Picture Book Picks # 3 ~ Be You!

One of the most important things we can teach our students is to be themselves.  To worry less about what others think about them and do what they feel is right.  A related lesson we must teach every year is to embrace others' differences.  I found a whole slew of books to help us do just that through Lindsey's linky party.  I know it's hard to believe, but I had never read any of these until they were recommended by Lindsey's readers!

Crysanthemum by Kevin Henkes.  I know you all have read it a million times.  I have to admit as a 5th grade teacher I thought it was too babyish and never even gave it a chance. But when I saw that Hilary at Fifth Grade Fancy recommended it, I knew I should give it a chance.  I'm so glad I did!  I now love and relate to Chrysanthemum and look forward to sharing her story with my kids.  Even if they've already heard it, as they grow up and have new experiences, they will understand it on a different level than maybe they did earlier.

Also recommended by Hilary was Giraffes Can't Dance.  I cannot believe I never read this book before!  I have a ginormous collection of giraffes and giraffe-like things; everyone knows of my love of obsession with giraffes.  Yet no one has ever shown me this book?  It is so cute and teaches the lesson (be yourself) so clearly.

One of my favorite new bloggers of the summer is Heather whose blog is cleverly titled The Meek Moose.  Heather had a super list of books, some of which I haven't been able to find yet.  But one that I did find and love is Tough Boris by the incomparable Mem Fox.  Boris is a pirate who is tough and mean and strong, but when he loses his parrot, he isn't so tough or mean anymore.  I love the lesson that even tough guys cry!  It's okay not to be a stereotype.  Great story for the boys!

The next book I found that I fell in love with is The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco.  Many, many bloggers included Ms. Polacco's books, and I've read most of them, but this one I wasn't aware of until I saw it in April's post (The Idea Backpack).  The teacher in this book is who want to be when I grow up!  Mrs. Peterson is one of those teachers who sees more in her students than their classmates, or even they!, do.  As with most of her books, Ms. Polacco draws from her own experiences to tell a story of a group of children known as the Junkyard.  Beautifully written with an afterword that will touch your heart, this book is not to be missed!

Finally, I want to mention a new book I found at the library that was not mentioned during the linky party.  Willow is the story of a  young student who does not follow the directions of her art teacher.  Willow draws pink trees and blue apples much to the consternation of her strict art teacher.  Miss Hawthorne is a very neat, very precise sort of art teacher who doesn't like Willow's free-mindedness.   The tension between the two grows all semester until winter break. 

Willow reminds me (text-to-text!) of one of the first books I ever reviewed on this blog, Odd Violet.  Click here to read my review of this equally delightful story.

Click the book covers to go to Barnes & Noble and purchase these great stories.

Addiction, Audio Books and A Giveaway

Here's a fact I should have shared in my "7 Random Facts" post.  I can't get enough of books.  I buy books waaayyy too often.  I take at least 3 books out of the library every week.  I stop strangers and ask them what they are reading.  I download books onto both my Nook and iPad weekly.  And I listen to books in my car instead of music.  (Which is kind of a shame because I also love music.  But that's another post.)

I want to share two audio books I have recently finished that were really, really good!  In fact both, I think, are better in audio than they would have been in print.  Anyone else ever have that experience?  Oh, and they're both YA books.

The first book I want to share is When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead.  It was great.  Puzzling at times, but definitely worth hanging in there.  Here's the synopsis from Shelfari:

By sixth grade, Miranda and her best friend, Sal, know how to navigate their New York City neighborhood. They know where it’s safe to go, like the local grocery store, and they know whom to avoid, like the crazy guy on the corner. But things start to unravel. Sal gets punched by a new kid for what seems like no reason, and he shuts Miranda out of his life. The apartment key that Miranda’s mom keeps hidden for emergencies is stolen. And then Miranda finds a mysterious note scrawled on a tiny slip of paper: I am coming to save your friend’s life, and my own. I must ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter. The notes keep coming, and Miranda slowly realizes that whoever is leaving them knows all about her, including things that have not even happened yet. Each message brings her closer to believing that only she can prevent a tragic death. Until the final note makes her think she’s too late. 

So I was listening to this in my car, and I kept referring back to the teaser on the case.  I couldn't for the life of me figure out where this was going.  Which, of course, is what made it so great!   One of the best parts (that I am willing to give away) is that Miranda's mom is trying out for The $25,000 Pyramid.  Remember that show?  (I'm old; I remember.)  I was thinking that it would be fun to create a Pyramid game on the ActivBoard for the kids to play as review.  

In case you have no idea what I'm talking about, here's a clip.

