A Ball for Daisy

A wordless Caldecott winner for 2012. Daisy's ball means the world to her. Scene after scene she plays with it. That is, until another dog comes along and breaks it. Good parallel for losing that favorite toy or blankie for younger readers.

Escape Under the Forever Sky

This Bluebonnet nominee is exciting and full of suspense and adventure, only I'm not so sure it is geared for our younger readers. Bluebonnet is targeted for grades 3-6, and I think 6th and up is a better fit.

Lucy is the daughter of the US Ambassador to Ethiopia. She is surrounded by amazing scenery and culture, but rarely gets to leave either the school or her safe American compound.  Recently ungrounded, she ventures into town with a friend and gets kidnapped and hauled away to the rural bush. She doesn't know who her captures are, why they are holding her, but knows they will kill her if their demands aren't met. Thankfully, while cooped up at home so often, she is becoming an expert of African wildlife and animal behaviors. Does Lucy have what it takes to make it back to civilization?

This story is actually based on a real event. They have already changed the cover!! That drives me crazy!

Zita the Spacegirl

Uhhhhh. I don't get it. My library friends love this book. I got annoyed. Here's the rundown though...

Zita and her friend come across a fresh meteoroid that has a device with a red button sitting there. Zita dares to push the button and her friend gets dragged into another world. Zita decides to push the button again to go after him. In this world Zita is a hero.

Benjamin Franklinstein Lives!

What a creative premise. Ben Franklin was put into suspended animation for 200 years in the basement of Victor Godwin's apartment house.  A storm brings him to life and they become friends. Luckily Victor is a smart middle schooler who loves science and uses his intelligence to keep Ben functioning as they try to reconnect him with his Prometheus pals.

The writing in this book has some really good examples of sensory descriptions of setting (page 1) and events (page 26-27). I also found some great examples of Show, Don't Tell writing. The first two paragraphs show us many character traits about our protagonist Victor without "telling" us.

Kids will like the books because the story moves along and is supported with interesting schematics or diagrams. This is the first in a series by Matthew McElligott.

Grandpa Green

Grandpa Green is like Edward Scissorhands, cutting images into his hedges. His great grandson recounts his life and the reader gets to enjoy the illustrated topiaries that timeline the big events of Grandpa Green's life.

The Cheshire Cheese Cat: A Dickens of a Tale

A merging of historical fiction and animal fiction. Skilley the cat finds his way off the mean streets of London to become a "mouser" in a cheese shop. He manages to cast the perception to the owner that he is capturing mice regularly, but he is befriending them instead. Life runs smooth in his world until the creature in the attic reveals himself, a rival cat moves in on Skilley's territory, and the fate of London could possibly rest on his shoulders.

I actually read this book while reading A Tale of Two Cities with my sophomore son. Funny coincidence. I liked this book way more that the Dickens tale, just saying. Glad I'm out of high school!

Ellray Jakes is not a Chicken

Ellray Jakes is a great step up chapter book. The reader is not quite ready for the 200 pagers, but devours picture books in 20 minutes. 

Ellray is being bullied. He knows its happening and that Jared seems to get away with it anyway. The teacher has called home and reported classroom issues. Classmates start to notice the problem, but Ellray is focused on making it through the week without trouble so he can go to Disney Land on Saturday.

This is the first in a series.

Ruth and the Green Book

I really love historical fiction picture books. This book was an exciting one for me because I learned something new! This book is great for Black History Month as it offers a fresh piece of American history I haven't seen or read before.

It's the 1950s, Ruth's family gets a car and decides to go on a road trip. During this time, however, it is not easy to find hospitable businesses that allow anyone to purchase goods or services. As they make their way to grandma's house, Ruth and her family learn of The Green Book. This special publication is like a Yellow Pages of businesses along their way that allow African American families to get their food, gas, or lodging.

Suggested pairing: Read The Watsons go to Birmingham and when they are on their road trip, use this book to share the state of the country and why Momma needed to plot their course as detail oriented as she did. Possibly evaluate Momma and the character traits she exhibits as they are about to depart.

Like Pickle Juice on a Cookie

Man I loved this book. Written in free verse, it is the story of Eleanor who has only known one caregiver her whole life. When Bibi moves to Florida, it is "like pickle juice on a cookie." The storytelling is simple and completely relatable. The transition to a new babysitter carries the rest of the story as Eleanor grows to accept the change and her new friend.

A great pairing would be with Eileen Spinelli's free verse Where I Live, which about another girl only she is the one who relocates. A great compare/contrast opportunity with free verse text and both are fairly quick read alouds.

Play, Louis, Play

This Bluebonnet nominee is written from the perspective of an old, hock-shop cornet that reports on the life of Louis Armstrong. Based on Armstrong's personal journal, the horn creates a narrative biography capturing his childhood, idols, hardships and success while maintaining his positive spirit.

If perspective is your lesson of the week, this is a great chapter book read aloud that can be started on a Monday and finished by Friday. If you are looking to pair it with a writing exercise, ask my about my "loofah" lesson. ;-)