The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins

 

In this prequel to The Hunger Games, Coriolanus Snow and his family have fallen on hard times.  He struggles to maintain his status in the Capital even though there is little to no money to keep up the illusion.  Everything rests upon his achievements in school, so being chosen to be a mentor to one of the tributes seems like an opportunity to shine.  However, his tribute is from the lowliest district, and she has the least chance to survive.  As the story unfolds, Coriolanus is constantly pulled between his desire to achieve and maintain the family reputation and his growing interest in his tribute.  Which will he eventually choose?  If you loved The Hunger Games, you will want to read The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes.  

Houston, We've Had a Problem by Rebecca Rissman

 

If you follow this blog, you may have discovered that I don't read a lot of nonfiction.  I find most of it just a bit too much like a textbook.  Houston, We've Had a Problem by Rebecca Rissman was not like that at all.  Written clearly and concisely, the action in this book moves quickly.  This is the story of the Apollo 13 moon mission that nearly ended in disaster.  It tells what the astronauts and the people on the ground did to save the 3 man crew from being stranded in space.  With photographs and quotes from the actual people involved, this short book shares the timeline from blast off to splashdown, giving the reader a clear picture of the dangers faced by our astronauts and the responsibilities shouldered by the workers at NASA.  I would highly recommend this narrative piece of nonfiction.

Resistance by Jennifer A. Nielsen

 

In Resistance, the reader meets Chaya Lindner, a Jewish teenager in Nazi-occupied Poland during World War II.  While most of her people are being forced into ghettos or removed to labor camps, she has chosen to use her blond, Polish looks and Polish accent to resist the Nazis.  She becomes a courier, someone who helps smuggle people out of the ghettos and smuggle food and information into the ghettos.  Soon, she is drawn into increasingly more dangerous work.  After her group is nearly destroyed, she is ordered to go with Esther to the Warsaw ghetto, where she will fight the Nazis directly.  As they travel, Chaya can't help but wonder if Esther is truly a member of the resistance, or someone who will get her killed.  If you are interested in World War II, this might be a good read for you.

Did you ever have a teacher who just got you?  Someone who seemed to like and understand you even if you weren't the greatest student?  Mine was named Mrs. Jerry Rae King, and the book Ms. Bixby's Last Day by John Anderson reminded me of her.  She was, as the three boys who share this story would say, one of "The Good Ones".  Topher, Steve, and Brand are three 6th grade misfits who have found each other and formed a friendship.  They also share their favorite teacher, Ms. Bixby.  When they discover that she is ill and will not finish the year with them, they are upset.  When she is too ill to make the party the class planned for her, they hatch a plan to bring the celebration to her.  Along the way, as they skip school and venture into unknown places and situations, their courage and friendship is tested, and we learn just how this teacher has touched their lives.  This is a wonderful novel, full of funny and tender moments, and I highly recommend it.
 

The House with Chicken Legs by Sophie Anderson

What a charming and heartwarming tale!  I thoroughly enjoyed The House with Chicken Legs.  At first, the story seemed a bit dark and strange, which I guess is to be expected when the central character is learning how to help the dead cross over, but Marinka's struggles to find her destiny and make a few friends drew me in.  Living in a house that is alive and travels where it pleases would seem to be a wonderfule adventure, but such is not the case for Marinka.  Her love for her grandmother fights with her reluctance to follow the role set out for her and leads to near disaster.  In the end, the house becomes the unlikely hero of the tale.  This book was an entertaining and satisfying read.

Belle's Journey: An Osprey Takes Flight by Rob Bierregaard

I don't often choose to read nonfiction, but something about the cover of Belle's Journey caught my interest.  I was pleasantly

surprised by this book.  The design was attractive, with a perfect balance of text and illustration.  The narrative style made it easy to read and understand.  I learned a lot about ospreys; did you know they migrate all the way to South America for the winter?  If you are interested in birds or even just a little curious, this book would be a good choice!

Look Both Ways by Jason Reynolds

Look Both Ways: A Tale Told in Ten Blocks by Jason Reynolds was an interesting read.  Told in 10 short stories, it is a picture of the lives of 10 students after the bell rings and they begin their walk home.  The reader gets a view into the inner lives and thoughts of these students and the challenges they face.  The opening line:  This story was going to begin like all the best stories. With a school bus falling from the sky. But no one saw it happen. They were all too busy-- really grabbed my interest, but I felt it set the reader up for a bit of a disappointment at the end.  I kept waiting for the bus to fall (and it did, metaphorically), so I probably missed some of the nuance in the stories.  Still, it was a good read, if a bit unexciting.  

