The Trouble With Chickens

Chick-Chick-Hooray! I am egg-static to tell you about one funny book!

"J.J. Tully is a former search-and-rescue dog who is trying to enjoy his retirement after years of performing daring missions saving lives. So he's not terribly impressed when two chicks named Dirt and Sugar (who look like popcorn on legs), with their chicken mom, show up demanding his help to track down their missing siblings. Driven by the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. begins to follow the clues. Is Vince the Funnel hiding something? Are there dark forces at work--or is J.J. not smelling the evidence that's right in front of him."

Doreen Cronin's new book, The Trouble With Chickens, is filled with laugh out loud moments! What terrific chicken humor! I even snorted a couple of times! Really! I am not eggs-aggerating! Check out the following lines:

"...this chick had already learned that life outside the shell was not all it was cracked up to be."

referring to Sugar, one of the chicks...She reminded me of a three-inch splinter I'd had once--it bothered me, and I was in a much better mood when it was gone."

Again, a quote about Sugar..."Sugar was coming at me as fast as those freaky little chickadee legs would take her. She hadn't just inherited her mother's eyes, she'd inherited her mother's crazy." HA! Love it!

"We have to be half strength, half perseverance, and half obedience. Do your own math, tough guy--I'm making a point here."

"Dirt was as good as scrambled egg if she slammed into that wall." Ah, yes. This read has fantastically funny writing with a good story line. The author does an eggs-cellent job telling about her book HERE. Come on, don't be a chicken. Go watch!

I won't be screaming 'fowl' on this one! I will be passing this book around the classroom! It is eggs-actly what my students like to read!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

World Read Aloud Day 2011

"Nearly 1 billion people entered the 21st century unable to read a book or sign their name. What would you miss most if you could not read or write? Imagine your world without words."

Today, my students and I celebrated World Read Aloud Day. We shared the power of words, of reading, of sharing stories with each other. To help us celebrate, we invited several fabulous authors to read aloud to us via Skype. We cannot thank these authors enough for spending time with us, for sharing aloud their words, for encouraging us as readers and writers.


Sarah Albee began our morning Skyping with us from Connecticut. What sixth grader would not be interested in reading Poop Happened: A History of the World from the Bottom Up? "From the world's first flushing toilet invented by ancient Minoan plumbers to castle moats in the middle ages that used more than just water to repel enemies, Sarah Albee traces human civilization using one revolting yet fascinating theme."The students were engrossed with Sarah's reading of the knight's squire and the task that was required of this position. Sarah kept the students listening as she shared other bits and pieces from her book. From the groans and "eewwwww!" noises that erupted from the classroom, I knew the students were hooked. I am going to have to purchase multiple copies of this book. The one copy in my classroom will not be enough!

Still early in the morning, the students had the extreme pleasure of hearing Sarah Prineas read aloud from her book, The Magic Thief. Sarah shared with the students how she has been influenced by J.R.R. Tolkien. Sarah also shared that Laura Ingalls Wilder influenced her writing. In the writings of Wilder, she was often writing about food! Indeed, as Sarah read through the first chapter of The Magic Thief, we were hearing about pork chops and potatoes and berry pie dusted with sugar.

Sarah had several Skype visits planned for the day. In fact, late into the evening Sarah was still Skyping with students in China! We appreciate Sarah taking time to read aloud to us!

When my second block of LA students arrived mid-morning, they had heard the buzz of excitement from the first block students in the hallway. The incoming students were eager to have time with an author and were mesmerized by Laurel Snyder. Laurel read aloud from Penny Dreadful,"the perfect book for girls and boys who look to find adventure and magic in surprising places."

After reading aloud from Penny Dreadful, Laurel had a treat for us! Laurel read from her new book to be published in September, Bigger Than a Breadbox. She was reading from this book for the first time and admitted to us that she was nervous about it. She need not have been nervous! It was a powerful first chapter describing the main character listening to her parents 'fight' but in an eerily calm manner. Words were well-chosen and bits of the chapter stayed with us...

'a sweaty $5.00 in my fist'

a 'big list of angry''
'I could do this just as easy without you.'
'sitting on lumpy shoes'

'smelled like dirty hair and peanut butter'

Bigger Than a Breadbox is one book I will look forward to putting on the shelves in my classroom. The small morsel that Laurel let us taste was one that we enjoyed, and we would like a heap more!

By the time my third block of students came to my room in the afternoon, they knew they would be in for a treat. Donna Gephart, author of As If Being 12 3/4 Isn't Bad Enough, My Mother Is Running for President and How to Survive Middle School, is one hysterically funny lady! What an energetic person! It is no wonder that she has received the Sid Fleischman Humor Award! She even showed us the award, wonderfully heavy as it was!

Donna read aloud to us from her newest book How to Survive Middle School. Already flying off my shelf, this book is about a boy named David who wants to be famous with his videos he posts on YouTube. But first, David must deal with:

"6. Middle school (much scarier than it sounds!)
5. His best friend gone girl-crazy
4. A runaway mom who has no phone!
3. The threat of a swirlie on his birthday
2. A terrifying cousin
1. His # 1 fan, Bubbe (his Jewish grandmother)
1/2. Did we mention Hammy, the hamster who’s determined to break David’s heart?"

Wrapping up the afternoon in the most perfect kind of way were the authors of The Familiars, Adam Jay Epstein and Andrew Jacobson. These two authors had the students hooked the day before when I showed the students their video posted on YouTube. (Click HERE to see the hilarious video the authors made to promote their book.)

