Nerdy Book Club Guest Post

Today I have a special guest post on the Nerdy Book Club Blog where I share a list my top 10 Early Readers.  However, have you ever tried to limit yourself to just 10 titles for 1st to 3rd graders?  It wasn't easy.  As a result, I am posting 10 more titles here.   For those of you working with 1st to 3rd Graders, here are 10 more book choices that are sure to be hits with your kiddos.



Marty McGuire by Kate Messner - Move over Clementine, Judy, and Ramona - there is a new 3rd grader in town and her name is Marty.  I love Messner's early Middle Grade series.  Marty McGuire Digs Worms comes out on April 1st. 


Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo and Alison McGhee - I love Bink & Gollie and book two will be here in time for the summer.  Yay!


Babymouse by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm - I have 1st graders all the way up to 5th graders reading this series.  Who doesn't love Babymouse?  She rocks!


Lulu and the Brontosaurus by Judith Viorst; Illustrated by Lane Smith - There is only one book with Lulu but it sure is a good one.  I love all of the alternate ending choices.



Araminta Spookie by Angie Sage - Araminta lives in a big house, a castle of sorts along with her aunt and uncle, and a ghost, and quite a few more unusual things.  Just the right spookie fun for an early chapter book series.


Dinkin’ Dings by Guy Bass; Illustrated by Pete Williamson - Dinkin' is afraid of...well pretty much everything.  But it doesn't stop Dinkin' and the Frightening Things from having to save their neighborhood on a regular basis.  Lots of laughs with some scary things too.


Roscoe Riley by Katherine Applegate; Illustrated by Brian Biggs - Roscoe is one of my favorite first graders. 


Zac Power by H.I. Larry - For kids who enjoy things like Spy Kids, Zac Power is the perfect read.  Lots of adventure and cool gadgets can be found in these stories.


Down Girl and Sit by Lucy Nolan; Illustrated by Mike Reed - The world from the perspective of dogs.  Pretty humorous.


Gabby and Gator by James Burks - This would be cool as a series but I am happy for at least one story of Gabby and Gator.  This is another one that appeals from 1st to 5th grade.

Happy Reading...and be sure to stop by the Nerdy Book Club.



Book Review - Dead End in Norvelt

Author: Jack Gantos
Publisher: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (BYR)
Released:  September 13, 2011
Format:  Audiobook
Source: Personal Copy
Audience: Middle Grade (10 to 14 years)
Fiction * Historical Fiction

Description from GoodReads:
Dead End in Norvelt is the winner of the 2012 Newbery Medal for the year's best contribution to children's literature and the Scott O'Dell Award for Historical Fiction!

Melding the entirely true and the wildly fictional, Dead End in Norvelt is a novel about an incredible two months for a kid named Jack Gantos, whose plans for vacation excitement are shot down when he is "grounded for life" by his feuding parents, and whose nose spews bad blood at every little shock he gets. But plenty of excitement (and shocks) are coming Jack's way once his mom loans him out to help a fiesty old neighbor with a most unusual chore—typewriting obituaries filled with stories about the people who founded his utopian town. As one obituary leads to another, Jack is launced on a strange adventure involving molten wax, Eleanor Roosevelt, twisted promises, a homemade airplane, Girl Scout cookies, a man on a trike, a dancing plague, voices from the past, Hells Angels . . . and possibly murder. Endlessly surprising, this sly, sharp-edged narrative is the author at his very best, making readers laugh out loud at the most unexpected things in a dead-funny depiction of growing up in a slightly off-kilter place where the past is present, the present is confusing, and the future is completely up in the air.

My reflections on the book:
I will admit that based on the title and cover I would have completely passed over this book.  Then a friend shared that she liked it so I added it to my list to read.  I was still passing it over for other books and when the announcement came that it had won a Newbery.  At this point, I questioned the decision of the committee's choice.  And still I hadn't read it.  *sigh*  I know I shouldn't judge a book or a committee's judgement by the cover.  However, I still wasn't moving the book any higher in my TBR pile. 

After listening to the interview with Jack Gantos on NPR's Wait, Wait...Don't Tell Me, and learning that Gantos, himself, narrates the audiobook, I decided to try a different approach.  Maybe listening to the book would be a more successful endeavor.  It didn't take more than about one chapter to realize that the audiobook was an excellent choice.  I hadn't stopped laughing as I listened to Gantos read those first chapters of his fictionalized autobiographical story.

The challenge with an audiobook is that is typically takes longer to get through the book.  I listen in the car (though I don't have a long commute) and a little bit in the morning and again at night.  However, I found that as I listened I kept wanting to listen and wanting to find out more about Jack, and the other members of the Norvelt community.  At one point, since I can read faster than the audiobook, I even tried switching over to the book, but by that point I preferred Gantos' voice to my own and just switched back to the audio.

