LP Readers Recommend...

More summer reading reviews are coming in from LP's busy summer readers!  This week we have recommendations from an incoming second grader and two incoming fourth graders.  Thank you Jack, Daniel, and Anna for sharing your recommendations with the LP summer reading community.  

If you are wondering what to read next, be sure to check out these three books -- and also be sure to send your book reviews or book trailers to dustie @ spiffychicks . com to earn an extra chance to win the Kindle at the end of summer!

Jack M. (second grade) recommends:

He says, "I read The Dark by Lemony Snicket, a legendary author.  I thought this book was amazing! This book was amazing because it has great details.  The main character is a little boy named Lazlo.  In the story Lazlo tells you where the dark can hide.  My favorite part was when the dark visited Lazlo’s room.  This book helped me not be afraid of the dark.  If you are afraid of the dark try this book!"

Anna M. (fourth grade) recommends: 

She says, "I read Nurse, Soldier, Spy by Marissa Moss and John Hendrix.  This book is a true story about a girl named Sarah Edmonds who is running away from a marriage arranged by her parents.  She disguises herself as a boy and names herself Frank Thompson, then runs away to the United States. My favorite part of this book was when the chaplain asked Frank if she wanted to be a spy and Frank did not hesitate and she said “I’M YOUR MAN!!!”  I also liked when she spilled water on the spy for the South.  I recommended this book to all ages under 6th grade.  Boys and girls will like this book because it has a lot of action in it." 

Daniel B. (fourth grade) recommends:

Daniel says, "If you like sports and suspense, you will love this book. What happens in this book can really happen in real life. It teaches you lessons that are great to learn in life, like don’t get ahead of yourself and don’t get too proud and full of yourself. The character, Drew (True) Robinson, is a basketball star who is getting too much respect and attention. So then he gets way too full of himself. He meets someone who learned the hard way that getting too full of himself has its consequences. What happens? Read the book! I think you will like True Legend and always remember the advice this book gives you!"

ALSC Grade Level Summer Reading Suggestions

The Association for Library Service for Children (a wing of the American Library Association) in conjunction with a whole lot of young inspired readers hope that your children read A LOT this summer.  To keep readers engaged and entertained, they have put together three suggested reading lists for the summer of 2014.  The lists are relatively short, but packed with oldie but goodies, crowd-pleasers, and must reads.  Check them out!



ALSC K-2nd Grade Summer Reading Recommendations


ALSC 3-5th Grade Summer Reading Recommendations


ALSC 6-8th Grade Summer Reading Recommendations

Graphic Novels - Resistance Be Gone!

Sometimes graphic novels are just the ticket for reluctant readers.  Their bite size text chunks and visually action packed pages can often pull readers in -- whereas full pages of pictureless text can send them running for the hills.

The good folks in the Children's Department at the Hudson Library & Historical Society (AKA, the super dreamy gigantic modern library in Hudson, Ohio) suggest that you  give these books a try:

Odd Duck by Cecil Castellucci.

Zinc Alloy: the Invincible Boy-Bot by Donald Lemke














The Big Wet Balloon by Liniers

The Secret of the Stone Frog by David Nytra

Librarian and Bookworm Love

The only problem I see with reading is that there is NEVER enough time to do as much as I'd like.  So thank goodness for the community of readers out there who work and volunteer in libraries -- and who share all of their recommendations online!  When I'm not green with envy that they've knocked down handfuls of books each week AND written about them, I find myself super thankful that I can open up a browser for an insider's view on what is new or up and coming in the world of children's literature.

Three of my go to experts are John Schu, Jen Robinson, and MaryAnn Scheuer.  Mr. Schu is a passionate K-5 librarian in Illinois, Jen Robinson is a San Jose gal who harkens from an interesting background in Industrial Engineering, and MaryAnn Scheuer is a K-5 librarian just through the tunnel in Berkeley.

