rss

Pippi Longstocking - a guest review by Mrs. Lisa Campbell


Pippi Longstocking
by Astrid Lindgren
Genre:  Realistic Fiction/AR 6.6

I just finished reading "Pippi Longstocking" to Mrs. Pettitt's first grade. I remember reading and loving this book as a child. I also enjoyed reading it aloud to the class. We all enjoyed the tall tales that Pippi does spin at the drop of a hat. The children always seem to understand the reason for Pippi's most outrageous behavior. It is because she doesn't have any parents to guide her. She even has to spank herself if she won't go to bed. Imagine that! Pippi is super strong and very naughty but she has a great big heart. Why don't you check it out for yourself? --by Lisa Campbell

2 comments |

Eddie Bowman Author Visit on Thursday

Eddie Bowman, as Chester Drawers, will visit Walnut Grove on Thursday, February 2. Mr. Bowman brings humor and song to his author assemblies. His chapter books teach children how to focus on values, being responsible, and making good choices.

His picture books tell zany stories with fun illustrations.  They are also the basis of his Silly Songs which are sure to delight all the students at Walnut Grove.  Teachers are sending home order forms for Bowman's books.  All books will be autographed after the assembly.

0 comments |

Origin of Superstitions and A Fantasy Series

Don't Sing Before Breakfast, Don't Sleep in the Moonlight:  Everyday Superstitions and How They Began
By Lila Perl
Illustrated by Erika Weihs
DDN 001.9 (1988)

Pairing superstitions with well-known rhymes, the author gives brief origins of common superstitions.  The chapters present the superstitions by themes, but the index is a much appreciated access point for those looking for the history of a specific superstition, or just wishing to explore the many topics covered.  For example, everyone has heard that if your ear itches (or burns) someone is talking about you.  Did you know, however, that an itching palm portends money is coming your way?  I enjoyed the chapter on numbers the most.  The many ways numbers can be used to legitimately analyze a situation intrigue me more, but I must confess to practicing some of the number superstitions, like doing things in threes, without even realizing it.  To break this trend, I will only review two books today!


The Spiderwick Chronicles:  The Field Guide, Book One of Five
by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black
Genre:  Fantasy/AR 4.2
The series begins with twins Jarod and Simon and their sister, Mallory, moving wth their mother to a ramshackle, old house in Maine after the death of their father.  This first in the series does a good job developing the personalities of the children and the bond between them in spite of frequent sibling squabbles.  Jarod is the first to notice odd noises in the house.  He's also his mother's chief suspect in mischief around the new house, including finding Mallory's hair braided to the bedpost the first night and a giant mess in the kitchen the second.  The children must investigate to avoid the wrath of their mother and prove Jarod's innocence.

0 comments |

Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel

by Virginia Lee Burton
AR 4.4Genre:  Fantasy/AR 4.4
This classic tale first published in 1938 continues to entertain and engage due to timeless themes and beautiful illustrations.  In fact, there are some strikingly modern ideas expressed here, including the down side of technological advances.  Who can forget the image of Mike and Mary Anne shuddering on the edge of the garbage pit full of steam shovels replaced by more powerful gas and diesel engines?  The hopeful ending with Mary Anne being recycled and repurposed to provide heat for the new town hall will delight 21st century greenies everywhere.  The beautifully written text capturing the true spirit of friendship, faith, and hardwork, however, are what keep me sharing this classic with children year after year. 

1 comments |

UFOs

The Unexplained UFOs
by Terri Sievert
DDN 001.942 (2005)


How to Catch a Flyer Saucer
by James M. Deem
DDN 001.9 (1991)


An Unidentified Flying Object is just that... something unidentified that is seen in the sky.  It doesn't mean that it has come from outer space, or that it can't find its way (as many do) into the category of identified flying object (IFO).


The first book, The Unexplained UFOs, provides a brief history of UFOs, the people who have seen them, and the people who study the possibilities of them. One fourth of the book is devoted to the crash in Roswell, New Mexico.  Want to know what distinguishes a close encounter of the first kind from a close encounter of the third kind?  The UFO sighting classification system in this book can answer that question.


If, however, you want to really study UFOs, you'll have to read How to Catch a Flying Saucer.  Divided into two parts, the first part of the book is a UFO primer and the second part instructs the reader on how to become a UFOlogist.  Both parts are written with a journalistic credulity that balances skepticism with a willingness to believe in the possibility of UFOs.  While Part 1 entertains with stories and investigations, I found Part 2 to be the most interesting part.  The chapters on how to observe and document a UFO give surprisingly serious, structured advice that could serve those observing and writing about more terrestrial things just as well.

0 comments |

An Orphan, a Flying Dog, and Logo

Bud, Not Buddy
by Christopher Paul Curtis
Genre:  Realistic Fiction/AR 5.0

After suffering the loss of his mother and enduring abusive foster homes, ten year old Bud Caldwell goes in search of the father he's never met.  A bag of rocks scrawled with dates and town names and some band flyers his mother kept put Bud on the trail of the famous jazz musician Herman Calloway. Set in the Great Depression, the story touches on issues of poverty, crime, and racism through a child's perspective.  Armed with his Rules and Things for Having a Funner Life and Making a Better Liar Out of Yourself that cover every situation he might encounter on the journey, Bud is a character that the reader won't want to forget.


Some Dogs Do
by Jez Alborough
Genre:  Fantasy/AR 2.0

This is my favorite book to read aloud.  The rhyming text conveys the range of emotions Sid experiences on the day he discovers he can fly, but has a hard time convincing his friends and teacher of the fact.  The book is slightly larger than most picture books and each page is full of bright, colorful illustrations that bring the characters to life even if they are acting in completely unrealistic ways.  I've never read it to a group of kids that didn't love it. 

Looking at Logo
by Penny Holland
DDN 001.64 (1984)

This is the first book on our nonfiction shelves.  The turtle is still around teaching kids basic computer programming commands.  There's even an iPad app, which we've put on our school iPads.  This book, however, is showing its age.  While the programming exercises are essentially the same, the supporting text and pictures of 30 year old computers make this one a good candidate for weeding.  Like my venerable predecessor, Ms. Carr, I'm finding it hard, however, to get rid of books.

Labels:
0 comments |

Ready, Set... Read

I am working my way through the Web 2.0 exercises with the rest of my colleagues at Walnut Grove Elementary school. Blogging is something I have tried in the past, but found difficult to maintain. I think my problem was not having a purpose. Therefore, I am setting myself the challenge to read my way through the Walnut Grove library collection and document that journey with this blog.  Let's see, that's approximately 10,000 books.... I should be done in about 5 years!  Undaunted, I will use this blog to post my progress and reviews of favorite books. Aside from giving me greater familiarity with the collection, this will keep my own writing skills sharp and provide a model for students when they begin writing book reviews for our library catalog and Web site. 

3 comments |
Subscribe to: Posts (Atom)