Good+Reads

To faciltate the collaborative work of coming up with newer titles for book groups, I set up a wiki for our L.A. coordinator, grade 4 - 5 teachers and myself (www.gesbookchat.wikispaces.com). I wanted to share some of the good reads I've read this summer, that may be of interest to your teachers as well. Meg

Zen and the Art of Faking It
by Jordan Sonnenblick San Lee is trying to re-invent himself to fit into his 3rd (or is it 4th?) school. Mom's brought them to Nowheresville, PA, and here they have no $$, none of their material possessions(all sold for dad's high-priced lawyers) but also, no history. When San accidentally falls into the role of Zen Master, he doesn't discourage beleivers. It's not until Woody (as in Woody Guthrie) befriends him that San realizes faking it may not be the best way to go. //Good realistic fiction read, nice to have a boy main character struggling with fitting in for a change. With the little bit of romance, better for upper 4th and 5th graders// Meg

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School and Other Scary Things
By Leone Look Illustrated by LeUyen Pham Swartz and Wade(R.H.) 2008 Alvin Ho is afraid...of almost everything remotely fearsome. Thunder, girls, elevators, wasabi, but mostly school. Before school, Alvin was a //SUPERHERO// (Firecracker Man). When he walks into schools he can't think, can't sing, he can't even talk. He's NEVER said one word at school. This makes it hard to make friends. Fortunately, Flea (aka Sophie) has been Alvin's friend (and spokesperson) since kindergarten. Now they're in 2nd grade, and Flea still stands up, speakesup and sometimes stand UP to Alvin (did I mention Flea is part pirate, with an eye-patch, peg leg and everything..making her much less scary than a real girl). Alvin has some scary things to face and figure out. Like how important is it REALLy to make friends with the biggest (loudest, bossiest) boy in class, and what does it mean to be a true gentleman. //Alvin is surrounded by realistic sibs, loving parents and grandparents, even his teachers are cast in a positive light! he has problems to face (and resolve) some fears to face, and apologoes to make. I also like the fact he has a problem we see, selective mutism. Quick read with wonderfully expressive and funny illustrations throughout. Good for 3 - 5 th (especially struggling 5th).// Meg =Funeral Director's Son= by Coleen Paratore Simon and Schuster 2008

Small town Clover has always had it's own funeral home, passed down through the men of the Campbell family. Kip Campbell is next in line to be the Funeral director of Campbell and Sons, but he's not interested in following family tradition. He's got his own job. He's got a gift. He can hear the dead's deepest desires, wishes that keep some of them bound to earth. Kip's job is to help them move on to the other side. Kip just wants a normal life, summer camp with his pals (and the money to afford it). Recently deceased Billy Blye was a tough cookie, but if Kip can help HIM move on, perhaps his deepest desires will come true too. //Part mystery, part coming of age tale. Quick, fast paced read. Believable friendships, ghosts, and pre-adolescent angst, this has it all! Meg//

Along Came Spider
James Preller Scholastic, Inc. 2008

Up until 5th grade, it was just Trey and Spider, best of friends, next door neighbors. It had been that way since second grade, and it worked, for both of them. But it's fifth grade now, and Spider's becoming aware that Trey's "uniqueness" really stands out. Especially when Ryan notices it, Ryan-the-jock, Ryan-the-big-mouth. What //do// you do when your best friend is autistic or just stands out as a true individual? //Great discussion starter// //about friendship. Real issues, realistic resolutions (no fairy tale ending here).// Meg

Sunny Holiday
By Coleen M. Paratore Scholastic 2009

Sunny's name fits. She has a sunny disposition, even in the face of poverty, prejudice and family hardship. Sunny sees the good in almost any situation. Sunny and her mom are writing a book about all the things they love, that are //free//, at least 365 of them. Sunny comes up with 10 things everynight, to be grateful for, even if it takes her some deep thought to find them. Every month ahe and her best friend, their mothers, and mother's friends have a vacation-location dance party (in their apartment in the projetcs). The local dollar store really helps create the locale, music, dancing and fun sets the mood. And, as she waits for her Dad to come home from jail, her mom to finally get off work to come to a school function, her neighboorhood to get a much promised playground and repaired pool, Sunny's making sure every mont has a fun holiday to cheer everybody up! //A wonderfully warm, upbeat and hopeful character. Set in a thinly veiled Troy and other capital region locales. May soon be a multi-part series from Scholastic.Good for most of our 4th - 5th graders//, //high 3rd.// Meg

