Dinosaurs After Dark

   Enjoy the the escapades of Bobby who hears something sneak past his window at night, after everyone else is sleeping. See the fun that can be had with the dinosaurs. But, by the end of the night, do the dinosaurs end up as friendly as they seem? 

~ Deb, Stocking School

Sibley The Night I Followed The Dog by Nina Laden

A boy follows his dog one night to see what exactly dogs do when they are on their own.  It's quite a surprising  adventure for the boy.  He thinks his dog is ordinary.But one night when he follows him, he is surprised that his dog  is dressed in a tuxedo and jumps out of a limo.  They end up  at a club called,The Doghouse, where dogs can be dogs and relax how dogs like to.  Great story with illustrations and clever text adds to it.   ~ Mary Jo

Aberdeen Reads... The Math Curse

The Math Curse, by Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith, is hilarious.  A young boy thinks his teacher put a math curse on him when he can't stop turning everything in his life into a math problem.  His problems and answers get more and more complicated.

"I am now a raving math lunatic.  What if this keeps up for a whole year?  How many minutes of math madness would that be?"

"'What's your problem?' says my sister."

"'365 days x 24 hours x 60 minutes.'  I snarl."

This book would be a great read aloud for older kids in fifth through eighth grades, because they would recognize the hilarity of his math vocabulary.  You could extend the lesson and actually try to solve one of his problems.  Even the adults in the room had a good laugh over some of his answer choices.

SHAWMUT~ Walter the Farting Dog

I don't know about you, but all of this indoor recess is making me grumpy. It's also making the students grumpy. It seems like everyone just needs a good laugh, and this book is awesome for that! The title alone elicits laughter from even the most serious 5th grader!

Poor Walter was at the pound and nobody wanted him until Betty and Billy came along. Mom noticed the smell as soon as they brought him home, and they went to great efforts to fix the problem. Unfortunately, Walter's "rectal flatulence" couldn't be helped. Can the family learn to live with it, or will poor Walter have to go back to the pound?

If you're looking for some comic relief, or a simple pick-me-up, look no further because (let's be honest) farts are funny.

Enjoy!
Katie

SWCC Reads... What Momma left me/ by: Renee Watson

This book is very interesting and the 5th graders love it.. 

After the death of their mother, thirteen-year-old Serenity Evans and her younger brother go to live with their grandparents, who try to keep them safe from bad influences and help them come to terms with what has happened to their family. Despite the difficulties of a new school, a new church and a new neighborhood, Serenity gains strength from the family around her, the new friend she finds, and her optimism.......

The author's talent shines in this powerful and ultimately uplifting first novel, celebrating one girl's gift for finding joy in the darkest times of life.

  

Aberdeen Reads... Alice the Fairy

Alice the Fairy by David Shannon, is a wonderfully imaginative tale about a young girl named Alice.  Alice has a wild imagination which leads her to live a fantasy life as a fairy.  She talks about the ups and downs of being a fairy in training, and some of the dangerous pitfalls, like poisonous broccoli!

As always, David Shannon presents a book that is easy for children to relate to.  The illustrations are colorful and humorous.

Although this makes a fantastic read aloud for Kindergarten through Second grades, it would also be a great illustration of reading and writing concepts for older grades.  Students could use inferring skills to decipher what is really going on when Alice uses her magic to disappear.  Teachers may use this book when teaching students about the "voice" writing trait.

SWCC is reading Late for School! by: Stephanie Calmenson

Mr Bungles has overslept and he's going to be late for school. Teachers aren't supposed to be late! Poor Mr. Bungles tries by car, train, bus, even a hot air balloon. But nothing works and the clock is still clicking....
This book is good for K-2 to discuss all the many different ways of transportation, but also to change the rules of some teachers that do not want the students to be late and sometimes is ok as long as we try our best to be on time for school.

Shawmut~Have You Filled a Bucket Today?

This month, at Shawmut, we are "filling buckets"! I have spent the week reading this book to every classroom to introduce the concept which is really quite simple:

"You feel good when you help others feel good."

It is awesome to see how easy it is for students to grasp the idea. I even had one of our kindergarten teachers tell me that it has changed the vocabulary of the students in her room. She has overheard some of them telling their classmates to "stop dipping into my bucket", and "I don't think we're filling Mrs. (insert name here)'s bucket.".  

If you haven't read this book, I highly recommend it, and it's concept for all age groups. It's even a good reminder for teachers and staff. 

Coit Creative Arts Academy Reads ..... The Art of Miss Chew

The Art of Miss Chew  - Patrica Polacco/author and illustrator.  This the heartwarming and inspiring story of how Patricia Polacco discovered she was an artist. An important read for young artists and for kids who have trouble reading.  A story that shows the ability of a teacher to change the life of a student.

East Leonard School / Otis & Sydney And The Best Birthday Ever

Otis wants to give his best friend Sydney a birthday party. Otis sent out invitations, decorated and waited for the guests to arrive, Otis became worried when no one showed up for the party and discovered he put the wrong date on the invitations. Otis explained to Sydney about the mix-up, that he wanted him to have the best birthday ever and felt like he ruined it. Sydney told Otis, it was the best birthday ever because he got to spend it with his best friend.  Children relate to this book because they love birthday parties and it teaches kids a lesson that sometimes things don't turn out the way you planned, sometimes it can turn out better.
Age appropriate for 4-8 year old children.

Stocking School gets Wild About Books

  Wild About Books is a darling story about animals in the Springfield Zoo that are attracted to reading by Molly McGrew. Learn what the different animals like to read through rhyme. The next time you're visiting, don't be surprised if the animals are a bit hard to find, they may be busy being Wild About Books.  ~ Deb

Aberdeen Reads... The Indian in the Cupboard

The Indian in the Cupboard, by Lynne Reid Banks, is a classic that will engage both boys and girls.  This was one of my personal favorites from when I was in Mrs. Walshe's fifth grade way back in 1988, and it proves to be a favorite amongst Aberdeen's fourth and fifth graders as well.

Omri receives his friend's old plastic Indian figurine, an old cupboard, and his mother's fancy key for his birthday.  To his surprise, the key and the cupboard have some magical powers to animate plastic toys.  Upon discovering the plastic Indian he locked in the cupboard has come to life, Omri uses his imagination and creativity to use the magic for more adventures.

When we finish reading the book during library time, we plan to watch the movie based on the book!  But as usual, I bet our fourth and fifth graders will agree, that they like the book better!

Sibley Homeless Bird

Homeless Bird  by   Gloria Whelan                                                          Thirteen year old Koly is getting married. In India, many girls her age are forced by their parents. She discovers that her husband is sick with wicked parents. She wants to flee, but has no choice. As the story goes on, she set out to forge her own future. A life, like a tapestry, comes together for Koly- one stitch at a time.  ~ Mary Jo