This year I have four different sources for reading suggestions that I believe will give our students a summer of great and satisfying reading. The first comes from Lowell students themselves, suggestions from our 1st and 2nd graders. The second are my suggestions, the third set of suggestions comes from Carol Edlefsen who is the librarian at the Capital Hill and the Montlake Public Libraries. Finally, I would like to suggest some websites that have great books to tout
Favorite books from 1st and 2nd grade:
The Kid who only Hit Homers by Matt Christopher. A boy becomes a phenomenal baseball player one summer when a mysterious stranger resembling Babe Ruth befriends him.
The Weather Faries and the Rainbow Fairies (series) by Daisy Meadows
Fairest by Gail Carson Levine (I recommend any of her books). In a land where beauty and singing are valued above all else, Aza eventually comes to reconcile her unconventional appearance and her magical voice, and learns to accept herself for who she truly is.
The Littles (a series) by John Peterson (A companion read aloud to go with this might be the Andre Norton's The Borrowers). When the Biggs go on a three-month vacation and an untidy family from the city moves into the house, the Littles must take action.
Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder. A classic that use to be a part of Lowell's second grade curriculum.
Mrs. Hudson's favorites this year:
Rules by Cynthia Lord, a Newbery honor book is one of my favorites. Well written and dealing with children with special needs, this book gives our students a chance to explore the needs of children who use adaptive communication devices. Many of our students at Lowell use or interact with children who need switches and other adaptive communication devices each day to communicate.
I have fallen in love with books by Diana Wynn Jones. I have greedily read as many of her books as I could since Christmas. They are great fantasy stories and I have found that the Chrestomanci books are particularly fun to read and since there are so many of them, six, they will keep avid readers busy for a while. Try Charmed Life or The Lives of Christopher Chant first.
Clementine and the new the Talented Clementine By Sara Pennypacker. While sorting through difficulties in her friendship with her neighbor Margaret, eight-year-old Clementine gains several unique hairstyles while also helping her father in his efforts to banish pigeons from the front of their apartment building.
The Penderwicks A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and a Very Interesting Boy by Jeanne Birdsall. While vacationing with their widowed father in the Berkshire Mountains, four lovable sisters, ages four through twelve, share adventures with a local boy, much to the dismay of his snobbish mother.
The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo. This book was chosen by the 4 th and 5 th graders as their favorite at Lowell this year and received the Lowell-Bery Award. Although a little dark the story has so many levels of meaning it can be and it is well worth reading again and again.
The adventures of Despereaux Tilling, a small mouse of unusual talents, the princess that he loves, the servant girl who longs to be a princess, and a devious rat determined to bring them all to ruin.
Books from Carol Edlefsen at SPL:
Actual Size by Steve Jenkins - An eye-catching, ooh and ah picture book about animals both large small. More information on each animal is included in the back of the book.
Cool Stuff and How It Works by Chris Woodford et all - From the match to sneakers, the micro-chip to bionic limbs this book by DK shows how it all works and does it with very cool photographs.
Dancing Wheels by Patricia McMahon - This is the story of Mary Verdi-Fletcher, who was born with spina bifida and a desire to dance. Her Dancing Wheels Company is made up of dancers who can use their legs and dancer who can use their wheel chairs.
Hannah West in the Center of the Universe by Linda Johns. Hannah is a cool 13-year-old who solves mysteries in Seattle
Flanimals by Ricky Gervais - Author Gervais welcomes you to his world of strange creatures with very weird names!
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo - A china rabbit takes a journey and learns all about loss and love.
Favorite books from 4th and 5th grade:
Favorite books nominated for the "Lowell-Bery" this year: Students at Lowell have the opportunity each spring to nominate and chose the book that they like best. This year there are nine nominations. These are the books that flew off the shelves this year as students eagerly vied with each other to read them. In ascending order I list the 9 favorite:
East by Edith Pattou
Letters from Camp by Kate Klise
Airborne by Kenneth Oppel
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Artemis Fowl (series) by Eoin Colfer
Gregor the Overlander (series) by Suzanne Collins
The Warrior series by Erin Hunter
Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series)
The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo (which is our Lowell-Bery winner this year)
Mrs. Hudson's favorites this year:
Rules by Cynthia Lord, a Newbery honor book is one of my favorites. Well written and dealing with children with special needs, this book gives our students a chance to explore the needs of children who use adaptive communication devices. Many of our students at Lowell use or interact with children who need switches and other adaptive communication devices each day to communicate.
I have fallen in love with books by Diana Wynn Jones. I have greedily read as many of her books as I could since Christmas. They are great fantasy stories and I have found that the Chrestomanci books are particularly fun to read and since there are so many of them, six, they will keep avid readers busy for a while. Try Charmed Life or The Lives of Christopher Chant first.
Shakespeare's Secret by Elise Broach . This is a great mystery that explores the historical question, did William Shakespeare really write the plays attributed to him? It is also a Young Reader's Choice Book this year.
Maximum Ride the Angle Experiment by James Patterson. This is definitely a book for our more mature readers. This science fiction book about genetic engineering not only gives the reader a funny, exciting and sometimes violent read but it explorers deeper issues of identity, acceptance and family as well as the more general issues of bio-ethics. I really enjoyed this book.
Books from Carol Edlefsen at SPL :
Framed by Frank Cottrell Boyce. From the author of Millions this is the story of 9-year-old Dylan and how art, thievery, and the TMNT (teen-age mutant ninja turtles) come to Wales.
Hannah West in the Center of the Universe by Linda Johns. Hannah is a cool 13-year-old who solves mysteries in Seattle
More Horowitz Horror, More Stories You'll Wish You'd Never Read by Anthony Horowitz. Horror stories brought to you by the author of the Alex Rider series
The Wicked History of the World, History With the Nasty Bits Left In! by Terry Deary. An interesting look at the gruesome events in history that your teachers and/or parents never delve into, a surefire hit!
Rules by Cynthia Lord. Catherine is 12-years-old and has an autistic brother, parents that she feels don't spend enough time with her and a desire to just be a normal family.
Hans Christian Andersen His Fairy Tale Life by Hjordis Varmer - a biography of one of the worlds greatest story tellers; it is enhanced by the wonderful illustrations of Lilian Brogger,which at times seem as strange as Hans himself
Websites that have great lists for reading:
Guys Read http://www.guysread.com/ An interactive website that gets boys reading!, letting them choose areas or interest.
Young Reader's Choice http://www.pnla.org/yrca/index.htm This site has lists of books that students from the northwest like and are excited about reading
ALA Recommended Summer Reading for Children and their Families: http://www.ala.org/ala/alsc/alscresources/summerreading What can I say, this is a list of lists and seems to have something for everyone
Readergirlz http://www.readergirlz.com/issue.html a new website developed by local authors this is a wonderful resource.