12 Days of Christmas Book Review

Day Two:

 

I AM ALBERT EINSTEIN

By Brad Meltzer

Image Credit: bradmeltzer.com

"Ordinary People Change the World" Series I AM ALBERT EINSTEIN is a great biography for young students. This biography is filled with colorful comic like pictures of Einstein and is told in first person. The book also includes speech bubbles along with normal text to help attract readers who are fond of graphic novels. The reader learns many things about Einstein including his love of the violin, that he wasn't a great student at school, and how he enjoyed sailing. The book includes a timeline of Einstein's life as well as real photos of Einstein. The reader is also inspired to keep asking "why" and never give up on discovering new things. A favorite quote from the book was "curiosity is one of the most powerful forces of nature." I would recommend this to second graders and up who are looking for an independent read.

 

Other books in the "Ordinary People Change the World" Series include:
* I AM JACKIE ROBINSON
* I AM ROSA PARKS
* I AM AMELIA EARHART
* I AM ABRAHAM LINCOLN

Merry Christmas
To kick off the Christmas season, I thought we could celebrate with 12 Days of Book Reviews.

Day One:
I SURVIVED THE SINKING OF THE TITANIC, 1912

by Lauren Tarshis
 

 

Image Credit: www.goodreads.com

If you have not read any of the I Survived Series, by Lauren Tarshis you are missing out. These historical fiction novels are a wonderful read for upper 2nd graders well into adulthood. I have read 5 to 7 of the novels and have not been disappointed yet. There are currently 10 books in the series. One of my favorites is The Sinking of the Titanic. Lauren Tarshis makes characters come to life by describing the setting in enough detail but not boring to the reader.
 

George and Phoebe are aboard the famous Titanic with their aunt Daisy as they travel back to their home in America where their father is waiting for them. George is a child who loves to explore and gets into mischief as he explores the ship. While George is exploring the first class storage compartment, the Titanic hits an iceberg. George returns to his cabin to discover that his younger sister went looking for him and is now lost somewhere aboard the sinking Titanic.
 

Even though we know the history of the Titanic, the real question for this story is: Will George and his family survive? These stories are idea for students who enjoy history as well as a good mystery.

Here is a list of books in the I Survived Series:

I Survived the Sinking of the Titanic, 1912 (March 2010)

I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 (August 2010)

I Survived Hurricane Katrina, 2005 (March 2011)

I Survived the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, 1941 (October 2011)

I Survived the San Francisco Earthquake, 1906 (February 2012)

I Survived the Attacks of September 11,, 2001 (July 2012)

I Survived the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 (February 2013)

I Survived the Japanese Tsunami, 2011 (September 2013)

I Survived the Nazi Invasion, 1944 (February 2014)

I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, A.D. 79 (August 2014)

I Survived the Great Chicago Fire, 1871 (TBA)

THE BLUE GHOST

by Marion Dane Bauer

Image Credit: www.scholastic.com

For the upcoming Halloween season, I decided that a ghost story would be the perfect read. THE BLUE GHOST by Marion Dane Bauer was the perfect book for this upcoming day. In this story, Liz is visiting the family cabin with her grandmother. The cabin has been in the family for at least four generations and now Gran feels that she needs to sell the cabin because of her age and the location of the cabin from her home in the city. While there, Liz hears voices and a baby crying on the other side of the wall. She is also visited by a blue ghost who is urging her to walk through the wall to the voices and the crying baby. This book is a wonderful and quick read. I believe many students in second grade and up will enjoy this book. (This book was not scary but more of a mystery.) I am looking forward to reading THE GREEN GHOST and RED GHOST. 

FLORA AND ULYSSES

by Kate DiCamillo

Image Credit: www.goodreads.com

FLORA AND ULYSSES is a sweet story about a squirrel who is almost killed by an over powerful vacuum cleaner and a girl who is struggling with her parent divorce. Ulysses survives the act and now has super powers including the ability to us a typewriter. Ulysses uses this ability to communicate with Flora, his new owner. Flora does not get along with her mother very well and believes that she does not love her. Her mother caught Ulysses using her typewriter and now wants to kill him. Can Ulysses survive and prove his worth to Flora's parents? 

