Historical Fiction of the Civil War sort

I've recently read two historical fiction novels relating to the Civil War that I enjoyed very much. Here are two quick recommendations for the 4th to 8th grade set.

The first, Ghost Soldier, by Elaine Marie Alphin, offers a peak into the past through the experience of our young protagonist who meets a ghost while visiting an area full of Civil War era battle sites. The ghost has unfinished business and, with some persistent hanging about, convinces the living to help out. Alexander, the adolescent who can see the ghost, has his own problems keeping him busy; his mother left three years ago and his father is ready to move on and remarry. Alex isn't so keen on the idea and gets overwhelmed with all the changes he's facing, plus a ghost pestering him to be his hands in the living world isn't helping much, either!






The second, Iron Thunder, by Avi, takes place in the throes of the Civil War. Readers see the construction of a new kind of ship, an ironclad, through the eyes of a thirteen year old boy who has taken a job on its construction site after his father dies in battle, fighting for the Union. Tom takes the job reluctantly, knowing his family needs the money but also harboring some resentment toward the Union because of his father's death. His uncertain loyalty is tested by a stranger claiming to want to help Tom out, but really wanting information for the Confederacy. Tom ends up having a very important role in the implementation of the ironclad's mission, and learns where his loyalty is, too. This book has excellent illustrations and photographs throughout. Avi also does a great job explaining which parts are fiction and which are history, too.

Picture Books for Young and Old

Here are a few of my new favorites...

How Rocket Learned to Read by Tad Hills is a read-it-every-night sort of story.  A plucky bird claims a reluctant young dog as her student.  Wooing him with an appealing story (obviously chosen for his interests) she gets him excited about reading.  My Kinders loved this story - yours will, too. :)






It's A Book by Lane Smith is a slightly saucy sass that extols the virtues of plain old print.  Even though I LOVE my Kindle and would be LOST without my iPad, I still cherish a good old fashioned paper-bound BOOK.  Lane, apparently, does too.
Language alert: this book has a jackass for a character...and he's called by his name (though it is tastefully done, in a sort of sarcastic way).

So Long Overdue! Oh, the irony!

School has been buzzing and readers have been reading full steam ahead at my school for almost two months now, and I've neglected to post any new reading recommendations. Shame on me!

Sorry for the delay - I hope you enjoy these recommendations.

My favorite fiction read this summer was Crunch, by Leslie Connor.
This book follows a talented and charismatic family of five children as they manage without their parents for a week during a nationwide fuel "crunch".  Mom and Dad didn't abandon them - they got caught in the "crunch".  While the folks are away the kids do all sorts of play, of the productive, life-learning, creative sort.  Running a bike shop, the two middle children (teen boys) learn a lot about competence and hard work.  Acting as parent is their 18 year old sister, who learns that she does have limits and that is OK.  Rounding out the family are the young twins, who learn that things work out in the end with patience, perseverance, and the assistance of good neighbors.

 

My favorite nonfiction read this summer was The Mystery of the Lost Colony by Lee Miller.  There have been a lot of wonderful books written about the lost colony at Roanoke; this one offers evidence of an answer to the questions, "What happened to the colony?  Why did it fail?".  Miller offers an evidenced based narrative that hooked me and kept me turning the pages.  I've had a few students take my recommendation and read this book already - they loved it!  

Folkore Recommended by 4th Graders

My 4th graders are learning about folklore.

Here are some of the books they think everyone should read.

Bruh Rabbit and the Tar Baby Girl, a folktale retold by Virginia Hamilton and illustrated by James Ransome

Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal a fairytale retold by Paul Fleishman, illustrated by Julie Paschkis

The Elves and the Shoemaker, a fairytale retold and illustrated by Jim LaMarche 

Between Earth and Sky, a legend retold by Joseph Bruchac and illustrated by Thomas Locker

Racoon's Last Race, a folktale retold by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey

Turtle's Race With Beaver, a folktale retold by Joseph Bruchac and James Bruchac, illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey

Library Lil, a tall tale by Susan Williams, illustrated by Steven Kellogg

The First Strawberries, a legend retold by Joseph Bruchac, illustrated by Anna Vojtech

Paul Bunyan, a tall tale retold and illustrated by Steven Kellogg

Young Guinevere, a legend retold by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Jamicheal Henterly

The Lion and the Mouse, a wordless retelling of an Aesop fable by Jerry Pinkney. This book was the 2010 Caldecott winner.

