 Prince Fly Guy Written & Illustrated by Tedd Arnold Age Level: 4 – 7 Grade Level: P – 2 What do you do when you have to write a story, and you’re stuck? Ask your best friend. He’ll help you pick and choose ideas. Buzz hits the lottery when he writes about Prince Fly Guy. It’s a fairy tale of a story from Buzz, Fly Guy, and Tedd Arnold!
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 What a Waste
Written & Illustrated by Jess French Age Level: 4 – 8 Grade Level: 1 – 4 WOW! This book is super-detailed, with lots of great information and suggestions. It looks like a picture book, but it’s got a table of contents, and each spread is set up like a chapter. There’s large print information for young readers, and text boxes with small print for older kids. I read everything, and I learned so much! One example – the plastic page: Did you know plastic takes forever to break down? It went on to explain how and where it goes. It also showed the 4 kinds of plastic and how we can reuse/recycle them. More from the plastic example: Have you ever wondered what happens to water bottles? I learned that only 9% are recycled. 12% are burned and 79% go into a landfill. We buy 20,000 bottles a second. If you want to have kids do the math, I estimated about 15,000 of them go into a landfill each second, 900,000 bottles in a minute, or 54,000,000 in an hour. I could go on, but it’s too depressing. If you're looking for a great book with facts, ideas, and a few more sources, this is the book for you!  Who Was Marie Antoinette?
Written by Dana Meachen Rau Illustrated by John O’Brien Age Level: 8 – 12 Grade Level: 3 – 7 Who was Marie Antoinette?
Meet the real Marie in a fun AND exciting biography that shows you some real historical details, like the pouf on top of her head. Some were three feet high (one yardstick), could last a week, AND trap lice. WOW! But, you had trouble sleeping with all that hair on top of your head, AND you had to sit on the floor of your carriage. Sounds unfashionable, AND silly to me! PS – This series is super-successful . . . with 211 titles AND counting!  Wei To Go
Written by Lee Y. Miao Age Level: 8 – 12 Grade Level: 2 – 6 Are you looking for adventure? That’s what you get when your mom wins a free trip to Hong Kong, but your dad’s business is in trouble. Black Turtle, a Hong Kong company, wants to take over. Follow Ellie Wai Pettit and her brother Kipp to Hong Kong. They have four days to explore the city and to save dad’s company. Can they do both? You’ll have to read and find out how this adventure ends. My favorite part – how Ellie thinks and talks to her family. This line made me chuckle, “A kid never wants to scare her parents.” Truth! Teenagers are happier without parents knowing their business, especially the adventurous kind.  Dodging Dinosaurs: Time Jumpers #4
Written by Wendy Mass Illustrated by Oriol Vidal Age Level: 6 – 8 Grade Level: 1 – 3 I loved this story, and I think young readers will too. Its plot – Dynomite! It features kids traveling back in time to save a baby dinosaur. Its egg was switched, and the wrong dinosaur skeleton is in the museum. Can Chase and Ava make things right? You’ll have to read to find out! Dodging Dinosaurs is #4, the last in the Time Jumpers series. I loved it so much it makes me want to check out the other three books.  Heidi Heckelbeck Pool Party
Written by Wanda Coven Illustrated by Priscilla Burris Age Level: 5 – 9 Grade Level: K – 4 A pool party?! With magic?! Yes, please! The plot revolves around Heidi, her swim team, and a party to raise money for equipment. The beginning is a little teachy-preachy, but the rest of the story is as fun as its cover. And the ending . . . Heidi nailed it! I bet kids will love it as much as I did . . . Pool Party is #29 out of a series of 34 books.  Picture Perfect
Written by Jenny Goebel Age Level: 8 – 12 Grade Level: P – 3 LOVED this book! I couldn’t imagine a pig as a pet, let alone as a therapy animal, but now I can. And the characters in this story – they’re so well done! Grace is a 12-year-old girl whose mother just got married. There are so many kids who can identify with Grace and the adjustments she’s making to start this new family. This is her first Christmas to share her mom with anyone else. Poor Grace! She can’t even decide what to call her new stepfather. It gets even worse when Mr. P, her stepdad, gives her a pig for Christmas. Grace was absolutely sure she was finally going to get that doodle dog she’d always wanted. NOT! This book is full of great themes for tweens and teens, stepfamilies, boys, friends, and even for understanding yourself. I hope teens and tweens will love it like I did.  Don’t Check Out This Book! Written by Kate Klise Illustrated by M. Sarah Klise Age Level: 8 – 12 Grade Level: 3 – 7 Please check this one out! It’s so well done! The plot, the characters, especially their names! Rita B. Danjerous or May B. Danjerous – so clever! It’s also a graphic novel, done with text messages, emails, and newspaper articles. Warning – there’s so much to read that I needed reading glasses . . . I didn’t want to miss a detail, and I don’t think kids will either! This book is TOO much fun!  Mrs. Noodlekugel
Written by Daniel Pinkwater Illustrated by Adam Stower Age Level: 5 – 9 Grade Level: K – 4 Mrs. Noodlekugel was one of the first books I recorded in my reading journal back when it was a new book. It’s been a while! I loved the story from cover to cover! The setting – a tiny house in the center of New York City. The characters – a little old lady, her pet mice, and a few gingerbread ones too. The genre – fantasy with a gingerbread man, a little magic, plus a modern twist. It’s an early reader that doesn’t talk down to its audience, and it’s also the first book in a series of three. It’s perfect for young readers who are looking for an adventure!  Cat Stronauts: Digital Disaster
Written by Drew Brockington Age Level: 6 – 10 Grade Level: 1 – 5 This is a great graphic novel! It’s Book 6 in this series! The Cat Stronauts have been sent to check out the Space Hotel before the grand opening. The top kittens at Space Camp are invited too. Everything’s on track until AVA (Advanced Artificial Intelligence) meets Cat-Stro-Bot. AVA wants to escape so she quits the hotel system and takes over Cat-Stro-Bot’s circuits. Can you imagine the disasters! Can the cats save the hotel? You’ll have to read to find out. BTW – I was sure this story was written by someone who understood space. Drew did! He flew in the space shuttle – at Space Camp! |
AuthorWhenever I read or write, I find a comfy chair with a great view. I get my favorite drink, stretch out, and let the words take me away. Categories |
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