Dead End in Norvelt is a unique book.  As I listened, I couldn't help thinking that it was a book more for adults who want or need to reminisce about a different place and time that no longer exists.  Gantos captures the special nuances and eccentricities of growing up in a small working class community.  It is 1962.  Norvelt which was founded in the 1930's is dying out - figuratively and literally.  Twelve year old Jack is sentenced to a summer of confinement in his room when he gets caught in his parents' feud.  His only reprieve from being in his room or doing chores is when an elderly neighbor with serious arthritis needs his help to write/type up the obituaries.  For Jack, this isn't as bad as it may sound.  Jack likes history and with each death of an original Norvelt community member,  he learns from Miss Volker the history of the individual along with historical facts that she weaves into the write up.  

I liked Jack.  He's a good kid with very frequent nose bleeds, an interest in history, and a penchant for finding himself in unusual situations; some that get him into trouble particularly with his mother.  His friendship with Miss Volker is especially entertaining.  Every time the phone would ring, and Jack would be called to come down to Miss Volker, I would wonder what odd scenario he would find himself in this time.  And the situations are even stranger because parents and adults today would never allow children to do most of these things.  A child driving a car, or purchasing rat poison, or traipsing around checking on dead people is close to nil.  It finally occurred to me that the reason I loved listening to this rather than reading it was that it reminded me of the times when my dad and uncles would sit around the table and talk about the things they would do as children.  

Yes, I loved this one, but I especially loved listening to it.  I also appreciated the extra section in the audiobook where Gantos tells a little bit about what in the book was factual/autobiographical.  

I am afraid though that this one is going to be hard to sell.  The audience for this book is supposedly 10 to 14 year olds.  I am fascinated when I hear a teacher mention that some of her "boy" readers are really enjoying this one.  I always want to know where they are from.  I wonder if this one wouldn't do better with boys in small towns in the Northeast.  Or better yet, I think it would have more success with Baby Boomers who lived through this time period.  

I still am not a big fan of the cover.  And I still wonder about the decision of the Newbery Committee.  However, when I say that now, I can at least back that up with having read the book.  And I, at least, can now identify how I will present this book to children in a way that they hopefully will experience it as a slice of history (even if it is fictionalized). 

Check out the book trailer for Dead End in Norvelt:   


Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop

Welcome to the 2nd Annual Lucky Leprechaun Giveaway Hop March 17th to 22nd
Hosted By I am a Reader, Not a Writer,  Books Complete Me & Author Cindy Thomas. Don't forget to check out the Mr. Linky to visit all of the blogs participating in this Giveaway Hop. 

I have thought about it and thought about it and finally decided that since it is St. Patrick's Day my giveaway hop is going to be a "winner's choice".  Do you have a book on your TBR list that you would like to get?  Or does the book you want to read at the library have an incredibly long waitlist?  Have you been wanting to try out an audiobook?  On lucky reader can select a *book in the format (ebook, audiobook, or traditional format) of his/her choice. 




* Please note: Ebooks & Traditional Books must be available on iTunes or Amazon for $15 or less.  Audiobooks must be either $15 or less if on iTunes or worth one credit on Audible.com.

Rules for the Giveaway:
1.  Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any personal information in the comments section (including your email, website, etc.).  If you do enter personal information, your comment will not be posted.
2.  You must complete the entry form to official enter the giveaway.
3.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Eastern Time on March 17, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. on March 22, 2012.  
4.  You must be 13 years or older to participate.
5.  If you are selected as the winner, you will be notified by email.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.
6. US residents only for this contest.
 

Book Review - Ripper

Cross-posted from Now That's Filmworthy (Visit Kate's blog for a chance to win Ripper!)
Author: Stefan Petrucha
Publisher: Philomel Books / Penguin Young Readers
Release date: March 1, 2012
Source: Advance Readers Copy
Audience: Young Adult

Good Reads Description:
Carver Young dreams of becoming a detective, despite growing up in an orphanage with only crime novels to encourage him. But when he is adopted by Detective Hawking of the world famous Pinkerton Agency, Carver is given not only the chance to find his biological father, he finds himself smack in the middle of a real life investigation: tracking down a vicious serial killer who has thrown New York City into utter panic. When the case begins to unfold, however, it’s worse than he could have ever imagined, and his loyalty to Mr. Hawking and the Pinkertons comes into question. As the body count rises and the investigation becomes dire, Carver must decide where his true loyalty lies.
Full of whip-smart dialogue, kid-friendly gadgets, and featuring a then New York City Police Commisioner Teddy Roosevelt, Ripper challenges everything you thought you knew about the world’s most famous serial killer.

