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Kidsreads – Find your favorite next series!

AGES 4-8 
Amelia Bedelia by Peggy Parish
Angelina Ballerina by Katherine Holabird
Eloise by Kay Thompson
If You Give A… by Laura Numeroff
Junie B. Jones by Barbara Park
Magic Tree House by Mary Pope Osborne
Ricky Ricotta by Dav Pilkey
AGES 5-8
Judy Moody and Stink by Megan McDonald
Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo
AGES 5-12
Matt Christopher Sports by Matt Christopher
AGES 5-UP
Curious George by Margret Rey
AGES 6-9 
A-Z Mysteries by Ron Roy
Alvin Ho by Lenore Look
Arthur by Marc Brown
Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo
Just Grace by Charise Mericle Harper
Marvin Redpost by Louis Sachar
Nate the Great by Marjorie Sharmat
Rocket by Tad Hills
Tales from Deckawoo Drive by Kate DiCamillo
AGES 6-10 
Alien in My Pocket by Nate Ball
Judy Moody by Megan McDonald
The Treehouse Books by Andy Griffiths
AGES 7-9
Magic Shop by Kate Egan
AGES 7-10  
43 Old Cemetary Road by Kate Klise
Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm
Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner
Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
Fact Trackers (Companions) by Mary Pope Osborne
I Survived by Lauren Tarshis
Lunch Lady by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Mostly Ghostly by R. L. Stine
Squish by Jennifer L. Holm
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies
The World of Beverly Cleary by Beverly Cleary
Theodosia Throckmorton by R.L. LaFevers
Three-Ring Rascals by Kate Klise
AGES 7-11 
Mallory by Laurie Friedman
Words are CATegorical by Brian P. Cleary
AGES 7-12
The Sisters Grimm by Michael Buckley
AGES 7-UP
American Girls by Janet Shaw
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Stink by Megan McDonald
The Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi
AGES 8-10
Hunter Moran by Patricia Reilly Giff
Nanny X by Madelyn Rosenberg
Sesame Seade Mystery by Clementine Beauvais
Vet Volunteers by Laurie Halse Anderson
Wayside School by Louis Sacher
AGES 8-11
Our Canadian Girls by Lynne Kositsky
AGES 8-12 
10 True Tales by Allan Zullo
All the Wrong Questions by Lemony Snicket
Anton & Cecil by Lisa Martin
Be Your Own Duck Commander by John Luke Robertson
Blossom Family by Betsy Byars
Chet Gecko by Bruce Hale
Danger is Everywhere by David O’Doherty
Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney
Dragonbreath by Ursula Vernon
Emily Windsnap by Liz Kessler
Fudge Books by Judy Blume
Guts & Glory by Ben Thompson
Henry Huggins by Beverly Cleary
Hereville by Barry Deutsch
Humphrey by Betty G. Birney
Kid Legends by David Stabler
Mouse by Beverly Cleary
Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales by Nathan Hale
NERDS by Michael Buckley
Nightmares! by Jason Segel
Ologies by Dugald A. Steer
Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger
Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
Ramona by Beverly Cleary
Rotten School by R. L. Stine
Scream Street by Tommy Donbavand
Seven Wonders by Peter Lerangis
Spirit Animals by Brandon Mull
The Books of Ember by Jeanne DuPrau
The Copernicus Legacy by Tony Abbott
The Keepers by Ted Sanders
The Land of Stories by Chris Colfer
The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham
The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
The Tapper Twins by Geoff Rodkey
The Zombie Chasers by John Kloepfer
Thrones and Bones by Lou Anders
Timmy Failure by Stephan Pastis
TodHunter Moon by Angie Sage
Tom Gates by Liz Pichon
TombQuest by Michael Northrop
Tuesdays at the Castle by Jessica Day George
Voyagers by D.J. MacHale
Worst Witch by Jill Murphy
AGES 8-UP
Advenures in Cartooning by James Sturm and Andrew Arnold
Astronaut Academy by Dave Roman
G-Man’s Super Journal by Chris Giarrusso
Harry Potter by J. K. Rowling
Infinity Ring by James Dashner
Philemon by Fred
Pocket Genius by DK Publishing
Theodore Boone by John Grisham
TOON Graphics Mythology by Yvan Pommaux
AGES 9-12 
Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer
Dinosaur Boy by Cory Putnam Oakes
Encyclopedia Brown by Donald J. Sobol
Little House by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Mr. Terupt by Robert Buyea
My Life by Janet Tashjian
My Very UnFairy Tale Life by Anna Staniszewski
Narnia by C. S. Lewis
Nightmare Room by R. L. Stine
Protector of the Small by Tamora Pierce
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Rose by Holly Webb
Royal Diaries by Kristiana Gregory
Septimus Heap by Angie Sage
The Cupcake Club by Sheryl Berk
Time Warp Trio by Jon Scieszka
AGES 9-13
Ninja Librarians by Jen Swann Downey
AGES 9-UP
For Kids by Jerome Pohlen
Keys to the Kingdom by Garth Nix
AGES 10-12 
Ava and Pip by Carol Weston
Fashion Academy by Sheryl Berk
How to Catch a Bogle written by Catherine Jinks
The Chronicles of Kazam by Jasper Fforde
Year of the Book by Andrea Cheng
AGES 10-13
Fairy Tale Reform School by Jen Calonita
Sammy Keyes by Wendelin Van Draanen
AGES 10-14
Kingdom Keepers by Ridley Pearson
The Riverman Trilogy by Aaron Starmer
The Time Quintet by Madeleine L’Engle
AGES 10-UP 
Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz  
Brotherband Chronicles by John Flanagan
Fairyland by Catherynne M. Valente
Mo & Dale Mysteries by Sheila Turnage
Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan
Ruby Redfort by Lauren Child
The Last Days by Bill O’Reilly
The Mapmakers Trilogy by S. E. Grove
The Popularity Papers by Amy Ignatow
The Sports Beat by John Feinstein
The Thickety by J.A. White
The Triple Threat by John Feinstein
Source:  http://www.kidsreads.com/series-feature

