Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith

Little Red and the Very Hungry Lion by Alex T. Smith  published (2015). 28 unnumbered pages. AD 620 L. R.L. 3.7 Grades K-3. Well, this could be a very traditional fairy-tale story except there is no Granny, no big bad wolf, no forest and no basket of goodies.   Yet the story rings true, and the outcome is predictable.  

Booklist starred (July 2016 (Vol. 112, No. 21))

Grades K-2. Little Red is off to take some medicine to her Auntie Rosie, who has come down with a case of spots. Trailed by her tiny pet goat, she passes the sleepy crocodiles, the chattering monkeys, and the leaping gazelles. Everyone says hi to Little Red, but uh oh! Who’s that peeping out from behind the baobab? It’s no surprise when the lion takes a shortcut to Rosie’s house, puts on a nightgown, and prepares to ambush Little Red. It is a surprise, however, when Little Red flips around “What big teeth you have” to teach Lion a few lessons. First up, “what tangled hair you have!”—a lovely set of beribboned braids will do the trick. Next up, that nasty maw—“brush, brush, brush.” Finally, that old nightgown has got to go. Startled Lion is not only still hungry (but much prettier); he’s tired of being fussed over, and in exchange for a promise to behave, he gets to share a box of doughnuts with Little Red and her aunt. Spectacular, zingy, warm colors, an African setting, fantastic comic timing, and cartoonish, acrobatic lines infuse this updated take on a classic tale with maximum humor and energy. This hilarious retelling is destined for repeat reads

I have read this book to first graders and added the opportunity for the students to predict and make text-to-text associations.  They are very aware that this book is a different version of a very familiar story, yet they really seem to enjoy the opportunity to guess what will happen next.  They relish the animals in the jungle as well as Little Red's actions toward the Very Hungry Lion. When the book is finished, I break the students into groups of three and have them create their own version of Little Red.

Posted by Margo Irving

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan

Word After Word After Word by Patricia MacLachlan. Published (2010.) 125 pgs. 450 L. R.L. 3.5 Level 3-6. This wonderfully easy-to-read novel flows like a melodic river as it tells the story of how a teacher changes her 4th grade students' minds about words and their ability to affect life in a positive way EVEN when life is challenging.

Booklist starred (March 15, 2010 (Vol. 106, No. 14))

Grades 2-5. Ms. Mirabel, a visiting poet, works with a fourth-grade class over several weeks as they first discuss why people write poetry and then attempt to express themselves in verse. “I, myself, write to change my life, to make it come out the way I want it to,” states Ms. Mirabel and thus, she becomes a catalyst for the students’ growing awareness in writing and gives them a means to cope with changes in their lives. Narrator Lucy, whose mother is recovering from cancer treatments, often meets her friends to talk about their hopes, their fears, their families, and their charismatic poetry mentor. Children reading the book may long for such friends, who talk so openly about serious matters, support each other in direct and indirect ways, and find plenty to laugh about, too. As the story draws to a close, even the adults in their lives are drawn into the magical power of words. Showing great respect for both her readers and her craft, Newbery Award winner MacLachlan makes every word count in Lucy’s smooth-flowing, economical narrative. Though a number of characters cry along the way, the story is anything but sad, and even poignant is too soppy an adjective for the swift, subtle depiction of characters’ realizations, revelations, and connections. A memorable chapter book.

If you have felt the magic that Love That Dog by Sharon Creech casts over young audiences, then Word After Word After Word is a great book for you to experience with your class. This book is a unique depiction of how most children don't consider themselves "writers" and then find, through the mentoring of a special teacher, that they can use the magic of words to express happiness, sorrow, fear, anger and many more emotions that perplex children in their journey of growing up. It is a treat for you and your students to share.

Posted by Liz Stafford

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown

The Wild Robot by Peter Brown.  Published (2016) 277 pgs. L.740 R.L. 5.8 Level 3-6. What would happen if a robot awoke for the first time on an island inhabited by only wild animals? In this delightful read aloud, students explore some interesting questions.