I don't see many of my 5th graders as sticking with this long enough to get into it.  (5th graders are a fickle bunch.)  For that reason I would recommend When You Reach Me as a read aloud in 5th grade.  Older students would love this on their own.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The second novel I've been listening to is Skullduggery Pleasant.  This is the first in a series from Derek Landy. From Shelfari:

Meet Skulduggery Pleasant: ace detective, snappy dresser, razor-tongued wit, crackerjack sorcerer and walking, talking, fire-throwing skeleton - as well as protector and mentor of Stephanie Edgley, a very unusual and darkly talented twelve-year-old. These two alone must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil. The end of the world? Over his dead body.

The best thing about this book: the narrator!  Rupert Degas does an AHHH-MAZing job of differentiating between characters.  His voices go from creepy to silly and everything in between.  The story itself reminds me a lot of (text-to-text) Gerald's story in The Billionaire's Curse which I reviewed {here}.  This would be great in a Listen to Reading station for Daily 5 or as a read aloud for the whole class.  It's very fun!


I know this is a really long post, but I have one more thing to add.  Have you entered this amazing giveaway yet?  She is giving away a TON of stuff!  Plus, she's a Musical Theater Dork - just like me! (Her word is Nerd - I prefer Dork.)

 

New Design and The One & Only Ivan

After blog hopping this summer, I felt like I needed to update my blog.  What do you think of the new design?  I {puffy} heart it!  Especially the girl reading on her bed; that is sooo me! 

What else did I do today?  Well, I went to the dentist (yay!), had lunch with some teacher friends (love you guys!) and read a book.

The One and Only Ivan is based on the true story of Ivan, a silverback gorilla who was kept in a cage in a mall for over 27 years.  The real Ivan lived in a Tacoma, WA area mall and never went outside until he was rescued and transported to the Atlanta Zoo.  I researched Zoo Atlanta; Ivan is still living there - at almost 50!  You can read a bit about Ivan here.

The One and Only Ivan is a fictionalized account of Ivan's story told from Ivan's point of view.  In it, Ivan has friends to talk with, to dream with: an elephant named Stella, a stray dog called Bob, and a young girl, Julia, who visits while her dad is cleaning the mall.  This is a beautiful book.  The language is simple and precise.  Gorillas, after all, don't waste words the way humans do.  Everything about the book lends to that simplicity - from the language to the layout to the illustrations by Patricia Castelao. Katherine Applegate has done a masterful job of telling Ivan's story.

This book would be an excellent read aloud; I already suggested to the friends I had lunch with that they read it to their 1st and 2nd graders.  And I'm adding it to my read aloud list.  Which is huge, because I don't add or delete from that list lightly!

Okay for Now

Dear Reader,

If you read no other book I ever suggest, please read this book!  I started this book about a week ago, but never really sat down for any length of time with it until yesterday.  But once I started yesterday, I just could not stop.  Like riding a roller coaster, I found myself laughing out loud, turning the page and then sobbing.  I was exhausted after reading Okay for Now.  It's one of those stories that stays with you long after you've finished.   

When Doug Swieteck moves with his family to Upstate New York, they don't leave all their problems behind.  Doug's father is abusive and drinks too much.  His oldest brother is serving in Vietnam, and his other brother is prone to mischief and has been accused of burglery.  Trying to find his way in his new school and town is difficult to say the least. 

But Doug finds escape when he visits the local library and sees the plates of John James Audubon's Birds of America.  Each plate speaks to Doug, and he relates each to people in his life.  Set during the late 60's, the excitement of the moon landing, the uncertainty of the Vietnam War, and the thrill of baseball create a lush background for the characters who, through Mr. Schmidt amazing prose, look to the future and become better than they were.

I read this book because one of my students read it at the end of the year and told me numerous times how good it was.  And I'm sure my kids would love it.  Having said that, I don't think I will share it with my kids.  First of all, I couldn't get through it without crying like the wuss I am.  More than that though, I'm not sure 5th graders have enough prior knowledge to appreciate more than the basic story line.  I do plan on using parts of Okay for Now when I teach voice, "I'm not lying!" 

Excerpt: 

"I should tell you that I was revealing this terrible secret to Lil while Miss Cowper was trying to teach us the Wonders of the Adverb and that when she asked if Lil and I had anything we'd like to share with the whole class, we stopped, quickly understanding was watching us angrily and would beat us mercilessly if we did not cease immediately.  And I'm giving you that last sentence just to show that you can too talk and learn at the same time." (p. 190)

Is that great for teaching voice, or what?!  I read it, and then read it out loud, and giggled like my 3 year old niece!  

