and still been worried that we were leaving out something of great importance.

All School Reads

2010-05-22T19:49:00.004-04:00

For many years I have hinted at my desire to have an all school read. This year it is actually going to happen. After much thought and discussion the Diversity Committee, the Head of School, and I decided to focus on African American life in the 20th century.

It took quite awhile to narrow the choices down to two titles at each of four levels--Adult, Middle School, Elementary Chapter Book, and Picture Book. Why was it so hard to choose? I think it is both the wealth of titles and the lack of titles that met my criteria that added to the challenge. There are many books out there that cover this topic and it is a very wide topic indeed, but I wanted each book to be of high quality and high interest. The books need to speak to all the members of our community from those who have experienced struggles first hand to those who have never felt a need to think much about it.

With those goals in mind, I asked fellow workers and parents at the school for suggestions. I also searched myriad lists of suggested reading. Then I read some books and read some more. There are many other titles worthy of being on the list, but the list that follows represents a variety of titles, authors, and styles. I have personally profited from reading each of the titles. I will be re-reading them this summer so that I will be prepared to join the community discussions in the fall.

Everyone is invited to read one or more of the books on the list. Families might want to read a picture book or two together or perhaps tackle one of the novels for the elementary readers as their bedtime reading. Middle School students may prefer to relax with the easier reads or challenge themselves with the adult titles. In the fall we will offer discussion groups as well as bring in people from the community to add to our understanding. It is may hope that there will be several opportunities for all ages to engage in a variety of ways.

If this works well, and I am optimistic that it will, we will try a different read next summer so start thinking of topics and titles now.

The First Annual Emerson All School Read presents its selections:
FOR ADULTS
Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle – This non-fiction book and National Book Award Winner looks at Detroit in 1925 and the tensions that arose when an African American doctor moved into a previously all-white neighborhood. The chain of events eventually brought Clarence Darrow to Detroit to represent the defense.

A Lesson Before Dying by Ernest Gaines - A black man who happens upon a robbery gone wrong is convicted of murdering a white man. His defense lawyer refers to him as a "hog" and not "human". The man's aunt enlist the help of the local teacher to help this young man realize that he is human and has reason to be proud. This is a very moving book.

MIDDLE SCHOOL
Warriors Don’t Cry: A Searing Memoir of the Battle to Integrate Little Rock’s Central High by Melba Pattillo Beals - Beals was one of the people who helped to integrate the school and she tells a moving story of the experience of a young girl who faces anger and hatred all around while she simply wants to get an education and be a typical teen-ager.

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by James Sturm - This graphic novel tells more about an African American who wanted to be a professional baseball player than it does about Satchel Paige. In so doing it gives a strong look at race relations in the South prior to the Civil Rights Act.

UPPER ELEMENTARY NOVELS
Christopher Paul Curtis is one of only two African American men currently writing for children and he is a native of Flint, Michigan, so I selected two of his popular, award winning books.

The Watson’s Go to Birmingham – 1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis - Follow an African American family living in Flint, Michigan, as they travel to Alabama to visit relatives. Curtis has an amazing talent for capturing the voice of a young boy so there is a lot of humor in this story along with a good view of the realities of life in the North and the South in 1963.

Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis - Flint is facing hard times in this novel set in 1936 and times are especially hard for 10 year old Bud who is a motherless boy on the run and looking for his father. This novel gives a good picture of life during the Great Depression and is filled with humor, great characters and a taste of jazz.

PICTURE BOOKS
Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles - The day that the Civil Rights Act went into effect and its affect on two small boys in the South is told with meaningful text and beautiful illustrations in this story that will be understandable to all but the youngest listener or reader. Be forewarned that it has one very touching scene that may bring tears to your eyes, but probably won't upset your children as much as it does the adult reading it.

A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner – Set in the deep South in the 1960s, this book features detailed illustrations that tell the back story of two rural white children wanting to taste “colored water” in the city. They don't get to taste the water because they run into police and protests. Parents will want to help children understand what is happening and what is really meant by "colored water".

The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson - Two little girls, one black and one white, have been told never to cross the fence that stretched through town. Gradually they get to know each other while sitting on the top of the fence.

Let me know what you think of these books as you read them throughout the summer. We can start our discussions right here any time you want to do so.

Top Ten Picks

2010-05-22T07:53:00.002-04:00

At long last I have gotten together my top ten picks in a variety of areas for your reading enjoyment. They are designed to give a kick-off to your summer reading. As with any list, please remember that the grade levels assigned to them are suggestions only. Only the reader knows for sure what is the most appropriate book for the moment.

Much thanks goes to Jessica K., the helpful parent who put it all together for me.

PICTURE BOOKS

The Chicken of the Family by Mary Amato. Typical sibling teasing comes to a head when older sisters convince the youngest that she is actually a chicken.

That Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown by Cressida Cowell. Little girls know the love of a special toy and Emily Brown is not willing to give hers up to a spoiled queen. Enjoy the humor, explore the illustrations, and listen to the moral.

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee. When two boys go off to spend time with one boy’s grandparents, they find that there are many ways to have fun, especially old-fashioned fun.

Diary of a Wombat by Jackie French It is impossible not to love this troublesome wombat that just wants to live a good life of sleeping, eating, and burrowing.

Egg Drop by Mini Grey. Everyone knows an egg can’t fly, but this little egg wants to try anyway, with predictable results and lots of humor.

Waiting for Winter and Learning to Fly by Sebastian Meschenmoser. Both of these titles are great stories, but it is the illustrations that keep me coming back again and again.

The Lion and the Mouse by Jerry Pinkney. This familiar fable is told through magnificent illustrations without a single word. Children of all ages will spend hours exploring the pictures and retelling the story through their own words.

Duck! Rabbit! By Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Two unseen people discuss that familiar optical illusion that looks like a duck from one angle and a rabbit from the other.

Epossumondas by Colleen Salley. In these updated retellings of old folk tales, an opossum’s doting human mother loves him, even as he makes mistakes.

Chester by Melanie Watt. Every time this author tries to create a picture book, her cat Chester grabs a red marker and writes his version of the story on top of it. Laughs are guaranteed, whether you are cheering for the cat or his beleaguered human.

EARLY READERS SERIES

Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold. Buzz has a pet fly that is much smarter than the average fly. The cartoon-style illustrations add to the fun of these easy-to-read and even easier to enjoy books.

Minnie and Moo by Denis Cazet. Everyone loves these crazy cow friends and the amazing and often silly adventures they have.

Houndsley and Catina by James Howe. A dog and cat are good friends in these gentle and humorous stories.

Zelda and Ivy by Laura McGee Kvasnosky. Each of the titles in this series includes three short adventures of these friendly fox sisters.

Frog and Toad by Arnold Lobel. Everyone knows Frog and Toad for good reason—these books are classic early readers that kids and adults adore.

Magic Tree House series by Mary Pope Osborne. Fiction with some non-fiction thrown in there. Jack and Annie go on time-travel adventures in their tree house. The accompanying research guides—which cover everything from rain forests to mummies—are a little more difficult to read, but jam-packed with facts and information.

Mr. Putter and Tabby by Cynthia Rylant. A man and his cat have ordinary and extraordinary adventures in this beloved series.

Dr. Seuss—pick any of the wonderful titles he has written! No one should miss the fun of reading Dr. Seuss, especially aloud. There are so many good books from this author, who wrote the first easy readers and continues to be the model for this genre.

Commander Toad by Jane Yolan. Stories about this space-traveling toad are not quite Star Wars, but are close.

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik. This classic series is heartwarming and familiar,as Little Bear discovers his own solutions to everyday situations. Illustrated by Maurice Sendak.

FIRST CHAPTER BOOKS--GRADES 1-3

Poppy—series by Avi. The animals in these books have very real personalities. They will be enjoyed by listeners in the early grades and by competent readers of all ages.

Ivy and Bean—series by Annie Barrows. Ivy and Bean don’t really want to be friends, but when their mothers are out of the way, they find out that they are perfectly suited to have many adventures together.

Tumtum and Nutmeg by Emily Bearn. Mice live in the boarded-up pantry of an old mansion. Their adventures have just the right balance of fears and fun.

Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley. These reptilian friends have adventures and disagreements, but never lose sight of what is important.

Mercy Watson—series by Kate DiCamillo. Mercy Watson is a very spoiled pig. Her wild adventures are accompanied with bright illustrations.

Kenny and the Dragon by Tony DiTerlizzi. When Kenny discovers a dragon near his house, he is the only one who doesn’t want it to be destroyed.

My Father’s Dragon by Ruth Stiles Gannet. This classic fantasy story of a family dragon takes a boy—and the reader—to far away lands. This book is as enjoyable to read today as it was when I was a child.

Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. While the heartbreaking end may be difficult for some children to bear, this is a strong story of a boy trying to save his family by winning a dog race.

The Hinky Pink by Megan McDonald. This retelling of an old folk tale is filled with lovely illustrations and new energy.

Clementine—series by Sara Pennypacker. Clementine is a typical girl with spunk and energy. I like her better than either Junie B. Jones or Judy Moody.

UPPER ELEMENTARY FICTION--GRADES 4-6

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko. Imagine being a young boy living on Alcatraz and knowing that Al Capone is in one of the cells just beyond the big wall. The resultant story has humor, adventure, and some good discussions of social issues.

Toby Alone by Timothy de Fombelle. While there is a strong ecological moral in this book, it is also a great adventure of a young boy whose entire universe is a tree. He realizes that he must fight those who are heedlessly destroying their home in the name of progress.

The 21 Balloons by William Penne DuBois. A retired teacher decides to find perfect solitude by floating off in a giant balloon. That seems like a great idea, until he crashes into Krakatoa, where he discovers a booming civilization.

Baseball Card Adventures—series by Dan Gutman. Joe, the narrator of these stories, can travel back in time to meet the player on his baseball cards. The stories have adventure and a lot of history. Look for players like Satchel Paige, Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantel, Shoeless Joe, and many more. Perfect for summer!

Chet Gecko Detective—series by Bruce Hale. Chet is a third-grade gecko that loves eating and solving mysteries in these wry parodies of old-fashioned detective stories.

