Chapter Book 14: Notes from a Liar and Her Dog



Notes from a Liar and Her Dog
By Jennifer Choldenko

Genre: Juvenile Fiction     Sub-Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Coming-of-age, family, lying, friendship, misunderstanding, fantasy & escape, humor

Primary Characters: Antonia "Ant" MacPherson
Secondary Characters: Ant's best friend Harrison; her mother and father; her two sisters Katherine and Elizabeth

Awards:
IRA Book Award
School Library Journal Best Book of the Year
California Book Award
Junior Library Guild Selection
Published June 23, 2003 by Puffin Books

This book tells the story of young Antonia ("Ant") MacPherson. Ant appears to have a healthy dose of what is sometimes referred to as "middle child syndrome"; she has a younger sister and an older one, Katherine and Elizabeth, who seem to get all of their parents' attention. Meanwhile, Ant is left out most of the time and floats between clever ruses to get her mother and father to notice her and tiptoeing along in the shadows in hopes of never being noticed. She even keeps a diary of "letters" to her fantasy family that she has dreamed up for herself; a family that she often wishes she belonged to, rather than to her own. Her art teacher, Carol, decides to take Ant and her best friend, Harrison, under her wing and gets them to volunteer their time at the local zoo. This is an enjoyable task, although Ant's hijinks threaten to get her in trouble, and even danger, at times! I would use this coming-of-age novel as a literature circle book for an upper-elementary grade class; also, it could perhaps be an interesting whole-class read, as most students will be able to relate to having issues with their siblings when it comes to the attention of their parents.

Chapter Book 13: Money Hungry

 

Money Hungry
by Sharon G. Flake

Genre: Juvenile Fiction    Sub-Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Avarice, friendship, priorities, family, class discrimination, racism, urban life, determination

Primary Characters: Rasberry Hill
Secondary Characters: Rasberry's mother; her classmates at school; her friends Mai Kim and Ja'nae; her father (implied); and her neighbors, Check and Shoe.

Awards:

Coretta Scott King Honor Award

Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh One Community One Book

Starred review in Booklist Magazine

New York Public Library Top Ten Books for the Teen Age

LA Times Recommended Books for Teens

Carolyn Field Honor Book

Published August 2007 by Perfection Learning

This is a sweet little story!! In this book, we meet saucy, thirteen-year-old Rasberry Hill. Some time ago, Rasberry's father was busted for drugs, a situation that forced her and her mother out into the streets. Since the two overcame their state of homelessness, Rasberry has been bound and determined not to find herself there again. Thus, she does everything she can think of to scrounge and save any money that she can get her hands on: She sells "discount" (i.e. outdated) holiday candy, does without lunch at school so she can save the funds instead, washes cars, cleans houses, etc. Her peers at school consider Rasberry to be somewhat stingy, a factor that puts a strain on her relationship with her friends at times. She stashes all of her cash in her bedroom; having it makes her feel "safe". Trouble strikes when her mother discovers the stash and believes it to be stolen; in a fit of rage at her daughter's alleged behavior, she throws the money out of their apartment window! Matters are complicated further when the more well-to-do residents of a neighborhood that the Hills were all set to move into complain about the pending arrival of the lower-class mother and daughter.
I would use this book as part of a unit on human equity or perhaps diversity; it would make a good literature circle read so that students could have close discussion with their peers about the book's colorful characters. It would be best suited for a class of upper-elementary grade students.

Chapter Book 12: Me, the Missing, and the Dead



Me, the Missing, and the Dead

by Jenny Valentine

Genre: Juvenile Fiction   Sub-Genre: Mystery

Themes: Coming-of-age, mystery, death, family, comedy, tragedy, supernatural

Primary Characters: Lucas Swain
Secondary Characters: A deceased lady named Violet (implied), Lucas's mother, sister, and grandfather; also, his missing father (implied)

Awards: William C. Morris Award finalist

Published on April 1, 2008 by Harper Teen

This book is about a boy named Lucas, a fifteen-year-old who lives in London, England. His father disappeared years ago, and he considers himself to be the only person in his family who cares much what happened to him. An odd thing about Lucas is his keen interest in the deceased; while waiting in an office lobby in the city, he spies an urn and feels a strong urge to "know" the person whose remains are inside. This turns out to be a lady named Violet Park, a once-famous piano player who oddly enough possessed a connection with Lucas's missing father. As Lucas sets about researching Violet's life, he discovers bits and pieces of his father's story. Finally, he is able to solve the mystery of his dad's disappearance and become at peace with the situation. I would use this novel in a class of upper-elementary grade students (sixth grade at youngest). It's a bittersweet, coming-of-age story that I think could be enjoyed by a class as a whole (both male and female students equally), or in separate literature circle groups.

