Monthly Archives: October 2011

The Little Bit Scary People

Posted on October 31, 2011 by

For a little girl, the bigger people in her life seem a little bit scary when they crank their music up or ask for a hall pass in a stern way.  But imagining those scary people dancing or playing piano … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with social studies links, Picture books | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The Maze Runner

Posted on October 25, 2011 by

For a page turning adventure in a world with no memories, read James Dashner’s The Maze Runner, first in a dystopian trilogy.  Thomas arrives at the Glades in a box, his memory wiped clean and his environment controlled.  The boys already … Continue reading →

Posted in Series, Teen/Young Adult | Tagged , | 1 Comment

These Hands

Posted on October 19, 2011 by

Grandpa’s hands can tie shoes, play the piano and throw a curve ball, but they were not allowed to touch the bread dough at the Wonder Bread factory in the 1950s and early ’60s.  As Grandpa lyrically relates to Joseph … Continue reading →

Posted in Books with social studies links, historical, Michigan author/illustrator, Picture books, Poetry | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Planet Middle School

Posted on October 18, 2011 by

Joylin is not a girly girl, but middle school has her trying out skirts and heels that just don’t feel right to this basketball-lover.  She doesn’t understand the new feelings she’s experiencing, and the poems in Planet Middle School pour … Continue reading →

Posted in Character-driven, Children's novels, Poetry, strong characters | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Mockingbird (mok’ing-bûrd)

Posted on October 12, 2011 by

When Caitlin and her dad are left to deal with the shocking death of her brother, Devon, they grieve in ways foreign to each other. Caitlin’s Asperger’s syndrome makes it difficult to Get It when her dad can’t do the … Continue reading →

Posted in Children's novels, social issues, strong characters, Voice, Word choice | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Lost and Found

Posted on October 11, 2011 by

Lucy loses many things.  The opening line, I was late again, couldn’t find my shoes, so I had to wear the ones I didn’t lose, sets the tone for the entire story:  when Lucy loses things so often, it intrudes upon her … Continue reading →

Posted in Picture books, Rhyme | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Seasons: A Book of Poems

Posted on October 10, 2011 by

The Fall Wind There is a strong fresh wind like an eagle flying by. It snatches someone’s kite and keeps it flying high.                -Charlotte Zolotow There are forty poems in Charlotte Zolotow’s book … Continue reading →

Posted in Easy Readers, Poetry | Tagged , , | 1 Comment