Reading Like Crazy!!

Cover via Amazon

So, I was challenged to read all of the picture books in my “F” section in the library. No easy task with everything else gong on as we count down to the last day of school. There are 23 more days to go!! Woot, Woot!!

Ahem, back to the “F” section. All of the authors’ last names begin with an “F” – Fox, Flournoy, you know…the ones we know and love, like Fleishman! There were a few I had not read before and it was interesting to see how many books had been purchased by previous librarians were written by our beloved children’s authors. I read most of the books to my students, which they liked when I explained what I was doing, and were thrilled when I explained that I would also take AR (Accelerated Reader) quizzes on the book I have read as well. A little healthy competition between me and a few students and teachers as to who can earn more points … I took the lead last week but will probably lose it to one of my third graders! He is a voracious reader!

Anyhoo – here is the list of books thus far and I have put an asterisk next to the book my students like and tell you why:

* Halfway Hank – Fallon, Joe – Believe or not, they understood that you can’t do everything “half-way” and achieve and by doing so you let down others who count on you.
A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever – Frazee, Marla
* The Happy Lion – Fatio, Louise – Bonjour! They loved it because we were able to speak FRENCH!! Too cool! They loved saying bonjour to everyone!
* The Story About Ping – Flack, Marjorie – It is a ducking, what can I say? My kids love anything with an animal.
Just For You! Don’t Hit Me – Ford, Bernette
I Love You, Grandpa – French, Vivian
Shoes from Grandpa – Fox, Mem
Tanya’s Reunion – Flournoy, Valerie
* The Patchwork Quilt – Flournoy, Valerie – They preferred this story to Tanya’s Reunion. I think it is because Tanya learned about family in a very physical way, making the memory quilt from pieces of clothing used by family members.
* I’m Not Bobby – Feiffer, Jules – “Oooh, he’s gonna’ get a whoopin’!” Yes, they enjoyed seeing and hearing Bobby misbehave! They also liked the repetition in the story and repeated “I’m NOT BOBBY!!!!:
* David‘s Drawings – Falwell, Cathryn – They thought it was cool when David’s classmates added to his drawing and it became the “class picture.” They also understood why the same picture he drew at home was perfect “just the way” it was.
* Time Train  – Fleischman, Paul – Students enjoyed the whimsy of traveling back in time on a train and learning a little about each era they passed.
Ask Mr. Bear  – Flack, Marjorie
Two Shoes, Blue Shoes, New Shoes  – Fitz-Gibbon, Sally
* Olivia And The Missing Toy  – Falconer, Ian
* Olivia  – Falconer, Ian – Okay, what can I say – Olivia is a pig with big dreams and ideas. She LOVES red, she LOVES to dance, and she tolerates Ian, her baby brother. She is quite the character!

There are more! I just haven’t tested on them or written them down as of yet!

Have a happy day!!

Cover of I’m Not Bobby

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The Patchwork Quilt by Valerie Flournoy

English: Detail of a vintage patchwork quilt shows dye rot in one of the fabrics. Over time, heavy metals in the dark colored dye used for the pattern have caused the fabric to disintegrate, leaving the batting showing through. Taken at the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association show at the Santa Cruz county fairgrounds in Watsonville, California. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Woman with a Patchwork Quilt, Works Progress Administration Craft Project, 1935 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Patchwork quilt (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Grandma is making a patchwork quilt from bits and pieces of fabric snipped from discarded old clothing and leftover material from sewn special occasion items. Tanya is curious as to what Grandma is doing and Mama just sees a mess. When Grandma becomes ill, Tanya takes over. She understands why Grandma makes the quilt from bits and pieces of her family‘s clothing. Mama and Tanya’s brothers help out a bit as they see how hard she works to complete the quilt for Grandma. The surprise comes at the end when Tanya realizes something is missing from the patchwork quilt and when the quilt is finally finished.

Lovingly written about the concept of family and how it used to be recorded, “in the olden days” before everyone could read and write. Also about the necessity of creating something from discarded materials, letting nothing go to waste, and reusing items to save money and provide for the family. Memories are made from loving hands.

My students listened to this story and had great questions. I found that they still understand the concept of creating an heirloom and putting pieces of themselves into a family history. I adore books such as these because my students need to understand that just because something CAN be bought doesn’t mean it SHOULD be bought.

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I’m Not Bobby! by Jules Feifer

Cover of I’m Not Bobby

Bobby is a naughty little boy. He does not answer when being called. Instead, Bobby uses his imagination to hide from his family and runs away to keep from being found. He imagines himself a lion, an astronaut, anything to keep from having to be “Bobby.”

My students enjoyed the repetition in the sibling calling “BOBBY!” and Bobby’s response “I’m NOT Bobby!” I did not feel it was a moral tale as the boy was not doing what he should but the students knew he was “gonna’ be in trouble” when he finally went home. Good story to teach use of imagination!

Overall; however, I did not care for the book because of Bobby’s disrespectful behavior. I know I am supposed to enjoy the imaginative behavior of the child but this made me uncomfortable because we have an issue in education today where students lack respect for each other and for adults. It is one of our biggest problems in education! I don’t want students thinking it is okay to behave this way. So, I use it as a “don’t do” book more than teaching imagination when it comes to my students. When we get past the respect issue and more on to use of imagination, I bring it back out!

 

David’s Drawings by Cathryn Falwell

** spoiler alert **

 

David likes to draw. He likes to draw what he sees. On the way to school, David sees a tree and finds it beautiful. When he gets to school, he draws what he sees. His classmates decide the drawing needs more and David allows them to add their own touches. He titles the piece “Our Class Picture” and hangs it on the bulletin board. On the way home, he sees the tree again. At home he draws the tree and his sister says it needs ‘something.’

