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