Dear Hank Williams

I found this book while I was at our local library with my children. I was browsing, as I almost always do, the new children's and young adult section. Because my husband loves old country music, the title caught my attention. I recognized the author's name and so I picked it up and read the synopsis. I checked it out and it waited on my bedside table for a few weeks. I finally read it! This story is the story of Tate P. Ellerbee, a girl living in Rippling Creek, Louisiana with her great aunt and uncle. It is 1948 and Tate's teacher has given her class the assignment of finding and communicating with a pen pal. Tate chooses to write letters to Hank Williams, who she listens to on the radio with her aunt and uncle.  She writes to Hank Williams about school, her family, her fears, what happens during her day and what she hopes for most in this life. The book is written entirely in letters and we see the world in 1948 Louisiana through Tate's eyes. What I loved most about this book was the voice of Tate shining through these pages. There are unexpected twists, interesting characters and a lovable dog.

Clementine

When I was young, I LOVED the Ramona books written by Beverly Clearly. I recently read one of the Clementine books by Sara Pennypacker. Clementine very much reminded me of Ramona. She is smart and sassy 3rd grader, her adventures are fun to read and she is easy to relate to. In Completely Clementine, Clementine is NOT speaking to her father due to the fact that he ate a hamburger. Her mother is about to have a baby, too. She does not want summer to come because that will mean Mr. D'Matz will not be her 3rd grade teacher anymore. She doesn't want to say goodbye. How will Clementine deal with all that is changing in her life? This book reminded me of those Ramona books I loved so much as a girl.

Honey

I just read Honey by Sarah Weeks. The last book I read by Sarah Weeks was So B. It, which I LOVED. I very much enjoyed Honey as well. The main character, Melody, lives with her father in Royal, Indiana. Melody's mother died when she was a baby, so it has always been Melody and her father. When she overhears her father on the phone calling someone, "Honey," she and her best friend, Nick, try to solve the mystery and figure out who "Honey" is. In the process, Melody learns a lot about her mother, friendship and herself. There is also a sweet dog named Mo in this book.  Mo is knew to Royal, and he feels like something is missing. He keeps having these dreams of a long-haired girl he is supposed to meet. He is sure she is what is missing. Melody and Mo are in search of truths that will undoubtedly change their lives...for the better.

Capture the Flag

In this case, Capture the Flag is not a game.  It is the title of a book written by Kate Messner. The story begins at a fancy event in Washington D.C. in which the flag that inspired Francis Scott Key to write The Star-Spangled Banner is on display.  Attending this event are three middle school students; Anna is an inspiring journalist and the daughter of a U.S. senator. Jose is the son of one of the historians charged with the care and restoration of the flag. Henry is at the event with his aunt while his father is on his honeymoon with his new wife. Despite the intense security at this event and surrounding the flag, the flag is stolen that night. This quickly becomes a matter of national security and concern.  The three kids have never met...until the next day when they are all trapped at the airport because of a huge snowstorm. While the three are trapped at the airport, they have reason to believe the flag is in fact in the airport and they work together to find the flag and the people responsible for its theft, clear the names of the innocent people accused of the crime, and get home safely.

This book reminded me a lot of the movie, National Treasure...but kids are the heroes! It is part mystery, part suspense and part comedy.  AND there is a dog in the story. I would recommend this book for 4th graders on up to middle school.

Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson is the author's story of her childhood, first with her grandparents in South Carolina and then with her mother in New York.  She tells the story in beautiful verse (poetry). She writes about her siblings and the good times they share. She writes of her deep and profound love for her grandparents. She writes about her struggles with reading and her love of writing. She writes about growing up and struggles and joy and hope.  It is a beautiful story and I could not put it down.

