Battle of the Books Friday - Night of the Twisters by Ivy Ruckman

Book Summary from Goodreads (goodreads.com)

When a tornado watch is issued one Tuesday evening in June, twelve-year-old Dan Hatch and his best friend, Arthur, don't think much of it. After all, tornado warnings are a way of life during the summer in Grand Island, Nebraska. But soon enough, the wind begins to howl, and the lights and telephone stop working. Then the emergency siren starts to wail. Dan, his baby brother, and Arthur have only seconds to get to the basement before the monstrous twister is on top of them. Little do they know that even if they do survive the storm, their ordeal will have only just begun. . . .

This short book is a very fast paced read.  I was on the edge of my seat through almost the entire book because I wanted to know how it would all end. I had to force myself to slow down so I didn’t miss any details.  Adults often pick out books that kids “should” read.  I’ve often heard this title mentioned as one of those “should read” books.  Most of the time, “should read” books are not very entertaining for children, but Night of the Twisters is an exception.  Based on a true event from June of 1980, this book gives readers a sense of what it is like to go through a natural disaster.  This is an excellent book to use in connection with a unit on weather.   I would also like to children compare and contrast this book with the opening scenes from the movie: The Wizard of Oz.

Recommended for 3^rd grade and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 5 of 5

We Are In A Book by Mo Willems

In the latest adventure with Piggie and Elephant the two loveable characters realize that the pages they live on are in fact the pages of a book.  Amazed by this fact the two decide to have some fun by making the reader say funning things out loud.  Elephant’s joy in this quickly diminishes once Piggy points out that the book will end soon.  Elephant is now in crisis worrying about when the end will come.  Never fear, Willems provides a solution to the problem.  The reader will just have to read the book again!

Fans of this series will enjoy this installment. An excellent gift for any book lover.

Recommended for Kindergarten and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 4 of 5.

Emma Dilemma and the Two Nannies by Patricia Hermes

In this second installment in the series, Annie, the O’Fallons’ nanny is planning a trip home to Ireland to visit her sisters.  Emma is afraid that her parents will like the substitute nanny better and fire Annie.  This is a legitimate concern for precocious Emma as this is a pattern her parents tend to follow.  Emma devises an outrageous plan to keep Annie from leaving.  Meanwhile, Emma also runs into trouble when she “borrows” a soccer book from a classmate and it is eaten by Marmaduke, her pet ferret.  A good girl at heart, Emma struggles with telling the truth and making wise choices.  Eventually, all the secrets become too much for Emma to bear and it is Annie to the rescue.  Though this is the second in a series it easily stands alone.

Readers who enjoy Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, Ramona, and Clementine will enjoy stories about Emma.  For those parents who are not so thrilled with Junie B, this is an excellent alternative.

Recommended for 2^nd grade and up.

Mrs. Archer’s rating: 5 of 5

It's To Read Tuesday

Once again it's To Read Tuesday where I talk about what's on my to read list.

Of the ten books posted last week, I was only able to mark one of my list - Emma Dilemma and the Two Nannies by Patricia Hermes.  Stay tuned for a review.

Here are ten more elementary chapter/picture books on my to read list:

1. The Lemonade War by Jaqueline Davis
2. Artemis Fowl: The Atlantis Complex by Eoin Colfer
3. Syren by Annie Sage
4. Al Capone Does My Shoes by Gennifer Choldenko
5. Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins
6. Rule of Three by Megan McDonald
7.  The Sisters Club by Megan McDonald
8.  Parvanna's Journey by Deborah Ellis
9.  Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst
10. Mud City by Deborah Ellis

What's on your To Read List?

