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

Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna

Mr. Peabody's Apples by Madonna and illustrated by Loren Long (published 2003).  32 page picture book. AD860L, RL 3.8. Grades 4-5.  This book tells a story of how our words can hold great power for good or for bad.  

Horn Book Guide (Spring 2004)

Madonna credits an unnamed "nearly three hundred year old story" as the inspiration for her second picture book, about a boy who learns about the destructive power of gossip when a friend starts a rumor that the respected Little League coach is a thief. The story is preachy but somewhat redeemed by its fablelike structure, and while it has cutesy touches it doesn't go on for too long. The Thomas Hart Benton-style paintings give an appropriately folksy tone for the small-town setting.

 As a school librarian, I have often been asked for a book that teaches consequences, has a good moral message, or is just a story with a strong message.  This is one of my favorite recommendations.  In this book, Mr. Peabody is the victim of mistaken information and gossip.  When students hear the message relaying how damaging gossip can never be completely untold, it opens the doors for student led discussions about telling stories about fellow students.  Lately, it has opened opportunities to help students realize the dangers and repercussions of internet postings and how they can never be completely "undone".

Posted by Margo Irving

Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs

Go Big or Go Home by Will Hobbs (published 2008). 185 pages. 700L, RL 3.9. This book entertains intermediate level children with the possibility of a meteorite giving super-human powers to an average boy.

                                                      

KIRKUS REVIEW (January 1, 2008)

Extreme sports and extraterrestrial bacteria that thrive in extreme environments are the ingredients for Hobbs’s latest adventure. A meteorite plunging through 14-year-old Brady’s bed begins an exciting summer in South Dakota for Brady and his visiting cousin Quinn. Bike riding up and down the mountains, exploring an unknown cave, fishing for lake trout from a flimsy rubber boat and watching a full-size catapult hurl a discarded toilet bowl are all part of the action. The long-dormant extremophile bacteria from the meteorite revive to infect Brady. The first symptoms are positive—he can bike faster and longer than ever before. But soon he has disturbing episodes of total paralysis. On top of that, his long-time enemies, the Carver boys next door, get possession of the stone. The Black Hills setting is well drawn, including interesting details about the Crazy Horse Memorial, where Brady’s father is a construction worker. With convincing, first-person narration, a fast pace and plenty of suspense, this is a welcome addition to Hobbs’s extremely reader-pleasing work. (Fiction. 10-15)

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This story had my fourth grade class begging for more each time I placed my bookmark between the pages, signaling the end of our read aloud time. They were riveted to the story line, guessing what would happen next and what they would do with the super-human powers Brady experienced. It led to a great writing activity where the students all imagined what they would do to help make their world better if they found themselves suddenly gifted with super-human powers. Some critics may think that because it has boy characters, meteorites, and debilitating bacteria, that is not well-received by more feminine students. However, this was not the case. All of my students were engrossed and engaged in this fun read aloud. An extra bonus was that my students all sent letters to Will Hobbs (who resides in Colorado) afterward, and he was so gracious to respond quickly to our class.  

Posted by Liz Stafford

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

Posted by Kellie Hale and Liz Stafford

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (published 2012). 300 pages, easy read, Lexile 570, Grade 3-6.  The book introduces young minds to inequities that occur with animals held in captivity, and the need to rise to action.

Booklist (February 15, 2012 (Vol. 108, No. 12))

Grades 3-6. Ivan, a silverback gorilla, has lived in a glass, metal, and concrete enclosure at Big Top Mall and Video Arcade, “conveniently located off I-95,” for 27 years. Bored, he watches TV, draws pictures, throws “me-balls” (dried excrement) at visitors, and enjoys the company of a venerable elephant named Stella and a few other friends. After a baby elephant arrives, Ivan makes Stella a solemn promise that seems impossible to fulfill. The text, written in first person from Ivan’s point of view, does a good job of vividly conveying his personality, emotions, and intelligence as well as creating a sense of otherness in his point of view. His story is based on the life of a gorilla now living at Zoo Atlanta. The book’s wide-spaced lines, plentiful white space, and pleasing black-and-white illustrations make this a quicker read than the page count might suggest. Animals fans will enjoy this one.

In my 4th grade classroom, my students were horrified at the oppression Ivan felt when he witnessed the mistreatment of his other animal friends. Our discussions were deep and meaningful, and included everyone in the room, even students who struggle with the production of their own reading. It was enlightening to watch my students connect this social issue with issues in our own society regarding animals and humans. It reminded me that "listening" to great literature levels the playing field of comprehension for students and ultimately makes more kids feel successful as thinkers.

CONNECTIONS:

http://theoneandonlyivan.com/