Archive for Fiction

Being Henry David

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Written by Cal Armistead 

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Many books are about finding yourself, but what if you really had no idea at all who you are? What if you wake up in New York’s Penn Station with a copy of Thoreau’s Walden as your only possession? No name. Nothing. You can only guess you’re about seventeen years old. Using Thoreau as his guide, “Hank” gets back to essentials. He doesn’t want to go to the police in case he’s running from them. He ends up accepting help from another kid, who introduces him to his sister and shows him a spot to sleep in an alley. Then he really gets into trouble. He’s injured in a knife fight and uses his opponent’s cash to leave town and work his way to Concord, Massachusetts, Thoreau’s home. In Concord, he follows Thoreau’s footsteps and befriends a Thoreau impersonator and a local girl. Slowly, his memory returns, but he’s still not sure why he’s running. The word sister means something to him. He knows how to play a guitar, but he doesn’t realize he’s playing a Beatles song. Eventually, he decides he needs to follow through on Thoreau’s plan to climb Mount Katahdin, the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. This also means something to him outside the reference to Thoreau.

Kids as young as fifth grade can get a lot out of this adventure. It has a few scary moments, but the rewards outweigh the trauma in the end. An excellent guide for discussion and reading activities appears on the publisher’s website (www.albertwhitman.com). This book has already received a starred review from Kirkus Reviews and is recommended by The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.

  • Being Henry DavidTitle: Being Henry David
  • Written By: Cal Armistead
  • Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
  • Reviewer: Sue Poduska
  • Hard cover: 304 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-8075-0615-8
  • Genre: Young adult, self-discovery
  • Lexile Score: 780
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction, Mystery

The Inquisitor’s Apprentice

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Written by Chris Moriarty

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The Inquisitor’s Apprentice is a fun, complex, and delightful mystery chapter book for fifth grade level readers and above. The story involves early twentieth-century New York atmosphere and history fictionalized to keep the reader engaged in the activities of the main character, Sacha Kessler, who has the keen ability to see witches and witness magic. These skills are of utmost importance to the police department’s star inquisitor, Maximillian Wolf.

Sacha’s abilities earn him the apprenticeship to the police department and he becomes one of the main investigators to find who wants to kill Thomas Edison. This investigation leads the fifth grade reader on a wild adventure through New York City’s finest neighborhoods where magic prevails in most interesting and secret ways. The story weaves Jewish history and language into the plot, making this a spring board for further lessons on Jewish culture and history, always a great plus for teachers of 5th grade level students.

Although the author includes additional information regarding the parts of New York history that has been fictionalized, the 5th grade level reader will come away with a feeling of knowing more about New York and it’s famous Jewish neighborhoods. And even those students who don’t like reading about witches and magic will enjoy the overall mystery and detective work that the main character encounters.

The book has a twist at the end, and the 5th grade reader will come away with more experience in reading and comprehension of a complex plot, reading fictionalized and interesting history, and how magic and superstition plays an important part in the lives of many. The fifth grade reader will also come away  wanting more of the main character and his inquisitor apprenticeship activities. Kudos to the author for writing what this grade level wants to read. This book is a great addition to the 5th grade level classroom library.

  • Inquisitors ApprenticeTitle: The Inquisitor’s Apprentice
  • Author: Chris Moriarty
  • Illustrations: Mark Edward Geyer
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • ISBN: 978-0-547-5813-4
  • Reviewer: Terri Forehand
  • Edition: Hardback, 345 pages
  • Genre: Juvenile fiction, mystery, magic
Posted in 2011, Contemporary, Fantasy, Fiction, Mystery

Samphire Song

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Written by Jill Hucklesby 

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The summary for Samphire Song doesn’t begin to tell teachers and parents or students the heartfelt emotional story Ms. Hucklesby tells within the pages of this novel. Fourteen year old Jodie has many family issues she keeps inside and working with the horses is where she best fits in. From the very first page the author sucks the reader in with all five senses and a realistic feel for being nose to nose with the horses.

What 5th grade level reader doesn’t love horses and wouldn’t be able to relate to having at least one issue with their personal family situations? Samphire Song is an excellent example of fiction where fifth graders and higher level readers will be totally engaged in the story from beginning to end.

The book is written with a complexity of emotions yet with easy to comprehend clear sentences and paragraphs making this a good book to use when teaching 5th grade readers the skill of writing too. Characters are well rounded and realistic, the plot is one that students can relate to, and the crisp writing is excellent examples of the use language.

