Before Back-to-School, Flip-Flop Fiction!

The calendar will soon flip to September, and that means Lafayette’s Book Beach 2018 Season is drawing to a close. Before we turn our attention to back-to-school and backpacks, let’s slip on colorful flip-flops and take one last surfside walk in search of fantastic flip-flopping fiction!

Book Beach Flip-Flops by Eesha N.

Miss Killea recommends Because of Mr. Terupt...

Heartwarming Lafayette Favorite: Because of Mr. Terupt by Rob Buyea (269 pages, RL 4.1). Seven narrators—new girl Jessica, bossy Alexia, prankster Peter, brainy Luke, quiet Danielle, outcast Anna, and reluctant student Jeffrey—share stories from their fifth grade school year. Rookie teacher Mr Terupt makes their classroom at Snow Hill School a fun-filled place… until one winter day when an accident changes everything. Fourth Grade Language Arts teacher Miss Killea shares, "This story reminds me of Wonder... Lafayette students will enjoy this feel-good story!"

Because of Mr. Terupt author Rob Buyea talks with fellow author John Irving.

... and she also suggests Fish in a Tree!

Uplifting Realistic Fiction: Fish in a Tree by Lynda Mullaly Hunt (276 pages, RL 4.2). Ally has been smart enough to fool a lot of smart people. Every time she finds herself in a new school, she conceals her inability to read by inventing clever and disruptive distractions. She is afraid to ask for help, but her new teacher, Mr. Daniels, sees a bright, creative person behind Ally’s troublemaking façade. With his assistance, Ally learns that dyslexia is nothing to be ashamed of. As her confidence grows, Ally learns that there’s a lot more to her—and to everyone—than a label. Basic Skills instructor Mrs. Ferrone recommends Fish in a Tree for back-to-school reading.

Fish in a Tree book trailer.

Swimming and Golf on The Book Beach by Mark V.

Mr. Cronin highly recommends No More Dead Dogs.

Take-the-Field Fiction: No More Dead Dogs by Gordon Korman (219 pages, RL 4.9). What happens when eighth-grade football hero Wallace Wallace is sentenced to serve detention at school play rehearsals? Fans of football and funny stories will enjoy following Wallace as he becomes wrapped up in the production and begins to suggest changes that improve both the play and his life. Fifth Grade Math and Science teacher Mr. Cronin reports, "This is a great book to share aloud."

Book Beach Baseball Diamond by Matthew K.

Soccer on The Book Beach by Hassun.

Book Beach Basketball by Sawyer.

What is Normal? Rules by Cynthia Lord (200 pages, RL 3.9). Frustrated by life with an autistic brother, twelve-year-old Catherine longs for a normal life, a normal existence where life doesn’t revolve around her brother’s disability. But Catherine's world is suddenly complicated by friendship with Jason, a young paraplegic, prompting her to reconsider the definition of normal.

Rules artwork by Sara R.

Brains, Brawn, and Basketball: Athlete vs. Mathlete by W.C. Mack (198 pages, RL 3.9). Owen Evans is a basketball whiz. His brother, Russell, is an academic superstar. When their two very different worlds collide in seventh grade, the fraternal twins find themselves in competition at school, on the court, and at home. Shared in alternating points of view, this lighthearted chapter book is perfect for fans of Matt Christopher and Andrew Clements.

Playing Lacrosse on The Book Beach by Ashley K.

Book Beach Lacrosse by Ryan R.

Athlete vs. Mathlete poster project.

Multigenerational Family Fiction: The War with Grandpa by Robert Kimmel Smith (140 pages, RL 4.5). Upset that he has to give up the bedroom he loves to his grandfather, Pete decides to declare war in an attempt to get it back. Fourth Grade Math and Science teacher Mrs. Marshall tells us, "This book had me laughing out loud. I love the relationship between Pete and his grandpa."

I Survived the Attacks of September 11th poster project.

Page-Turning Historical Fiction: I Survived the Attacks of September 11^th by Lauren Tarshis (82 pages, RL 4.7). Lucas has to tell his dad's friend Benny that his parents do not want him playing football anymore, and he takes the train into New York City to talk to the firefighter and former football star. But everything changes when the Twin Towers are attacked…. Lafayette readers breeze through the  I Survived… series.  Each title features a story told from the perspective of a young person living in turbulent historical times.

I Survived the Attacks of September 11th diorama.

Mrs. Nigro thinks Book Beachers will enjoy The Cay.

Survival and a New Way of Seeing: The Cay by Theodore Taylor (137 pages, RL 5.0). Twelve-year-old Philip Enright is excited when the Germans invade his small island home of Curacao.  World War II has always seemed a distant game to him, and he is eager to witness it firsthand—until a torpedo strikes the United States-bound freighter he and his safety-concerned mother have boarded.  When Philip regains consciousness, he is floating on a raft in the middle of the sea, his only companions a cat and a compassionate, elderly West Indian named Timothy. Philip remembers his mother’s warning about black people: They are different and they live differently.  By the time the castaways wash ashore on a small sandy island, however, Philip’s head injury has made him blind and dependent on Timothy for survival.  Over time, Philip learns a new way of seeing and important lessons about courage, friendship, and overcoming prejudice. 
Fourth Grade Language Arts teacher Mrs. Nigro enthuses, "Are you a fan of historical fiction? Do you enjoy adventure and survival books? If you loved Hatchet, this is the book for you! It is a story of true friendship and the struggle to survive in seemingly impossible conditions... a real page-turner!"

Book Beach Flip-Flops by C.C. L.

We're hanging up our flip-flops!
See you in September in the Lafayette LMC!