Poetry Alive

Watch the videos below.

What do you notice?

What do you wonder?

Foul Shot by Edwin Hoey

Forest Walk by Kristine O’Connell George

No Breathing in Class by Michael Rosen

Catch a Little Rhyme by Eve Merriam

                            Early Memory by January Gill

                     Who Burns for the Perfection of Paper by Martín Espada

Analysis of Baseball by May Swenson

A Minor Bird by Robert Frost

After watching these videos, what ideas do you have for your own performances?

Tips for Poetry Performance  by Renee M. LaTulippe

1) Score Your Poem:  Create a roadmap for your performance.

2) Find Your Pace:  Save your pauses for the punctuation not all of the line breaks.

3)  Use Good Diction:  Pronounce words clearly.

4) Be Natural & Have Fun!

More Tips for Poetry Performance

Who Wants to Grok?

Grok Searching Just Got A Whole Lot Easier I was not familiar with InstaGrok, and I am excited to share this search engine with my readers. It is not your average search engine. My first search was “ducks”……then I tried “gnats”, “ponds” and finally “ecosystems”. Guess which grade level was inspiring my learning this weekend?

Who Needs Google, When You Can Grok? InstaGrok is better than any other search engine I have experimented with this year and it has a very different feel than any other search engine I have ever used. Not only is it interactive and engaging, but hopefully the journaling and pinning features of this search engine will help students who aren’t organized, better organize their thinking.  There are a few added bonuses that I especially like because these features are evaluative in nature.   The bibliographic component of InstaGrok allows students to see their sources and instantly evaluate their credibility.  Students can also take a multiple-choice quiz to self-evaluate their reading comprehension for each search topic.

