WGS Book Almanac: 2012

Manners and Guests

Being a Pig Is Nice: A Child's-Eye View of Manners

goodreads.com

Being a Pig is Nice: A Child's-Eye View of Manners
by Sally Lloyd-Jones
Illustrator: Dan Krall
AR 3.5

Being a well-mannered kid can be hard, right? So, maybe it would be better to be a snail, or a monkey, or even an elephant. As our character imagines herself in each of these roles instead, she realizes that each of them come with their own set of challenges. Until... she thinks of one more thing she could be and not have to worry about her manners. What do you think it is? And, will it work?

Stone Soup

goodreads.com

Stone Soup
by Marcia Brown
Genre: Folk Tale/AR 3.3
Caldecott Honor Book

Three soldiers returning from war are hoping to find a nice meal and a place to rest for the night. The villagers, however, do not intend to welcome the soldiers as their guests. When they claim to have no food or room in their houses, the soldiers devise a plan to trick the people to share what they have to make the stone soup. It was one of my favorite books to reread as a child. I hope you get a chance to read and enjoy it, too.

Get Inspired to Write a Vacation Journal

betterworldbooks.com

Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe
by Vera B. Williams
A.R. Level 3.5
Genre: Realistic Fiction

A boy's story of the 3-day trip he takes with his mother, aunt, and cousin begins with the purchase of the canoe and the planning of the trip. The exciting adventures are retold with pencil drawings illustrating each page. This type of storytelling feels like a journal with its side notes on knot tieing, recipes, and tent hoisting instructions. It is exactly the kind of journaling I tried (in vain) to get my family to adopt for our vacations. I am going to reread this to them and see if I can inspire them to give it another try.

Legends of Bremen

betterworldbooks.com

The Hero of Bremen
by Margaret Hodges
Illustrator Chalres Mikolaycak
A.R. Level 4.9
Genre: Legend

This legend tells of a crippled shoemaker who must perform a heroic deed to acquire much needed land for the crowded city of Bremen. Hans, the shoemaker, has often retold the tale of another Bremen legend, Roland, whose strength and courage Hans will need to draw on if he is to succeed.

Our second graders read The Bremen Town Musicians in their reading series. While this book is above most of their reading levels, they will enjoy it as a read aloud in the library along with their reading series feature about Bremen.

Thanksgiving Reading List

I'll be reading some of these great titles to my Pre-K through 5th graders this week.

To review the history and traditions of Thanksgiving:

Thanksgiving Day

Thanksgiving Day

by Gail Gibbons

A simple history from the Mayflower to our current day dinner table.

The First Thanksgiving

The First Thanksgiving

by Jean Craighead George

A little long (it begins with the plymouth rock's journey via glacier to its spot in Massachusetts), but plenty of information and gorgeous illustrations.

The Thanksgiving Story

The Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
Helen Sewell (Illustrator)

A Caldecott Honor book, this is a beautiful book that tells the Pilgrim's story from the point of view of one family whose child, Oceanus, was born on the voyage of the Mayflower. Again, it's long, making it a harder story to read aloud to 20+ first graders, but just right for one-on-one reading and sharing the highlights, if necessary, with a larger group.

If You Were At The First Thanksgiving

If You Were at the First Thanksgiving
by Anne Kamma
Bert Dodson (Illustrator)

Kids always love the way these books are written with easy access points for relating to life then and now. It's not necessary to read the entire thing, but students generally enjoy all the different bits of information.

Fun reads for Story Time

Turkey Trouble

A Turkey for Thanksgiving

'Twas The Night Before Thanksgiving (Bookshelf)

Setting the Turkeys Free

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving

One Is a Feast for Mouse: A Thanksgiving Tale

Some chapter books, too:

Peanut-Butter Pilgrims (Pee Wee Scouts, #6)

Gooney Bird and the Room Mother

Ginger Pye

Don't Be Such a Turkey! (Katie Kazoo Switcheroo, Super Special)

Guests

Boys Against Girls (Boy/Girl Battle, #3)

"Hope is the thing with feathers"

Feathers

goodreads.com

Feathers
by Jacqueline Woodson
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 4.4
Newbery Honor

Told from the perspective of 11 year-old Frannie, this story deals with a range of issues: segregation, bullying, Christian faith and doubt, discrimination, deafness, death, and sorrow. Yet, it's really not a heavy hearted book. Frannie expresses her anger, sorrow, and happiness with a detached manner that is nevertheless genuine and heartfelt. She questions everything, including her friends' rejection and bullying of a new white boy in their all black school and community, the need to go to church, her mother's miscarriages, and the impact of her brother's deafness. The references to Emily Dickinson's poem, Hope, provides insight to the author and Frannie's perspective. For me, it is a story of searching for resilience and what is required to overcome not just the big obstacles, but the small injustices and lingering doubts that we all face from time to time.

