It's Monday: What Are You Reading?

So, I haven't had time to read lots lately. But, the things i've read have been such fun. Here are some highlights!

I read Polly Horvath's new MR. AND MRS. BUNNY-DETECTIVES EXTRADINAIRE BY MRS. BUNNY.  It is absolutely HYSTERICAL. I LOVE Polly Horvath--I have ever since I read EVERYTHING ON A WAFFLE years ago.  I picked this one up on a whim because I was in a reading rut.  I found myself laughing outloud early in the book and quickly fell in love with both Mr. and Mrs. Bunny. I decided I was hooked when I read this:

"Yes, you do that," said Mrs. Bunny, who wanted to get back to her fitness routine. She didn't like Mr. Bunny around for this.  He tended to make remarks.

HAH!

There are many surprising lines like this and I laughed aloud throughout the book. I have no idea if kids will catch the humor but I am pretty sure they will.

Even without the humor, this is a fun story and I highly recommend it. This book received several starred reviews so lots of people love it. A must-read, I think!

And, thank goodness for the CYBILS. I quickly ordered a few of the winners that were announced last week. It is always fun to discover new-to-me books and I thank the CYBILS for recognizing some great books I may have missed.  I read the nonfiction picture book winner,  I FEEL BETTER WITH A FROG IN MY THROAT: HISTORY'S STRANGEST CURES by Carlyn Beccia. This is a fun book that I am sure kids will love.  The book tells of various cures used throughout history and examines those that do/do not really work. I read it cover to cover and learned lots.

I also read HAVE FUN, ANNA HIBISCUS! How have I missed this character?  WOW! I love this character--I love her like I love Clementine and Roscoe Riley. She makes me smile. I ordered every Anna Hibiscus story after I read this one!

Since I am trying to start this running routine, I am also reading a few books to keep me thinking about that.  HEALTH AT EVERY SIZE is a good read. Lots of interesting information about lifestyle changes. I like that one but I am LOVING WHAT I TALK ABOUT WHEN I TALK ABOUT RUNNING by Hakuri Murakami.  A great reflective, memoir-type book about running, writing and life. I am anxious to read more of this one this coming week.

Visit TEACH MENTOR TEXTS for the whole round up of IT'S MONDAY-WHAT ARE YOU READING?

#bookaday--Franki at the Halfway Point

I am LOVING #bookaday started by @donalynbooks. Whether you are participating in the holiday version of #bookaday or not, following the #bookaday hashtag on twitter will give you lots of great books to add to your TBR pile.

We are on Day 6 of vacation and I have read 8 fabulous books! I thought I'd share these quickly before I move on to the 2nd half of the event. I am all about characters and read completely for character. I have to love the characters to love the book and you will notice that I love all of the new characters I've read about. Most of my #bookaday reading has focused on middle grade novels. I find that no matter how much I read, I can never keep up with all of the great books coming out for our 3rd through 6th graders. They are the readers I have always been most interested in and it has been nice to make time to catch up on some of the books I've been wanting to read. I am anxious to share them all with students when we get back to school.

PENNY DREADFUL by Laurel Snyder was my first #bookaday read and it was a great one. I loved the the characters. This felt a little like Polly Horvath but also a little like some of my favorite books from childhood--A LITTLE PRINCESS, THE SECRET GARDEN, etc. It is a quirky,upbeat kind of book with some unique characters. This is probably a book I'll share with 4th and 5th graders.A great fun book all around.

I was very excited to get an ARC of MARTY MCGUIRE by Kate Messner. This is the first in a series due out in May of 2011. I am always looking for great new books for kids newer to chapter books and Marty McGuire is a great book for those readers. Again, I love this character in this book. This is a great read for kids who love Judy Moody, Clementine, Roscoe Riley, etc. The story is told in first person by Marty and she is a character you love almost instantly. She is a spunky girl who knows how to solve a problem and be herself. I am looking forward to more Marty McGuire books!

There are not many books that would make great reads for ages 6-12, but I think LULU AND THE BRONTOSAURUS would be a great read aloud for grades 1-5. Kids of all ages will love this book. Mary Lee reviewed the book and I immediately moved it to the top of my pile. Judith Viorst is brilliant as always, and a fun feature of the book is the way that she chats with the reader throughout the story.

I am a huge fan of James Preller and finally had a chance to read his book BYSTANDER. This is a book about middle school and bullying. The storyline and the characters are believable and this would make a great choice for a book club or read aloud. The book provides lots to talk about in terms of how kids treat each other and how they handle difficult situations. James Preller has a good handle on this age group and that is important for this story.