Stone Soup,  a folktale retold and illustrated by John J. Muth

The Dog and the Wolf, and The Boy Who Cried Wolf,  both retellings of Aesop's fable by Eric Bair and illustrated by Dianne Silvermann

Little Red Riding Hood, a fairy tale retold and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney

Henny Penny, a folktale retold and illustrated by Jane Wattenburg

Clever Beatrice, a tall tale by Margaret Willey

Pandora, a  myth retold by Robert Burleigh

Rapunzel, a fairy tale retold and illustrated by Rachel Isadora

A Tasty Comic Served Up With Action and Conviction!

   Yes, she's a lunch lady and she serves more than lunch. In this action-and-gadget packed mini tome you will find a heroine worth setting the table with the good silver for. Lunch Lady notices strange happenings after a famous author visits her school. After serving up lunch, she investigates with aplomb and hilarity, saving the day at the end.

High brow literature? Um, not so much.
A great fun read with an ending everyone can enjoy? You bet.

Serve up some fun, Lunch Lady!


This book is available to the students and families of Greensboro Day School from the Lower School Library.

Nancy Farmer's masterpiece trilogy

For any fan of mythology, Nancy Farmer's trilogy coming-of-age novels about Jack and Thorgil are a must.  The three books are The Sea of Trolls, The Land of Silver Apples, and The Islands of the Blessed.

                    

Throughout the series, readers follow Jack, an apprentice Bard, as he travels (by means of being kidnapped, sent on exciting missions, or searching for lost relatives) a pre-Renaissance Europe. He meets many mythological beings (indeed, he is challenged to vanquish at least one troll, must outwit fairies, and stands his own in a mental match with Odin),  learns compassion for a seemingly unthinkable enemy, learns magic as it applies to those with an affinity for nature and the arts, and makes friends both worldly and unworldy.

In addition to being fantastic narratives that move quickly and with a rich tapestry of character development and action, these books introduce Norse and early European mythologies while also offering a look at early European Christianity.  There is enough fact in them to consider them historical fiction.

I recommend this trilogy to any very advanced 3rd grade reader and all ages above (even adults!).

These books are available to students and families of Greensboro Day School from the Lower School Library.

Percy Jackson fans: check these out!

Mythology mania has been hitting the bookshelves and movie screens lately, especially with such popular (and well written) books as the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan.

I want you to know about a great series by Mary Pope Osborne (of The Magic Tree House fame).

Tales from the Odyssey offers several volumes of mythologican adventure for middle readers. These books are excellent for the 2nd-4th grade reader that love mythology. They would also be good reads for struggling readers (or readers that are catching up) in 5th and 6th grade.

The series consists of these titles:

Volume #1: The One-Eyed Giant       

          

 Volume #2: The Land of the Dead

Volume #3: Sirens and Sea Monsters

Volume #4: The Gray-Eyed Goddess

Volume #5: Return to Ithaca

Volume #6: The Final Battle

 These books are available to GDS families in the Lower School Library.

Wondering what to read today?

Check out The Wonder Book by Amy Krause Rosenthal, with cheerful and cheeky illustrations by Paul Schmid.

What will you find in The Wonder Book? 
Wonderful poetry!
Wonderful jokes!
Wonderful mental meanderings and silly stuff in general.
You'll also find a few thoughtful moments, pondered in verse and accompanied with simple drawings to assist in your own wondering, mental meandering, and maybe even writing and drawing.

I recommend this book to any and all.

This book is available to GDS families from the Lower School library.

Differentiated Lessons in Ms. Plum's classroom

The Magical Ms. Plum, by Bonny Becker, is a quick little read full of big lessons.  Ms. Plum, with the help of a curriculum of acceptance, nurturing, and a magical closet, teaches third graders how to better themselves.  The reading level of the book is listed at 5.0 (beginning of fifth grade) but I believe an industrious second or third grader could tackle it and triumph. If the reader is interested but not quite at that reading level yet, it is an excellent candidate for a classroom read-a-loud and an even better candidate for shared reading before bedtime with a family member.

This book is available to GDS families from the Lower School Library.

Physics: Why Matter Matters!

Physics? With cute characters? Huh? What is going on here? 