Kira-kira: glittering (in Japanese)

Kira-Kira

image from goodreads.com

Kira-Kira
by Cynthia Kadohata
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 4.7
Newbery Medal Winner

Set in the 1950s, this is the story of a Japanese-American family that moves from Iowa to Georgia when the family's Asian grocery store goes out of business. Told from Katie's (the middle child) point of view, we learn about the hardships faced in a working poor family along with the determined hope of a family full of love and respect for each other. The family is destined for many hardships that are all foreshadowed in the first few pages of the story. What keeps you reading in spite of that dreary expectation to be fulfilled, is the brightness of the writing and the authenticity of Katie's voice throughout the story.

My favorite quote from the story: “My sister had taught me to look at the world that way, as a place that glitters, as a place where the calls of the crickets and the crows and the wind are everyday occurrences that also happen to be magic.” I've been thinking of the opposite of this very sentiment for weeks, and appreciated the contrasting point of view. It's no small thing when a book can help you shift your perspective.

Love That Dog

Love That Dog

goodreads.com

Love That Dog
by Sharon Creech
Genre: Realistic Fiction/AR 4.5

I'm cheating a bit because we don't have this book in the Walnut Grove library, yet. This book lets us peep into the writing journal of a young boy, Jack, who is forced by his teacher to write and respond to poetry. It's a struggle for him until his teacher reads Love That Boy by Walter Dean Myers which resonates with Jack on a personal level. Inspired by Myers, Jack writes his own version of the poem, Love That Dog, and eventually writes a letter inviting Mr. Myers to his school. Will Mr. Myers come? Will he be mad at Jack for copying his poem? Jack is a character to love and this book will help everyone find a poem to enjoy. I can't wait to buy it for the library.

Ode to Entrepreneurship

image from goodreads.com

Lunch Money
by Andrew Clements
Genre: Realistic Fiction/A.R. 5.2

Greg Kenton has had a preoccupation with making money since he was a preschooler. He's also had a rival in the money-making business... his neighbor, Maura Shaw. They are in sixth grade now and the competition between them has reached a boiling point. When both of them start drawing and selling comic books at school, they must find a way to work together before the principal shuts down their enterprises altogether. There are plenty of lessons to be learned by kids and adults alike.

The Books I Avoided All Last Year (or longer)

One of the hardest things about being a librarian is reading books that don't appeal to you. A good librarian does this to be aware of the reading material that might interest all the people served by the library. I was not a good librarian last year. Goosebumps, Diary of Wimpy Kid, and The Invention of Hugo Cabret circulated constantly in my library and I kept re-shelving them with no desire to read them for myself. So, this summer I forced myself to try them. Not because my students need me to recommend them, but because I need to be able to understand what they like about them so I can find other books that might interest them.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret
by Brian Selznick
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 5.1
Caldecott Medal

I avoided this book out of pure laziness. I didn't want to spend time looking at all the intricate pictures, but thought it would be necessary to fully understand the book. First of all, it's not. You can actually follow the story without the pictures at all. The story is simple, predictable, yet still enchanting. Hugo's father died when a fire broke out in the museum where he was working to repair an antique automaton abandoned in the museum attic. Hugo retrieves the wreck of the machine from the fire and has his father's notebook of drawings and plans. He is determined to repair the machine, but needs parts which he steals from the toymaker in the station where he lives with his uncle until his uncle disappears one day, too. Orphaned a second time, Hugo now must race against the clock to repair the machine before the stationmaster discovers his uncle is missing and sends him to a foster home. Things become much more complicated when the toymaker discovers his thieving. Life's complicated twists are often where we find resolution to underlying problems and it is no different in this story.

