When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

The 2009 Newbery Winner, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead is one my students would have liked. I had many students who asked, "Do you  have anything with time travel?

Time travel books make a person think - very hard.

Miranda, the main character, loves the novel A Wrinkle in Time, so she is open to the idea of time travel.

Strange things start to happen. Miranda gets a note saying, "I am coming to save your friend's life, and my own. I ask two favors. First, you must write me a letter."

The letters keep coming, and Miranda sees that the writer can predict the future.

I like that Miranda has a good mother who cares about where she is and who she is with. She has a good father figure who treats her and her mother with respect and love. She has a friend who for some reason is ignoring her, but she finds ways to be good friends with others. This is a good solid read with a good ending.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan

Listening for Lions by Gloria Whelan was published in 2005. I like Whelan's books because her female protagonists are strong and brave. They face hard and scary things and find ways to solve their problems.

Rachel Sheridan's parents are missionaries in Africa and it is the only home she's ever known, but influenza strikes, killing many people in her village including her parents. She has wicked, greedy neighbors who take her in, but they convince her to join in their criminal scheme telling her someone may die if she doesn't help. Rachel is sent to England where she wants to tell the truth, but she is afraid the truth will cost someone his life.

All she wants to do is return to Africa and reopen her father's hospital. Will she find the patience, courage, and strength to return home? Will she be able to break free from the Pritchards' schemes?

If you liked this book, you will also like:

Cayli, from nightchayde, brought six board books for the NICU book project.

I love board books for the babies, and all of these are Spanish, which is wonderful for our parents who speak Spanish. The more proficient a child is in their home language, the easier it is for them to learn English when they start school. Thank you Cayli. Check out her blog if you need fashion help. She knows how to put together classy, modest, and stylish outfits.

If you'd like to contribute to our book drive for NICU babies, here is how you can help:

1. You can order books for your own children from our online Usborne book party and the proceeds will go to purchase books for the NICU. I've received over $350.00 in free books for the NICU from people buying books for their own families through this web link. Usborne is really good to their hostesses, and they have great board books for babies. Click on the link: Usborne book sale to benefit NICU The books you order will be shipped directly to your home. You can then give them to your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The free books from the hostess benefits go to the NICU. Remember to get some summer reading books for your family. 

2. We have set up a baby registry at Amazon.com with many books listed for the NICU babies. Some of these books only cost $2.50. Many of these are classics that all children should have. Click on this link if you'd like to help provide books for the NICU: Catherine Crosby Building Lifelong Readers Book Registry. If you order books for us, they will be shipped to me, and I will package and send them to the NICU. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Throwback Thursday: Animalia by Graeme Base

Michelle told me about the amazing author and illustrator Graeme Base. His book Animalia , published in 1987, is a wonder. His illustrations are beautiful and include hidden pictures, so there are fun things to find on each page. You can even look for a drawing of Graeme.

It begins, "An Armoured Armadillo Avoiding An Angry Alligator. Beautiful Blue Butterflies basking by a Babbling Brook."

Not only is this a great ABC book, but it would work well in a poetry classroom to teach alliteration. You could also use this book as a jumping off point for creative writing because there are so many things to see on each page.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Do you have a favorite ABC book that I need to add to my collection? If so, tell me in the comments. 

Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt

Winner of the 2016 Schneider Family Book Award, Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt is a book that most educators will appreciate. With a low lexile of 550, short chapters, and more white space, this book is a good fit for students who struggle with reading differences.

First the bad. My only problem with this book is that the author never addressed Ally's impetuousness - why she acted without thinking - because that isn't part of dyslexia.

As a teacher, I understood how Ally kept her inability to read a secret. Because she moved often, no school had her long enough to figure it out. I had a student one year who needed testing. My team knew this two weeks into the school year. We advocated for him all year long - three teachers and a vice principal. He was approved for testing two weeks before the end of the school year. Because he tested well on the year end standardized testing, we were fought by everyone - his test scores mattered more to the system than what he needed. We refused to give up, and he ended up getting tested, and yes, he needed extra help.

I loved how Mr. Daniels responded to Ally and that the author based him on a teacher who helped her in real life learn to enjoy reading.

I loved her relationship with her brother and how the author shows that all people have strengths and weaknesses. I also loved how things ended up for her brother who had the same condition she had.

I loved that Ally didn't hate her bully but felt sorry for her and tried to make peace.

I loved her friendships with Keisha and Albert.

This would be a good book to read in a classroom - especially with students who struggle with reading. I can imagine the discussions on learning differences - on strengths and weaknesses and how hard work needs to be focused in order for it work. The themes and situations of learning differences, friendships, family relationships, deployed parents, bullying, resolving conflict, ways students hide problems from adults, forgiveness, asking for help, would make excellent Socratic Seminar discussions.

