Greetings!
This post is short, but it could be very important to some of you. Last week I had a visitor from Dayton, WA, a small town within an hour’s drive from College Place. The church used to have a small SDA school years ago, but it closed and they are now wanting to ‘relocate’ the books that were used in the school. We had a nice discussion and I decided to go see for myself. Last Friday I had the opportunity to visit their library and help them a little. Maggie asked me if there were other schools that might be interested in the books. They are free and they would work with any school to get the books to them.
I would make a safe guess that nearly 90% of their books are SDA-published or Christian published. There are lots of mission stories and older SDA paperback books and they want to share them with anyone who needs or wants them. I would guess that if you have a particular want you could call and see if they have the book or books you want.
If you or a friend expect to be in this area at some point in the next five or six months, you can visit the church in Dayton and take away all the books you want.
I hope each of you have a blessed and restful Thanksgiving break. I’m looking forward to my son and his fiancée coming and also doing some sewing and quilting.
Audrey
PS. If you do get some books from Dayton, I would be very interested in knowing this. I hope you send me a quick email letting me know.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Monday, November 17, 2014
New Books
Greetings!
I have a few more new books for you to learn about.
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord is a wonderful book about a young girl who moves to a house on a lake in New Hampshire one summer. Her father is a professional photographer and Lucy wants to show her father that she is talented, too. As Lucy is getting used to the move, she meets Nate from next door. Nate’s family and his grandma Lilah, come to the lake for the summer every year. Grandma Lilah is an official Loon watcher for the Loon Preservation Committee and the children kayak out to check on the loons for her each day since she cannot get around like she used to. But Grandma Lilah has another problem – she is having ‘bad days’ where she cannot remember things and she gets frightened. Lucy and Nate try hard to help Grandma Lilah, but the time comes when they must accept the changes that are happening. Nate helps Lucy find pictures for a photography contest for kids. At first Lucy is just wanting to show her father what she is capable of doing, and deep down she knows that since her father is a judge, she is not eligible for the contest. But if she and Nate win the contest, they can rent a pontoon boat and take Grandma Lilah out to see the loons and make her summer.
There are a number of photography hints and ideas in this book wrapped in the story. Mix in some friendship issues and you have a great story.
We’ve all heard about Hurricane Katrina and the damage that was done and there have been some great stories about the people involved in the hurricane. This is a story about Armani who is about to turn ten years old and is planning her birthday party and boy is it going to be an event! Turning ten is a big deal to Armani because it means that she is older, and more responsible. But the hurricane comes and tears apart her plans and her world. This is a story of survival and courage in the face of not knowing what is going to happen or if she will see her family again.
Julie Lamana was working in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina tore New Orleans apart and was one of the people helping displaced children through this tragedy. She had a unique view of the survivor’s experience and got the idea to write Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere.
Suzy’s little brother helps to save a neighbor by calling 911 and becomes a local hero. Everyone pays attention to him and not her. Her best friend is becoming interested in things that Suzy isn’t interested in, and Suzy feels left out. As the summer progresses, Suzy reads a book about Emily Dickinson and decided that she will just do exactly as Emily did. Emily wore long white dresses, so Suzy will wear long white dresses. Emily was a recluse, so Suzy will stay in her room and be just like Emily. Suzy writes letters and delivers them using a basket on a rope out her window – just like Emily. Suzy even refuses to answer to anything but ‘Emily’. It doesn’t take too long for Suzy to become bored with spending Another Day as Emily.
Eileen Spinelli has written this charming book in verse form, but as I read it, I forgot that it was in verse. I only remembered this when I took another look to write this blurb for you. The illustrations are more like occasional page decorations. There is a lot of white space and though the book looks ‘thick’, it reads quickly.
I hope you enjoy these three books. Have a great week.
Audrey
I have a few more new books for you to learn about.