Chapter Book 11: The Girl With a Baby



The Girl With a Baby
by Sylvia Olsen

Genre: Juvenile Fiction    Sub-Genre: Realistic Fiction

Themes: Family, morality, personal choices, determination, strength of character, identity, purpose, coming-of-age

Primary Characters: Jane, Destiny (Jane's daughter), Tet (Jane's Indian grandmother)
Secondary Characters: Jane's classmates at school, her older brothers, her parents

Awards: nominee for Saskatchewan’s Silver Birch Award, B.C. Teen Readers' Choice Stellar Award
Published January 1, 2003 by Sono Nis Press

Jane is a 14-year-old girl who is a good student, popular at school, and a member of the school drama club; she is also a new mother. When Jane returns to high school with her new baby, who she has named Destiny, she fears that she will no longer be well-liked and respected due to the social stigma that surrounds teen motherhood. She is pleased to find, however, that her family offers her much support and encourages her to keep expecting the best from herself and others (Destiny included). Her Native American grandmother is particularly encouraging; she tells Jane that she (Jane) is a descendent of many very strong women, and that she, too, will overcome the obstacles of her life. Jane's determination to raise her baby with respect for Native American traditions as well as familiarity with modern life keeps her going during her trying times as Destiny's father deserts the two of them.
This would be a good choice for a literature circle group, perhaps containing mainly female students who could relate best to the story's main characters. I would use it in a class of only the oldest elementary-grade students due to its adult-like nature (teen motherhood, moral consequences, relationships, etc.).

Chapter Book 10: The Missing Manatee



The Missing Manatee
by Cynthia DeFelice

Genre: Juvenile Fiction     Sub-Genre: Mystery

Themes: Mystery, family, justice, ambition, determination & perseverence

Primary Characters: Skeet Waters
Secondary Characters: Skeet's mother and father, Dirty Dan (a fisherman), Blink (Dan's son), the Sheriff of Skeet's hometown

Awards: Nominated for the 2006 Edgar Award for Best Juvenile Mystery

Published March 24, 2005 by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

In this book, an 11-year-old boy named Skeet Waters begins his first day of his long-anticipated spring break by overhearing a terrible fight between his mother and father. Mom eventually tells Dad to leave (permanently, so it would seem), and Skeet leaves the house to go fishing as a means of escape. His excursion offers little peace, however, as he comes upon a manatee floating in the water. The animal appears to have been shot in the head, and an upset Skeet quickly goes ashore and calls upon the local sheriff. The two return to the spot where Skeet found the manatee, only to find that the body is missing. Skeet's determination to solve the mystery of the animal's death is derailed briefly by a fisherman who goes by Dirty Dan; Dan offers to take Skeet fishing for tarpon and Skeet eagerly accepts. Once out on the water, Dirty Dan partakes of some adult beverages and lets slip to Skeet that he knows who is responsible for the manatee's death: His special-needs son, Blink.
This was a heart-wrenching story, but a good mystery nonetheless! I would use it with a class of older elementary-grade students; its content is probably suitable for those in the sixth grade and up, perhaps also for the more mature fifth-grader. It would be a good choice for a smaller literature circle; I would assign it to students who express an interest particularly in animals and mysteries when filling out an interest inventory.