Second, the pictures are astounding. You will want to take time looking at each one and marveling over the level of detail. The eyes of Hugo and Isabelle are always shown wide open with a searching quality. On the other hand, with few exceptions all of the adults are drawn with eyes downcast, shut, or cropped out of the picture altogether. I read through it too quickly and will have to return to study the pictures more closely another time.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney
Genre: Realistic Fiction/AR 5.2

Yes, there is a long waiting list for these books, even after they have been in the library for 2 years. Everyone from 2nd grade to 5th grade wants to read the entire series it seems. I knew I couldn't reasonably avoid reading at least one any longer. Greg Heffley is the "wimpy kid." He's bright, perceptive, witty, and completely self-absorbed. He's also mean spirited and petty, but I suppose many of our unfiltered, internal thoughts could be classified in this way. So, maybe I should give him a pass on this one. Still, it is hard to like a character that complains about the way his big brother and bullies at school treat him and then treats his only friend with equally brutish behavior. I'm sure I take this all way too seriously. The kids are definitely not worrying about these issues when they read it. And, I can understand why. The writing is crisp and clever and the scenes are set with images and dialogue that make you feel like you are watching everything unfold. It's a harmless, fun read that could actually lead to some copycat journaling, which would really be a good thing. Perhaps that is even a story tie-in idea for library night or library lessons in the future.

Goosebumps: Ghost Beach
by R.L. Stine
Genre: Horror-Fantasy/AR 3.4

Believe it or not, this is one of the less ghoulish-looking book covers in the Goosebumps series. Kids do love scary stories, so all of the titles in the Goosebump series circulate often. In Ghost Beach, brother and sister, Jerry and Terry Sadler, are visiting relatives in a remote seaside town. One of the first things they notice is that most of the graves and people they meet are all Sadlers. Their aunt tells them how the Sadlers were part of an early settlement that was devastated by bitter cold winters. That explains part of the mystery, but Jerry and Terry need to know more. Who is the man in the cave? Who are the three Sadler children that come to play with them each day? Are there any ghosts in this town? It's a harmless read, but don't expect to see boosts to your reading and writing as a result of time spent with these books.

Of Mice and Princesses?

The Tale of Despereaux
by Kate DiCamillo
Genre: Fantasy/AR 4.7
Newbery Medal

This twisted cinderella tale features a brave little mouse, a clan of wicked basement dwelling rats, a princess, a princess-wannabe, and assorted other villains and indifferent characters. The pace of the story keeps the suspense building while the characters come to life as sympathetic, detestable, and/or inspiring. As with most fairy tales, there are some harsh realities to deal with, including the betrayal of Despereaux by his own family paralleled by Mig's story, who was first sold by her father and becomes a servant to Princess Pea. Of course, all will end well for our main characters, but not before they show what they are made of.

Historical Fiction of Courage

The Barn
by Avi
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 4.5
An ALA Notable Book

At 9 years old, Benjamin was sent away to school to fulfill the promise of his dying mother and the promise of an intellectual mind that all in the family (except Ben) believe sets him apart from the rest. Benjamin, however, believes he can do great things on the farm with his family. He proves it when his father gets sick and he convinces his brother and sister to help him build a barn that he believes will make his father want to live again.

Black-Eyed Susan
by Jennifer Armstrong
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 5.1

Susan and her parents have moved to the prairie to stake their claim. Living in a sodhouse so depresses her mother with her memories of the fine homes and luxuries she once had in Ohio. It is up to Susan and her father to help her mother realize the beauty and splendor of the open plains. It's a hard task because the open fields can grip even Susan with the loneliness. This is a great book for those who love the Little House series.

Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
Genre: Historical Fiction/AR 5.3
Newbery Award

This is the story of a sharecropper family. The book takes its title from the name of the father's hound dog, the only character with a name in the book. When the boy's father is taken to jail for stealing food to feed his family, Sounder tries to follow and receives what should have been a deadly shot to the head. Sounder eventually recovers and returns to the family, but he has lost his powerful voice. The boy goes in search of his father every year trying to find where they have sent him to work off his sentence. The struggle for survival, sacrifices made to obtain an education and reunite a family, and the oppressive prejudice make this an emotionally difficult book to read. Read it anyway. You won't be sorry.

Zen Shorts

Zen Shorts
by John J. Muth
Genre: Animal Fantasy/Multicultural Folk Tales/AR 2.9
Caldecott Honor Book

Stillwater, a friendly, wise panda bear moves into the same neighborhood with Addy, Michael, and Karl. Each of the children visit Stillwater who tells them stories that help them rethink the way they had viewed a problem confronting them. The beautiful illustrations capture the whimsy of childhood and the peacefulness of a meditative life.

