Tag Archive for literacy skills

The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary

Written by Laura Shovan

The accolades just keep coming for Shovan’s debut novel, and it’s easy to see why. She combines a compelling story with the novel-in-verse form skillfully and with a lot of feeling. Each of the eighteen classmates tells a view of the impending school closing and what the school means to them. They do this through assigned poems written during the fictional school year. From the boy suffering with the looming loss of his beloved grandfather to the girl who prefers to write in Spanish, each kid has a personal story to tell. Katie likes green toenails. Norah likes her blue hijab. But not all of the kids want the school to stay open. And all express themselves eloquently in their poems.

As an educator, Shovan outlines all the poetic forms used by the students and gives a brief look at how to use poetry. She also gives lots of advice on how to write your own poetry. A valuable resource for exploring the forms, this book should have an honored place in classrooms. While this is certainly not the first novel-in-verse, it does a lot to promote the form and show its flexibility. Kids will want to see how the story plays out and whether they can save the school. 

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  • fifth-gradeTitle: The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary  
  • Author: Laura Shovan
  • Published: Wendy Lamb Books, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Middle grade, Fiction, Poetry
  • ISBN: 978-0-553-52137-5
  • Extras: A Closer Look at the Poems in this Book, From the Fifth Grade Prompt Jar, Glossary

The Tudors: Kings, Queens, Scribes, and Ferrets!

Written by Marcia Williams

England in the fifteenth century was a turbulent world, with many people feeling they needed to rule the country. During the Wars of the Roses, the Lancasters, under Richard III, were fighting the Yorks, under Henry Tudor, to keep the throne of England. Even Richard’s soldiers weren’t thrilled with him, so he was defeated and killed at Bosworth Field. Henry assumed the throne and called himself Henry VII. He and his wife had eight children. Only two sons and two daughters survived to adulthood. The older son, Arthur, died before he could assume the throne. So, Henry, the younger son became king and also inherited his sister-in-law as wife. Williams walks the reader through each of Henry’s six wives, then through the reigns of Edward VI, Lady Jane Grey, and Mary Tudor. She devotes many pages to Elizabeth I, with Mary Queen of Scots, the Spanish Armada, Sir Francis Drake, Sir Walter Raleigh, and William Shakespeare.

Formatted like a picture book, but more like a graphic novel, the pages of this book are packed with information for kids just beginning to learn about this era. Richly illustrated and detailed with the quality of life in that era, this is a fun way to learn about history. Given the perpetual stories about the Tudors, this is a great opportunity to clue the kids in.   

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  • the-tudorsTitle: The Tudors: Kings, Queens, Scribes, and Ferrets!
  • Author: Marcia Williams
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 48 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Nonfiction, Picture book, History
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-8122-7

 

Applesauce Weather

Written by Helen Frost
Illustrated by Amy June Bates

This sweet and nostalgic novel in verse recalls a history of an extended family as it relates to an apple tree. The author uses four voices to relate the story and show the connections between current and previous generations. When the first ripe apple of the season falls from the tree, young Faith awaits the arrival of her great uncle, by marriage. Uncle Arthur was married to Aunt Lucy, with whom he planted the tree many years ago. He is the best storyteller in the family. Aunt Lucy has passed away since the previous apple harvest, but the whole family still hears her voice in their thoughts. Faith’s brother, Peter, seems to be following in the footsteps of Uncle Arthur, at least partially. Through these four, the reader learns of Arthur and Lucy’s courtship and the growth of the apple tree. Faith and Peter insist on hearing more about Arthur and how he lost one of his fingers. Peter, meantime, is fascinated by their neighbor, Rose Timmons, and wants to learn to carve wood like Uncle Arthur.

The illustrations have the same nostalgic and rustic feel of the story. The reader can almost taste the gingerbread with lemon sauce.

Fourth graders can learn a lot about poetry and practice literacy skills with this short novel. They can also learn about grief and family relations.

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  • Applesauce WeatherTitle: Applesauce Weather
  • Author: Helen Frost
  • Illustrator: Amy June Bates
  • Publisher: Candlewick, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 112 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Chapter Book, Poetry, Grief, Family
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-7576-9

 

Enchanted Files: Diary of a Mad Brownie

Written by Bruce Coville
Illustrated by Paul Kidby

If you’re not already familiar with Bruce Coville’s work, why not? This, one of his more recent books, is hilarious and heartwarming at the same time.

Angus Cairns is a one hundred fifty year old brownie, bound by the terms of a curse laid against his father by an elven queen. When his Scottish mistress dies, he must provide service to an eleven-year-old American girl, Alex Carhart. Angus first makes his way to America and figures out a way to keep his very messy and disorganized charge neat and organized. He also watches in horror as the second part of the curse plays out – the men of the family abandon everything except horrible poetry. A sister who befriends a goblin and her harsh kindergarten teacher complete most of the contributing cast of characters. How can they together save the family of a father who quits his job to write bad poetry?