Chapter Book 9: Invisible



Invisible
By Pete Hautman

Genre: Juvenile Fiction      Sub-Genre: Mystery

Themes: Mental instability, suspense, popularity, bullying

Primary Characters: Doug Hanson, his best friend Andy Morrow
Secondary Characters: Doug and Andy's classmates, Doug's psychiatrist, Doug's parents, Andy's parents

Awards: Iowa Teen Award 2009-2010

Published November 28, 2006 by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

This book tells the story of a seventeen year-old boy named Doug Hanson. Doug is a lonely, non-sociable high-schooler with only one real friend and a limited grasp on reality. As the story unfolds, we realize more and more just how unstable his mental health is as we learn of his psychiatrist and medication that he refuses to take. It also becomes clear that he and his best friend Andy (ironically, one of the most popular boys at school) were involved in an accident with a fire when they were younger. The mystery of past events makes this dark book very suspenseful! Due to its intense nature I would only use this with the oldest elementary-grade students; sixth grade at the youngest. It would make for a good whole-class read, I think, because discussions on it would be most interesting!

Picture Book no. 26: "Let's Get a Pup!" Said Kate



"Let's Get a Pup!" Said Kate
Written and Illustrated by Bob Graham

Genre: Picture Book     Sub-Genre: Fiction
Themes: Family, pets, love, emotion, loss, humor

Primary Characters: Kate, her mother and father, the two dogs they adopt from the Rescue Center
Secondary Characters: Other dogs at the Center, Kate's cat who has died recently (implied)

Published July 14, 2003 by Candlewick Press

Awards:
Australian Children's Book of the Year
ALA Notable Book
Boston Globe Hornbook Award

In this heartwarming story, we meet Kate and her Mom and Dad. They have just lost Kate's beloved pet cat, but she is beginning to move on and has now decided that she would like for the family to get a new pet-- a pup! The family goes to the local animal shelter, where they visit with many dogs and finally decide on a particular puppy, Dave. Everyone is happy with their choice. However, on their way out the family sees another dog that "speaks" to them in a way; she is older and grayer than most of the dogs at the shelter. Once home, they can't stop thinking about her..so they go back and get her! As a lifelong animal lover, I was tearfully relieved when Kate and her parents returned to the shelter to adopt "Rosy". =) This sweet story would be a good storytime read-aloud for a class of young children because almost all of them will be able to relate to having (and, unfortunately, losing) pets at some time or another. One thing in particular that I liked about this book by John Graham was his illustrations; Kate's parents are made out to be somewhat unconventional (they each have peircings, and her mother even sports a small tattoo!). In spite of their appearances, however, they are perceived as a "normal" family as you read the book, going through "normal", everyday situations. I think showing/reading a book that depicts a family that appears some way other than "traditional" is a good thing, simply because times are changing and this type of personal appearance is becoming more accepted and prevalent in today's society. It is more than likely that some of the children's parents will, indeed, look this way; perhaps books like this will help to keep those children from being made to think that there is something not quite "okay" about their parents' personal appearances.

Picture Book no. 25: Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type



Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type
by Doreen Cronin
Illustrated by Betsy Lewin

Genre: Picture Book       Sub-Genre: Fiction

Theme: Humor, strike, work unions, compromise
Primary Characters: The Cows
Secondary Characters: Farmer Brown, other farm animals

Awards: 2001 Caldecott Honor Book
Published on February 1, 2000 by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type is a hilarious book! The story opens with Farmer Brown hearing the sound of the cows' typing, "all day long". Soon, he goes to the barn and finds a note from his bovine friends, requesting some electric blankets because "the barn is very cold at night". When he doesn't comply right away, the cows go on strike! He comes back to find a second note that reads: "Sorry. We're closed. No milk today." And so his plight continues! Eventually he and the cows come to an agreement. This book would be useful for teaching an invaluable lesson about compromise, an important concept for younger students to learn early on in elementary school. It could be used in conjunction with a guidance lesson on cooperation.

Picture Book 24: The Scallywags



The Scallywags
by David Melling
Illustrated by

Genre: Picture Book    Sub-Genre: Fiction

Theme: Manners/social graces, friendship, identity, motivation to change
Primary characters: The Scallywag family (a family of wolves)
Secondary characters: Their friends (the sheep, the pigs, the bears, etc.)