Half a Chance by Cynthia Lord is a wonderful book about a young girl who moves to a house on a lake in New Hampshire one summer. Her father is a professional photographer and Lucy wants to show her father that she is talented, too. As Lucy is getting used to the move, she meets Nate from next door. Nate’s family and his grandma Lilah, come to the lake for the summer every year. Grandma Lilah is an official Loon watcher for the Loon Preservation Committee and the children kayak out to check on the loons for her each day since she cannot get around like she used to. But Grandma Lilah has another problem – she is having ‘bad days’ where she cannot remember things and she gets frightened. Lucy and Nate try hard to help Grandma Lilah, but the time comes when they must accept the changes that are happening. Nate helps Lucy find pictures for a photography contest for kids. At first Lucy is just wanting to show her father what she is capable of doing, and deep down she knows that since her father is a judge, she is not eligible for the contest. But if she and Nate win the contest, they can rent a pontoon boat and take Grandma Lilah out to see the loons and make her summer.
There are a number of photography hints and ideas in this book wrapped in the story. Mix in some friendship issues and you have a great story.
We’ve all heard about Hurricane Katrina and the damage that was done and there have been some great stories about the people involved in the hurricane. This is a story about Armani who is about to turn ten years old and is planning her birthday party and boy is it going to be an event! Turning ten is a big deal to Armani because it means that she is older, and more responsible. But the hurricane comes and tears apart her plans and her world. This is a story of survival and courage in the face of not knowing what is going to happen or if she will see her family again.
Julie Lamana was working in Louisiana when Hurricane Katrina tore New Orleans apart and was one of the people helping displaced children through this tragedy. She had a unique view of the survivor’s experience and got the idea to write Upside Down in the Middle of Nowhere.
Suzy’s little brother helps to save a neighbor by calling 911 and becomes a local hero. Everyone pays attention to him and not her. Her best friend is becoming interested in things that Suzy isn’t interested in, and Suzy feels left out. As the summer progresses, Suzy reads a book about Emily Dickinson and decided that she will just do exactly as Emily did. Emily wore long white dresses, so Suzy will wear long white dresses. Emily was a recluse, so Suzy will stay in her room and be just like Emily. Suzy writes letters and delivers them using a basket on a rope out her window – just like Emily. Suzy even refuses to answer to anything but ‘Emily’. It doesn’t take too long for Suzy to become bored with spending Another Day as Emily.
Eileen Spinelli has written this charming book in verse form, but as I read it, I forgot that it was in verse. I only remembered this when I took another look to write this blurb for you. The illustrations are more like occasional page decorations. There is a lot of white space and though the book looks ‘thick’, it reads quickly.
I hope you enjoy these three books. Have a great week.
Audrey
Monday, November 10, 2014
High Interest, Low Level
Greetings!
Last week I received a request from a teacher who has a fourth grade boy with a low reading level. She wanted some suggestions for books that this boy might enjoy and also specified that he really likes dogs. I quickly realized that many of us have a very similar situation and so this week will be focusing on high interest, low level books.
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. This is about a young man who enters a dog sled race to try to win money to save his family farm. Reading level is about 3.2.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The reading level is about 2.7 for the first book and ranges to just over 4.0 in the series. The books are fun, the premise is interesting, and kids usually devour them. They are about 150 pages, so they don’t look like a baby book either. If he hasn’t read any of these, I recommend that he start with book # 1 then go to any of the books after that.
Childhood of Famous Americans by various authors. These books have been around for many, many years. They have been reprinted in many different covers. I remember reading these with an orange cover and a blue/green cover. I have them in my library in those covers plus a red and white paperback cover. The plus of these is that they are basically true stories, biographies, and parents appreciate this. However, they are a little higher reading level – about 3.2 – 5.5 depending on the book chosen. Most school libraries have these books in them.
Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins, Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Clubhouse, Henry and Beezus all have a boy as the main character plus his dog, Ribsy. Henry Huggins is the first book and this is when he acquires Ribsy. RL for these is about 4.2 – 5.6. High, but the interest is high also. Her book Socks is about a cat and is a 2.0 RL.
