Best Read-Aloud Books Gr. 4-5

14 Pages·2012·0.26 MB·English

Curriculum Laboratory
Best Read-Aloud Books Gr. 4-5
For further assistance in using any of the resources in the Lab, please ask at the Curriculum Lab Information Services Desk
In 2013, the browsing collection of these titles will be found at the beginning of our Fiction Collection. The lists and the collection make an excellent place to start, if you are looking for
well reviewed titles to share with your students. Read-aloud books are also great for independent reading choices, as can be seen from the reviews. As these titles are ordered and received
into the collection, you will also be able to browse these titles in the catalogue by searching for “read aloud books” or “bestread.” You can also add your favourite subject to your search to
find great read-alouds for the classroom curriculum. The grade level recommendations are to be considered an approximation. You be the judge if your students would like a title in your
particular grade. Note: “EC” level on any of the titles indicates it as a read aloud suitable for preschool children. The read-aloud level is usually lower than the independent reading level, so
also pay attention to the reading level in the reviews, if the title is to be read independently by children.. Many of these titles are also found in the main Curriculum Laboratory collection, so
check the library catalogue.
These Read Aloud Lists were consulted:
• Read Aloud America, found at: http://www.readaloudamerica.org/
• Great Books To Read Aloud, found at: http://www.randomhousesites.co.uk/childrens/GreatBookstoReadAloud/Great%20Books.pdf
• The Treasury of Read-Alouds by Jim Trelease, found at: http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/rah-treasury-intro.html
• E.B. White Read Aloud Awards
• The Alberta Read Aloud Registry
• EPL Books To Read Aloud, Good Read Alouds For The Family, NYPL Great Books For PreK To Read Aloud, from Lethbridge Public Library’s Bibliocommons lists.
The reviews are quoted from Books In Print Online, used under the Fair Dealing clause for research and reviewing purposes.
Helpful brochures: (found at http://www.trelease-on-reading.com/brochures.html)
• Why Read Aloud to Children?
• Thirty DO's to Remember When Reading Aloud
• A Dozen DON'Ts to Remember When Reading Aloud
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Bibliographic Review:
Information:
Angleberger, Tom School Library Journal: Gr 3-6-For Tommy, the only question is whether or not Origami Yoda is real. Of course he's real as a small puppet on Dwight's
The strange case of finger. But does the oracle possess magic power? In order to find out, he decides to compile scientific evidence from the experiences of those who asked
Origami Yoda Origami Yoda for help. His friend Harvey is invited to comment on each story because he thinks Yoda is nothing but a "green paper wad." Tommy also
2010 comments because he's supposedly trying to solve the puzzle. In actuality, the story is about boys and girls in sixth grade trying to figure out how being
social works. In fact, Tommy says, " it's about this really cool girl, Sara, and whether or not I should risk making a fool of myself for her." The situations that
Yoda has a hand in are pretty authentic, and the setting is broad enough to be any school. The plot is age-old but with the twist of being presented on
crumpled pages with cartoon sketches, supposed hand printing, and varying typefaces. Kids should love it.-Sheila Fiscus, Our Lady of Peace School, Erie,
PA
Avi Publishers Weekly: Newbery Medalist Avi (Crispin: The Cross of Lead) sets this intriguing ghost story in 19th-century New York City, where a
The seer of shadows photographer's apprentice has a horrifying run-in with a spirit bent on revenge. In the fall of 1872, 14-year-old narrator Horace Carpetine reluctantly becomes
2008 involved in his employer's scheme to dupe a superstitious client, wealthy Mrs. Von Macht. The plan is to make a tidy profit by producing a double exposure
and offering her an unusual portrait, one incorporating a superimposed image of her dead daughter, Eleanora. Events depart from the expected when the ghost
of Eleanora literally enters the picture, and Horace discovers his ability to capture departed souls on film. Suspense builds as the Von Machts' servant, Pegg,
reveals secrets about the Von Macht family and explains that Eleanor's angry spirit, brought back into the world through the camera lens, may want revenge
on both Mrs. Von Macht and her husband. Mirroring both the style and themes of gothic novels of the period, the story takes ghastly and ghostly turns that
challenge Horace's belief in reason. Details about photographic processes add authenticity, while the book's somber ending will leave spines tingling. Ages
8-12.