What I think I will do with this book is offer it to the 8th graders for a book club selection.  Of course, we don't have an 8th grade book club.  Yet.  I will just have to start one just so I can share this book with students who will love it as much as I do!

Read it!

Storm Runners

Storm Runners

Roland Smith

March 2011

Last week I read this post by Jordon over at Life is Better Messy (one of my favorites), and I promptly added it to my TBR list.  Well, yesterday, I went to the library and there it was!  Like it was just waiting for me!  Then I was stuck in there while a storm raged outside (Yay for rain!), so I sat and read the whole thing.  That's right - the entire book in one sitting.  OK it's only 160 pages long, but really,  I couldn't stop! (OK, I know that's a lot of !!s, but really, that's how it really sounds in my head!)

Here's what I didn't know: 

1. You MUST check out all three books in the series at the same time!  Trust me you will want to keep reading; this is more like a serial novel (a la Dickens) than a series. 

2 (and way worse). The library DIDN'T HAVE THE SECOND ONE!  Of course, I didn't know I needed it before I started...

Anyway...  Storm Runners is excellent!  I had seen it in the book orders this year and suggested it to the boys especially.  I knew it would be good because I've read Jaguar by the same author and loved it.  But let me tell you, this is even better!  

Summary from Barnes & Noble: "Chase Masters and his father are "storm runners," racing across the country in pursuit of hurricanes, tornadoes, and floods. Anywhere bad weather strikes, they are not far behind. Chase is learning more on the road than he ever would just sitting in a classroom. But when the hurricane of the century hits, he will be tested in ways he never could have imagined."

I cannot wait to read this to my class; I know they will get hooked just like I did.  I have a policy to never read a sequel, but I may have to in this case.  On the other hand, it's a good policy - I don't know yet.

Thanks, Jordon, for the great recommendation! 

Buy it now at Barnes & Noble

Princess Academy

Princess Academy

Shannon Hale

July 2005

I fear I might be in a total rut; I've read a ton of fairy tale-like books lately, and this one is no exception.  I guess it's because we end the school year with a super fun fairy tale unit and I am still living in that moment.

Anyway, Princess Academy is really good!  It's easy to see why it was honored with a Newberry Honor Award.  And since one of my students read it (and like 100 other books this year - no lie!) and recommended it to me, I couldn't wait to read it. 

Miri lives with her father and sister in a mountainous territory of the fictional Danland that is known for its linder stone (marble).  Life on Mount Eskel is simple and pleasant, and the people of the territory are a strong, tight knit community.

When the king's priests tell him that his son's bride is from the small village, he wastes no time in sending guards and servants to create a Princess Academy to prepare the girls of Mount Eskel to become princesses.  In one year, the prince will come to the Academy and choose his bride.

Miri and the other young girls are taken away from their families and put in the often harsh keeping of Olana, their tutor.  Faced with harsh conditions, competition from the other girls and homesickness, Miri ultimately uses her new knowledge to aid her family and her entire village.  Through her studies she learns that her people have been taken advantage of when they sell their linder stone to the traders who visit each year.

Full of intrigue, mystery, adventure, and a little bit of magic, Princess Academy lends itself quite easily to discussions of character, setting, themes of acceptance, friendship, and even economics.  This would be a good book for a small group; I don't think most of the boys would enjoy it.  But the right group of girls and boys might really get into it!  I will definitely recommend this book for partner reading next year.

Buy it now at Barnes & Noble 

Clown

 

Clown

illustrated by Quentin Blake

September 1998

This weekend I had a garage sale, and my sister sent a ton of my nieces' forgotten toys and books to sell.  After selling almost all of their old dolls, stuffed animals and most of the books she sent, I was ready to close it up and send everything else to the Goodwill.  That's when I found this gem in the leftover book pile!  I'm soooo stinkin' glad it didn't sell because I {LOVE} it!

Clown is a delightful wordless story about a toy clown who is thrown away with a bunch of other toys.  Determined to save himself and his friends, the clown travels through a city looking for a child willing to help him rescue the other toys.  Despite a series of mishaps,  he and the discarded toys find love with a new family.  Illustrated by Quentin Blake, my students will instantly recognize the artist from his illustrations of Roald Dahl books (always a *huge* favorite in 5th grade!).

Ever since I saw a post using wordless picture books as reading centers, I have been on the hunt for great wordless books.  (Sorry ~ I can't find the post and have deleted the download from the post that led to my fascination!  If you know it, let me know.)  