Strawberry Hill by Mary Ann Hoberman. You could read this as a simple story of a girl moving to a new town, but there are many more things going on, including her need to defend herself against anti-Semitism.

The Secret of Platform 13 by Eva Ibbotson. Here is an enchanting story of magical travel between worlds—and what happens when someone escapes from one and must be brought back home.
Savvy by Ingrid Law. A 13th birthday is a big event in the Beaumont family because that is when one’s magical talent is made apparent. The family is facing hard times when Mibs turns 13, and she struggles to discover her savvy and how she can use it to help the family.

Alcatraz V. The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson. Everyone in Alcatraz’s family is named after a famous prison, but not everyone knows that they all have special powers that will help them fight the evil librarians who control all knowledge. You will be eager to read the other stories in this series as well.

Any Which Wall by Laurel Snyder. As a lover of Edward Eager books, I am delighted by this clever magical travel book that reminds me of those classic tales.

MIDDLE SCHOOL FICTION

Fever, 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson. In 1793, Philadelphia was hit with an outbreak of yellow fever that killed more than 5,000 people in just a few months. This is the realistic story of how one girl survived.

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins. The buzz about this series is well justified. The dystopian world occupied by Katniss and her friends includes a televised yearly battle to the death between teens from all the sections of the country. (The last book in the trilogy is due out this summer.)

Elijah of Buxton by Christopher Paul Curtis. Buxton is a city in Ontario, just across the river from Detroit, which was created for escaped and freed slaves. Elijah, the first child born in Buxton, is a typical kid when we meet him, but later he must face harsh realities about life across the border. While this is often laugh-out-loud funny,the ending will bring tears to your eyes.

Uprising by Margaret Peterson Haddix. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory is known for the fire that killed many of its workers. This well-researched and fascinating novel looks at the lives of three young women with ties to the factory, and how their lives cross during the strikes and after the fire.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks. Both Twilight lovers and those who make fun of it will enjoy this parody of vampire romances. It is bloody and funny and perfectly weird.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly Calpurnia. Tate is 11 years old at the turn of the 20th century. Everyone around her wants her to learn to be more “feminine”. Except her grandfather, who supports her interest in the natural world.

Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer. This dark novel imagines a world in which the moon has been pushed out of orbit by a meteor and catastrophic changes ensue. It is told through the eyes of a teen-age girl in rural central Pennsylvania.

The Schwa Was Here by Neal Schusterman. Like the imperceptible schwa sound in spoken English, Calvin Schwa is rarely noticed. Along with Antsy Bonano and a cast of quirky friends, they find a way to use this hidden talent for some wild hijinks.

Erratum by Walter Sorrels. What if you had the power to determine your own life story? Would you risk chases with strange creatures and other bizarre happenings, in order to find the life you were meant to follow? This fast-paced science-fiction novel will prompt you to ask many questions, while taking you on an action-packed journey.

The 13th Child by Patricia C. Wrede. Everyone with ties to magic knows that the seventh son of a seventh son has powerful magic — but what of the 13th child? In this mix of historical fiction and magical fantasy, the 13th child must prove that she is not bad luck, on the boundaries of the unexplored West.

NON-FICTION AND POETRY FOR ALL AGES

Orangutan Tongs: Poems to Tangle Your Tongue by Jon Agee. Read these tonguetwister poems out loud and as fast as you can.

Mermaid Queen: The Spectacular True Story of Annette Kellerman Who Swam Her Way to Fame, Fortune, and Swimsuit History by Shana Corey. This highly illustrated biography uses humor and compassion to introduce a little known woman who had a big impact in her time.

Moonshot! The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Flocca. This book combines basic information with myriad colorful illustrations and some interesting side notes.

How to Scratch a Wombat: Where to Find It, What to Feed It, and Why it Sleeps All Day by Jackie French. The author lives in the wild Australian outback and uses stories of the wombats—who shared her family compound—to tell the natural history of this friendly little critter.

A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing and Shout—collected by Paul B. Janeczko. As with other books in the series, bright illustrations add to this collection of works and offer an enjoyable introduction to poetry.

What Mr. Darwin Saw by Mick Manning and Brita Granstrom. Bright, colorful illustrations show the reader what Darwin saw on his travels and help to explain his observations.

What Are Cats Made Of? by Hanock Piven. Following on the author’s other works about athletes and presidents, this book is filled with facts about cats. You will find that the real draw, though, is the wonderful collage illustrations.

Knuckleheads by Jon Scieszka. Growing up in Flint, MI, Jon Scieszka and his brothers had many adventures, which are recounted here with great humor.

If America Were a Village: A Book about the People of the United States by David J. Smith. Several years ago, there was a book that looked at the statistics of the world by imagining a world village of just 100 people. Now we have a similar look at what and who make up America today.

P is for Pakistan (and others in the World Alphabet series)—various authors. This series has an alphabet of relevant terms for each country it explores, along with bright photographs to complement the text.

GRAPHIC WORKS

Tintin by Herge. If you remember Tintin from your childhood or even if you have never heard of him, you will want to introduce your children to this comic classic.

Babymouse series by Jennifer C. Holm and Matthew Holm. While these books are too pink for many, they contain stories that ring true with anyone who goes to school.

Magic Pickle by Scott Morse. It is hard to resist a pickle with heroic magical powers.

To Dance: A Memoir by Siena Cherson Siegel. Aspiring dancers will agonize along with the author of this memoir, as she struggles to succeed at a prestigious ballet school.

The Bone Series by Jeff Smith. Adventure in the comic book tradition have readers of all ages caught up in this story of a quirky critters and swashbuckling adventures.

Jellaby series by Kean Soo. A little girl makes friends with a strange creature and they set off together for grand adventures and a quest for missing loved ones. You will join the throng waiting for the next entry in the series!

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires. Cat lovers will immediately recognize their own feline friends in Binky, as he battles alien bugs to try to save his humans.

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by James Sturm, Rich Tommaso, and Gerald Early. The graphic format suits this story of sharecroppers in the south, baseball, and the inequities that are leveled by a well-played baseball game.

The Arrival by Shaun Tan. Without words, Tan takes the reader into the world of a recent immigrant. The artwork is hauntingly amazing.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang. This is a story for mature readers, who are willing to take a closer look at prejudice and teen angst. The mix of realism and fantasy make this a truly remarkable book.

ADULT FICTION

The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery. Two strong Parisian women—a concierge and a young girl who lives in her building—find that they can not share their interests and intelligence with most people. The novelist gives each of these closet intellectuals a voice. The writing is beautiful, sometimes complicated and often profound.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave. Since the cover of this novel warns that there are surprises that you should not know before you begin to read, I will only tell you that it takes places in Nigeria, an alien detention center in England, and a posh London suburb.

The Whistling Season by Ivan Doig. The life Doig describes in Eastern Montana at the turn of the 20th century is harsh, but he finds the beauty that lies just below the surface.

Hotel at the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford. Set in Seattle in 1946 and 1986, this story is of the clash of cultures and of friendship. It reminds one of the foolish mistakes we all make—as individuals and nations.

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh. If you were to ask me my favorite book of 2010, this would probably be it. Set in India, during the height of the opium trade, it features characters from myriad backgrounds, all of whom ring true.

The Harmony Silk Factory by Tash Hu. Set in the 1930s and 40s, the story of Johnny Lin, a Malaysian orphan who rose to wealth and power with his Harmony Silk Factory, is told by three different people who were part of his life—a very bitter son, his wife, and a British man who knew the family socially. This book is out of print, so get it at your local library.

The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon. This novel imagines a future time when a “cure” for autism has been developed. The narrator wonders whether gaining the tag of normal is worth losing the insights and creativity that his autism offers.

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa. This slender novel is narrated by a Japanese housekeeper taking care of a former math professor. Her charge has suffered an accident, leaving him with only 80 minutes of short-term memory.

The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles. This story takes place in Brazil, during the first half of the 20th century, when the inland areas are plagued by roaming bandits. Two young women use their talents with a needle—in very different ways—to find a means to survive.

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. This Pulitzer-winning book collection includes nine short stories about people from India who have immigrated to the U. S. and those they left behind. Some of the best of the genre.

ADULT NON-FICTION

The Arc of Justice: A Saga of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age by Kevin Boyle. This National Book Award winner presents history in our back yard, as it looks at Detroit in 1925 and the upheaval that ensued when an African-American doctor tried to buy a house in a previously all-white area.

Nurture Shock: New Thinking about Children by Po Bronson and Ashley Merryman. If you have a child or work with children, at least one of the chapters in this book is sure cover a topic that resonates with you. The discussions range from talking about race to why children lie, IQ testing to the effects of praise, sibling rivalry to teen angst and more.

The House at Sugar Beach: In search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper. Cooper recounts her fascinating life—growing up as a member of Liberia’s elite, fleeing the country to settle in the American South, becoming a journalist—with a generous helping of Liberian history and politics.

Zeitoun by Dave Eggers. We all have heard about the horrors of life in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, but seeing it through the eyes of one family adds more depth to that picture. Eggers offers a powerful story by looking at the experiences of a Syrian immigrant and his American wife following the storm.

The River of Doubt by Candice Millard. Teddy Roosevelt dealt with his hard times by going on dangerous adventures. Following his loss as a Bull Moose candidate for President, he set off to explore a remote section of the Amazon. The resulting story is full of intrigue and adventure.

Stones into Schools: Promoting Peace with Books, Not Bombs, in Afghanistan and Pakistan by Greg Mortenson. Most people have heard about Greg Mortenson and his Three Cups of Tea. In this book, he takes his work into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Stitches: A Memoir by David Small. While he is best known as an award winning children’s book author and illustrator, this graphic memoir by David Small tells of his growing up with cold, troubled parents and a battle with cancer. It gives new appreciation for his loving and gentle children’s books.

Whatever It Takes: Geoffrey Canada’s Quest to Change Harlem and America by Paul Tough. This is a biography of Geoffrey Canada, who founded the Harlem Children’s Zone and the Promise Academy Charter Schools to provide a viable educational path for a generation growing up in poverty. It tells the story of how his own experience has inspired and informed his community service, while documenting the transformative work his organization is doing in Harlem.

Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man’s Attempt to
Understand the World’s Most Mystifying Nation or How He Became Comfortable
Eating Live Squid by J. Maarten Troost. If you like travel books with a generous dose of humor, this book is for you! Troost sees the incongruous and the amazing at every turn of the road less traveled.

The Eloquent President: A Portrait of Lincoln through His Words by Ronald C. White, Jr.. What makes this book so fascinating is that it not only provides a unique view of Lincoln’s life and ideas, but also how he worked to revise his words and ideas to make them perfect.

One Highlight of My Trip to India

2010-04-07T11:34:00.003-04:00

Finally I have found a decent report about the goat herding monkey we saw while visiting a tea estate in the mountains of Kerala, in the Palakkad district. We had asked one of the young men who worked at the inn where we were staying to give us a brief tour of the area. He led us down the hillside to a breath-taking view of the valley and then asked if we would like to see the animals. I am a big pushover for animals of any kind so we eagerly accepted his offer. It was evening and the animals had all come in from pastures. The compound had cattle, dogs, fowl of many kinds, and sundry other critters. All seemed well fed and happy.

Then this young man asked if we would like to meet the goat herder. Frankly, meeting a goat herder did not sound that exciting, but what could it hurt to meet some nice man. Then our guide told my husband--remember, I don't speak the language--that the goat herder is a monkey. We went to the goat pen and there, sitting in the middle of lots of goats of all sizes, was a lovely mother monkey, clutching her baby to her chest. We did not, alas, get to see her in action.

I learned a lot more about her from these two websites. Check them out.
Monkey shepherd in India.

Kerala monkey doubles up as shepherd

India truly is a nation of many surprises.

Reading India

2010-02-27T10:45:00.007-05:00

My ten day trip to India came to an end on February 25 when I boarded a plane in Bengaluru (Bangalore) at 2:20 a.m. and, after a change of planes in Paris, arrived in Detroit about 4:15 p.m. (Both times are local times so it came to about 24 hours in transit.)

There are many things I want to tell everyone about the trip and my thoughts about India, but since this blog is tied to libraries and reading, let me start with my attempts to read in India. Yes, I read several books but I also spent a lot of time reading and attempting to read street signs.

My husband and I arrived in India at Bengaluru which is in Karnataka state. From there we went to Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu where family members met us for the road trip to "home" in Kozhinjampara in Kerala. Because India has many major languages and most are related to state borders, this means that we went from trying to read Kannada to Tamil to Malayalam. Many signs are also in English so I had something I could easily read as we traveled along, but I enjoyed trying to understand these other languages and there three different scripts. All three languages are Dravidian in origin. This means that there many similarities. I could see some of them in the scripts and could even occasionally hear words that sounded very similar. I am sure that if I were a speaker of any of them, the similarities would be even more evident.

For me, the struggle to read the signs made me think of the miracle that is reading. How does our brain manage to take these funny-looking marks--and every written language is portrayed with a bunch of funny-looking marks--and turn them into sounds and meaning? It is amazing.

My guess is that learning to read Tamil is easier than reading English because each letter makes just one sound. There is none of the educated guessing that is so much a part of English.

If you would like to learn more about these languages, take a look at these sites.

Tamil

Kannada

Malayalam

I have delusions of learning to read any of these languages, but for now, at least, I am happy to relax into books in English.

Refusing to be Enemies

2010-01-17T15:19:00.002-05:00

When a stranger appears at your door,
feed him for three days
before asking who he is,
where he's come from,
where he's headed.
that way, he'll have strength
enough to answer
Or, by then you'll be
such good friends
you don't care.

from "Red Brocade"
by Naomi Shihab Nye

On Sunday, January 24, the Diversity Committee of Emerson School will show "Refusing to be Enemies", a movie that tells the story of the women of Zeitouna and their efforts to better understand what being Jewish or Palestinian means to them and to the other women in their group. Several women of Zeitouna will join us after the movie to talk about their experiences and offer ideas to help with conflicts in our world, our community, our school, and our personal lives.

The women of Zeitouna are twelve Ann Arbor women, six of whom are Jewish and six of whom are of Palestinian origin, Muslim and Christian. They have been meeting regularly for several years, making sure that they listen to each other with respect and caring. The movie is the story of their coming together and their meetings. These women are not working to find a solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They are only working to understand each other, believing that by getting to know each other as people they can not be enemies. You can read more about their story and see a trailer of the movie at their website "refusing to be enemies".

"Refusing to be Enemies" contains references to the violence of the area but has very little graphic content. However, it is not for young children who, at the very least, will probably find it boring. Middle School students and mature fifth graders will benefit from watching the movie along with parents and friends.

Parents have asked that I suggest some books for upper elementary and middle school students who might want to view the movie. There are many books available about what is happening in Israel and the West Bank. Not surprisingly, it is not easy to find one that offers a truly unbiased point of view. In fact, the presence of bias often depends on your personal experiences and point of view. I do not suggest that any of these books, or even all of them as a whole, will offer a truly fair or accurate picture of the causes and meanings of the conflict. Instead, I offer them as a starting point for your discussions.

Emerson was lucky enough to have Naomi Shihab Nye visit our school several years ago. As the librarian I was doubly blessed because I got to drive Ms. Nye to her next stop and enjoy an outstanding dinner and discussion with her. Ms. Nye writes poetry and novels for middle grade and older readers. She also has one delightful picture book. The quote at the beginning of this post as well as the one at end are from Nye's poetry collection 19 Varieties of Gazelle. The poems in this collection and her two other collections of poems from the Middle East--The Flag of Childhood and The Space Between our Footsteps--carry great emotion and offer insight into the lives of people living in the Middle East as well as those who have emigrated to other parts of the world.

Habibi, Nye's first novel for middle grade readers, moved me personally as it describes a girl's first visit to the land of her father. In Habibi Liyanne travels to Jerusalem and the small Palestinian village where her father was born. The family stays long enough for her to enroll in a Jerusalem school so Liyanne sees more of the good and bad, the confusion and the beauty of this once alien place. Nye's picture book, Sitti's Secrets tells a similar story of a little girl visiting her grandmother in a Palestinian village. It ends with a clear and concise plea for world peace.

Samir and Yonatan by Daniella Carmi won the Batchelder Award from the American Library Association for its portrayal of a young Palestinian boy who finds himself in an Israeli hospital ward. He believes that the Israeli's are to blame for his brother's death so he is not eager to interact with the other boys in the hospital. Gradually, however, Samir gets to know these boys and befriends Yonatan. Together they offer a strong message for understanding and for peace. The author was born in Tel Aviv and currently lives in Jerusalem. This book is suitable for grades five and older.

A Little Piece of Ground by Elizabeth Laird with Sonia Nimr looks at war and peace through the eyes of a Palestinian boy. It clearly has a Palestinian bias but carries a strong feel of the impact of war on all who live through it. This book is best suited for middle school students.

When I Was a Soldier: A Memoir by Valerie Zenatti is a Batchelder Honor Book. This gritty, frank book well be best appreciated by young adults. It tells the true story of a young Jewish girl from France whose family immigrated to Israel. Like all Israeli youths, she joins the army soon after her 18th birthday. Using memories and journal entries, Zenatti tells her story as a rebellious young woman who wonders about her friends, her family, her boyfriend, and her personal commitment to her adopted home while facing life and death decisions on a regular basis.

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat gives a brief overview of the conflict before settling into her own story which begins with the Six-Day War. She writes with the grace of the poet that she is. The author was born in Ramallah and earned a degree in English literature in the West Bank. In addition to writing, she works with young people dealing with injustices in their lives. This is another book that is aimed at Middle School readers.

Deborah Ellis visited children caught up in the Israeli/Palestinian conflict at orphanages and schools, at McDonald's and at the Holocaust memorial, at home and in public to find out how they were dealing with life in a war zone. In Three Wishes: Palestinian and Israeli Children Speak they talk about sibling rivalry and wanting a special toy or pet, but they also talk of families separated, friends lost, and dreams put on hold. Throughout all of the stories, there runs a thread of hope that their lives will be better and at least some of their wishes will come true. While the writing is simple, I suggest that readers wait until reaching fifth grade or older to tackle this book.

Let's change places," the teenagers said.
"For a week, I'll be you and you be me."
Knowing if they did,t hey could never fight again.

Listen to them.

from "Trenches and Moats and Mounds of Dirt"
by Naomi Shihab Nye

I Have a Dream

2010-01-14T22:00:00.005-05:00

I have a dream that is not nearly as inspiring as Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. My dream this week is that people will use a part of the Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday to think about peace, justice, and equity. You could throw in a few books about King himself.

In fact, books are about King may be the easiest to find. For a first biography as well as beautiful illustrations, check out Martin's Big Words by Doreen Rappaport. This award winning book lets the story of King's life grow from quotes from his speeches. The words of the story itself are sparse. Text changes in font, size, and color to bring emphasis. Some of the concepts are not easy to grasp, so parents will want to share this book with their children for the first read. Then you can expect to see your child reading it again to fully appreciate the art and the words.

Search your library for the longer biography of King that best suits your interests and needs. There are many and I hesitate to suggest any one as my favorite. You will find many that are wonderful. You will also find some that were written to get to get on the bandwagon with little to offer in terms of writing or information. Look carefully.

If you want to address the Civil Rights Movement, there are many options.

In Warriors Don't Cry Melba Patillo Beals tells a moving story of her experiences as one of the students who integrated Little Rock High School. Young adults and adults will be touched by the courage that it took to face angry classmates and their angrier parents every day.

The brilliantly illustrated Rosa by Niki Giovanni is the most beautiful of the many biographies of Rosa Parks. Parks has also written an autobiography for middle grade readers.

Not everyone wants to read non-fiction. Luckily for all of us, there are many wonderful novels that address the inequalities that lead to the painful fight for civil rights.

For the reader in grades four and up it is hard to beat the works of Christopher Paul Curtis and the best of his works for talking about Civil Rights is The Watsons go to Birmingham--1964. As with all of the books by Curtis, its ability to capture the voice of a young boy with healthy dose of humor soon has the reader engulfed in the story. Because we are so comfortable with the characters as they travel from Flint, Michigan, to visit relatives Alabama, the ending is especially moving and meaningful. If you know what happened in Birmingham in 1964, you can already predict the event what event changes the story and the lives of its characters.