Bell, William School Library Journal: Gr 6-9-It's the beginning of summer vacation, and Karen's older brother, John, wants to visit a nearby burial site for Chippewa chiefs
Five days of the ghost at night. Karen reluctantly accompanies him. There they encounter a ghost who later tells Karen that she's got "big problems." Why is he there? How does he
1992 know what Karen is trying to hide from everyone else? When another ghost starts making trouble at Karen's house, she and John engage the help of Noah,
who is a known expert about all things supernatural. The book seems to cover too much ground in five days and lacks a resolution that makes sense. At the
beginning of the novel, Karen is still grieving the death of her twin brother, killed in a skateboarding accident two years earlier. She is about to start high
school but isn't ready to grow up and get on with her life. The ghost encounter seems to precipitate her ability to let go of her brother. Readers will be left
wondering why Karen, John, and Noah are able to find the ghosts so easily, even having an encounter in full daylight at one point. The author spends too
much time describing the clothing of the young people and what they are eating, and not enough on their unresolved issues, such as Noah's troubled
relationship with his father and his pain over his mother's abandonment. John, in contrast, seems to have no issues at all, and, aside from his weird clothing
and food choices, readers never really get to know him.-Kathy Kirchoefer, Prince Georges County Memorial Library System, New Carrollton, MD
Byars, Betsy Booklist: Gr. 5-8. In this spare story young Amen McBee confronts birth and death and tries to reconcile the enigmatic behavior of human beings and the
Keeper of the doves shifting realities that comprise life. Her father wants a son, but Amie is the youngest of five daughters who include «the Bellas,» the inseparable, identical
2001 twins, Arabella and Annabella. In the quiet world of the late 1800s, unusual things demand attention, and one of those is a Kodak camera. Amie takes a picture
of Mr. Tomanski, a reclusive Polish immigrant who lives on the family estate. The mysterious old man once saved Amie's father from death, but he can be
strange and frightening. The Bellas use him as a bogey man, but Amie has seen him with his doves and knows he has a gentler side. When the family dog is
killed, the Bellas have good reason to believe Mr. Tomanski is to blame. For Amen, the issue is more poignant, more complex. The events of the story, which
occasionally seem abruptly handled, are secondary to the mood Byars creates in short, short chapters in which every word is important. Amie's own love of
words is central to the story, and the word pictures, both Byars' and Amie's, are so light they almost float--like the doves Mr. Tomanski lets loose in the air.
Ilene Cooper.
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Bibliographic Review:
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Campbell, Nicola I. Quill & Quire: This story spans three idyllic days before a truck arrives to take Shi-shi-etko (whose name means she who loves to play in the water) to
Kim Lafave residential school. As depicted, Shi-shi-etko is, at most, six or seven years old. Like most youngsters, Shi-shi-etko counts the number of sleeps before a major
(Illustrator) event. She's a cherished native child living in a comfortable home with her parents. Aunties, uncles, cousins, and her Yayah live close enough to visit. In the
Shi-Shi-Etko days leading up to Shi-shi-etko's departure, her mother, father, and Yayah share wisdom with her about the importance of remembering the culture, knowledge,
2005 and world of her people. This gentle, cadenced telling is a first book by Nicola Campbell, a welcome new native voice. Although she follows closely in the
footsteps of Larry Loyie and his award-winning As Long as the Rivers Flow, Campbell (whose ancestry is Interior Salish and Métis) targets younger children.
Like Loyie, Campbell concludes her tale as the truck drives into the unknown. Although adults - and older children who read Campbell's preface - will have a
sense of what the future holds for Shi-shi-etko, children being read to won't, at least not without explanation. Kim LaFave - Governor General's illustration
award recipient (for Amos's Sweater) and illustrator of a plethora of other popular picture books - revels in an autumn palette of reds, oranges, and browns.
Using digital illustration and mostly double-page spreads, he celebrates the natural minutiae (leaves, seeds, roots, berries, meadow flowers, creek life, and
hills) of the Canadian west. His portrayal of Shi-shi-etko and her family has an interesting timelessness to it. The setting could be either 50 years ago or today.
Like Loyie's book, Shi-shi-etko is a must-buy for libraries committed to documenting Canada's residential school experience. Its greatest value will be as a
resource for related curriculum.
Campbell, Nicola I. School Library Journal: Gr 2-5-This realistic, tender story recounts the experiences of Native siblings sent to a government-mandated, church-run boarding
Kim Lafave school such as those that were common in Canada and the United States from the late 1800s until the 1970s. Hauled away with the other reservation children
(Illustrator) in a cattle truck, six-year-old Shin-chi and his older sister, Shi-shi-etko, try to memorize life at home from the "trees, mountains, and river below." Shin-chi
Shin-Chi’s canoe clutches a tiny carved canoe, a forbidden memento homemade by her father. During the school year (until the sockeye salmon return), Shin-chi and Shi-shi-
2008 etko are not allowed to speak to one another and must endure the cruel treatment and restrictions forced upon Native children as they work and go to mass
and to school. Hungry and lonely, young Shin-chi tries desperately to hold on to his Native traditions, sneaking out to sing his grandfather's prayer song and
release his canoe in the river. LaFave's striking yet soft digital illustrations are appropriately somber and deftly capture the mood with subtle earth tones on
each page. An author's introduction details the practice of sending Native children to residential schools. An accessible and important contribution to Native
literature.-Madeline J. Bryant, Los Angeles Public Library
Chen, Pauline Booklist: The holiday brings disappointment first, then triumph and a new friend to a young Taiwanese immigrant in this multistranded, feel-good tale. When
Peiling and the her mother finally persuades reluctant Baba (father) to allow an American-style Christmas celebration, Peiling is delighted until the food doesn't taste the way
chicken-fried she expects, the relatives prefer Chinese music to carols, and her Jewish teacher shows up, invited for dinner. Things turn around in January, though, when
Christmas Peiling not only lands one of the twin leads in the school's production of Prince and the Pauper but also connects with her bossy, tactless, and (as it turns out)
2007 insecure co-star, Laura. Peiling makes an appealingly levelheaded protagonist, and though Chen skips over religious issues (look to Ilene Cooper's 2004 book
Sam I Am for a thoughtful treatment of those), she doesn't miss much in this often-amusing picture of the Wang family working at fitting its new and old
cultures together.--Peters, John
Clements, Andrew Horn Book Magazine: New student Mark Chelmsley is branded a slacker by his science teacher, Mr. Maxwell. On the school's annual Week in the Woods
A week in the woods camping trip, the two adversaries--rather predictably--become separated from the group and must spend the night alone in the woods. Though the plot and
2002
prose may be trite, Mark's transformation from slacker to outdoorsman is convincingly portrayed.