Anyway... the creative soul from whom I  'borrowed' this idea wrote three writing prompts for each book and differentiated them by color coding them for below level, on level, and above level.  I loved them so much, I made a set of my own for the books I found at my local library.

As soon as I found this book hiding in the stack in my garage, I knew I had to create a set of prompts for Clown, too.  Click the preview to get the preview set for free at my TPT store:

Or click here to get the full version with activity cards for seven wordless books, including my new favorite, Clown.

Buy it at Barnes & Noble

The Billionaire's Curse

The Billionaire's Curse

Richard Newsome

April 2011

Gerald is a fairly ordinary thirteen-year-old living in Sydney, Australia with his fairly ordinary parents.  Until his Great Aunt Geraldine passes away in London.  Suddenly Gerald's hope of a holiday getaway with his best friend is suddenly dashed as he is whisked away to England for the funeral and reading of the will.  Having never even heard of Great Aunt Geraldine, Gerald is stunned when he is named the heir to the bulk of Geraldine's vast fortune!  Now owner of multiple homes, billions of dollars and even a private Caribbean island, Gerald soon discovers Geraldine was murdered - and he may be next!  With the help of his new friends, twins Sam and Ruby, Gerald sets off to solve the mystery of Great Aunt Geraldine's death and save his own life in the process.  

THE BILLIONAIRE'S CURSE reminded me of a great mystery story from my childhood!  Think Nancy Drew or Trixie Belden with more action and adventure.  There are no vampires, no witches, and no aspects of fantasy to detract from the mystery the characters face.   And it's a great mystery full of twists and turns, excitement and danger that doesn't relent!  

I cannot recommend this book enough.  This is the first in the Archer Legacy Series; I'm looking forward to the other two in the series. Even the most reluctant readers - especially boys - will be caught up in the story and not be able to put it down!  I don't know if I can see this as a read aloud, however; there is some moderate graphic violence that may not be appropriate for every child in my classroom.  (It's no worse than what they see on TV and in movie, but I don't want to assume every parent would be okay with it.)  But I do see this book as the book that is passed from student to student throughout the year.  I must definitely buy at least a couple of copies of the book for my classroom library!

Buy it now at Barnes & Noble

The Code Busters Club #1: The Skeleton Key

The Code Busters Club #1: The Skeleton Key

Penny Warner

September 2011

Cody, Quinn, Luke, and M.E. are middle school students who have one thing in common: they love writing, deciphering and working with codes.  Strengthening their code busting skills and turning them into more than a simple hobby, they create a club - complete with secret clubhouse and ever changing passwords. 

When a nearby house catches on fire, the Code Busters Club is on the case.  They are determined to find out what caused the fire that landed the Skeleton Man, their strange, reclusive neighbor, in the hospital.  Soon they are embroiled in the midst of a real life mystery with codes leading every step of the way!

In this very cleverly written series, readers are encouraged to solve the puzzles along with the Code Busters.  The Code Busters must decipher all kinds of codes - everything from American Sign Language and Morse Code to Consonant Code and Semaphores. (I didn't know what it was either!)  Don't worry, though, there are decoders and answers at the back of the book.

I loved this book!  The concept is clever and lets the reader be the detective along with the characters.  The mystery is fast-paced and intriguing, and the characters are likeable and daring.    As I was reading this, I kept thinking about all the novels I love that have to do with language, words, and how people communicate and decided this would be a great read aloud (showing the codes on the document camera) during a guided novel study of such books as FRINDLE (lower level) and NO TALKING by Andrew Clements, THE WORD EATER by Mary Amato, and for my advanced students THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norman Juster.

Of course this would also be a great tie in to our annual Mystery Week in fifth grade, but I don't think I can fit one more thing into that week!

Wonder

 

Wonder

R.J. Palacio

February 2012

After reading this blog post, I knew I had to read this book.  So when I saw it at the library today, I snapped it up, and rushed home to read it!  It didn't disappoint; this is perhaps the most touching, realistic middle grades book, and I am recommending it to everyone who teaches, goes to school or at some time has felt like an outcast.  

August Pullman is starting 5th grade in a new school.  A difficult transition for any kid.  But for Auggie the addition of two extraordinary factors make it even more stressful.  1. He's been homeschooled his whole life and 2. He was born with an extremely rare birth defect: as he puts it, "I won't describe what I look like.  Whatever you're thinking, it's probably worse."  WONDER follows Auggie through his first year at his new school - the ups and downs that every new kid faces magnified by about a million.  Cleverly told from several points of view, R.J. Palacio does a remarkable job at conveying emotions and feelings of the characters.  