=The Penderwicks on Gardam Street= by Jeanne Birdsall A. Knopf 2008 In this second story of the Penderwick girls, we re-visit them back on their own territory, the idyllic Gardam Street. Mother has been gone for four years, so Aunt Claire has lowered the boom with Father. It's time to date again. Problems abound, as the four sisters deal with keeping Father out of the dating pool, neighborhood boys, little Batty's extreme curiosity, and Skye and Jane swapping homework (to great success and trauma). These books create a warm and supportive world (it almost has a Rebbecca of Sunnybrook Farm feel). It's got a timeless quality, with very strong familial and neighborhood relationships. Meg

=Schooled= by Gordon Korman Hyperion. 2007 For ages 9 - 12 call # FIC KOR What if? What if an alien dropped out of the sky, into a suburban middle school? What would the "natives" think of the alien? What would the alien think of THEM and their school, clothes...and values ? That's almost what happens. Cap is a 13 year old, raised in total isolation at an "alternate farm commune" that has dwindled to 2 members, Cap and his grandmother, Rain. When she's hospitalized, Cap is taken in by a social worker and sent—like an alien from outer space—to middle school. He's never watched t.v., spent money, gone to a dance..he's a babe in the woods. Quickly, he becomes the butt of jokes. His reaction, borne of his innocence and innate kindness, eventually opens the eyes of those around him. Each chapter comes from a different point of view, including Cap, his nasty teen "foster" sister, the big man on campus, the guy who WOULD have been the victim before Cap came along, and others, giving you the many different ways the same events can be perceived by others. There's humor, kindness, and a chance for a serious chat about peer pressure and the high cost of conformity. It reminded me of Star Girl. While set in middle school, there's no sex and no cursing! (I have a middle school student..that's a a bit of a Fantasy!). Good read.. Meg

=**Naked-Mole Rat Letters**=

Mary Amato Holiday House, 2007 Told via emails and dairy entries, we meet Frankie, the oldest daughter of a widowed father. When Frankie innocently intercepts an email from "Ratlady" to her dad, she freaks. Totally out of character, Frankie begins an email exchange discouraging Ratlady (Alyssa- the naked-molerat keeper from the National Zoo) from pursuing a relationship with her dad. Between worries about her dad dating again, Frankie's totally responsible for her little brothers after school, is trying out for the school play (of course she should get the lead), curious about the local "bad boy", and on the outs with her best friend. It takes a near tragedy to sort things out, but Frankie figures things out with her dad's help (and a little from the Ratlady, too). Interesting format, accessible, as it can be read in pieces. The tiniest bit of romance (a kiss). Many problems resolved, and character growth/change is evident. Some of our older fifth graders loved it (we borrowed it from FMS, bought a copy for GES). Meg

=Peter and the Secret of Rundoon= Dave Barry and Ridley Peterson Hyperion/Disney Editions 2007 In the conclusion of the Starcatchers trilogy, (a prequel to Barrie's Peter Pan) Peter and Molly find themselves in Rundoon, their original destination when first they met. Ruled by the truly evil king Zarboff, pawn of Lord Ombra and the real forces of darkness, Peter, Molly, George Banks and fellow travelers must thwart Ombra's plans to end starstuff, blot out the light, and end all we know. At the same time, Mollusk Island (think Neverland) must too be protected from the forces of evil, in the form of the poison-loving blood thirsty Scorpions. //This wonderful wild ride, with it's short chapters, tons of action, and lovable (and familiar) characters, brings us background of the flying boy from Peter Pan Mythology. Great read for our fantasy loving 4th and 5th grade guys (though I'm a girl and I love it too!).// Meg