Kate's thoughts on this book:
Ripper by Stefan Petrucha was a fun read for me.  Being a history groupie, you always find that there are certain places, people, myths, and mysteries that pique your interest.  The case of Jack the Ripper is one of those interests of mine, so I was especially excited to read this book.  As I read, I began to see past the history and appreciate the writing style of the novel as well as the characters introduced.  To be honest, it reminded me of another one of my favorite adult mysteries, Caleb Carr’s The Alienist.  

The book’s setting of the turn of the 20th Century allows the author to explore the advances in forensics and early investigative techniques. Petrucha takes full advantage of the opportunity. I thank him for it! The novel’s pacing and adventure makes it a great read for those guys who like a good mystery. (There is romance, but it isn’t overwhelming. It is more of an opportunity to give Carver, our hero, someone who is unconditionally in his corner.)  The story of the Ripper does include some disturbing murder and mayhem, but it doesn’t get too  explicit or overpowering.

The characters were intriguing. I loved seeing Mr. Petrucha’s take on Teddy Roosevelt. He really gave us an opportunity to relate to such a life-sized personality in US history. The themes also jumped out at me: the idea that your fate is our own no matter who your parents are, where you grew up, but what actions you take. No person should be pigeoned-holed especially as they are just discovering themselves.

Check out the book trailer in my Trailer Park!
For more information about author: Stefan Petrucha
On Twitter: @SPetrucha

Book Review: How Many Jelly Beans?

Author: Andrea Menotti
Illustrator: Yancy Labatt
Publisher: Chronicle Books (February 29, 2012)
Source: Book for Review
Audience: Elementary
Nonfiction * Math * Picture Book

Description from Chronicle Books:
How many jelly beans are enough? How many are too many? Aiden and Emma can’t decide. Is 10 enough? How about 1,000? That’s a lot of jelly beans. But eaten over a whole year, it’s only two or three a day. This giant picture book offers kids a fun and easy way to understand large numbers. Starting with 10, each page shows more and more colorful candies, leading up to a giant fold-out surprise—ONE MILLION JELLY BEANS! With bright illustrations and an irresistible extra-large format, How Many Jelly Beans? makes learning about big numbers absolutely scrumptious! 

When this book arrived from the publisher, it was in a huge box.  I assumed it contained several books until I opened it up and realized that this book was larger than the typical picture book and required a larger than normal box.  The brightly colored jelly beans and black & white illustrations drew me in immediately.  I had to read this one.  Since receiving it, I have read it several times and enjoyed it every single time.  I even read this one aloud to a group of teacher/librarians recently who also loved it.  We couldn't stop plotting about ways to use this book with children.


The story kicks off with Emma being asked "how many jelly beans would you like?" She starts off with a conservative 10.  The corresponding illustration shows 10 realistically sized jelly beans in all colors.  Emma's younger brother, Aiden, though isn't as hesitant and asks for 20 jelly beans.  Quickly the number goes up 25, 50, 75, 500, 1000.  The two children eventually try to figure out how many jelly beans per day you would need to eat to consume 1000 in a year.  Even Murphy the dog finds a way to get into the action.  As the number of jelly beans goes up, the size of the jelly beans goes down.  The book ends with a surprise pull-out to represent 1,000,000 jelly beans.

This is a fabulous book.  It has it all - great concept, engaging illustrations, and well executed.  The size of the book may be a challenge on a shelf and the pull out at the end may be a bit difficult for younger children to re-fold (think how hard it is to refold a map properly).  However, this book needs to be used with children.  I can see a child reading it and calling others over to "check this out".  I can also see teachers using it with groups of children to discuss number sense.

Andrea Menotti and Chronicle Books have a winner on their hands.  I am so excited about this book that I am giving away the copy I received (it is in perfect condition - I was careful in looking at it).  And I plan on picking up several copies for the school library and for a personal copy at my local indie bookstore.

Rules for the Giveaway:
1. Though comments are very much appreciated, please do not enter any personal information in the comments section (including your email, website, etc.).  If you do enter personal information, you comment will not be posted.


2.  You must complete the Entry Form to officially enter the contest.

3.  The Contest runs from 12:00 a.m. Pacific Time on March 15, 2012 to 11:59 p.m. Pacific Time on March 22, 2012.

4.  You must be 13 or older to participate in this contest.

5.  If you are selected as a winner, I will notify you by e-mail.  If you do not respond within 48 hours, I will select a new winner.

6.  US residents ONLY for this contest.