I had no trouble deciding. I grabbed Erin Soderberg's new series Puppy Pirates (that was released the day of Nerdcamp) and I grabbed Crenshaw. (I had read and loved Crenshaw and wanted a copy for my Newbery Club students.) The new Puppy Pirates book was the first thing I read when I got home form Nerdcamp.
I am a HUGE Erin Soderbergh fan so I have been anticipating this series since our last Skype visit with her. She showed us the covers and talked a bit about the series. My 3rd graders LOVE The Quirks series and having another series for 3rd graders by this author is very exciting!
Stowaway is the first book in the new Puppy Pirates series. And how adorable is the cover!? There were two books in the series released last week--Stowaway and X Marks the Spot. I read Stowaway and am anxiously awaiting the other. The book is about a soft little puppy named Wally who meets a ship full of pirates and wants to join them. He has always longed for a home and for adventure. In this first book, Wally has to prove himself to the pirates-to show that he is brave enough to be a Puppy Pirate. The book is perfect for 2nd and 3rd graders. The humor is exactly what they love--one character always says the wrong thing, there is lots of pirate language and there is a bit of word play throughout. The combination of cute sweet puppies and pirates is a brilliant one and one I know my 8 year olds will love! The length is perfect for readers newish to chapter books and the plot is easy to follow without being too simple or boring. The language is fun and engaging. I can't wait to share this new series with my students in the fall!
I was able to volunteer at Nerd Camp Junior and hear Erin Soderberg talk to a group of kids during this even She was incredible and so fun! I learned that the 4th book in The Quirks series is due out in the fall! Woooohoooo! I think Erin Soderberg is an author who understands perfectly this age group that she is writing for so the more she writes, the better!
