Robert Gould’s Time Soldiers
A huge T-Rex invading a city + Kids in camouflage clothing ready to save the day= Everyone begging to take this book home!
Very cool way of putting this book together with real photos of kids and superimposed dinosaur photos. I mean, just look at that cover. It’s awesome! Definitely worth checking out from the Hub, and it’s a series and there’s another one with King Arthur.
The rather obscure platypus sure does get a lot of press in children’s books. We are going through a little phase here at home.
Plaidypus Lost by Janet Stevens and Susan Stevens Crummel
Adorable and predictable, this story goes ‘around and around.’ It doesn’t take long for little ones to join in the chorus of this story, and I personally love the handmade stuffed animal aspect.
Swim, Little Wombat, Swim! by Charles Fuge
The second character in this book is a platypus who teaches the wombat how to swim. Nice selection of vocabulary for younger readers, plus the illustrations are gorgeous.
Platypus and the Lucky Day by Chris Riddell
Super cute (and part of a series), this book tells of a platypus who is determined to be optimistic, even as everything goes wrong. Great use of onomatopeia!
Erika’s Story by Ruth Vander Zee
A 5th grader came in yesterday with a stack of Holocaust books that she said I should read (thanks, Siana!). Their non-fiction unit of study has taken many of them down this road of learning more about the Holocaust, and they are helping me discover some amazing books. I took home this one last night and was blown away by how powerful it was. A true story, Erika was raised not by her biological family because they were all taken to a concentration camp. While on the train to the camp, Erika was only a few months old and in her mother’s arms. Suddenly, she is thrown from the train window by her mother. This line from the book instantly brought tears to my eyes…
“One her way to death, my mother threw me to life.”
Wow. The whole book reads like this. Sparse and powerful with illustrationss that fit perfectly with the text. And yet with a message of hope and life.
Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Mostly True Stories About Growing Up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka
Wow–did I ever laugh like crazy reading this book! A memoir of Jon Scieszka’s childhood with 5 brothers (yes, 5!), this book is a series of short stories that are absolutely hilarious. I almost want to cancel all 4th and 5th grade classes first period tomorrow and have everyone meet in the library just to listen to a few chapters. It would be a perfect way to start the day, all of us belly laughing and reveling in how an author can make you feel like you are right there inside his childhood memory. Picture a car full of boys on a trip when one brother barfs in the backseat, which then starts a huge chain of everyone barfing all over the back of the car, some out of the windows, all because the cat on the floor ate a candy bar and started all the barfing. I had tears running down my face. Care to read that chapter? This link will take you to a sample of some of the chapters. (scroll down after the article for the excerpts)
I can’t wait to share this with upper grade students coming to me soon for a session. Until then, I think I might need to hide it for fear of never getting it back.
The Thing About Georgie by Lisa Graff
I’ve got a stack of great new chapter books that were raved about on other blogs, and this was one of them. The Thing About Georgie is different from other books I’ve read for a few reasons:
1) you don’t know who the narrator is until almost the end of the story, which makes it kind of mysterious
2) the readers are asked to do little activities during the book like tie your shoes and stretch your arms and measure things, but all of these activities are for a good reason (you have to read the book to find out why!)
3) you learn a ton about dwarfism by reading this book because Georgie, the main character, is a little person (this is the term that is most polite). Only 42 inches high.
So, that’s the ‘thing about Georgie’– it’s hard to be small when the rest of the world around you is not. But, you’ll also see that he deals with the same issues we do, like having trouble with friends and growing up and dealing with meanies. And, most importantly, we are all made up of a whole lot of ‘things,’ not just one.
Although good to read anytime, this would be a wonderful readaloud for a social issues unit for grades 4-5.
The Skull Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta
This fabulous book was used as a example text today with Mr. Giordano’s 4th graders. We wrote non-fiction book reviews on Destiny, and this was the book we used to write our class model review. So, in the words of Mr. G’s class, here is why you should read this book:
If you like guessing games, try this book on for size! This book asks you to identify animal skulls by giving you clues and information about the animal. This awesome book is very interesting and fact-filled. Animal lovers, CHECK OUT this book! written by Mr. G’s Super NonFiction
Couldn’t have said it better myself.
Looking for more “out of the ordinary” nonfiction books? Check out this list.
The Trip Back Home by Janet S. Wong
I came across this book while gathering books for a grade 3 personal narrative unit, and it’s simply lovely. A girl prepares for a trip back to Korea to visit her extended family, and the entire writing experience is rich and filled with amazing details.
“We gave my grandmother, my halmoni, an apron, ruffled at the edge, with two large pockets in the shape of flowers.”
The entire book reads like this– smooth and brimming with memories in the making and sensory writing. It would be my first choice as a mentor text to start a personal narrative unit, and I know that many Korean students will be connecting like mad with this book.
Starting a personal narrative unit soon? Check out this link to a list of other great mentor texts.
Ivy and Bean by Annie Barrows
Oh, Ivy and Bean! You are officially welcomed into my favorite character club. I love, love, love these two girls together, and I especially love how they never thought they’d be friends to begin with but wind up being the best of friends. You see, Bean thinks Ivy is boring and wants nothing to do with her at first–she’d rather think of ways to driver her older sister crazy instead. But of course the two girls come together and wind up having a blast being friends and even getting into trouble. This would be a perfect 2nd grade readaloud or an independent read for many different grades.
Check out this link for all the Ivy and Bean info from Annie Barrows herself.
And don’t forget this cool link where you can listen to Annie Barrows reading a part of the newest in the Ivy and Bean series AND watch a short movie about it.
One Thousand Tracings by Lita Judge
So, I’m helping a student find a book on World War II and I see the cover and title of this book that catches my eye. I added it to my nightly pile of books to read, and I couldn’t believe that the subject is almost exactly the same as the book I just blogged about called Boxes for Katje. Very strange, but I love the pairing of these two books together AND the fact that I am learning all this information about people sending so many generous care packages to families in Europe during the War. The one thousand tracings title refers to the people from Europe sending foot tracings because they were in such need of new shoes. This is a very powerful book and is also based on a true story. Lita Judge, the author, found a dusty box in her grandmother’s attic filled with newspaper tracings of feet. A beautiful historical fiction book that should not be missed.
Boxes for Katje by Candace Fleming
I’m always on the lookout for historical fiction that really grabs me, and Boxes for Katje did just that. While reading it, I found myself tearing up over and over again, but in one of those “this is such a great book” way. Based on a true story, Boxes for Katje takes place in the mid-1940’s in Holland, where many people were near-starving during and after World War II. Various organizations in the U.S. asked people to send care packages to families in Holland, and the author’s mother did just that when she was a girl. Her box arrived at the home of a girl named Katje, and so began the seed of this book. Filled with letters back and forth between Katje and Rosie, her U.S. friend, the care packages get bigger and grander each time, and the entire town benefits from the generosity of many who sent provisions. I loved this book for its warmth and sincerity and feeling of hope during a bleak time in history. 5 stars!
Another grade historical World War II book called Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven.
