Latkes, Latkes, Good to Eat

This Hanakkah story is about sadie and her brothers. When Sadie asks for help to build a fire to cook from, her brothers all come up with reasons not to. She enters the forest to gather wood and meets an older woman who is freezing. She offers her some of the branches, and in exchange the woman gives her a magic frying pan. The pan comes with specific instructions, that she be the only user and the words for starting and stopping the latkes from cooking.

Sadie returns and uses the pan without incident for much of Hannakah. She wants to invite the woman to dinner, so she goes to the forest to find her. She tells her brothers not to touch the pan, and of course they don't listen. Latkes start frying up, but the boys do not know the exact words to stop it.

Dewey: Christmas in the Library

Dewey the library cat is having his first Christmas. He likes toplay with the decorations and has a grand time with the red yarn. While alone at night, he climbs up and down the decorated christmas tree dragging the yarn with him. When the librarian arrives in the morning she discovers the rearranged tree and immediately removes it from the library. We find that she had entered it in a decorating competition and won first place.

My kinder and first graders listened to this book, then each student created a similar ornament to this in the story and we built an identical tree, complete with wandering yarn, the Dewey Loves Christmas sign, books underneath, and all. The kids enjoyed doing text-to-world comparisons between our tree and the illustration.

The City of Ember

This sci fi fantasy is set in the future. The underground city of Ember is now about 200 years old and falling apart. Food is scare, light is constantly being challenged, the pipes are breaking. The Builders, who designed the city, never planned for it to last forever, so they stored an escape plan in a box which was handed down from mayor to mayor.

Lina Mayfleet, a 7th generation grandchild of a mayor has come across the box, and its centuries old message. Her sister Poppy nibbled a bit out of it, but with the help of Doon they may be able to find a way out of Ember.

This fast moving story is book one is the series called Books of Ember. It is also out on DVD. To see a movie trailer click here.

Mirror Mirror: A Book of Reversible Verse

Awesome. Clever. Challenging, Entertaining. All these words describe Mirror Mirror. Selectively chosen words are written and phrased vertically in just such a way that they tell one perspective of a story when read, and an opposite way when the text is is rewritten in reverse.

Each poem addresses a different fairy tale, from one characters perspective to another's. The illustrations are a treat since they reflect the words through the images with a "half and half" design that fits together.

Goal!

Ajani and his friends love soccer. He has earned a new "official" soccer ball and can't wait to play, but in his South African town , there are bullies who may take it. On his way to get water from the well, he stops to play with the boys. One friend stands look out in case trouble arrives, which it does.

A great kid-friendly story of Ajani's environment, its pleasures, and issues. The illustrations are beautiful and the author's note presents the evolution and importance of "football."

Imogene's LAst Stand

Great book! I loved how the author sprinkles in quotes from historical figures into Imogene's responses. Imogene and her father restore a dilapidated home into a local museum. But when her tiny New Hampshire mayor announces they will be leveling it to build a new shoe lace factory, she goes nuts! The whole town is excited about "putting themselves on the map!" Imogene tries to rally the citizens, protests in the street, but uncovers a special item that could change everything!

Dewey: Christmas in the Library

Dewey the library cat is watching the library become festive for the Christmas holiday. He gets tangled up in the spirit while left alone and brings special cheer to the patrons.

I loved this book and it will serve as inspiration for me when decorating my library. I will have the PreK and Kinders decorate with doilies, red bow up top, and lots of loose red yarn!

Turtle in Paradise

Turtle lives with her mother in New Jersey. Her mother goes through men and cleaning jobs as if they are socks. Finally she settles on a man and a housemaid position, but her boss doesn't like children. Off Turtle goes to Key West to live with her aunt and cousins. .While there, she discovers the "conch" lifestyle, her extended family, and more than she could ever ask for.

This book really took me back to the Depression era and how life was as the tourist haven Key West blossomed. The author's notes in the back share her personal experiences, stories from her family, and newsworthy anecdotes from the 1930s.

This book has two different covers. The one to the right is the "new and improved" cover, but I think I prefer the original which features Turtle on the cover and is reminicent of its setting. Sadly, I cannot find a copy of the second cover anywhere on line.

