Meeting Gordon Korman

September 23, 2010

Today, all of my hard work running a book fair paid off.  I was invited by the folks at Scholastic Book Fairs to attend bruncheon with children's author Gordon Korman.  My principal, Dr. C, was kind enough to allow me the morning off to attend the event.  She, unfortunately, could not attend due to other committments and she missed out.  It was a rather small event in my home town of Seal Beach, so of course I was excited.

The event started off with me checking out all of Mr. Korman's books on the display table and talking with some of the Scholastic representatives about the selections.  I had read his book Schooled over the summer and loved it.  In fact, I even brought our school's copy with me to be signed, along with our copy of Swindle, the first book in the trilogy.  I was quite happy to learn that I could purchase books at the event with the Scholastic Dollars we earned from our last book fair.  Woo Hoo!!!  I did some book shoppin' for sure!  And of course I got them all signed by Mr. Korman.  It pays to keep some of those Scholastic Dollars. 

After some snacks and book browsing, we were invited to another room where Mr. Korman talked with us about his latest book Framed, and the Swindle trilogy.  I especially like that the themes of these books came from famous movies like Ocean's Eleven (the original) and Prison Break.  Of course he mentioned another one and I cannot remember it for the life of me ( I knew I should have taken notes).  I really do enjoy Gordon Korman's books.  I think they appeal to a very wide audience. Both kids and adults alike can relate to the characters and story lines. 

Mr. Korman also talked about his Everest series, which I'm really interested in reading.  I had read Peak by Roland Smith over the summer and it intrigued me.  In fact a student of mine mentioned she had read the Everest series and said it was really great series.  So now my interest is peaked and this will make more sense in my next post.  Mr. Korman also wrote 2 books of the 39 Clues series.  He mentioned that one of his books, #8, also had a story line about Mt. Everest...interesting.  I'll have to read that too.  Anyway, I digress. 

Did you know that Mr. Korman wrote his first book at age 12 and Scholastic published it when he was 14?  Note to my students...you too can write a book at age 12.  He did it as a school project and sent it in to the Scholastic book order people.  Lucky for him, someone saw it and took it to the right people.  After lots of hard work refining and editing his story, he was a published author.  He's been writing for Scholastic ever since.  He told us that his first book will be re-released soon and I think I'll have to get it. 

So after the author talk, I was able to go make my grande purchase and get my books autographed by Mr. Korman.  He was such a delight to meet and you can tell that books and writing are his passion.  As you can see in the picture, that stack of books in the foreground are the books of his that I bought.  Most are for school (and I hope to have them on the shelf by the end of the month) and a few for me (I'm an autographed book junkie).  Please note that the yellow book on the top of stack was my school's copy of Schooled.  He signed that one first :-)

Me and Gordon Korman.  I love signed books!!

For more info about Gordon Korman please visit his website:  http://gordonkorman.com/

Happy reading :o)

Welcome Back!

Greetings Sharks!

Welcome back to school.  This year promises to be a lot of fun and full of challenges.  I can't wait for everyone to get back in the swing of things and start reading!  We have a lot of new books that we got from the Scholastic Book Fair and I'll be putting them out gradually so there will always be something new to read in the library. 

Change, change, change...

You may have already noticed some changes in the library.  Looks great, doesn't it?  Not only has it been redecorated, but I have moved things around to make the library more accessible to all readers.  The non-fiction section has been condensed.  Along the back wall you'll find new non-fiction books and biographies, as well as some collections such as Eyewitness books and Native Americans. 

Additionally, the fiction section has changed a bit too.  We now have five sections in the fiction part of the library.  In the front you will find all the Level 0-1.9 books, after that are picture books then readers.  The collection section has been expanded to include Goosebumps, Harry Potter and Captain Underpants.  Finally, the chapter books can be found in the back of the library near the Reading Garden. 

All of the sections, excluding the collections, have been re-arranged by AR level, sort of.  You'll find all the 1s together, 2s, 3s, 4s, 5s, etc.  Within each level the books are arranged by the author's last name.  I'm having my library helpers label each book's AR specific label on the colored part of the AR level.  For example, a level 3.7 book has a red 3 label on the spine.  On the red part you will find the number 3.7.  This will make it much easier to find books according to your ZPD. 

The reading lounge has been transformed into the Reading Garden.  Here we will be tracking each class's AR quiz accuracy and number of words read.  Which class will be the first to reach 1 million words read?  I can't wait to find out!

Don't forget to vote in this week's poll "How many books will you read this year?"  I'm going to compare our predictions with the end of year results.  I hope everyone reads as many books as they can this year.  Who will read 25?  50?  100?  I want to read 100 books...who's with me?  Let's grab a good book and "Dive Into Reading!"