Kidby’s illustrations are also hilarious and add a lot to the story. From diagrams of the Carharts’ house to labeled illustrations of magical folk to a family portrait of the Carharts, they pull the reader into the brownie world.

Told entirely in diary and journal entries, letters, and notes, this is a fun way for fourth graders to learn about journaling and about a few of the English words that are different in Scotland.

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  • Mad BrownieTitle: Enchanted Files: Diary of a Mad Brownie
  • Author: Bruce Coville
  • Illustrator: Paul Kidby
  • Published: Random House Books for Young Readers, 2015
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 256 pages
  • Grade Level: 3 to 7
  • Genre: Fiction, Fantasy, Humor
  • ISBN: 978-0-385-39247-1

At the Sea Floor Café: Odd Ocean Critter Poems

Written by Leslie Bulion
Illustrated by Leslie Evans

The invitation is issued: “Let’s visit a habitat shallow and deep.” With that, this book takes off to help the reader learn about many ocean dwellers. The author chose many unique species, making this an even more fascinating book. Numerous sidebars help to make it a truly educational book.

patient reef shark waits

a cleaner wrasse dances in –

what’s for breakfast?

Within the pages, kids read about creatures as diverse as convict fish, bottlenose dolphins who us sponges as tools, sea spiders, krill, broody squid, and Osedax worms. Meanwhile, the author uses a large variety of poetry forms: kyrielle, haiku, cinquain, limerick, pantoum, etc.

Illustrations are linoleum block prints, realistically hand colored, providing a great background for the text.

This book could easily be included in a science class, a unit on poetry, an art class, or a cross-curriculum unit. Fourth graders should be able to handle the language and most of the science.

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  • At the Sea Floor CafeTitle: At the Sea Floor Café: Odd Ocean Critter Poems
  • Author: Leslie Bulion
  • Illustrator: Leslie Evans
  • Published: Peachtree Publishers, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Paperback, 48 pages
  • Grade Level: 4 to 7
  • Genre: Fiction, Nature, Poetry
  • ISBN: 978-1-56145-920-9
  • Extras: Glossary, Poetry Notes, Websites to Explore, Books You Might Enjoy

Raymie Nightingale

Written by Kate DiCamillo

Raymie Clarke has to learn to twirl a baton because she has to win the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 title so her father will see her picture in the paper and return home after he ran off with a dental hygienist named Lee Anne Dickerson. Raymie’s fellow students, Louisiana Elefante and Beverly Tapinski, lead similarly crazy lives and make Raymie’s life even more crazy. Meanwhile, their baton twirling teacher, Ida Nee, has her own problems, including not being a very good teacher. Raymie is trying to do good deeds for the contest application, including reading a Florence Nightingale biography to the uncooperative and unimpressed elderly. Louisiana tells long, complicated stories about her family. And Beverly wants to sabotage everything and is very good at picking locks. Raymie does hear from her dad, but for an accomplishment other than winning the contest. Louisiana helps her family, if not her cat. Eventually, Louisiana learns that Raymie is not a Nightingale. And Beverly gains friends and a more relaxed perspective. Minor characters add a lot to the fun. Louisiana’s grandmother drives an old clunker much too fast and has Louisiana steal cans of tuna fish. The elderly ladies are unpredictable.

Fourth graders and above will get a kick out of their antics and get a chance to practice literacy skills. They will also learn a lot about friendship and about the value of looking at things from the other person’s perspective.

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  • Raymie NightingaleTitle: Raymie Nightingale
  • Author: Kate DiCamillo
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
  • Grade Level: 4 to 7
  • Genre: Fiction, Friendship, Humor
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-8117-3

 

Hour of the Bees

Written by Lindsay Eagar

In this excellent debut novel, the author shows us a world that is familiar and, at the same time, unfamiliar to most of her readers. When the dementia of Carol’s grandfather reaches a critical point, she and her entire family spend the summer packing up his ranch and getting him ready to move to a protected facility. Carol – or Carolina (Caro-leeen-a) as Grandpa calls her – is slowly sucked into his fantasies. So much so that the reader is never sure what’s real, what’s a dream, and what’s just part of the story. Grandpa, or Sergio (Serge), tells the story of the desert ranch in installments centered around a magical tree and bees that took off with the water from a now-dry lake. Is Carol really seeing bees in the desert and does the tree really grow back overnight? Did Grandma Rosa really travel all over the world while Serge waited for her? Why don’t Serge and her dad speak? Through it all, Carol learns to deal with her teenage half-sister and with starting middle school as she goes through changes of her own.

Fourth graders will recognize some of their own confusion in coming to grips with the world and with people who don’t always act the way they expect. Coming of age is not always easy for anyone in the room.