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Bibliographic Review:
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Conly, Jane Leslie Publishers Weekly: Taking up the tale where her father Robert C. O'Brien ended Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, Conly does full justice to his Newbery-
Leonard Lubin winning novel. So does Lubin, depicting the endearing company that now includes a cheeky little rat named Rasco. Growing up in the city, Rasco has heard
(Illustrator) about the intelligent NIMH escapees from his father, Jenner. Leaving home, the boy is looking for the legendary rats who, he hopes, will help him to become
Racso and the rats of educated and valorous. Rasco meets the gentle field mouse Timothy Frisby, on his way to the rats' school in the valley. The long journey cements their
NIMH friendship as they rescue each other from perils before arriving at the peaceful colony. As time passes, the members get news of the worst possible danger,
1999 when Mrs. Frisby flies in on the wings of the crow Jeremy. Human beings, the widow warns, are about to flood the river, wiping out the rats' settlement.
Rasco's learning is interrupted by the need to prove his heroism. He does that, rejoined by his father, who lends a self-sacrificing hand to his old comrades. The
story is tense, funny and poignant in the classic tradition. (9-12)
Coville Bruce Sixth grade is just out of this world! Susan Simmons can tell that her new substitute teacher is really weird. But she doesn't know how weird until she catches
My teacher is an alien him peeling off his face -- and realizes that "Mr. Smith" is really an alien! At first no one will believe her except Peter Thompson, the class brain. When Peter
1999 and Susan discover Mr. Smith's horrible plans for their classmates, they know they have to act fast. Only they can get rid of their extraterrestrial visitor -- and
save the rest of the sixth-grade class from a fate worse than math tests!
Cumyn, Alan School Library Journal: Gr 3-6-With a zany style and deep insight into the secret lives of boys, Cumyn tells a series of connected stories about young Owen
The secret life of Skye and his two brothers, Andy and Leonard. Their adventures are, by turns, funny, frightening, and genuinely dangerous. All are fully engaging, although at
Owen Skye times readers might wonder where reality stops and fantasy begins. Are there really aliens that can be contacted by radio from Dead Man's Hill? Does the
2002 Bog Man really suck out the juice from cattle? Is their archenemy the giant squid doing more evil deeds? But beyond the supernatural, Owen is bewildered
by ordinary things, including his sudden attraction to Sylvia, which leads to a Valentine's Day fiasco and a visit to the dreaded principal. The boys have
hilarious conversations about many subjects, including God: "Well, if God is everywhere, then he must be in toilet paper too! And cheese broccoli soup."
Cumyn's prose is lively and liberally sprinkled with sparkling turns of phrase: "On that march home the cold slipped inside the boys' snowsuits and drained
away all their heat like a plug had been pulled from the bathtub." The characters are fresh and genuinely fascinating, from Owen's clueless parents and his
strange but wise Uncle Lorne, who lives in the dank basement, to kindly Nurse Debbie and others who enter the lives of these unruly siblings. This book is
very funny, and it would be a splendid read-aloud or read-alone choice.-Lee Bock, Glenbrook Elementary School, Pulaski, WI
Dahl, Roald "A true genius . . . Roald Dahl is my hero" - David Walliams Phizz-whizzing new branding for the world's No.1 storyteller, Roald Dahl!Exciting, bold and
The witches instantly recognisable with Quentin Blake's inimitable artwork.Witches really are a detestable breed. They disguise themselves as lovely ladies, when secretly
1991 they want to squish and squelch all the wretched children they despise. Luckily one boy and his grandmother know how to recognize these vile creatures, but
can they get rid of them for good?Roald Dahl, the best-loved of children's writers, was born in Wales of Norwegian parents. After school in England he went to
work for Shell in Africa. He began writing after "a monumental bash on the head", sustained as an RAF pilot in World War II.Roald Dahl died in 1990.Quentin
Blake is one of the best-known and best-loved children's illustrators and it's impossible now to think of Roald Dahl's writings without imagining Quentin
Blake's illustrations.
Deedy, Carmen Agra School Library Journal: Gr 2-5-Kimeli Naiyomah returned home to his Maasai village from New York City with news of 9/11 terrorist attacks. His story
14 cows for America prompted the villagers to give a heartfelt gift to help America heal. Deedy and Gonzalez bring Naiyomah's story to life with pithy prose and vibrant
2009 illustrations. Each block of text consists of a few short, elegant sentences: "A child asks if he has brought any stories. Kimeli nods. He has brought with him
one story. It has burned a hole in his heart." The suspenseful pace is especially striking when surrounded by Gonzalez's exquisite colored pencil and pastel
illustrations. The colors of Kenya explode off the page: rich blues, flaming oranges, fire-engine reds, and chocolate browns. Full-page spreads depict the
Maasai people and their land so realistically as to be nearly lifelike. Gonzalez manages to break the fourth wall and draw readers in as real-time observers.
