Books To Love

Chris Van Allsburg

2008-05-22T19:14:00.004-06:00

Chris Van Allsburg is another one of my favorite authors. Most people have heard of Polar Express, Jumanji, and Zathura. Chris Van Allsburg has written all of these books, but some of his other books (in my opinion) are even better! All of his books are beautifully illustrated. I went to his website and learned that he was trained in sculpture and that is why his pictures stand out, almost like they will jump off the page! Each story has a really unexpected twist.

This is a great book to enjoy for yourself, and it makes a great read aloud for a younger brother and sister (They may not get the twists, but YOU will!)

If you have a chance, check out his very cool website www.chrisvanallsburg.com

Calling all Readers!

2008-04-08T16:56:00.003-06:00

I've been listening to many of my students talking about the books they enjoy. Now is your chance to recommend a book you love! If you've recently read a great book and would like to tell others about it, let me know! I'll publish your picture and recommendation on my blog. I'll need to know the title, author, a little about the book and why you recommend it.

Books of Ember

2008-04-08T13:56:00.005-06:00

I love a series. There's something great about getting to the end of something and knowing that there's more coming. I have my own favorite T.V. series and I hate when May comes because there is always a cliffhanger and I have to wait until fall to find out what happens.

I also love series of books. What a comfort it is to know that once I've finished one fantastic book, there's another by the same author waiting for me.

I was introduced to the Books of Ember by Mrs. Steadman, our 6th grade language arts teacher.

The first book, "City of Ember" follows two main characters, Lina and Doon in their town of Ember. The town of Ember is different from other towns. Students stop school at age 12 and begin work. There are no telephones, no trees, no birds, and no SUN. The people of Ember don't even know what these things are. I wondered if they are living on another planet or some strange place on earth? They are a community created by people called "The builders". Given that they have no sun, the people of Ember rely upon a generator for their light, but the generator is shutting down and supplies are running out. The town of Ember is headed for DISASTER!

This is a great books for grades 5 and up. I certainly enjoyed it and I look forward to the next few books in the series!

Cookbooks

2008-01-07T13:26:00.000-06:00

It's important to read all sorts of books from all different genres. One of my favorite non-fiction books are COOKBOOKS. I do a lot of cooking, I don't even usually use recipes, but I love to read recipes. I love to read how a chef came up with their ideas. Sometimes cookbooks include stories of families eating special meals together. The cookbooks I choose usually have beautiful pictures in them as well. This cookbook is the one I've purchased most recently. It has great menus and food items. I also love the stories she tells and the beautiful pictures. If you're in the mood to read something a little different, why not a cookbook? Bon Apetit!

The Nightmare Hour

2008-01-07T12:56:00.000-06:00

If you're in the mood for a little mystery and a little scare, I've got a great book for you. Nightmare Hour by R.L. Stine. This is a great book if you're in the mood for a quick read because each chapter is actually a short story. Perfect amount to read just before bed . . . or maybe not . . . My favorite story is "I'm not Martin" It's about a little boy going into the hospital for a quick surgery and ends up facing his own nightmare!

I would recommend this book for 5th grade and up. The stories can be really scary so proceed with caution!!

Guest Blogger-Shawn (The Knights of the Kitchen Table-Jon Scieszka)

2007-03-04T07:02:00.000-06:00

This book is about 3 boys who get a magic book and when they open it, it takes them back in time to when the knights were alive. And when they were there they ran into the "Black Knight" and he wanted to kill them and when he came running after them, they split up and again and again and at the last time the knight fell and the knights of the kitchen table saw and the boys were made NEW knights of the kitchen table. Then they were teahing them what T.V. was and all those things and the next day a big giant and a dragon came and started fighting and they kind of broke a little part of the castle, but they both died and the day after that they finally got their armor and their swords. But then, one of them realized that they aren't good knights after all and then they had a talk and they all decided to go back home. But they didn't know how to so they asked the knights how to but they didn't know. So they told them to go to the wizard and they did and he told them to say a spell and they did and it took them right back home and when they were there they thought that they were gone for a long time, but the mom was still getting them the ice cream that they asked for right before they opened the book. And that is how the book "The Knights of the Kitchen Table" is about. If you like to read back in time books you would like the series the Time Warp Trio. The End.