Have a great year and Happy Reading~

Miss Henry  :o)

More Great Books

Now that I have actually been writing about the books I've read, I'm getting more visitors to my blog. Yahoo! I've also had many friends asking me to recommend titles for their kids. Now, this is not as easy as it sounds since most everyone has different aged kids and I'm not sure what exactly their interests are. I also didn't receive any money in my budget this year to purchase new library books so I haven't exactly been shopping around.

But...I do know how to find some great lists...so that's what I did. I put together a great list of of book lists for different interests and ages. You will find this over there on the left of the blog under "Other Great Places to Find a Great Book". I have found great book lists for every reader, preschool through young adult. As time goes on, I'm sure I will be adding more, but I wanted to get started with a few good resources.

Also, one of the best resources you can find is the Children's section at your local library. This is a much better place than to take the kids than the bookstore. Why? Because it's free!! And it has something for every age, preschool through young adult. Most libraries even have a separate section for teens. They also usually have sections for new books, audio books, picture books, board books, readers, chapter books and non-fiction.

I highly recommend taking your kids to Story Time whenever possible. It's a great place to learn about reading. Put the library on your calendar each week and watch your children's love of reading grow and grow. The Orange County Public Library allows each cardholder to check out up to 50 times at one time. And yes, people do! Especially if you have kids who love to read. You can even get a library card for each of your children so they can check out their own books. How fun is that? The kids love it :) If you want to buy a book, visit the Friends of the Library Bookstore. Just about every library has one. You can get books for a dollar or less. Last week I bought 2 Disney VHS movies for 50cents each. Love it.

And finally, to appease those who have asked, here are some of my favorite authors and books...
(in no particular order) keep in mind that these are the ones I see everyday in my school library and I'm sure there are more that what I have listed below.

Cynthia Rylant--Henry & Mudge, Poppleton, Mr. Putter & Tabby
Margaret Rey--Curious George
Maurice Bemmelmen?--Madeleine
Jamie Lee Curtis
Laura Numeroff--If You Give a...series
Syd Hoff
Lilian Hobart--Frances & Arthur series
Henry Allard
Patricia MacCormick?--Sold
Laura Ingalls Wilder
E.B. White
Sobel--Encyclopedia Brown
John Scieska--Time Warp Trio
Barbara Park--Junie B. Jones
Louis Sachar
Marc Brown
Brian Selznick--The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Shel Silverstein
Jack Prelutsky
Carl Hiaasen
Jack Bruel
Rick Riorden

Scat

by Carl Hiaasen

What can I say? Yet another gem from Carl Hiaasen. One thing I love about his children's books is that his titles usually have multiple meanings relating to the animal showcased in the book.

This book takes the reader on an adventure through the swamps of Florida as two private school students decide to find out what happened to their super strict teacher after she disappeared following a field trip. They get the feeling she wasn't away on a "family emergency" and their curiosity leads them to find more than they expected.

Things I love about Carl Hiassen books:

1. Curiostiy of children lead to helping...
2. Endangered animals of Florida.
3. Unlikely friendships
4. Strong families
5. Simple and believable adventures
6. One person can lead a small group to make a change
7. The villains are people who have money and profits on their agenda, not endangered animals.
8. The villains are people we could meet everyday, and their situations most likely happen just as often.
9. Believable stories that inspire and educate

Needless to say, I love Scat and it's a toss up between this and Flush for my favorite Carl Hiaasen book. I highly recommend this book to anyone, kids and adults. It's a great story for all to enjoy.

Chuckle and Cringe

by David Lewman

Most kids who are fans of Spongebob Squarepants will love this book. This book seems to be a compilation of embarassing stories from the TV show, presented in first "person" by the different characters.

As a big fan of Spongebob and his Bikini Bottom pals, I figured I would love this book. Unfortunately, it did not meet my expectations. It reminded me of that person at the party who can't tell a story well, and you hear those invisible crickets when they are done. The book was very dry and I just didn't find it as funny as it was trying to be. I felt like the book was hastily put together in order to capitalize on the Spongebob enterprise. On the other hand, kids will probably love it. Adults, maybe not.

Bad Kitty Gets A Bath

by Nick Bruel

If you have ever tried to give a cat a bath, then this book is for you. Children of all ages will enjoy this story of Bad Kitty and her attempt to avoid then succomb to the dreaded bath.

I would consider this to be an introductory chapter book. It's great for readers just entering the chapter book realm. Anyone who has a cat can connect with this story. After giving my cat countless baths after being sprayed by skunks, I can appreciate the trouble that goes into bathing cats. Athough, after reading this, you may not want to ever give your cat a bath again.

I did particularly enjoy learning new cat vocabulary. I think it's great when a fictional book has a glossary at the end. Although, this was a work of fiction (maybe), Nick Bruel takes the time to teach the reader about cats and their grooming habits.

