The Girl Who Circumnavigated...

The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland In a Ship of Her Own Making

by Catherynne M. Valenti (2011)

Full of interesting creatures and people, a spunky, resourceful heroine, very Alice in Wonderland-like. I like books that I can hear myself reading to a class; even though the vocabulary in high, the story has a captivating tone and many reading levels would be able to follow along.

Extra Credit

Extra Credit

by Andrew Clements (2009)

Pen pals across international boundaries, a Midwestern girl not doing well in school and an Afghani boy excelling in his classes. Good read aloud with lots of ideas for research projects, letter writing, social studies, and of course pen pals.

The Young Man and the Sea

The Young Man and the Sea

by Rodman Philbrick (2004)

A boy and his father deal with loss, the dad stuck on the couch and the boy out at sea after the tuna that can help turn their lives around. The hero is brave and resourceful and we pull for him immediately.

Deeper levels: geography of story, fish/lobsters.

The Scarecrow and his Servant

The Scarecrow and His Servant

Philip Pullman (2004)

Fun sometimes silly story of a boy, a scarecrow, and the Kingdom of Birds. A smart boy and a dim scarecrow embark on Quixotic adventures involving desert islands, battles, dancing brooms and lots of birds.

Tabloidology & Room One

Today's Guest Reviewer is my 105 lb, 10.5 year old 5th grader Son #3 who alternates between two phrases to start every sentence: "Father, how/why...? or "I'm going to invent...."

Tabloidology                  

by Chris McMahen (2009)

Why I picked it up: Because I thought it would be an odd book because of the title.
Why I liked/disliked it: I liked it because it was an impossible funny tale about a school newspaper.
Who I would give it to: My father who likes impossible and funny books about school newspapers.
 [Ed./Father: I do?]

Room One

by Andrew Clements (2006)

Why I picked it up: My dad gave me the book because it was by the same author as Frindle.
Why I liked/disliked it: I liked it because it was 1/8 mystery. 1/8 drama, 1/8 problems, 1/8 school, 1/2 really good book.
Who I would give it to: My dad because he read Frindle and he was the genius who picked it out for me. [Ed./Dad: No argument here!]

Hereville

... How Mirka Got Her Sword

Barry Deutsch (2010)

Entertaining and Educational! Learn numerous Yiddish phrases and all about the Sabbath while enjoying a cute story of a rebel girl and a magic pig.  And a troll. Who knits.

The website has interesting looks at the creative process as Deutsch readies the next book of Minka's adventures, including sketches and rough drafts.

The Dork Diaries

My son is appalled that I even brought this home, much less plan on reading it.

Dork Diaries

by Rachel Renee Russell (2009)

Ok, I did read it. Well, I read all of the first 100 pages, and most of the last 30 pages, and a good selection of what was in between. And while it is full of silly girl stuff like cute shoes and lip gloss, it's also about friendship, believing in yourself, and not letting yourself be dragged down in all the popularity and gossip stuff around school.

The Neverending Story

The Neverending Story

by Michael Ende (1979)

About half way through, but I've been enthralled since the beginning -- and confused: Why have I never read this before?!?

I think it's because the movie came out in 1984, and as a high school senior I wouldn't be caught dead even debating seeing a silly puppet kid's flick... I still haven't seen it, and I've exposed my kids to The Dark Crystal and every Muppet epic.

......

update: Finished! It's a long one, could almost say it felt ne.  ver.  en.  ding, but well worth the full read.  Heroes, self-worth, scary and silly creatures (very Narnia-like), finding and following the right priorities of love for family and friends.  I think the first half would be a great read aloud for the classroom, but the second half gets a little long and deep.

An adventure, magic, fantasy story with elements of bullying, self-image, being who you are, reaching your potential, and putting others above self.

Love to find more info on the author and the story (beyond Wikipedia).

