It's Monday! What are you Reading? is hosted by Jen at TEACH.MENTOR.TEXTS. And shared with Ricki and Kellee at UNLEASHING READERS.
And, also visit Sheila at BOOK JOURNEYS for more reviews.
And, Myra, Fats and Imogene host the blog, Gathering Books and challenge us with their reading Challenge, which you can find here. This week, I'll share books that have been honored with awards.
Tweet! at #IMWAYR
And, Myra, Fats and Imogene host the blog, Gathering Books and challenge us with their reading Challenge, which you can find here. This week, I'll share books that have been honored with awards.
Award-Winners
Three
Hens and a Peacock - written by Lester Laminack
and illustrated by Henry Cole
This is a terrific collaboration between these two artists! It’s wonderful to read a story that holds a
message young children need to figure out, and this is a good one: Everyone has an important job to do. No matter what it is, each one’s place in our
world is needed! I can imagine much
conversation about this story when read aloud.
It’s a tale of a peacock arriving at a farm that sells produce, that
begins to hang around the “Fresh Produce” sign on the road and attracts more
customers. The hens soon become jealous
and wonder what the peacock is doing besides strutting around. After all, they’re producing eggs! When they trade, it’s a surprise what
happens, and that they all finally realize how useful each one is in a special
and unique way. One says, when speaking
of the other’s job, “I’m just not meant for it.” And the others answer, “Your
job is harder than it looks.” The illustrations by Henry Cole, of many
wonderful books illustrated like A
Nest for Celeste, are bright, colorful, funny and just plain
enjoyable. I know that this would be a
terrific addition to any primary classroom.
Children’s Choice Awards in 2012
2012 Storytelling Resource Award
Ragsale
– written by Artie Ann Bates and illustrated by Jeff Chapman-Crane
This story is set in Appalachia, a time of being frugal and traveling
around to the local ragsales to purchase needed clothes and some
furniture. It reminds me of going to
garage sales or to thrift stores today.
Mother and children, sister, cousins and grandmother all go together
(most every week) and have a good time.
The author says she wrote the story to capture a favorite memory from
her childhood. The artist is also from
Appalachia, drawing upon his own memories to create beautifully realistic
portraits of the scenes in the story.
It’s a sweet memoir.
Won Best
in Show at the 1995 New England Book Fair
Chapter Books
A
Dog Called Homeless – written by Sarah Lean
I
just had a few pages left and I put them off for a whole day. I didn’t want the story to end! This is a wonderful book that centers around
Cally Fisher, whose mother has died in an automobile accident, but the father
seems to need to halt all memories of her in order to survive. Cally has her
own struggles at school, often getting into trouble, but takes on a challenge
of a “silence” day to help raise money for a charity. The problem is, she stops talking after the
challenge. Also during this time, the
family has to move to an apartment to save money, and the downstairs neighbor
has a boy a bit older than Cally who is blind and nearly deaf. That friendship developing and the friendship
from a homeless man named Ned complicates things. The dog in the story is cared for by Ned, but
sometimes seen with what Cally believes is her mother’s ghost, yet so, so real. Cally’s mother first appears on the first
anniversary of her death. For a middle
grade novel, it’s a complicated story that moves smoothly through the days,
with Cally struggling with friendships, missing her mother, and also her
father, who has changed the ways he acts toward the family too. When tragedy strikes, nothing seems to be
safe from change. It’s a lovely,
although sad story, and I know you don’t want me to spoil by telling the end,
but I will say, the end “spoils” the reader.
It’s a lovely, lovely story.
Picture Books
The
Show Must Go On – written by Kate Klise, illustrated by M. Sarah
Klise
This
is my first arc from NetGalley, fun to have a few books that are not published
yet! Everyone is excited to see that Sir
Sidney’s circus is coming to town, but this owner is getting older and needs to
find someone to help run his little circus, with a lion, an elephant, two
acrobats, two mice who add jokes all along the way, and one crow. After quite a few interviews, Sir Sidney
offers a trial week to Barnabas Brambles, who appears okay to Sir Sidney, but the
rest of us readers are just a little suspicious. Barnabas’ management ends up quite a
disaster, but the animals do their best to keep the circus together, and try
hard to make the week work, and staying together. Barnabas cuts everyone back to one meal a
day, tries to sell the animals and finally makes a deal with a zoo. Because he doesn’t seem to know how to drive
the circus train, he makes the two acrobat brothers drive. They end up creating quite a few disasters in
their navigation that plague them all, but especially Barnaby. All the circus
performers miss Sir Sidney very much, and we soon discover that he is missing
his circus too. Through huge changes
made in order to make money, and travel mishaps all over the United States, the
story ends in San Francisco with a grand finale. The lessons taught by Sir
Sidney of kindness and giving someone a second chance underscore the story
throughout. The illustrations are clever and bold, using both regular text and
balloon speech to carry the story forward.
There are posters and letters when needed. This book would make quite a fun read aloud!
The
Friend – written by Sarah Stewart, illustrated by David
Small
Lucky me; a friend just brought this to me-- a beautiful story written
in rhyme that shows a loving relationship between a little girl and the family
housekeeper, Belle and Bea. The parents
are often away working, in my mind missing out on all the delights of
childhood. Each day of the week, the
regular chores are done, and even then the girl makes more of them in
play. For instance, when the wash is
being hung on the line, Belle makes clothespin bouquets Bea always responding
with a loving comment. And then the afternoons include the ocean adventures
whether it’s having tea, building castles or making art in the sand. The end finds Belle taking one more step of
growing up, to almost disastrous results and her friend Bea is there, too. The ending is a surprise, but you’ll have to
discover that by reading.