Several pages in the book include comic book style with illustrations and captions. I would recommend this book to 3rd to 6th graders who enjoy magical powers and adventure. The book also won the Newbery Medal in 2014.

SPY CAMP

by Stuart Gibbs

Image Credit: www.stuartgibbs.com

SPY CAMP is a wonderful adventurous story of a young boy who is attending spy school. Ben is great at math and science. Ben's parents and friends believe that Ben is away at science school, but is really attending spy school and summer spy camp for kids that will be future spies for the CIA. Unfortunately,  Ben has a job offer with SPYDER, who are the bad guys. Ben has a choice to make, he can accept the job offer or be killed by SPYDER. SYPDER is not your normal agency.  The group is always one step ahead of Ben and the CIA. After connecting the clues, Ben and his friends realize that the SYPDER wants more then Ben to work for them.

This book is packed with action from near bear attacks, missiles, survival of the   wilderness, and so much more. I would recommend this to any 3rd to 5th grader. This book is a little on the long side with just over 300 pages.

THE LOST TREASURE OF TUCKERNUCK

By: Emily Fairlie

Image Credit: www.goodreads.com

My latest summer read was this wonderful children's book that is on the 2013-2014 Texas Bluebonnet List.

Here is my review:

The founder of Tuckernuck Middle School was Maria Tutweiler who left a puzzle for the students to solve. The prize is "a treasure beyond bounds." This was 80 years ago and no one has been able to solve the puzzle much less find the first clue. (Everyone thought she was crazy and they still think that.) 

Laurie is forced to attend Tuckernuck because both her parents had attended. The school is ancient and everyone knows that the school will probably close soon. Laurie is trying to convince her parents to let her attend Hamilton Junior High with her friend Kimmy.

Laurie is forced to gerbil duties with the very unpopular Bud Wallace. Bud did a science project that was presented to the school board members. - A project to show the effects of sugar in school lunches. - All sugar has been banned from cafeteria lunches. We find out that this was not Bud's original goal, but none the less all students dislike him due to this sugar ban. 

During gerbil duties, a gerbil escapes and the two are forced to catch this critter. During this event, Laurie and Bud accidentally knock a picture of a chicken off the wall. Hidden in the corner of the frame is a secret message and the letter D. These two are the only ones to find a clue to the puzzle that could save the school. Clues include music, Shakespeare, and a cat. Can you solve the puzzle with Laurie and Bud without getting caught and before the school is demolished? 

Students in upper second grade, third, fourth, and fifth would enjoy this book. I highly recommend it, especially if you like mysteries.

As we all know, summer is well underway. My goal for this summer to is read numerous children's book that are on the Texas Bluebonnet List. This list is a suggestion of great titles for students in grades 3rd to 6th. Many of these books are chapter books. I have planned to read about 20 of these titles this summer. My goal or plan was to read at least two of children's books to every one christian titles that are on my personal list to read this summers as well (2:1). Since I just finished BRIDGE TO HAVEN by Francine Rivers, so I knew it was time to read two children's books. (BRIDGE TO HAVEN is a must read that reminds us of God's love for each of us not matter what our past looks like.) Many of you may ask why I would want to read that many chapter books written for children this summer. I am a children's librarian at a local elementary and the best way to recommend a title to a students to to have read the book yourself.

Many people think that this should be done while I am at school which is not possible for several reasons.
1. I teach library classes to 6 different classes each day.
2. I checked out close to 30,000 books last year. This equals a lot of shelving
3. Librarians are extremely busy people who never really get a chance to sit for long because we are also helping students find that perfect book.
4. Librarians are tech savvy and are required to teach technology skills to students - 21st Century Learners.
5. Do I really need to keep writing this list???

So, here is my review of LIAR & SPY by Rebecca Steed

Image Credit: www.goodreads.com

LIAR & SPY  is about a boy and his family who moved from their house to an apartment after his father lost his job. Georges becomes friends with a boy who lives in the same apartment, Safer. Safer and his sister Candy do not attend school which leaves a lot of free time on Safer's hands. Safer starts a spy club and Georges joins the club which leads to Georges being a right hand man to Safer. The boys spy on Mr. X who lives in an upstairs apartment and wears black. This book is about learning who true friends are and remembering the importance of family. I would recommend this book to students in grades four and up.