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  • Hour of the BeesTitle: Hour of the Bees
  • Author: Lindsay Eagar
  • Published: Candlewick Press, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 368 pages
  • Grade Level: 4 to 6
  • Genre: Family, Fantasy, Dementia
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-7922-4

The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat

Written by Paul Tobin
Illustrated by Thierry Lafontaine

Red Death Tea Society, giant invisible cats, and talking dogs are some of the less outrageous elements to this raucous story of a sixth grade genius, Nate, and his new friend, Delphine. Delphine is welcomed as a friend partially because Bosper, Nate’s talking dog, decides she smells like a friend. Occasionally, Nate does stupid things just to shake up his world. One of his stupid things was to make his mother’s cat, Proton, invisible and giant. Nate hid the formula for returning to normalcy throughout the city, and he needs Delphine’s help to retrieve him. Meanwhile, his archenemies, the Red Death Tea Society try to clock his efforts. Encounters with toads, hippos, and skydivers are orders of the day.

With a smattering of real science and a whole lot of fantasy, this is a great read for fourth graders, especially with a teacher or parent to help separate the fact from the fantasy. The wild humor is sure to hold attention and propel Proton back where she belongs. Because Nate and Delphine have a unique friendship, readers will learn about the possibilities among friends who don’t necessarily spend every day together.

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  • Genius FactorTitle: The Genius Factor: How to Capture an Invisible Cat
  • Author: Paul Tobin
  • Illustrator: Thierry Lafontaine
  • Published: Bloomsbury USA Childrens, March 1, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 272 pages
  • Grade Level: 2 to 6
  • Genre: Fiction, fantasy, science, friendship
  • ISBN: 978-1619638402

The Terrible Two Get Worse

Written by Mac Barnett and Jory John
Illustrated by Kevin Cornell

An invincible principal? Just the challenge Miles and Niles need to keep the laugh-out-loud story going. Returning readers will pick up right where they left off with book one, but even those just getting introduced to this pair will recognize good clean fun right off the bat.

These boys take pranking so seriously they do pranking exercises and prank one another for practice. But their pranking ways get too much attention from the school board and result in getting the principal replaced by his father. Former Principal Barkin turns the school into a regular boot camp where no pranks will be tolerated.

However, in the midst of this story about friendship, are stories about the haves and the have nots. Barnett and John introduce theories of Robin Hood, Chekhov, Scoville and others through classroom activities, as well as the reading done by Niles and Miles themselves. These are well-read fellows who come to understand how power works in their own school as well as in the real world. A fun read that also opens the door for grander discussions about the benefits people who have power already possess over everyone else.

Cartoon sketches add delight to the story experience and will invite in readers who would shy away from text heavy books.

Core curriculum standards can be met in many areas of literacy, as well as in the areas of social studies as the activities of propaganda is discussed and can be tied directly into current events and/or history of our world. This would make a fantastic read-aloud or book club addition for the middle grade students.

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  • Terrible Two Get WorseTitle: The Terrible Two Get Worse
  • Author: Mac Barnett and Jory John
  • Illustrator: Kevin Cornell
  • Publisher: Amulet Book, NY, 2016
  • Reviewer: Elizabeth Swartz
  • Format: Paperback, 224 pages
  • ISBN: 978-1419719257
  • Genre: Fiction
  • Grade level: 3 to 7

Chloe in India

Written by Kate Darnton

This is a new-kid-in-class story with more than a couple of twists. The main character, one of the new kids, is an American girl in a Delhi, India school. Trying to fit into class five as only one of two blondes in the entire school, Chloe is confused by the somewhat subtle caste system still present in India. The Indian students are equally confused by her. Even her name is different. To Indian ears, Chloe sounds like chhole, a chickpea dish in Hindi. Chloe wants to be friends with the most popular girls but finds she has more in common with the EWS (economically weaker section) girl, Lakshmi. Lakshmi is not only a good and loyal friend but is clever and talented in ways Chloe can only guess at. On the other hand, the rich girl, Anvi, is jealous and vindictive. Chloe cannot quite bring herself to make her friendship with Lakshmi public, which causes bad feelings on many sides. Naturally, Chloe and Lakshmi to find a way

Fourth graders and up will get a chance to learn an awful lot about living in India and will learn a few words of Hindi along the way. This fascinating book has a lot to say about interpersonal relations as well as the effect social pressure has on lives. For this reason and for pure fun, we highly recommend it.

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  • ChloeTitle: Chloe in India
  • Author: Kate Darnton
  • Published: Delacorte Books for Young Readers, January 12, 2016
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Format: Hardcover, 224 pages
  • Grade Level: 4 to 7
  • Genre: Middle grade fiction, Culture, Interpersonal relations, Geography
  • ISBN: 978-0553535044
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