Remember Charlotte's Web?

Okay, in Charlotte's Web, Wilbur the pig was lonely out in the barn, and a friendly spider named Charlotte became his friend and his companion.  As I sit in my house during this time of social distance, I can't help but think that it would be nice to have a friendly spider to talk to; however, real spiders do not like that much attention -- and I don't like to have them in my house!  Still, I do find that a good book can be a good friend these days.  A good book will take you away from being stuck at home and let you go anywhere in your imagination.  So, dear readers, I hope you are taking time to read some new books and maybe revisit some old ones as we stay safer at home.  I think I might take some time and re-read this wonderful story about a wise spider and her friend, Wilbur, who was definitely SOME PIG.

Thinking About My Reading History

I have always been a reader.  I grew up in the middle of a family with 8 kids, and the older ones read to me long before I could read myself.  We had a fanily tradition where we would gather on one of the beds each night and read a chapter from a book.  The Von Trapp Family Singers was one of my favorites.  Anyway, I began thinking about my history as a reader.  I started with easy reader, Dr. Seuss-style books, like Are You My Mother?  I quickly moved to fairy tales, but the very first series I ever read were the Billy and Blaze books by C.W. Anderson.  It was the beautiful sketches as well as the story that hooked my interest.  As you stay safer at home this week, think about your reading history.  What do you remember reading -- or having read to you?  What made you like the books you remember?  That's where your journey as a reader began.  I wonder where it will take you in the future?

Staying Safer at Home

Hello, all my Meadowview friends!  I miss seeing your smiling faces and hearing your voices outside the library.  This is a hard time for all of us, but I hope you are taking some time away from your screens to read a little bit every day.  Have you heard that the novel Restart by Gordon Korman won the state Golden Archer Award?  I know I loved that book.  I am so glad Mrs. Marx recommended it to me and I know my Battle of the Books readers enjoyed it, too! 

Remember that if you don't have physical books to read, you can always use the Sora or Overdrive app on your iPad.  I added a ton of new audiobooks before we had to take our unplanned break.  If you need help, just reach out to me through email.  If you don't know my address, it is lkoll@spartan.org.  Hope to hear from some of you soon.

Let the Battle Begin!

I have about 30 kids signed up for Battle of the Books this year, and they are all busily working their way through the 20 titles on the Battle list.  So far, my favorites would be Restart  by Gordon Korman and Front Desk by Kelly Yang.  They both feature strong main characters and strong narrative voices.  In Restart, a popular school athlete suffers from amnesia due to head trauma, and discovers, as he struggles to re-learn his life, that he may have been popular, but he as definitely not well-liked or kind.  In fact, he was a bully.  The conflict between who he was and who he is becoming makes a really good read.  In Front Desk,  the main character is the daughter of immigrants, struggling to find a safe place to rebuild their lives.  How she helps her family make a place for themselves in an often hostile world is the basis of this novel.  Both provide plenty of opportunities for readers to deal with complex issues through entertaining stories.

It's That Time Again

Where has the time gone?  A new Battle of the Books season is approaching, and the first snow has fallen.  Since I last posted, I earned some grant money to start a makerspace next to the LMC and started flexible scheduling with half of my teachers.  We are always busy here!  I just finished Front Desk  by Kelly Yang and re-read Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin.  While both stories include Asian culture, they are vastly different in tone and style.  Yang focuses on the more modern issues of leaving your homeland and learning to live in a new culture -- the United States.  Ling steeps her story in ancient tales and wisdom.  Both are wonderful to read and deserve their spot on this year's Battle of the Books list.

Battle of the Books

I have been busily reading the 20 titles on this year's Wisconsin Educational Media and Technology Association's (WEMTA) Battle of the Books list.  You can find the list here:  Book lists.  I have a strong group of both 4th and 5th graders vying for a spot on the final team, so it has been quite a job keeping up with them!  By far, my favorite picture book on the list is Mother Bruce by Ryan T. Higgins.  If you are looking for a laugh-out-loud story to share as a filler for a few minutes in the classroom or just a nice book to share at home, this one will work.  Bruce is a bear who finds some eggs, which he thinks he will eat.  However, they hatch before he can decide how to prepare them.  What happens after that makes one of the most entertaining picture books I have read all year.  Take a few minutes and enjoy this one!

