Picture book of the week: 100th Day Worries

February 22nd is an exciting day for kindergarten and first-grade students: the 100th day of school. Many classes bring in collections of 100 things--stickers, Cheerios,or cotton balls.   This is supposed to be a fun activity for the children and a celebration of the school year.  But for Jessica, the  main character in Margery Cuyler's 100th Day Worries, this day is a source of worry for Jessica.  If this sounds familiar to you, we met Jessica during fire prevention week in Stop, Drop, and Roll.

Jessica can't decide what to bring to school.  She agonizes and waits until the very last day to assemble her collection.  This story lends itself nicely to making predictions of what Jessica will bring, as well as counting by ones, tens, and twenties.  So if you are looking to celebrate our 100th day and sneak a little math in, too, check this out!

Book of the week: Bird Lake Moon

This post has been a long time coming.  One of our staff members recommended Kevin Henke's chapter book Bird Lake Moon months ago.  I trusted her, checked it out, and started reading it.  I just couldn't get into it.  One of the main characters, Mitch, is upset over his parents' divorce.  He spends a lot of time hiding under his neighbor's porch, wishing that he and his mother could move into that house.

I found this to be totally contrived.  My parents got divorced, and I didn't spend any time hiding under any porches.  I found Mitch's behavior to be totally unrealistic and it just turned me off.  So I abandoned the book to the stack next to my bed.

This week, I am teaching fifth grade classes at Yates about writing book reviews.  The class did Bird Lake Moon as a read-aloud, so I decided to read them the reviews.  I got so hooked by the reviews, I picked up the book and finished it, and I  loved it.  I just needed to see that Mitch's character would grow and evolve.

This book has mystery and humor and will appeal to children who come from divorced families.  It will also lead to discussions about doing the right thing, even if it isn't the easy thing.

Picture book of the week: Groundhog Day!

Gail Gibbons is the queen of non-fiction books.  She has written books about every major holiday (and some minor ones, too), animals, places in the community, and planets.  If you want to introduce a new non-fiction subject to children between kindergarten and second grade, she is the author to look for.

One of her newer books is about Groundhog Day.  I have always enjoyed this American tradition, even if it doesn't logically make sense to me.  If Punxsutawney Phil sees his shadow, there will be six more weeks of winter.  So basically, if it is a bright and sunny day, we have more snow and cold weather to look forward to.  In my opinion, the reverse seems more logical; if Phil doesn't see his shadow, we can expect more winter.  But regardless, it is a fun American tradition that not all students are familiar with.

Groundhog Day! explains the history behind Groundhog Day, as well as facts and information about groundhogs and hibernation.  Amazingly, groundhogs can move 700 pounds of dirt in one day!  If you want to wow your students with other bits of groundhog trivia, look for this book.  It is accessible, informative, and has Gail Gibbon's trademark watercolor illustrations.

Book of the week: Gregor the Overlander

I can't even count the number of people who have raved about Suzanne Collins' Gregor the Overlander.  If you read my blog, you know that sci-fi isn't my favorite genre.  But I am making an effort to read more books that are out of my comfort zone, so I checked it out of the local library.  It sat on my bedside table for a while, perpetually at the bottom of the stack.  I finally decided to give it a try when a friend compared it to Alice in Wonderland, which was my favorite book from childhood.

Gregor did remind me of Alice; Gregor literally falls into another world while doing laundry in his apartment building.  It also reminded me of other books; the creatures in the underworld sound like Yoda when they talk, large flying bats reminded me of Kenneth Oppel's Silverwing/Sunwing books, and the underground cave world reminded me of Rebecca Stead's First Light.  So I can't say that this is the most original book on the shelves, but I suppose that most authors borrow from other books.  In my opinion, it was just another adventure novel with a sci-fi setting.  Did I find it to be as remarkable as everyone said?  No.  Was it groundbreaking?  No.  Am I going to read the  next books in the series?  That is a great big no.  But at least now I know what all the fuss is about! And when all of the Gregor-lovers ask me if I have read it yes, at least I can say yes.

Chapter book of the week: Everything on a Waffle

I love waffles.  Who doesn't?  Waffles with blueberries, waffles with whipped cream, waffles dripping with butter and syrup.  Obviously I would love The Girl on the Red Swing, which is the restaurant in Polly Horvath's Everything on a Waffle.  Everything you order in that restaurant come on a waffle.  Spaghetti on a waffle.  Fish on a waffle.  Definitely for the adventurous eater.

Primrose Squarp spends a lot of time at The Girl with the Red Swing.  Her parents were both lost at sea (or perhaps not...), so she now lives with her uncle Jack in Canada.  He doesn't have much time to entertain her, so Primrose passes her time at the restaurant, learning to cook and observing the locals.  Recipes are even included at the end of every chapter (and  serving the meals on  waffles is optional).

This would be a great read-aloud--the descriptions are wonderful but not too Tolkien-ish, the book is both sad and funny, and all of the characters are memorable.  And if you need more convincing, this was a Newbery Honor Book in 2002.

Picture book of the Week: Dogku

It is haiku week in the library.  We have been invited to participate in a haiku-writing contest, so many of the classes are being introduced to this lovely art form with Andrew Clements' Dogku.  The very same Andrew Clements who writes the humorous chapter books.  This is the story of stray dog, Mooch, who finds a family to adopt him.  The story is told in haikus, but students don't have any trouble following the plot.  If you are looking for an introduction to poetry or haikus, check this one out!

Award winners announced!

On January 18, the Newbery and Caldecott Award winners were announced. These awards are given out once a year to the best chapter book (Newbery) and best illustrations (Caldecott). The winners for 2010 are:

Newbery Award: When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. This is a mystery/science fiction novel in one. Those of you who read this blog regularly will note that I reviewed this book and wasn't too thrilled with it, but it is a great read for you science fiction fans.

Caldecott Award: Jerry Pinkney's The Lion and the Mouse. This is a wordless retelling of Aesop's beloved fable.








More infomation can be found at the American Library Association's website.