Awards: Although this book does not appear to have won any awards, David Melling's works have been "shortlisted" for the Kate Greenway Medal and the Smarties Book Award

Published on October 1, 2006  by Barron's Educational Series

In this book, a family of wolves has such terrible manners and rude, rowdy ways that they are finally shunned for good by all of their friends! This social exile gets them to thinking about their troubling dispositions, and together they decide that they will learn good manners. After spying on their more polite and socially adept friends for awhile, the wolves return to town. They are hardly recognizable! The other animals, however, begin to wish that they had their "old" Scallywags back. This would be an adorable book to use with younger elementary grade students, particularly kindergarteners I believe, because at that early stage in life students will just be beginning to learn about behaving politely and in an acceptable manner when they are around their friends. This would offer a humorous example of how things could go wrong if we are not all on our "best behavior"! =)

Picture Book no. 23: How I Became a Pirate



How I Became a Pirate
by Melinda Long
Illustrated by David Shannon

Genre: Picture Book   Sub-Genre: Fiction/Fantasy

Themes: Imagination, adventure, family and friends, action

Primary Character: Jeremy
Secondary Characters: Jeremy's parents, Captain Braidbeard and his crew

Published on September 1, 2003 by Harcourt, Inc.
Awards: Booksense Best Picture Book

How I Became a Pirate is the story of a boy named Jeremy being inducted into a crew of pirates one day while he is making a sandcastle at the beach. As his parents look the other way, Jeremy goes aboard the ship of Captain Braidbeard. The crew needs someone who is a good digger, and he is the boy for the job! The pirates don't observe table manners or bedtime, which Jeremy is excited about, but they also don't do bedtime stories or "tucking in", which disappoints him. He is relieved when the crew returns to shore due to bad weather; he can go home! He convinces the pirates to take the treasure to his house, to be buried in the backyard, and even makes it home in time for soccer practice. =) I would use this in a class of younger elementary school students, as a fun read-aloud in a "storytime" setting. I could see this book being a good pick for a post-lunch read or perhaps in lieu of recess on a rainy day; its fun setting and storyline would be most entertaining!



Picture Book no. 22: Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!





Don't Let the Pigeon Stay Up Late!
Written and Illustrated by Mo Willems

Genre: Picture Book  Sub-Genre: Fiction

Theme: Humor, stubbornness, daily routine (bedtime is something most elementary students can relate to)

Primary Character: The Pigeon
Secondary Characters: The Bus Driver, Pigeon's Bunny

Awards: National Parenting Publications Award in 2006
Named one of the top three books for kindergarteners and first graders in a 2006 poll by Scholastic Books.

Published on February 28, 2006 by Hyperion Press

In this book, the Pigeon acts as typical young children tend to do when it is their bedtime; no matter how sleepy he might be beginning to feel, he is determined to stay up later! Just a bit later--even if it's only five minutes ("What's five minutes in the grand scheme of things?"). His antics are quite humorous, and never tiresome. This would be a perfect read-aloud book for a very young group of students, ideally kindergarteners. Young audiences will appreciate the "responsibility" of not letting Pigeon stay up past his bedtime, and can respond to his questions if they wish (most likely with a resounding "No!").

Picture Book no. 21: The Cow Who Clucked



The Cow Who Clucked
Written and Illustrated by Denise Fleming
Genre: Picture Book   Sub-Genre: Fiction

Themes: Persistence, frustration, identity
Primary Character: Cow
Secondary Characters: Various other farmyard animals, including a small flock of baby chicks who take to following Cow

Awards: 2007 Bank Street - Best Children's Book of the Year.
Published August 8, 2006  by Henry Holt and Co.

This book follows Cow as she wakes up one morning to find that she is clucking instead of mooing! She sets out to find whoever has her moo, inquiring about it to the other animals in the barnyard and on the farm. Along the way, a group of baby chicks begins to follow her, as her clucking sounds just like their mother. As I began to suspect she would, Cow eventually locates her "moo".. the hen has it! The two "swap back" in a happy ending for cow. The Cow Who Clucked would be a good book for a younger class, perhaps kindergarten or first grade, because its rhyming style and repetition would be fun for students around this age to say along with their teacher as the book is read aloud.

Picture Book no. 20: A Visitor for Bear



A Visitor for Bear

by Bonny Becker
Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

Genre: Picture Book  Sub-Genre: Fiction

Themes: Friendship, loneliness, cheer, humor, persistence

Primary Characters: Bear and Mouse
Secondary Characters: n/a

Awards:

"A Visitor for Bear" won the E.B. White Read Aloud Award!

"A Visitor for Bear" won ForeWord Magazine's Book of the Year for Picture Books!