I can't wait to share this book with my 5th graders next year.  Themes of family ties, growing up, acceptance, bullying, and growth and change make this a great book that I feel will lead to wonderful discussions.  I'm already planning some great anchor charts for character development!

I could really go on forever about this book: just read it.  I promise you'll love it!  I leave you with the book trailer from you tube:

Buy it now from Barnes & Noble.

Hollywood Nobody

Hollywood Nobody

Lisa Samson

August 2007

Fifteen-year-old Scotty Dawn has spent most of her life traveling from movie set to movie set with her food stylist mother, Charley.  Growing up independently has made Scotty a resourceful, inquisitive and introspective young woman.  She even documents her life on her blog, "Hollywood Nobody."  Scotty is determined to find her place in the world - even if it means uncovering long buried secrets.  But finding her way in the world isn't easy with a mother who seems to be keeping secrets and friendships that last only as long as the latest filming schedule. 

HOLLYWOOD NOBODY is the first in a series about life on the road, finding yourself, and discovering the flaws that make up everyone.  I love, love, loved this book!  Its intended audience is teens, which I haven't been for {really} long time, but I can't wait to read the rest of the series.  It's written as a diary with Scotty's blog posts thrown in.  I love Scotty's quirky style and her realistic view of Hollywood ups and downs.  Her blog is a fun but in no way snarky look at Hollywood stars, both real and fictionalized stars.  Highly recommend!

Buy it now from Barnes & Noble

Pie

  

Pie

Sarah Weeks

October 2011

When Alice's Aunt Polly, Pie Queen of Ipswitch, Pennsylvania, passes away, Alice is shocked to find out her inheritance: Lardo, Aunt Polly's beloved cat.  Even more shocking is that Aunt Polly has left her prize winning pie crust recipe to Lardo!  Suddenly, mysterious things start to happen: Polly's pie shop is broken into, and Lardo disappears.  Alice must discover what is going on and save her aunt's precious cat.

One of my favorite children's authors has done it again.  Pie is a charming story about loss and friendship, family and, naturally, pie.  With a recipe at the start of each chapter, I wanted to try my hand at pie making.  And, yes, the end made me cry!  Don't you just love a book that makes you cry?

Buy it now at Barnes & Noble.

Back-to-School Rules

Back to School Rules

Laura Friedman 

Teresa Murfin (illustrator)

September 2011

Percy Isaac Gifford is ready for a new school year.  And he has lots of advice for kids who are or aren't as excited as he is.  Ten rules, things NOT to do, to make the school year stress free.  Told in rhyming stanzas, BACK TO SCHOOL RULES  is delightfully silly and, in my opinion, must be read aloud!

I cannot wait to share this fun book with my students on the first day of school this year and for many years to come.  I am considering turning it into a class book on the last day of school for next year's students, too.  If every child wrote a new stanza specific to our 5th grade class, they would collectively write a great book for the new class!

Love it!

Buy it now at Barnes & Noble

Odd Velvet

Odd Velvet
Mary Whitcomb
Tara Calahan King (Illustrator)
August, 1998

Velvet is odd. Instead of bringing a doll for show and tell, Velvet brings a milkweed pod. She has only eight crayons. She brings her lunch from home in a brown bag. The other children don't know what to make of her, so they ignore her. But slowly, Velvet wins her classmates over, and they all become great friends.

ODD VELVET is a great story that is not to be missed. Sweet little Velvet doesn't seem to know she's 'odd' and I loved her strength of character. Wouldn't it be great if we were all a bit more sure of ourselves? Teaching themes of acceptance and staying true to yourself, Mary Whitcomb's lovely story lends itself easily to great lesson plans. The illustrations are beautiful and enhance the story with grace and simplicity.

Buy it now at Barnes and Noble

Enemy Pie

Enemy Pie 

Derek Munson

Tara Calahan King (Illustrator)

September, 2000

Summer is the perfect time to relax and hang out in your treehouse!!  Until Jeremy Ross moves in.  Jeremy Ross is not a good friend - always bragging and making fun.  Luckily Dad know just the remedy: ENEMY PIE.  An old family recipe that's been handed down for generations, it is sure to get rid of Jeremy Ross - somehow.  The funniest part of the story is the narrator guessing what exactly might happen to his number one enemy when he eats the pie.

In a funny, but sweet, story, Derek Munson explores the theme of friendship.  This beautifully illustrated picture book is a great tale of the trials and tribulations of making and keeping new friends.  Teacher Bonus: there are tons of lesson plans online to teach the themes.  My favorite is from UEN and can be found here.  This would also be a great beginning of the year activity and could be tied into character education and six traits writing.

Buy it now at Barnes and Noble