FIRST CHAPTER FRIDAY!

This week's novel is The Terrible Two 

by...

It is one of my favorite books because it made me laugh out loud.

Literally.

In the dentist office waiting room.

The chapters are short with lots of funny illustrations.

Click below to listen to Mrs. Sol read Chapters 1-4!

Record music with Vocaroo >>

OR

If you like it, there are also other TERRIBLE books in the series...

Happy Reading!

Read a Good Book Today

Looking for a good book on this rainy Saturday? Check out...

What Should I Read Next?

Haiku Review: Henry Huggins

Henry Huggins

by Beverly Cleary

[grades 3-5]

What's your favorite Beverly Cleary book?

Haiku Review: Hollis Woods

This summer, I read a bazillion chapter books. My favorite genre is realistic fiction and I'm usually drawn to upper grade and middle school novels. I do read other genres, if recommended by students, my boys, and their friends. 

There are so many fantastic books out there! I decided to write mini summaries of the books I've read and post them on this blog. Voila! The Haiku Review was born.

When  I finish a novel, I will post a photo (with props from the story), the book information, and a Haiku summary of the story. If you think it sounds interesting, find a copy at your local library. Then, let me know what you think!

NOTE: I will only post a book, if I think it's worth recommending. That means I give it a 4 or 5 stars.

Book Post #1 (drum roll please)...

Pictures of Hollis Woods

by Patricia Reilly Giff

[grades 4-6]

What book should I read next?

I {Heart} Books

Ah books…

How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.

I love thee cover, binding, pages crisp and bright

The times my soul can read, to its overwhelming delight

On the beach, at school, in bed at night.

I’ll read thee by sun and candle-light. 

Heroes, animals, kids from decades past,

Hand a book to me, so I can read at last.

I'm totally not even joking. I love books.

They make such nice companions.

Literally.

I usually read one book at home and I listen to another while I'm driving in the car. I especially love children's chapter books and young adult fiction. As many of you know, I am always on the look out for new books to read and you guys have recommended some amazing novels! 

I've been reading for quite a few years now, and I do have my favorites. When I decided to write this post, I thought I would list my Top 10. Then, I realized that was quite a challenging task! Instead, I've come up with grade-level categories. Books were sorted based on reading level, maturity level, and the age of the novel's main characters.

NOTE: The books below are my recommendations as of today, March 31, 2014. The list will grow and change as I discover new children's literature!

Click on the graphics below for a closer look at titles and authors.

To read my post on Boy Books, click here.
For my list of Chick Picks, click here.
To see what the high schoolers are reading, click here.

What book would you add to my list of recommendations? 

Stay tuned for student Book Club samples later in the week.

Yours truly,

Wordles: A Novel Idea

The students in my Literary Analysis classes created the following Wordles to go along with our first semester novel studies.  For a larger view, click on the image.

To Kill a Mockingbird Wordle, by Austin

The Outsiders Wordle, by Billy

Lord of the Flies Wordle, by Tavin

The Outsiders Wordle, by Thomas

To Kill a Mockingbird Wordle, by Bailey

The Outsiders Wordle, by Andrew

Anne of Green Gables Wordle, by Jilly

To Kill a Mockingbird Wordle, by Mrs. Sol

(I couldn't resist)

The Wordle below was created by one of my Journalism students! Thanks Eilis!

Journalism, by Eilis

Cool, right? To create your own word cloud, visit www.wordle.net.

Nice job students!

Bookworms Unite!

Hey students!

This week, we are going to share our favorite books. When you reply, please remember to type the complete title and author, so other students can find a copy of the book. I will use all of the recommendations in this post to create a new Bookworm list on the page to the right.

What book or books would you recommend to someone your age?

Your comment will not be seen by others until I approve it. Please use only your first name whenever you leave a comment on this blog. For directions, visit Blogging 101.

Summer Reading... Girl Edition

Now that I have two boys, I'm completely out of the loop when it comes to girl books. My goal this summer is to read as many girl-recommended novels as I can. In order to reach my goal, I've solicited book suggestions from my students, my neighbors, my sons' friends' sisters and random girls spotted with books out and about.

Each novel must meet the following criteria:

1. It's appropriate for 4th-6th graders.

2. The main character is a girl.

3. The book was written by a female.

I've read quite a few, and I already have favorites that I know my 4th-6th grade girlfriends will enjoy. As a young lady, I attended the Beverly Cleary School of Realistic Fiction. I still enjoy novels about kids who act like kids, even when overcoming life's obstacles. The books below made my list of favorites because they are innocent, touching, character-driven stories with a thoughtful storyline. Most importantly, the main characters are unique. When you put each book down, you will feel like you have made a new friend.

A Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

Love, Aubrey by Suzanne LaFleur

Ida B and Her Plans to Maximize Fun, Avoid Disaster, and (Possibly) Save the World   

by Katherine Hannigan

The Magic Half by Annie Barrows

Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech

Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo  

Secrets of a Cicada Summer by Andrea Beaty

 

I will continue to add information about the books I read this summer... if they are worthy of sharing, that is. If you would like to share a wonderful children's novel or if you would like to comment on a title listed above, feel free leave a comment!