Those Darn Squirrels (Adam Rubin)

 

Our librarian read this to us. Everyone seemed to understand what a meal old cat would look and act like. This book did not disappoint. Super fun! 

I have a neighbor who leave peanuts out for squirrels so I get the "those darn squirrels!" sentiment!

Goodreads says:

Old Man Fookwire has a plan. He'll build some birdfeeders and fill them with yummy seeds and berries. That way, the wild birds he loves so much will stick around for the winter--instead of flying south. But there are other hungry creatures in the forest, and the have plans, too...Those darn squirrels!

The Smallest Owlet (Georgia Graham)

 

The illustrations in this book are captivating. I know my students would sit and listen in awe as they learned some great facts about owls. 

Goodreads says:

Join the owls in the aspen grove as they nurture and raise their young through winter, spring, and summer. Using their superior eyesight, sound absorbing feathers, and powerful talons they have the hunting skills they need to constantly deliver prey to their young. But the owlets need to be protected as well as fed. The Smallest Owlet is based on a true story that happened in the aspen grove behind Georgia Graham's house where an owlet fell from its nest. Mother Owl stayed on the ground with the owlet, heroically protecting it until its flight feathers developed.

The Curious Garden (Peter Brown)

 

This is beautiful! I love how the author talks about how the garden had its own personality. It's true that if one person starts to make something beautiful, others will get interested! The plant life started a life of its' own.

Best comment from one of my students: I was surprised that one kid could make that big a difference. 

Goodreads says:
One boy's quest for a greener world... one garden at a time.

While out exploring one day, a little boy named Liam discovers a struggling garden and decides to take care of it. As time passes, the garden spreads throughout the dark, gray city, transforming it into a lush, green world.

This is an enchanting tale with environmental themes and breathtaking illustrations that become more vibrant as the garden blooms. Red-headed Liam can also be spotted on every page, adding a clever seek-and-find element to this captivating picture book.

Turtles In My Sandbox (Jennifer Keats Curtis)

 

I discovered this one on Epic last year when we ended up doing school online after school got cancelled. Now that we're back in school and doing City Wildlife, I can't help but read and discuss this story again with my students. It teaches a lot but is still a story that captivates kids. I read that some schools on the east coast actually raise tarrapins in their classroom and then release them in the Spring. That would be SOOO cool!

Goodreads says:

Imagine finding turtle eggs in your sandbox! When a mother diamondback terrapin lays eggs in a young girl's sandbox, the girl becomes a -turtle-sitter- to help the babies safely hatch. She raises the teeny hatchlings until they become big enough to fend for themselves in the wild. Then, with the help of experts, she releases them. Along the way, she learns about these unique animals and that she has made an important contribution to their survival. The -For Creative Minds- educational section includes terrapin fun facts and a turtle habitat craft. 

Trumpet of the Swan (EB White)

I read Trumpet of the Swan years ago and loved it. I can't remember exactly when it was: university? when I was younger? I always have wanted to read it with my students and always encourage them to read it. However, I don't think I had re-read it until now. Now that I've re-read it, it may be one that I don't recommend. The father swan (cob) says weird things about having a son with a disability. They may be things that were more acceptable "back in the day" but now, it is kind of shocking. However, I do love Louis' stick-to-itness and problem solving. 

Re-read June 2022: One of my students had read this book aloud with his brother and mom and really wanted to have it as a read-aloud in class and he persuaded the others to vote for it. I would have never chosen it, but it was a good experience. I skipped through some of the long descriptive and repetitive language (oh EB, you can go on and on!)  and changed some words (First Nation's boy instead of indian, happy instead of gay, strange instead of queer, etc.). Since we were doing animal life cycles right now and our Open Court unit, City Wildlife, it fit in quite well!

We also watched the movie and it wasn't a big hit. The kids said it's old-style animation (sheesh!)


Goodreads says:

Like the rest of his family, Louis is a trumpeter swan. But unlike his four brothers and sisters, Louis can't trumpet joyfully. In fact, he can't even make a sound. And since he can't trumpet his love, the beautiful swan Serena pays absolutely no attention to him.

Louis tries everything he can think of to win Serena's affection—he even goes to school to learn to read and write. But nothing seems to work. Then his father steals him a real brass trumpet. Is a musical instrument the key to winning Louis his love? 

Mr. Tiger Goes Wild (Peter Brown)

Some of my students are reading Wild Robot and so they recognized Peter Brown's name right away. I think he's brilliant!

I introduced this book by telling them it has a "play on words". We talked about what it means to go wild and the commonly understood definition is that it is someone acting crazy. As we read the book, the ah ha moments happened right away for students. Mr. Tiger actually decides he's tired of being prim and proper and starts to walk on all fours. Then he goes off into the wilderness (eeek!).