A LONG WALK TO WATER by Linda Sue Park was a very powerful read. I hadn't realized before I started that this story, about the lost boys of Sudan, was mostly true. I think it is hard to write about hard topics in a way that is accessible to middle grade and middle school readers but this book is done perfectly for this age. The two stories that Park tells come together brilliantly and the difficulty is clear. This is a book that will live with me for a long time and I think it would make an amazing read aloud for 5th or 6th grade.

I discovered Lauren Oliver, a great new YA author in early December. I received BEFORE I FALL in my ALAN box and read it in early December. Oliver has a new book coming out in February called DELIRIUM and I was able to borrow an ARC. I forgot how much I love YA and am thrilled to have discovered Lauren Oliver. DELERIUM tells the story of a society who has figured out a way to cure people from love. An interesting concept and great characters. Looking forward to reading everything that Oliver writes in the future. I don't have much time to read YA Lit but will make time to read anything that she writes.

THE RABBIT PROBLEM is a picture book by Emily Gravett. I love Emily Gravett and am not sure how I missed this book. This is a fun picture book around the Fibonacci problem posed hundreds of years ago. The book is set up in calendar form and Gravett includes many unique features and great humor as always.

I love every book by Lisa Graff so was thrilled to have some time to read SOPHIE SIMON SOLVES THEM ALL. This is a bit of a different book for Graff--meant for a bit of a younger audience. Sophie Simon is another character I love and the story is a great one for 3rd-4th grade readers. I haven't heard that this will become a series, but it would be great news if it did!

I love every book that I've read and recommend every one of them. I am so loving #bookaday! I am already looking forward to participating in Summer #bookaday.

FRANKLY, FRANNIE by A.J. Stern

I read the first book in this new series, FRANKLY, FRANNIE, last night and laughed out loud. Frannie is a funny new character who wants to be a grown-up. She carries a briefcase and a resume, loves offices and for Christmas last year, she asked for "an assistant". She is a hoot.

But everyone doesn't agree that Frannie is so amusing. She seems to get in trouble quite a bit and seems to need extra supervision. But her heart is always in the right place.

In this first book, Frannie's class goes to visit the radio station. But when the phone rings and no one is at the radio desk, Frannie comes to the rescue--or at least that's how she sees it. In trying to help out and trying to be a grown-up, Frannie causes lots of problems.

Frannie was a mix between Clementine, Roscoe Riley, Junie B. and all of the other spunky characters who seem to get in trouble when they are really just trying to help out. I liked the ending of this one--Frannie apologizes to the people who were impacted and they see the good in Frannie. She also knows that she did the right thing.

I think kids will really like this series. I always love to see new series for transitional readers and this is a fun one--looks like there are 2 out now and one more coming in September. I think this is a great book for kids newer to chapter books but the humor also makes it a good choice for older kids who are looking for a fun read.

Roscoe Riley #7

Last year was a great year for new series book characters. When I read the first ROSCOE RILEY RULES, I knew this was going to be a hit series. I am thrilled that 2 more books in this series were released this summer. I have had lots of kids in the library asking for more Roscoe Riley.

Book #7 is called "Never Race a Runaway Pumpkin". As with all of the books, Roscoe tells us his side of the story from his time-out chair. Roscoe wants to win a contest at a local bookstore by estimating the weight of a giant pumpkin. But he has become very superstitious and superstitions cause a bit of trouble. Roscoe is as amusing as ever and you can certainly see how he means well. My favorite line from Roscoe in this book: "Big brothers should come with a set of earplugs." No one says it like Roscoe does!

I love the last two pages of this book--actually after the story has ended. Roscoe shares his list of "10 Useful Things I Learned at the Bookstore". It is a great list. My favorite is #7: "The bookstore manager cannot call your favorite author and ask why it is taking so long for her to write another book." Love this character's voice.

So, another great Roscoe book! I don't think I'll ever get tired of this character!

THREE: the first of three

THREE years ago (in 2006) on January 2 (that was THREE days ago), this blog was born.

