Imaginary Fred (Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers)

This book is a great bridge from our friendship unit to our imagination unit. The kids were totally captured by the story and listened intently. There is a parallel universe in this story between the imaginary world and reality.

Goodreads says:
A quirky, funny, and utterly irresistible story from Eoin Colfer and Oliver Jeffers, two of the finest children's book creators on the planet.

Did you know that sometimes, with a little electricity, or luck, or even magic, an imaginary friend might appear when you need one? An imaginary friend like Fred.

Fred floated like a feather in the wind until Sam, a lonely little boy, wished for him and, together, they found a friendship like no other.

The perfect chemistry between Eoin Colfer's text and Oliver Jeffers's artwork makes for a dazzlingly original picture book.

The Day I Lost My Superpowers ( Michaël Escoffier)

Our second book this week by Michaël Escoffier. We have talked about super powers a lot during character time and so this was a nice find. We chuckled at the good imagination he had and all nodded in agreement that sometimes Moms really do have the powers to make everything feel better.

Goodreads says:

Childhood is a magical time when even the stuff of the day-to-day is exciting and the ordinary often seems extraordinary. A part of this magic is that with just a little imagination, we all might be found to possess true superpowers!This isn't the first or last book where a child delightedly discovers her own superpowers. But it may be just about the driest, funniest, and sweetest, where the discovery is handled with humor and charm.

One of the book's true pleasures is that it's a girl who discovers her own extraordinary abilities, and when her powers fail, as they must, she discovers them in her mom. All of which leads to a lovely intimacy between the two. 

Where's the Baboon? (by Michaël Escoffier)

We thought this would be a really fun read with Reading Buddies. We could read the big words and the grade ones could figure out the little words in the words. Lots of fun! The pictures were very interesting too.

Goodreads says:

Step right up, fearless readers! Today, in this very book, we will PROVE to you that a snake can hide in a snowflake, that pigs can paint, and that the ones who copy the most are not necessarily cats! Prepare to be AMAZED by the game of hide-n-seek the words play! These tricksters are true experts in the art of camouflage!

Michaël Escoffier was born in France in 1970. Raised by a family of triceratops, he discovered his passion for writing and telling stories at a young age. He lives in Lyon with his wife and two children.

Kris Di Giacomo is an American who has lived in France since childhood. She has illustrated over twenty-five books for French publishers, which have been translated into many languages. This is her seventh book with Enchanted Lion Books. 

Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born (Jamie Lee Curtis)

Today was a special day for one of my students. It was her adoption day. She asked if she could bring in our book for today. I had assumed I would read it to the class but she really wanted to read it, and I’m so glad she did. I probably would have gotten a little teary over it all. LOL I got to know someone after she came to my town when I was growing up. She had come there to have a baby and have her be adopted. It was quite a learning experience for me. It was something I will never forget.

She explained that it was a special day for her and talked about how this book was a little different than her situation but it was about being adopted and she really loved the book. The kids were glued to the story and the conversation flowed beautifully. I was so impressed with how comfortable she was sharing her story and how the kids receive it so easily without many questions.

After, I asked the class if they had asked their parents about the day they were born and many had not and so I encouraged them to go home and do that. I was really grateful that this student could share her experience and have it overflow into an opportunity for a great discussion at home for everyone else.

Goodreads says: 

Jamie Lee Curtis and Laura Cornell, the New York Times bestselling team behind Today I Feel Silly and I’m Gonna Like Me, bring us a tender and funny picture book for every parent and child. Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born is a special celebration of the love and joy an adopted child creates for a family.

In asking her parents to tell her again about the night of her birth, a young girl relives a cherished tale she knows by heart. Focusing on the significance of family and love, this a unique and beautiful story about adoption and the importance of a loving family.

A beautiful adoption story, Tell Me Again About the Night I Was Born also speaks to the universal childhood desire to know more about the excitement, awe, love, and sleeplessness that a new baby brings to a family.

Tell me again about the night I was born.

Tell me again how you would adopt me and be my parents.