AccessibilityWith every search, students get an interactive visual map of their search, images, videos, plus written information in chunks they can read, a journaling option, bibliographic capabilities and MORE.

If you want to use the web-based version I have added InstaGrok to the homepage of Destiny under Search Engines.  Plus, InstaGrok is a FREE app in the iTunes Store!

Grade 5 – Buddy Books #2

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Historical Fiction – Set in 12th century Korea

“If a man is keeping an idea to himself, and that idea is taken by stealth or trickery-I say it is stealing. But once a man has revealed his idea to others, it is no longer his alone. It belongs to the world.”

Tree-ear, a Korean orphan, lives beneath a bridge with his crippled, old friend, Crane-man. When Tree-ear breaks an expensive piece of pottery created by an artist named Min, he works off his debt and becomes Min’s assistant. Though Tree-ear dreams of making his own pots, Min uses him only for menial tasks. When a royal buyer wants to see Min’s work, Tree-ear offers to make the treacherous journey to the palace with the vases.

Joey Pigza swallowed the key

Realistic Fiction 

“They say I’m wired bad, or wired sad, but there’s no doubt about it – I’m wired.”

Joey Pigza’s got heart, he’s got a mom who loves him, and he’s got “dud meds,” which is what he calls the Ritalin pills that are supposed to even out his wild mood swings. Sometimes Joey makes bad choices. He learns the hard way that he shouldn’t stick his finger in the pencil sharpener, or swallow his house key, or run with scissors.  Joey knows, if he keeps making bad choices, he could just fall between the cracks for good. But he is determined not to let that happen.

Million Dollar Kick

Setting:  Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1998

“If you believe it, you can achieve it.”

The main character in The Million Dollar Kick is a thirteen year-old girl named Whisper Nelson. She is an 8th grade girl who doesn’t like sports; in fact she hates them.  While getting doughnuts Briana, her younger sister,  happens to enter them into a contest that gives the winner a chance to win a million by kicking against Carmen Applegate, one of the best professional soccer goalies around. Surprisingly, Whisper wins! Whisper’s journey to become a better soccer player is also inspiring. It’s not easy for her to do, but it helps her with much more than just her soccer playing.

splat-eric-walters-hardcover-cover-art

Setting:  Leamington, Ontario

A humorous, quick read!

Keegan and Alex are the only kids in Leamington who haven’t volunteered to help out with the town’s annual tomato festival. In an attempt to teach them a sense of responsibility, their fathers put them in charge of the tomato toss.  The boys decide it’s their responsibility to add a little excitement to the event.  They exchange the traditional wooden targets for human targets and, before they know it, they are running the most popular event at the fair.  The excitement may be too much for the sleepy town and soon the tomato toss is taken to the street.

Grade 5 – Buddy Books #1

If you like friendship stories…READ Every Soul a Star 

Every_Soul_a_Star_book_cover

 Setting:  Moon Shadow Campground

In alternating chapters, Ali, Bree and Jack tell their stories.

Ally:
Ally likes the simple things in life-labyrinths, star-gazing, and comet-hunting.

Bree:
Popular, gorgeous (everybody says so), a future homecoming queen for sure.

Jack:
Overweight and awkward, Jack is used to spending a lot of time alone. But when opportunity knocks, he finds himself in situations he never would have imagined.

If you like fast-moving plots…READ A Small White Scar 

small_scar_img_catcopy (1)

Setting:  Colorado – 1940’s

Since his mother’s death, Will’s job has been to look after his twin brother, Denny, who has Down syndrome.  The story picks up speed when Will sets out to ride to La Junta to compete in a rodeo.  He leaves hoping to break away from the responsibility of looking after Denny, but when he leaves, Denny follows.

Part family tale, part adventure, part journey narrative, this coming-of-age story has an emotional core that will touch even readers who never dreamed of competing in a rodeo.

