Summertime Reading Update #1

I’ve been busy reading since the education students finished in April. I must fess up that I’ve been indulging in a good many adult mysteries and a few nonfiction titles. Meaning that I haven’t read as many children’s novels as I’d want by now. Of course, I’ve already blogged about lots of those books that have captured my attention in some way. The following are a few of the other highlights that I’ve come across the last couple of months:


*Picture books - Fiction

Beach tail / Karen Lynn Williams
A lovely summer story of a boy and his dad and a day exploring at the beach. Suggested for grades K-2.

Benno and the night of broken glass / Meg Wiviott
Definitely for older kids (grades 4/5 and up), this book is about Kristallnacht, the November night Hitler’s Brown Shirts began terrorizing German Jews in earnest. It’s told from the perspective of a cat that enjoys living in a neighbourhood filled with kind people, Christian and Jews, and the changes he notices as the Nazis come to power.

Bridget’s beret / Tom Lichtenheld
A look at what is the impetus for creativity. A little girl is convinced that she is longer able to create art because her beret (the same kind of beret worn by all great artists) has gone missing. Suggested for grades K-3.

Chicken big / Keith Graves
A very funny story about size. A giant egg hatches a giant chicken who is mistaken by the other smaller (and rather feather-brained) chickens for an elephant, then a squirrel, an umbrella and a sweater. A cute play on the silly chicken from Chicken Little. Suggested for preschool to grade 3.

Flora’s very windy day / Jeanne Birdsall
Even though Flora finds her younger brother most annoying, she’s not about to let the wind take him away and goes to great lengths to bring him home. Suggested for preschool to grade 2.

Trudy / Henry Cole
Trudy is a goat, a thoughtfully chosen pet that seems to have the ability to forecast the weather, catching the attention of townsfolk and media. But Trudy has her own reasons for not always coming out of her shed. Very warm, family-oriented story. Suggested for grades K-3.

Wanted: the perfect pet / Fiona Roberton 
Another pet story, with Henry longing for a dog and a duck desperate to be adopted by Henry and going to great lengths to achieve his desire. Humorous story that ends happily for Henry and Spot (the duck). For preschool to grade 2.




*Picture books - Nonfiction

Guyku: a year of haiku for boys / Bob Raczka
Relly enjoyed this one. A series of very short poems that capture the experiences of boyhood through the seasons. Suggested for grades K-3.

In the belly of an ox: the unexpected photographic adventures of Richard and Cherry Kearton / Rebecca Bond
For elementary grades, a biography of two English brothers in the early days of photography, who devise ways to unobtrusively photograph the natural world. They built various blinds, including a fake ox, to photograph birds.


*Novels
Not too many novels here. This is where reading too many adult mysteries got in the way. I’m currently reading Riot by Walter Dean Myers and What was lost by Catherine O’Flynn.

Amulet #2: The stonekeepers curse / Kazu Kibuishi
Continues right where the first one leaves off with the bad guys after Emily and her assortment of allies. Fast paced graphic novel great for grades 4-8.

Found / Margaret Peterson Haddix
A really intriguing premise for this sci-fi/fantasy from an author I usually enjoy. The premise: a group of kids, being sought out for some mysterious reason, discover that they are caught in the middle of a conflict between two groups from the future. Leaves you hanging. Which is why I’m taking the second one, Sent, home despite a couple of characters who kind of grate on my nerves. Grades 5 and up.