Kirkus Reviews starred (February 1, 2016)

A sophisticated robot--with the capacity to use senses of sight, hearing, and smell--is washed to shore on an island, the only robot survivor of a cargo of 500. When otters play with her protective packaging, the robot is accidently activated. Roz, though without emotions, is intelligent and versatile. She can observe and learn in service of both her survival and her principle function: to help. Brown links these basic functions to the kind of evolution Roz undergoes as she figures out how to stay dry and intact in her wild environment--not easy, with pine cones and poop dropping from above, stormy weather, and a family of cranky bears. She learns to understand and eventually speak the language of the wild creatures (each species with its different "accent"). An accident leaves her the sole protector of a baby goose, and Roz must ask other creatures for help to shelter and feed the gosling. Roz's growing connection with her environment is sweetly funny, reminiscent of Randall Jarrell's The Animal Family. At every moment Roz's actions seem plausible and logical yet surprisingly full of something like feeling. Robot hunters with guns figure into the climax of the story as the outside world intrudes. While the end to Roz's benign and wild life is startling and violent, Brown leaves Roz and her companions--and readers--with hope. Thought-provoking and charming. (Science fiction/fantasy. 7-11)

With it's short but action packed chapters, The Wild Robot is a fast-paced read aloud.  Unlike other books I have read aloud, I found myself stopping and asking my students to imagine what might happen next and then discussing the event.  My students loved discussing how they imagined a robot might react to the way Roz reacted.  

Posted by Kellie Hale

Night Tree by Eve Bunting

Night Tree by Eve Bunting (Published 1991)  28 unnumbered pages.  AD 620. R.L. 3.3 Grades 1 - 2.  Not every gift worth giving is wrapped with colored paper and purchased at the store.

Booklist (Vol. 88, No. 2 (September 15, 1991))

Ages 4-8. A warm family story extends the spirit of Christmas to the dark, quiet woods and the creatures that live there. On the night before Christmas, a boy, his little sister, and their parents always drive in their father's pickup from their house with its tree and bright holiday lights to the "nice forgotten place where our town ends." Then they walk in the moonlight to their special tree. They find that it's grown, just as they have. They decorate it with all kinds of natural foods and sing carols as they huddle in the cold. Then they pack up and drive home squashed together in the front of the truck. Rand's double-spread watercolor paintings capture the family intimacy in the shadowy, secret wilderness. Together they glimpse a deer, then they hear an owl (a dramatic painting shifts perspective to show a huge owl looking down from a branch at the small family far below). There is mystery all around, and they are part of it. The next day in the midst of the boisterous human festivities, the boy imagines the wilderness animals at the tree, and the final picture shows bears and raccoons, doves and deer, feasting together.

Night Tree is a wonderful way to pause for just a moment during this hectic time of year to consider all the many different ways there are to spread kindness and joy through family traditions.  When I read this book to second graders, I always try to add a little humor by telling them about myown family traditions from when I was a child. This opens up an avalanche of text to self comments.  After we have finished sharing I like to encourage the children to imagine themselves out in the middle of Luke's forest and then we try to think of all the different senses you might use. I use a graphic organizer found at TPT on the smart board as we look for different sense experiences in the book. I am often surprised at how many different things they can pull from the text.

by Margo Irving

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pax by Sara Pennypacker (published 2016.) 276 pages. 760L. R.L. 5.7 Level 3-6. This new novel tells the adventurous, if not heroic, journey a boy takes to find his abandoned pet.

Booklist starred (November 1, 2015 (Vol. 112, No. 5))

Grades 4-7. Peter and Pax, his pet fox he found as a kit on the day of his mother’s funeral, are inseparable. That is, until Peter’s dad enlists in the military and Peter is forced to abandon Pax before moving to his grandfather’s house. Almost as soon as he gets there, however, he slips out, determined to hike the hundreds of miles back to where he left his pet. Not long into his journey, he is injured and reluctantly taken in by Vola, a war veteran and amputee who stubbornly lives on her own. In chapters from the fox’s point of view, Pax struggles in the wild until a grizzled old fox agrees to help him get home. Pennypacker alternates between Pax’s and Peter’s perspectives, while the simmering war between unnamed countries grows dangerously close to home. As she slowly reveals secrets about Peter’s and Vola’s pasts, she sensitively and engagingly explores questions about anger, wildness, isolation, and family. Meanwhile, both fox and boy grow in unexpected ways. While there’s a lot of emotional complexity here, the focus is solidly on the earthy, tense wilderness adventure, which is likely what will draw young readers most. Pennypacker’s expert, evenhanded storytelling reveals stunning depth in a relatively small package. Final illustrations by Caldecott Medal winner Klassen not seen.HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: Pennypacker is no stranger to the New York Times best-seller list, and with award-winning Klassen in the mix, this adventure story should easily find a wildly enthusiastic audience.