**42 Miles**
Tracie Vaughn Zimmer Clarion Books 2008 It's just 42 miles between JoEllen's 2 houses. She's Ellen in Cincinnati, living with Mom, playing sax, hanging with girl friends, going to Red's games. In the county, she's Joey, helping with the farm, hanging out with her cousin Hayden, riding horses. This birthday, things will be different. She wants to be JoEllen, wants to get ALL her friends together, share the city with her country cousin, share life in the country with her city friends. Will Mom and Dad, as far apart as you can get, get in her way of getting her life together? //Linked free verse - accessible to many readers. Great poetry, good characters. Character development, change.//

Brendan Buckley's Universe: and Everything in It
Sundee Frazier Delacorte 2007 Brendan is 10, a scientist, almost a purple belt in Tae Kwon Do and totally curious about //everything//. Like, //what is dust, really? What's in a black hole, and I black or white (both-neither) and why have I never met my grandfather?// When Brendan meets his maternal grandfather accidentally (he's a scientist too!) it sets off a series of events that help Brendan answer some of these questions for hmself. //Great characters, good development and change, strong relationships, prejudice issues, and it's a mystery of sorts. Brendan is a serious journal keeper too. NOTE: One peeing in the bottle experiment (who's bladder is bigger- boys will love it!).// Meg

**Eleven by Patricia Reilly Giff**
Wendy Lamb Books, January, 2008 Sam struggles with reading. He just can't decipher the squiggles and shapes on the page. As he nears his eleventh birthday, he's drawn to a mysterious box in the attic. What does the newspaper clipping in it say? There's a picture of Sam as a toddler, and he thinks the headline might say "Missing". Yes, his is an unusual family. It's Sam, his grandfather Mack, and his two loving neighbors. It's different, but it's all he knows, and he's happy. What if he doesn't belong here with Mack? If not, where does he belong? He needs help reading the clipping, and it might come from the new girl Caroline. She loves to read, and they've been assigned to a model project together. Here is where Sam's talents shine. He is a born woodworker, and, as he and Caroline build a strangely familiar castle for school, they become friends. Caroline helps Sam investigate his past, which leads them to The Thousand Islands, Heart Island and Bolt Castle, and the answer to where Sam belongs. //Good mystery, accessible characters, realistic relationships, interesting setting (almost local). A definite possibility for multiple copies or book club book.// Meg

By Gary D. Schmidt Clarion. 2007
call # FIC SCH

=
This wonderful coming of age story stars Holling Hoodhood..(I'm not kidding). It's 1967, and Holling is the ONLY student left in Mrs. Baker's class on Wednesday afternoons. The others are all at Hebrew School or Religious ed. He's Presbyterian (no religious ed. for him!). He's sure she hates him. He's REALLY sure when she assigns him Shakespeare. After reading //The Tempest//..he can't believe they let him read this stuff! Theres' murder, mayhem, violence..a good story, it's great!======

=
Hollings is growing up watching the world around him, Viet Nam and Walter Cronkite on the tv at night, conflict between his strapped-down business man dad and his anti-war sister, having to wear //tights// in the Shakespeare play he HAS to do (it's a long story involving cream puffs and death threats). How can a kid get by with out getting in major trouble?======

=
//This was a book I was sad to leave. I sniffled at the end, not because it was sad, but because it was SO good. While Hollings is in 7th grade (and has a friend who's a girl that becomes sort of a girl friend) it's totally appropriate for grades 4 (closer to April) - 5.//====== Meg

=**Lawn Boy**= by GaryPaulsen Wendy Lamb Books. 2007 call# FIC Pau Economics, great characters, easily seen problem/solution, accessible (and a quick read!).. Who could ask for more! He's twelve, and broke. The surprise gift of an old riding mower has VERY unexpected results. Money..lots of it. Neighbors line up to have their lawns mowed, and the profit from that leads to employees, investment opportunities, stocks, bonds, ..and a very loyal prizefighter. //Great tie in for the fifth grade economics unit, or as a book club book. Meg//