Samphire Song is well worth adding to a home, school, or fifth grade classroom and is suitable for girls or boys even though the main character is female. The experiences and emotions so cleverly described  for the 5th grade reader are clearly understood by either gender.  The family issues within the plot also make a great opportunity for teachers or parents to discuss feelings and choices within the classroom setting.

The publisher website offers more information about this and other fine books for 5th grade level readers at www.albertwhitman.com

  • Samphire SongTitle: Samphire Song
  • Author: Jill Hucklesby
  • Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company
  • Reviewer:  Terri Forehand
  • ISBN: 978-0-8075-7224-5
  • Edition: Hardback, 287 pgs
  • Genre: Juvenile-Fiction, Horses, Family problems

 

 

Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction, Nature, Reading Level

The Zebra Forest

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Written by Adina Rishe Gewirtz

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The zebra forest outside of eleven-year old Annie’s house begs for stories. The zebra stripes are white birch trees and dark oaks, making a cozy setting for Annie and her younger brother Rew to tell each other stories. They retell the books they’ve read, and then Annie makes up new ones, putting their father into the plot. In the stories, their father is a hero that they’d like to meet. But they know that is impossible because Gran told them the one thing they know about their father: he was killed by an angry man who was sent away. That is all the children ever asked since that much information sent Gran into a two-day brooding fit. But then a prison break changes their lives. With an escapee invading the house, Annie and Rew have to re-think everything they thought they knew —their stories, their relationships, and what makes up right and wrong. Even in a zebra-striped forest, nothing is as black and white as they originally thought.

While the vocabulary makes the book accessible to younger children, the storyline requires a more mature reading level. It will be enjoyable and useful for fifth-graders and up who are starting to understand subtlety instead of absolutes in rights and wrongs. This is Adina Rishe Gewirtz’s debut novel, yet it fits in well with the genre of work epitomized by Lois Lowry’s Gossamer and Clare Vanderpool’s Moon Over Manifest, where resilient children figure out how to grow stronger in less then perfect homes.
Zebra Forest

  • Title: Zebra Forest
  • Author: Adina Rishe Gewirtz
  • Publisher: Candlewick
  • Reviewer: Amy S. Hansen
  • Hardcover: 200 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-6041-3
  • Genre: Realistic fiction
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction

Malcolm at Midnight

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Written by W.H. Beck

Illustrated by Brian Lies

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Any child who has dreamed of communing with the animals will be entranced by Malcolm at Midnight, a charming novel which will find its way onto many fifth grade reading lists. This first novel by W. H. Beck portrays a world full of talking animals (class pets who leave their cages at night) who form the Midnight Academy to protect the humans at their school.

The hero of the story, Malcolm, is a rat. He’s the most personable rat you have ever met, and a clever one at that; Malcolm knows how to read. Endearing illustrations by Brian Lies will make you love him even more. As Malcolm settles into his new life at school, he faces the usual challenges – a nasty stereotype, a bully, a club into which he strives to be accepted – and the not so usual – the ghost of McKenna School.

When the club leader, a wise iguana who wears red reading glasses, disappears and Malcolm becomes the main suspect, he is forced to turn to “nutters” (children) for help. But Malcolm has grander problems than a hulking cat and an angry gang of pets on the loose. This tender-heart cringes whenever someone refers to his kind as “skuzzy rat finks.” You see, under-sized Malcolm has been mistaken for a cute mouse, and he has not yet owned up to his own rattiness. In order to become the “rat of valor and merit” of his dreams, Malcolm must prove the value of his own kind, first to himself and then to others.

Beck’s clever use of footnotes keeps the reader guessing about who the narrator actually is while also offering definitions of unknown words disguised as classroom vocabulary. Students will particularly enjoy the similes and metaphors referencing universal challenges (dealing with a hyper classmate), tough issues (letting down your teacher) and familiar settings (the smell of the lunch room). This nearly seemless portrayal of school life makes sense when you learn that the author is a school librarian. A true educator, Beck provides a number of resources to enhance school curriculum, including a school floor plan, a trailer, author interviews and a teaching guide on her website (http://www.whbeck.com/).

Because it addresses self-worth and standard school issues, Malcolm at Midnight is a great read for those on the fifth grade reading level, including younger readers who are not ready for heavier content. This book will also work well as a classroom or family read aloud.