Adam and Andrew read aloud from their book which focuses on the magical animal companions to a wizard or a witch. Aldwyn, an alley cat, Gilbert, a tree frog, and Skylar, a blue jay, are the familiars that my students are anxious to read about. The two authors shared information that a movie is in the works. They are writing the screenplay, and the second book in the series is due to come out later this year.

Adam and Andrew spent extra time talking with the students and answering their questions. After being asked if they remembered writing in middle school, a grade school writing was dug out of a battered folder! "Time Chase" was read aloud...a story written in grade school by Andrew! We heard about Stanley, Chuck and Wilbur going on a time machine adventure to the Civil War! What a great thing to hear these authors say, "And YOU can do it, too!"

We had a FANTASTIC World Read Aloud Day! Thank You Thank You Thank You to each and every author for taking time out of your very busy schedule to read to us, talk to us, answer our questions, and inspire us to be better readers and writers!

Jim Trelease, author of The Read-Aloud Handbook, says it well..."...reading aloud to a child is the oldest, cheapest and must successful method of instilling that desire. Shooting baskets with a child creates a basketball player; reading to a child creates a reader."

Thank you, authors! You rock!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Books Read in February - Centurions 2011

The Centurions of 2011 is a Facebook reading community made up of teachers, publishers, authors, and readers who have pledged to read 111 books in 2011.

I blazed a trail of reading in January, but the pace for February was a bit slower...50% slower. A total of 21 books were read with fourteen of those being picture books.

Keep reading to the bottom of this post for a SPECIAL note on a SPECIAL book on my list.


41. Breakaway by Andrea Montalbano Good story with the topics of soccer and popularity. Sportsminded girls are sure to enjoy this one.
42. Punished! by David Lubar Full of figurative language!
43. Okay for Now by Gary D. Schmidt SPECIAL book - See note below!
44. Zebrafish by Peter Reynolds and FableVision Click HERE to read my post.
45. Sugar and Ice by Kate Messner Click HERE to read my post.
46. Reading Ladders by Teri Lesesne (professional book)
47. Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst (review to come!)
48. Northwest Animal Babies by Andrea Helman (PB)
49. Cat the Cat, Who is That? by Mo Willems (PB)
50. What's Your Sound, Hound the Hound? by Mo Willems (PB)
51. A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech (PB) *A FINE, FINE BOOK!
52. Fishing in the Air by Sahron Creech (PB)
53. Vampire is Coming to Dinner! 10 Rules to Follow by Pamela Jane (PB) *COOL!
54. How to Clean Your Room in 10 Easy Steps by Jennifer Larue Huget (PB) *LOVED IT!
55. Dear Teacher by Amy Husband (PB)

56. Lots of Spots by Lois Ehlert (PB)
57. The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco (PB) *POWERFUL! A FAVORITE!
58. Boo's Dinosaur by Betsy Byars(PB)
59. Cowboy Sam and Those Confounded Secrets by Kitty Griffin(PB) LIKED IT!
60. The Adventures of Sparrowboy by Brian Pinkney

61. Bedtime for Mommy by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Now for the special note...

Okay for Now is the companion book to Gary D. Schmidt's The Wednesday Wars. Having not read the initial book, I can tell you that Okay for Now stands perfectly by itself.

I loved this book! It is by far the best book I have read in 2011. The author expertly creates a main character that I came to care deeply about. As for other characters in this book...just when I thought I had a character pegged to fit in my brain a certain way, the author twists and turns everything around on me.

I simply do not have the words for the magnitude of greatness this book exhibits. I believe this book has a strong chance in garnering some awards. It really is that good.

(I read this book via NetGalley.)

Recap: Two months = 61 books! Woo-hoo! Now...MARCH...onward!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Sugar and Ice

I was twelve years old once…and I remember lacing up my white skates and teetering across Tenth Street after a winter’s snowstorm in northern Ohio on the shores of Lake Erie to skate on ice that had formed on the high school’s front lawn. The blades of frozen grass that stuck up from under the iced surface did not stop me from pretending I was a world class skater—that I was Dorothy Hamill or a female version of Scott Hamilton. I had little to no technique, just the joy of sliding around on two silver blades and sometimes twirling in what must have been near imperfect circles. Oh yes, I loved trying to ice skate when I was growing up, and I loved watching all the ice skating competitions when they were televised.

And this is probably why I was enthralled with Kate Messner’s newest novel, Sugar and Ice. While reading this book, I brought my own experiences twirling around on an ice patch in my youth to the experiences Claire dealt with in her story. I, unlike Claire, simply never made it off my ‘cow pond.’

"Claire loves to skate, and when she is offered a scholarship to skate under the direction of Andrei Groshev with some talented skaters at Lake Placid, she enters into an unfamiliar world of grueling practice sessions and competitions not to mention tension-filled relationships with other determined skaters. Can Claire find the strength to stand up to the people who want her to fail and the courage to decide if ice skating is the dream she wants to follow?"

Middle grade girls will fall in love with this story, for the sheer excitement of Claire’s journey in the ice skating world. After readers become immersed in the drama on and off the ice, there is an innocent girl-likes-boy and same girl-meets-new-boy story that will keep girls reading!

Kate Messner certainly knows how to write for middle grade readers.