Overall I found this book quite entertaining and definitely recommend it :)

Mercy Watson Thinks Like A Pig

by Kate DiCamillo

I will admit it, I'm a big fan of the Mercy Watson series. These books follow Mercy Watson, pet pig, on fun little adventures.

In this story, Mercy actually does typical pig stuff. Gobbling up flowers in her neigbor's yard, Mercy's pig insticts overrule her usual human like actions. In previous stories, Mercy acts more like the Watson's child than a pet pig. In this story we see that Mercy really is a pig, and has the insticts to prove it.

The Mercy Watson series is a great way for rising readers to transition from picture books and readers to chapter books. They introduce kids to the style of chapter books, but with great illustrations, and encourage readers to keep reading. All of the students I've introduced this series to have loved it and ask for more.

Are You Ready to Play Outside?

by Mo Willems

What can I say? I love anything by Mo Willems. This is one of his Elephant & Piggie books that I love so much.

Are You Ready to Play Outside follows best pals, Gerald & Piggie, on their outdoor adventure. Piggie is so excited about everything they will be able to do outside, until it starts raining. Then he becomes angry that the weather has changed and they won't be able to have fun after all. But will they?

This simple book with it's simple illustrations teaches all of us, that being flexible when the weather of life changes, allows us to still enjoy the day, but maybe in a different way. Mo Willems has the talent of taking the adage "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade," and illustrating it for children and adults alike. His way of keeping simple lessons simple and making them enjoyable for all.

What I like best about this book is remembering what fun it is to play in the rain. As adults we usually don't want kids playing in the rain, especially at school. Right, teachers and parents? Although it may not be the right thing or best thing to do when you're a kid, you remember it most. Mo Willems brings back those fond childhood memories of walking home in the rain, kicking the puddles, sliding on the grass and getting soaked to the bone...all in the name of fun.

So go out there and fun with life. Be flexible and enjoy the rain with your friends. Most of all, make memories that will bring a hearty laugh and smile to your face when you are 85 and telling tales to your grandkids.

Let's Take A Tour

So you may be wondering about the elements of my blog site and the book reviews. So come with me and we'll take a tour of my blog.

Let's start with the column on the left. At the top you will find a link to Miss Henry's Book Shop. This will link you to my Amazon.com book shop where you can find and purchase all of the books listed on the bookshelf as well as some of my other favorites and highly recommended books.

Next you will find a little info about me and why I do this.

Next you will find the Archive of Books Past. These will be listed by book title just in case you are looking for something specific.

Under that you will find my list of blog followers. Hopefully you will find yourself on that list along with many of your friends and family too.

Finally in the left column, a fun little map showing where everyone is visitng from. I would love to have visitors from all over the world so spread the word!

In the center/right--You will find my bookshelf. It's full of the books I'm currently reading and reviewing. I don't want it getting too big so if there is something you're looking for be sure to check the Books Pasts for previous reads and reviews.

And finally, under the bookshelf you will find the reviews and book blogs. I will try to post weekly, sometimes more often depending how soon I finish a book. There are a lot of kids books that I haven't read yet and I'm trying to catch up with my students. With each review I will include the lexile when available as well as the Accelerated Reader Book Level with Points Value.

Under each blog posting is a place for comments. Please feel free to comment as often as you like. Add your opinions on a book, good or bad, the more the merrier. Remember, not every book is suitable for every reader. We all have our favorite genres; mine are realistic fiction, adventure, mystery, historical fiction and memoirs/biographies. I'm not a huge fan of true fanatasy. I prefer more realistic fantasy such as Harry Potter or Percy Jackson. But that's me, you may like something different so I will do my best to include reviews of Fantasy too. I will also try to read them. Who knows, I may even like it.

I hope you have as much fun as I do with this blog. Hopefully I will encourage you, your kids, your friends kids, nieces, nephews, or grandkids to pick up a book and enjoy the pleasure of reading.

Welcome to an adventure in reading!

I know there are a lot of people out there, kids and adults, who say they aren't readers. I however, think that there is a reader in all of us. It's just a matter of finding the right book at the right time. In my two years as an elementary school librarian, I have seen firsthand what the right book can do for a child. It's amazing to see a student find a love for reading that previously didn't exist.

I thought this would be a great place to showcase some books for kids (specifically the Pre-K through 6th grade range). I will be posting things such as literary reviews, my own reviews (when I have time to actually read a book), kids reviews and other fun stuff about new books, old books, cool authors and illustrators and other random reading information that kids will like.

It will be a family friendly site that the kids can enjoy. I will include all types of books: fiction and non-fiction, picture books, chapter books, cookbooks, fun books, serious books, graphic novels, scary books and silly books. You name it, I'll try to get it on there.

In the meantime, it's a work in progress, so add it to your list of favorite blogs and join the adventure in reading.