WHAT I CALL LIFE
by Jill Wolfson Henry Holt and Co. 2005 Ages 10 and up When Cal Lavender's mom "has an episode" at the local library, she's placed in a foster care home run by "the Knitting Lady". There, she's expected to live with 5 other girls. She's sure she has NOTHING in common with them. SHE's just taking a quick detour, sure she's soon to return to "what she calls life". Meanwhile, she must learn to cope in a new way. She's always been the grown up, her mom the one needing the direction. Learning to be a kid, realizing grown ups can be helpers and teachers, is a new experience for Cal. Finding out it's okay to be "in the now", and that she can depend on others, are all lessons Cal learns in the course of this story. Cal is a strong, well written character. Each girl in the home is unique, as well as the adults in the story (a nice change to see intelligent adults with great insights to share!). //**Heads up**..the knitting lady uses the phrase "bitch and stich" to describe a complaint session where knitting can help when Cal is upset. 4th and up through Middle School// Meg

**London Eye Mystery**
by Siobhan Dowd Ages 12 up This is an intriguing mystery with lots of twists and turns! Ted and his sister, Kat, take their visiting cousin, Salim, to the London Eye, the tallest Ferris Wheel in Europe. A gentleman approaches them and, because he is claustrophic, says he doesn’t want to use his ticket. Ted and Kat give it to Salim, who is on his way to live in NYC and will probably not get a chance to ride it anytime soon again. After half an hr., the pod that Salim got on returns to earth…but not with Salim! Days go by and there is still no word of Salim’s disappearance. Ken who narrates the story and his sister, Kat, go on a desperate hunt to try to find their cousin. Despite their differences (Ted could have an Asperger’s type brain and Kat can be overbearing and bossy), they manage to follow clues all over London in an attempt to help the authorities in their search. Mystery lovers will delight in following the clues and how Ted uses his very analytical brain to discover them! //This would be a good 5th grade and up mystery. It would be an interesting read and companion piece for those who've read A Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night.// Sheila Di Maggio, FMS librarian

=Fire Girl= by Tony Abbott Little, Brown 2006 Tom Bender's predictable school year is shaken up when Jessica Feeny arrives. Cruelly labelled "Fire Girl" by Tom's only friend Jeff, Jessica is temporarily enrolled at St. Catherine's school while she's being treated at a local hospital for horrendous burns over her entire body. Before Jessica's arrival, Tom navigated his friendship with Jeff, while he secretly imagined ways to attract the attention of class beauty Courtney Zisky. Now, he wrestles between the aversion he feels toward the hideously disfigured Jessica and the compassion he feels for a fellow "loser". //A short coming of age story story of acceptance. For our upper fifth grade readers and middle schoolers// Meg @ GES = = =Love, StarGirl= by Jerry Spinelli Knopf Books for Young Readers.2007 FIC SPI The sequel to Stargirl (required reading text at FMS in grade 6) picks up where it left off. Stargirl now lives in Pennsylvania, far from Arizona and the boy Leo she can't forget. Stargirl is a true nonconformist, and finds joy in the many unusual people she meets. //Strong characters, wonderful sense of community.// Meg @GES

Bird Lake Moon
By Kevin Henkes Greenwillow 2008 12 year-old Mitch is spending long, lonely days at his grandparents' lakeside home, brooding about his parents' impending divorce and dreaming that he and his mom can move into the deserted camp next door. When the "intruders" (the rightful owners of the camp) arrive, Mitch plans to scare them away by causing them to think the house is haunted. What Mitch can't know is that the newcomers are haunted already, by the drowning of a child in the lake eight years ago. Mitch befriends 10-year-old Spencer, the elder of the surviving children, and as trust builds, the boys risk exchanging family secrets. Henkes alternates between Mitch's and Spencer's points of view and creates a peaceful lake-side setting for the boys' to come to an understanding of their loss, and then to express, via believable dialogue and ordinary experiences, their growing acceptance of what cannot be changed. //A quiet, character driven tale (and not the ghost, adventure, or fast action tale some reviews imply). Meg//