If you like a page turner with lots of plot twists….READ Skullduggery Pleasant

skullduggery

Twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle’s estate,  and must join forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton mage (magician), to save the world from the Faceless Ones.

Stephanie and Skulduggery Pleasant must defeat an all-consuming ancient evil.

The end of the world?

Over their dead bodies…

If you like Diary of a Wimpy Kid, but want something a little different….READ The Last Invisible Boy

the last invisible boy

Told in short journal chapters and marvelous drawings…this is the story of 12-year-old Finn and his life-changing summer.1.  It’s about an invisible boy.

I don’t want to give anything away, so I’ll tell you what you could probably guess from looking at the cover and flipping through the book.

1. It’s about an invisible boy.

2. There are a bunch of drawings.

3. There are some really funny, really happy moments.  (Just so you know, there are also some sad moments too.)

Grade 5 – NEW Books – Something for Everyone!

the lost kingdomThe Lost King by Matthew Kirby

This isn’t just your ordinary, everyday fantasy. This “steampunk” novel brings to life a fantastical American West filled with a secret society, spies, terrifying creatures and a flying airship. The Lost Kingdom  is an epic journey filled with marvelous exploits, courage and intrigue.

The Children of the KingThe Children of the King by Sonya Hartnett

During World War II, 12-year-old Cecily Lockwood and her 14-year-old brother, Jeremy, are evacuated from London to Uncle Peregrine’s country home.  While exploring the estate grounds, Cecily and her new friend May find two mysterious boys hiding in the ruins of a nearby castle, an extraordinary adventure begins.

Bird-cover-300x420

Bird  by Crystal Chan

Jewel never knew her brother Bird, but all her life she has lived in his shadow. Her parents blame Grandpa for the tragedy of their family’s past; they say that Grandpa attracted a malevolent spirit—a duppy—into their home.

Loot how to steal a fortuneLoot:  How to Steal A Fortune by Jude Watson

When Alfie McQuinn, the notorious jewel thief, is killed on a job, his last words to his son, March, are to “find jewels”.  This instruction leads the boy to Jules, the twin sister he never knew he had–and the perfect partner to carry on the family business

Skies Like These

Skies Like These by Tess Hilmo

Twelve-year-old Jade’s perfect summers have always been spent reading and watching TV reruns, so she’s not happy when her parents send her off to Wyoming to her aunt’s house. She meets a boy who calls himself Roy Parker.

Handbook for Dragon SlayersHandbook for Dragon Slayers by Merrie Haskell

A fantasy adventure Handbook for Dragon Slayers mixes magic, mythical creatures, thrilling action, and a wonderful cast of characters.  Princess Tilda flees her kingdom in the company of two hopeful dragon slayers. The princess never had any interest in chasing dragons.  But the princess finds herself making friends with magical horses, facing the Wild Hunt, and pointing a sword at fire-breathing dragons. While doing things she never imagined, Tilda finds qualities in herself she never knew she possessed.

Lost children on the far islandsLost Children of the Far Islands by Emily Raabe

Lost Children of the Far Islands is a story filled with magic, excitement, and the dangers and delights of the sea.  wins Gus and Leo and their little sister, Ila, live a quiet life in Maine–until their mother falls ill, and it becomes clear her strength is fading because she is protecting them from a terrible evil.  Soon the children are swept off to a secret island far in the sea, where they discover a hidden grandmother and powers they never knew they had. Like their mother, they are Folk, creatures who can turn between human and animal forms.  Now they must harness their newfound magic for a deeper purpose. The ancient, monstrous King of the Black Lakes will stop at nothing to rise to power, and they are all that stands in his way. Their mother’s life hangs in the balance, and the children must battle this beast to the death–despite a dire prophecy that whoever kills him will die.