2011 Colorado Children's Book Award Nominee - Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle  by Brian Dennis, is a non-fiction picture book about a wild Iraqi dog and the Marine who befriended him.  In October 2007, Major Dennis of the Border Transition Team 3/5/2 and his team were greeted at the Iraq and Syria border by a pack of wild dogs.  The leader of the pack became attached to Major Dennis who  named the dog “Nubs” because of his docked ears.  Not allowed to have pets, Major Dennis and his team left Nubs behind when they moved on to their next task. Even though Nubs was malnourished and appeared to have been abused he continued to seek out Major Dennis and his team each time they returned to the outpost.  Often when they left, Nubs tried to follow.  In December of 2007 the team was relocated to the Jordanian border, 70 miles away. Though the Marines had to leave Nubs behind, he was determined to be reunited with Major Dennis.  Nubs made the long treacherous 70 mile trek across the desert to find him.  Dennis and the other marines collected donations to send Nubs to the United States. Later, Major Dennis and Nubs were reunited in San Diego.

Children who are fond of animal, especial dog, stories will enjoy this true story.  The book includes actual photographs of Nubs as well as copies of emails between Major Dennis and his friends in San Diego who cared for Nubs until Dennis’ return to the states.

Recommended for Grades 2^nd – 5^th.

Mrs. Archer’s Rating:  5 of 5

Book Blogger Hop - hosted by Crazy For Books

In the spirit of the Twitter Friday Follow, the Book Blogger Hop is a place just for book bloggers and readers to connect and share our love of the written word!  This weekly BOOK PARTY is an awesome opportunity for book bloggers to connect with other book lovers, make new friends, support each other, and generally just share our love of books!  It will also give blog readers a chance to find other book blogs to read!  So, grab the logo, post about the Hop on your blog, and start HOPPING through the list of blogs that are posted in the Linky list below!!

The Hop lasts Friday-Monday every week, so if you don't have time to Hop today, come back later and join the fun!  This is a weekly event!  And stop back throughout the weekend to see all the new blogs that are added! Hop on over to Crazy For Books and check it out.

This week's question comes from Marce who blogs at Tea Time With Marce:

 

 "What very popular and hyped book in the blogosphere did you NOT enjoy and how did you feel about posting your review?"

I can't think of a popular book from this year that I didn't like. Last year I was not too happy with Goving Bovine by Libba Bray. I thought it was very well written, but I just didn't care for the story.

As for posting a review, I always post my true opinion.  If I feel that a book is well written, but it's just not my cup of tea, I say so. If I think it was not well written I say so and try to point out why, without being cruel.  As a librarian, people count on me for an honest opinion. My blogs are finally beginning to grow and I want my followers to feel they can get an honest and thoughtful review.

Battle of the Books Friday - The Paper Boy by Isabelle Holland

The Paper Boy by Isabelle Holland is another title recommended for the 2011-2012 Pikes Peak Region Battle of the Books list.  Set in New York in 1881, it tells the story of twelve-year old Kevin O’Donnell who dreams of some day being a newspaper reporter.  His father prefers that he learn a trade, but is glad of the extra money Kevin brings in after landing a job as a messenger for the New York Chronicle. Not long after Kevin starts work on the paper, his father becomes ill and is unable to work. It is up to Kevin to support himself, his father and his little sister.  He wants to find extra work, in addition to his messenger work, but his boss, Mr. Langley wants him to stay in school.  As Kevin grows closer to his boss, Mr. Langley’s son becomes increasing resentful of Kevin. He even accuses Kevin of stealing.  Will Kevin lose his job? What will happen to his ill father and younger sister?

I enjoyed this story for two reasons. Kevin and his family are Irish immigrants and I love most things Irish.  When I was Kevin’s age, I too wanted to be a writer. I even considered a career in the newspaper industry.  Though the story starts off very serious, it ends light hearted, almost too much so. The ending had the feel of “an everything is solved in 30 minutes sitcom”.  School Library Journal listed it as suitable for grades 4 – 6. I would place it at a 3^rd grade level. I would not consider it a 5^th grade book and therefore would not recommend it for Battle of the Books, which is for 5^th graders.  While we want the students to enjoy the books on the list, we also want to challenge them a little.

Mrs. Archers rating 3 of 5.