101 Ways to Bug Your...

...Friends and Enemies

by Lee Wardlaw (2011)

A little Jane Austin for the miniature golf crowd -- lots of relationship intrigue and discovering of romantic feelings, as well as lessons in friendship as people grow and change.  A lot going on, the numerous characters (and ailments, and accents, and...) in the first chapters had my head swimming, but everything and everyone ties together nicely at the end.  Genuinely funny, and without the usual base juvenile book humor. Loved the Hawaiian golfer character, something different and fresh.

Although I do wonder why I feel the urge to rent Roxanne ...?

http://www.leewardlaw.com/books.htm

Sammy Keyes and the...

Sammy Keyes and the Skeleton Man

by W. Van Draanen (1998)

Sometimes an author puts in too much, this one is a mystery and a revenge story all rolled together, and the two parts really have nothing to do with each other.
Sammy is misfit teenager being bullied by the cool girls while illicitly living with her grandmother in the ol' folks home and solving a family feud/attempted murder/theft of rare books... The crime solving stuff could have been much better and made a more complete book if most of the teen girl drama material would have been saved for another book.
That said, Sammy and cohorts are attractive and entertaining characters, I'd probably get more into the book if I'd read her backstory and followed the series from the beginning rather than somewhere in the middle.

Comments from the author, including the word "prevarication" !

Blubber

by Judy Blume (1974)

I'm sure I read a first edition of this, way back when, but I certainly didn't remember how mean all the kids were!  Not a cheery read, but probably a necessary one.  I know some teachers make this the annual beginning of the school year read-aloud.

Bullies, cliques, Halloween pranks, and some people get what they deserve, but not all of them. 

I think I'm starting a little "Blume-fest" -- picked up a couple of Fudge books too, and open to suggestions...

The Case of the...

...Graveyard Ghost? ...Barfy Birthday? ...Crooked Carnival?

by Michelle Torrey

The detective team of Doyle and Fossey, scientists and sleuths, solve crimes for their neighborhood and teach principles of Science at the same time!

These are very cool, perfect for the classroom, highly recommended books.  Not only are they neat stories, with both clever and gross humor and Encyclopedia Brown (if he was a science/invention nerd) -like mysteries to solve, but just when the reader's curiosity is piqued there is a DIY activity included -- secret codes, dry ice, make your own pulley* -- with clear instructions and plenty of safety tips.  I think these stories (there's a few cases in each book) would be great to introduce a Science unit, to refresh student brains before assessment, even as a quiz: Can you solve the case?

* these 3 are just from one book, the others have been loaned out to neighborhood kids for summer reading; I told them that's what happens when you live next to a teacher!

Zia

Zia

by Scott O'Dell (1976)

The sequel to Island of the Blue Dolphins, although the girl from the island is a minor character; her niece lives in a Santa Barbara mission and longs both to meet/rescue her independent island Aunt and gain her own freedom.  Great for whatever year students study California history and the Missions, and for discussions of how and when to do the right thing -- would you tell the truth if it landed you in jail?

The Black Pearl

The Black Pearl

by Scott O'Dell (1967)

The classic tale: boy finds pearl, boy loses pearl. Boy's dad gives pearl away, giant manta wants revenge for pearl, boy steals pearl to toss back into ocean.

Superstition, greed, selfish/selfless, allegory, nature.

Which came first? Doesn't this sound like a Steinbeck story?  I'm going to back and read his version again, it's been awhile...

Crash

Crash

by Jerry Spinelli (1996)

Middle-school football star/bully learns what's really important in life.

Being in sports, and being a guy, all my life I can definitely recognize "Crash" Coogan and his alpha male jock friends.  Now as a coach and parent I see how we reinforce the ego-driven outlook the physically talented are taught to have from an early age.  It's almost natural, probably part of a deeper, hunter/warrior society-centered instinct to praise and follow the one who can knock over the most mastadons.  The first students that get noticed are usually the bigger and faster kids on the playground.