Return of the Babysitter's Club

When I was a child, my favorite books to read were the Ramona books written by Beverly Cleary and The Babysitter's Club.  I read every book in the series.  I OWNED almost every book in the series.  I felt like I knew the characters and that they were my friends.  I loved getting the Scholastic book order forms so I could see which Babysitter's Club books were in it.  Well, imagine my surprise and JOY when I saw a prequel to the Babysitter's Club series today at the library! It is The Babysitter's Club: The Summer Before by Ann M. Martin. I stopped right in my tracks, made sure I wasn't seeing things and grabbed it to look closer.  I immediately checked it out. It was published in 2010 so I don't know WHY this is the first I have seen it! I can't wait to begin reading it.

Another similar experience I had was in college when I discovered there was a new Ramona book. I read all of the Ramona books as a child and often while I was growing up I wished there were more Ramona books to read. I learned about Ramona's World by Beverly Clearly while I was taking a children's literature class in college.  I went right to the library and checked it out and was so excited to read it!

Sometimes, even grown-ups love to revisit their favorite childhood stories. Similarly, I can't wait to read the Harry Potter books to my children when they get older so I can share the magic of those books with them.

The Great Greene Heist

The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson is a fun read I would recommend it to kids in the 5th grade and up.  Of the books I have read this year, this is one of my favorites! Jackson Greene is a middle school student who is a "reformed" schemer.  The principal has banned Jackson from having a cell phone and is keeping a VERY close eye on him due to a few incidents the year before.  Jackson is staying out of trouble... UNTIL...he finds out that Keith Sinclair, the school bully, is running for the position of student body president. Jackson's almost-girlfriend (who is no longer speaking to him), Gaby de la Cruz is running for president, and it is looking as though Keith may be "fixing" the election due to his close ties to the school principal.  Along with Gaby's brother, Charlie, Jackson puts together a team to make sure the election is done right. If he pulls it off, he could earn back Gaby's trust, make sure the school is in safe hands, AND this could go down in school history as the Great Greene Heist.

I loved reading The Great Greene Heist and I could not put it down. This is a great book to put on your summer reading list.

El Deafo

El Deafo by CeCe Bell is a graphic novel memoir about a young girl who has profound hearing loss.  A memoir is autobiographical in nature, so this book is based on the author's real life and real experiences. This is the first book I have read about a little girl growing up with hearing loss.  I could really relate to this story, because I, too, grew up with hearing loss.  While CeCe had more severe hearing loss than I do, I made so many connections--having meningitis, reading lips, how hard it was to understand teachers sometimes, feeling fearful people were going to make fun of my hearing aid or the way I talked--there is something to be said about reading a book about something you can relate to! Have you ever read a book and thought, "Hey, this is about me!" It makes for a powerful reading experience.  Isn't this what reading is about...finding books that speak to us?

CeCe is four years old when she gets very sick with meningitis (which there is an infection in the fluid of your brain--very serious).  She gets better, but she realizes she can't hear.  CeCe has profound hearing loss.  Her audiologists give her something they call a Sonic Ear.  She wears earphones and her teachers wear a microphone so she can hear what they are saying--directly into her ear.  CeCe doesn't want to wear it because she thinks it makes her different. She soon realizes, though, that her Phonic Ear gives her a great "super power"--she can hear EVERYTHING her teacher says and does.  I love how she spins this so positively; CeCe can do something other kids cannot. Mostly, CeCe is like every kid--what she wants more than anything is a best friend.  This book is about CeCe's experiences through elementary school including issues with friends, how her mom drives her a little bit crazy sometimes, her first crush and finding a true, amazing, wonderful best friend. This book is funny, touching and easy to relate to as you read it.  I would absolutely recommend this book! If you would like to borrow a copy to read, come see me.   Check out the book trailer below.