Two Under Par
by Kevin Henkes
Genre: Realistic Fiction/AR 4.7

Wedge has a new brother and father... a father who owns a miniature golf course. With a name like Wedge, you might think the boy would be happy with his mother's new marriage. Wedge, unfortunately, cannot find anything to like in his new family. It gets worse when he learns that his mother is expecting a child. What will Wedge do now?

With a name like Trouble Twins, what could go wrong?

Ruby Holler
by Sharon Creech
Genre: Realistic Fiction/AR 4.3
Carnegie Award for Children's Literature

Dallas and Florida were orphaned when they were just babies. In the beginning, the orphanage caretakers, Mr. and Mrs. Trepid, intended to keep them for their own. The high-spirited twins, however, soon met the end of Mrs. Trepid's patience and understanding. Years roll by filled with stern discipline and intimidation until at age 13, the twins begin to plot an escape as the only way out of the abusive home. Enter Sairy and Tiller, an eccentric older couple from Ruby Holler. They become foster parents to Dallas and Florida with the intention of having the twins accompany them on their separate journeys. How can Dallas and Florida trust them? And, will trouble follow them?

The Whipping Boy
by Sid Fleischman
Genre: Historical Fiction and Adventure/AR 3.9
Newbery Medal Winner

Did you know that when a young prince misbehaved a designated whipping boy took his punishment? If you were a sensitive person, such an arrangement would trouble your conscience considerably. Prince Brat, however, intentionally causes trouble. His whipping boy, Jemmy, refuses to cry which irks the prince. When the prince decides to run away, the prince forces Jemmy to come with him. They are immediately plunged into danger and are chased by a notorious robbing duo. The prince has to rely on the wits and charity of his whipping boy. Short, action packed chapters zip the story along to its perfect conclusion.

On My Honor

On My Honor
by Marion Dane Bauer
Genre: Realistic Fiction/A.R. 5.3
Newbery Honor Book

Joel and Tony have been friends since they were born just 1 week apart. Joel is cautious and introspective. Tony is adventurous and daring. In fact, if they didn't live across the street from each other, they probably wouldn't still be friends. During a bike ride to Starved Rock, Tony decides to go for a swim in the river. Joel knows his father wouldn't approve. In fact, he made him promise on his honor that the boys would not take any detours on their way. Not keeping that promise has dire consequences for both boys and their families.

Do you give a hoot?

Hoot
by Carl Hiaasen
Genre: Mystery/AR 5.2
Newbery Honor Book

Roy Eberhardt is a new kid again. Instead of trying to blend in with the crowd, he ignores the warnings of one of the school's biggest bullies to investigate the mysterious boy that avoids school and can be seen running around town barefooted. He soon finds himself in the middle of an ecological mystery involving pancakes, owls, and one barefooted boy. Should Roy and his friends let the adults sort it out? What would you do?

The Call of the Wild

My Side of the Mountain

by Jean Craighead George
Genre: Adventure/A.R. 5.2
Newbery Honor Book

With no malice or ill feelings toward his family, just a calling to the woods, Sam runs away from his city apartment home to live in the Catskill Mountains. He is going in search of his grandfather's abandoned farm. I'm happy to say that a kind librarian in town helps him locate the needed information in books and even draws maps to help him find the place. Leaving four sisters and four brothers behind, Sam is surprisingly not very lonely. He is also incredibly resourceful and lucky as he learns to build a home out of a tree, scout for food, and make friends of various woodland animals that help him by bringing food and alerting him to changing weather conditions in the mountains. Sam also maintains sporadic contact with humans as they come on hikes, hunts, and other exploration trips. Eventually, he becomes known in town as the wild boy that lives on nuts in the woods.

Upon learning that the publisher had first declined to publish this book, the author reported thinking "better to run to the woods than the city." You'll have to read it yourself to see if you agree.

Spying and Not Learning Lessons

Harriet the Spy
by Louise Fitzhugh
Genre: Realistic Fiction/AR 6.1

I kept wanting to find a way to like Harriet. Ole Goody who lived with her everyday obviously saw something in her. I definitely liked wise, Ole Goody. Harriet, however, is a character with serious flaws. She not only spies on all of her "friends," she writes unkind, hypercritical things about them. But when Harriet's friends read her diary and find out all the hateful things she has written about them, she is unapologetic and incensed that they violated her privacy by reading her diary. Never does she appreciate the absurdity of her actions given that she has made a habit of invading other people's privacy. In the end, her two best friends return to her not because she has apologized or even been kind, but because she tricks them by setting their new alliances against each other through more sneaky spying. I'll find it hard to recommend this one to anyone. So, if it's your favorite, feel free to leave a comment defending it.