Tell me again about the first time you held me in your arms. 

The Upper Case: Trouble in Capital City (Tara Lazar)

Tara Lazar did it again. This story is hilarious. There is so much on every page that we could have stopped and discussed all the way through. Instead, I read it and took note of when they caught the puns. It is a story that my kids will read again and again and discover new funny things each time, I'm sure.

Goodreads says:

Just when Private I thinks all is calm-now that he's cracked the case of 7 Ate 9-Question Mark storms into the office.
Mark is worried. All the uppercase letters are M-I-S-S-I-N-G! But that's absurd. This is CAPITAL City!
Private I is the last letter standing. Will he solve his BIGGEST mystery yet, the UPPER CASE, before it's too late?!
Filled with the same humor, wit, and quirkiness of the hit 7 Ate 9: The Untold Story, comes another laugh-out-loud whodunit.

IMWAYR

Report cards have slowed me down on All The Light We Cannot See. Not only that, I have found myself wanting to slow down with it because it is so rich. I'm really enjoying. I need to get it finished though because I have some great books on my night stand waiting to be read next. They are:

Words on Fire by the great Jennifer Nielsen. I have loved every one of her books so far. I'm sure this one will be the same.

I read The Chalk Man by CJ Tudor for book club. Apparently, that was her first book. I thought it is quite the story for a first book! I decided I'd like to give some more of her books a try so The Hiding Place is the next one I plan to read.

For Grade 3 Book Club we are reading Flora and Ulysses this month. Since it's December and staying inside is sometimes nice, I'm planning on having some extra activities so I better get going on re-reading it so that I can come up with those activities. Should be fun! This book is hilarious.

Land of Stories: The Wishing Spell (Chris Colfer)

This is a really fun read with all the additional insight on traditional stories. It would be a good book for kids ready for a book that is challenging yet an easy connection for them. Open up to any page and you could use much of this to teach elaborative detail. It would be fun to do this for an end of year book club pick.

Goodreads says:

Alex and Conner Bailey's world is about to change, in this fast-paced adventure that uniquely combines our modern day world with the enchanting realm of classic fairy tales.
The Land of Stories tells the tale of twins Alex and Conner. Through the mysterious powers of a cherished book of stories, they leave their world behind and find themselves in a foreign land full of wonder and magic where they come face-to-face with the fairy tale characters they grew up reading about.

But after a series of encounters with witches, wolves, goblins, and trolls alike, getting back home is going to be harder than they thought.

I Thought This Was a Bear Book (Tara Lazar)

It was fun to read the alien's voice in a robotic way. Tara Lazar did it again. Hilarious! This book breaks the 4th wall, speaks directly to the reader, and my students loved it. They told me to shake it a little harder, when we needed to shake the book.

Goodreads says:

When an alien crashes into the story of The Three Little Bears, it's a laugh-out-loud adventure and a classic storybook mash-up!

After an unfortunate bookcase collapse, Alien suddenly finds himself jolted out of his story and into a very strange world, complete with talking bears. Desperate to return to his book, Alien asks the Bear family for help so he can get back to his story and save his beloved Planet Zero from total destruction before it's too late.

Mama Bear and Papa Bear try all kinds of zany contraptions (with some help from their nemesis, Goldilocks) without much luck. Baby Bear might have the perfect solution to get the Alien out of the woods and back to his planet...but will anyone listen to the littlest voice in the story? 

Who Was Albert Einstein ( Jess M. Brallier)

I loved learning more about Albert Einstein. My students knew a bit about him too - namely that someone saved his brain so they could study it. That fascinated them.

Goodreads says:

Everyone has heard of Albert Einstein-but what exactly did he do? How much do kids really know about Albert Einstein besides the funny hair and genius label? For instance, do they know that he was expelled from school as a kid? Finally, here's the story of Albert Einstein's life, told in a fun, engaging way that clearly explores the world he lived in and changed.