Winter Illustrated Texts

Today I chose to write about two illustrated texts I recently read that are both about winter.  I know this time of the year (February), most people are ready for winter to be OVER.  My son said to me the other day, "Mom, I am tired of winter. I want it to be summer." Many of us probably feel that way.  Truth is, winter is beautiful and lovely (even if we are ready for warmer weather).  Here are two books that celebrate winter and its beauty.  Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner begins with a young girl cross country skiing with her father.  When she notices a squirrel disappearing down into the snow, her father tells her she may be skiing over the squirrel.  A story of all the creatures who live over and under the snow unfolds.  By the way, Kate Messner has penned MANY, MANY non-fiction books worth taking a look at.  Check her out the next time you are at the library.  The next winter book is Winter Bees and Other Poems of the Cold by Joyce Sidman and Rick Allen. This book is both poetry and informative.  Each two-page spread shares a poem and an informative passage about different animals in winter.  I learned so much about these animals! The illustrations are quite lovely as well.  Both of these books teach us about what happens to many animals during winter...where they go and what they do.

Little Dog Lost

You might be able to relate to the main character in Little Dog Lost by Marion Dane Bauer.  Mark wants a dog more than anything. It's just Mark and his mother; he doesn't have a father, brothers, sisters or cousins around and he is lonely.  A dog would surely be wonderful.  However, his mother, who is the mayor of their town, keeps saying no.  Mark's friends all have dogs, and he loves playing with them, but he would really love his own dog.  One day, Mark meets Buddy, a dog who used to have her own boy.  Could she be the dog Mark needs? Could he be the kid Buddy needs?
This is a sweet story about family, friendship, loyalty, love, life in a small town, and what a kid can accomplish when he puts his mind to it.  The story is told in verse (poetry) and there are delightful illustrations by Jennifer A. Bell.  If you love dogs, or even if you don't--check out this sweet story!

I Want to Read That Book!

I have a fear.  I am afraid I will hear about a wonderful book and I will forget the title before I have a chance to write it down.  So, I keep a list of books I want to read on my iPad/phone that I can access whenever I need to.  I also keep a list of books I want to read on my Goodreads account.  How do you keep track of the books you want to read? Listed below are the latest books I have added to the list of books I want to read.  Check them out!
1. The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes
2. The Swallow by Charis Cotter (a ghost story--VERY outside of my comfort zone!)
3. The Great Greene Heist by Varian Johnson
4. The Misadventures of the Family Fletcher by Dana Alison Levy
5. El Deafo by CeCe Bell (I am most excited for this book; it is a graphic novel and tells the story of a girl who is profoundly deaf.)
Watch for some of these books to be featured in a book talk coming soon to a classroom near you!

The One and Only Ivan

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate won the Newbery Medal in 2013.  It tells the story of Ivan, a gorilla living at the Exit 8 Big Top Mall and Video Arcade.  He didn't always live there, though.  He used to live in the jungle, and then with humans in their home.  Now, he lives behind glass at the mall, though, he is not alone.  He has his friend Stella, an elderly elephant and a dog named Bob.  He watches TV and he loves to think about art and creating.  When Ruby, a baby elephant arrives at the mall, she begins to ask a lot of questions that cause Ivan to think and wonder about his home, his life and his future.  While this is a work of fiction, it is based on a true story.  Recently, Katherine Applegate wrote an illustrated non-fiction text, Ivan: The Remarkable True Story of the Shopping Mall Gorilla. This is the true story of Ivan and would be wonderful to read after you read The One and Only Ivan.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

Imagine you are ten and have never attended a school; you have been homeschooled since you were old enough to go to school.  Imagine what it might feel like to start attending school with kids you have never met before.  You might feel nervous and anxious, and you just want to fit in.  Now imagine you have dramatic facial abnormalities.  This is what happens to August Pullman.  More than anything, he wants to fit in and for others to see him as the ordinary kid he feels like on the inside, regardless of what he looks like on the outside.

This book follows August as he experiences his first year of formalized school--the challenges and joys that go along with it.  It is easy to connect to August as we have all had times where we didn't feel like we belonged.  This book is about August, his family, his friends and all he learns about himself--and the world and people around him.