  • Malcolm at MidnightTitle: Malcolm at Midnight
  • Written by W.H. Beck
  • Illustrated by Brian Lies
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children
  • Reviewer: Heather L. Montgomery
  • Hardcover/ 272 p.
  • ISBN: 978-0547681009
  • Genre: Novel, contemporary, mystery, humor
  • Lexile Score: 700
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction, Humor

The Center of Everything

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Written by Linda Urban

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Ruby Pepperdine stands in the center of a chalk-drawn circle at the Bunning Day parade and waits to read her winning essay in front of the whole town. Today may be the celebration of the late Captain Bunning (town founder and inventor of the donut hole), but Ruby’s more preoccupied with the hole in her heart. She’s supposed to be the girl everyone can count on, the one who figures things out. But now everything is messed up. Her best friend, Lucy, is mad at her. She has insulted Nero, the inquisitive boy who only wanted to help. And, worst of all, she still grieves for her grandmother, Gigi, and feels guilty because she didn’t listen to her when she had the chance.

Ruby would do anything to travel back in time and fix her mistakes. That’s why she’s pinning her hopes on this essay and the wish she made on her twelfth birthday. Flashbacks explain the events that led up to this moment, and now, as Ruby waits for the parade to reach her, she feels this is her last chance make herself whole again.

This warm, intelligent book offers more reflection than action and is just right for fifth graders who are beginning to make connections between themselves and the world around them. The story’s non-linear plot and alternate points-of-view will strengthen their reading skills. Urban creates realistic characters that middle-grade readers can relate to and nails the small-town feel of (fictional) Bunning, New Hampshire. With themes of friendship, family, destiny, and its circular imagery (from donuts to color wheels and concentric pond ripples), this is a recommended choice for a book club or classroom reading groups. (www.lindaurbanbooks.com)

  • Center of EverythingTitle: The Center of Everything
  • Author: Linda Urban
  • Publisher: Harcourt Children’s Books / Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
  • Reviewer: Lauren Abbey Greenberg
  • Hardcover: 197 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-547-76348-4
  • Genre: Contemporary Fiction
  • Lexile Score: 670
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang

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Written by Ian Fleming

Illustrated by Joe Berger

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A splendid adventure story in the best British tradition! After four opening paragraphs explaining that not all cars are mere conglomerations of steel and wire and rubber and plastic (thus priming even the youngest first and second graders to expect a tale of a very special car) the real story begins, as all fairy tales have begun since times immemorial: “Once upon a time….

There was a family called Pott. There was father Caractacus, mother Mimsie, and twins, Jeremy and Jemima, and they lived together perfectly happily in a house in the woods beside a big lake, with the main motorway running all the way to the sea on the other side of the lake. So they could travel to far away places. But, they do not own a car, nor have the money to buy one.

How they get Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, and how the car gets that name, are interesting stories in themselves. Suffice to say, broken down wreck (splendid, magical) Chitty Chitty Bang Bang arrives in their lives, and soon becomes a member of the family. They are off on wondrous adventures for as Papa Potts says, “ Never say no to adventures. Always say yes. Otherwise you’ll lead a very dull life.

Chitty Chitty Bang Bang is a car with a heart (willingly given to the family that saved her from the wrecker’s yard). She is now responsible for her family and races to their rescue whenever she perceives them in danger, whether they recognize they are in danger or not. Chitty Chitty Bang Bang the book is a classic that belongs on all reading lists.

Additional Resources: 

http://www.chittybangbang.com/chittybangbang-book.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZTTzcXSLjhI

  • Chitty Chitty Bang BangTitle: Chitty Chitty Bang Bang
  • Author: Ian Fleming
  • Illustrator: Joe Berger
  • Publisher: Candlewick Press
  • Reviewer: Anjali Amit
  • Paperback:  144 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-7636-6666-8
  • Genre: Novels
  • Lexile Score: NR
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction, Humor

Friends: Snake and Lizard

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Written by Joy Cowley
Illustrated by  Gavin Bishop

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Remember Frog and Toad? Now we have Snake and Lizard, and they are just as entertaining. The first book in this series, Snake and Lizard, won the 2008 New Zealand Children’s and Young Adults Book of the Year Award. This sequel is destined for similar accolades. It was named to several reading lists in New Zealand, having been published there in 2009. But it was too good to keep to one country. It’s now hit the United States and Japan.