This week, my students were very fortunate to Skype with Kate Messner during her lunch period—she teaches full-time, folks! She talked to the students about her inspiration behind Sugar and Ice. She showed students a brainstorming technique for generating writing ideas and graciously answered students’ questions. To say her own students are fortunate to have her as a teacher is probably the largest understatement of the year!

Be sure to check out Sugar and Ice as well as her other popular middle-grade novel, The Brilliant Fall of Gianna Z. Also, look for other works coming from Kate soon…Marty McGuire, a new series for younger readers…SeaMonster's First Day, a picture book coming this summer...Over and Under the Snow, a picture book coming in the fall...

Click HERE to visit Kate's extensive website and HERE to read her blog.

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Zebrafish

"Vita Escolar is ready to rock. She's got a band name, a used guitar, and three chords under her studded belt. All she needs are a few bandmates to complete the picture. Instead, an activist, two gamers, and an artist show up to her audition. None play a lick of music. But when she can't shake 'em off, she resigns herself to join 'em. After all, a virtual band is better than no band...er, right? With a little help from Walt, Tanya, Plinko, and Jay, Vita learns that you can't always get what you want--but you might get what your friends need. And that's way better. Oh yeah!"

Here's the deal...my sixth graders will like Zebrafish by Peter Reynolds, Sharon Emerson, and Renee Kurilla. Why? Reason #1...it's a graphic novel. Reason #2...it's about music. Reason #3...because "the end of a story can actually be the start of something BIG."

And there is something BIG waiting for the reader on the end pages of the book...

"Change happens in 2 ways--to you or by you. You can wait around for other people--adults, politicians, college students--to make the world a better place or you--YES, YOU--can decide to DO SOMETHING."

"Think about it--school teaches us to read, write, and problem solve. Big deal. So what? What are you going to DO with these skills? How are you going to use your talents to change the world?"

Believe me, kids like it when adults acknowledge that they DO have something to offer to the world. Grown-ups don't know it all, and kids CAN make a difference. And that is why my students will eat up this book. It's more than just a story. It is a call to action!

Click HERE to see how other kids are MAKING A DIFFERENCE.

Click HERE for a trailer of Zebrafish and HERE for more information behind the making of Zebrafish.

Thanks to the publisher for a review copy of this book!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Neil Armstrong is My Uncle & Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me

"Muscle Man McGinty is a squirrelly runt, a lying snake, and a pitiful excuse for a ten-year-old. The problem is that no one on Ramble Street knows it but me."

In Nan Marino's first novel, Neil Armstrong is My Uncle & Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me, ten year-old Tamara Ann Simpson is a "seventy-nine pound girl with one hundred pounds of emptiness." Her best friend Kebsie, a foster child who lived across the street, has moved away. One day Kebsie was howling at the moon with Tamara by her side on the garage roof, and the next day she was gone.

Tamara takes out her anger at the new kid who moves into the foster home that Kebsie has left. Muscle Man McGinty gets under Tamara's skin with just about everything he says and does. And when Muscle Man brags that he can beat the ENTIRE block in a kickball game, Tamara thinks she finally has Muscle Man right where she wants him.

"It's the summer of 1969, and the world is getting ready to watch a man named Neil Armstrong make history by taking the first step on the moon. But change happens a bit more slowly on Ramble Street, and it'll take one giant leap for Tamara to understand the likes of Muscle Man McGinty."

I am putting this book on my "Don't Miss" list...books that I tell my sixth graders to be sure not to miss reading before they venture into seventh grade and the wild universe beyond...books that if they don't pick up and read this year that they might miss altogether. And that would be very sad indeed.

I know you won't be disappointed in reading this book. It's an emotional story told from a bully's point of view. There are many layers to this book...Tamara...her dysfunctional family...Muscle Man McGinty...his secret...the Vietnam War...the first man on the moon...READ IT! READ IT! READ IT!

Click HERE to go to the author's website and HERE to read Nan Marino's blog.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Books Read in January - Centurions 2011

The Centurions of 2011 is a Facebook reading community made up of teachers, publishers, authors, and readers who have pledged to read 111 books in 2011.

For the month of January, I read 40 books. Thirty-two of those books were picture books. I am especially proud of the 32 picture books I read. Why? Not only am I catching up on picture books I have missed and haven't read, I am sharing more reading with my six year-old and four year-old. And perhaps that is even more important than keeping up on middle grade and young adult books for my sixth graders that I teach.

Here are my forty books with stars and comments by my favorites.