The book's only flaw is the less-than-concrete ending: ".there is no nation so powerful it cannot be wounded, nor a people so small they cannot offer mighty
comfort" is an important message, but not a particularly satisfying one for children. Fortunately, their questions will be answered by Naiyomah's endnote, and
it provides a fitting conclusion to this breathtaking chronicle.-Rebecca Dash, New York Public Library
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Bibliographic Review:
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DiCamillo, Kate The best-selling Newbery Honor Book in a beautiful slip-cased edition sure to be shared with generations to come. It's not often that an author's first novel
Because of Winn- becomes a runaway NEW YORK TIMES bestseller, a Newbery Honor winner, and a beloved classic that touches the hearts of readers of all ages. Recalling
Dixie the fiction of Harper Lee and Carson McCullers, Kate DiCamillo's debut novel, like Winn-Dixie himself, is unquestionably a keeper. Now Candlewick Press is
proud to present BECAUSE OF WINN-DIXIE in a gorgeous keepsake edition, complete with bookplate, that does justice to this most treasured of tales.
Duey, Kathleen Booklist: Reviewed with Kathleen Duey's Katie and the Mustang: Book One . Gr. 3-5. These titles in the new Hoofbeats series introduce nine-year-old orphan
Katie and the Katie Rose, who has been taken in by an unhappy, childless couple, the Stevenses. Katie's life is one of drudgery, with her only solace being her growing bond
Mustang with a mustang that is being mistreated by Mr. Stevens. Katie is hopeful when the Stevenses decide to follow the Oregon Trail--until she learns that Mr.
2004 Stevens plans to shoot his horse and abandon her in an orphanage. Desperate to go West, the girl and her horse, accompanied by Hiram Weiss, the Stevenses'
hired hand, set out on their own. The second volume follows the travelers across Iowa, where Katie and her horse leave Hiram behind. Duey's strengths lie in
attention to setting details and effective characterizations. Katie and Hiram are especially well drawn; both have been badly hurt and are relearning how to
trust. Though italicized comments heading each chapter represent the mustang's viewpoint, the main story is realistic in both tone and subject. A good start to a
series that will be popular with both young equestrians and history buffs.
DuPrau, Jeanne Publishers Weekly: In her electric debut, DuPrau imagines a post-apocalyptic underground world where resources are running out. The city of Ember, "the
The city of ember only light in the dark world," began as a survival experiment created by the "Builders" who wanted their children to "grow up with no knowledge of a world
2003 outside, so that they feel no sorrow for what they have lost." An opening prologue describes the Builders' intentions-that Ember's citizens leave the city after
220 years. They tuck "The Instructions" to a way out within a locked box programmed to open at the right time. But the box has gone astray. The story opens
on Assignment Day in the year 241, when 12-year-olds Lina Mayfleet and Doon Harrow draw lots for their jobs from the mayor's bag. Lina gets "pipeworks
laborer," a job that Doon wants, while Doon draws "messenger," the job that Lina covets, and they trade. Through their perspectives, DuPrau reveals the
fascinating details of this subterranean community: as Doon repairs leaks deep down among the Pipeworks, he also learns just how dire the situation is with
their malfunctioning generator. Meanwhile, the messages Lina carries point to other sorts of subterfuge. Together, the pair become detectives in search of the
truth-part of which may be buried in some strange words that were hidden in Lina's grandmother's closet. Thanks to full-blooded characters every bit as
compelling as the plot, Lina and Doon's search parallels the universal adolescent quest for answers. Readers will sit on the edge of their seats as each new
truth comes to light. Ages 10-13. (May)
Farris, Christine King Booklist: K-Gr. 3. In this picture-book biography, Martin Lunter King's older sister adds a personal stamp to King's childhood experiences that other books
Chris K. Soentpiet have lacked. When Martin asks his mother why the white boys across the street have been forbidden to play with the King children, she explains about
(Illustrator) prejudice, prompting Martin to say, "Mother Dear, one day I'm going to turn the world upside down." The richly detailed illustrations capture the times and
My brother Martin: are striking portrayals of the individuals, with Soentpiet including a note describing his use of King family members and friends as models. The respectful
A sister remembers tone of the text is augmented by the large, handsome design, with metallic-blue endpapers and halftone photographs used to accentuate front and back matter.
growing up with the A one-page poem by Mildred D. Johnson, "You Can Be Like Martin: A Tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.," follows the short text, and an afterword adds
Rev. Dr. Martin context and personalizes the book. A testament to one person making a difference, the book is intended to be inspirational--and, in both art and text, it is. --
Luther King Jr. Julie Cummins
2003
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Bibliographic Review:
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Fuqua, Jonathan Publishers Weekly: In Fuqua's (The Reappearance of Sam Webber) thoughtful debut novel for young readers, a white girl living in South Carolina in the '20s
Scott sparks a controversy with her article supporting racial equality. Darby wants to be a "newspaper girl" after her best friend, Evette, the daughter of an African-
Darby American tenant farmer on her father's land, says that's what she plans to do. The publisher of the town newspaper agrees to print Darby's article about toads,
2002 and another about her blind great-uncle before her obligation to "tell the truth" leads Darby to tackle the issue of race (her consciousness is heightened after a
black boy is beaten to death by a neighboring white landowner). She notices other inequalities, such as how her friends treat Evette at her ninth birthday
party. Her article prompts the KKK to burn a cross on her property, but Darby finds allies, too, especially in her father. Some of Darby's discussions seem too
mature for her age, but Fuqua's careful details fill in this complicated period in history and culture from descriptions of the games she plays with her friends
to realistic interactions with her family. Darby's parents are kind, but their tenant farmers and servants live in poverty, and her mother reprimands Darby when
she asks, "For setting slaves free, was the Civil War kinda a good thing?" These subtle conflicts add depth and realism: Darby and her family's small acts of
kindness take on heroic proportions. Ages 10-up.
