Willow February 9, 2010

Willow by Denise Brennan-Nelson

Willow is an artist trapped in the art class of a stern, uncreative art teacher. When all the other kids draw the perfect apple tree (that all look exactly the same!), Willow creates blue apples and gets in trouble.

A sweet tale of being true and funky and artistic, Willow wins over the heart of her art teacher and gets her back in touch with her true artist self. 1st and 2nd graders just loved this book, and we had such great discussions about why Miss Hawthorn acted the way she did, as well as how on earth could there be a blue apple?!? The cherry on top was the website all about Willow found here. We drew our own apple trees and even sent the author a question via email. One more thing–perfect for any character unit, especially ones where the character changes.

Scaredy Squirrel November 30, 2009

Scaredy Squirrel by Melanie Watt

 

Truly one of my favorite new characters living in the library (do I say that too much?!), Scaredy Squirrel is wonderful on many levels. First off, it’s HILARIOUS in that Scaredy Squirrel is petrified of the ‘unknown,’ which means anything outside of his nut tree. He prepares himself for the worst always, and has a plan A and plan B and even a plan C in case of emergency. His fears are mostly ridiculous but help kids feel ok about their fears, I think. Melanie Watt’s illustrations are key and perfect for teaching procedural writing as well. It’s also on Tumblebooks, so that is a good introduction to the character. When I read one of the sequels today, Scaredy Squirrel Finds a Friend, with the 2nd graders, we all were howling with laughter.

 

A sneak peek at the wonderful illustrations and some of Scaredy Squirrel’s fears…see what I mean?

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.