Wild Times at the Bed & Biscuit

The Bed & Biscuit is a bed and breakfast for animals. But not just any animals. For now, the boardinghouse is home to wild animals. Our main character, Ernest the Pig, has much to tend to while the wildlife's shelter is repaired. There is a Canadian goose with a throat injury, a muskrat with a bum foot, fox kits want to escape their cage, and there is a new puppy, Sir Walter, joining the B&B.

With all this chaos, it is up to Ernest to calm the wild ones, assuring them their day will come that they will be released, and teaching Sir Walter the many differences between domestic and wild animals.

Forge

This is an outstanding book that is actually the second in a series (the first is Scott O'Dell Award winning and National Book Award Finalist Chains) that will end up being a trilogy. Curzon is a slave, who apparently at the end of Chains, had been robbed and abandoned by his friend Isabel. He is officially a slave, but he had escaped from prison and had been passing himself off as free. This is how the story starts.

While hiding in the woods, he saves a young boy's life when the boy was threatened by a British soldier. Circumstances lead Curzon to join the Patriots as they head to Valley Forge to end the war. There is so much empathy built into this book. It gives you an appreciation for the value and horror the slaves experiences but lack of recognition. It gives you insight to the general conditions our forefathers experiences to fight for our freedom from England. Each chapter begins with a quote from a diary or letter concerning the conditions of the soldiers, hardships, risks, and friendships all which plays into the events of the chapter.

Balarama

This "primary source" Bluebonnet nominee for 2011 tells the story of the newly appointed royal elephant, Balarama. Set in India, the authors tell the story of their first fall visit where they meet Drona, who has led the glorious procession on the last day of the Dasara festival. They are taken with the culture and the animal and decide to return the following year to take in the spectacle, but find Drona has been replaced due to injury. They watch Balarama train to prepare for the procession in which he must carry the 800 pound golden carriage.

The authors are both notable illustrators and I liked how their very different styles are mixed throughout the pages. It moves from beautiful watercolor scenes to cartoonish storytelling. Just as they share their account, they share in their vision of it, which makes the books as fun to look at as it is to read.

The Storm in the Barn

This Bluebonnet nominee for 2011 packs it all in - graphic novel, historical fiction, tall tale, and Scott O'Dell Award winner. It is set in 1930s Kansas during the infamous Dust Bowl and times are tough for Jack. His father is disappointed in him, it hasn't rained in years, so people are leaving the area, and the poor boy gets bullied.

Jack is drawn to the abandoned neighbor barn and believes there is a presence in there. Personified as an evil being, "Rain" hides inside and is challenged by Jack to bring relief to the area.

The Brixton Brothers: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity

Steve Brixton looooves the Bailey Brothers books. These Hardy Boyish fictional heroes have inspired his love for detecting. He has read and reread all 59 books, uses their handbook religiously, and even carries their Genuine Detective's Investigation License. Things get crazy when Steve draws the topic of needlepoint for a research report and checks out a book on quilting from the library. Suddenly ninjas are on the hunt to capture the boy and the missing quilt. Steve has no idea what they are talking about, but knows he must solve the mystery to clear his name.

The Witch's Guide to Cooking with Children

Don't let the title fool you. This is quite the sinister book! Hansel and Gretel had it pretty bad back in that woods, but centuries later, Sol and Connie Blink are in a similar modern day predicament.

The woods have made way for a new town, but the land is still home to witches. When these kids move to a new town with their "paents," they quickly realize there are few children among them and some creepy women. One of which has a dog that fetches a familiar bone.

School of Fear

With the title and the cover illustration, I wasn't sure what to expect. Maybe an Unfortunate Events type of book? The Addams Family? This is the story of four children who have different pathological fears and their families who are at the end of their rope in dealing with them. As a desperate plea to overcome these phobias, the children are sent to the super secret School of Fear during summer break to overcome them. The school's administrator has unconventional tactics in store.

This book is written with an advanced vocabulary. Strong readers will enjoy the ride, others may become frustrated in keeping up with it. The sequel is out, which is called School of Fear - Class is Not Dismissed.