As a "wordy" learner, I often got that glazed-over look of being far, far away whenever anything related to physics was brought up in conversation, or worse, class.  One of my worst grades in school? Introduction to Physical Sciences in the 8th grade.

Well, if I'd had this neat-o book created by Basher and written by Dan Green, I would have probably gotten at least a better basic understanding of some of the principles of physics.

This little gem of a non fiction book reads much like a Pokemon catalog; it has a very colorful and simple format, with large print and not too many details. Each aspect of physics is assigned to a (scientifically appropriate) group and given a cartoonish icon. Mild personification helps the reader better grasp what each aspect actually does in the real world.

For any kid interested in physics, or any person wishing to catch up, I recommend this book.
This book is available to Greensboro Day School students and families from the Lower School Library.

Bad Kitty books by Nick Bruel

Bad Kitty has made the leap from traditional picture book to Junior Reader chapter books! Try these out for hilarious kitty antics fused with copious site word reading and fun vocabulary.

These books are available to Greensboro Day School students and families from our Lower School Library.

The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly

2010 Newbery Honor Book

Calpurnia Tate is eleven and three quarters old during the summer of 1899.  Though she lives in a small community in Texas, big ideas and changes begin happening all around her.  Taking an interest in the natural world, she thrives under the tutelage of her retired grandfather, a Civil War veteran, businessman, and self made scientist.  Calpurnia, being the only daughter and middle child with three older brothers and three younger brothers, also learns some hard lessons about the expectations of her by her parents and society in a world where women do not yet have much say in their social progression.  Time with her Grandfather learning about the natural world and how to reason critically both saves and defeats her in many ways.  Together they embark on an intellectual pursuit that may offer a permanent contribution to the world.

There were a few things I truly loved about this book. For one, it did not 'talk down' to readers.  The vocabulary was rich; I even found myself looking up words in the dictionary.  The narrative was more than just vocabulary-rich, though, it offered some ideas and time-period specific references that most kids would need to research in books about history or seek discussion with others to understand. This did not diminish the book (as that style of writing sometimes does) but made it more complex and an excellent springboard for engaging in dialog with caring adults.

The second thing I loved about book was the quotes from Charles Darwin's Origin of Species that headed each chapter and suited the theme and action.  Darwin's theories provide a mild source of conflict and contention that underplays the book, in subtle but meaningful ways.  His works, and many other scientific works of the time, also support the framework of the narrative in a historical context.

The third thing I loved about this book was that it did not necessarily have a neat and tidy ending.  The ending suited the narrative perfectly, and left you hoping and wondering about the future.  The story was complete, though the reader may have to ponder what the true conflict was throughout based on the ending.

The fourth thing I loved about this book was that it made me laugh out loud in several places, in scenes I believe young readers will enjoy the same way I did.

With that said, I must offer a caveat.  In living with Calpurnia and her turn of the *last* century lifestyle, a few delicate themes are touched upon.  There is also some casual reference to violence of the time period - though it is not dealt with graphically or in an overwhelming manner.  What the reader most likely will take away from these small matters is a sense of how different Calpurnia's culture and norms were from ours. Again, it is an excellent opportunity for discussion of life, history, and culture.

I recommend this book to mature 4th graders, or 5th grade and older.
It is available to Greensboro Day School students in the Lower School Library.

The Last Castaways by Henry Horse

This middle reader book is slightly silly, at times poignant and serious, and definitely full of adventure.  Join Grandfather (our protagonist, and his happy-go-lucky hound Roo as they voyage on their newly purchased used ship the Unsinkable.  When the inevitable happens (the ship sinks...) and they land on a seemingly deserted island, a comedy of errors plays out   to the final satisfaction of everyone.
This book is one of a quartet by Henry Horse. The others are:
The Last Gold Diggers;
The Last Cowboys; and
The Last Polar Bears

I recommend The Last Castaways to 2nd-5th graders.
This book is available to Greensboro Day School students and families from our Lower School Library.

Sea of the Dead by Julia Durango

Here is the first of what promises to be a good series for readers that like adventure. Set in a fictional land with its own mythology, this book begins one boy's journey to maturity with a mystery, some travel and adventure, a betrayal, and lessons learned in not always believing what you are told when you can see and experience something to the contrary.

The protagonist is a boy; I believe this book will appeal mostly to boys.

I recommend this to a mature, very strong 2nd grade reader, or any 3rd grader and above.