My heart went out to Ally when she talked about how the letters and words moved and how she got headaches when she tried to read because my son deals with that from having seizures.

I love stories that show the complexity of humans - how each of us are different, yet we all need acceptance, encouragement, and the ability to be good at something. We are not islands unto ourselves.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park

Once in a while, I come across a book that makes me want to run back to the classroom just to teach it. A Long Walk to Water by Linda Sue Park is one such book. Published in 2010 and based on a true story, this slim book with plenty of white space, and a lexile of 720 would be perfect for seventh or eighth grade reading classes.

The story begins in 2008 and tells eleven-year-old Nya's story as she walks eight hours a day to collect muddy water for her family's use. She is unable to go to school because her family must have water, and it takes all day to get it.

Nya's parts of the story are short. The story switches back and forth from Nya's story, short and in brown font, to Salva's story, longer and in black.

Salva's story begins in 1985 when his life erupts in war. He must run, and run fast to the bush. There is no time for him to find his family, only to try to stay alive. He must walk, and walk, and walk to try to reach safety. Salva is a real person - and this book is based on his life.

As the story progresses to the end, Salva and Nya's stories will intersect in the present day.

This is a story of war, fear, survival, grief, hope, forgiveness, working together, and of making a difference for an entire village.

I can imagine reluctant readers getting into this inspirational story. I can see it helping students who don't like school learn to appreciate the gift of being able to go to school. I can see this story causing our students to want to serve others. This books makes you step outside yourself and see that we are all connected.

I loved Salva's Uncle who helped him keep going even when others had given up. He encouraged him to walk to just one more bush, one more rock, one more patch of ground, to just keep putting one foot in front of the other - one small goal, one piece of the journey at a time. I gave this book five stars.

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

NICU Delivery

This is what 65 books look like all packaged up and ready to go to babies in the Newborn Intensive Care Unit at McKay Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Angela Jenson, one of Angie's coworkers, gave these books to the babies.

My dear friend, Michelle, brought 24 more books for the babies. 

Angie says it makes her happy to see the books being used in the NICU. The babies get to take five books home to start them on their journey as lifelong readers. We are making a difference.

Thank you to everyone who has contributed books. I appreciate those who give me good deals on books so that we can help even more babies.

If you'd like to contribute to our book drive for NICU babies, here is how you can help:

1. You can order books for your own children from our online Usborne book party and the proceeds will go to purchase books for the NICU. I've received over $350.00 in free books for the NICU from people buying books for their own families through this web link. Usborne is really good to their hostesses, and they have great board books for babies. Click on the link: Usborne book sale to benefit NICU The books you order will be shipped directly to your home. You can then give them to your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The free books from the hostess benefits go to the NICU. Remember to get some summer reading books for your family. 

2. We have set up a baby registry at Amazon.com with many books listed for the NICU babies. Some of these books only cost $2.50. Many of these are classics that all children should have. Click on this link if you'd like to help provide books for the NICU: Catherine Crosby Building Lifelong Readers Book Registry. If you order books for us, they will be shipped to me, and I will package and send them to the NICU. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown

For June, our book club is reading The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown. Published in 2013, this has been on my to read list for a while.

I was excited to start this book, but I may have given up on it had I not been reading it for book club. I began reading in fits and starts. I felt like I'd get into the story only to have the author veer off in another direction. I didn't feel compelled to continue, but it has such good reviews and many of my goodreads friends loved it, so I kept going.

I'm glad I did because I ended up enjoying this story a great deal. I loved Joe's story and how Joyce loved him. I wanted to smack his dad and step-mom, as they were completely selfish. I enjoyed hearing about the 1936 Olympics. Olympians didn't have the support of the US government that they do now. It was interesting to read about how Hitler's Germany duped the world during the Olympics.

There are so many lessons in this story. Lessons of the importance of working together, of allowing people into your life, of taking care of one another, of not giving up.

The ending and epilogue were great. What an amazing group of men they were, and what a darling wife Joe had. I loved the photographs that were included in the book, and one of my favorite parts were the excerpts from George Yeoman Pocock at the beginning of each chapter. He was a wise and kind man. My favorite was the one from chapter four: "It is hard to make that boat go as fast as you want to. The enemy, of course, is resistance of the water, as you have to displace the amount of water equal to the weight of the men and equipment, but that very water is what supports you and that very enemy is your friend. So is life: the very problems you must overcome also support you and make you stronger in overcoming them" (George Yeoman Pocock 53).

If you like true, inspirational stories that have a historical component, you will like this book. 

Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School by Laura Murray

My neighbor Michelle told me about this book. I'm not a huge fan of the Gingerbread Man because I find him arrogant, but this gingerbread man is different.

The Gingerbread Man Loose in the School written by Laura Murray and illustrated by Mike Lowery is about a gingerbread man who only wants to run after the school children so that he can be with him. Some pages are set up like a graphic novel, so it helps a younger child feel they are reading a book similar to one an older sibling may own.

