Wednesday, February 24, 2010

More reviews of books you may want to read!

The Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan (gr 5- 8)

This fantasy adventure introduces us to the life of Percy Jackson who at first appears to be a troubled 12 year old that gets kicked out of six schools in six years. But he soon learns the true nature of who he is and why he has unusual experiences. His mother gets him safely to Camp Half-Blood where Percy learns that his missing father is Poseidon, the God of the Sea in Greek mythology. Riordan fills the book with Greek Myths and legends as we follow Percy in his quest to be a hero, retrieve Zeus' lightning bolt, and stop an epic war between the Gods. This book is contemporary, fast-paced, fun and slightly dangerous. - similar to the Harry Potter series. A great read!

Extra Credit - Andrew Clements (gr 4-7)

When Abby learns that she is failing school and may have to repeat sixth grade, her teachers offer her a chance to earn extra credit by writing to a pen pal. Since she loves mountain climbing, she selects a small village in the mountains of Afghanistan. We learn that the best student in the village in Afghanistan is a boy and it is improper for him to write letters to a girl so he writes letters for his sister. Clements shares information about the lives of students in very different cultures as he writes another realistic fiction school story that gives insight to a country that is in the news.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Mrs. Cullen's Book Review

Notes From A Liar and her Dog - by Gennifer Choldenko
Grades 5 - 8
By the same author that wrote Al Capone Does My Shirts, this is a funny yet touching story of a 12 year old girl, Antonia. that feels like she doesn't fit in her family. Going by the nickname, Ant, she has one older sister and one younger sister and they are both perfect. Ant somehow always manages to get into trouble with her lying and drives her parents crazy. She copes with her situation by pretending that she is adopted and writing letters to her "real" mother. Ant's only friends are Harrison and her dog, Pistachio. When the friends volunteer at the zoo, Ant's lying gets them into a very dangerous situation. In the end, Ant realizes that her mother does love her even if she isn't always lovable.

Monday, December 14, 2009

Mrs. Cullen's Book Review

Scat - by Carl Hiaasen (grades 5 - 8)

Hiaasen provides us with another pro-environmental story similar to his earlier books, Hoot and Flush. This one starts with the disappearance of an unpopular and feared teacher, Mrs Starch, during a suspicious fire that breaks out on a class trip to the Black Vine Swamp. Friends, Nick and Marta, don't believe that Mrs. Starch is absent due to "family matters" and decide to investigate on their own. They learn that an endangered Florida panther lives in the swamp. They also stumble upon an oil company that is running an illegal drilling operation there. Clues point to a troubled student nicknamed "Smoke" as being responsible for the fire, but not everything is as it appears. This is a fast paced mystery with an interesting cast of oddball characters. Hiaasen also makes interesting use of the different meanings of the word "scat."

Monday, November 23, 2009

More Reviews on books you may want to try!

Missing - by M. Sobel Spirn (for grades 3 - 4)

Sam sometimes likes to make up lies to make things more interesting, like the time he said an earthquake swallowed up his homework! So when Sam sees two men kidnap his father, he has trouble getting anyone to believe him. Sam has no choice but to try and solve the mystery of his missing father all by himself. What kinds of dangerous situations is Sam going to get himself into? This book moves quickly and is easy to read.

Schooled - by Gordon Korman (for grades 5 - 8)

Capricorn has lived his whole life on an isolated farm commune with his grandmother and has been homeschooled. When his grandmother is hospitalized, 13 year old Capricorn is brought to a middle school for the first time. He is completely innocent and naive and has never heard of TV, i-pods, pizza or all the other things important in a teen's life. He quickly becomes the butt of middle school pranks and is nominated for class president as a joke. But Capricorn's innocence and strange ways soon win classmates over in his quest for peace, love and understanding. Korman writes this book in first person narrative from various characters point of view and provides insight into the life in middle school.

Saturday, November 14, 2009

Welcome to our library blog

Welcome to our new library blog! This is where you can check to see what is happening in our library and see what new books have arrived. You can also see what other students are reading and read some reviews. If you have read a book that you would like others to know about, feel free to post your review on our blog! Just click on the green "comments" to add what you have to say!

Also, for the month of November, we are having a "Pick a Reader" contest in the library! Any student in grades 2 - 8, that reads a book on their grade level during the month of November, can enter! Simply fill out an entry form and drop it in our jar. I will pick a few winners and award prizes!

Book Reviews:
Following are some brief reviews of books that you may enjoy reading!

The Graveyard Book - by Neil Gaiman (grades 5 and up)
A baby boy climbs out of his crib and toddles out of the house unaware that his family is being murdered by a killer named Jack. The baby boy makes his way to a graveyard where he is taken care of by Mr. and Mrs. Owens, who just happen to be ghosts. The boy is name "Nobody" and is raised by the ghosts and protected from the killer that is still searching for him. Nobody, "Bod" for short, is taught the ways of the dead and is given special graveyard priviliges. He meets all kinds of interesting characters that lived throughout history. Neil Gaiman writes another captivating yet disturbing and dark tale that young adults will find appealing.

No Talking - by Andrew Clements (grades 3 - 6)
When Dave learns about India and how Gandhi spent one day a week in silence, he is inspired to devise a contest to see whether the girls or the boys in fifth grade can keep quiet for two whole days. The rules allow them to answer adults with three word replies which leads to some humorous situations. The principal is drawn in to the contest and tries to put an end to it. We see the students bond over the experience as we see the experiment unfold from the viewpoints of the students and the teachers. Clements writes books that are smart and funny and they are always a joy to read!

Peak - by Roland Smith (Grades 5 - 8)
An adventure story about a 14 year old boy that attempts to be the youngest to climb Mount Everest. As the story unfolds we learn a lot about mountain climbing and what it takes to get to the top. This riveting story is a journey that uncovers human nature and what the characters are really made of as they face unimaginable conditions and dangers. If you like survival stories, this is one you must read.

Briar Rose - by Jane Yolen (grades 7 & 8)
For young adults, Jane Yolen has written a beautiful book that follows a young woman’s journey to discover her beloved grandmother’s secrets. Becca has heard her grandmother, Gemma, tell an unusual version of Sleeping Beauty where she says that she once lived in a castle and is Briar Rose, who was awakened by the kiss of a Prince. Upon her grandmother’s death, Becca is surprised to learn that her family knows very little about her past. Becca travels to her grandmother’s homeland of Poland and uses the clues from her grandmother’s story and a box of mementos to uncover a riveting tale of Nazi horror. As the story unfolds, we also learn fascinating stories of courage and survival. Yolen weaves together Gemma’s imaginative version of the story of Sleeping Beauty with the unimaginable horrors that Gemma has kept secret all these years. Jane Yolen writes an imaginative and heartwarming tale that reminds us that we must keep memories alive but that some secrets are too painful to remember and that uncovering the past is not always easy. If you like emotional books, try this one!