The Secret BoxThe Secret Box by Whitaker Ringwald

Readers will love the page-turning mystery, hilarious girl and boy narrators, and clever incorporation of mythology—and lingering questions will leave them eager for more.  What starts as a fun quest to open a mysterious birthday present quickly turns crazy and dangerous when Jax and her cousin Ethan discover themselves at the center of a special magical legacy. Soon they realize the secret box was not intended as a gift, but as call for help that they alone can answer.

Unhooking the moonUnhooking the Moon by Gregory Hughes

Marie Claire, aka the Rat, is a dancing, soccer-playing, fearless ten-year-old, often protected by her brother Bob. When their father dies, the two leave home in Winnipeg, Canada and head for New York, determined to find their uncle in America and discover a new life for themselves.  On their adventures traveling alone from the flatlands of Winnipeg, southward across the border into America, Bob and the Rat make friends with a host of unlikely characters, including a hilarious con man and a famous rap star. As they struggle to survive in the big city, they realize that finding your uncle in New York is incredibly difficult if you have almost no information about him–even if he is rumored to be one of the city’s biggest drug dealers.

lantern sam and the blue streakLantern Sam and the Blue Streak Bandits by Michael D. Beil

Lantern Sam is the wise-cracking, sarcastic, talking cat (for those who can hear him, that is) who lives onboard the Lake Erie Shoreliner train and is one of the best detectives no one knows about. He doesn’t have much patience for humans (unless they bring him sardines), but when 10-year-old traveler Henry can’t find his new friend, the exuberant Ellie, Sam’s enlisted to help. A ransom note is soon discovered and just like that, Sam and Henry are on the case, with the help of Clarence the Conductor (who supplies Sam’s sardines). But is Ellie still on board the train? Did the salesman with his trunk full of samples sneak her off? And why does that couple keep acting so suspicious?

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates

The Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates by Caroline Carlson

Hilary Westfield has always dreamed of being a pirate. She can tread water for thirty-seven minutes. She can tie a knot faster than a fleet of sailors, and she already owns a rather pointy sword. There’s only one problem: the Very Nearly Honorable League of Pirates refuses to let any girl join their ranks of scourges andscalawag. But Hilary is not the kind of girl to take no for answer. To escape a life of petticoats and politeness at her stuffy finishing school, Hilary sets out in search of her own seaworthy adventure, where she gets swept up in a madcap quest involving a map without an X, a magical treasure that likely doesn’t exist, and the most treacherousand unexpectedvillain on the high seas.

Seven Wild Sisters

Seven Wild Sisters by Charles DeLint

Sarah Jane has always wanted to meet a fairy, but she has no idea that the tiny wounded man she discovers in the Tanglewood Forest is about to ensnare her in a longtime war between rival magical clans. When her six sisters are kidnapped and split up by the opposing sides, she’ll need the help of several friends–from the reclusive Aunt Lillian to the mysterious Apple Tree Man–to bring them home. But if they don’t untangle themselves from the feud quickly, they could all be trapped in the fairy world forever.

seven stories up

Seven Stories Up by Laurel Snyder

In 1987, while her mother sits in a Baltimore hotel at the deathbed of a grandmother twelve-year-old Annie never knew, Annie travels back fifty years and shares adventures with the lonely girl who will grow up to be her feisty grandmother.

First Graders Will Decide!

Using their knowledge of what makes a picture book a great book, students in grade one will vote for the best picture book of 2014 in December. Everyone has a favorite so far, but we have four more books to go.  Which book will win the Mustang Award for Best Picture Book of the Year?

Sparky

A story about a girl who longs for a pet.  The girl in the story meets all of her mom’s criteria for a perfect pet when she decides on a sloth…they don’t need baths, they don’t eat a lot of food and they don’t need to be walked.

Henry's HandA story about what it means to be a good friend.  Hand runs away when Henry becomes too bossy.

BeekleBeekle acts courageously and leaves the land of imagination in search of a friend.

chick-o-saurus-rex-234x300Nobody likes to be bullied.  Little chick is taunted and teased, until one day he proves that he is mighty and brave.