Extra Credit - Andrew Clements

Abby hates doing homework. She would rather be outside exploring the woods, rock climbing or building her tree house. This is a problem, because now she is told her grades are too low to pass the sixth grade. Being held back a year would be sooo embarrassing and she wants to move on with her friends. So her teachers make her agree to do her homework every night, study hard and take on a project for extra credit. This project involves writing to a pen pal from across the world.

In a small village in Afghanistan, Sadeed is the best pupil at his school and he is selected to participate in this pen pal project, but since it is not OK for a boy to write to a girl in his culture, the school has his sister write the letters with Sadeed’s help. His sister can barely understand English, so Sadeed does most of the work and his sister signs the letters. The letters are so cool that Abby actually likes writing back! She is especially interested in the big mountains of Afghanistan.

Sadeed is proud of his writing and sends a secret letter to Abby letting her know that he is the real writer. This is a dangerous thing to do! Will he get caught? What does Abby think of Sadeed’s secret letter and how will she reply? Will Abby graduate to seventh grade at the end of the school year?

Extra Credit – Andrew Clements

Recommended for grades 4-7. Be prepared to show students where Afghanistan is.

The Secret School - Avi

For those who liked Little House on the Prairie or Sarah Plain and Tall, I highly recommend checking out this title. Set in rural Colorado in 1925, 14 year old Ida Bidson attends a one room school house with 7 other children and plans to attend high school in the fall. Ida is an excellent student and wants nothing more than to be a teacher when she grows up. But when her teacher needs to leave 3 months before the end of the school year and the school is slatted to be shut down, Ida's plans are in jeopardy. It also means the other students will not finish their current grade level. When she complains to the head of the school board about her dilemma, he tells her "I'm not so sure a girl needs a high school education."

Just when Ida begins to despair over her future, her good friend Tom suggests that she should take over the teachers position - secretly of course, as she is not certified. In a unanimous vote, the students agree to let Ida take over. Will they manage to keep this unusual set-up a secret? Will Ida and Tom be able to pass their exit exams? How will Ida teach, help her family with farm chores and keep up her own studies? This ambitious plan puts a great deal of pressure on Ida.

I was impressed by the positive virtues that are powerfully displayed in a very simple, but engaging story. For this poor community, the importance of education means a better future and opportunities that would not exist at this time in history otherwise. It's not all serious either, I especially liked the entertaining drive to school each day with Ida and her brother Felix in a model T Ford. Ida is only 4'11" and cannot reach the floor of the vehicle, so she controls the steering wheel while her younger brother is hunched down on the floor working the clutch and brakes. Ida shouts directions to Felix, while the old windowless car backfires its way to school and back. A fun easy read.

Recommended for grades 4-7.

Bella at Midnight - Diane Stanley

In this Medieval Cinderella story, Bella has been raised by peasants, the only family she knows. Life is simple, even her friendship from childhood with Prince Julian. As a fourth prince, he was shipped off as a youngster to live with his uncle and train to be a knight. But suddenly the world starts slipping, a horrible betrayal from Julian and a discovery that her parents aren't really her parents at all. She is a knight's daughter, sent away as a baby because the grieving man couldn't stand the sight of her. Now she is back, a thorn to her new step-mother, unwanted by her cold father. When a peace treaty is broken and Julian's life endangered, Bella must decide whether or not she will save her prince.

Each chapter in this story is told from the narrative of Bella or the characters she encounters, helping you understand the story from the motivations and perspectives of each character. The best voice comes from Bella, who is kind but strong; beautiful but clever; innocent but determined. How will these qualities help her survive the cruelties of her father and step mother? Will they help her prevent the invasion of two warring kingdoms and the death of Julian? This 21st century fairy tale will not disappoint you!

Recommended for grades 5-8.

All The Lovely Bad Ones - Mary Downing Hahn

When twelve year old Travis and his younger sister Corey are sent to stay with their grandmother for the summer at her Vermont Bed and Breakfast, they learn that the inn was rumored to be haunted in the past. Being a mischievous pair, they cannot resist the chance to scare the guests by creating ghostly sights and sounds in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, the rumored ghosts really exist and are awakened by the pranks that Travis and Corey have started. Bizarre things start to happen at the inn and the Grandmother thinks they're elaborate pranks created by the children. The ghost hunting guests love it, while the others are scared away. What do these ghosts want? We know that something bad happened in the past from the whispering conversations of the old caretakers. Some of the ghosts turn out to be mischievous children, like Cory and Travis, but one is truly evil. Can these siblings lay to rest the ghosts they’ve stirred? Read this book to find out!