1. Best Friends Forever: A World War II Scrapbook by Beverly Patt **Click HERE to view my blog post on this book.
2. Countdown by Deborah Wiles **LOVED this one. Click HERE to view my blog post.
3. Crunch by Leslie Connor
4. Willow's Whispers by Lana Button (PB)
5. Close Your Eyes by Kate Banks (PB)
6. I'm a Turkey by Jim Arnosky (PB)
7. Heat Wave by Eileen Spinelli (PB)
8. Dogs Rule by Daniel Kirk (PB)
9. Flotsam by David Wiesner (PB)
10. Spot the Plot by J. Patrick Lewis (PB)
11. Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems (PB) **LOVED this one. How have I missed this one for so long?
12. Knuffle Bunny Too by Mo Willems (PB)
13. Lousy Rotten Stinkin Grapes by Margie Palatini (PB)
14. Horton Halfpott: Or, The Fiendish Mystery of Smugwick Manor; or, The Loosening of M'Lady Luggertuck's Corset by Tom Angleberger **Coming in May! Blog post to come.
15. The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable by Dan Gutman **Click HERE to view my blog post.
16. Edwina: The Dinosaur Who Didn't Know She Was Extinct by Mo Willems (PB)
17. I'm the Best by Lucy Cousins (PB)
18. Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late! by Mo Willems (PB)
19. The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog! by Mo Willems (PB)
20. The Pigeon Wants a Puppy! by Mo Willems (PB)
21. Sailing Off to Sleep by Linda Ashman (PB)
22. Chimps Don't Wear Glasses by Laura Numeroff (PB)
23. The Recess Queen by Alexis O'Neill (PB)
24. Tacky and the Winter Games by Helen Lester (PB)
25. Snowboard Twist by Jean Craighead George (PB)
26. The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling by Maryrose Wood **LOVED this one! Cannot wait for the second book due out this month. Click HERE to view my blog post.
27. The Ghost of Crutchfield Hall by Mary Downing Hahn
28. Cliff Hanger by Jean Craighead George and Wendell Minor (PB)
29. Otis by Loren Long (PB) **LOVED this sweet story!
30. Palazzo Inverso by D.B. Johnson (PB)
31. Elsie's Bird by Jane Yolen and David Small (PB)
32. Eeeek, Mouse! by Lydia Monks (PB)
33. My Friend, the Starfinder by George Ella Lyon and Stephen Gammell (PB)
34. Olivia Helps With Christmas by Ian Falconer (PB)
35. Olivia Forms a Band by Ian Falconer (PB)
36. The 3 Little Dassies by Jan Brett (PB)
37. 13 Words by Lemony Snicket and Maria Kalman (PB)
38. Stranger in the Woods by Carl R. Sams II and Jean Stoick (PB)
39. Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca (PB) **Great read!!
40. Neil Armstrong is My Uncle & Other Lies Muscle Man McGinty Told Me by Nan Marino **LOVED this one! Will blog about it soon!

WOW! It's the second day of February. I better go read!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling

"Maryrose Wood writes books for the sort of reader who is not yet old enough to drive but enjoys taking journeys of the imagination nevertheless."

"Discovered in the forests of Ashton Place, the Incorrigibles are no ordinary children: Alexander keeps his siblings in line with gentle nips; Cassiopeia has a bark that is (usually) worse than her bite; and Beowulf is alarmingly adept at chasing squirrels.

"Luckily, Miss Penelope Lumley is no ordinary governess. Only fifteen years old and a graduate of the Swanburne Academy for Poor Bright Females, Penelope embraces the challenge of her new position. Though she is eager to instruct the children in Latin verbs and the proper use of globes, first she must eliminate their canine tendencies." (from book jacket)



"Bravowooo! Bravowoooooo!" I say to The Incorrigible Children of Ashton Place: The Mysterious Howling. I must must must get my hands on the second book (The Hidden Gallery) as soon as it comes to a bookstore near me on February 22, 2011. I want to know what becomes of Alexander, Beowulf, and Cassiopeia. I want to know what Miss Lumley does next. I want to know the identity of the person responsible for the Christmas mayhem. I want to know more about the secret in the attic. Oh my!

Adam Rex, author of The True Meaning of Smekday, says it well on the back cover of the book..."Every newspaper and website in America is going to tell you that The Mysterious Howling will leave you HOWLING FOR MORE! So I'm not going to say that. But it's really good."

My favorite quotes from the book...

"All books are judged by their covers until they are read."

"If you have ever opened a can of worms, boxed yourself into a corner, ended up in hot water, or found yourself in a pretty pickle, you already know that life is rarely (if ever) just a bowl of cherries."

"...I suppose this is what is meant by 'growing up'...Finding out the difference between what one expected one's life would be like and how things really are."

You must pick this one up and read it. Just know that you are really choosing two books since you will absolutely want to continue the adventures you began in The Mysterious Howling when The Hidden Gallery becomes available next month!

Click HERE to view the book trailer. Click HERE for a great interview with Maryrose Wood.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable

What did you do over summer vacation?

I'm sure you have been asked that question at least once in your life. My answer usually goes something like this..."Well, I read a lot of books. I took my family to the zoo. We went to the state park and stayed the weekend at the lodge. We swam in our pool. You know, the usual."

For two kids named Coke and Pepsi, summer is anything but 'the usual'.

In Dan Gutman's new book The Genius Files: Mission Unstoppable, twin siblings Coke and Pepsi find out they are geniuses. They are part of TGF...The Genius Files...an elite group of the smartest young people in the country selected to solve the many adult problems of today's society. Sound cool? Perhaps...until they learn that someone is trying to kill them!

Thank goodness Coke and Pepsi's parents have decided to take a road trip across America due to the fact that Aunt Judy is getting married near the Lincoln Memorial on July Fourth. The trip should get them out of harm's way. While traveling, Mr. and Mrs. McDonald have planned to stop at various fascinating spots. Not historical spots. Fascinating spots. You see, Mrs. McDonald is the founder and only employee of Amazing But True, a web-based magazine devoted to odd facts, so their cross-country trip will include stops at Burlingame, California, home to the Museum of Pez Memorabilia and Chico, California, home to The National Yo-Yo Museum.

Coke and Pepsi will take you on a fabulous adventure to the Sand Mountain Recreation Area, famous for 'singing' grains of sand. They will take you to the Nevada Shoe Tree and Thunder Mountain. You'll visit the Bonneville Salt Flats and Blackfoot, Idaho--the Potato Capital of the World. And then you'll visit other fascinating sites such as the Dinosaur Capital of the World, the SPAM Museum, and the Continental Divide before reaching the largest ball of twine in America in Cawker City, Kansas.