George, Jean Almost everyone dreams of running away from home, but young Sam does much more than dream! Off he goes to the Catskill Mountains to set up home in a
Craighead hollowed out tree and live off the land. Join Sam and his animal companions as they struggle with storms, hunters and loneliness. Awards: Newbery Honor
My side of the Book, An ALA Notable Children's Book Award.
mountain
2001
Haworth-Attard, The year is 1914. Thirteen-year-old Arthur is a "home child, " an English orphan forced to work on a Canadian farm. Will he ever be truly accepted there?
Barbara
Home child
1996
HIll, Kirkpatrick Booklist:
 Gr.
 4-­‐6.
 From
 the
 author
 of
 Winter
 Camp
 (1993)
 comes
 another
 moving
 novel
 about
 Athabascan
 life.
 But
 instead
 of
 a

Peter Knorr
wilderness
 survival
 tale,
 this
 story
 is
 an
 uplifting
 portrait
 of
 a
 dedicated
 teacher,
 set
 mostly
 in
 a
 cozy
 village
 classroom
 in
 1948.
 Fred,
 a

(Illustrator)
ten-­‐year-­‐old
 girl,
 describes
 the
 year
 Miss
 Agnes
 takes
 over
 the
 one-­‐room
 school.
 Unlike
 the
 school's
 other
 teachers,
 none
 of
 whom
 have

The year of Miss
Agnes lasted,
 Miss
 Agnes
 encourages
 the
 children
 to
 explore
 art,
 literature,
 and
 their
 own
 potential.
 She
 also
 teaches
 basic
 subjects
 in
 relevant

2000 ways
 and
 shows
 sensitivity
 to
 the
 rhythms
 of
 village
 life
 and
 to
 each
 child.
 The
 students
 are
 devastated
 when
 it's
 time
 for
 Miss
 Agnes
 to

leave,
 but
 the
 story
 ends
 with
 a
 happy
 surprise.
 Readers
 longing
 for
 action
 may
 resist
 the
 simple,
 subdued
 story.
 But
 Fred's
 plain,
 direct

voice,
 sprinkled
 with
 regionalisms,
 will
 connect
 readers
 with
 the
 well-­‐integrated
 cultural
 particulars,
 the
 poignant
 scenes
 of
 home
 life,

and
 the
 joy
 Fred
 feels
 learning
 in
 the
 snug
 classroom,
 the
 snow
 falling
 outside.
 -­‐-­‐Gillian
 Engberg
Ibbotson, Eva Horn Book Magazine: (Intermediate) A foundling, a pretender, a trunk of jewels -- Ibbotson's latest has all the eventfulness of a Victorian orphan adventure.
The star of Kazan In addition, it's shot through with good-humored matter-of-factness, and especially with Ibbotson's affection for her setting -- 1908 Vienna. Golden-haired,
2004 peasant-faced orphan Annika has been raised by cook Ellie and housekeeper Sigrid to be ""the best-trained child in Vienna,"" not to mention an imaginative
chef, and she's won the hearts of the professors Ellie and Sigrid work for. But despite her love for her adoptive family and her friends, including ""La
Rondine,"" the unwanted, formerly glamorous great-aunt of snobbish neighbors, Annika is thrilled when an aristocratic woman shows up to claim her as her
daughter. Off she goes to a forbidding estate in Germany, there to learn where her money-grubbing ""mother's"" affections really lie -- something the reader
never doubts. Ibbotson's writing is becoming increasingly deep and deft: her delineations of characters and place are precise and telling; emotion,
information, and entertainment are always at play. She explores the psyches of each of her characters, contrasts the cultures of Vienna under elderly Franz
Joseph and Germany under power-building Wilhelm II, and provides a rainy-day, curl-up-and-lose-yourself story.
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Kadohata, Cynthia Booklist: Gr. 6-12.atie Takeshima worships her older sister, Lynn, who knows everything and takes care ofatie while their parents are working long hours in
Kira-Kira their small Georgia town in the late 1950s. It's Lynn who showsatie the glittering beauty (kira-kira) of the stars and who preparesatie for the prejudice she will
2004 encounter as one of the fewapanese American kids in their school. But whenatie is 10, Lynn, 14, falls ill, and everything changes. Slowly the roles are
reversed;atie becomes caregiver and does what Lynn has taught her. There's no surprise. It's clear that Lynn will die, andatie goes through all the stages of
grief. The real story is in the small details, never self-consciously poetic but tense with family drama. In her first novel for young people,adohata stays true to
the child's viewpoint in plain, beautiful prose that can barely contain the passionate feelings.ust as heart wrenching as the sisters' story is whatatie knows of her
father's struggle, whether it's his backbreaking work in the factory or his love for his family. The quiet words will speak to readers who have lost someone they
love--or fear that they could. --Hazel Rochman
Korman, Gordon Voice of Youth Advocates: Eleven-year-old Griffin Bing enlists sixth grade friends who have computer, climbing, acting, animal handling, and swindling
Swindle skills to retrieve a possible million-dollar Babe Ruth baseball card from a shop owner who scammed it from Griffin for only $125. Griffin hopes that selling
2008 the card will solve his parents' financial problems brought on by his father quitting his engineering job to focus on his invention, the SmartPick, which picks
fruit without bruising it. The crew sends the shop owner tickets to a hockey game and break into his house while he is gone. With the help of the SmartPick,
they overcome hostile guard dogs, security systems, neighbor surveillance, and betrayal to secure the card, but Griffin must return it to its rightful owner.