The Clue to Summer Reading

39 Clues
various authors
Genre: Adventure/A.R. 4.3-4.9 range

Amy and Dan were already orphans when their grandmother, Grace, died and left them with a choice between 1 million dollars (to be handled and likely spent by their caregiver), or the secret to power beyond their imagination. Of course, there is a catch. They have to compete against members of 4 branches of the Cahill family to discover the secret. The challenge is not to become vicious and cruel in the process. Amy and Dan are desperate to find their identity and place in the world giving their quest much more heart than the other teams competing. It helps if you read this series in order, but the author provides the basic back story for anyone reading them out of order. These have been a hit in my summer read alouds at home. Check them out or see if you can find another series to ignite the reading bug you have at home.

Pinkerton Series

Tallyho, Pinkerton!
by Steven Kellogg
Genre: Animal Fantasy / AR 2.1

If you are familiar with Steven Kellogg's books, you already know that the illustrations are fantastic. Tallyho, Pinkerton has detailed, full page illustrations that are full of surprises. In fact, if you don't take the time to hunt for some of the hidden pictures, you will miss some of the story. Pinkerton is a loveable, great dane with a sympathetic owner that understands all of the mischief Pinkerton makes. In this story, Pinkerton accidentally takes a hot air balloon ride and stumbles into the middle of a fox hunt. It's up to the family to save Pinkerton again.

Roly the Railroad Mouse
by Ruth Ainsworth
Illustrator: Jean Winslow
Genre: Fantasy / (not AR)

Roland, called Roly, is a small, brown mouse that lives in the train station with the rest of his family. They must scrounge for crumbs and keep quick watch out for multiple dangers, including a one-eyed cat, spring traps, and poisened sandwiches. Until, one day... the mice manage to scare away all the unsympathetic station workers who are replaced with a kindly sibling pair that somehow don't mind mice. The talking animals are one reason this book is considered a fantasy, but I find the friendly relationship between the brother and sister and the mice much more difficult to believe!

The black and white drawings are worth a closer examination. There is so much detail drawn in to these otherwise simple images. I can definitely see myself using them to teach students about the importance of light, shadows, and dimensions in drawing.

A Lantern in Her Hand
by Bess Streeter Aldrich
Genre: Historical Fiction / AR 6.4

This work spans the lifetime of Abbie Mckinzie Deal and her husband, Will. It is above all a love story, or actually three love stories. The first, is the story of Abbie and Will's love. The second is the love of a mother for her children. The third, is the love of the prairie by the pioneers. Tieing all of them together is the theme of sacrifice, delayed rewards, and the unflinching devotion that comes from patience and duty through it all. This book is beyond the reading level of most of our students. I confess, it's hard to imagine how our young students could ever fully appreciate the depth of Abbie's character. I don't think it will hinder their enjoyment of the story, if they can only be convinced to give it a try. Aldrich pens many beautifully written passages filled with a charity of spirit and hopefulness that all should be able to respect.

The entire text can be read online courtesy of the Gutenberg project. One of my favorite passages is near the end. In this scene, Abbie's youngest daughter has invited her to travel abroad to Europe. When Abbie refuses, Grace accuses her mother of having lived a "narrow" life.

Unwittingly, as so often she did, Grace had hurt her Mother's feelings. For a moment Abbie nursed her little hurt, and then she said quietly, "You know, Grace, it's queer, but I don't feel narrow. I feel broad. How can I explain it to you, so you would understand? I've seen everything . . . and I've hardly been away from this yard. I've seen cathedrals in the snow on the Lombardy poplars. I've seen the sun set behind the Alps over there when the clouds have been piled up on the edge of the prairie. I've seen the ocean billows in the rise and the fall of the prairie grass. I've seen history in the making . . . three ugly wars flare up and die down. I've sent a lover and two brothers to one, a son and son-in-law to another, and two grandsons to the other. I've seen the feeble beginnings of a raw state and the civilization that developed there, and I've been part of the beginning and part of the growth. I've married . . . and borne children and looked into the face of death. Is childbirth narrow, Grace? Or marriage? Or death? When you've experienced all those things, Grace, the spirit has traveled although the body has been confined. I think travel is a rare privilege and I'm glad you can have it. But not every one who stays at home is narrow and not every one who travels is broad. I think if you can understand humanity . . . can sympathize with every creature . . . can put yourself into the personality of every one . . . you're not narrow . . . you're broad."