But alas, along the way, trouble and danger seem to find these two geniuses.

Whew!

Kids will enjoy this adventurous new tale. Dan Gutman seems to have a knack for writing stories that put kids in charge of situations and in control of their own lives. There is non-stop action and thrills for readers who want to keep turning the pages. There is humor for readers who want a laugh or two. There is danger for readers who live on the edge. There are mind-numbing facts for readers who want to learn something new.

Check out the book trailer for The Genius Files by clicking HERE (or by visiting his website--link below). Super cool! And listen to Dan Gutman talk about his new book HERE.

Don't forget to visit Dan Gutman's website. Plenty of interesting info can be found there such as his rejection letters from publishers who did not want to put his book Honus and Me on bookshelves. Can you imagine? Wow.

AND...I AM SUPER EXCITED to tell you that DAN GUTMAN is visiting BOOKS AND COMPANY in DAYTON, OHIO on FEBRUARY 1 at 7:00 PM. Come meet the author and ask him your questions! I have been to Books and Company many times and am always pleased with the authors and their presentations. After his visit, you can explore store's great selection of awesome reads and pick up a book or two to take home! Click HERE to get directions to Books and Company at The Greene Shopping Center. Maybe I'll see you there!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

And the 2011 Newbery Medal Winner Goes To...

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

"Abilene Tucker's aiming to learn about her father's childhood in Manifest, Kansas. Having heard his stories of the town in its 1918 heyday, Abilene's disappointed to find Manifest's a dried up Depression town. But her disappointment turns into intrigue when she discovers a hidden cigar box containing old letters, a collection of momentos, and mention of a spy known as The Rattler.

"Those mysterious words send Abilene and her new friends on a spy hunt even though they are warned to Leave Well Enough Alone. The more she hears, the more she's determined to learn what role her father played in Manifest's secret history."

Click HERE to go to the book's website.

The four Newbery Honor winners are...

One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia

Not only did One Crazy Summer win a Newbery Honor, but this book also won the Coretta Scott King Award. Visit my last post HERE to read more about this book (also the winner of the Scott O'Dell Award).

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

I LOVED this book and would highly recommend it to all middle grade readers. See my small post HERE I wrote during my Bookaday challenge over holiday vacation. I was so happy to see this garner an award.

Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night by Joyce Sidman

"Welcome to the night, where mice stir and furry moths flutter. Where snails spiral into shells as orb spiders circle in silk. Where the roots of oak trees recover and repair from their time in the light. Where the porcupette eats delicacies --raspberry leaves!--and coos and sings.

"Come out to the cool, night wood, and buzz and hoot and howl--but beware of the great horned owl--for it's wild and it's windy way out in the woods!"

I have not read Dark Emperor, but I am a big fan of Joyce Sidman's This is Just to Say: Poems of Apologies and Forgiveness. I use it every year with my sixth grade students. We read through her poetry and then try some poems of apology and forgiveness ourselves. They are always great!

Click HERE to view the book trailer (YouTube).

Heart of a Samurai by Margi Preus

"In 1841, a Japanese fishing vessel sinks. Its crew is forced to swim to a small, unknown island, where they are rescued by a passing American ship. Japan's borders remain closed to all Western nations, so the crew sets off to America, learning English on the way.

"Manjiro, a fourteen-year-old boy, is curious and eager to learn everything he can about his new culture. Eventually the captain adopts Manjiro and takes him to his home in New England. The boy lives for some time in New England, and then heads to San Fransisco to pan for gold. After many years, he makes it back to Japan, only to be imprisoned as an outsider. With his hard-won knowledge of the West, Manjiro is in a unique position to persuade the shogun to ease open the boundaries around Japan; he may even achieve his unlikely dream of becoming a samurai."

This book is based on the true story of Manjiro Nakahama. Read more about him HERE.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Countdown and One Crazy Summer

"Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall.

"It's 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn't know how to deal with what's going on in the world--no more than she knows how to deal with what's going on with her family and friends. But somehow she's got to make it through."

"Countdown features a captivating story interspersed with footage from 1962. Deborah Wiles has created a documentary novel that will put you right alongside Franny as she navigates a dangerous time in both her history and our history. It is an experience you will never forget.

"...Photographs, song lyrics, advertisements, news clippings, and television snippets populate the pages of this story about the sixteen days when the world came as close as it has ever come to nuclear annihilation." (from www.deborahwiles.com/site/)

Countdown by Deborah Wiles ranks as one of the best books of 2010 that I have read. Not enough of my students have read this book, and I will be suggesting it to many readers. If they are skeptical of the documentary portions of the book, I will tell students to skip over them and simply read Franny's story. The story is not dependent on the photographs, advertisements, and news clippings. After completing the book, students could return to the documentary portions they skipped.

This is a book that the reader will reflect upon when finished. What if I had lived during this crisis? How would I have reacted? After reading Countdown, I find myself curious and want to ask my dad about this time period of his life. How did the Cuban Missile Crisis affect him? What are his memories? Odd that I have never asked him before.

Make sure you watch this video of Deborah Wiles explaining Countdown HERE. I found it interesting. Just below Deborah's video is the actual video of "Duck and Cover" that Franny watched at school. Wow! I wonder what my sixth graders will think after I share it with them.