My two favorite picture books that give a poignant look at the 1960s are best shared with students in grade two or older because they include topics that require explanation and thought. Freedom Summer by Deborah Wiles features two young boys who ignore the differences in their skin color because they are friends. Then the city decides that rather than integrate the swimming pool as the new Civil Rights Act decrees, they will see that no one gets to swim. The emotions of the boys are the feelings any boy on a hot summer day would feel but also bring them to the realization of how differently the world views each of them.

A Taste of Colored Water by Matt Faulkner follows two young white children into town where they hope to see the "colored" water fountain. In their minds this means rainbow colored water that probably also means wonderful flavors. What they encounter is a group of protesters and police. It is a powerful story.

Let us not dwell entirely on the African American experience. There are many other fights that continue today for justice and equality as well as many others who have worked to make change.

Demi has created a beautifully illustrated biography simply titled Gandhi. The story is detailed but the lush pictures with gold accents will draw younger readers to listen to parts of the story. There seems to be a growing interest in offering Gandhi's story to elementary and grade school readers. Keep looking for a biography that appeals to you.

Biographies of Caesar Chavez, Nelson Mandela, and many more have found their way into juvenile literature. Explore libraries and bookstores to find stories of your favorite leader of change.

Ultimately, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is about working for peace and understanding. With beautiful photographs from around the world, A Little Peace by Barbara Kerley offers simple ways to find peace around us all and to spread the message to others.

The Peace Book by Todd Parr is an even simpler, brightly colored discussion of peace. It strives to show very young readers that peace can be as simple as appreciating the right to wear different clothing or that not everyone likes the same things.

World Book has collected essays and thoughts on peace and human rights in Stand Up for Your Rights. Not all of these will appeal to everyone but it will not take you long to find something that appeals to you.

Look also for a book called We Are Born Free--The Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Pictures which, as the title indicates, offers a variety of illustrations to help everyone more clearly understand the intent of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Find your own way to honor Martin Luther King, Jr. and celebrate his day by finding a way in which you can work to make a positive change in the world.

Books on a Plane

2010-01-13T21:30:00.003-05:00

While flying may not be the great adventure it once was, it certainly offers great opportunities to pull out a good book. There are the long waits for your flight after you rushed to get to the airports early enough to be sure you were on time. Then, at least if you fly in the winter, there is the extra time spent on the plane as they de-ice the wings. Finally, there is the long flight with no flight attendant bothering you with meals and such.

My husband and I flew to San Francisco to spend the holidays with our math teacher daughter. (The musician spent the holidays sharing her voice with lucky listeners in churches and other venues.) It is a good long flight so we had plenty of time to read. The result is that I have four good titles to recommend that you consider for adult reading enjoyment.

Death With Interruptions by Jose Saramago offers an interesting premise. What if death decided to take a vacation and suddenly no one was dying? Saramago ponders this possibility with humor and philosophy. Imagine, if you will, the impact on religion if clerics no longer could tell people about the importance of what comes after death? Would the funeral industry be forced to offer services for pets? This novel is one that you will think about long after you finish the last page. Thank you to the parent who suggested that I would enjoy it.

Sea of Poppies by Amitav Ghosh takes the reader to Calcutta in the 19th century. The colonists have strongly encouraged the people of the rural areas to turn their wheat fields into poppy fields for the opium trade with China. The many characters who people the story represent all of the parties involved in this end of the opium trade. A woman whose husband has died from the addiction that came with his job processing the poppies into opium must run away to find a safe refuge. A ship's second mate tries to understand this new world that he reaches after a harrowing journey which has taken him far from the life he knew as a freed states in the young United States. The British, other natives of the area, and people from all walks of life bring strong accents and stronger feelings to this beautifully written story. I was totally engrossed in this book. The hardest part is that it is the first of a trilogy with the other parts yet to come.

The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles is set in Brazil in the 1920s and 1930s. Two sisters, raised by an aging aunt in the back country of Brazil, have very different dreams of how they will use their talents as seamstresses to fulfill their dreams. Luzia broke her arm as child and will never again be able to bend her elbow. This is the deformity that marks her when she becomes part of a notorious group of roaming bandits who rob and brutally murder the rich to give to the poor. Her sister Emilia has always dreamed of living in the big city of Recife so jumps at the chance when she meets the son of a wealthy man. Though their lives go in very different directions, each sister keeps an eye open to learn what the other is doing. It is the quality of the writing and the juxtaposition of the the two divergent ways of life that keep one rushing to the end.

I confess that I did not read Stitches by David Small until I got back from my trip, but I don't want anyone to miss this amazing memoir. David Small is an children's book author and illustrator who lives on the west side of Michigan. He won a Caldecott for So You Want to be a President? by Judith St. George. He also illustrates books by his wife Sarah Small and his own stories with easily recognizable drawings full of personality and life. Stitches, however, is not for children. This is the graphic story of Small's very difficult childhood. He survived abuse, cancer, and shocks and disappointments that no one should ever face. It makes one appreciate his happy tales even more. Sarah Stewart and David Small visited Emerson School about a dozen years ago. Everyone who heard them talk was moved by what kind and gentle people they are. This story adds new levels appreciation that I felt for them at that time.

You don't have to fly to find time to read. May your reading be one of the many pleasures you find in 2010.

Rhopalic Sentences

2009-12-20T17:30:00.003-05:00

Until Wordsmith.org ran a contest for a rhopalic newspaper headline a couple weeks ago, there is no way that I could have defined "rhopal" for you. Now I know that it is a sentence or poem which either grows or decreases by one syllable or one letter as it progresses.

This kind of writing is not easy. Students in a couple of library class know this very well because they attempted to write rhopalic sentences. They did a great job, but ran into the same difficulties that I did with getting a great idea only to realize that the next word I wanted did not fit the rules.

Here are some of the sentences that students in grades four and five created in under 30 minutes, many with time left over to look for books they wanted to read.

With increasing/decreasing number of letters:

I do not like candy.

Is dog love enough?

Is cat love enough?

Special winter night--ever!

People fight lots for it.

Birds sing for it.

I do not like crazy people.

A no tow sign makes people quickly withdraw.

I am not good after dinner, Chicken Annelore.

I am the cool super person.

Why am I?

I am Jen Mood.

I am not nice.

With increasing/decreasing number of syllables.

Some person vomited Technicolors disastrously.

What lovely butterflies.

I played Mancala.

Kids-- skiing, snowboarding, outrageously extraordinary!

If you rearrange the sentences you can create some amazing poetry, especially if you stick in a couple of rhopalic sentences of your own. Let me know what you can create.

Happy Holidays

2009-12-13T16:58:00.004-05:00

The holidays can be a tricky time for a school librarian. While it seems impossible to not mention the holidays, it is important to attempt to give equal emphasis to the various practices of my students. This year I headed for the safety of the connection of light that in some way ties the major holidays of this time of year. We touched briefly on Divali despite the fact that came very early this year. The other holidays we discussed were the winter solstice, St. Lucia Day, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and Three Kings Day. As you have noticed, that still tips the balance toward Christianity. I try to include other religious and secular holidays throughout the year and hope that this offers a better balance by the end of the year.

In sharing books with the students, my goal is to offer those with little religion and lots of holiday customs. The library owns books that describe the religious stories of the holiday. I put these on display and hope that families will find the books that best serve their own beliefs and practices.

There are hundreds of books about Christmas. Some of them are good and some are just plain awful. Here are a few of my favorites for sharing with my students or personal enjoyment. All of the books on this list are picture books.

When I was a child, the Christmas Eve ritual was for my mother to read Clement C. Moore's The Night Before Christmas. I still can recite long portions of it from memory. Bookstores abound with different illustrations for this classic. What appeals to you may be all wrong for someone else. Jan Brett did some beautiful illustrations a few years ago, but I have heard people grumble that they are too busy. You will have to be your own judge.

Another classic is How the Grinch Stole Christmas by Dr. Seuss. This is not as much fun to read to children any more because they all think about the movie and think they know the story. They do not relax and enjoy the rhyme as well as the true scoop on the Grinch.

Also affected by the movie is the beautiful Polar Express by Chris Van Allsberg. Don't think you know the charm of this book if all you have done is watched the movie. This is a good book to read with a child snuggled on your lap.

The favorite book for my youngest listeners this year was clearly Minerva Louise on Christmas Eve by Janet Morgan Stoeke. If you have not met this very literal chicken, Christmas may the best time for an introduction to the many books with this winsome protagonist. Minerva Louise sees fancy fireflies on the tree outside her farmers' house. Then she spies a farmer in a red hat on the roof. He falls down the brick well up there so Minerva Louise follows to offer help, soon finding herself inside the house. There are many more confusions as Minerva Louise tries to understand things through the eyes of a chicken. The illustrations are bright and bold and the simple one or two sentence per page text draws even very young listeners into the book as they eagerly correct her mistakes.

Alan Say always uses beautiful illustrations to convey a cross-cultural story. Tree of Cranes takes the reader to Japan where a young boy's mother is remembering Christmas when she lived in the United States. The boy doesn't understand exactly what is happening but appreciates the beautiful tree that his mother makes.

A familiar message is conveyed in The All-I'll-Ever-Want Christmas Doll by Pat McKissack. We all remember that perfect gift that we wanted so desperately that we were willing to make all kinds of deals for it, like promising to never ask for anything else ever again. The young girl in this story wants a doll that is beyond the family's budget but she is very convincing and her mother acquiesces. Her sisters want to play with this perfect doll, too, but she is not about to share. That is when she learns the lesson of this story. Adults with laugh and cry with this story and most children will find themselves nodding knowingly at the conclusion.

The surprise ending is just a small part of the fun in Three French Hens by Margie Palatini. Three French hens are sent to a true love, but get lost in the mail and end up not in Paris but in New York City. These three girls want to fulfill their duty so they seek out Phillippe Renard, settling for plain, old Phil Fox whose only friend is the cockroach who shares his apartment. When the hens arrive Phil sees breakfast, lunch, and dinner, but these hens are too kind to ever be eaten. Palatini is a master of puns. Read this and laugh.

