Going... Going... But Not Gone!

August days fly by quickly, and we feel like summer reading is going... going... but not gone!  This summer, fifth grade Math and Science teacher Mr. Cronin recommends a reading road trip of sorts, Go Go America: 50 States of Fun by Dan Yaccarino (71 pages, RL 5.9).  Did you know that Thomas Edison was a judge in the first recorded bathing beauty contest?  And did you know that Vermont produces more maple syrup than any other state?  The book presents hundreds of wildly entertaining facts about our fifty states, describing strange festivals, curious contests, weird laws, and wondrous landmarks across the country.

Mr. Cronin suggests a late-summer reading road trip!

Go Go with a Newbery Medal-Winning Dog Story:  Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor (137 pages, RL 4.4).  When Marty finds a young beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, it’s love at first sight... and also big trouble for Marty and his family.  The dog belongs to Judd Travers, a mean-spirited man known to hunt out of season and to abuse his dogs.  How far will Marty have to go to save Shiloh?  Ally created a book trailer:

A Story for the Dog Days of Summer: In Where the Red Fern Grows: The Story of Two Dogs and a Boy by Wilson Rawls (212 pages, RL 6.4), Billy, a young boy living in the Ozark Mountains, acquires two redbone hounds— Big Dan and Little Ann—and trains them to be the finest hunters in the valley. Cade K. recommends this classic adventure set in the hills of Cherokee country. 

Into the Wild with Classic Dog Stories:  Jack B. highly recommends The Call of the Wild and White Fang by Jack London (485 pages, RL 7.7).  In The Call of the Wild, a dog is kidnapped from his sunny home to become a gold rush sledge dog in the Alaskan Klondike.  Buck reverts to wilderness life and becomes leader of a wolf pack.  In companion novel White Fang, a young wolf-dog cub is trained to be a vicious fighter and struggles to live in a world of dogs and humans.  Jack B. shares, "My dad read White Fang when he was a kid, and I loved it.  It really engages the reader."

Vedant and Peter H. recommend Hatchet.

Into the Wild with a Lafayette Favorite: Hannah S. recommends Hatchet (186 pages, RL 5.7) and the companion Brian Books by Gary Paulsen.  After a plane crash, thirteen-year-old Brian spends fifty-four days in the Canadian wilderness, learning to survive with a hatchet given to him by his mother—and dealing with the emotional toll of his parents’ divorce.  Take a look at a book trailer created by Milo and Andrew:

Survival on a Desert Island:  Reese, Alice, Nolan, and Allison recommend Kensuke’s Kingdom by Michael Morpurgo (164 pages, RL 4.3).  When Michael is swept off his family’s yacht, he washes ashore on an island, where he struggles to survive on his own... until he discovers he is not alone.  LAS readers call the book "suspenseful... exciting... interesting... a fun adventure."

More Wild Ocean Adventure: Windcatcher by Avi (120 pages, RL 5.3).  Tony is learning to sail during a visit to his grandmother’s home on the Connecticut coast.  Rumors of sunken treasure capture his interest, and he begins following a mysterious couple who seem to be searching for something in the Long Island Sound.

Windcatcher project by Sophie T.

Exploring the Great Outdoors with Andrew Clements: A Week in the Woods (190 pages, RL 5.3).  Hardy Elementary School’s annual week-long camping trip in the New Hampshire woods tests fifth-grader Mark's survival skills and his ability to relate to Mr. Maxwell, a teacher who seems to think that Mark is a rich, know-it-all slacker.  After reading this story about first impressions, fairness, and courage, Alex W. made a list:

Ten Things You'll Probably Need in the Woods

1. a tent

2. a sleeping bag

3. lots of water

4. food

5. a compass

6. a map

7. fire making stuff

8. a cooking pot

9. hiking footwear

10. an axe

Back to School Shopping with Andrew Clements: In No Talking by Andrew Clements (146 pages, RL 5.0), the noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a No Talking contest.  Eitan M. likes the author's writing style and recommends this book to talkative Lafayette readers. 

Meanwhile, in Lunch Money, also by Andrew Clements (222 pages, RL 5.4), twelve-year-old money-making genius Greg is surprised to find himself teaming up with neighbor and rival Maura to create a comic book series to sell at school.  Olivia R. recommends this novel about friendship, school, and money matters to friends looking for a smooth back-to-school read. 

Late Summer Special: Newbery Medal Winners!  In Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos (341 pages, RL 5.7), twelve-year-old Jack Gantos spends the summer of 1962 grounded for various offenses.  Life gets interesting when he helps an elderly neighbor with a chore, one involving the newly dead, Girl Scout cookies, underage driving, and bloody noses: 

An Unforgettable Newbery Medal Winner: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (305 pages, RL 3.6).  Inspired by the true story of a captive gorilla named Ivan, the story unfolds from Ivan’s point of view as he sees his glass-enclosed-shopping-mall world through the eyes of Ruby, a baby elephant newly taken from the wild.  Alexa L. calls this tale of unexpected friendship "a great book that pulls your emotions and keeps you at the edge of your seat."

The One and Only Ivan project by Anna and Jessie.

Summer Reading: It's going... going... but not gone yet!  

Let's go go to the library, the book store, the book shelf.  

And let's get reading!