The pictures are fun and the gingerbread man finds people in the school to help him, which shows children where they can go in the school to find a helpful adult. The story rhymes and is fun to read. I could see this being  used in a class that is going to have their gingerbread men escape.

When Matt was in kindergarten, his teacher had them make gingerbread men on construction paper, and we had relatives mail postcards showing where they saw his gingerbread man. In the classroom, you could read both versions of the story and allow the children to list the character traits of the gingerbread men from each story. This allows children to see that a story can be told in many ways and helps them see characterization.

Michelle also gave us eight more books for the NICU book project last week. Thank you, Michelle. Now we can give more babies the gift of reading.

If you haven't read Good Night, Gorilla, it is easy to read and will make your child laugh. Clap your hands is a fun action book that your child can act out while you read.

If you'd like to contribute to our book drive for NICU babies, here is how you can help:

1. You can order books for your own children from our online Usborne book party and the proceeds will go to purchase books for the NICU. I've received over $350.00 in free books for the NICU from people buying books for their own families through this web link. Usborne is really good to their hostesses, and they have great board books for babies. Click on the link: Usborne book sale to benefit NICU The books you order will be shipped directly to your home. You can then give them to your children, grandchildren, nieces, or nephews. The free books from the hostess benefits go to the NICU. Books make a great addition to your child's Easter basket. 

2. We have set up a baby registry at Amazon.com with many books listed for the NICU babies. Some of these books only cost $2.50. Many of these are classics that all children should have. Click on this link if you'd like to help provide books for the NICU: Catherine Crosby Building Lifelong Readers Book Registry. If you order books for us, they will be shipped to me, and I will package and send them to the NICU. 


Read to a child today even if that child is you. 

Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood by Ibtisam Barakat

One of my teaching colleagues gave this book to me, and I've had it for a couple of years. I finally got around to reading Tasting the Sky by Ibtisam Barakat, and I loved it. This is a book that will make you think.

You won't care who is in the right or the wrong in wars, only that wars are wrong for children, for families, and for our planet. I loved that the author included parts of the Qur'an. I found it interesting that many stories from her scriptures are stories from my scriptures. We are more alike than different.

She tells about learning games - many that I learned in America as a child. She tells of normal childhood experiences that resemble my childhood experiences, but she was also a child of war and tells of fleeing bombs and bullets, of being in a refugee camp and an orphanage even though she wasn't an orphan, of missing her brothers when she was separated from them, and of discovering letters and words.

I loved her friend, Alef, or the first letter of the alphabet - that she named the piece of chalk. Her zest for knowledge was beautiful. Her parents loved their children, and while many of the things they did may seem harsh or abusive in our time now, in the late 60s many parents spanked, hit, and whipped their children. Her relationship with her mother, father, and brothers was beautiful.

When they got back to their house, and I realized her mother was only twenty-four years old, already had four children, and was running from war, it made me thankful to live in a place of peace.

This book shows us that in a sense there is no other. We are all the other to someone until we meet and care for each other.

When the children saw the Israeli soldier in the wrecked truck and took water to him, they saw him as person needing help, not someone who was out to kill them. She then worried about her own father and hoped if he were hurt, someone would help him.

This book was written for young adults or middle grade students and has a lexile measure of 870L, but this book is for everyone. May we all be a little kinder, more empathetic, and more helpful to all the others, and then maybe we can have a world of peace.

Today is Monday by Eric Carle

Today is Monday by Eric Carle is a perfect book for today - well, because it is Monday.

Published in 1993, this Eric Carle book has flown under my radar. Michelle, my book buying cohort, introduced me to this story on one of our book shopping adventures. I'll admit, I was underwhelmed. There isn't much of a story as it is based on a children's song I'd never heard of, but the pictures are classic Eric Carle and fun to look at.

However, my opinion changed after reading it to nineteen-month-old Aria yesterday and seeing her reaction to it. She loved all the animals inside: a porcupine, snake, elephant, cat, pelican, fish, fox, chicken, monkey, parrot, and dog. Each animal has a food. Of course we made animal noises and pointed out each food. We read it twice, and she stayed completely engaged in the story - even chuckled at one point.

The story goes through the days of the week with an animal and a food. "Today is Monday, string beans. Tuesday, spaghetti. Monday, string beans." Each page repeats all the days before.

At the end of the story, a parrot calls everyone to dinner, and children from all parts of the world surround the table, including a child in a wheelchair. Aria loved this picture and spent a long time looking and pointing at everything in it.

Books impact each reader differently. While this one was meh for me, Aria loved it, which in turn makes me appreciate it. Seeing a book through someone else's eyes helps us understand that person a little better and helps us see the value in the book and the person who loves it.

Read to a child today even if that child is you.