And...The winner of the 2011 Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction is... ONE CRAZY SUMMER by Rita Williams-Garcia. This is another fantastic historical fiction read that I would highly recommend. Again, this is a story that is set in the 1960's although with a different focus.

From Amazon..."Eleven-year-old Delphine has it together. Even though her mother, Cecile, abandoned her and her younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern, seven years ago. Even though her father and Big Ma will send them from Brooklyn to Oakland, California, to stay with Cecile for the summer. And even though Delphine will have to take care of her sisters, as usual, and learn the truth about the missing pieces of the past.

"When the girls arrive in Oakland in the summer of 1968, Cecile wants nothing to do with them. She makes them eat Chinese takeout dinners, forbids them to enter her kitchen, and never explains the strange visitors with Afros and black berets who knock on her door. Rather than spend time with them, Cecile sends Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern to a summer camp sponsored by a revolutionary group, the Black Panthers, where the girls get a radical new education."



You just can't miss these two exemplary historical fiction books! Check them out!


Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

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!

Bookaday Challenge

(I thought I had lost this post! It was typed several days ago and then disappeared. I was too devastated to redo it at the time. Now...here it is!)

As many of you know, I am participating in a book-a-day challenge with other teachers and book-loving people at Twitter-land. I've been having a lot of fun reading and staying in touch with others who are reading over the holiday break.

To update you on my progress...with seven days expired so far, I have read:

Amulet 3: The Cloud Searchers by Kazu Kibuishi

"In the third installment of the thrilling Amulet series, Emily, Navin, and their crew of resistance fighters charter an airship and set off in search of Cielis, a mythical city believed to be located on an island high above the clouds. The mysterious Leon Redbeard is their guide, and there's a surprising new addition to the crew: the Elf King's son, Trellis. But is he ally or enemy? And will Emily ever be able to trust the voice of the Amulet?"

I LOVE this series as do my students. The graphics are so crisp and colorful! I love the style. While reading this book, I was reminded of snippets from the plot of Star Wars. The author does say that the story is heavily influenced by the original Star Wars trilogy.

Click HERE to read more about the characters in the series.

Click HERE to watch a book trailer for the first book in the Amulet series.

Amulet 2: The Stonekeeper's Curse by Kazu Kibuishi

In the second book of the Amulet series, "Emily and Navin's mother is still in a coma from the arachnopod's poison, and there's only one place to find help: Kanalis, the bustling, beautiful city of waterfalls. But when Em, her brother, and Miskit and the rest of the robotic crew aboard the walking house reach the city, they quickly realize that seeking help is looking for trouble, dangerous trouble."

Click HERE to read about the first Amulet book on my blog.

Zeus: King of the Gods by George O'Connor

George O'Connor combines his knowledge of Greek mythology and his love of classic superhero comics to create the Olympians series. Planned for twelve books, this one about Zeus is the first. Athena: Grey-Eyed Goddess was released this year as well. In July of 2011, look for Hera: The Goddess and her Glory.

Click HERE to visit the Olympians webpage. You can learn about the series as well as the author.

The Trouble With Chickens by Doreen Cronin

Here is a book I will definitely buy when it hits the bookstores on March 1, 2011. The Trouble With Chickens is a fantastically funny book with many laugh-out-loud moments. I even snorted once!

I read this as an egalley on my Nook. It is a quick read with lots of chicken humor! Great illustrations by Kevin Cornell.

I will posting a more detailed review on this book closer to the release date.

Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm

This book is a sweet, sweet read. As one of our books on the Mock Newbery list, I knew I wanted to read this one over the holiday break. I borrowed this book as an ebook and read it on my new Nook.

In 1935, eleven-year-old Turtle is sent to her relatives in Key West, Florida, while her mom is working as a housekeeper for a lady who does not like children. Turtle meets her cousins who run the local Diaper Gang. She also spends time with a sponge fisherman and goes on an unexpected treasure hunt.

I loved this book even though I was secretly hoping for a resolution between two characters at the end of the book--can't tell you who without spoiling it for you! Perhaps the author will revisit Key West and Turtle's new life with a companion book one of these days!

The Fantastic Secret of Owen Jester by Barbara O'Connor

"An amazing secret has tumbled off a freight train into Carter, Georgia, and Owen Jester is the only person who knows about it. If he can simply manage to evade his grandfather’s snappish housekeeper, organize his two best friends, and keep his nosy neighbor, Viola, at bay, he just might be in for the summer of a lifetime."

First of all, I LOVE LOVE LOVE the cover. I knew I had to buy this book just as soon as I could visit a bookstore--which I did! I know my students will love reading this book. It is a good story, a quick read, and quite frankly, who wouldn't want to discover an amazing secret like Owen does and take it for the journey of a lifetime!

I love Barbara O'Connor's stories. Click HERE for the link to my post about How to Steal a Dog. Also check out some of her other books by clicking HERE to go to her website.

A Tale Dark and Grimm by Adam Gidwitz

"In this mischievous and utterly original debut, Hansel and Gretel walk out of their own story and into eight other classic Grimm-inspired tales. As readers follow the siblings through a forest brimming with menacing foes, they learn the true story behind (and beyond) the bread crumbs, edible houses, and outwitted witches.

"Fairy tales have never been more irreverent or subversive as Hansel and Gretel learn to take charge of their destinies and become the clever architects of their own happily ever after."

Bloody. Gory. Scary. Heads getting chopped off. READ IT!