Eight
Days, A Story of Haiti – written by Edwidge Danticat
and illustrated by Alix Delinois
This book is not just about the earthquake, but about a little boy who
is rescued—after 8 days! The author
created a way to show Haiti as it was “before” the earthquake by having the boy
tell what he did during the time he was trapped. He “played”, not truthfully, but he pretended
he was playing. So, for example, on the
first day, he and his friend Oscar (also trapped with him) flew kites and then
started a huge back of marbles. The
story moves page by page, telling the story that only imagination can
create. The pictures help tell this
story with bright colors and movement, just as I often imagine what Haiti must be
like.
Old
Bear and His Cub – written and illustrated by Olivier Dunrea
The love just oozes from this story, when dear old bear tries to get the
cub to do things, like nap, and the cub refuses, then goes to sleep anyway. There
is lots of repetition and then the relationship is reversed when the cub starts
ordering old bear around, especially when he gets sick. The illustrations are exquisite.
Creepy
Carrots
- written by Aaron Reynolds and illustrated by
Peter Brown
I
finally found this at my library. It
will be delightful to read the story to students, watching them figure out that
there is a second plot going on with those creepy, and sneaky, carrots. Jaspar Rabbit couldn’t get enough carrots
from Crackenhopper Field, the best carrots around! He ate them often, on the way to school, to
Little League practice, and on the way home.
But unfortunately, there appeared a few carrots here and there, peeking
around corners, through his windows, and under his bed. Every time he called for help, no one but
Jaspar could see them, yet he just knew they were there. The ending is surprising, but even more it
will be fun to have children predict how they believe this funny story will
end. Then, they’ll have to read the way
the authors finished it. Peter Brown’s
illustrations are on the dark side, just the way a ‘creepy’ story should
be.
Next: I’m still reading The 5th Wave by
Rick Yancey, very good, often surprising!
And I received another NetGalley Arc-Heaven Is Paved With Oreos, by
Catherine Gilbert Murdock, just started but the main character has a strong
presence so far! I have new books
ordered from the library, slowly going down the list I made during PB10for10. I know I’ll love each one, recommended highly
in a top ten list!
Olivier Dunrea has some of the cutest books for kids. I should check out this Old Bear book series of his.
ReplyDeleteAnd thank you for telling me that there are other good ones by this author! I didn't know!
DeleteHi there Linda, i read and reviewed The Friend sometime last year and loved it. I have been reading a lot of reviews about A Dog Called Homeless and I am definitely intrigued - it would have been a nice addition to our current bimonthly theme, I think. Thank you for sharing quite a number of award-winning-books for our AWB challenge this month!
ReplyDeleteYes, A Dog Called Homeless would have fit your theme well, Myra. It is a very sweet book. I think I've missed linking with you several times too with award books. Sometimes it slips right by! Thanks!
DeleteLove Lester Laminack! I picked up "Three Hens and a Peacock" last year. My students loved it.
ReplyDeleteMrs. Brown Loves Bookworms
Happy to hear that children will love this book-can't wait to share it! Thanks!
DeleteCreepy Carrots is one of my favorites, Linda--love the surprise ending. Three Hens and a Peacock sounds like it'd be perfect for a lesson on cooperation and how we all bring different talents to a project. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun book Creepy Carrots is, I agree! You're so right about Three Hens... I'm going to read it this week to some primary students!
DeleteEight Days, A Story of Haiti – written by Edwidge Danticat - sounds fascinating, so glad to hear about it!
ReplyDeleteIt was a beautiful idea, to chronicle the survival in this unique way. Love this book! Thanks!
DeleteGreat titles Linda. I am so pleased you enjoyed A Dog Called Homeless as much as I did. And I am a big, big fan of The Friend. One of my favourite Stewart/Small titles.
ReplyDeleteIsn't The Friend just the sweetest book, one for all parents to read I think. And yes, I'm glad you nudged about A Dog Called Homeless-really lovely story & I've already donated it to our library so others can start reading too! Thanks Carrie!
DeleteThese are all new titles for me. I have a hard time keeping up with you. Do you ever sleep?
ReplyDeleteI am considering a service project for Haiti. Would you suggest the book Eight Days to kick off this project?
Thanks for all these reviews. Great books to add to my list.
It's a beautifully illustrated book that celebrates the rescue of this little boy, & is by a well-respected author, too, Margaret. I think the fact that she wanted to show Haiti as it was might be a wonderful beginning for your project. Can you get it from your library to look first? Thanks-hope you like some of the others, too!
DeleteI am so glad to hear your are enjoying The 5th Wave! I can't wait to hear your full review after you finish. I will keep checking back. ::wink::
ReplyDeleteThanks Ricki, it's very good & he's weaving so many surprising pieces together!
DeleteSo many good choices, Linda! I loved Three Hens and Peacock, and Creepy Carrots is such a hoot! I've been looking forward to The Show Must Go On. Glad to hear you enjoyed it. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteCatherine
You're welcome, Catherine-I really enjoyed this group of books!
DeleteThank you for this great list! I really enjoyed Creepy Carrots and am excited to read Three Hens and a Peacock as it sounds like a good title for teaching inferring! Old Bear and his Cub looks lovely and the story of Haiti is one I'm definitely going to order for our library! Thanks again!
ReplyDeleteSo glad you found some to find & enjoy! Thank you!
DeleteI too loved The Friend. Yet another reason to love that Small/Stewart collaboration. A Dog Called Homeless is very high up on my to read list. My youngest read it this summer and usually she doesn't provide a lot of commentary on her book. With this book though, she clutched it to her chest and said that it was "really, really good, Mom." I had to share that micro review with Twitter pal, Alyson Beecher, who was on the Schneider Committee that selected it!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing about your daughter's love for this book, Lorna. That's great, & I hope you'll get to it soon!
Delete