Clancy with the Puck by Chris Mizzoni February 1, 2010

Clancy with the Puck by Chris Mizzoni

Canadian kids love books about ice hockey, and Clancy with the Puck is a favourite of many of my students. Mizzoni’s picture book tells the story of Clancy Cooke, a player who had been watched from a very young age, and who, ‘once he’d scored, (would) stop to flirt and brush his flowing curls’. Clancy is  traded to the Hogtown Maple Buds, a ‘sorry desperate team’. Of course, Clancy revolutionizes the Maple Buds, and scores the goal that gets them into the play-offs.  However, in their Stanley Cup final game, Clancy fails to score a vital penalty, and finds his star diminished. As the book concludes, we find Clancy still at the rink, but he is no longer the star of the team; now, he drives the Zamboni.

I like this picture book because it doesn’t have the happy ending one would expect. Students are always surprised that Clancy doesn’t score the winning goal, and that he is not the hero at the end. We often discuss whether or not Clancy is happy in his new role as the driver of the Zamboni (my students tend to think he is), and whether fame and fortune, and the associated expectations, can be difficult to deal with. I recommend this picture book for older elementary students, particularly for those who are obsessed with sports.

Other picture books focusing on ice hockey include The Farm Team by Linda Bailey, The F Team by Anne Laurel Carter, Where’s my Hockey Sweater by Gilles Tibo and, of course, the much-loved Canadian classic by Roch Carrier: The Hockey Sweater.

Love That Dog! Love That Book! December 9, 2009

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

Sharon Creech is a terrific writer. No doubt about it. The cover of Love That Dog drew me right in, but when I opened it up and saw that the entire thing was written in free verse, I admit that I was disappointed. I know I should enjoy poetry, but sometimes I just don’t get it, so I shy away from it. But this week I made a major poetry breakthrough! We had Poem in Your Pocket day on Thursday and I loooooved reading fun poetry to classes. Then I read Love That Dog and I did love that dog! So now I’m hip on poetry.

Love That Dog is about a boy named Jack who is writing in a journal for school. He starts out saying that he doesn’t want to write poetry; poetry is for girls. Pretty quickly he writes poems and feels proud when they get put on the bulletin board. Meanwhile he’s reluctant to write about a dog he once had. He eventually writes about his dog and that part gave me actual goosebumps.

What I enjoyed most about the book is that I got an excellent story in such a quick read – I finished it in 20 minutes! Because it is written in prose, every word is valuable. The story never drags. I was pleasantly surprised that I got to know a likeable character and followed him through his school year. It was a fun, thought provoking, emotional read that I think kids will relate to.

Now I want to read Hate The Cat (more about Jack?) and Heartbeat, both my Creech, both written in poetry form.

Time Soldiers November 23, 2009

Robert Gould’s Time Soldiers

Kids in camouflage clothing ready to save the day + A huge T-Rex invading a city = Smashing Success!

So, I have this one class this year that is, shall I say, um…a wee bit challenging. They come to me the last period of the day, and the books that are deep and beautiful and inspire all sorts of discussions simply do–not–appeal to them at this point in the year (I do have faith that they will one day hang on every word of Cynthia Rylant’s work). I believe strongly in going to where the kids are, and so last week, I brought out a new series I ordered called Time Soldiers.

Let’s just say that got their attention. It’s a pretty gripping series, and the kids in the story are portrayed with real photographs, as well as the T-Rex photo that is superimposed on the pages. The T-Rex goes around destroying things in the city, and the kids get to be the heroes. Action-packed and at a lower reading level, this series is a huge hit in our library. There is also another book about King Arthur as well. A definite must for reluctant readers and fans of adventure books.

No Talking November 21, 2009

No Talking by Andrew Clements

I’m embarrassed to say that this is the first book by Andrew Clements I’ve read. I’ve always been intrigued by Frindle, but never got around to it. My excuse is that I’ve been working more with secondary students and spent a lot of time reading books that I could recommend to them. That and there are just so many great books to choose from. Now that I’ve read No Talking, I’m definitely going to put Frindle at the top of my list.

I think finding a read aloud for upper elementary is a difficult task. Teachers make a huge commitment of time and have to hope that it holds the students’ attention. There’s nothing worse than a book that’s dragging on and you’re too far in to stop. I think No Talking would make a perfect read aloud. In fact, I quickly finished it yesterday at my desk so that I could give it to a 3rd grade teacher.

The premise is a simple one – a group of boisterous 5th graders have a 48 hour no-talking contest – boys vs. the girls, of course! They establish rules, such as they can answer an adult, but can only use 3 words at a time. They keep track of infractions and tally up the points. The contest has unpredicted effects on the 5th graders and the entire school. What started out as a dare has turned into a learning experience beyond everyone’s expectations.

I really liked this book for the usual reasons – realistic characters, situations that students can relate to, etc. – and also because it doesn’t deal with any sensitive topics. I’m not saying that addiction, death and other sensitive issues shouldn’t be in children’s books, but sometimes teachers don’t want to deal with those issues in a read aloud. Understandable. This book doesn’t have any sensitive topics, but it’s not fluff. The book starts out light and fun – Who’s going to win? How will they get through Language Arts class while only saying 3 words at a time? Then things go deeper. Dave and Lynsey, the two chatterboxes that started the contest, start to realize things about themselves. Adults have very strong reactions to the children’s silence and make assumptions that aren’t accurate and even take very drastic actions. I think this book would create rich conversations in upper elementary classrooms.