Who Was Frank Lloyd Wright (Labrecque)

I love Frank Lloyd Wright's work so I was keen to read this biography. He didn't have good role modeling in his life from his dad and that had a great impact on his family life. It was interesting to read about how he valued play and simplicity.

I've heard in places that this series is targeted to middle school. I hope my grade 3s are okay with it because I have a lot of them! I guess I'll have to read more of them to make sure they're okay.



Goodreads says:

Born in Wisconsin in 1867, Frank Lloyd Wright became obsessed with a set of building blocks his mother had given to him on his ninth birthday. He grew up to become the father of organic architecture and the greatest American architect of all time, having designed more than 1,100 buildings during his lifetime. These included  private homes – such as the stunning Fallingwater, churches, temples, a hotel, and the world-famous Guggenheim Museum in New York City.  When asked how he could create so many designs, he answered, “I can’t get them out fast enough.” Frank Lloyd Wright was a man ahead of his time who could barely keep up with his own ideas! 

Way Past Bedtime (Tara Lazar)

This one struck a chord! Everyone had a story of something they had seen when they snuck out of bed after they were supposed to be asleep. I was a little worried some of the stories might be awkward to hear, but apparently, most parents are pretty boring. Although, apparently some go out and buy KFC after kids are asleep!

Tara Lazar is brilliant. So glad I decided to go on a Tara Lazar kick!

Goodreads says:

Little Joseph turns into a bedtime super-sleuth as he tries to solve the mystery of what happens after the lights go out in this fun spin on classic bedtime stories.

Bedtime is Joseph’s least favorite time of day. When his parents tuck him in at night, Joseph imagines all kinds of things that he’s missing out on: big parties, hot-fudge fountains, exotic animals, and more.

But there is only one way to find out if what he imagines is actually true—and bedtime super-sleuth Joseph is determined to discover what happens way past bedtime.

Little Red Gliding Hood (Tara Lazar)

Another great Tara Lazar book! My class really enjoyed this and seemed to be quite caught up in the story. It has a good rhythm and many of the phrases we've heard before in other stories. The pictures are really detailed, which also brought about some interesting comments and showed that the kids were really taken in by this story. We had just had a decodable that had a fox in it and so a fox/wolf being tricky was a familiar meta-narrative. This wolf being a not-big and bad wolf brought the whole idea up again and made for an interesting discussion. All the references to different story book characters were a great review, especially for my students who are from other countries and aren't as familiar with all the traditional stories we sometimes assume kids know but actually don't.

Goodreads says:

Little Red Riding Hood straps on her ice skates in this fractured fairy tale! A figure skating enthusiast, Little Red has worn her skates right out and must win a pairs competition to earn new ones. But who will be her partner? The Dish is already dancing with the Spoon, and Hansel is spinning Gretel like sugar. You won’t believe what big eyes, sharp teeth, and long snout her partner has…all the better to spin her with!

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (Coerr)

We chose between Number the Stars and Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes for our grade 3 book club choice this month. I was pleased that they chose this book because I have never read the entire thing (although, it sure isn't that long). However, having a quick read is a great thing for early in the year. Hopefully, more kids will have read it this month. We were going for a bit of a Remembrance Day theme. I think it fit the bill quite well. I kind of thought it was interesting that it is a Canadian author writing about a war-time attach by Americans on Japanese. Quite a mix! Whatever your thoughts are on the war, no one can really argue that the affects of war on children is unjust.

It's been interesting to hear my student's reviews of the book. Children don't often read sad books. It has received a 3/5 by many students because it's sad. No doubt, it has had a big impact on them.

Goodreads says:

Hiroshima-born Sadako is lively and athletic--the star of her school's running team. And then the dizzy spells start. Soon gravely ill with leukemia, the "atom bomb disease," Sadako faces her future with spirit and bravery. Recalling a Japanese legend, Sadako sets to work folding paper cranes. For the legend holds that if a sick person folds one thousand cranes, the gods will grant her wish and make her healthy again. Based on a true story, Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes celebrates the extraordinary courage that made one young woman a heroine in Japan. 