I've added the bold because I think it expresses such an elegant idea so simply. This book has a slow beginning and some sluggish parts (to me), but with writing like this throughout it is worth the time. I only hope I can convince some of our more advanced readers to give it a try.

Ghost Brother
by C.S. Adler
Genre: Realistic Fiction / AR 5.8

Wally's older brother, Jon-o, was the coolest kid in town and an even better big brother. When he dies abruptly trying to save the life of a drowning boy, the loss hits Wally hard. The family already lost their father a few years earlier. Wally's mother is weakened by grief and his Aunt Flo's domineering and unsympathetic view of grief doesn't provide any comfort or counsel. It's little wonder that Wally begins to believe he can see and talk to Jon-o's ghost. Jon-o generally appears when Wally needs his advice and guidance. But, will he appear in time to save Wally from a reckless skateboard stunt that he is determined to conquer in honor of Jon-o's memory?

The Wreck of the Zephyr
by Christopher van Allsburg
Genre: Fantasy / AR 3.7

How did a small sailboat wind up ship wrecked on cliffs high above the sea? With stunning illustrations and an equally fanciful tale, van Allsburg explains the mystery of the Zephyr. The name of the boat provides some clue to a possible answer. Zephyr: a gentle, mild breeze (Dictionary.com, which also has an audio file for each word, so you can hear it pronounced, if needed).

That Horse Whiskey
by C.S. Adler
Genre: Realistic Fiction / AR 4.8

Lainey Cobb wakes up on her 13th birthday expecting to find the horse her dad has promised to her. Instead, she learns that her parents not only cannot afford the promised horse, but are facing bankruptcy and foreclosure if things don't improve for her father's housing development. Though Lainey's relationship with her father is often strained, the bonds that tie them are symbolized in the way she emulates his entreprenurial spirt when she becomes determined to earn the money on her own. Mr. Dodge, the stable owner, gives her two challenging responsibilities... train a stubborn horse to trust a rider and teach an equally recalcitrant New York boy to work instead of spending all his time reading. If Lainey can do both jobs, she knows she will be able to earn a horse and her father's respect once and for all. Read this book to find out what happens.

German Shepherds - a student review by Maddie Cartron

German Shepherds
by Connie Colwell Miller
DDS 636.737/AR 2.2

I like this book because it is all about big German Shepards and they are very protective and are mean sometimes. -by Maddie C.

Gingerbread Friends - a student review by Kalina S.

Gingerbread Friends
by Jan Brett
Genre: Fantasy/AR 3.7

I like it because there's A gingerbread in it. And also because it is a pop up book. I like it because the gingerbread baby did a cartwheel. - by Kalina S.

Interrupting Chicken

Interrupting Chicken

by David Ezra Stein

Genre: Fantasy/AR 2.2

I was so excited when my principal brought me this book several weeks ago. Before she purchased it for the library, I borrowed it from the public library to read to students. Besides being an informal way of assessing basic fairy tale knowledge, it is a fun book to use to teach young students how to listen without interrupting. It is also useful for reminding adults why little ones need to interact with the stories they hear. Mainly, it's just plain fun. Watch the author's book trailer below and see for yourself.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Rodrick Rules - a student review

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules
by Jeff Kinney
Genre: Realistic Fiction/AR 5.2

Greg Heffley's brother Rodrick is been annoying to Greg. Greg wants to stop his brother somehow but he might have a plan. When his mom and dad go on a trip Rodrick has a big party even though they said not to. Will this be Greg's chance to bust Rodrick? - by Dakota H.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs - guest review

The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!
by A. Wolf
Genre: Fantasy/AR 3.0

We have all heard the story of the Three Little Pigs, right? Well, before people were able to get their hands on many books, they used to tell stories. So, before I read this story to Mrs. Pettitt's class, I told them the story of the Three Little Pigs (which all of them had heard). Then we read "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" by A. Wolf. This story is told from the wolf's point of view. All he wanted to do was bake his granny a birthday cake! After we read the wolf's version of the story we voted to decide if he was innocent or guilty. The vote was really close. Check it out. Who will you believe? -by Lisa Campbell

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