For as many books as I've read aloud to my class, none has created such excitement as Pax is creating right now as it captures the attention of every single one of my fourth graders every day. They beg me to begin early and finish late to see what is going to happen next to the characters that have become so believable and lovable. The suspense and anticipation keeps the kids engrossed completely. When I do have to reluctantly close the book for the day, the kids instantly start rattling off connections they have with their own pets and/or family in life. I couldn't have chosen a more perfect book to inspire children to love the magic that comes to life from the pages of a book.

Posted by Liz Stafford

Before the world was ready : stories of daring genius in science by Claire Eamer

Before the World was Ready: Stories of Daring Genius in Science by Claire Eamer, (published 2013).113 pages. 6.5 RL Grades 5-8.  An entertaining, informational read-aloud that teaches students about people that have blazed trails and inspires them to blaze their own trail.

Booklist (December 1, 2013 (Vol. 110, No. 7))

Grades 5-8. Eamer explores what it means to defy popular wisdom and become a trailbreaker in the forest of ideas” in this fun collective biography. Detailed stories about eight scientists explain how they endured rejection and ridicule for their work on both personal and professional levels. Included are Nicolaus Copernicus, who insisted that the Earth was not the center of the universe; Ignaz Philipp Semmelweis, who encouraged doctors to wash their hands to reduce death rates in hospitals; and Rachel Carson, who was the first to warn of the dangers of DDT. Each person’s process of inquiry, experimentation, and discovery typifies the scientific method. Squiggly cartoon illustrations provide comical sidebars in concert with the text. The book’s epilogue reinforces its thesis, explaining common obstacles to each of the scientists and discussing potential trailbreakers of the near future in the field of climate change. Aside from providing interesting biographical reading, this book is replete with life lessons for adolescents and tweens about flouting popularity in the name of what is right.

Do nonfiction books make good read-alouds?  There are some that don't, but Before the Word Was Ready does.  The scientists in this book all have one thing in common, their work was doubted or questioned during their life time, but they were determined and laid the foundation for the work of future scientists.  The book references other scientists and the work that motivated them.  The unique details that accompany these stories are such that students ask, "Is that true?"  The connections that the students make to today's world of science cultivates their curiosity.


Posted by Kellie Hale

Guinea Dog by Patrick Jennings

Guinea Dog written by Patrick Jennings, (published 2010). 510L  3.2RL Grades 3-6.  This book is a light-hearted story of a how a boy overcomes his disappointment and frustration when his parents do not give him the pet he wants.

Kirkus Reviews (March 15, 2010)

A humorous story about an unusual pet. Rufus has but one wish--a dog. His stay-at-home Dad does not agree. His list of reasons not to get a dog extends over two pages. Rufus's sympathetic mom brings home a guinea pig, which Rufus has expressly said he does not want. To his surprise, though, the guinea pig (which he sullenly names Fido) behaves like a dog! She obeys every command Rufus gives her, plays tug-o'-war and even chews shoes. His best friend wishes she were his when, during a Frisbee game, out of nowhere, she retrieves the disc and brings it to Rufus. The family decides to return Fido to the pet store, but a classmate is willing to buy her to replace her hamster--and it's then that Rufus begins to have second thoughts. Jennings provides no explanation as to why Fido acts like a dog, asking readers to accept the absurdity along with Rufus. The school characters are fairly one dimensional, but the undeniably funny plot moves along, and readers into beginning chapter books should enjoy this wry story of wish fulfillment. (Animal fantasy. 7-9)

This book has been a hit with every group of students of mine. Its funny, it has a meaningful problem to many children, and its a quick read. It is always a bonus when my students think they are just listening to a funny, light-hearted story about another's person's problems, and they come to realize that they themselves have acted in a similar manner sometime in their own life when things aren't going their way. My students empathize with Rufus as he struggles to accept this little guinea pig that he didn't want. It is nice that Rufus redeems himself in the end and realizes that Fido is everything he could ever want in a pet. 

by Liz Stafford

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini

Piggie Pie by Margie Palatini  (Published in 1995).   32 Unnumbered pages. 420L.  R.L. 2.5 Grades 2-3.  Piggie Pie I must have Piggie Pie, but where can I find 8 plump piggies?