And be sure to click on the author's name above. He has a very cool website and reading through his website is just about as much fun as reading his book--though much less horrifying!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T. :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze

"Lovable geek Milo Cruikshank finds reasons for frustration at every turn—like people who carve Halloween pumpkins way too soon in the season, or the fact that the girl of his dreams, Summer, barely acknowledges his existence while next-door neighbor Hilary won’t stop leaving notes in his locker.

"The truth is, ever since Milo’s mother died nothing has gone right. Now, instead of the kitchen being full of music, his whole house has been filled with fog. Nothing’s the same. Not his dad. Not his sister. And definitely not him." Through the help of a couple of true friends, Milo embarks on a mission to achieve healing.

Milo: Sticky Notes and Brain Freeze by Alan Silberberg is a gem of a book. I enjoyed the mix of illustrations and prose that told Milo’s story. It is a story that is funny but also serious and full of honest emotions.

Losing a loved one is unbearable. My mother passed away a year ago. I completely understand how Milo felt in a "fog" and can relate to Milo's desire to have "things" belonging to his mom. It is amazing how a book written for kids can still have an impact on someone much older like me!

I will be recommending this book to Diary of a Wimpy Kid fans, of course. But I feel that this book is so much more than a Greg Heffley story. Milo’s feelings are raw. Perhaps readers who have gone through their own personal loss might feel a sense of comfort after meeting Milo. I know I have.

Keep the tissues handy at the end of this book!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Lightning Thief Graphic Novel

This graphic novel is 'book candy' for my students. I don't have to plug this read. All I have to do is hold it in the air, move it slowly back and forth...back and forth. My students' eyes will follow as if in a trance, mouths open, drool pooling on their desks.

The names Rick Riordan and Percy Jackson are well-known among my sixth grade students. Most of my readers fall into the category of either 'starting the series', 'in the middle of the series', 'finished with the series', or 'finished with the series, read The Lost Hero, and waiting for Fall 2011 for the next book'!!

Rick Riordan does not disappoint with this new addition to the Percy Jackson vault, The Lightning Thief Graphic Novel. This is a fun read and will please both old and new Percy Jackson fans.

Readers will notice deleted scenes from the original book. Click HERE to read one deleted scene. It's a favorite one of my daughter's...when Percy, Annabeth, and Grover visit Aunty Em's Garden Gnome Emporium.

If you like what you see in this first graphic novel, then hang in there...Editor Christian Trimmer says that The Sea of Monsters and The Titan’s Curse are currently in the works and are tentatively set for release dates in 2012.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

The Kneebone Boy

In which I was engaged by the characters, enchanted by the writing, and entertained by the experience.

Yes, that just about says it all. You mustmustmust read The Kneebone Boy by Ellen Potter.

From the book jacket..."Life in a small town can be pretty boring when everyone avoids you like the plague. But after their father unwittingly sends them to stay with an aunt who’s away on holiday, the Hardscrabble children take off on an adventure that begins in the seedy streets of London and ends in a peculiar sea village where legend has it a monstrous creature lives who is half boy and half animal...

In this wickedly dark, unusual, and compelling novel, Ellen Potter masterfully tells the tale of one deliciously strange family and a secret that changes everything."

That's it. Yup. You're not getting any more details from me...no describing the quirky characters of Otto, Lucia, and Max (Loved these characters! And don't even get me started on Haddie because she was extreme-to-the-max quirky!)...no review of the delightfully fresh writing of Ellen Potter (Oh, if only I could write like her!)...I'm not saying anything more except...READ IT! And if you don't read it soon, I may just have to pick it up and read it aloud to you!

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

P.P.S My favorite quote from the book..."People should have all their big adventures while they're still under the age of fourteen. If you don't, you start to lose your passion for big adventures. It just begins to fade away bit by bit and then you forget you ever wanted adventures in the first place...it's criminal the way that happens."

The Magnificent 12: The Call (Book One)

You gotta see this book trailer...Click HERE.

And before you read any further, just remember..."...most heroes end up dead."

"Twelve-year-old Mack MacAvoy suffers from a serious case of mediumness. Medium looks. Medium grades. Medium parents who barely notice him. With a list of phobias that could make anyone crazy, Mack never would have guessed that he is destined for a more-than-medium life.

And then one day, something incredibly strange happens to Mack. A three-thousand-year-old man named Grimluk appears in the boy's bathroom to deliver some startling news: Mack is one of the Magnificent Twelve, called the Magnifica in ancient times, whatever that means. An evil force is on its way, and it's up to Mack to track down eleven other twelve-year-olds in order to stop it. He must travel across the world to battle the wicked Pale Queen's dangerous daughter, Ereskigal--also known as Risky. But Risky sounds a little scary, and Mack doesn't want to be a hero. Will he answer the call?"

Michael Grant says he wrote this book because..."I want to make kids laugh. It's not very complicated. If I knew that some kid had read THE MAGNIFICENT 12 and laughed so hard they blew milk out of their nose? That would be the highest honor ever for me. I also want to get that sneaky late laugh, you know, where you're in class or at the doctor or at a funeral even, and you remember something from the books and you start laughing. Or even just grinning. That's what I want: I want kids grinning at inappropriate times. Inappropriate grins and the occasional milk snort, that's why I wrote THE MAGNIFICENT 12."

This is the first book in what I think will be a popular series among tweens. Action. Laughs. Adventure. Laughs. Villains. Heroes. Laughs.