Guest Blogger

2007-02-21T11:14:00.000-06:00

Weird Stories From The Lonesome Café!!!
By: Judy Cox

If you love to laugh while you are reading, then this is a book for you! In this story, a boy goes to work for his uncle because his parents go on vacation. While they are working at his little café many strange things happen. One weird thing that happens that day is a big very hairy man walked in with no shoes and ordered very large amounts of food. Then a newscast walked in and said they were looking for a big hairy man. The tall hairy man ran to the back during that time many people come in the café. That is all! You should read the rest to find out what happens next!
By Marissa

The Tale of Despereaux

2007-02-21T10:53:00.000-06:00

I just finished reading an amazing book called The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This book is mainly about a mouse falling in love with a princess and the king dislikes mice and rats. The king hates rats because a rat killed the king’s wife. I recommend this book because it has great details such as in the text it stated that the rat was skinny and showed his ribs. If you like reading adventure books and like to laugh you should read The Tale of Despereaux! By Tommy

Editors Note: The Tale of Despereaux is the 2004 Newberry Award Winner. The author, Kate DiCamillo also wrote Because of Winn-Dixie, another favorite of students.

Book for Parents

2007-02-20T09:07:00.000-06:00

To parents and teachers . . . I have a book for grown-ups! Do you ever get stuck reading one type of genre? I always get stuck in the contemporary realistic fiction genre. I like to read about characters that live a life similar to mine. But there is something valuable to reading about different people or different times. I was able to stretch my horizons when I read the book Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. This book is a mix between fiction and non-fiction, although the majority of it is non-fiction. The book follows the lives of two real men during the World's Fair (The Colombian Exposition) in 1893. The first man introduced in the book is Daniel Burnham a famous architect who devised the plans for much of the World's Fair. The book follows his heartaches and triumphs as he creates the amazing fair. The second man introduced is Dr. H.H. Holmes. Dr. Holmes is a serial killer who uses his knowledge and abilities to take advantage of innocent victims. The book follows these two men as the amazing World's Fair comes to exist. The author created this book by researching endlessly and putting together court documents. This is a non-fiction book you won't be able to put down!

Check out this website for more information on the book!
http://www.randomhouse.com/crown/devilinthewhitecity/home.html

Newberry Award Winning Books

2007-02-15T10:25:00.000-06:00

What do you do if you ever run out of ideas for a book to read? I always check the Newberry Awards List. They have recently added the newest Newberry winner and honor books for 2007 and they look fantastic. The Newberry Award was created in 1921 as the first award for children's books. The creators wanted to acknowledge and encourage creativity in children's literature. Some of my very favorite books have been Newberry Award or Newberry Honor books. Take a look at the list and find something you'll love!

To identify a Newberry book, look for the silver seal pictured above
To find out more about the Newberry Award, click here:
www.ala.org/ala/alsc/awardsscholarships/literaryawds/newberymedal/aboutnewbery/aboutnewbery.htm

A Pizza the Size of the Sun

2007-02-15T09:27:00.000-06:00

"I'm ceiling fad!" a money boned.
"Alas!" a carrot pride
"I'm wheeling feared!" a cork stalled out
"I'm fine!" a loafer guide.
The mammals coned, the ribbons gasped
the slats declined to beep,
the sows were truly column,
and the woes prepared to creep.

Can you make sense of this poem "I'm Ceiling Fad!" A Money Boned by Jack Prelutsky? I think I've made some sense of it after some thinking, and a lot of laughing! Jack Prelutsky is one of my favorite humor poets. His poems are each cute, original, and guaranteed to make you laugh. I love this book as an adult, but I know students of all ages would enjoy it as well. Give this book a chance, I know you'll love it!! Also, visit Jack Prelutsky's website. It is hilarious and full of fun ideas.

www.jackprelutsky.com

The Red Kayak

2007-02-14T11:30:00.000-06:00

On this day of LOVE, I would like to tell you about a book that I came to LOVE immediately. Every once in a while I find a book that I can't put down under any circumstances. Red Kayak this type of book for me. Red Kayak is written by Priscilla Cummings and I think it is a perfect pick for middle school readers. The book starts right in the middle of the action as the main character, Brady struggles to save the lives of two people. Later, through the twists and turns of the plot this tragic accident looks less and less like an accident and Brady is left with a difficult choice to make.

Read this book and I guarantee that you won't be able to put it down! At our school we had a chance to meet the author, Priscilla Cummings. She was a fascinating speaker who gave us a great idea of what it is like to be an author and the ways she comes up with ideas and researches. We really enjoyed meeting this wonderful author.

Also, please visit Priscilla Cummings' website. She has many other amazing books!

www.priscillacummings.com