Eventually the card funds the building of a town museum that includes a skate park, which is dedicated to Griffin and his team, and the caper brings attention
and investors to the SmartPick so that Griffin's family is financially secure. Korman's fast moving, feel-good suspense novel will have middle schoolers,
especially boys, turning the pages. Griffin, The Man With a Plan, is resourceful but believable and likeable. He needs his friends, learns from them, and
makes some poor choices for good causes. He out thinks the bad guys, supports his father (the good guy), and commits a crime with which even the police
sympathize. The dog cover, large print, and ample white space make it reluctant reader material.--Lucy Schall.
Korman, Gordon The book that started it all, written when Gordon Korman was only 12!Best friends Bruno Walton and Melvin "Boots" O'Neal love sharing a dorm room at
This can’t be Macdonald Hall. But their practical jokes get out of hand, and Headmaster Sturgeon -- they call him The Fish-- separates the buddies. How will Bruno and
happening at Boots get back together?
MacDonald Hall!
2003
Lawson, Julie School Library Journal: Gr 2-5-- A well-crafted story with many folkloric qualities that successfully presents Chinese tradition and culture in a manner that is
The dragon’s pearl both enlightening and entertaining. The tale is of a poor but optimistic boy who cuts and sells grass for fuel or fodder in order to buy food for himself and his
1992 mother. When a drought ruins the land, killing the livestock and leaving the people poor and hungry, Xiao Sheng discovers a magic pearl that keeps his
mother's food jars and money box full. She returns her neighbors' earlier kindness by sharing her wealth with them, while the pearl changes the boy's life and
the fortune of the village in a most dramatic way. Lawson has appended a page of notes about Chinese dragons (water-gods) that sheds light on the unusual
aspects of the story. Many of Morin's oil paintings on canvas show clothing, foliage, and grass that are carefully textured with sawdust and fibers. His skillful
portraits are an indication of his great artistic talent. However, several panoramas--two of them featuring an ochre/yellow heat-parched land--lack the depth
that gives similar scenes in Morin's exquisitely rendered book, The Orphan Boy (Clarion, 1991), a photographic quality. Xiao Sheng seems flat and unrealistic
as well. Photographed swatches of painted fibre and realia (coin, fishhook, pearl) adorn white pages of text, with the whole encased in a neat, geometric border
on fiber background. Despite its few artistic imperfections, the book as a whole is a lovely package of writing and visuals that will be enjoyed as read-aloud,
cultural lesson, and folk fantasy. --Susan Scheps, Shaker Heights Public Library, OH
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Levine, Karen Quill & Quire: Adults have trouble understanding how people could do the things we know were done during the Holocaust. How then can we explain what
Hana’s suitcase: A went on 60 years ago to children? Fortunately, there are books like this one by CBC radio producer Karen Levine. As a CBC radio documentary, Hana's
true story Suitcase won the gold medal at the New York International Radio Festival. It's now available as a CD packaged with the book. Paradoxically, Hana's story
2003 gains in power over other Holocaust chronicles because it is only half of Karen Levine's book. The other half is how Fumiko Ishioka, the curator of a small
Holocaust education centre in Japan, uncovers the history behind an empty suitcase sent as an exhibit for her museum. Fumiko's dedication to discovering
Hana's story illustrates the fascination of history as much as it does the Holocaust, and the reader eagerly jumps between chapters about Fumiko's enquiries
and Hana's brief and tragic life. Levine's spare yet vigorous prose, the short, punchy chapters, and the episodic nature of the storytelling move the events along
rapidly. Hana was gassed in Auschwitz in 1944, but Fumiko's search ends in hope as she uses Hana's story to create Holocaust awareness amongst Japanese
children. The two endings are tied together by the discovery that Hana's brother, George, survived the camps and lives in Toronto. George Brady managed to
preserve a large number of photographs of Hana's childhood. These photographs constitute an almost unbearably poignant record of a happy, yet doomed, life.
Combined with the drawings Hana did in the concentration camp at Theresienstadt and the pictures of Fumiko and her children in present-day Japan, they
enrich the book and increase its accessibility for younger readers. Hana's story is, tragically, one of millions; Fumiko's is unique. Together, they will captivate
children, reduce them to tears, and teach them invaluable lessons. Hana's Suitcase should be required reading. John Wilson
Lewis, C.S. Surround your children in the magic of Narnia by reading aloud the magical prequel to The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe - The Magician's Nephew. Now
The magician’s available as a read aloud storybook, this is ideal for bedtime, storytime or any time! · A classic story retold for younger readers. · Perfect for introducing
nephew younger children to the magic of Narnia. · The ever-green Narnia property has been revitialised since the 2005 film with renewed interest from all ages. · The
2009 2007 film release of The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is generating wider awareness and excitement around all Narnia titles The Movie oBreathtaking
fantasy action-adventure film from Walt Disney Pictures and Walden Media releasing in the UK on 8th December 2005 oDirected by Academy Award winner,
Andrew Adamson, director of Shrek and Shrek 2, which grossed over $450 million worldwide oCreatures brought to life by WETA, the Academy Award
winning special effects team responsible for The Lord of the Rings oThe biggest integrated marketing campaign ever initiated by The Walt Disney company
will support the release oBased on the beloved children's series by C.S. Lewis which has sold over 85m copies worldwide
Lin, Grace Booklist: *Starred Review* In this enchanted and enchanting adventure, Minli, whose name means quick thinking, lives with her desperately poor parents at
Where the mountain the confluence of Fruitless Mountain and the Jade River. While her mother worries and complains about their lot, her father brightens their evenings with
meets the moon storytelling. One day, after a goldfish salesman promises that his wares will bring good luck, Minli spends one of her only two coins in an effort to help her
2009 family. After her mother ridicules what she believes to be a foolish purchase, Minli sets out to find the Old Man of the Moon, who, it is told, may impart the
true secret to good fortune. Along the way, she finds excitement, danger, humor, magic, and wisdom, and she befriends a flightless dragon, a talking fish, and
other companions and helpmates in her quest. With beautiful language, Lin creates a strong, memorable heroine and a mystical land. Stories, drawn from a rich
history of Chinese folktales, weave throughout her narrative, deepening the sense of both the characters and the setting and smoothly furthering the plot.