The story follows Snake and Lizard as they share an oversized burrow in the desert as a result of a collapsed wall. Of course, they have very different needs and very different ways of looking at things. While Lizard enjoys the curtain a spider has graced them with over one entrance, Snake enjoys the taste of the spider in her tummy. But they also find much to agree on. They generally enjoy helping other desert creatures. And they enjoy their withers together, which would be walks if Snake could actually walk. » Read more

Posted in 2011, Contemporary, Fiction, Reading Level

Just Grace, Star on Stage

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Written and Illustrated by Charise Mericle Harper

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This is the ninth book in the Just Grace series, but readers coming fresh to this book may find the title mystifying: who is Just Grace? Has the name been switched around, or is Just short for Justine? No. There are four girls named Grace in the class. Something has to be done. The teacher is confused. A short cartoon explains the teacher’s solution, and how our heroine became Just Grace.

The book is written as a chapter book, but interspersed between the paragraphs are cartoon that are sure to attract first and second grade readers. The book is a cross between a comic book and a chapter book, with bold headlines cluing the reader to what is happening, and what will follow. For beginning readers they are good comprehension aids.

Grace is a charming protagonist — involved in her class activities, understanding of her classmates and a good friend. The teacher announces that their class is going to stage a play. What excitement! Grace would like the lead role, as would Marta. But, subtly stated, not all the children want to be the lead. There are some happy to be supporting actors and actresses. The book has many such life lessons easily woven into the fabric of the story. They are not presented as lessons (a sure put off for any reader), but can be great discussion points.

The choice of roles comes as a surprise. Marta is chosen to be the fairy queen, Grace is the narrator, and Sam is the king. However, there is many a slip ‘twixt cup and lip. Things do not go as planned, and Grace ends up playing the lead role in saving the play and the day.

Additional Resources:
Author Bio: http://www.hmhbooks.com/books/justgrace/author.html
Audio and Video Podcast: http://www.hmhbooks.com/books/justgrace/podcasts.html#

  • Just GraceTitle: Just Grace, Star on Stage
  • Author: Charise Mericle Harper
  • Illustrator: Charise Mericle Harper
  • Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
  • Reviewer: Anjali Amit
  • Hardback: 194 pages
  • ISBN: 978-0-547-63412-8
  • Genre: Fiction/Contemporary
  • Lexile Score: 970
Posted in Fiction

Alone Yet Not Alone

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Written by Tracy Leininger Craven

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Conflicts between Native Americans and European settlers began early in the settlement of this country. Even before there was a United States of America, Europeans pitted Indians against other Europeans, setting up horrifying massacres, such as the one in this book: the Penn’s Creek massacre. During the French and Indian War, Indians rose up against peaceful farmstead builders such as the Leininger family. Knowing this novel is based on events that happened to the author’s ancestors makes for a more gripping read. The story’s main character is Barbara Leininger. She and her sister, Regina, survived the massacre and are carried off as captives. Later, they are separated. Barbara relies on her faith and her memories of her now dead father, who trained her to put her trust in the Lord to deal with each new grueling test. Some of the Indians of the raiding party are angry, bitter and out for revenge. Some are compassionate and kind, such as the young warrior who falls in love with Barbara. She spends three years in the Indian village, constantly looking for escape and trying to hold on to her identity. Then, the war turns and most of the warriors leave the village to rejoin the battle. Barbara knows that this may be her only chance to escape. Then the test really begins.

The tone is a bit didactic to use in a public school setting, but could be useful in a church or private school. One suggested literacy activity would be to make a timeline of the events in the book to get a feel for how long Barbara and Regina’s capture lasted. This could be a book club selection if there is a church reading group in the fifth or sixth grade. Reading skills could be bolstered by discussing the questions included in the book. There is a movie scheduled for release later in 2013 and pictures from the film are included in this edition.

  • Alone Yet Not AloneTITLE: Alone Yet Not Alone
  • AUTHOR: Tracy Leininger Craven
  • ILLUSTRATOR: Photographs
  • PUBLISHER: Zondervan, 2013
  • REVIEWER: Risa Brown
  • EDITION: Paperback, 160 p.
  • ISBN: 978-0-310-73053-8
  • GENRE: Historical fiction
  • LEXILE: 900
Posted in 2013, Contemporary, Fiction, History, Reading Level
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