Louisa: The Life of Louisa May Alcott

This 2011 Bluebonnet nominee is a biography of Little Women author Louisa May Alcott. It covers her childhood, where she was raised by parents who were firm in their convictions, which often led to the family moving. He family had little and gave to those they felt were even less fortunate. Her love of her sisters. The small home in the country which she was fond of. A childhood scare that left an impact on the rest of her life and for standing for what is right. All of these life experiences led her to write stories that are still enjoyed today.

The EXTRAORDINARY Mark Twain (According to Susy)

This 2011 Bluebonnet nominee is a biographical picture book based on the information gathered from Susy Clemens, "Mark Twain's" daughter. As told by Barbara Kerley, Susy kept a diary of the many events in her father's life over the course of two years. Susy offers an honest telling of her dad, while the book features great illustrations and interesting mini journals in its pages. The mini journals are representative of Susy's documentation, misspellings and all, in her personal diary. A points throughout the story, the author brings "writing tips" from Susy to the reader's attention for when they are to write a biography.

The author's note in the back includes notes from Mark Twain and Susy, along with suggestions for writing your own biography. A timeline and all sources, including personal correspondence and Papa, which was the name of the biography.

This book demonstrates "primary sources" to students as they explore research topic or biographies.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

This historical fiction story is about an Indian girl named Karana. Her peaceful life is interrupted by the arrival of Russian hunters who go to war with her people and leave the quiet village in shambles. Alone, Karana must learn to take care of herself and her native survival skills are drawn from having watched the men of the tribe. The story covers years of adventure as she creates a home for herself, befriends an enemy, lives in isolation, and hopes for the return of the ship.

Little Red Hen stories

In assisting our Spanish teacher with finding some "book alikes" for a Little Red Hen project she is doing which includes Burro's Tortillas, I came across several other similar tales.

The Little Red Hen and the Passover Matzah by Leslie Kimmelman (preparing Passover meal)
The Little Red Elf by Barbara Barbieri McGrath (help growing/decorating a Christmas Tree)
The Little Red Hen (Makes a Pizza) by Philemon Sturges
Cook-a-Doodle-Doo by Janet Steven and Susan Stevens Crummel (strawberry shortcake)

The tales offer a great compare and contrast activity or can serve as examples for rewriting their own tales with a fresh setting, supportive cast, and task requiring assistance.

Meeow and the Little Chairs

Meeow has some friends over and they start to line up their colorful chairs to make something special. Can you guess what it is? A great preschool book on using your imagination and incorporates colors. I used color flashcards for the kids to flash me as each color was mentioned in the book. Afterwards we sang "Down by the Station."

Tops and Bottoms

This is a clever trickster tale that can be used with younger grades while studying plants and how they grow.

Lazy bear wants to sleep all the time while the rabbit family struggles for food upon losing their land (a consequence of losing a certain familiar race against a tortoise!). The rabbit approaches Bear and proposes that he and hiis family will take care of all the work if Bear will share the harvest. Rabbit asks if Bear wants the tops or bottoms of the plants. When Bear says tops, he gets all the yucky leaves from the yummy turnips and carrots. Realizing he was duped, the next time he requests bottoms. Rabbit, being a wise one, switches the crop to items that produce their vegetables on top, leaving bear with dirty roots. Thinking he's finally got the rabbit, Bear demands tops and bottoms on the third harvest. What will happen next?

The fact that the book is printed sideways makes the perspective of the illustrations more fun!

Otis

Otis is a trusty ole tractor who works hard and plays hard on the farm where he lives. He is a good friend to the new calf that has arrived and purrs her to sleep at night. One day he is taken from his comfy stall and placed behind the barn when a new, cooler tractor arrives. Nothing can cheer Otis up.

When the calf gets stuck in the mud, the farmer, his farmhands, the new tractor and even the fire department can't get her out. Will she be saved?

Scared Silly

Marc Brown is a talented author and illustrator, and I love it when you see them do something "different." This book has lots of rhymes, narrative poems, and jokes that entertain young readers. The book is great for choral reading, partner poems, and building fluency. The poems are an excellent vehicle for practicing making words "pop" and bringing a story to life by using your voice.