"A Visitor for Bear" received a Golden Kite Award for Picture Book Text. The Golden Kite Award is the only award presented to children's book authors and artists by their peers.

source: http://www.bonnybecker.com/

In the beginning of this book, we meet Bear, a grumpy loner who has a "No Visitors Allowed" sign on his front door! One day, a mouse comes along and asks to come in for a visit; Bear points out the sign and states in no uncertain terms that he doesn't care for company. The mouse, however, then "pops up" as Bear reaches in the cabinet to get a teacup! Each time Bear turns around, Mouse is somewhere new, waiting for him. Finally, Bear grudgingly agrees to let Mouse stay for tea, and a friendship is born as he appreciates Mouse's company at the table. This is a heartwarming story about making new friends, and letting other people share our lives. We all have our "comfort zones", but this book is a good, friendly reminder to us to come out of them once in awhile! I would use this book in a class of younger elementary-grade students, perhaps as part of a guidance lesson on making new friends, or at the beginning of school to emphasize to my class the importance of having friends.

Picture Book no. 19: Castaway Cats



Castaway Cats
by Lisa Wheeler
Illustrated by Ponder Goembel

Genre: Picture Book    Sub-Genre: Fiction/Adventure
Themes: Diversity, overcoming differences, teamwork, adventure

Primary Characters: The Angora cat, the "marmalade" tom cat, the alley cat
Secondary Characters: The seven kittens, various other adult cats

Awards: Starred review, School Library Journal
Published on June 1, 2006 by Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books

This story begins on a desert island, with 15 soggy kitties who have been shipwrecked! Consisting of eight adults and seven kittens, this is a very "colorful" group of characters. From the prissy angora to the tough alley tom, it's safe to say that the felines are quite aware of their differences. However, after waiting for some time with no hope of a ship coming to rescue them, the cats finally decide to build a boat of their own to escape the island. The task calls for them to all work together, and in doing so, they finally begin to discover that they can get along fairly well after all! By the story's end, they consider one another to be "family"; a very happy ending! Because this book is written in verse, I would likely use it as a read-aloud for my students as part of a literary unit on poetry. It might be good for practicing choral poetry.

Picture Book no. 18: Astro Bunnies



Astro Bunnies
by Christine Loomis
Illustrated by Ora Eitan

Genre: Picture Book   Sub-Genre: Fiction; Concept Book
Theme: Scientific discovery, space travel, adventure

Primary Characters: Multiple, unnamed "bunnies"
Secondary Characters: n/a

Awards:

Published in 2002 by Scholastic

This book was so cute!! It tells the story of a small rabbit who looks out his window at night, sees a star in the sky, and decides that although it's terribly far from his home he would like to go there! He and his friends put on little spacesuits, climb up into a rocket, and take off. Once in space, they perform scientific-research tasks like measuring comets and collecting space dust. Astro Bunnies is written in rhyme, at a level that would be appropriate for a very small child (aged three to five, approximately); also, its science concepts would likely be of interest for slightly older elementary grade students (such as those in kindergarten and first grade). I would use it in my classroom as a "story-time" book, preferably in concurrence with a science unit on outer space. This is a topic that seems to generally fascinate children, so I think this book would be very well-received in an elementary school class!

Picture Book no. 17: Ghosts in the House!



Ghosts in the House!
Written and Illustrated by Kazuno Kohara

Genre: Picture Book  Sub-Genre: Fiction

Theme: The supernatural, Halloween (implied)

Primary Characters: The little girl (who happens to be a witch), her cat, and the mischevious ghosts in their new house

Secondary Characters: n/a

Published on August 19, 2008 by Roaring Brook Press

This adorable picture book follows a little girl and her pet cat, as they move into their new home and make an alarming discovery -- the new house is haunted! We soon learn that the little girl herself is a witch, and as such, she knows "a thing or two" when it comes to dealing with the supernatural! The amusing hijinks that take place between the girl and her ghostly houseguests (for example, when she puts them in the washing machine and dryer with bedsheets and they become all wrapped up!) make for a charming read for younger audiences. Were I to read this book in my classroom, I would use it as a fun "storytime" read during late October, when kids are all geared up for Halloween. :) The book isn't of a truly frightening nature, so it would be perfectly acceptable (and probably best suited) for children in the youngest elementary grades.