Booklist starred (Vol. 92, No. 1 (September 1, 1995))

Ages 5-8. This is definitely not your run-of-the-mill Halloween picture book, even though Gritch the Witch certainly looks her part (though a bit more trendy), with a pointy hat, a gap-toothed grin, vicious green fingernails, and two beauteous moles on her face. She acts her part, too, swaggering, greedy, and just plain impatient, as she brooms off to Old MacDonald's Farm in search of eight plump porkers for her favorite pie. But Palatini deftly turns the tables on Gritch, whose own sense of importance (and the skywritten warning "Surrender Piggies!" ) gives her victims time to implement a plan to save their bacon. When hungry Gritch arrives at the farm, she can't find a single pig. Instead, she finds a wolf, whom she slyly invites home: "I always enjoy having a wolf for lunch." The wry, peppery dialogue is simply great ("Look, Shorty, I've been quack-quacked here, moo-mooed there, and clucked-clucked everywhere all over this farm" ), and Palatini's allusions to popular children's stories from The Wizard of Oz to the "Three Little Pigs" will delight kids. So will Fine's bold, expressive artwork, which gives wicked Gritch a comic audacity that makes her trouncing all the better. A sardonically humorous, rip-roaring yarn that can be enjoyed all year round.

Piggie Pie is a read aloud that I am anxious to start every year.  Poor Gritch the Witch, more than anything else she is craving Piggie Pie.  She checks her recipe and pantry and she has everything she needs to make Piggie Pie except for 8 Plump Piggies.  This story is delightfully written as she scours the local farm for her piggies, but can find only suspicious looking ducks, chickens, lumpy cows and an Old McDonald who really doesn't look much like his picture.  I read this book with 2nd graders every year, then I assign parts to students and we enjoy a Reader's Theater activity the next day with everyone in the class having a part in the play.  On the author's website, www.margiepalatini.com,  you can download the reader's theater for duplication.  It is always a fun day on the farm with Piggie Pie

by Margo Irving

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin

Rain Reign by Ann M. Martin (published in 2014). 234 pages. 720L. R.L 4.3. Grades 3-6.  Yes, that's dog on the cover.  Yes, it is another dog book.  Yes, it is totally worth the read.

Kirkus Reviews starred (September 1, 2014)

A story about honorable living in the autistic-narrator genre that sets the bar high. Rose has a diagnosis of Asperger's, and her world of comforting homonyms, rules and prime numbers is repeatedly challenged by social interactions of which she has no innate understanding. Newbery Honor author Martin crafts a skillful tale that engages readers' sympathy for everyone portrayed in the story, even Rose's garage-mechanic, hard-drinking single father. He has given Rose a stray dog he found after an evening of drinking at the local bar, and Rose names her Rain. Through touching and funny scenes at school--where Rose has an aide but is in a regular classroom--and discomfiting scenes at home, readers come to understand how Rose's close relationship to Rain anchors her. But Rain goes missing during a storm, and when, with the help of her sympathetic uncle, Rose finds her dog weeks later, she is told that Rain was microchipped and actually belongs to someone else. Since following rules is vital to Rose, she must find Rain's original owners and give her dog back. Martin has penned a riveting, seamless narrative in which each word sings and each scene counts. There is no fluff here, just sophisticated, emotionally honest storytelling. (Fiction. 8-12)

Deciding what makes this book such a great read aloud is difficult.  When I think about the powerful story, I lean toward the characters.  They are more than they first appear to be.  Rose frustrates her father, classmates, and even the reader by her choices, but, in the end, her choices are what endear her to the reader.  When I think about the way Martin weaves homonyms into the story, I lean toward the word play.  Either way, the students in my fifth grade class loved it, it and inspired many to keep their own lists of homonyms.

by Kellie Hale

The Leaf Man by Lois Ehlert

The Leaf Man, written and illustrated by Lois Ehlert (published in 2005). Picture Book.  310L  RL2.3  When leaves are falling, it is possible to use your imagination to see many different creatures from the forest hidden in the leaves before the wind blows it all away.