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Folktales usually use oral storytelling to explain why things have come to be the way we know them today. This old Chinese folktale explains the reasoning behind the naming of the first male child. Originally they were names something long and important. Ultimately, they decided that short names were better. Read to find out why.

Cinderhazel

A Halloween version of Cinderella. Great for a compare and contrast activity since most students are familiar with Cinderella. Students can identify aspects of the story that connect to Halloween themes.

Adam Sharp: Operation Spy School

This quick secret agent series is an easy and fun reader. Picture James Bond at 5th or 6th grade. You got Adam Sharp. He's suave and cool and has his exotic female sidekicks with him on the case. This series is very likeable and a page turner.

This is a great choice for boys in 2nd-4th grade.

The Cameleon Who Wore Chartruese

This series definitelty gives me the vibe of 1940s detective movies. You know the ones where the dame needs to be rescued and everyone wheres those cool Bogart hats from Casablanca?

A cheerleader's brother is missing before the big game, and Chet Gecko, 4th grade detective, is on the case. He falls for a red herring, but manages to pull the pieces together.

Schooled

I'm on a Gordon Korman kick since he will be in town tomorrow! Capricorn was raised by his grandmother on a hippie commune/farm. When she is injured, he is forced to live a "normal" life with a social worker who takes him in while Rain recooperates. At first, his nerdy, weird, naive ways make him a prime target in his middle school. Over time, he shows them how showing kindness is more powerful.

This book could be used to compare with Jerry Spinelli's Stargirl. Both are written with old students in mind and heavy middle/high school drama with cliques and being cool.

On the Run: Chasing the Falconers

This is a great, on the edge of your seat series. Aidan and Meg Falconer are sent to a juvie farm after their parents are sent to prison. They don't really belong there, but there is nowhere else to go as their family name has been tainted and their extended family has abandoned them. With the right opportunity, the pair escape and are set out to clear their family name.

Great suspense. Get storytelling.

Big Anthony

Big Anthony is the clutsy guy found in Tomie dePaola's Strega Nona series, but who exactly is he and what is his background? Tomie dePaola tells Big Anthony's biography from birth in an Italian village, through his travels throughout the country, and finally arriving at Strega Nona's front step to be her lovable handyman.

Google Lit Trips tracks Big Anthony's travels across Italy.

Strega Nona's Harvest

Strega Nona plants her garden with assistance, but is very particular about how it is done. When Big Anthony gets corrected, he decides to start his own secret garden on the other side of the house using his own standards. While Strega Nona's garden is manageable, Big Anthony's becomes out of control. He keeps piling his harvest outside her door. She goes to town and hears how poorly other farmers have fared with their crops due to the rain, and hosts a feast to share the bounty.

Guardians of Ga'Hoole: The Capture

The first in this series and the foundation for the new movie. Soren, a barn owl, is snatched from his tree and flown to an orphanage when many other owlets of every variety are brought. There, the young birds a moon-blinked into following orders and being brainwashed. Soren and his new friend Glyphie fight these rituals that are used to train the owls for an evil plot and plan to escape and warn the others.

Soren and Glyphie cannot reveal they are not moon-blicked, and there are few who can be trusted. Bad things happen to those who break the rules. Bad things. The end of book one sets up several avenues for future volumes: What is Soren's brother up to? Where is Glyphie's family? What is the legend of Ga'Hoole? Where is the Great Ga'Hoole Tree and will it be a haven? Will the leaders of St. Aggie's Ophanage find them? What are the flecks all about?

Movie trailers are available on line.

Seekers: The Quest Begins

Definitely a departure for me, this is the first book in a series about bears written by the team Erin Hunter of the Warrior series. The first 90% has separate stories of three bears in completely different settings.

A polar bear named Kallik travels with her mother and brother across the arctic in search of food. A grizzly bear named Toklo who travels with his mother and sickly brother. When tragic events happen these bears are left to use their instincts to survive and learn some hard lessons in the wild. Lusa, is a brown bear, who has been living in the "bear bowl" at the zoo and desperately wants out. She is inspired when she meets Toklo's mother, who was recently captured, and begins her journey in search of him.

