3rd Grade Angels

 

We read this aloud last year in my classroom but I just realized I did not blog about it. It was the first read aloud for this year and was a big hit. The kids seem to connect well to it, it has a good message and just the right amount of funny stuff to keep everyone hooked. 

Turns out Jerry Spinelli actually wrote 4th Grade Rats first and later wrote this as a prequel.

Goodreads says:

The long-awaited prequel to the bestseller FOURTH GRADE RATS

George, aka "Suds," has just entered third grade, and he's heard the rhyme about "first grade babies/second grade cats/third grade angels/fourth grade rats," but what does this mean for his school year? It means that his teacher, Mrs. Simms, will hold a competition every month to see which student deserves to be awarded "the halo" - which student is best-behaved, kindest to others, and, in short, perfect. Suds is determined to be the first to earn the halo, but he's finding the challenge of always being good to be more stressful than he had anticipated. Does he have to be good even outside of school? (Does he have to be nice to his annoying little sister?) And if Mrs. Simms doesn't actually see him doing a good deed, does it even count?

A warm, funny return to elementary school from master storyteller Spinelli.

Before We Were Yours (Lisa Wingate)

 

I really enjoyed this story. It bounces between the present and the past and I found myself engrossed in each of the stories and then eager to get back to the other one as it came up. I read this book for my book club and everyone seemed to enjoy it. 

Before We Were Yours also has a non-fiction companion book of sorts. It is called Before and After: The Incredible Real-Life Stories of Orphans Who Survived the Tennessee Children's Home Society.

Before andGoodreads says:

Memphis, 1939. Twelve-year-old Rill Foss and her four younger siblings live a magical life aboard their family’s Mississippi River shantyboat. But when their father must rush their mother to the hospital one stormy night, Rill is left in charge—until strangers arrive in force. Wrenched from all that is familiar and thrown into a Tennessee Children’s Home Society orphanage, the Foss children are assured that they will soon be returned to their parents—but they quickly realize the dark truth. At the mercy of the facility’s cruel director, Rill fights to keep her sisters and brother together in a world of danger and uncertainty.

Aiken, South Carolina, present day. Born into wealth and privilege, Avery Stafford seems to have it all: a successful career as a federal prosecutor, a handsome fiancé, and a lavish wedding on the horizon. But when Avery returns home to help her father weather a health crisis, a chance encounter leaves her with uncomfortable questions and compels her to take a journey through her family’s long-hidden history, on a path that will ultimately lead either to devastation or to redemption.

Based on one of America’s most notorious real-life scandals—in which Georgia Tann, director of a Memphis-based adoption organization, kidnapped and sold poor children to wealthy families all over the country—Lisa Wingate’s riveting, wrenching, and ultimately uplifting tale reminds us how, even though the paths we take can lead to many places, the heart never forgets where we belong. 

I Am A Wolf (Kelly Leigh Miller)

 

Super simple quick read, but a great message on imagination, friendship and family. Great story when time is short but you need to read a story.

Goodreads says:

A dog who insists she's a wolf finds the perfect home with a young girl who sees past her prickly personality in this pet adoption story that's as laugh-out-loud funny as it is heart-tugging.

When a particularly growly pup finds herself in an animal shelter, she insists that she is a wolf--a lone wolf. After all, she's not sweet, she's not cute, and she is just fine on her own! Luckily, there's one little girl at the shelter who knows that sometimes, good dogs act bad when they feel afraid and that extending a little kindness can help even the most wolfish pup at the pound let down her guard.

Little Fox and the Wild Imagination (Jorma Taccone and Dan Santat)

 

Pure Dan Santat craziness. Love it!

Super cute representation of the value of imagination. 
My favorite part is where they have to read all the books (5000!) before bed. 

Goodreads says:

BEWARE!

This is a tale of great caution, terror, and destruction . . .

of bath time, and bedtime, and the battle in between.

This is the story of Little Fox and one VERY BIG imagination.

Debut author Jorma Taccone, member of the hit comedy trio The Lonely Island, has paired up with New York Times–bestselling, Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Dan Santat to create Little Fox and the Wild Imagination, a picture book about time, space, and even giant-robot-squids.

Dude! (Aaron Reynolds and Dan Santat)

 

Dream Team: Aaron Reynolds and Dan Santat!

Only Aaron Reynolds (of Creepy Carrots fame) and Dan Santat could pull off a book with one word. It's on every page and it makes sense. 

Goodreads says:

Aaron Reynolds, the author of Nerdy Birdy and Creepy Carrots! teams up with Dan Santat, the Caldecott–winning illustrator behind The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend to create the hilarious, gnarly summer adventure picture book, Dude!

Dude! You have to read this book.

It's totally about this platypus and this beaver who are friends. They want to go surfing but dude, there's this shark who's in the ocean, too.

But don't worry. This shark approaches and you'll never guess what happens.

Hensel and Gretel Ninja Chicks (Corey Rosen Schwarts and Rebecca Gomez, Illustrated by Dan Santat)

 

Totally Dan Santat style. Funny and amazing illustrations. This one will be really enjoyed!

Goodreads says:

These ninja chicks are anything but chicken!

When Hensel and Gretel's dad gets snatched by a fox, the sisters put their ninja skills to work to track him down before he can be stir-fried.

But are these two little chicks ready to take on a dark tangled forest, a tricky house made of corn bread, and an even trickier fox?

This plucky pair isn't giving up without a fight!

KIYA! 

The Rough Patch (Brian Lies)

 

This wasn't what I expected, but it struck a chord. It's hard to lose your best friend. Things do get better...even if there is a hole in your heart. Books about losing dogs always make me cry. Have to be careful if I read this one aloud in class.

Good reads says:

Evan and his dog do everything together, from eating ice cream to caring for their award-winning garden, which grows big and beautiful. One day the unthinkable happens: Evan’s dog dies. Heartbroken, Evan destroys the garden and everything in it. The ground becomes overgrown with prickles and thorns, and Evan embraces the chaos.

But beauty grows in the darkest of places, and when a twisting vine turns into an immense pumpkin, Evan is drawn out of his misery and back to the county fair, where friendships—old and new—await.