Children will embrace this accessible, timeless story about the evil of greed and the joy of gratitude. Lin's own full-color drawings open each chapter.--Medlar,
Andrew
Lowry, Lois Horn Book Magazine: (Intermediate) This lollipop of witty metafiction ... la Edward Gorey or Lemony Snicket features a family of four well-read and (self-
The Willoughbys described) old-fashioned children. Noticing their resemblance to various children's book characters, our heroes both accept and rebel against their destined
2008 literary fates. Eldest brother Tim suggests to his little sister: "I think you must develop a lingering disease and waste away, eventually dying a slow and
painless death. We will all gather around your deathbed and you can murmur your last words. Like Beth in Little Women.'" Chief among the children's goals
is to become orphans, a goal they achieve when their evil, feckless parents end up freeze-dried on a Swiss Alp. The supporting cast includes the no-nonsense
nanny, the bereaved benevolent benefactor, and the foundling baby. All is cunningly crocheted into a hilarious doily of drollery. Lowry extends the joke into
two appendices -- a quirkily annotated reading list of classics (from The Bobbsey Twins to Jane Eyre) and a glossary that reveals Lowry's opinions on
lawyers, the Red Sox, and irascible third-grade teachers.
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MacKay, Claire School Library Journal: Gr 5-8A collection of humorous stories and poems by Canadian writers. Some of the better-known selections include "The Sitter and
(Editor) the Butter and the Better Batter Fritter" by Dennis Lee, a chapter from Little by Little by Jean Little, a chapter from L. M. Montgomery's Anne of Green
Funny stories
Gables, and a chapter from Tim Wynne-Jones's The Book of Changes. Some of the funny selections are from less well-known authors. In Richard Scrimger's
1997
"Introducing Norbert," Alan tells how his life has changed since Norbert, an alien from Jupiter, came to live in his nose. This gets the boy into quite a bit of
trouble, with hilarious results. In Ken Roberts's "Gross," Albert can only get attention by being disgusting. "Soothing the Savage Beast" by Bill Richardson is
an entertaining poem about Curtis, who hates to practice the piano. One day, he is captured by a sewer beast and taken into the depths to be eaten. While the
demon is waiting for the water to boil, Curtis puts him to sleep by playing Brahms' lullaby, and he sees the value of his practice. A high-quality selection by
top-notch writers for the paperback rack.Anne Parker, Milton Public Library, MA
Morpurgo, Michael Michael's parents buy a yacht, and take him off to sail round the world. Washed overboard in a fierce storm, Michael finds himself on the shore of a remote
Kensuke’s kingdom island - and soon discovers he's not alone. Kensuke, a former Japanese soldier, survived the war and the bombing of Hiroshima, but his family perished. As an
2004 extraordinary bond forms between the two, Kensuke faces a heart-breaking choice: can he give up the secluded life he's built for himself to help reunite
Michael with his parents? Knowing the pain of losing his own family, Kensuke knows which way he has to decide . . .
Nimmo, Jenny Booklist: Gr. 4-6. These days stories about schools for budding magicians are inevitably compared to the Harry Potter books. Indeed, British author Nimmo's
Midnight for Charlie creation, Bloor's Academy "for gifted children," bears some resemblance to Hogwart's School, but the story itself is quite different. Seemingly ordinary
Bone Charlie Bone suddenly discovers that he can hear the thoughts of people in photographs, a talent that dour Grandma Bone and her three baleful sisters work
2008 to bend to their own ends by sending him to Bloor's and to its sinister headmaster. It's not an easy year for Charlie despite the friends he makes. Too many
people have it in for him as he's swept into an age-old battle being waged by descendants of a powerful king of long ago. A mysterious box, a missing girl, a
strange man who flits in and out in the company of three brightly colored cats, and various villains all figure into Charlie's exciting, fast-paced adventure tale,
which happily is the first book in planned quintet called Children of the Red King. Harry Potter's myriad fans will be well pleased. --Sally Estes
Pinkney, Jerry Booklist: Ages 5-8. Tricia Ann excitedly gets her grandmother's permission to go out by herself to "Someplace Special" --a place far enough away to take the
Goin’ someplace bus and to have to walk a bit. But this isn't just any trip. Tricia's trip takes place in the segregated South of the 1950s. That means Tricia faces sitting at the
special back of the bus, not being allowed to sit on a whites-only park bench, and being escorted out of a hotel lobby. She almost gives up, but a local woman who
2001 some say is "addled," but whom Tricia Ann knows to be gentle and wise, shows her how to listen to the voice inside herself that allows her to go on. She
arrives at her special destination--the public library, whose sign reads "All Are Welcome." Pinkney's watercolor paintings are lush and sprawling as they
evoke southern city streets and sidewalks as well as Tricia Ann's inner glow. In an author's note, McKissack lays out the autobiographical roots of the story
and what she faced as a child growing up in Nashville. This book carries a strong message of pride and self-confidence as well as a pointed history lesson. It
is also a beautiful tribute to the libraries that were ahead of their time.--Denise Wilms
Pinkwater, Daniel M. Publishers Weekly: Followers of the six-foot, 266-pound Henrietta, the famous Hoboken chicken, will welcome her back heartily in The Artsy Smartsy Club,
Jill Pinkwater by Daniel Pinkwater, illus. by Jill Pinkwater. Once the property of Arthur Bobowicz, the feathered friend is now in the care of Nick (from Looking for
(Illustrator) Bobowicz), who leaves Hoboken with his two pals to take art classes in New York City-and of course, they bring their beaked buddy along.