We also noticed that all the animals that were acting prim and proper were in dull colors of grey and brown. As the animals noticed Mr. Tiger being "wild" they started to follow suit and they started being more colorful. The color comes into his life when he actually starts doing what he was meant to do.

A great picture book example of contrasts and contradictions. We do not expect this from a tiger!

Goodreads says:

Are you bored with being so proper?
Do you want to have more fun?
Mr Tiger knows exactly how you feel. So he decides to go wild.
But does he go too far?
There is a time and place for everything...even going wild.

Ella Who? (Linda Ashman)

You know how now and then you leave the door open and someone or something wanders in? Well, in this story, it's an elephant. Only, all the adults don't see it and don't really listen to what she is saying.

Super cute illustrations.

This book could be used in all three of the Open Court units we usually do!

Goodreads says:

Mom . . . there’s an elephant in the living room. 
It’s moving day—and look who slipped in the door: an elephant! But when a little girl tries to tell her family about their unusual guest, the distracted grown-ups just say, “Ella WHO?” Even as children giggle at the girl’s adventures with the smallishpachyderm, and at the fun, recurring refrain, they’ll relate to the poignant theme about making—and sometimes letting go of—new friends. 

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh (Robert C O'Brien)

I must have read this book when I was younger. It was all vaguely familiar and comfortable. However, I couldn't remember enough of the story to justify not continuing to the end - and I'm glad I did. I loved it. We read it for our grade 3 book club and it was a hit! The books we've read so far this year were pretty easy. This one had much more substance. It made for a smaller crowd at book club, but a great discussion. Some were troubled to not know who the rats were that didn't make it out. Maybe that comes up in the next books? Not sure. I am definitely interested in reading more.

I love the theme of reading and learning. For the rats, reading brings them hope and freedom so they can escape their evil Nimh captors. It changes their life forever....even makes them unable to enjoy their social circles the same as they did in the past. Life changes because they learned to read. If they hadn't learned to read they would have been content to live in their cages forever and have someone look after them. Because they could read, they created a whole new social structure where they really got into a rat race (err, people race??) and dissatisfaction was created.  I also liked that rats are positive characters. That doesn't often happen with rats. They are very smart creatures so I was glad to see someone give them a little respect!

Goodreads says:

Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children, is faced with a terrible problem. She must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. But her youngest son, Timothy, lies ill with pneumonia and must not be moved. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma. And Mrs. Frisby in turn renders them a great service.

Butterfly Park (Elly Mackay)

This is really a beautiful book. The pictures are amazing! It's a mash of sadness about having to move and finding friendship and beauty in what seems like an abandoned lot.

Goodreads summary:

When a little girl moves to a new town, she finds a place called Butterfly Park. But when she opens the gate, there are no butterflies.
Determined to lure the butterflies in, the girl inspires her entire town to help her. And with their combined efforts, soon the butterflies—and the girl—feel right at home.
Elly MacKay's luminous paper-cut illustrations and enchanting story encourage community, friendship, and wonderment in the beauty of everyday life.
Free poster on reverse side of book jacket.

Pax (Sara Pennypacker)

I took a chance on this book. I have a policy that I always have to read a book before we do it for book club at school - but I really wanted to do this one and I hadn't read it. I have heard so many great things about it. I decided to give it a go.


I love this book because it touched my heart and it left many questions unanswered....great conversation starter!


At first I had some regret. We started reading it aloud in class and found the author doesn't mince at all on vocabulary. I was doing a lot of explaining...and eventually we quit reading it in class (not because we decided to abandon it, but just because book club is supposed to be books that kids read on their own or at home, not necessarily a class read aloud). However, kids kept coming to me telling me how much they were enjoying it. I got report after report about what chapter they were on and how they thought it was really great. I would ask, "Is it too tricky? Too many hard words?" and they were adamant that it wasn't. Okay!!


I do agree that this is a great story. It doesn't have the expected happy ending - something that isn't common in J fiction. I had a student come to me after only having the book for a couple days. She had finished it and wanted to talk about it, but I wasn't finished so I couldn't say much. She just kept saying to me, "I can't believe it....after all that work...." I would just shrug....I couldn't really answer. Finally, she walked away, shaking her head. I am really looking forward to chatting with her now about this book!
Peter's persistence was inspiring. There were many things that seemed just not fair to him. Losing his mother is one bad blow. Why would a dad decide to go off to war and leave his son?? That is never answered. And what is up with grandparents not finding him once he runs off? It does follow a common theme of J fiction though - of kids just looking after themselves. Adults are kind of useless - except for Vola. She's helpful - but quite mysterious and hard to understand. Maybe many adults are that way for kids. I liked Pax's faith in Peter. Even though he continues on and thrives in his natural environment, he never loses faith in Peter - unlike the adults in Peter's life.