Booklist starred (June 1, 2005 (Vol. 101, No. 19))

PreS-Gr. 2. Ehlert's imaginative way with picture books in general and those of the natural world in particular continues with this eye-popping book that follows one bold maple leaf with acorn eyes as the wind blows it here and there. In a brief author's note, Ehlert describes how she picks up leaves wherever she goes. She uses them--gathered from oaks, hawthorns, elms, beeches, and more--to great affect here, cleverly shaping them into the many animals and objects the leaf flies over: chickens, fruits and vegetables and lakes, fish, and rivers. Hints of whimsy are cleverly incorporated in the figures (the tips of a maple leaf form a cow's udder), and scalloped edgings on the tops of the pages, cut at varying heights, artfully give the effect of setting the action against a three-dimensional landscape. There is no real story here, but the book can easily translate into a guessing game, as young eyes pick out the slightly camouflaged shapes. The bright colors and distinctive shapes will make it a pleasure for children to do just that.

When I read this book to first or second graders, they are very engaged with trying to seek out all the different hidden animals within the illustrations in this book.  It is a great opportunity for children to also make text connections while you read.  I always hear great stories about preserving leaves from children or searching for the most colorful leaves while playing outside.  One of the things I love to do is to supply the students with a fall colored piece of construction paper, an assortment of artificial leaves, and a glue stick. Then I have the students create their own version of either the Leaf Man or any other woodland creature they choose.  

Posted by Margo Irving

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (published in 2016). 276 pages. 550L. R.L 3.7. Grades 4-7. This book is perfect for readers to empathize with kids who feel different and left out at school whether it is from a disability, a bully, or just not fitting in.


                                                                   

Booklist starred (December 15, 2014 (Vol. 111, No. 8))

Grades 4-7. Ally doesn’t fit in. She draws beautifully and can create movies in her mind, but she is often bullied and hides the fact that she cannot read. Now in her seventh school, she plans to pull the wool over the eyes of her sixth-grade teacher, as she has done with many other teachers in the past. But Mr. Daniels is different. He believes in Ally, insisting she is smart, and it’s almost enough to make her want to try his different way of learning. Could she actually, possibly learn to read? Filled with a delightful range of quirky characters and told with tons of heart, the story also explores themes of family, friendship, and courage in its many forms. And while a girl with dyslexia may be the center of the book, it has something to offer for a wide-ranging audience, making this an excellent class read-aloud. A hopeful and meaningful choice for those who struggle academically, this is as unique as its heroine.

Every class has its kids who feel left out for one reason or another. Worse yet, every class has those kids who leave others out or just enjoy teasing kids to make themselves feel better. This beautifully written book gripped my fourth graders from the very first time Ally was ostracized by a group of girls in her class. My fourth graders railed against the mean kids' behavior. They cheered for Ally as she found friends who accepted her. It was an authentic opportunity for us to discuss how bullying affects others and how to overcome it when it happens. I will read this every year because of its powerful message on being bullied and rising above it. An extra bonus, teachers, is that it reminds US that not all teachers take the time and patience to find the "good" in kids. 

Posted by Liz Stafford  

The Hickory Chair by Lisa Rowe Fraustino

The Hickory Chair by Lisa Rowe Fraustino and illustrated by Benny Andrews (published in 2001). Picture Book.  700L. R.L. 3.9. A boy discovers his special gifts in this story that tickles all your senses, especially your heart.

Booklist (March 1, 2001 (Vol. 97, No. 13))

Ages 4-8. Louis was born blind but Gran tells him, "You're my favorite youngest grandchild"and comforts and reassures him, "You got blind sight."Sure enough, when the grandchildren play hide-and-seek, Louis can "almost always sniff everyone out."And when Gran dies, it is Louis who finds the notes that she has hidden that tell each family member what she has left for him or her. Everyone except Louis gets a note. It's a heartbreaking moment, but children will find a reassuring surprise waiting for them at the end of the story, which is eloquent in its simplicity and elegant in its use of images to convey the sounds, smells, and tactile sensations of Louis'sightless world. Paper crackles "like hickory limbs in the wind,"and Gran smells of lilacs "with a whiff of bleach."Perfectly complementing the rich texture of these words are artist Andrews'beautifully colored, warmly tactile oil and fabric collages.

