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| We're strolling The Book Beach on this August Morning, and look what's washed ashore: a heap of page-turning historical fiction! |
Music,
Magic, and Miracles: Echo by Pam Munoz Ryan (585 pages, RL 5.3). Lost and
alone in the gloomy Black Forest, Otto meets three mysterious sisters and is drawn into a quest involving a prophecy, a promise, and a harmonica. Many years later, Friedrich in Germany, Mike in Pennsylvania, and Ivy in
California find their destinies connected to the same harmonica as they
struggle to rescue a father, protect a brother, and hold a family together
during difficult times.
Fourth Grade Language Arts teacher Mr. Cleary offers a rave review: "A terrific three-part tale, Echo takes the reader through three different time periods, capturing our interest with its fascinating main characters. Centered around the theme of overcoming adversity through music, Echo is beautifully written, describing the impact of how a single tune from a simple instrument can change everything."
Mr. Cleary treats us to a single, simple tune on the harmonica.
More Munoz
Ryan: Esperanza Rising by Pam Munoz Ryan (262 pages, RL 6.2). Esperanza
can’t imagine living anywhere other than El Rancho de las Rosas. She has spent
the first twelve years of her life as the pampered only child from a wealthy
family in Aguascalientes, Mexico. When Papi is murdered, Esperanza and her
mother flee their privileged life to find work at a Southern California farm camp,
where they experience hardship, discrimination, and harsh working conditions of
the eve of the Great Depression.
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| For uplifting summer reading, Library Media Specialist Mrs. Cifrodella suggests Esperanza Rising. |
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| I like to... go to sailing camp. --Emerson |
Danger and
Drama... Iron Thunder: The Battle between the Monitor and the Merrimac: A Civil
War Novel by Avi (203 pages, RL 4.3). After his
father is killed fighting for the Union, thirteen-year-old Tom Carroll takes his place as head of the family. He finds work at the ironworks in his Brooklyn, New York, hometown, where dozens
of men are pounding together the most extraordinary ship Tom has
ever seen—a vessel made of iron, a boat meant to battle the Confederacy’s
ironclad monster, the Merrimac. Tom becomes assistant to the ship’s gruff inventor, and he soon finds himself caught between two dangerous
possibilities... a showdown with murderous Confederate spies and an ironclad battle at sea.
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| Lafayette Readers Get into Historical Fiction! |
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| I like to... sail. -- Declan |
Inspired by
Real-Life Events: An Elephant in the Garden by Michael Morpurgo (199 pages, RL
4.9). In World War
II Dresden, Germany, Lizzie and Karl’s mother Mutti works at a local zoo while
their father fights in France. The family becomes attached to an orphaned
elephant named Marlene, who is slated to be destroyed so she and other animals don’t run wild should the zoo be bombed. The family takes Marlene into their garden for protection. When the city comes under air attack, the family flees with thousands
of others... but how can they travel safely with a baby elephant in tow?
Fifth grade Language Arts Teacher Mrs. Worden recommends An Elephant in the Garden. "I am nuts about elephants! I love to read about these gentle giants," she explains. "This book is inspired by true events, and it is a story of companionship in the face of danger and World War II."
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| Library Aide Mrs. LaChance thinks The Lions of Little Rock... rocks! |
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| The Lions of Little Rock Poster Project by Jessica P. |
Airplane
by Penelope E.
Grrrrrrrrrr
The engine starts up
We speed down the runway
Phew!
We're up in the air!
Lakes
Ponds
Rivers, too.
Wispy milk clouds
Coat the sky
Small houses fill the land
A boat tugs through the royal water
Then clouds sweep the view
Clouds shadow the water and islands spot down there, too.
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| I like to...go on vacation. -- Kyle G. |
Historical Fiction sweeps us to far-off shores
and long-ago times.
Where will summer reading take us next?
and long-ago times.
Where will summer reading take us next?