I made the mistake of reading most of this story one night before bed and I had some very creepy dreams! Save this one for daytime reading! However, I imagine reading this book out loud during a group sleep-over party would be fun, as you dare each other to keep listening!

Some historical content on poor farms. The subject of child abuse may be disturbing for younger readers. Recommended for grades 5-7.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda - Tom Angleberger

This funny and fast read will be the perfect choice for those who fell hard for Diary of a Wimpy Kid. The book is a collection of "case files" put together by Tommy, our main narrator. The files revolve around a group of sixth graders trying to figure out the unusual behavior of Dwight, a very dorky classmate that is generally clueless to normal social behavior. They want to know how someone so strange can be so wise when he speaks through his handmade finger puppet called Origami Yoda. Is Origami Yoda for real or is Dwight really some kind of a closet genius? Dwight uses the voice of Yoda from Star Wars when he speaks for his puppet, answering questions from the students, making accurate predictions and giving out wise advise for his classmates. The book is full of hilarious bad drawings that follow the events and characters. The case files share the voices of a wide variety of students keeping the story from getting dull.

For an excerpt, use the story of the Quavondo, the Cheeto Hog and Origami's advise on how to stop the bad nickname pg.67 & 68.

So, if you want to laugh and make your own judgement on Origami Yoda, "Read this book you must".

Recommended for grades 4-6. Directions on how to fold Origami Yoda at the back of the book and on YouTube. There is a sequel titled Origami Yoda 2: Darth Paper Strikes Back.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick

How many ways can you tell a story? This 550 page novel combines words, pictures, and action scenes that resemble silent movies from the 1930"s. In fact, the story begins with this introduction: “I want you to picture yourself sitting in the darkness, like the beginning of a movie. ... You will eventually spot a boy amid the crowd, and he will start to move through the train station. Follow him, because this is Hugo Cabret. His head is full of secrets, and he’s waiting for his story to begin.”
So here is some background information to get you going on this complex and mysterious story. When Hugo's father and sole parent is killed in a fire at the museum, Hugo is forced to live with his Uncle who is a clock keeper and a drunk. When his uncle disappears, Hugo is left to maintain the clocks behind the walls of a busy Paris train station, stealing food to survive. Why would he choose to live like that? His motivation lies in the mechanical robot that his father was working on before he died. Hugo believes that if he can find the missing pieces needed to make the robot work, it will reveal a secret message from his father and he will know what to do with his life. But when his world suddenly collides with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo's efforts are compromised and more pieces of the puzzle in this story need to be solved. This is a story unlike anything you have ever read. It's the story of magic: the magic of clockworks, the magic of magic tricks, and the magic of the movies. It's about finding secrets, about rediscovering your past and reinventing yourself. It will not take long to read, as the illustrations take up most of the pages.

Recommended for grades 4-9. The movie adaption is to be released for Thanksgiving 2011. Movie trailer available on YouTube. Also, Brian Selznick is releasing a new book similar to this one, titled Wonderstruck on September 13th, 2011. Can't wait!

The Beaded Moccasins: The Story of Mary Campbell - Lynda Durrant

On May 11th, 1759, the morning of her twelfth birthday, Mary Campbell gets angry with her mother and storms out of the cabin. It is a beautiful spring morning and Mary resents being stuck indoors all day doing women's work. As she picks wild strawberries and plans her apology to her mother, Mary is captured by Delaware Indians and plunged into a life that is fearsome, strenuous, and vastly different from the one she knows, beginning with the journey on foot from Pennsylvania to the Delawares' new home in Ohio Territory. Mrs. Stewart, who is Mary's neighbor was also taken captive. In a private conversation on page 38, (read excerpt) Mary tries to plan an escape with Mrs. Stewart. What do the Indians want with her? Will she ever get back to her home? Did the Indians harm her family before they took her? She knows her cabin was set on fire!

Over time, Mary becomes less resistant to the routines, traditions, and beliefs of her captors, and discovers within herself reserves of strength she hadn't known were hers. Mary's adaption to the people and the culture eventually cause Mary to wonder who she really is and where she fits best in early American life. The life of the real Mary Campbell is the basis for this short 175 page story. Most of the characters in this story were real and the afterword provides historical details of what happened to Mary and the Delaware Indians in later years. The fact that this dramatic and frightening story is based on real events will make this story more memorable than most - I promise!

Recommended for grades 5-8.

Recommended Book-a-likes: The Sign of the Beaver - Elizabeth George Speare, The Journal of Augustus Pelletier: The Lewis & Clark Expedition - Kathryn Lasky, The Arrow over the Door - Joseph Bruchac, The Defenders (biography collection) - Ann McGovern.