KEC Oakleigh Read of the Week

Clever Beatrice: an Upper Penninsula Conte
We learned today that conte is french for folktale and that this book is a great conte.  It's a tall tale that comes from the French-Canadian lumberjacks in the UP - hence, the conte.  The students here really enjoyed reading it today.  In part, because it takes place in Michigan, but also because Beatrice is so clever she outwits a giant into thinking she is stronger than he is. This is a fun book and I highly recommend it as a story for 1st - 3rd graders.
~Diane

Sibley Falling for Rapunzel

  This is a great take  on the  story of  Rapunzel and her Prince. When the prince spies Rapunzel in her tower, he feels that Rapunzel is the one for him. He tries to save her in the traditional way, but it doesn't work out the way he plans.  She throws down everything but what the prince asks for- including a surprise that makes his dreams come true.
  A fun and rhyming tale of how misunderstandings can lead to being happily ever after.  ~Mary Jo

Palmer Library - A Fine, Fine School by Sharon Creech

Palmer Library read this great book last week!
Tillie's principal at her school purposes many changes in attending school five days a week.
Mr. Keene is so proud of his fine, fine school with it's fine, fine students, and it's fine, fine teachers and all the amazing things everyone is learning.
The book makes you wonder what you would do if you went to school everyday and how you would handle the new situations. A very interesting book!! 
~Ms. Dawn

Stocking School - Mr. Terupt Falls Again

The follow up book to Rob Buyea's Because of Mr. Terupt is as suspenseful and entertaining as the original. What causes Mr. Terupt to fall again? Is it another snowball? Does it have anything to do with his students, that moved to the next grade with him, from the previous year? Pick up this sequel and find out the answers. ~Deb

Sibley- The Robot and the Bluebird

This a story of a rusty old robot with a broken heart .Other robots try to fix him, but have no luck. He feels old and alone as he lays on the heap of old parts. Night and day,autumn and winter come and go.
  A bluebird is trying to fly south, and finds the robot. Robot shares a space where his heart was  and they become friends. He carries  bluebird across  mountains , blizzards, and fog until he can go no further. In the end, Robot becomes a home for all singing birds.  ~Mary Jo

The Little Rock Girl 1957- Cesar Chavez

The little rock girl 1957 tells the story of how nine African-American students made history when they integrated an Arkansas High School in 1957. This book should require reading. My students and I like it very much.

Reading is Fundamental (RIF)--Wonder

When given the choice between being right or being kind, choose kind. ~Dr. Wayne Dyer

My 3rd grader and I read before bed every night, and this book is a recent favorite! Wonder, by R.J. Palacio, tells the story of 10 year old Auggie Pullman, born with several complicated conditions that have caused deformations to his face, mouth, eyes, nose, and even his ears. His parents have kept him sheltered by home schooling him through the 4th grade. However, he and parents decide that the time has come for him to have a more traditional school experience, and he enters the local private Beecher School in New York City as a 5th grader. Auggie has an impact on the students in his school that reverberate in ways both expected and unexpected.

The book follows the perspective of a variety of characters throughout his 5th grade year, including Auggie, several of his friends, his sister, and his sister's best friend. The decision to allow the reader the experience of understanding the story through a variety of perspectives adds significantly to the great strength of this book: teaching empathy to readers. If you're looking for a book that will help open your students or children to the difficult challenges faced by other people, this book is a real winner.

This is book is appropriate for 3rd-7th graders. Prime age to share in the classroom, or as a read-aloud at home, is 3rd-5th grade. My son turned out to be a great age to enjoy this as a read-aloud. He could have read it on his own, but he would not have gotten as much out of the experience if I wasn't there to encourage conversation about Auggie's challenges.

I HIGHLY recommend this book for use in the classroom. There are many activities you can use to deepen learning and understanding in the classroom, including Mr. Browne's Precepts. Read the book to find out what I'm talking about, but click here for a sneak peek.

Ken-O-Sha: Big Mean Mike

Big Mean Mike written by Michelle Knudson is one of my favorite books to read to the K-2 grade students at

 Ken-O-Sha Elementary School.

Meet Big mean Mike, he is the toughest dog in the neighborhood. He is drives a big mean car down the big mean streets and doesn't care what anybody thinks. 

Until he comes in contact with 4 fuzzy bunnies who continue to show up in his big mean car and threaten his reputation. Will Mike remain tough or will the bunnies began to melt his heart.  This is a good book that talks about being who you are and being ok with it. I laughed when I first read the book because I used to have an inner Mike. Don't we all to some degree?~Mayfield

Kent Hills ~ Corduroy

Meet Corduroy a little bear that lives in a department store and wants so badly to have a home. One day a little girl named Lisa saw Corduroy on the shelf and wanted to by him  but her mother said no not today. She noticed that he was missing a button  on his overalls. Corduroy didn't know he was missing a button so that evening he got down off the shelf and went through the store to look for a button. Well he never did find , but he did find a home.

  

Shawmut Hills ~ We Are in a Book!

Mo Willems is my FAVORITE children's author! I was first introduced to him when my son was a first grader. While at the book store, my son wanted to look for the book Knuffle Bunny (another great title by Mo Willems!) once we found it, we found so many other great stories; Knuffle Bunny Too, Knuffle Bunny Free, the Pigeon books, and my personal favorite, the Elephant and Piggie books.

After reading We Are in a Book, I was in love! The illustrations are simple, the words are easy to read, and the humor is delightful for all ages! Seriously, it would be hard to find someone who doesn't at least chuckle after reading one of these books!

In this adventure, Gerald and his best friend Piggie discover that they are in a book that is being read. They get so excited especially when they figure out they can make the reader say a word! However, they start to freak out when they realize that the book will come to an end. They come up with a great solution to their problem that will encourage kids (and parents!) to read this book over and over again!

Mo Willems is a great author for all age groups, but K-2 can't get enough of them!!!

ENJOY!
~Katie