Liar & Spy

 

Liar & Spy

by Rebecca Stead

 

 

 

Rebecca Stead, author of When You Reach Me, winner of the 2009 Newbery Award, has written another fun-loving book with a settle message.  The many twists and turns at the end made the book even more intriguing.  It is realistic fiction, as Georges has to deal with many things; his dad lost his job, his family must move to an apartment, he has to face making new friends as well as dealing with classmates that aren't always so nice, his mom has an issue (no giveaways here), and he must deal with a liar and spy.  My graduate school book club read this for our elementary/middle school selection.  I have passed it on for my public library middle school book club.  It is a great one to use for book clubs, if you can keep everyone from reading ahead.  The  mystery will keep the kids guessing all the way through.  The many twists at the end are surprising, and the lessons learned will spur on some great discussions.



Hello all!

I am finally back!!!  I have finished my Master's of Library Science and have acquired a position at our local public library.  I am loving it.  I have been reading a ton, but not blogging.  So, I am back to it.

First of all, I want to send a big thanks to SYNC, who gave free audiobook downloads to our young adults (or anyone else) who wanted some books to listen to this summer.  Each week, I could download a classic and a young adult book for my listening pleasure.  I enjoyed it very much.  I am hooked on listening to a book when I drive anywhere.  Why not?  It keeps the blood pressure down when I am stuck in traffic because I just get more listening time!!  The plan is to have more available next summer, so check in with them.

I have lots of books to blog about, but I can tell you that it is much harder to blog this long after reading them!  I think I will have to pick and choose which ones to write a review about, while I try to keep current from this point forward.  I also think my blog will take a turn toward including both young adult books (because I love to read them) and picture books (because I work with the preschool to elementary kids at the library). 

It's great to be back!!

World Book Night Finale

Look what I just found in my inbox!  It brought tears to my eyes to be a part of such a wonderful endeavor.  This was so fun and I hope that some of you are moved to be a participant next year!  Or find another way to spread the joy of reading.

Pete the Cat

Litwin, E. (2012).  Pete the cat and his four groovy buttons.  New York:
        HarperCollins Children's Books.

Pete the Cat is back!!!  In this creative and colorful story, Pete loses his groovy buttons off his favorite shirt one by one.  But, it's all good for Pete.  He knows that we don't need to cry, he knows that things come and things go, and he just keeps singing his song!  In the true Litwin and Dean spirit, we have another guitar-strumming, sing-along book that is repetitive, catchy, and teaches a little lesson too! 

Here is the book trailer created by HarperCollins Children's Books.




If you liked this one, you will love his others too!!
Pete the Cat: I Love My White Shoes
Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes
Pete the Cat Saves Christmas (coming in September 2012)

All these books have great book trailers and catchy tunes!   There is even a stuffed Pete the Cat available at Amazon.com.

There is downloadable music available at HarperCollins for all these books.  On this website, there is more information about the author and illustrator, plus activity guides for each book.

Zero the Hero

Holub, J. (2012).  Zero the hero.  New York:  Henry Holt and Company.

Zero was not just any number...he was nothing, nada, zip, ziltch!  Whether he was added or subtracted, he didn't mean diddly-squat.  Once he finds out the power of the zero rule in multiplication, he was excited, but the others ran for lives fearing extinction.  That is when zero decided to disappear.  He was greatly missed while he was away, no rounding to the tens or hundreds, a missing even number, etc.  Meanwhile the Romans invaded (Roman numerals) and it took ZERO THE HERO to save the day.

Such a cute story with plays on words throughout!  Here is a book trailer made by Macmillan retrieved from http://us.macmillan.com/zerothehero/JoanHolub on May 11, 2012. 

If you enjoyed this book, you might also enjoy E-mergency written and illustrated by the illustrator of Zero the Hero, Tom Lichtenheld.


For some math activities, check out these math games.  You will find activities about math that were mentioned in the book; such as Roman Numerals, Rounding, and other math operations.

Here is a really fun activity from Scholastic.  It is an article talking about having a Zero Hero coming to visit your school on the 50th and 100th day of school.  However, he is a mystery, and no one has ever seen him.  He leaves footprints in the classroom and clues, etc.  It seems really fun!!

Other fun math picture books:
Once Upon a Dime: A Math Adventure
Full House: An Invitation to Fractions
Just a Second
Sir Cumference series
The Math Start series

One Cool Friend

Buzzeo, T. (2012). One cool friend. New York:  Dial Books for Young Readers.

This is a very cool book about a boy named Elliot who goes to visit an aquarium with his father.  While he is there, he asks for a penguin.  His father, who thinks Elliot wants a stuffed animal penguin, agrees.  This is when the fun starts.  I will tell you only that Elliot does not mean a stuffed animal, and Elliot does bring home his penguin.  That is all I will say...except that after you read the book once, you will open it right back up to the beginning and read it again!  It is a New York Times Best Seller and teachers can download a curriculum guide and a reader's theater script here.




Make a video of your own at Animoto.
-first penguin picture retrieved from www.animoto.com 
-book cover retrieved from www.goodreads.com 
-rest of pictures retrieved from www.Pics4Learning.com 

Click on the link above to go to the National Geographic kids web page on Emperor Penguins.

Toni Buzzeo, the author, has a pretty nice website.  She is the author of the Mrs. Skorupski books.  You may have heard of Our Librarian won't Tell Us Anything.



I've Lost My Hippopotamus

Prelutsky, J. (2012).  I've lost my hippopotamus. New York:  Greenwillow Books.

This is a collection of Jack Prelutsky's poems - 100 more poems, to be exact!  Some are about real animals and some are totally pretend animals...some even put two animals together.  Some poems are looong, and some are short and sweet.  Think about the title, which is a poem in the book, how do you lose a gigantic hippopotamus?!?! 



Make your own slideshow with music at Animoto.

-book cover retrieved from www.goodreads.com

-pictures retrieved from www.pics4learning.com

Make sure to visit Scholastic's Poetry Idea Engine!! 

It has Haiku, Limerick, Cinquain, and Free Verse.
It is loads of fun!

 

Click on the link above to go to Jack Prelutsky's website!

Other poetry books by Jack Prelutsky:

It's Raining Pigs and Noodles

Pizza, Pigs, and Poetry: How to Write a Poem

The New Kid on the Block

Be Glad Your Nose is on Your Face:  and other Poems

Other children's poetry book authors:
Shel Silverstein
Kalli Dakos

Bruce Lansky
J. Patrick Lewis
Kenn Nesbitt
Judith Viorst

Chopsticks

Rosenthal, A. (2012).  Chopsticks.  New York:  Disney-Hyperion Books.

This is the sweetest book about two best friends - chopsticks.  They are always together...inseparable!  Until one day, one of them broke at the tip, kind of like a broken ankle.  Now, they have to learn to be apart.  The story is very witty.  When the break occurred, the chopstick was "whisked" away...by a whisk, of course (p. 11).  I literally giggled my way through this book.  I will definitely have to search out Spoon, the companion book. 

Try our slideshow creator at Animoto.
-book cover retrieved from www.goodreads.com
-picture of page from book retrieved from Junior Library Guild
-all other pictures retrieved from Microsoft Online Clipart

The author, Amy Krouse Rosenthal, has a website which includes activities to use with this book.


Other books by Amy Krouse Rosenthal are:
Spoon
This Plus That: Life's Little Equations
Plant a Kiss
Little Pea
Duck! Rabbit!
Little Hoot
Little Oink