To celebrate our third blog birthday, we have prepared for you a THREE day festival of THREEs from our third year of blogging. Let the triads begin!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

THREE new book characters (Franki)

Roscoe Riley
The Trucktown Characters
Amy Hodgepodge

THREE new book characters (ML)
Sassy (Sharon Draper)
Percy Jackson (Rick Riordan) [He's new to me, doesn't that count???]
Julia Gillian (Alison McGhee)

THREE new books about characters we already love (Franki)
WILD BOARS COOK

MOXY MAXWELL DOES NOT LOVE WRITING THANK YOU NOTES

THE YEAR OF THE RAT

THREE new books about characters we already love (ML)
Chester in Chester's Back by Mélanie Watt
Connie Lionheart in Mines of the Minotaur by Julia Golding
Clementine in Clementine's Letter by Sara Pennypacker

THREE new blogs we follow (local--our district)

Literate Lives (born 2/12/08)
Talkworthy (born 5/17/08)
Authentic Learner (born 3/12/08)

THREE new blogs we follow (local--our city, a nearby city, a poet)
Bestbookihavenotread (born 8/8/08)
My World-Mi Mundo (born 4/11/08)
Florian Cafe (born 9/23/08) [okay, he's not local, but it would sure be fun if he was!]

THREE new blogs we follow (local--our profession)
on the learn (born June, 2008)
Open Wide, Look Inside (born Feb., 2008)
The Stenhouse Blog (born May, 2008)

THREE 2008 picture books we LOVE! (Franki)

DRUMMER BOY by Loren Long

THE DOGHOUSE by Jan Thomas

OFF TO FIRST GRADE by Louise Borden

THREE 2008 picture books we LOVE! (ML)
Little Mouse's Big Book of Fears by Emily Gravett

Rabbit & Squirrel: A Tale of War & Peas by Kara LaReau
Everywhere the Cow Says Moo by Ellen Slusky Weinstein

THREE great new nonfiction books (Franki)

DR. FRANKENSTEIN'S HUMAN BODY BOOK

KNUCKLEHEAD by Jon Scieszka

GO GO AMERICA by Dan Yaccarino

THREE great new nonfiction books (ML)
One Hen by Katie Smith Milway
Wish: Wishing Traditions Around the World by Roseanne Thong
Wangari's Trees of Peace by Jeannette Winter

THREE great new professional books (plus one more for the obvious reasons)
OF PRIMARY IMPORTANCE by Ann Marie Corgill
TEACHING WITH INTENTION by Debbie Miller
ADVENTURES IN GRAPHICA by Terry Thompson
Day-to-Day Assessment in the Reading Workshop by Franki Sibberson and Karen Szymusiak

THREE favorite adult reads (ML)
The Moon by Whale Light by Diane Ackerman
People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
White Teeth by Zadie Smith

A New Series That Makes Me Laugh!

I noticed 3 books in a new series at Cover to Cover yesterday. ROSCOE RILEY RULES by Katherine Applegate. I was happy to see that there are 3 books in the series out right away--it is hard to wait for new books in a series after you read the first and love it.

This looked like the typical series book--nothing struck me about the cover except that it had a boy character and I was happy about that. I am loving all of the new series with strong girls but I have had a harder time finding these early chapter book series that highlight boy characters lately.

Well, this book was such a nice surprise. I loved it quickly. The first book is called ROSCOE RILEY RULES #1: NEVER GLUE YOUR FRIENDS TO CHAIRS. Right away, I could tell kids would like the whole idea of the book. The main character, Roscoe, tells each book in the series from his Official Time-Out Corner. Seems that each book will start out with Riley calling you over to his Time-Out Corner and then telling the story of why he is there. Pretty clever, I thought. (Roscoe seems to enjoy his corner well enough and his parents and teachers seem to love and understand him well!)

Chapter 2 in this first book is called "SOMETHING YOU SHOULD KNOW BEFORE WE GET STARTED". It says, "Here's the thing about Super-Mega-Gonzo Glue. When the label says permanent, they mean permanent. As in FOREVER AND EVER." This may be my favorite chapter in the book.

There are lots of reasons why I like this book. Roscoe tells the story and I like his voice. He is a first grader with a first grader voice. He is very clever, insightful and honest. The book is short--about 80 pages. A perfect length. Chapters are fairly short and there are lots of illustrations throughout. The thing that I think is best is that it is totally appropriate for kids in grades 1 and 2. The humor and the situations seem to be a perfect match. I can see readers of STINK by Megan MacDonald really enjoying this series too.

Looks like there are 3 available now (NEVER GLUE YOUR FRIENDS TO CHAIRS, NEVER SWIPE A BULLY'S BEAR and DON'T SWAP YOUR SWEATER FOR A DOG). #4 is due out in August and it is called NEVER SWIM IN APPLESAUCE.

I am anxious to share this book with my daughter and some of her friends. I think it will make for fun summer reading.