Horrible Harry series by Suzy Kline is fun, hilarious, and only about a 3rd grade RL. The books are thinner and look a little more childish, which can be a con.
The Kids of the Polk Street School series by Patricia Reilly Giff. This series is a good one for your boy. The Reading Level is only about 1.9 – 3.0 and the Interest Level is for 3rd – 5th grades. They are thin books and old. You may have them or can buy them in a used book store for cheap, but they are also available new.
You might be able to find a simplified “Lassie” book.
I have a set of very old books about dogs that seem to be fairly easy to read. They are by Margaret S. Johnson and Helen Lossing Johnson. There are about a dozen of these in my library and they are all about either dogs or horses. There seem to be more about dogs than horses. Vicki, Guide Dog is one title I noticed. They may be able to be purchased through a used online bookstore if you don’t happen to have them.
The Barn by Avi is about Ben and his siblings who build a barn to fulfill their father’s dying request. Reading level is a 3.0 and interest level is grades 5 – 12.
Superfudge by Judy Blume is the sequel to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing about Peter and his brother, Fudge. Reading level 2.0 and Interest level 2 – 4. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is slightly higher.
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman is a shorter story that is similar to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court with a RL of 3.
Try doing a search for more books by entering “High Interest Low Level” and you will see many sites that have some great options.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
Last week I received a request from a teacher who has a fourth grade boy with a low reading level. She wanted some suggestions for books that this boy might enjoy and also specified that he really likes dogs. I quickly realized that many of us have a very similar situation and so this week will be focusing on high interest, low level books.
Stone Fox by John Reynolds Gardiner. This is about a young man who enters a dog sled race to try to win money to save his family farm. Reading level is about 3.2.
The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner. The reading level is about 2.7 for the first book and ranges to just over 4.0 in the series. The books are fun, the premise is interesting, and kids usually devour them. They are about 150 pages, so they don’t look like a baby book either. If he hasn’t read any of these, I recommend that he start with book # 1 then go to any of the books after that.
Childhood of Famous Americans by various authors. These books have been around for many, many years. They have been reprinted in many different covers. I remember reading these with an orange cover and a blue/green cover. I have them in my library in those covers plus a red and white paperback cover. The plus of these is that they are basically true stories, biographies, and parents appreciate this. However, they are a little higher reading level – about 3.2 – 5.5 depending on the book chosen. Most school libraries have these books in them.
Beverly Cleary’s Henry Huggins, Henry and Ribsy, Henry and the Clubhouse, Henry and Beezus all have a boy as the main character plus his dog, Ribsy. Henry Huggins is the first book and this is when he acquires Ribsy. RL for these is about 4.2 – 5.6. High, but the interest is high also. Her book Socks is about a cat and is a 2.0 RL.
Horrible Harry series by Suzy Kline is fun, hilarious, and only about a 3rd grade RL. The books are thinner and look a little more childish, which can be a con.
The Kids of the Polk Street School series by Patricia Reilly Giff. This series is a good one for your boy. The Reading Level is only about 1.9 – 3.0 and the Interest Level is for 3rd – 5th grades. They are thin books and old. You may have them or can buy them in a used book store for cheap, but they are also available new.
You might be able to find a simplified “Lassie” book.
I have a set of very old books about dogs that seem to be fairly easy to read. They are by Margaret S. Johnson and Helen Lossing Johnson. There are about a dozen of these in my library and they are all about either dogs or horses. There seem to be more about dogs than horses. Vicki, Guide Dog is one title I noticed. They may be able to be purchased through a used online bookstore if you don’t happen to have them.
The Barn by Avi is about Ben and his siblings who build a barn to fulfill their father’s dying request. Reading level is a 3.0 and interest level is grades 5 – 12.
Superfudge by Judy Blume is the sequel to Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing about Peter and his brother, Fudge. Reading level 2.0 and Interest level 2 – 4. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is slightly higher.