Crenshaw by Katherine Applegate

I think we can all agree that Katherine Applegate is an amazing author of books for children, tweens and teens.  In Crenshaw, she manages to weave stark reality with fantasy to create a heart-touching tale of a family that has fallen on hard times and a boy who struggles to have some control of his life.  Jackson's family can no longer afford rent, so they are living in their van -- again.  Jackson remembers the last time this happened, so he cannot accept it as an adventure, which is how his parents are coping with it.  Instead, his imaginary friend, a giant cat named Crenshaw, starts to reappear in Jackson's life.  As he tries to cope with Crenshaw and his family's struggles, Jackson learns that even imaginary friends can help when times are hard.  To find out just how Crenshaw helps Jackson and his family, read the book! 

Inheritance by Christopher Paolini

The epic fantasy begun in Eragon sees its conclusion in this final volume of the cycle.  All loose ends get tied up.  Saphira and Eragon must confront the evil Galbatorix, but where and when?  Despite heartbreaking odds, they must continue fighting, for if they cannot defeat him, then all hope is lost.  As the army Eragon has helped create marches to confront Galbatorix, he and his dragon move forward with their plan of attack.  Will they succeed?  What will be the cost? Most importan of all, perhaps, what does the future hold for the dragons and their riders?  A very long read leads to a most satisfying end of this saga.

Almost Home by Joan Bauer

What happens when the adults who are supposed to keep you safe lose everything and breakdown?  That is what happens in Almost Home.  After her mother loses their house and her job, Sugar finds herself homeless and hopeless far away from her home and her beloved teacher.  Her mother has slipped into a severe depression and needs to be hospitalized.  Sugar winds up in foster care, where, with the help of some quirky neighbors and her dog, Shush, she learns the true meaning of home.

Every Soul a Star by Wendy Mass

Wendy Mass is fast becoming a favorite in the Meadowview Intermediate LMC, and Every Soul a Star continues that trend.  Three very different voices combine to create a unique and interesting story.  Ally, Bree, and Jack form an unusual friendship when circumstances beyond their control bring them all to the remote Moon Shadow campground to view a total eclipse of the sun.  Despite their differences, they manage to help each other find their place.  A very good read.

Loki's Wolves by K. L. Armstrong

Looking for something to read that is similar to the Percy Jackson series?  Loki's Wolves may just be the right fit.  This first book of The Blackwell Pages series takes the reader on the beginning of a quest to save the world.  Ragnarok, the Norse end of days, is coming, and Matt Thorsen is named the champion who will save the world.  Unfortunately, if all legends hold true, he will die in the attempt.  What Matt does and who he gathers to help him save both the world and his own life is the heart of this fun and adventurous series. Based on Norse myths and gods, Loki's Wolves is a good read.  Watch for the second volume, Odin's Ravens.

One Came Home by Amy Timberlake

"A girl lost.  A body found. The truth buried."  In a small Wisconsin town in 1871, the greatest recorded nesting of passenger pigeons occurred.  When the birds are gone, so is Agatha Burkhardt.  When the sheriff goes looking for her, all he finds is a nearly unidentifiable body wearing a dress that she owned.  Although the family believes Agatha is dead, her sister Georgie refuses to accept the body as evidence and goes in search of Agatha herself.  Where her quest leads her and what she finds at the end of it is the heart of this story.  An incredibly well-written novel worthy of the Newbery Honor award it received, One Came Home is not for the struggling reader but would make a great shared reader with those who are more advanced.

Doll Bones / by Holly Black

If you are like me, and you find dolls a little creepy, then this may not be the book for you!  Best friends Poppy, Zach, and Alice are all struggling with problems in their families, but using their imaginations to play "the game" brings them a lot of pleasure.  When Zach's dad ruins the game, Poppy reveals that the doll -- whom they call the Great Queen -- has been haunting her dreams.  Poppy is convinced this will continue until they travel to the birthplace of the doll and give her a proper burial.  So, the three set off on the quest to put the doll to rest.  What happens next makes a suspenseful, strange, and sometimes touching story.  This would be a great read-aloud before Halloween!