This story follows a star athlete as his family and neighbor/classmate get him to think about other things in life than himself and being popular (pacifism, nature, death); I wish there would have been more to the book at the "end" of his story, his conversion to a nice guy was wrapped up all too quick.

Crushing on Miss Hickory

... that is, until she had her head eaten and, while it was being eaten, she "went right on thinking... aloud!!!" *

Miss Hickory

Carolyn Sherwin Baily

Newbery Medal 1947

Interesting book, at times a cute anthropomorphic nature/animal story, then a lesson on manners, with a Christmas mystery/miracle tossed in.  And through it all is sweet little Miss Hickory, a twig lady with a nut head, learning to live on her own one winter.  She's sassy, bossy, a touch grumpy, but cuts a fine figure in both fall and spring colors!  She meets a surprising and grisly end at the hands of a hungry squirrel, but lives on after joining her headless self to an apple tree... (yes, you read that right).  She is selfish and hard on her friends in the forest, but has a happy ending reincarnated (?) as an apple branch.

I liked it as a funny book, interesting to read in regards to the seasons changing or when studying apple trees?

*I'm quite sure this violates goes against my Violence Boycott!

connections: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, The Bubble

R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIMH

R-T, Margaret, and the Rats of NIHM

by Jane Leslie Conly (1990)

No wonder I couldn't find any sequels to Mrs. Frisby... on the "O" shelf: the next two books were written by Robert O'Brien's daughter.  Not sure why after a Newbery winning book and successful (albeit altered) Disney movie he didn't write more himself?

While not as charming as the original, this book uses many familiar characters and situations, while focusing mainly on the human aspect: grouchy, lazy, overweight Margaret and her troubled little brother are lost in the woods, found and helped by the super-smart talking rats.  With multiple references to pop culture it's a bit dated, and after the kids leave the rodents (why did the rats let them stay all summer?) and have to deal with family and reporters it's not as interesting, but still a good story for lessons on dealing with adversity, peer pressure, helping others, ethical dilemmas...

Ramona and Her Father

Ramona and Her Father

by Beverly Clearly (1975)

A little more serious than the other Cleary books I picked up -- unemployment, nicotine addiction, abandonment issues, engine trouble... but still sweet, still humorous.  The focus is on Ramona and daily life dealing with her father losing his job and trying to quit smoking, with the strong family bond and balance of relationships throughout.

The Dopple Ganger Chronicles: The First Escape*

*which tells ya right off someone's gonna get caught and have to escape all over again...

DG Chronicles #1 The First Escape

by G.P. Taylor (2008)


I think I ended up liking the premise for the book -- part graphic novel, part enhanced text/page layout -- itself more than the story, although at times I liked it less and then more than my final evaluation.  Got it?  Me neither...

Twin girls at an orphanage,  a myriad of mean adults, a spooky house, a brave cleaning boy comes to the rescue.  Lots of action, interesting characters and ideas, great art, strong message of the importance of family...

I'm not sure what it is about this book that kept it from really capturing me; it might be the shifts between the comic book pages and the text pages, or between the characters and settings as the story progressed.  Maybe the book is too glossy/showy and not enough depth -- the twin orphan girls are brats in the beginning, there are too many bad guys trying to do them in, and the potential hero is vague.  But again I do like the comic/book combo and it appears there are more installments coming, so I'd give the "Dopple Ganger" series another try.

connections: Coraline, Series of Unfortunate Events

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

by Robert C. O'Brien

Newbery Medal Winner (1972)

Genetically altered vermin developing their own agricultural society-- Run! Run for the hills!  Actually no, stay away from the hills, since that's where the genius immortal super-sized rats are!

Mrs. Frisby is a widowed country mouse with a sick mouse-child who discovers the neighborhood rats are not all they seem; after chemical/brain testing by scientists the rats (and a few mice) escape the lab and learn how to use electricity.  Some rats come to somewhat gruesome ends, but most of the story is positive and entertaining.

Did they ever tell us what "NIMH" stood for? And is there a sequel?