For sheer goofiness around the tree, try Where Did They Hide My Presents? by Alan Katz which sticks some new words into familiar Christmas songs.

Books about Hanukkah are not as easy to find. The best stories for this holiday seem to be all be written by Eric A. Kimmel who also writes great picture books about many other topics. Three of my favorites by Kimmel are The Chanukkah Guest in which a grandmother thinks that the Old Bear who comes to her house is the rabbi, Hershel and the Hanukkah Goblins which is full of magic and trickery, and Jar of Fools: Eight Hanukkah Stories from Chelm which presents the humorous tales of Chelm in a very accessible format. The last of those three books is not a picture book, but an enjoyable story collection with a few illustrations.

Another Hanukkah story that my first and second grade students enjoy is The Inside-Out Grandma by Joan Rothenberg. Rosie notices that her grandma is wearing all of her clothes inside out and asks why. This leads to a long list of memories that finally lead to remembering to buy enough oil to fry latkes for the entire family. My classes follow up the story with good discussions of how to remember things and what is important things to remember.

Kwanzaa has even fewer good books. There are only a handful of books that I have found that explain this uniquely American holiday. Of the ones in our school library, the best is Seven Candles for Kwanzaa by Andrea Davis Pinkney. Because there is so much to explain about the holiday, the students are soon bored with all of the wordiness required. This would be great to read one night at a time so that the new Swahili words as well as the difficult concepts are fresh in the reader's mind.

Seven Spools of Thread: A Kwanzaa Story by Angela Shelf Medaris is a good story from Africa that makes the principles of Kwanzaa more easily understood. The story is one of the few that I have had older students come back to re-read. They are impressed by the cooperation of the brothers involved in the story and clever solution to their problem.

Whatever holidays you will be celebrating this year, my best wishes go out for them to be happy for one and all. My holidays will include travel, family, and friends and several good books.

Getting Susie to Read

2009-12-06T15:46:00.002-05:00

A friend recently asked me for reading suggestions for a friend's daughter. It seems this six year old girl was not reading as much as her older sister had at that age. The parent's wanted to "fix" this problem. The six year old was able to read; the teacher said she was reading and comprehending as well as any of the other students in the class. The problem, as the parent's saw it was, that she was not reading for fun. They wanted to books to give her that would make her enjoy reading and start to be an avid reader like her big sister.

This is a problem that is often not really a problem. If Susie, as I will call her though I don't know her real name, is not falling behind in class, perhaps she just has not found the right book yet. Unfortunately for her parents, having them push books on her may well make her withdraw from books even further. The worst thing to do may be to tell her she has to read "for fun" every day for a certain length of time. I sometimes wonder if I grew to dislike physical exercise because my gym teacher used exercise as a punishment. Being forced to read seems like a punishment, though it will be hard for Susie to understand why she is being punished.

While I gave my friend several title suggestions for the most interesting and enjoyable books that I could think of, I am now wishing that I had added more instructions for the parents. I would tell them to any or all of the following:

Find some good books--perhaps from my suggestions, perhaps from a favorite librarian or bookseller, or perhaps just things that looked interesting to them--and leave them around the house where Susie will see them. Don't make an issue about them. Just have them around where she will see them when she is bored. The bathroom is one good location. Somewhere near her bed is another.
Read to Susie. When she is totally engrossed in the story, find an excuse to leave her alone with the book. If she is enjoying the story, she may well finish it before you have another chance to read it. Some parents even say, "Please don't finish this without me because I want to know how it ends." You have to know your child to try this, because she may put your request above her own interests.
Have her see her parents read for pleasure. Some studies suggest that seeing the father read for pleasure is the most powerful impetus for children to read. It is important that this be reading for pleasure. If parents read only work related things or child rearing books or anything that may make them sigh or groan the idea of reading as work or punishment will be re-enforced.
Don't stress. I have seen so many kids who did not read for pleasure in the early grades suddenly become avid reason for no apparent reason. Just a few weeks ago a young man who used to hate--he would have put it in capital letters, HATE--to read. I don't what it was that changed all that, but now he is reading at a very high level and willing to have good discussions about the books he has read. (Last week we discussed Moby Dick.)

I hope that Susie soon finds the joys of reading. It seems likely that at this point, though, that the best route is for her parents to make books convenient and enjoyable companions for her and then let nature take its course.

Middle School Might Like...

2009-11-11T22:16:00.001-05:00

By middle school most readers have decided on a genre or two that they really like. No one will like all of these books, but there should be something of interest here to the average middle schooler, should such a person exist.

The Hunger Games and Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins leave the reader barely able to wait for the next in the series. I have talked about this trilogy at some length on my blog so will just repeat that this is a book that middle school students and their parents are enjoying thoroughly.

Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins is aimed at a little bit younger students than The Hunger Games series, but it is an equally compelling start to a popular series. It features a young boy who is looking after his baby sister, giant spiders, and myriad interesting creatures, all looking for the one who is meant to fulfill an ancient prophecy.

Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadahota won wide acclaim and numerous awards, including the Newbery Award, all of which were merited. This novel tells of the struggles of a Japanese family in the 1950s when they move from Iowa to rural Georgia and try to fit in. The writing is stunning, pulling the reader deep into the lives of the family’s two daughters.

A Step From Heaven by An Na is at least partly autobiographical as it recounts the life of a young girl who moves with her family from Korea to California. The family struggles to learn English and to adapt to their new home. The title comes from the girl thinking that since they fly to America and heaven is in the sky that America must be heaven. Her uncle assures her that it is a “step from heaven”. Life is not easy for the family and none of the harsh realities of a troubled family are glossed over in this telling.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly is set in Texas in 1899. Calpurnia resents the restrictions that are placed on girls. She wants to be out exploring nature, not home cooking and sewing. Only her grandfather understands and helps her explore the world around her. Read this with the intriguing new biography of Charles Darwin, Charles and Emma: the Darwins ’ Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman which deals with the conflicts that Darwin felt between his findings and his wife’s deep religious beliefs.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon was written for adults but soon became a hit with young adults. The narrator is autistic with the ability to view everything through math. While these may not make him popular or comfortable with people his age—or with adults—it does ultimately help him solve a mystery about his family and a dog he finds dead in his back yard.

The Schwa was Here by Neal Shusterman is an unusual novel, in no small part because one of the main characters in invisible. The Schwa, as he is called, is not really invisible, but people rarely notice him. Can this talent—or curse—be put to good use? The boys in this book seem very real. The story is both moving and humorous.

The Reformed Vampire Support Group by Catherine Jinks has been mentioned before on my blog so let me just say that it is one of the funniest books I have read in a long time. It gives a distinctly different view of vampires than you will find in the Twilight books.

The Big Splash by Jack D. Ferraiole portrays middle school at its worst where bullying and power groups run rampant. The leaders in this story maintain their power by strategically spraying water onto those whom they wish to humiliate. A popular person can be put down with a single shot. This clever school story that will appeal to anyone who has ever felt uncomfortable in middle school—and isn’t that anyone who has ever gone to middle school.

Canned by Alex Shearer finds a young boy who does not fit in well in middle school. It soon becomes obvious that part of this may be because he collects cans that have lost their labels. He lines them up neatly and keeps a close tally when and where he acquired them. When he finally opens one, he finds a severed human finger in it. Other strange things appear in the cans. Then he meets a girl who also collects cans without labels. Together they have to solve a sordid mystery. This has a very British feel that adds to the humor.

Erratum by Walter Sorrells is an adventure that takes a young girl into a book to save herself and her friends from odd people and strange surroundings. Only she can finish the book of her life properly, but she must decide just what that means.

Alcatraz Versus the Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson reveals what so few people realize—that librarians control all knowledge. Alas, the librarians in Alcatraz’s life manipulate this information into cruel lies that allow them to control the world. Alcatraz thinks he is just a normal boy with an odd name (all of his family is named after famous prisons) until his grandfather arrives to show him his special talent that he must use to help save the universe.

The True Meaning of Smekday by Adam Rex may be the funniest book I have read in years. The world has been taken over by space aliens and 11 year old Gratuity Tucci sets out to drive herself to the relocation center in Florida after her mother disappears. She is soon joined by an alien who wants to fit into American society so has named himself J-Lo. The story is a comedy of errors but also a thoughtful look at how colonizers treat the indigenous peoples they conquer.

The Thirteenth Child by Patricia C. Wrede combines history and magic to tell the story of a girl who is the thirteenth child born into a family magic practitioners. Her father is a well-respected professor of the magical arts. Her twin brother is the seventh son of a seventh son which is supposed to mean extra magical powers. She, however, is bad luck as the thirteenth child. When the family moves to the edge of the American West, they must deal with believers and non-believers, magic and the hardships that were faced by all who moved west to settle this country.

The Dead and the Gone and Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer are disaster stories at their finest. They offer essentially the same story—the moon has bit hit by an asteroid which has thrown it out of orbit, changing the tides, climate, and life of the earth. The Dead and Gone is told by a boy living in a Latino area of New York City. Life as We Knew It is in the voice of a girl who lives in central Pennsylvania. You will look at the moon a little differently when you read these stories.

Novels for Grades 2-5

2009-11-11T22:12:00.001-05:00

The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman disappoints because without the Christmas tie-in this book would appeal to more readers throughout the year. When a classroom discovers a belligerent genie who offers them one wish, each student tries to think of the perfect wish. Each wish is discussed for its ethical and practical value. This could lead to some great discussions of what is fair and how best to share in order to do what best serves the community.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen tells of a young boy who gets a riding lawn mower for his birthday. With little else to do during the summer, he goes out to mow the lawn. Soon, neighbors are asking for his services and he is suddenly very busy and getting rich. When he meets a stock trader, his life grows even more complicated. This book will be enjoyed by kids and bring back memories for adults.

The Dream Stealer by Side Fleischman springs from a folk tale that Fleischman heard while traveling in Mexico. A strange creature comes to steal dreams. Usually this is good because the dream stealer takes bad dreams back to his home which is filled with creatures from the dreams. When he steals a little girl’s dream just when it is getting to the important part, the girl goes after her dream to get it back so she can finish it. The illustrations by Peter Sis add much to this short chapter book.

Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks is the story of a boy who tries to fit in without losing his real self. When an “America Has Talent” style show comes to town, he tries out with his talent for “chawing” cheese into the shapes of states. The fame that follows his performance complicates his life further as he learns who likes him just for his strange talent and the fame it has brought him.

Dying to Meet You: Book One of the 43 Old Cemetery Road Series by Kate Klise is told entirely in letters, notes, and other papers. A boy finds himself alone (or is he?) in an old house after his parents leave town. He meets an odd old author when he tries to sell the house. Perhaps the ghost who lives in one of the rooms will be what makes or breaks the sale.

The Desperado Who Stole Baseball by John H. Ritter tells of the early history of the American West as well as the history of baseball with a wild story that involves a runaway boy, Billy the Kid, and a baseball team in the midst of the Gold Rush of 1849. I know little about baseball but I found much to enjoy in this story.

Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley is a collection of stories about a snake and a lizard who are friends who must deal with their differences and make the most of what they have in common. This is simply a charming book that is perfect for those who have just mastered chapter books.

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart by Ian Beck reveals little known history of the origins of fairy tales. It is the job of the Trueheart brothers to live the fairy tale before it can be included in a book. When all of his brothers are gone on their adventures, Tom, the youngest, is called to create a very difficult fairy tale. Those who enjoy the traditional tales will surely enjoy this book as well.

Sticks by Joan Bauer includes math, pool, and an interesting family in one compact novel. The family owns a pool hall, with grandmother serving as the wise matriarch. When it comes time to win a pool competition her grandson must use everything his father taught him plus some clever insights from his math whiz friend to secure the coveted title.

Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School by Ruth McNally Barshaw is in some ways the girl equivalent of the Wimpy Kid (another series that is well loved for its humor). Ellie keeps a notebook of her thoughts and sketches. She has a keen eye for seeing those things that are meaningful but often overlooked. As one boy pointed out to me, the boys tend to be more sarcastic than Ellie but she makes some pretty astute observations that boys might miss.

Great Graphic Novels

2009-11-11T22:08:00.001-05:00

Graphic novels (and non-fiction) are gaining in popularity every day. Many of them provide great writing along with stunning illustration. Here are a few that you might enjoy.

American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang is the story of a young Chinese boy trying to fit into America without losing his Chinese heritage. This graphic novel includes some old Chinese stories mingled with magical realism as the boy copes with teen life that is suddenly complicated by the arrival of a cousin from China. This is aimed at middle school students.

Into the Volcano by Don Wood has some pretty dramatic pictures to carry the dramatic story of two brothers who are suddenly taken to a remote Pacific Island and forced to go into a volcano which is erupting. Readers in grades four and up will enjoy this adventure.

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan is truly a work of art. The illustrations are filled with grays and blues to portray life in the Dust Bowl. The magical realism is further defined by references to The Wizard of Oz. Middle school readers will appreciate this unique story.

Binky the Space Cat by Ashley Spires will appeal to all ages of graphic novel readers because Binky is such a real cat with high aspirations. He thinks that insects are aliens about to take over the planet and he springs into action as only a cat would.

Joey Fly, Private Eye in Creepy Crawly Crime by Aaron Reynolds will have fans of detective novels rejoicing. Adults will see familiar writing styles as Joey tries to find a missing diamond pencil box that belongs to a beautiful butterfly. If you like this book, read the Chet Gecko stories by Bruce Hale, they are detective parody at its best. Readers in grades three or four and up will enjoy all of these books.

Bone by Jeff Smith has made readers out of many a reluctant third to sixth grader with its crazy characters who get into outlandish adventures.

To Dance: A Memoir by Siena Cherson Siegel shows that graphic novels do not have to be funny. This is a touching memoir of a girl who dreamed of being a professional ballet dancer and how difficult it is to succeed, even at prestigious ballet school. Ballet lovers in grades four and up will be moved by this story.

Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso uses the graphic format to tell a moving story of sharecroppers and the Negro Baseball League when Satchel Paige was a just beginning to make his mark. Baseball is one tool that the sharecroppers to have to put Jim Crow in his place.

Books for Readers in Grades 2-5

2009-11-10T21:18:00.002-05:00

As we prepare for our annual book fair, here is another book list of things that will be enjoyed by students in grades 2 to 5 and by anyone who likes a good story.

The Christmas Genie by Dan Gutman disappoints because without the Christmas tie-in this book would appeal to more readers throughout the year. When a classroom discovers a belligerent genie who offers them one wish, each student tries to think of the perfect wish. Each wish is discussed for its ethical and practical value. This could lead to some great discussions of what is fair and how best to share in order to do what best serves the community.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen tells of a young boy who gets a riding lawn mower for his birthday. With little else to do during the summer, he goes out to mow the lawn. Soon, neighbors are asking for his services and he is suddenly very busy and getting rich. When he meets a stock trader, his life grows even more complicated. This book will be enjoyed by kids and bring back memories for adults.

The Dream Stealer by Side Fleischman springs from a folk tale that Fleischman heard while traveling in Mexico. A strange creature comes to steal dreams. Usually this is good because the dream stealer takes bad dreams back to his home which is filled with creatures from the dreams. When he steals a little girl’s dream just when it is getting to the important part, the girl goes after her dream to get it back so she can finish it. The illustrations by Peter Sis add much to this short chapter book.

Oggie Cooder by Sarah Weeks is the story of a boy who tries to fit in without losing his real self. When an “America Has Talent” style show comes to town, he tries out with his talent for “charving” (A blend of chewing and carving) cheese into the shapes of states. The fame that follows his performance complicates his life further as he learns who likes him just for his strange talent and the fame it has brought him.

Dying to Meet You: Book One of the 43 Old Cemetery Road Series by Kate Klise is told entirely in letters, notes, and other papers. A boy finds himself alone (or is he?) in an old house after his parents leave town. He meets an odd old author when he tries to sell the house. Perhaps the ghost who lives in one of the rooms will be what makes or breaks the sale.

The Desperado Who Stole Baseball by John H. Ritter tells of the early history of the American West as well as the history of baseball with a wild story that involves a runaway boy, Billy the Kid, and a baseball team in the midst of the Gold Rush of 1849. I know little about baseball but I found much to enjoy in this story.

Snake and Lizard by Joy Cowley is a collection of stories about a snake and a lizard who are friends who must deal with their differences and make the most of what they have in common. This is simply a charming book that is perfect for those who have just mastered chapter books.

The Secret History of Tom Trueheart by Ian Beck reveals little known history of the origins of fairy tales. It is the job of the Trueheart brothers to live the fairy tale before it can be included in a book. When all of his brothers are gone on their adventures, Tom, the youngest, is called to create a very difficult fairy tale. Those who enjoy the traditional tales will surely enjoy this book as well.

Sticks by Joan Bauer includes math, pool, and an interesting family in one compact novel. The family owns a pool hall, with grandmother serving as the wise matriarch. When it comes time to win a pool competition her grandson must use everything his father taught him plus some clever insights from his math whiz friend to secure the coveted title.

Ellie McDoodle: New Kid in School by Ruth McNally Barshaw is in some ways the girl equivalent of the Wimpy Kid (another series that is well loved for its humor). Ellie keeps a notebook of her thoughts and sketches. She has a keen eye for seeing those things that are meaningful but often overlooked. As one boy pointed out to me, the boys tend to be more sarcastic than Ellie but she makes some pretty astute observations that boys might miss.

Some Good Picture Books

2009-11-04T22:09:00.002-05:00

PICTURE BOOKS FOR ALL AGES

Picture books offer something for everyone. I tell my students that picture books have a call number that begins with "E" for just that reason. Everyone can find something to enjoy on this list.

FICTION

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee may actually appeal more to adults than to children. When two young boys spend a week-end with the grandparents of one of the boys, they experience things in ways that are familiar to any one who ever been a child. Grandpa’s driving gets them to the beach house, but also adds to their vocabularies. They simply soak up all that the freedom of outdoor play has to offer, finding that this is the key to having a great week. The illustrations are filled with humor and add greatly to the story.

Epossumandus Plays Possum by Colleen Salley is the fourth in this series which features one of the world’s few truly cute possums. The diaper he wears adds to the humor and the appeal. Once again, Epossumandus takes an old story to make it new. Every one of these books is worth a look.

Dragon’s Love by Stephen Parlato does not have much of a plot, but that really does not matter because they illustrations are so beautiful and creative. When the dragon says its loves feathers, the illustration shows a dragon made entirely of feathers. If the dragon loves butterflies or lizards or something else, that love fills the entire page with color. This is a treat for the eye and a great excuse to study each picture for hours on end.

Thunder Boomer by Shutta Crum (who lives in Ann Arbor) is a lovely story of a young girl and her family as they experience an exciting, slightly frightening, and amazing thunder storm. This newest by Crum is my personal favorite of her many picture books.

Learning to Fly and Waiting for Winter by Sebastian Meschenmoser are my favorite finds of this fall. Learning to Fly begins with a man finding a penguin who tried to fly and could until others told him that penguins don’t fly. The man helps the penguin in many amusing and impractical ways. The conclusion is a lovely moral. Waiting for Winter captures the excitement of the first taste of snow by showing a squirrel and his friends as they imagine snow and then celebrate the arrival of winter. The illustrations make both of these books stand out. Never before have I seen such few lines carry so much humor and feeling.

Egg Drop by Mini Grey is the hilarious tale of a little egg who wants to fly. The bold little egg climbs to the top of a tall tower (kids love the drops of sweat on the poor egg’s forehead/shell) and then jumps off. He thinks he is flying, but, of course, he merely falls. Despite all efforts, he can’t be put back together. Don’t stop reading until you find the twist at the end.

Chicken Little by Rebecca Emberly and Ed Emberly gives free reign to this daughter/father team to add colorful illustrations and a few surprises to the familiar tale. There are many versions of this story available, with this being one of the most recent and certainly one of the brightest, in many senses of the word.

NON-FICTION

There are more and more non-fiction picture books from biographies to science to folk tales. I will include more in other lists, but here are some to get you started.