This book ends with a cliff hanger forcing you to read the next one to see how the three bears meet and how the bear spirits will guide them through challenges.

Midnight for Charlie Bone

Charlie Bone is a typical boy of ten. Charlie is always being watched for signs of his paternal Yewbeam lineage. He learns of his special family "endowment" when looking at a photograph and hearing the voices and events around the picture. This gift encourages his missing father's mother to force Charlie to attend Bloor's Academy to develop the skills.

This Children of the Red King series would be a great "what else can I read after Harry Potter?" There are many similarities that should hook readers into these books.

Miss Spider's New Car

Part of the Miss Spider series, Miss Spider decides to find a new car and thinks she wants the first one. She is encouraged to try others before making her final decision, but ultimately decides to go with her favorite - the first. The only problem is she promised to be back by three and it's 3:30pm now. Will she get the car?

Gideon's Dream

The story of a grub who dreams of flying once he experiences a magic carpet ride freefall while munching on a leaf. At first he was terrified, then he felt exhilerated by the experience. As he plots and plans to fabricate a way to fly, Gideon falls asleep in his cocoon only to awaken to many changes.

Wild About Books

When a librarian, Mavis McGrew, accidently sets up her bookmobile outside of the zoo, she ends up teaching all the animals the joy of reading. The illustrations are by Marc Brown, the author and illustrator of the Arthur series.

I Hate Books!

Obviously the title hooked me. How offensive! ;) I just had to learn why this kid hated books.

Hamish is an amazing storyteller. He has had great role models in his life, with his grandpa and older brother. They could read and bring the stories to life and Hamish was extremely entertained by their talents. When Hamish goes to school, he continues to tell stories to classmates and teachers until they begin to discover that what he is "reading" isn't matching what is on the page. Read this book to see why the storytelling master hates books.

Sheep in a Jeep

As part of my Little Bo Peep extension for prek visits this week, I thought it would be fun to brainstorm where those sheep went while they were "lost." Sheep in a Jeep and the many other books in this series offer good suggestions. The short rhymes and repetitive sounds are just right for young listeners.

Gregor the Overlander

While in the laundry room of his apartment building, Gregor and baby sister Boots fall through a grate into a portal to the Underland. Here, a community of rats, cochroaches, bats, and other creatures are on the brink of war unless the prophecy can be fulfilled. Gregor and Boots could play a vital role in the Underworld's future, but his only goal is to return home.

Most of the fun of this book is breaking apart the prophecy that is told in rhyme and anticipating how it will weave into the story. This is book one in a series called Underland Chronicles by popular author Suzanne Collins.

Warriors: Tigerstar and Sasha Into the Woods

This graphic novel version of the popular Warrior series was a treat. We first meet Sasha, a pet cat, as she is abandoned by her family. Desperate, she heads into a neighboring woods and meets Tigerstar. She is captivated by his leadership and bravery and learns of a clan system the wild cats have set up within the woods. This book has a cliffhanger type ending which leads the reader directly into book two.

One Potato, Two Potato

Love this book! Mr. and Mrs. O'Grady are poor and share everything they have with each other. But what they really long for is friends. Mr. O'Grady discovers a buried pot while working in his potato garden which proves to be magic. Any item you stick inside it will automatically make a duplicate! They have fun testing it out, and realize it can do a lot more than double potatoes. But will this pot truly make them happy?

A good character lesson could include the O'Grady's lack of greed, and how how they never overdid it. Students could discuss what they would put in the pot.

To enrich the experience of reading this book, please see me for some Suzy Red activities that provide the critical thinking associated with the storyline.

The Extraordinary Adventures of Ordinary Basil

Basil thinks his life is ordinary. That is, until he sings a tune that summons a flying boat manned by a quirky professor. Basil boards the contraption and sets sail to a new land in the clouds that is the relocated Atlantis.

This top secret land is in conflict with an evil man still on Earth who wants to destroy their peaceful society. He uses Basil and his friend as pawns in regaining control and they are jailed.

This book is the first in a short series of adventures for Basil. It is a chapter book in a picture book format.

