Bookaday Challenge Part II

The #Bookaday Challenge (see previous post) has ended. The holiday challenge of reading a book a day over Christmas vacation kept me reading. I read a total of ten books. I was only one book short of reaching my reading goal. Even though I did not read eleven books as planned, I am proud of myself. I know that without the goal of #bookaday, I would not have been motivated to read as much as I did.

Here are my last three books I completed for the #Bookaday challenge...

Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka

The last name Scieszka says it all. You know you are getting a crazy good book with this author.

This delightful collection of funny stories by various guy authors (and one girl--Kate DiCamillo) will be widely enjoyed by both boys and girls. My favorite story (and the winner for 'Most Disgusting') is "The Bloody Souvenir" by Jack Gantos. The boys will think this story is cool while the girls will want to hurl. I mean, in the cover of his journal...? Really? Yuck.

Other favorites of mine are stories by Jeff Kinney, David Lubar, and a collaborative story between Jon Scieszka and Kate DiCamillo.

Check out the book trailer by clicking the title above. I love how the trailer shows all the authors from the collection. Great stuff!

Jon Scieszka has a fabulous Guys Read website. Click HERE. It is chock-full of good reads for boys. (Note: Guys Read: Thrillers is due out in the fall of 2011.)

Masters of Disaster by Gary Paulsen

"Let's face facts: We may be the most boring twelve-year-olds on the planet."

Masters of Disaster is one funny book. It is filled with BWAHAHA moments, and I was smiling and laughing all over this one. (Just reading the word "doody" makes the corners of my mouth turn up slightly.)

The three boys in this story think they live the most boring existence ever. Henry decides to turn things up a notch. He and his two buddies Riley and Reed proceed to plan some perfectly preposterous adventures to achieve stardom.

The three boys attempt to break world records by going "into the wilderness, inside a bull-riding ring, into a haunted house, off the neighbor's roof, and into a cataclysmic collision with explosive life-forms."

This 112-page book is a quick read. Surely to become one of my students' favorites, I know it will be one of my go-to books.

Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook by Beverly Patt

Louise and Dottie are best friends. They are living on Bainbridge Island in Washington State during World War II. On April 24, 1942, Dottie and her Japanese-American family are sent to an internment camp. Louise decides to keep "a record of everything that goes on while Dottie's away and share it with her when she returns."

I love the scrapbook/notebook form of this book and so do my students. The one question we all have upon finishing this book is: Will there be a sequel? Beverly Patt says, "I have an idea for a sequel to Best Friends Forever, but I don't know if it will happen or not! One can always hope!"

I highly recommend this book. On our Mock Newbery list, it has already been a popular read.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!