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

This week I plan to read the grade 3 book club pick: Sadako and the Thousand Cranes

It's a quick read, so after that I plan to read All The Light We Cannot See. I've had so many people recommend it to me that I need to finally read it...and it's due in 5 days so no time to waste!

Normal Norman (Tara Lazar)

It didn't take long for my kids to boo the narrator of this book. Right away they didn't like that she was uncomfortable with Norman being himself. Besides, who wants to be normal? What is normal anyway??!

Goodreads says:

What is "normal?" That's the question an eager young scientist, narrating her very first book, hopes to answer. Unfortunately, her exceedingly "normal" subject—an orangutan named Norman—turns out to be exceptionally strange. He speaks English, sleeps in a bed, loves his stuffed toy, goes bananas over pizza, and even deep-sea dives! Oh, no: what's a "normal" scientist to do?

The Chalk Man (C.J. Tudor)

I don't actually read mysteries that often. This one really drew me in after about 100 pages. I thought the way it is told, by going back to 1986 and then continuing with today (2016 in this book) it was quite effective and definitely kept me wanting to read just one more chapter.

So many secrets…

“Everyone has secrets, things they know they shouldn’t do but do anyway. Mine was……

There were some nasty scenes: rape of a young boy and murder. If you're sensitive, those will be pages to skip. The details of them aren't that important anyway.

I was surprised to learn this was the author's first book. It's a good start to a writing career, for sure!

Quotes:

p. 9 There's nothing better than doing something you shouldn't and getting one over on an adult while doing it.

p. 88 Teachers should be nice and friendly, but they should also be a bit apart. Mr. Haloran and I shared a secret now and, although that was cool in one way, it also made me feel awkward around him, like we had seen each other naked or something.

p. 151 That's the point, Eddie. The thing you have to understand is that being a good person isn't about singing hymns, or praying to some mythical god. It isn't about wearing across or going to church every Sunday. Being a good person is about how you treat others. A good person doesn't need a religion, because they are content with themselves that they are doing the right thing. (Eddie's mom, to Eddie)


I think this is a book I should read again and see what hints I missed as I read it the first time. There must have been some. I'm too unsuspecting a reader though. I need to hone my mystery reading skills!

Characters:
Eddie
Eddie's parents
Fat Gav
Metal Mickey
Nicky
Nicky's father (vicar)
Hoppo
The Pale Man (Mr Halloran)
Waltzer girl
Blond friend
Sean Cooper
Chloe

Goodreads says:

In 1986, Eddie and his friends are just kids on the verge of adolescence. They spend their days biking around their sleepy English village and looking for any taste of excitement they can get. The chalk men are their secret code: little chalk stick figures they leave for one another as messages only they can understand. But then a mysterious chalk man leads them right to a dismembered body, and nothing is ever the same.

In 2016, Eddie is fully grown, and thinks he's put his past behind him. But then he gets a letter in the mail, containing a single chalk stick figure. When it turns out that his friends got the same message, they think it could be a prank . . . until one of them turns up dead.

That's when Eddie realizes that saving himself means finally figuring out what really happened all those years ago. 

The Friend Ship (Kat Yeh)

Super cute and with just enough of a repetitive pun that my students felt pretty clever about catching on to it. They also liked feeling like they figured out that they were all enjoying friendship before the animals realized it. Sometimes we need the reminder that the best things in life are sometimes right in front of us.

Goodreads says:

Little Hedgehog is very lonely. But then she overhears passersby talking about something that gives her hope-something called a Friend Ship!

Hedgehog imagines a ship filled with friends of all kinds, and soon she's ready to hit the open seas in a boat of her own to track it down. Along the way, she meets other lonely animals eager to join her quest.

They search north. They search south. They search east. But Hedgehog and her new friends can't find the Ship anywhere! Until she realizes she knows just where the Friend Ship is. . .

This heartwarming tale by Kat Yeh, with charming illustrations by Chuck Groenink, proves that sometimes, what you're searching for is right in front of you.