This is a story filled with love.  You feel it as you read it aloud to your students and your students feel it too. It can lead to wonderful discussions on how people show their love.  It's the perfect story for generating ideas, and it can easily become a mentor text for students writing personal narratives.  The hickory chair in the story becomes a symbol of love which is the perfect opportunity to get students to identify symbols in their own lives.

Posted by Kellie Hale

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan

The Night Gardener by Terry Fan and illlustrated by Eric Fan (Published in 2016).  Picture Book.  390L.  R.L. 3.2.  Grimlock Lane is a street with no interest, color, or joy.  This is a story about how just one person can change the outlook of many people.

Booklist (January 1, 2016 (Vol. 112, No. 9))

Grades K-3. Life on Grimloch Lane is, well, pretty grim until the morning William awakens in his home at the Grimloch Orphanage to discover that something marvelous has happened overnight: through topiary art, the tree on the street has been transformed into a giant owl! And that’s just the beginning. Each morning thereafter, a new topiary work appears: first, a cat, then a rabbit, then a parakeet, and finally the most magnificent masterpiece yet appears: a majestic griffin. Who is responsible for these marvels? That night, as William is about to head home, he spots a stranger and follows him. Could it be? Yes, it is the Night Gardener, and he asks William to help him. The next morning, the gardener is gone, but he has left William a life-changing gift. Though not quite life-changing itself, the Fan brothers’ quiet story is nevertheless invested with an element of agreeable magic which is underscored by their use of muted colors to evoke the mysteries of the night. It is a pleasing collaboration with art bound to both haunt and delight.

As students listen and carefully watch the illustrations in this book, they become very much aware of the subtle changes happening on Grimloch Lane.   The opportunities this book brings for predicting, text to self, and text to text comparisons can be very enriching.  Children love to see just what changes will occur during the night and what they might be able to find the next morning.  Just as one child in the story is moved and affected by the actions of the "Night Gardener," students in my class were also intrigued by this picture book.

Posted by Margo Irving

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements. (published 2002). 190 pages. 820L. R.L. 5.3. Grades 4-6.  The power in this realistic, adventure story is that students can relate to the feeling of lack of control experienced by the main character, Mark, and learn from him as he seeks to change those things that are within this control to make his life better. 

Kirkus Reviews (August 1, 2002)

Playing on his customary theme that children have more on the ball than adults give them credit for, Clements (Big Al and Shrimpy, p. 951, etc.) pairs a smart, unhappy, rich kid and a small-town teacher too quick to judge on appearances. Knowing that he'll only be finishing up the term at the local public school near his new country home before hieing off to an exclusive academy, Mark makes no special effort to fit in, just sitting in class and staring moodily out the window. This rubs veteran science teacher Bill Maxwell the wrong way, big time, so that even after Mark realizes that he's being a snot and tries to make amends, all he gets from Mr. Maxwell is the cold shoulder. Matters come to a head during a long-anticipated class camping trip; after Maxwell catches Mark with a forbidden knife (a camp mate's, as it turns out) and lowers the boom, Mark storms off into the woods. Unaware that Mark is a well-prepared, enthusiastic (if inexperienced) hiker, Maxwell follows carelessly, sure that the "slacker" will be waiting for rescue around the next bend-and breaks his ankle running down a slope. Reconciliation ensues once he hobbles painfully into Mark's neatly organized camp, and the two make their way back together. This might have some appeal to fans of Gary Paulsen's or Will Hobbs's more catastrophic survival tales, but because Clements pauses to explain-at length-everyone's history, motives, feelings, and mindset, it reads more like a scenario (albeit an empowering one, at least for children) than a story. Worthy-but just as Maxwell underestimates his new student, so too does Clement underestimate his readers' ability to figure out for themselves what's going on in each character's life and head. (Fiction. 10-12)

With so many good read aloud options, it is sometimes hard to choose.  My fifth graders always enjoy A Week in the Woods.  For me, it fits one of the most important qualities for a good read aloud.  It is less than 200 pages which means it won't take me the whole semester to read it.  Perhaps most importantly the character is a fifth grader which I find helps my students connect to the characters. I also appreciate that like most Clements books, the main character is a boy. I don't often find this to be the case.  At our school, like many schools in Colorado, the fifth grade is the year where students go up into the mountains for outdoor education to spend a few nights.  