The Whipping Boy by Sid Fleischman is a shorter story that is similar to A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court with a RL of 3.
Try doing a search for more books by entering “High Interest Low Level” and you will see many sites that have some great options.
I hope you have a great week.
Audrey
Tuesday, November 4, 2014
New Chapter Books
Greetings!
Let’s take a look at some new chapter books.
Andrea Cheng has written three wonderful books about Anna Wang who is Chinese and has struggles and adventures just like everyone else. Topics include adoption, school, friendship, and just life in middle school. Her books are a bit smaller size, slightly larger than 5 x 7 and have just under 150 pages. These are great chapter books for students in the middle grades, not too long, but not too childish either. I like the multicultural aspect. Each book contains a Chinese pronunciation guide for the words used in the book. The three books can be read independently of each other – they aren’t sequels, really. If you want to read them in order, then start with The Year of the Book, then go to The Year of the Baby, and end with The Year of the Fortune Cookie. Then you wait until April 7, 2015 when The Year of the Three Sisters will be released. I’ve read them all and am looking forward to that one.
I’m not sure if this book goes in the biography section or the story section. Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince with Elaine DePrince is the true story of a very young girl born in Sierra Leone and orphaned at a very young age. She decided after seeing a page from a ballet magazine that she wanted to be a ballerina. When she was adopted by the DePrince family along with another little orphan girl, both were given ballet lessons, but Michaela had the talent and the gift and the drive to go far. She starred in the documentary “First Position” about a ballet competition for young people. Now she is a member of the Dutch national Ballet in Amsterdam. I’ve decided. I’m putting it in the biography section and promoting it in class.
All Four Stars by Tara Dairman grabbed my attention when I read that an eleven-year-old girl cooks gourmet food and hates the fast food her parents bring home every day. When Gladys uses her father’s blowtorch in an attempt to delicately brown the top of a crème brulee, she sets the kitchen curtains on fire and is banned from the kitchen and anything food related. Through a series of events, Gladys receives an email asking her to be a food critic for the newspaper. The book is funny, clever, and at times I had to suspend my disbelief, but kids will enjoy it. It is also brand new and I didn’t notice any language issues in it. Win, win.
Another new book is by Ann M. Martin of the Babysitter Club fame. This one is titled Rain, Reign. What I found interesting was the fact that the main (mane) character, Rose (rows) is obsessed with homonyms and also has a diagnosis of high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome. The story is told from Rose’s perspective and helps children better understand this condition. Rose doesn’t have many friends except her dog Rain (reign). Throughout the book nearly every homonym listed has the others in parentheses like I have done (dun) here (hear). IMPORTANT NOTE: I must tell you that Rose’s father isn’t very supportive and yells at her for acting the way she does. He goes to the nearby bar most evenings after work, and this behavior is continued through the book. In one place he tries to beat the dog, but is unsuccessful. There is one or two instances of language when Rose’s father uses the word “Frickin’. However, Rose’s uncle is very kind to her and runs interference between her and her dad. I enjoyed the book, but I realize that many of you may not choose to get this one.
Take a time in history and put a young person in there trying to survive the situation and you have a story. Or rather, Lauren Tarshis has a story. Lauren Tarshis write the series that begins ‘I Survived. . .’ This series put out by Scholastic is very popular at our school. Each book contains about 100 pages and is written on a 4th grade reading level. The books so far include the Titanic, Shark attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, Pearl Harbor, San Francisco earthquake, 1906, September 11 attacks, Gettysburg, Japanese Tsunami 2011, Nazi invasion, and Pompeii. Lauren also has written another disaster book titled “I Survived True Stories-Five Epic Disasters which include The Children’s Blizzard in 1888, Great Boston Molasses Flood in 1919, and the Henryville tornado in 2012 plus the Titanic, and the Japanese tsunami in 2011. Readers can also take a quiz on the scholastic website to test their own survival skills.
