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Gaiman, Neil. FORTUNATELY THE MILK
When mum goes off to a conference, dad’s routine trip to the corner store for milk becomes an epic adventure through time and space! (well, spaceSHIPS, anyway. Well, A spaceship. Twice.) While fetching milk for his children’s cereal, a father finds himself beamed up by aliens, threatened by pirates (who don’t even know about walking the plank!), meeting the balloon-flying stegosaurus scientist who invented time travel, rather elaborately avoiding a volcanic eruption and also escaping from some very pale, rather hungry-looking (and not at all sparkly) people with funny accents. Oh, and there’s ponies at one point. And possibly piranhas. And hard-hairy-wet-white-crunchers. Will he ever return to his poor hungry children? Where there is milk, there is hope! (New Hampshire Great Stone Face Book Award nominee, 2015)
Friday, May 16, 2014
Book of the day 05/16/2014
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Book of the day 02/25/2014
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Messner, Kate. CAPTURE THE FLAG
Messner, Kate. CAPTURE THE FLAG New York : Scholastic, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 4.5 ISBN 0545395399 If you love a good adventure where ordinary kids like you can do amazing things, Capture the Flag is for you! Three seventh graders with nothing in common attend an event at the Smithsonian Museum where the original flag created by Betsey Ross is stolen. The next day, the same three kids are stranded in the same part of the airport after a snowstorm. They soon discover that they have more in common than they realized, particularly that they were at the Smithsonian when the flag was stolen. Figuring that the thief could be stranded at the airport with them, they launch an investigation to “capture the flag” before it becomes lost forever. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2014)
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Book of the day 02/09/2014
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Barrow, Randi. SAVING ZASHA Scholastic 2011 World War II is over and Russia does not want anything to do with Germany, a country that attacked them so brutally.. Mikhail, a 13 year old boy from Russia, finds a sick and dying man who has a German shepherd. Mikhail’s family decides to keep Zasha a secret from the rest of the townspeople and vows to hide and protect her. Mikhail discovers Zasha is pregnant. There is a man nearby who is trying to breed a Russian superdog and would love to add a German shepherd to the breed. Find out what happens to Zasha and her puppies. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2014)
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Book of the day 02/05/2014
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Stout, Glenn. SOLDIER ATHLETES
Stout, Glenn. SOLDIER ATHLETES New York : Sandpiper, 2011 IL 5-8, RL 6.7 ISBN 0547417292 Some athletes do more than just play the game and earn a paycheck. Some athletes serve their country, the United States, in times of war. Whether they served before their career, after their career, or in the middle of their sports career, these four athletes made a difference by being American Patriots first, and professional athletes second. Every one may know Ted Williams was one of the greatest hitters ever to play baseball. Did you know he also served in the Air Force? Rocky Blier played for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and also served in Viet Nam. Chicago White Sox’s Carlos May and Arizona Cardinal’s Pat Tillman also served their country. Find out more about these soldier athletes in the informational text. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2014)
Sunday, February 2, 2014
Book of the day 02/02/2014
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Singer, Marilyn. MIRROR, MIRROR : A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE
Singer, Marilyn. MIRROR, MIRROR : A BOOK OF REVERSIBLE VERSE New York : Dutton Children's Books, 2010 IL 3-6, RL 4.1 ISBN 0525479015 The first poem in this book will challenge your thinking: “Who says it’s true—down is the only view? If you believe that, this poem will challenge you. Up is something new.” Want to try it? Read the poem in reverse, a method that author Marilyn Singer made up. “Something new is up. You will challenge this poem if you believe that the only view is down. It’s true, Says who?” Each of the poems in this book is based on a fairy tale, and tells both sides of the story. After your read the poems, you will want to try reverso yourself. (Review by Sue Dahlstrom, Wayne Elementary School) (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2014)
Wednesday, January 22, 2014
Book of the day 01/22/2014
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Scattergood, Augusta. GLORY BE
Scattergood, Augusta. GLORY BE New York : Scholastic Press, 2012 IL 3-6, RL 4.3 ISBN 0545331803 For Gloriana Hemphill (Glory for short) summer means her Fourth of July birthday at the Hanging Moss Pool. But the summer she’s turns twelve, the town council closes the pool to fix a (imaginary) crack in the bottom. The winds of change have blown into Hanging Moss, Mississippi that summer of 1964. There is turmoil in the town when some folks from up north arrive to help get the black folks registered to vote, and integrate the community pool. Glory doesn’t see what the big fuss is all about, and just wants the pool to be opened. It doesn’t take long for her to realize that there are injustices that need to be addressed.. She writes a letter to the town paper, but not everyone wants to hear what Glory has to say about Independence Day and the direction things have started to take in her town. In her own way, she’s growing up, and taking a stand. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2014)
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Book of the day 01/21/2014
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Nivola, Claire A. LIFE IN THE OCEAN : THE STORY OF OCEANOGRAPHER SYLVIA EARLE
Nivola, Claire A. LIFE IN THE OCEAN : THE STORY OF OCEANOGRAPHER SYLVIA EARLE New York : Farrar Straus Giroux, 2012 IL K-3, RL 5.0 ISBN 0374380686 If you are dazzled by the sea, you will love this beautiful biography of Sylvia Earle, an oceanographer who designed vehicles for deep sea exploration, set diving depth records, swam with whales and even lived underwater for two weeks! As a child, Sylvia was enchanted by the natural world. The illustrations bring that world to life with detailed pictures filled with different species of mammals, birds, insects and fish. It is exciting to see the ocean through Sylvia’s eyes and to learn more about ocean life along the way. (Pennsylvania Young Reader's Choice Award nominee, 2014)