Bookworm Buzz

Dear Reader,
I know that I said that I was going to wait to read True..Sort of, by Katherine Hannigan while I am in Maine this weekend, but I couldn't. I'm so glad I didn't, it is DEFINITELY one of the best books that I have read this year. I hope that it will be in the running for the Newberry Award because it deserves to be. This book will appeal to boys AND girls, and is rich in character development, plot and theme. I couldn't put it down! Click on the link above to read a quick review of the book. If your parents let you, you can search for a YouTube video in which Katherine Hannigan discusses this new book. Dare I say it is better than Ida B?Also, I have read Dragonbreath, by Ursula Vernon. This is the story of a dragon and his friend iguana. Dragonbreath is a series, and Luke is devouring the books!
On Tuesday, Liv and I will be going to Wellesley Books to meet Michelle Ray, author of Falling for Hamlet. This is a book for my older friends. It is always fun to meet an author and support an independent bookstore. Also, Lincoln Pierce, the author of the Big Nate books will also be appearing at this bookstore on Friday, September 9th, at 4:00 p.m. I am hoping to make it to this event also. Click on the Big Nate gadget to the right to read today's comic. It's about Cheese Doodles. I love Cheese doodles, do you? What is your favorite brand? Mine are Wise Cheese Doodles, but I also love All Natural Cheese Doodles by Lays.

Speaking of Liv, be looking for Bookworm Buzz, Special Edition, in the upcoming weeks. Liv is a voracious reader, and she will be blogging about some of her favorite books and the books that she has been reading this summer. Luke may even get in on the action!
Stay Tuned Reader,
Love, Ms. W

Bookworm Buzz

Dear Reader,

I have so many exciting books to tell you about. I have been reading some historical fiction, one of my favorite genres! Gisela, Daughter of Charlemagne and Mary, Daughter of Henry the VII are part of the Medieval Maidens series. They are fictionalized stories about young girls from the middle ages and are just right for fourth graders. Also, I just finished Moon Over Manifest, by Clare VanderPool. This book won the Newberry Award this year. I LOVED THIS BOOK!!! It had some mystery, history and a great plot. The main Character, Abilene, is still with me. You can always tell a great story by whether or not the characters stay with you over time, and I KNOW that Abilene will be with me for a while. Mrs. Merten is also reading this book and LOVING it too! It may be a little challenging for fall fourth graders, but will be just right in the spring. Middle School, The Worst Years of My Life (clicking th link will enable you to read the first 20 chapters for free!)by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts, took a while for me to appreciate. James Patterson is one of my favorite authors so I decided to stick with the story instead of just abandoning it. I kept asking myself questions about the main character's behavior. In fact, I didn't like the book very much at all, but then there was a HUGE twist at the end and I was reminded why I love James Patterson so much. I would definitely recommend this book to boys, especially boys who are reluctant readers (clicking this link will take you to an article about reluctant readers. Please feel free to email me with any questions you have about motivating your child to read.) Just remember to hang in there and DON'T abandon this book, you will be very happy with the ending. As far as picture books go, have you read the new Skippyjon Jones? Skippyjon Jones Class Action, by Judy Schachner is an instant classic in the Skippyjon series. All of the favorite characters are in this story, including the Chimichango Gang, and I laughed and laughed. Make sure you get your hands on this new book. It even comes with a bonus CD, read by the author herself.

This past weekend I was on the Jersey Shore and read Live Wire by Harlan Coben. This is a book for parents. Harlan Coben is from New Jersey, so I thought it would be fun to read a book by a local author. It was wonderful. Also, I saw PaulyD, JWoww and The Situation, when I was on the boardwalk at Seaside Heights. Liv was pretty excited!

My next book for young readers is True ...Sort of, by Katherine Hannigan. She is the author of Ida B. I can't wait! This will be my book for my trip to Accadia National Park this weekend. What have you been reading? Let me know.

Read on Readers,Love, Mrs. W

Bookworm Buzz

Dear Reader,
I have so many great books to tell you about-some I have just finished reading and some that I read during the school year but haven't told you about yet. I did a subject study with a group of readers on Snakes, and we read some great non fiction books together. All Aboard Science Reader, Snakes and National Geographic's Snakes. These books were very exciting, just right, and had many great text features. Learning about snakes helped us prepare for the book We Can't All Be Rattlesnakes, by Patrick Jennings. This fiction book is told from the point of view of a gopher snake who gets captured by a boy named Gunnar. This book would be a great book to read with a parent, as some of the vocabulary was confusing. In fact, our small group tracked vocabulary. I think Patrick Jennings is a new favorite author for many fourth graders. Make sure you check out his website!

Three great picture books are Hot Diggity Dog by Adrienne Syler, Just One Bite, by Lola Schaefer and The ABC's of Yoga for Kids by Theresa Anne Power. All three are non fiction, and have great information in them. They are all just right for fourth graders. Hot Diggity Dog is all about hot dogs and the history of hot dogs in America, yum! Just One Bite, by Lola Schaefer is about the actual size of a bite of food by certain animals, like a parrot and a squid. The ABC's of Yoga for Kids shows different yoga poses according to the alphabet.

For my older friends, Mockingbird, by Kathryn Erskine, is one of the best books I have read in a long time. This book won the National Book Award for Young People's Literature in 2010. It tells the story of a young girl with Asperger's Syndrome and how her life changes after her best friend, her brother, dies. I couldn't put it down! If you are looking for a great book for summer reading, Mockingbird is it! Make sure you check out the author's blog, it is really cool! Also, Mrs. Merten has gotten me hooked on the Witch and Wizard series by James Patterson. James Patterson is one of my favorite adult authors,and his books for young adults are just as captivating. If you like fantasy, or you liked the Hunger Games trilogy, then the Witch and Wizard series is for you! Parents, I also just finished Now You See Her by James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge. Oh my goodness, it was a true page turner! I couldn't put it down; it is one of the best Patterson novels in recent years, right up there with Beachhouse and Judge and Jury. Treat yourself to this truly awesome thriller! Make sure you check out James Patterson's website, it has TONS of great information for kids and parents. There are even Apps that you can download to your phone, so cool!

I just finished Savy, by Ingrid Law. This book is a Newberry Honor Book. The genre is fantasy but the author's message is for everyone: Don't be a follower, follow your heart. This book is a favorite with many teachers in Franklin but it isn't one of my favorites. With that being said, I think many of you would enjoy it, it just wasn't for me. I may pick up the sequel, Scumble, but I'm not sure. If you've read Scumble, let me know, I would be willing to give it a try.

Right now I am reading the Newberry winner for this year, Moon over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool. It is a great story so far and I can't wait to finish it! It is just right for my older friends but would be a challenge for many incoming fourth graders. If you give it a try, let me know!What have you been reading? Leave a comment and let me know. This has been a long post, but I wanted to make sure I filled you in on some great books.

Read on readers,
Love,

Mrs. W

Bookworm Buzz

Dear Reader,
I have just finished the second book in the Witch and Wizard Series by James Patterson and I am on the edge of my seat waiting to see what happens to Whit and Wisty! Will the One who is the One finally succeed and getting what he wants from the Allgoods? I can't wait to find out. As you know, I follow many different authors, and James Patterson is one of my favorites. I'm taking a break from his young adult books and am 100 pages into his latest adult thriller, Now You See Her. Parents, if you like Patterson, this is a classic! My next student book will be Savy by Ingrid Law. Mrs. Landrigan loves this book and has been recommending it for some time. I'll let you know how it goes!
Read on readers,
Mrs. W