Eleven and Holding (Mary Penney)

This is the same author that wrote Counting by 7s. This is a thoughtful and beautiful book, like that one.  

I love the main character, Macy. Books like this always make me wonder if I don't give kids enough credit. They watch and make sense of things they're not told.

P. 43 I took a big, unladylike bite into my cupcake. My taste buds nearly exploded with happiness. 

Her grandmother has passed away and her business was sold to Chuck, who is friends with her mom. In the story we find out he is also mourning the loss of his partner, Phillip. Then there is Ginger, Phillip's mother, who is in and out of senility  and not quite able to process loss. 

P. 226 I guess Ginger knew that somewhere in her head, but her heart wouldn't really let her know it.  So, she kept pretending he was alive if only she could find him. 

Macy's father is away on what she is told is a secret mission in the military and her mother is a probation officer. Macy is facing moving on to middle school without her best friend, who is a year younger. 

P. 227 Sometimes when we're not ready to hear something painful, we have to keep ourselves busy not hearing it. It can look crazy, but it's not. It's just coping. We all do it differently. 

It is called Eleven and Holding because she doesn't want to turn 12 without her dad being there. She teams up with a runaway boy who is actually a client of her mother's, unbeknownst to her. What they find out changes pretty much everything. 

Goodreads summary: 

Like The Thing About Jellyfish and Counting by 7s, this sweet, heartfelt middle grade novel illustrates for readers what it’s like to tackle loss, confront hard truths, and find the courage to begin again.

Macy Hollinquest is eleven years old, and don’t count on her to change that anytime soon.

Her birthday is just days away, but she has no intention of turning twelve without her dad by her side. He’d promised to be there for her big day—and yet he’s been gone for months, away doing some kind of secret “important work” after being discharged from the Marines. So she’s staying eleven, no matter what—that is, until she meets Ginger, a nice older lady who is searching for her missing dog. Could Ginger be the perfect cover for attempting to locate her dad?

Macy’s search puts her on a path to a head-on collision with the truth, where she discovers that knowing can sometimes be a heavy burden. And that change, when finally accepted, comes with an unexpected kind of grace.

Mary Penney’s earnest, heartfelt story of change, loss, and new beginnings will resonate with readers on the cusp of new beginnings, and stay in their hearts long after it’s done. 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret (Brian Selznick)

I'm not one to re-read books very often. I have read this book a number of times though and love it every time. I have done this as a read-aloud before (good thing for smart boards where you can easily show all the pictures!) and this year I decided to do it as a novel study. I have done other Brian Selznick books before. It has always been a fantastic experience. The tricky part is getting enough copies of the book. It is an expensive book to buy so I haven't even dared ask the school to buy a class set. Instead, the Calgary Public Library kindly got enough copies that we could share a book amongst two students. It was wonderful!

I love it how kids take more care with illustrations. In this book you cannot ignore the illustrations. They tell the story as much as the words do, and sometimes tell you parts of the story the words have not told you.

Most of my students have not read a book as big as this one (although many claim they have...they are really moreso in the Geronimo Stilton mode as a whole, it seems). This one is a great stretcher and hopefully they will go on to read Wonderstruck and The Marvels this summer.

Recently, I have been reading Notice and Note and have tried to implement its strategies when I'm reading. I definitely plan to start using these strategies next year with book club.

Some of my favorite quotes and some of the Notice and Note signposts I noticed:

This is a great look into how we often can't know everything about someone else. Sometimes people do things that seem mean and they would totally not give themselves the same label because they have reasons for what they're doing.
p. 168 Hugo blinked. He had never thought of himself as mean before. The old man was mean, not him. Hugo had no choice...he had to keep secrets, but he couldn't explain this to the girl.

Again and again (Everytime Hugo is about to steal something he tubs his buttons):
p. 186  Hugo continued flipping through the book, seeing if there was anything at all about automata, but the book was silent on the subject. Still, Hugo wanted it very much. He knew that Monsieur Labisse lent books to Isabelle, but Hugo didn't want to just borrow this one. He wanted to own it.
He slipped it under his arm and inched toward the door. He rubbed the remaining buttons on his jacket...

Ah ha moment (Hugo and Isabelle realize maybe they can help Papa Georges find happiness):
p. 374 "Did you ever notice that all machines are made for some reason?" he asked Isabelle. "They are built ot make you laugh, like a mouse here, or to tell the time, like clocks, or to fill you with wonder, like the automaton. Maybe that's why a broken machines always makes me a little sad, because it isn't able to do what it was meant to do."
Isabelle picked up the mouse, wound it again, and set it down.
"Maybe it's the same with people," Hugo continued. "If you lose your purpose...it's like you're broken."

then on p. 494 Isabelle and Hugo find out that Papa Georges was the one who painted an interesting picture of Prometheus that they saw. He says: "Then you know that Prometheus was rescued in the end. His chains were broken, and he was finally set free." The old man squinted one of his eyes and added, "How about that."

Goodreads summary:

Orphan, clock keeper, and thief, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo's dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery. 

Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur (Mordecai Richler)

I decided that during DEAR time I will always read a book from our library corner so that I can book-talk it with the kids in my class. This week it was Jacob Two-Two. Many years ago I went to a play at Olympic Plaza that was Jacob Two-Two and the Dinosaur. It was quite true to the book! I was a little bothered at the way Jacob is treated in the beginning of the book. He is teased by everyone in his family. It seems a little over the top. Maybe I'm just too sensitive. Mordecai Richler definitely has a similar feel to his books as Roald Dahl: adults are mean and quite unnecessary and kids have to make it on their own. There's also lots of great humor that kids in Gr 3 will really crack up over - like the dinosaur causing huge wind storms because of gas he gets after eating his favorite food: Pizza! There's some great elaborative detail in chapter 4 when Dippy is introduced! I will make a note of this for when I'm teaching elaborative detail. One of the really fun things about this book is that it is set in Canada. They go to Banff and mention other places near us. The back page also notes that the children in the story have the same names as Mordecai Richler's children. I think this would be a great book to read aloud. Goodreads summary: When his parents return from Kenya with a cute little green lizard on his eighth birthday (he’s two times two times two), Jacob Two-Two is thrilled. But it isn’t long before Jacob realizes that his new pet Dippy isn’t a lizard after all. And as months pass, it is apparent Dippy isn’t so little either. Soon Dippy is attracting all sorts of unwanted attention and before he knows it, Jacob is on the run from the Canadian government with a full-grown dinosaur to hide.

The Widow's Broom (Chris Van Allsburg)

Nothing like a good mystery to keep everyone's attention! A fun story with a good twist at the end.

Goodreads summary:

A widow finds herself in possession of an extraordinary broom left by a witch who fell into the widow's garden.

The Misadventures of Sweetie Pie (Chris Van Allsburg)

I wanted to share some Chris van Allsburg stories with my class. He is one of my favourite authors. Children are mesmerised by his amazing stories! However, when I went to my local library I couldn't find any, except this one, which I had never seen  before. It turns out my library is one that only has book published in the last five years....so oldies and goodies like Chris van Allsburg are off in other branches. I put a bunch on hold and took this one with me.

Sure enough, as we were reading it, everyone was totally captivated by the story. This one is different as most of the books of his that I've read are quite life-like. I hadn't pre-read it (you can always trust Chris Van Allsburg, right?!) and I was a little worried as the story wore on that perhaps he had some turn of heart and started writing stories with nasty endings! This one is about a hamster who goes through a series of less than caring owners. He goes from negligent child to negligent child. I was worried he'd end up dead. The children in my class had the same worry! Not only that, the name 'Sweetie Pie' seemed so out of character from his other books...it had me wondering!

In the end, he doesn't. Turns out he escapes his cage after being forgotten at a playground. He ends up living out his days amongst some squirrels like Stellaluna and the birds.

Goodreads summary:

From two-time Caldecott winner Chris Van Allsburg, creator ofJumanji and The Polar Express, comes a poignant story of one hamster’s struggle with destiny. Being a pet store hamster isn’t much fun for Sweetie Pie, but life in human homes proves downright perilous. As Sweetie Pie longingly gazes out of his cage at the squirrels frolicking in the trees, he wonders if he’ll ever have the chance to feel the wind in his fur. Allsburg’s expressive, soft-hued illustrations artfully capture a hamster’s-eye view of the wide and wonderful world where maybe, just maybe, Sweetie Pie could someday run free. 

Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosion

We probably should have read book one first. I assume you get introduced to the character and all her little animals in the first book. We were a little lost. Still though, the story was cute and we loved the explosions! One of her stuffies wants to cook on his own, but it turns out he's buying his finished product at a bakery. Good potential for honesty discussion. Is it really dishonest to trick someone?

Goodreads summary:

Anna Banana is at it again!

The lovable tyrant from Sleep Tight, Anna Banana! is up to no good, and so are all of her beloved stuffed animals. In this adorable sequel to the 2014 picture book, Anna Banana and her stuffed pals set out to make a chocolate cake...and end up making a big, big, big mess.

With all the charm and whimsy that won reader's hearts in the first book of the series, Anna Banana and the Chocolate Explosionwill give Anna Banana's fans more of what they love...and win over new readers.

The Story of Salt (Mark Kurlansky)

My student's laughed when I told them that salt has a great story. They couldn't imagine that there have been wars over salt, or that people have stolen it and had to go to jail over it. Salt is so common now! Fascinating story!

Goodreads summary:

From the team that created the ALA Notable Book The Cod's Tale comes the fascinating history of salt, which has been the object of wars and revolutions and is vital for life. Based on Mark Kurlansky's critically acclaimed bestseller Salt: A World History, this handsome picture book explores every aspect of salt: The many ways it's gathered from the earth and sea; how ancient emperors in China, Egypt, and Rome used it to keep their subjects happy; Why salt was key to the Age of Exploration; what salt meant to the American Revolution; And even how the search for salt eventually led to oil. Along the way, you'll meet a Celtic miner frozen in salt, learn how to make ketchup, and even experience salt's finest hour: Gandhi's famous Salt March.