I hope you enjoy some of these books. If you find some titles that you want to share, please let me know and I will compile them in one email.
Have a great week.
Audrey
Let’s take a look at some new chapter books.
Andrea Cheng has written three wonderful books about Anna Wang who is Chinese and has struggles and adventures just like everyone else. Topics include adoption, school, friendship, and just life in middle school. Her books are a bit smaller size, slightly larger than 5 x 7 and have just under 150 pages. These are great chapter books for students in the middle grades, not too long, but not too childish either. I like the multicultural aspect. Each book contains a Chinese pronunciation guide for the words used in the book. The three books can be read independently of each other – they aren’t sequels, really. If you want to read them in order, then start with The Year of the Book, then go to The Year of the Baby, and end with The Year of the Fortune Cookie. Then you wait until April 7, 2015 when The Year of the Three Sisters will be released. I’ve read them all and am looking forward to that one.
I’m not sure if this book goes in the biography section or the story section. Taking Flight by Michaela DePrince with Elaine DePrince is the true story of a very young girl born in Sierra Leone and orphaned at a very young age. She decided after seeing a page from a ballet magazine that she wanted to be a ballerina. When she was adopted by the DePrince family along with another little orphan girl, both were given ballet lessons, but Michaela had the talent and the gift and the drive to go far. She starred in the documentary “First Position” about a ballet competition for young people. Now she is a member of the Dutch national Ballet in Amsterdam. I’ve decided. I’m putting it in the biography section and promoting it in class.
All Four Stars by Tara Dairman grabbed my attention when I read that an eleven-year-old girl cooks gourmet food and hates the fast food her parents bring home every day. When Gladys uses her father’s blowtorch in an attempt to delicately brown the top of a crème brulee, she sets the kitchen curtains on fire and is banned from the kitchen and anything food related. Through a series of events, Gladys receives an email asking her to be a food critic for the newspaper. The book is funny, clever, and at times I had to suspend my disbelief, but kids will enjoy it. It is also brand new and I didn’t notice any language issues in it. Win, win.
Another new book is by Ann M. Martin of the Babysitter Club fame. This one is titled Rain, Reign. What I found interesting was the fact that the main (mane) character, Rose (rows) is obsessed with homonyms and also has a diagnosis of high-functioning autism or Asperger’s syndrome. The story is told from Rose’s perspective and helps children better understand this condition. Rose doesn’t have many friends except her dog Rain (reign). Throughout the book nearly every homonym listed has the others in parentheses like I have done (dun) here (hear). IMPORTANT NOTE: I must tell you that Rose’s father isn’t very supportive and yells at her for acting the way she does. He goes to the nearby bar most evenings after work, and this behavior is continued through the book. In one place he tries to beat the dog, but is unsuccessful. There is one or two instances of language when Rose’s father uses the word “Frickin’. However, Rose’s uncle is very kind to her and runs interference between her and her dad. I enjoyed the book, but I realize that many of you may not choose to get this one.
Take a time in history and put a young person in there trying to survive the situation and you have a story. Or rather, Lauren Tarshis has a story. Lauren Tarshis write the series that begins ‘I Survived. . .’ This series put out by Scholastic is very popular at our school. Each book contains about 100 pages and is written on a 4th grade reading level. The books so far include the Titanic, Shark attacks of 1916, Hurricane Katrina, Pearl Harbor, San Francisco earthquake, 1906, September 11 attacks, Gettysburg, Japanese Tsunami 2011, Nazi invasion, and Pompeii. Lauren also has written another disaster book titled “I Survived True Stories-Five Epic Disasters which include The Children’s Blizzard in 1888, Great Boston Molasses Flood in 1919, and the Henryville tornado in 2012 plus the Titanic, and the Japanese tsunami in 2011. Readers can also take a quiz on the scholastic website to test their own survival skills.
I hope you enjoy some of these books. If you find some titles that you want to share, please let me know and I will compile them in one email.
Have a great week.
Audrey
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