Timmy Failure - Mistakes Were made by Stephan Pastis

Timmy Failure  - Mistakes Were Made by Stephan Pastis. (published 2013). 294 pages. RL 3.8. Grades 3-6. This lighthearted tale is of a boy who humorously attempts to solve cases as a detective without paying a great deal of attention to details all around him.

                                             

Booklist (December 15, 2013 (Online))

Grades 4-7. Eleven-year-old Timmy Failure would have you believe that he is the best detective in town, destined to head a multibillion-dollar agency. But he is no Encyclopedia Brown. The fact that his partner is an imaginary 1,200-pound polar bear named Total—hence the agency’s moniker “Total Failure”—is an indication of Timmy’s rich inner life. In reality, Timmy is bored at school by teachers who don’t get him and is in a whole heap of trouble for using his mother’s Segway, which was then stolen. Cartoonist Pastis’ book is in the same vein as Diary of a Wimpy Kid (2007), but his brand of humor is less slapstick and much darker. Timmy’s delusional self-confidence seems almost pathetic at times, as the reader realizes that he is very socially inept. Fortunately for Timmy, there are some adults in his life who really do care for him, and with the right balance of indulgence and firmness, they keep him on track. Younger readers attracted by the cartoons might not connect with Timmy’s offbeat humor, but older readers should be simultaneously amused and touched by this quirky antihero. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: This may be Pastis’ first book for young people, but he is a New York Times best-selling adult author. Impressive promotional plans include an author tour, promotional items, and extensive consumer advertising.

This book has sparked lots of lively conversation in my class about how Timmy is missing the obvious again and again in the story. Consequently, my students are looking at their own behaviors and how sometimes if they stop and think, they can make better or deeper connections as they begin their 4th grade year. Coupled with this collective feeling of knowing more than the main character, and even feeling sorry for him that he can't make connections, this story has many cartoon illustrations that delight my new 4th graders. I decided to present the book on the document camera as I read aloud so kids can easily see the pictures as I read. So far, it has been a real hit to start off the year with this humorous book. Many students have been intrigued that it is part of a series, so they've chosen others to read on their own.

Posted by Liz Stafford

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson

Each Kindness by Jacqueline Woodson and illustrated by E.B. Lewis (published 2012). Picture book. 570L, RL 3.1.  This a story about the importance of not missing the opportunity to show kindness.

Booklist starred (August 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 22))

Grades K-3. Starting with the title, this quiet, intense picture book is about the small actions that can haunt. As in collaborations such as Coming on Home Soon (2004), Woodson’s spare, eloquent free verse and Lewis’ beautiful, spacious watercolor paintings tell a story for young kids that will touch all ages. In a first-person voice, Chloe speaks about how a new girl in class, Maya, gets the empty seat next to her and tries to be friends. But Chloe and her clique will have none of the poor white kid in her old ragged clothes, and their meanness intensifies after Maya asks to play with them. Then Maya’s family moves away, and she is “forever gone,” leaving Chloe without the chance to put things right. Chloe’s teacher spells out lessons of kindness, but the story is most powerful in the scenes of malicious bullying in the multiracial classroom and in the school yard. It is rare to tell a story of cruelty from the bully’s viewpoint, and both the words and pictures powerfully evoke Chloe’s shame and sorrow over the kindness she has not shown, as she looks at the empty seat next to her in the classroom, and then, alone and troubled, throws a stone in the water and watches the ripples move out and away. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The combined talents and star power of Woodson and Lewis will undoubtably create plenty of pre-pub. buzz.

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Along with many teachers at my elementary school, I like to start each new school year by sharing this book.  It is one of those books that touches students of all ages.  Students can relate to both Maya, whose attempts at friendship are not received by her peers, and Chloe, who struggles with her actions toward the new student who is a little different than she and her friends.  It is one of those books that helps create a classroom culture on how we will and will not treat each other through a shared experience discussing this book.  In addition to this powerful story, I also like to share The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig.

Posted by Kellie Hale