This is the Oasis by Miriam Moss effectively captures the vast open spaces of the Sahara Desert and then shows the color and activity of the oasis. The text is simple and blends well with the illustrations. There is enough information to offer the start of a good research paper while also being a good recreational read.

Tarra & Bella: The Elephant and the Dog Who Became Best Friends by Carol Buckley joins many other books that feature surprising animal friendships. Like the others (If you haven’t read Owen and Mzee about the hippo and the turtle who become friends, please go find it and its sequels as soon as you can.) There is more text than the usual picture book and a wealth of nice photographs. It is hard not to love a dog or an elephant, so it is hard not to ooh and ahhh over this book.

Books for Adults

2009-11-04T22:00:00.003-05:00

Emerson is getting ready for its annual book fair. Here are some suggestions for the adult readers in our community and beyond.

Lost on Planet China, J. Maarten Troost’s new book joins The Sex Lives of Cannibals and Getting Stoned with Savages as a unique, humorous, and informative travel book. Troost leaves behind the tropical islands that he visited in his previous books and his wife and two sons to spend several months trying to understand China and its role in the modern world. There are parts that will make you laugh and other parts that will startle and amaze you. It is a very different look at China than one gets from the news or other travel and history books. Add China to your list of places to visit and view with a new eye.

The House at Sugar Beach: In Search of a Lost African Childhood by Helene Cooper, a reporter for the Wall Street Journal and other national papers, is a memoir that follows her journey from growing up in the ruling class in Liberia to her teen years as a refugee in the United States and then to her return to the country of her youth. In addition to a well-written story, this book presents a history of Liberia from the viewpoints of the people who were living there for generations as well as the freed slaves that the U.S. sponsored to go there to set up a new country.

Pretty Birds by NPR reporter Scott Simon is a novel that was inspired by Simon’s time spent reporting from Sarajevo. The protagonist is a young girl whose family is forced from their home when the fighting started. As the family struggles to survive, she finds that she can earn money and food by becoming a sniper. The mixing of a fairly innocent teen-age girl with the cold, hard brutality of war makes a moving story, despite some flaws in the writing.

The Painter of Battles by Arturo Perez-Reverte packs a lot of power into a slender volume. It ponders the question of what the impact is of the photographers who get the close-ups of war that we see on the evening news and in print materials. There were descriptions of brutality that were almost impossible to read, but the story was so compelling and the questions so important that I barely stopped to breathe as I read,

The Help by Katherine Stockett gives a somewhat different view to relations between the races in Jackson, Mississippi, in the 1960s. It has been quite popular recently so you probably have heard about this novel of an upper middle class white woman who interviews the African American maids who serve her family and the families of her friends. Maids know about a family than any family probably cares to admit. These maids also know pain, sorrow, and racism at its worst.

Step back in time a little more than a decade from the time of The Help and you will be in the South that is portrayed in Mudbound by Hillary Jordan which tells the differing lives found by two men, one black and one white, who return from World War II. While serving in Europe they were treated almost equally. Now they need to pick up their very separate lives. These were hard times for hardened people.

The Angel Maker by Stefan Brijs is one of the strangest books I have read in a long time. I suspect that it is a book that people either love or hate with little middle ground. I enjoyed the questions that it stirs about religion, Autism, genetic engineering, and child rearing. This story got my book club looking at the history of the Netherlands and the surrounding areas as well discussions of the role of the Catholic Church in the area. Be warned—the writing is designed to get under your skin, and it does.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid covers only a few hours as it relates an interaction between an unnamed American tourist and a Pakistani in a café in Lahore. The Pakistani fellow tries to explain his country and his feelings about by recalling his college experiences at Princeton and how his life fell apart because of a failed love and then was further complicated by 9/11. Despite a weak ending, this story will give you much to think about as Pakistan remains in the forefront of so much of our news.

Still Alice by Lisa Genova takes the reader inside the mind of a sufferer of early onset Alzheimer’s. The author is a psychologist who works with the aging and specifically with Alzheimer patients. The story shows the fateful progression of the disease as well as the fear that Alice feels as she loses her memory in bits and in large pieces.

Kafka’s Soup: A Complete History of World Literature in 14 Recipes by Mark Crick is a quick diversion that will bring a smile to your face and perhaps some good food to your table. Each of the 14 recipes is written in the style of a different well-known author.

It seems as though everyone I know has already read The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows by now, but just in case you haven’t, let me suggest you give it a try. In letters and journal entries, this long-on-the-best-seller-list novel makes readers want to visit the island of Guernsey while recounting the life the islanders led during the Nazi occupation of their home. Along with the history and a look into the culture of the island is a sweet and believable love story. In short, it has something for almost everyone.

Stealing Buddha’s Dinner by Bich M. Nguyen has been chosen as a statewide read this year. I can’t tell you what activities there will be around this book, but I can tell you that it is sure to stir some food memories for you no matter who you are. Nguyen, her father, sister, and grandmother found their way to Grand Rapids, Michigan, in 1975 as Vietnamese refugees. This is a story of trying to fit into a new society without losing one’s roots.

A Whole New Mind: Why Right Brainers Will Rule the Future by Daniel Pink was read by many of the Emerson teachers this summer. While not everyone enjoyed it as much as I did, I am going to suggest that it is worth your time to read it and think about some of Pink’s interesting ideas. Will right brainers rule the future? It is hard to tell, but developing some right brain traits can’t hurt.

Happy Hallloween

2009-10-30T09:30:00.009-04:00

The school's Halloween parade has come and gone. The rain kept us inside but everyone had a wonderful time parading through the school, including a gym filled with parents.

As difficult as this may be to believe, I do not like to wear a costume and I stress more than is necessary about finding the perfect costume. This year's costume was very uncomfortable, but it provided a week of library classes. Most of the third to fifth grade classes were involved with the creation of a book costume. The continue to come to the library to see the finished product, even though it no longer graces my shoulders.

One class chose the catchy title of Linda Gets Stuck in a Book and another picked Bookabee Poochy as the suitable pseudonym for the multiple authors. Many children pointed out how this is much like the non-existent Erin Hunter who represents the team that writes the Warriors series. Which lead to a good discussion about why people would want to use a pseudonym. A third class designed the colorful cover which was In all three instances there were close votes to determine the ultimate winners. This means, of course, that there were many good ideas that could not be used this time.

Two classes were called upon for the ultimate in collaboration to create the story--or at least page one of it.

Reading the text in the picture is more than a little difficult so let me reproduce the entire text here:

One day Linda was reading a book to little green men from Venus. Suddenly the book attacked her. Linda fought back but the book kept trying to eat her. The book was too strong. Linda got pulled into the book. She tried to pry the book open but it was a like a steel trap. Soon all you could see were Linda's arms, legs, and head.

"Oh, well," said Linda, "I've always wanted to be in a good book."

Since there was nothing better to do inside the book, Linda read all of the pages. Then she got tired and fell asleep. The little green men from Venus woke her up by shouting, "Where's Linda?"

When she was awake, Linda realized that she was craving a bagel. Luckily she found one that the book had eaten earlier that week. But the bagel was stale.

Even though only her arms, legs, and head stuck out of the book, Linda walked to the store to get a fresh bagel. When she was full of bagel, she wanted some apple cider. On the way to the orchard, Linda passed a bookstore. The bookstore owner ran after her shouting, "Get back here book."

The bookstore owner caught Linda and put her on the shelf next to The Book About Books.
Two months later, a little girl came into the bookstore. She saw the book with Linda in it and thought it looked good. The little girl opened the book and
SCREAMED.

So, ends the story, unless your imagination can carry it to page two and beyond.

Referring to the picture of the open book, you will also notice that we spent some time dreaming up a publishing company. This book, copyright 2009, was published by Vampire Princess Press, a division of How to Eat a Whole Pie in Under 30 Seconds Publishers, Inc., 1877 Chicken Fingers and Fries Street, Emerson, Michigan.

The back cover was decorated by a second grade class with a few additions by others. You will notice that the price that students determined to be appropriate was $5,000,000.00 (higher in Canada). They had a hard time choosing between $0.01, $5.99 9/10, $14.99, and millions of dollars for this one-of-a-kind collaboration.

So ends the story, or does it?

More Halloween Poetry

2009-10-23T14:09:00.003-04:00

Today the poetry comes from a fourth grade who, as you will see, put some thought into their pseudonyms.

Zombie Hamster by Piffy and Chip (who encourage you to read this as a rap or a song)

Once live a hamster name PChip
It had Purple hips,
It had a huge head
Like a mad scientist.
Its eyes were black with white pupils.
Its legs and arms were shaped like hills.
And that was the Zombie Hamster!

Skeleton by Emily Hickory and Alex Numbers

Sickly icky bones
Kids scr-
Eeee-a-m
Likes to scare people
Everyone's scared of it
The
Outrageously scary skeleton
Never lives.

Mysterious Hole by Hermione Ranger

I once went for a stroll
But then I bumped into a pole
then fell through a hole
I got hurt
And fell in the dirt
And got a new name, Mirt.

The Black Cat by Mooing Moose and Morgan Mock

There was a black cat
On the cat
There was a hat
On the hat
Thee was a bat...
BOO!!!
The ghost appeared.

The Cat and Rat by Bailey Staginahw

I once met a fat black cat.
That can knew a rat.
The little rat ran
Just as fast he can.
Though the cat was chasing his tail.
The RAt started tow ail.
A boat took off to sail.
Because the cat was chasing the rat's tail.

Hot Chocolate by Beafy Beaf Lover
(This is a concrete poem that I will try to scan in later, but the words are too good to miss. Picture these words sitting in a green cup with the first line as steamy steam.)

I want
hot chocolate
And I want it now.
Hot Heat rising from the mug.
Steamy steam steaming from the mug.
As I said,
I want hot chocolate.

Halloween Poetry

2009-10-20T19:44:00.002-04:00

Today I had a third grade class write some poetry. After many discussions, they were not left with much time to write their poems, but as you can see below, they rose to the challenge. In addition to thinking about poetry forms, we worked in a little talk about pseudonyms and Internet safety as we thought about the dangers of putting your full name out for the world to see. You will note some pretty creative pseudonyms here. We also talked about copyright. Each student signed a release allowing me to put their poetry on this blog. There will be more poems coming soon from other students as well as concrete poems that will require my scanner to be fully operative.