Miss Bridie Chose a Shovel

I have always loved this book. If you are studying immigration, historical fiction, or human geography, this is a must read.

Miss Bridie begins her life changing journey to America by selecting one item from home - a shovel. She could have picked anything but felt the shovel would be a part of living a good life. What would you have picked? This shovel stays with her throughout the story, in the best and worst of times. The story ends with a repeating sentence that reminds the reader of the main point of the story - how selecting the shovel was the perfect choice.

Let's Take Over Kindergarten

Their teacher gets stuck inside the class jungle gym and all the kids go crazy with freedom. They mess up the room, run around, and more while Miss Tuck looks on. But when things get out of hand, kids get hurt, someone pinches someone, and the like, the kids realize what they need is order and a grown up to keep them safe.

The Night Pirates

It is night, and Tom wakes up to a bunch of girl pirates entering his room. He joins them as they sail off to an island where grown up pirates are sleeping. Captain Patch sees a floating house, rather than a boat approaching, and it scares his crew. The kids steal the treasure and sail back in their house/boat. All will remain a secret, or will it?

Dirty Joe the Pirate: A True Story

I have been searching for fun books with a Pirate theme for Talk Like a Pirate Day later this month. In this one, Dirty Joe is on the search for smelly socks when he comes across a foe by the name of Stinky Annie. It has a cute conclusion while still ending in true pirate fashion.

The Clock Struck One

This "time-telling tale" follows the rhythm of Hickory Dickory and has all kinds of animals chasing one another after the mouse kicks things off. By making its run at one o'clock, every hour a new animal or person adds itself to the chain. By midnight everyone falls asleep exhausted. But what hour follows midnight??

Good partnered with Hickory Dickory or beginning of time telling. The characters lend themselves to a Farmer in the Dell activity too.

Miss Nelson is Missing

Funny story illustrated by James Marshall about a teacher who decides to teach her class a lesson. After acting unruly at school, the child return to find their sweet, story loving teacher, Miss Nelson, is absent and that Miss Viola Swamp is there to subsitute. Miss Swamp whips those kids into shape! When Miss Nelson returns, the child are grateful and follow her rules.

This is a good beginning of year book or prior to the first substitute of the year.

A Perfect Day

A simple story of one child's perfect day with their dad. A good book if talking about the time of day you do things (morning, noon, night). I am using it in conjunction with Hickory Dickory Dock, mice and clocks.

Pinduli

Pinduli, the hyena, comes across many neighboring animals by her watering hole. The all poke fun at her appearance and cause her to try and make changes to herself. After covering herself in dust and dirt, she is mistaken for a ghost. Capturing the spirit of a Dicken's novel, she asks these insulting animals why they picked on her. They confess that they were picked on by others and redirected their anger on her. She tells them if they sort things out with their offenders, then she will not return. It turns out they were insulted as well, and that there is definitely a chain reaction on one person doing something mean to another which leads to another.

This book could be paired with the Good Deeds book I posted a few days ago. One focuses on the power of paying it forward, the other on a negative chain reaction. Good lesson in owning up tp your mistakes and how not to take out frustrations on an unsuspecting person when you could talk it through with the problem maker.

Wemberly Worried

Good first day back to school book about worrying about everything. Shows how it is normal, how others may feel the same way, and how sooner or later, if you give yourself the smallest bit of braver, you will grow from the experience.

Letters from a Desperate Dog

There is a lot of text variety in this book. There's narrative, some graphic novel elements, and emails. Emma, the desperate dog, have a bit of a love-hate relationship with her owner. She seems to repeatedly mess up, and he seems to repeatedly say mean things and yell.

While cooling off, Emma sees an advertisement for an advice column and decides to send an email to Ask Queenie. Emma complains of mistreatment, following a formal letter structure, and Queenie offers advice. Emma decides to get a job as an actor and ships off on a traveling tour for weeks without ever informing her own. While she's performing, he is posting "Missing" signs. Will they reunite?

Good pairing with Help Me, Mr. Mutt. The similarities include dogs looking for advice from their humans, but differences include letter format (email vs letters), one dog sustaining the conversations vs many dogs writing in, involvement of the human character, and more.