I loved this book because of its simple messages. It appears David is quiet and reflective about his drawing but open to others’ interpretation. At home, his interpretation is perfect.

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/davids-drawings-cathryn-falwell/1102416217

The Wild, Wild West by Geronimo Stilton

Geronimo Stilton, fraidy-mouse extraordinaire, is traveling to the Wild West! Geronimo is the editor of the local newspaper. He is a calm mouse. He is a mouse who enjoys sitting at home, listening to classical music and drinking a nice cup of hot cheddar cheese tea.

Geronimo learns to rope and ride in the Wild West and he stands up to the town bullies. In the end … well you have to read the book to find that out.

I enjoyed reading this Geronimo Stilton book as it addressed Native American tribes to some extent, delivered great vocabulary regarding horses, and actually threw in a little twist at the end. Stilton fans will love reading this book.

Thea Stilton and the Cherry Blossom Adventure by Thea Stilton

Read from March 25 to 29, 2013

This was the first Thea Stilton book I have read and there wasn’t much Thea Stilton in it. The story was about the “Thea Sisters” instead. A group of teenage girls who are friends with Thea and admire her so much they call themselves the Thea Sisters. The girls visit a Japanese school where they meet and become best friends with a Japanese student. A kidnapping, a theft and a betrayal set the stage for heartwarming reconciliation between father and daughter. In the end, the kidnapper, the thief and the betrayal are rectified and they all live happily ever after.

I like the Thea Stilton series for the same reasons I like Geronimo Stilton, the books contain cultural information and a wonderful array of vocabulary words. My students love the graphic novel-esque feel to the books. The down side to these books is that they are written in a format method. After a couple of the books I am bored. This Thea Stilton book did not excite me as much as I thought it would. Still, for third and fourth grade reading ability the books will hold the interest and students may actually learn something while they read!

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Surf’s Up, Geronimo

Although I normally LOVE Geronimo Stilton books for their cultural, physical information and the entertaining way in which the books are written, I felt this one was not as good.

Premise: Geronimo feels it is time for a vacation and his cousin agrees. Cousin Trap leads Geronimo to a shady-looking travel agency and then teams up to bully Geronimo into buying an over-priced vacation that turns into a horrendous affair. The plane is dirty, the food inedible, the hotel roach infested, the beach over-crowded, the ocean laden with sharks. The vacation is horrible!

My issue with this book is how much bullying takes place and how easily Geronimo allows it to happen. His cousin, the travel agent, the staff at the airline, the hotel, and even his sister, Thea, bullies Geronimo. The books provide great vocabulary and usually information on the location or adventure in the book. This particular one fell short for me.

The Sword Bearer by Teddy Jacobs

You may know by now that I do not usually write bad reviews. I can find something good about any story I read. Unfortunately, this book broke the mold. I really did not find anything worthwhile in this book.

“Tired of his controlling father treating him like a child, sixteen-year-old Anders Tomason yearns for grown-up adventure. Until the day when he opens a magic portal by accident, and a Kriek girl bursts into his locked room with a chemical warlock hot on her trail. Now Anders will discover just how much his parents had been protecting him from, and at what cost.” Goodreads excerpt.

Read on March 25, 2013

I like reading new YA fiction because you usually find some lovely gems. However, gem this story was not. I kept hoping the story would take off but I felt like I was treading water. I did not feel any real angst for Anders, the pimply-faced teen who just seems to flounder. While the story started off slowly it really did not give me enough information for me to bond with him as a main character. In fact, I could not bond with any of the characters. I felt no loss at the deaths, I felt no relief when Anders and his friends made their way to safety. Nothing. The story did not draw me in. The worst part of the story was the abrupt ending. Actually, it did not “end” at all. The story just stopped in a weird place. The inserted first chapter of book two felt more like the ending of book one.

It also felt as though the author really has no clue as to how modern teens speak or think. Jacobs tried too hard to be a sixteen year old boy. Too many references to pimples and the characters were too flat and unbelievable. I would not suggest reading this book until it has had a couple go-rounds with an editor and serious re-writing to flesh out the characters and storyline.

The City of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau

The City of Ember (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

City of Ember (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

An interesting book based on the “what if the world was about to end?” scenario. The story begins with someone telling a brief tale, somewhat cautionary, but also with an explanation of what was to happen next.

A city, surrounded by a dome. No way in and no way out. The city was built to keep the inhabitants safe from global environmental failure. Fail-safes were put in place: food, water, clothing, materials to live on in the manner the people were accustomed, and a box containing directions on how to get out once the danger was over – or at least when they thought the danger was over. Unfortunately, the box was lost for many years and those who were supposed to know about it forgot. When it was found, it wasn’t by the right people. Actually, it was found and opened by a toddler who still liked to chew paper. See the problem?

Her sister and a friend decipher the instructions just enough.

I can’t wait to read book two to see where they end up and how they survive.

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The Cricket in Times Square by George Selden

Times Square / dusk (Photo credit: George Rex)

Cover of The Cricket in Times Square

A sweet little cricket finds himself lost in the big subway station in New York. He longs for his home in the meadow in Connecticut. He meets a lovely mouse and friendly cat who help him promote his musical talent. He is found by a little boy whose family owns a paper and magazine stand. The family business is suffering, they have a series of unfortunate events, and life is tough for them all. The cricket brings about fame and fortune before he sadly tells his friends he wants to go home.

Another great period book to discuss with students. Different cultures,  immigrants, opera, lifestyle differences between the city and countryside, and economics. Enjoyable read.

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