Pick yourself up a copy of Michael Grant's latest. Come on. I dare you to be silent while reading this book. Get in the zone, and have some fun rolling on the floor...just be careful not to get milk on the carpet.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Scream Street: Fang of the Vampire

"Luke gazed into the zombie's milky eyes. The creature grinned at him, revealing a mouth crawling with worms and maggots. A cockroach scuttled out of a nostril and up into the zombie's left ear, dragging a trail of black snot behind it."

To say that middle school readers will like Scream Street: Fang of the Vampire may be a bit of an understatement. 'Fangs' to the Picnic Basket for this complimentary copy, I was able to roam Scream Street and meet vampires, zombies, werewolves, poltergeists, mummies, ghouls, goblins...

Luke Watson is a werewolf who has been sent packing to Scream Street, a community of various monsters. Luke's parents, however, are human and very scared of what they are encountering in this strange place.

Luke and his new friends, Resus (a wannabe vampire) and Cleo (a mummy), are on a mission to find Skipstone's Tales of Scream Street, a book that supposedly contains the way out of Scream Street. Luke would like nothing better than to take his parents back home.

Tommy Donbavand's book is an action-packed, monster-filled romp that will leave middle school readers 'screaming' for the next book...Blood of the Witch and the next book...Heart of the Mummy and the next book...Flesh of the Zombie and the next book...Skull of the Skeleton and the next book...Claw of the Werewolf and the next book...Invasion of the Normals and the next book...Attack of the Trolls and...

For more information on the author, visit his extensive website by clicking HERE. And click HERE to go to the series' website.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Reckless

"If you're looking for happily ever after, you've come to the wrong place."

Cornelia Funke is back! (And so am I...a new school year and new school building later, I am finally ready to share my reading with you again!)

I am in awe of the fantasy that Cornelia Funke creates. I was first mesmerized with Inkheart, one of my TOP TEN favorite books. Not only did I love the characters (Mo, Dustfinger, Elinor) and the dark world of villains (Capricorn) she wrote about, but I savored the references to reading and the book world she included in her story.

Now, I have Reckless to add to my list of great reads. In this gem, Cornelia Funke weaves in the world of fairy tales.

"Jacob Reckless, like his father before him, escapes into the Mirrorworld, and all is well until his younger brother, Will, follows him in and falls under the enchantment of the Dark Fairy. Through an injury, she turns him slowly into a Goyl, a person made of stone. Jacob is determined to rescue his brother and restore him to himself. Accompanied by his companion, a shape-shifter girl/vixen named Fox, and Will's girlfriend, Clara, Jacob journeys with Will to find the antidote to the spell. With a large cast, including a dwarf, powerful fairies born from water, deadly moths, man-eating sirens, unicorns, and the terrifying Tailor with fingers ending in blades and needles, the story includes multiple fairy-tale motifs as the characters grapple with fear and despair while on their seemingly hopeless quest." (- School Library Journal)

While at first I had a hard time grasping the Mirrorworld and the Goyl, a little bit of rereading was the trick to gain confidence in understanding this unique world. Once I had a firm grasp on this tale, I was able to sit back and let myself enjoy (sometimes with frequent nail-biting!) the world of Jacob Reckless.

I think fantasy readers will enjoy this book, but I will caution some younger, more inexperienced fantasy readers about reading this one. A little bit of language in this book along with a complicated fantasy world with many references to fairy tales might make Reckless a tough read for some.

If you are looking for a new fantasy series (this is definitely NOT over at the end), check out Reckless by Cornelia Funke. For more information, visit the book's website by clicking HERE. For more information about the author, visit her website HERE.

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Green Angel and Green Witch

Green Angel has sat on my school bookshelf for a couple of years. I always had the intention of reading this book. I simply never got around to picking it up and giving it a try. I am so glad that on a recent trip to the local library (YEA FOR LIBRARIES!), I glimpsed the YA librarian reshelving Green Witch, Alice Hoffman's follow-up to Green Angel. I knew that I needed to read both books!

Green Angel is about a fifteen-year-old girl named Green who suffers an unspeakable loss of her entire family due to a disastrous act of man. Green is overwhelmed by the loss of her family and her world as she has known it to be. She retreats and starts to destroy herself; she inks herself with dark images and tries to become a new person. Will Green ever learn to love again? What does the future hold for Green?

Beautiful writing here from Alice Hoffman. But it was the second book, Green Witch, that really captured me!

Green Witch continues the story of Green a year after the disaster that occurred in the first book. I loved this book so much more than the first--the story--the writing--the meaning that it held for me and the connections I made as I read this book.

Here are some passages that spoke to me...

"What you see, you can understand...But I had looked at the outside of things, not at the true, ever-changing heart. Look at a cloud and see how it becomes a swan, a rose, a lantern, a lion. That is the only way to understand that all clouds change...Not a single one can ever stay the same...That doesn't mean it's not still a cloud."

And...

"...people tell lies. But a lie is not a story, it's simply a lie. Lies become bigger, and fatter, and meaner every time they're told. They eat air and inflate with each piece of gossip. They feel real, but when you touch them, they pop like a bubble. There's nothing inside."

And...

"What you look for, you may find...Someone promised me this, but I shook my head...Surely, wanting more would only bring more despair...But desire can drive you for miles. It can lead you in ways you never would have imagined. A map can be written in ashes, earth, water, air. Take a step and keep walking. Don't be afraid to look back...In the end, every path you choose takes you closer to what you've been searching for all along."

I highly recommend that you read these two books by Alice Hoffman. What passages speak to you?

Happy Reading!

Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!