The artsy smartsy
club
2005
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Riordon, Rick School Library Journal: Gr 4-7-When their beloved Aunt Grace dies, Dan, 11, and Amy, 14-along with other Cahill descendants-are faced with an unusual
The maze of bones choice: inherit one million dollars or participate in a perilous treasure hunt. Cahills have determined the course of history for centuries, and this quest's
outcome will bring the victors untoward power and affect all of humankind. Against the wishes of nasty Aunt Beatrice, their reluctant guardian since their
parents' deaths, Dan and Amy accept the challenge, convincing their college-age au pair to serve as designated adult. Pitted against other Cahill teams, who
will stop at nothing to win, the siblings decipher the first of 39 clues and are soon hot on the historical trail of family member Ben Franklin to unearth the
next secret. Adeptly incorporating a genuine kids' perspective, the narrative unfolds like a boulder rolling downhill and keeps readers glued to the pages. As
the siblings work together to solve puzzles and survive dangers, they develop into well-drawn individuals with their own strengths and personalities.
Supporting Cahill cast members come across as intentionally exaggerated caricatures, adding to the tale's breathless fun. The book dazzles with suspense,
plot twists, and snappy humor, but the real treasure may very well be the historical tidbits buried in the story. Part of a multimedia launch including a Web
site, collectable game cards, and a 10-title series (penned by different authors), this novel stands solidly on its own feet and will satisfy while whetting
appetites for more.-Joy Fleishhacker, School Library Journal
Rodda, Emily For centuries, the evil Shadow Lord has been plotting to invade Deltora and enslave its people. All that stands in his way is the magic Belt of Deltora with its
Deltora quest seven gems of great and mysterious power. Now, Leif, Barda, and Jasmine must unite to find the seven gems and save Deltora from an eternity of darkness.
2008
For the first time, all eight books of this epic series are presented in a single deluxe hardcover volume.
Rodda, Emily Booklist: Gr. 3-6. Rodda's new fantasy-adventure series (three other titles are to follow within a year) introduces the people of Rin, who live in the shadow of
Rowan of Rin the Mountain ruled by a fierce but unseen dragon. When the community's water source suddenly dries up, and the dragon ceases his daily roars, some of the
2005 bravest villagers prepare to travel up the Mountain to investigate the problem. Young Rowan, a herder who fears he will never be as brave as his late father,
must accompany the group because only he can make the magical map reveal its necessary clues. One by one, each strong adventurer confronts his own
greatest fears and turns back, leaving only Rowan to deal with the fire-breathing dragon on the summit. Readers would have been satisfied had they simply
been given an exciting adventure story. But this talented Australian writer has also given them a fully conceived fantasy world complete with its own flora
and fauna, a well-developed back story, and fascinating characters. This tightly plotted mystery sprinkled with clever rhyming clues is somewhat reminiscent
of Tom McGowen's the Magician's Apprentice series (1987), and it should be popular with young readers everywhere. --Kay Weisman
Ruckman, Ivy Booklist: Dan, his baby brother, and his best friend become separated from their families when a Nebraska twister raises havoc with all communication
Night of the twister devices.
1984
Rumford, James Publishers Weekly: What you have heard before is nothing." So begins this strikingly illustrated adaptation of Beowulf. Restricting his vocabulary almost
Beowulf: A hero’s exclusively to words with Anglo-Saxon origins, Rumford (Seeker of Knowledge) fashions a type of epic language: "It was then that Wiglaf showed his true
tale retold
heart-strength. Shieldless, with seared hands, he stuck his gleaming sword into the dragon. This freed Beowulf, who drew a knife from his belt and buried it
2007
deep inside the fire-snake." Rumford's own "heart-strength" comes through in his art, pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations that convey the ninth-century
action with 21st-century immediacy. Large panels offer detailed views of pivotal scenes, and Rumford's expert use of line generates an almost visible degree
of motion; when Grendel's mother menaces Beowulf, he seems virtually to fall as she advances with her ominously curved knife. Behind the art and text
panels in the first two sections lurks the dragon that is to prove so crucial in the end; in the concluding section, increasing numbers of crows foreshadow
Beowulf's death. A very skillful presentation. Ages 9-12.
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