Other questions:


Why are they living so near a war-zone anyway? It seems to be set in North America - but we have not had wars here for so many years - that seemed a little disconnected for me.


And in the end, when he says: The apple does fall far from the tree....wasn't he actually relenting by not having Pax come with him? He gives in to everything his father has done.


Goodreads summary:


Pax was only a kit when his family was killed, and “his boy” Peter rescued him from abandonment and certain death. Now the war front approaches, and when Peter’s father enlists, Peter has to move in with his grandpa. Far worse than being forced to leave home is the fact that Pax can’t go. Peter listens to his stern father—as he usually does—and throws Pax’s favorite toy soldier into the woods. When the fox runs to retrieve it, Peter and his dad get back in the car and leave him there—alone. But before Peter makes it through even one night under his grandfather’s roof, regret and duty spur him to action; he packs for a trek to get his best friend back and sneaks into the night. This is the story of Peter, Pax, and their independent struggles to return to one another against all odds. Told from the alternating viewpoints of Peter and Pax.

Francine Poulet Meets the Ghost Raccoon (Kate DiCamillo)

I'm amazed at how even easy chapter books written by Kate DiCamillo are a delight. She doesn't skimp on vocabulary and the stories are actually quite compelling. This story is a bit of a spin-off of the Mercy Watson series although it's fine to read it on its own.

After Francine Poulet gets shaken by a bad experience, she starts to doubt herself. This would be a great story to read with a child who has been back-sliding a little with their confidence. Francine Poulet bears down and learns to handle what she needs to do.


Goodreads Summary:

Deckawoo Drive’s intrepid Animal Control Officer meets her match—or does she? A funny, heartfelt, and fast-paced romp from the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature.

Francine Poulet is the greatest Animal Control Officer in Gizzford County. She hails from a long line of Animal Control Officers. She’s battled snakes, outwitted squirrels, and stared down a bear. "The genuine article," Francine’s dad always called her. She is never scared—until, that is, she’s faced with a screaming raccoon that may or may not be a ghost. Maybe Francine isn’t cut out to be an Animal Control Officer after all! But the raccoon is still on the loose, and the folks on Deckawoo Drive need Francine back. Can she face her fears, round up the raccoon, and return to the ranks of Animal Control? Join a cast of familiar characters—Frank, Stella, Mrs. Watson, and Mercy the porcine wonder—for some riotous raccoon wrangling on Deckawoo Drive. 

House Held Up By Trees (Ted Kooser/Jon Klassen)

Our classroom was full of the sillies today and I was a little worried that this book would be way too much for the moment. However, as we got reading they slowed down the sillies and started to really listen. In the end, the big question was whether or not that could really happen. The debate between the yes and no votes was interesting.

Might be a good book to reading during our City Wildlife unit in Open Court. The illustrations are beautiful and we could talk about how buildings that are not cared for start to fall apart.

Goodreads summary:

When the house was new, not a single tree remained on its perfect lawn to give shade from the sun. The children in the house trailed the scent of wild trees to neighboring lots, where thick bushes offered up secret places to play. When the children grew up and moved away, their father, alone in the house, continued his battle against blowing seeds, plucking out sprouting trees. Until one day the father, too, moved away, and as the empty house began its decline, the trees began their approach. At once wistful and exhilarating, this lovely, lyrical story evokes the inexorable passage of time — and the awe-inspiring power of nature to lift us up.

Flashlight (Lizi Boyd)

I took a speed reading course. It changed my reading - not for the better. I tend to rush through books. I have grown to love wordless books because they make me stop and really look and think about what is happening.



This book did that. The boy is camping and ventures out with his flashlight. Scary!! However, soon fun and interesting discoveries are made and an interaction with a silly racoon make it even more interactive.

Goodreads Summary
Inside a tent it's cozy. But what is going on outside? Is it dark? Is it scary? Not if you have your trusty flashlight! Told solely through images and using a spare yet dramatic palette, artist Lizi Boyd has crafted a masterful exploration of night, nature, and art. Both lyrical and humorous, this visual poem—like the flashlight beam itself—reveals that there is magic in the darkness. We just have to look for it.

The Troublemaker (Lauren Castillo)

The beginning of this story looks like there's a little boy who is causing trouble. Turns out he is getting blamed for the work of a tricky raccoon!

We will have to remember this one when we are doing our City Wildlife unit in Open Court.

Goodreads summary:
Bored and restless on a summer day, a little boy steals his sister’s bunny and sends it on an adventure. He is well satisfied with the results—until his own stuffed animal disappears. Could it be that he is not the only troublemaker around . . . ?

     A case of sibling rivalry is neatly resolved with the “assistance” of a hilarious raccoon in Lauren Castillo’s warm, simple text and gorgeous classic illustrations.