It makes you think.

Boxes for Katje October 27, 2009

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. Based on a true story, Boxes for Katje takes place in the mid-1940′s in Holland, where many people were near-starving. Various organizations in the U.S. asked people to send care packages to families in Holland, and Candace Fleming’s mother did just that. Her box arrived at the home of a girl named Katje, and so begins 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 Americans who sent provisions. I loved this book for its warmth and sincerity and feeling of hope during a bleak time in history. 5 stars!

Would also pair nicely with another World War II book called Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot by Margot Theis Raven.

Greetings From Nowhere October 11, 2009

Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O’Connor

 

I’ve read rave reviews about this book in the blogosphere, and a copy for our library is on order. But last Friday, I spied it in the new book section of the middle school library. Let’s just say I was a quarter of the way through the book with a Starbucks in hand a mere 20 minutes after school ended. It is everything (and more!) I had hoped it would be–a novel about a group of kids and one adult, all living separate lives but all seeking something and suffering some measure of loneliness, who come together and take away some of that loneliness. It was just magical, and so beautifully crafted that it’s screaming to be read by as many  5th graders or middle schoolers as possible. The wealth of rich characters and Barbara O’Connor’s use of language and repetition make it my new favorite realistic fiction.

An added bonus is this Presentation Zen-like book trailer. I read on one blog that after you read the book, you will agree that the trailer captures the essence of the story perfectly. So true. Watching it now makes me want to read the book all over again.

Silly Stuff for Older Kids October 6, 2009

I’m a ham. I love to make people laugh. It’s a complete rush to be in a group, crack a one-liner and hear the laughter wash over you. So this post is about funny picture books for upper elementary kids. Actually, the first 2 titles below appeal to younger kids, too, but they are those rare funny picture books that get the 4th and 5th graders howling! If anyone has other suggestions for the upper kids, please let me know. I could always use more  material for that audience!

The first title I recommend is Dog Breath by Dav Pilkey of Captain Underpants fame. Hally has unbelievable bad breath. The Tosis family doesn’t know what to do. (Get it? Hally Tosis! The kids won’t get that part without explanation, but it’s nice to have some adult humor thrown in there!) The kids try everything, including going to a breathless sunset, but nothing works. Then one night something unexpected happens which makes Hally the town hero. Woo-hoo! Go Hally! The story is funny, the pictures are silly, the kids will eat it up!

Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin is another silly story. Worm is your typical, garden variety worm – he goes to school, hangs out with his friend Spider, has dreams and desires that include becoming a Secret Service Agent. The illustrations by Harry Bliss (I like to call him Harry Happy!) are perfect. If you read this one, you’ll have to remove the cover so you can show the kids the photos and keepsakes underneath, including Worm’s report card – he got an A in Dirt! This is a kid crowd-pleaser. Cronin also wrote Diary of a Spider. Unfortunately it’s not nearly as funny as a read aloud. Not sure why. It just doesn’t get them giggling like Diary of a Worm. I’ve ordered Diary of a Fly for next year. Hopefully it’s a zinger!

Jon Scieszka is another upper elementary school favorite. The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales doesn’t disappoint! Lane Smith’s crazy illustrations add to the silliness and frenetic feel of this book. Kids crack up at the zany spoofs of classic fairy tales, such as Little Red Riding Shorts, Little Red Hen and, of course, The Stinky Cheese Man. (Who wants to chase something made of smelly cheese?!?) This book is good to use when teaching parts of the book because every part of the book is brought under scrutiny, even the ISBN! Also try The True Story of the Three Little Pigs; Science Verse; and  Math Curse all by the same team.

Magyk is Magic! September 30, 2009

I’ve always been intrigued by the cover of Magyk by Angie Sage, but, I’ll be shamefully honest here, the length of the book has been a turn off. I love to read, but I’m like a kid – thick books intimidate me! A fifth grade girl recommended Magyk to me a couple weeks ago, so I finally read it and boy am I glad I did. The first chapter hooks you right in and the action never stops.

The story is about Septimus Heap – the 7th son of the 7th son in a family of wizards. A midwife declares Septimus dead when he is only hours old and whisks him away. Meanwhile, Silas Heap (the father of Septimus) finds an infant baby girl in the snow and brings her home. They mourn the loss of their son and raise the girl as their own. But what really happened to Septimus and who is the girl they now call Jenna? The story is a magykal journey of good versus evil. When you reach the end, all the way down on page 608, you’ll be happy to find out there are 4 more books in the series: Flyte, Physik, Queste, Syren.

-by Colleen Williams

The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle September 29, 2009

The Transmogrification of Roscoe Wizzle by David Elliot

The cover of this book has been grabbing my attention for some time now, as well as the pretty weird title. It was a fantastic read–jam packed with  twists and turns, mystery, humor and such a great example of a deep friendship between a boy and a girl. Roscoe Wizzle finds himself turning into a bug and doesn’t know what to do about it! Plus three other kids from the same town have disappeared right at the same time he starts to look like a bug. Are the two things related? And why on earth would a kid turn into an insect? Check it out to find out what happens in this fun read. My favorite part was finding out that fast food plays the role as one of the evil villian in this great book. Good for upper grades and a mystery readaloud.