And now, some poems.

The Bat by "blah, blah, blah"

The bat that wanted
A cat
Was eating
I think,
Ah Yes,
A rat.
The rat was big, he thought
So he sold the rat
And got a cat.
The cat wanted to eat
A Kit Kat
So the bat gave
A Kit Kat
To the cat.
And the bat
Ate another rat.

Lizard by Omar

Lumpy
Icky
Zigzag
Awkward
Ridiculous
Disturbing

Cat by Benyo-man

Cats
Always are
Trouble

Owls by A. W.

Owls
With
Lovely
Spells

Rat by P.G.

Ridiculous
Awkward
Tomato

Cat by Michael H.

A big cat
Ate
The fat rat.

Witch by Jessica

Witches fly on
Gnarled wood
Smoke in the air.

Pumpkin by Elie

Plump
Unicorns fly through the mushy pumpkin pie.
Mommy carves jack-o-lanterns.
Pumpkin pies don't like unicorns.
Kenny is fat because he eats pumpkins raw.
I like Halloween.
Nice Halloween Pumpkins.

Pumpkin by Emma

Plump
Unique
Mushy
Pumpkin pie
Kind of squishy
Insides are gooey
Nice orange pumpkins.

Halloween's Night by Madeleine

At Halloween's night
We go to trick-or-treating.
When dark falls
Witches with their cats
Come out. When all is dark
And midnight strokes
Witches gather together
And tell stories.

Happy Diwali

2009-10-18T15:27:00.003-04:00

Yes, it is Diwali time again and folks all over the world have been lighting oil lamps to welcome good fortune to their doorstep. As the bride of someone India, I have gotten a number of Diwali greetings. The truth is that in 36 plus years of marriage we have never really celebrated Diwali at our house. My husband tells me that in the far south of India where he grew up, it is a festival for the husband to visit the home of his in-laws. He would not have gotten much celebration by going to visit my folks in Montana. Maybe we can make a big deal over our future sons-in-law, though I doubt that my girls will think of it.

I have gotten to know more about Diwali from the parents of Indian origin at the school. They have generously shared with me and with our students many of their customs and foods. These are the same folks who will soon be celebrating Children's Day with the school.

I wish I could tell you more about Diwali, but all could give you would be pretty slim or collected from books and the Internet. I suggest that you go to this brief blog article called Ganesha, Diwali, and Ravi Shankar, Too to get another perspective on this holiday.

Let's Start at the Beginning

2009-10-16T18:47:00.002-04:00

Many people have been asking me for age specific book lists. Let's start with those designed for the beginning reader.

Easy Readers are the first books that people usually read by themselves. This trend started with Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat which has a controlled vocabulary of just over 200 words. This book was inspired by a magazine article that wondered if children had a hard time learning to read because the first books we gave them were not very interesting and had illustrations that did not build on the plot. Seuss tested this theory and found great success for himself and for young readers.

The story goes that Bennett Cerf then bet Seuss $50.00 that he could not write a book using only 50 words. Green Eggs and Ham, the response to that challenge, is one of the most popular books in the English language—in 2001 Publisher’s Weekly said it was the fourth most popular book in the English language. I love the story, perhaps not entirely based on fact, that when Seuss went to give a speech at MIT or some other important and serious university, the entire student audience stood to recent that beloved book back to its audience.

From Seuss’s beginning grew a new genre of books—the Easy Reader.

Here are a few of my favorites. You will recognize some from your own childhood or from reading them to a special child. I hope that some are new to you and start you on exploring all of the quality literature that has been written for those just beginning a life long love of reading. (As you look for these titles, remember that every publisher seems to have a different system of marking the titles. What is a level 2 in one series may be level 4 in something else. Be sure to look in the book to see if it suits your particular needs, both in terms of reading level and interest.)

Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold introduces young readers to an amazing and very funny fly.

Minnie and Moo will soon become your bovine favorites in this series by Denys Cazet.

Sam and the Firefly, Are You My Mother, and Go Dog Go are just a few of the well-loved books by P. D. Eastman.

Danny and the Dinosaur by Sid Hoff endures as a favorite.

Pinky and Rex adventures are brought to you from the pen of James Howe.

Frog and Toad and the many more in this series and others by Arnold Lobel are read over and over again.

Fox All Week and the rest of this series by Edward Marshall made my husband laugh out loud when he read them to our daughters.

Little Bear by Else Holmelund Minarik will always hold a special spot in my heart.

Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parrish and continued today by Herman Parrish is loved by any child old enough to enjoy playing with words and their meanings.

Cynthia Rylant writes for all ages and her three Easy Reader series are a great introduction— Take a look at Henry and Mudge, Pinky and Rex and Mr. Putter and Tabby.

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat has inspired many a young detective.

Good Night, Good Knight by Shelley Moore Thomas a perfect bedtime story and a fun story to read at any time of the day.

Amanda Pig and her brother Oliver Pig bring humor and life to several books by Jean Van Leeuwen.

Commander Toad by Jane Yolen commands a series of wild space adventures.

DON’T FORGET THE NON-FICTION

Several publisher have started putting out quality non-fiction in an easy reader format.

Dorling Kindersly (DK) has several non-fiction readers that feature the same kinds of great pictures in the Eyewitness books but with more straight forward information.

Scholastic Rookie books are feature bright illustrations and photos along with simple text to talk about topics in health, science, geography, and biography.

Seymour Simon produces fact-filled books with amazing photos for slightly older kids and now has a series of See More Readers for the youngest readers.

Time for Kids, Random House, and Golden Books also have good non-fiction books on the market.

Two of my favorite non-fiction titles are The Bravest Dog Ever: The True Story of Balto by Natalie Standiford and George Washington and the General’s Dog by Frank Murphy.

As you begin to look at these books you will soon realize that simple sentences and a controlled vocabulary does not mean the the lose of a good story or some solid information.

Series-ously speaking

2009-10-03T19:04:00.003-04:00

Every year at this time, parents come to me with the deep concern that their child is reading and rereading a entire series. Often it is a series that was read (and maybe reread several times) last year. "Is she regressing?" they ask. "Will Susie ever read fine literature?" "Why won't Billy move on?" I don't know the research on this topic, but I do have some thoughts.

The start of the new school year can be stressful--new teacher, new classmates, new requirements, and other real and imagined changes. A series offers familiar friends in familiar settings. Even the language is familiar. All of that can be very comforting.

I have never known an adult who still reads nothing but Nancy Drew or Hardy Boys or Tin Tin, but I know of many successful adults who read those books as fast as they could get their hands on them, our newest Supreme Court Justice being a case in point.

Everybody needs some relaxing reading. Adults are encouraged to read for relaxation. Kids have that same right and that same need. For many adults and children, series offer than relaxation.

There is currently one of may library patrons who is rereading all of the Babysitters' Club as fast as she can, often at the rate of four a day. She says they are just fun. Then she turns around and asks for something that will challenge her outstanding fourth grade reading skills. I am always impressed by her versatile and voracious reading habits. She is getting new things from those babysitters and she is branching out in many directions. Some day she will realize how similar all of the Babysitters' stories are. She may even did what my daughter did.

One of my daughters joined her friends at a certain age in reading every Babysitters' Club book she could find. She wanted to change her name to Stacy. She wanted to have a club. She wanted to discuss whether it was Jesse or Mallory who was the most interesting. Then one fine day, she said, "I figured out what would happen in this book by about page 10. I am not going to read any more of these." To the best of my knowledge she has never read another one. Now she suggests some pretty tough reading material for me as well as some good relaxing stuff.

Not only are there now a lot more Babysitters' Club by Ann M. Martin books available than there were when my daughter was young, there are a lot more series in general. Here are few old favorites as well as some that are newer. They just scratch the surface of the series books out there, with more coming out every day.

Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene and Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon (you all know of course that those are pseudonyms for the many authors who contributed to the creation of these series) are detective stories that will live on for generations. The older ones are still more popular with most kids than the newer ones. None of my students seem to care for the graphic format ones.

Encyclopedia Brown by Donald Sobol have also been around for a long while and have kept many a young reader happily entertained.

Nate the Great by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat is loved for getting beginning readers hooked on mysteries, series, and reading in general.

Today's Wall Street Journal had an article on the Betsy-Tacy books by Maud Hart Lovelace. I confess that I don't remember whether I ever read these or not, but Meg Cabot gives a good argument in this article for why these books are still popular nearly 70 years after they first appeared.

You know many other well-loved series that are considered fine literature as well--The Lord of the Rings by J. R. R. Tolkien, Anne of Green Gables by L. M. Montgomery, The Little House Books by Laura Ingalls Wilder, Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling and Winne-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne to name just a few.

There are some new series that should not be missed.

I have mentioned Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm before but must mention it again because it offers very funny stories with interesting twists and turns in a graphic format.

Also in the graphic format are the Bone books by Jeff Smith. More than one young man credits a new found joy of reading to these wild and wacky tales.

The Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan are set to become classics because of their timely twist on mythology, their humor, and their adventures.

Nicola's Bookstore brought Story Pirate performers to introduce The Ranger's Apprentice by John Flanagan to Emerson School a week ago. Those kids who were not interested in this adventure-filled series before are now reading it at a rapid clip. The children's book buyer at Nicola's has seen the pre-publication copy of the next in the series and says it is even better than the last two, which she also thought were great. That is high praise.

American Chillers and Michigan Chillers by Jonathan Rand are almost impossible to keep on the library shelves. These stories of monsters devouring cities in Michigan and entire states are devoured by boys in grades three and up. They have a generous dose of humor plus lots of adventure. We also like them because Rand lives in Michigan.

For those who like animal adventures--as in animals with human characteristics who fight major battles--there are the owls of The Guardians of Ga'Hoole by Kathryn Lasky and the cats of Warriors by Erin Hunter.

Finally, let me comment on the new 39 Clues series. The kids tell me that some of them are great and others are not so good. This is not surprising because each one is by a different author. I am put off by the number of commercial tie-ins. You can collect the cards, enter the contest, and make repeated visits to the web-site for more tie-ins. Groan.