 If you're looking for a little reading inspiration for your readers this summer, stop by Mr. Schu's blog, sign up for Robinson's newsletter or pop in to Scheuer's Great Kid Books Site.  Mr. Schu's site is a great place to visit with your children.  They can even watch book trailers in preparation for creating their own trailers to submit to the LP Reads blog -- hint, hint!  (Don't forget, kids earn extra entries in to the Kindle drawing for every book review/trailer etc. they submit to dustie @ spiffychicks.com). Scheuer has just finished a nice series of book recommendations by grade level and has posted recommended reading lists for each grade level as well.  If you have tiny tots in your house, Robinson's adventures include her Kindergarten through Young Adult recommendations as well as her running list of books she is reading with her Baby Bookworm. Perfect for the tiny tots in your house - because it is never too early to get the reading bug!

Reluctant Reader Inspiration and Helpful Reader / Research Resources

The road to becoming a reader isn't always paved with shouts of glee and boundless enthusiasm.  In fact, many parents struggle with trying to motivate their children to pick up any book, let alone the many necessary to complete things like a summer reading program.  For those parents and readers out there, check out Media Specialist Julie Greller's handy pamphlet, "Books for Reluctant Readers: K-12."

Greller's blog "A Media Specialists Guide to the Internet" is packed with resources for librarians and teachers; however, parents may also find some of her pages interesting and useful.  Check out her Author Page for popular writers for the elementary school set; a recent Guest Post about Great Audiobooks for Kids; her References Page for online research resources; and her Graphics Page for Creative Commons and Public Domain images (meaning you can use them without worrying about infringing on anyone's rights).

Greller's blog in general is a great place to get a glimpse at the evolved role that school librarians are playing in schools as the Information Age blurs the line between librarians and technology coaches. For more on that topic, check out her recent guest post by Arlen Kimmelman "You Already ARE Your School's Technology Coach" and the graphic created by Kimmelman below.

Travel and Books: The Perfect Match

Linking summer reading to the places you are visiting can be a fun way to diversify the books that your kids exposed to.

For example, if you have plans to explore The Channel Islands this summer, you could read or listen to "Island of the Blue Dolphins" by Scott O'Dell in preparation for the trip.


Some older visitors to Alcatraz might be ready for "Al Capone Does My Shirts" by Gennifer Choldenko.




And if you're headed to Chicago or another Illinois destination, you might want to check out Illinois Reads.  This past Spring, the state of Illinois started Illinois Reads to promote lifelong reading for all of the good people of Illinois.  In addition to selecting six books each year for various grade/age bands, the program is focused on highlighting the work of Illinois authors and offering a mix of books, including titles in the science, technology, engineering, and math areas.  It is no surprise to find books that are set in Illinois on some of the lists as well.  "Children of Fire" by Harriette Gillem Robinet is a new title discovery for LP Reads and we'd love to hear what your older readers think.

Another fun title we happened upon via Illinois Reads that would be fun if you are visiting the USS Pampanito in San Francisco is  "Shipwreck Search: Discovery of the H.L. Hunley" by Sally Walker.  Granted the USS Pampanito is a World War II submarine and the H.L. Hunley is a Civil War submarine, but pairing the two could certainly invite some interesting history and science conversations!

Whether you're looking for a little additional reading inspiration or are headed to the Prairie State this summer, be sure to check out the Illinois Reads 2013 reading lists for K-2, 3-5, and 6-8!

And if you're headed some place wonderful and have a book about or set in your destination, please let LP Reads know and we'll share it with our reading community.

Experts on Demand: Twitter Delivers

LP Reads is quite a fan of Donalyn Miller (aka, The Book Whisperer) and Twitter, so when the two converge, it is true children's literature bliss.  Perhaps the greatest thing is that on Twitter, the Book Whisperer keeps some like-minded colleagues as her tweeps and their thoughts and discussions and title recommendations are on display for all of us outsiders (um, parents) to learn from and enjoy.

Leveraging social media, these book-loving teachers and librarians are reaching beyond their individual classrooms, libraries, schools, districts, counties, states ... you get the idea ... to share their expertise and passion.  The group convenes both formally and informally on Twitter, hosting their standing date night chat (#titletalk) on the last Sunday of the month from 8-9pm EST.  If you miss it, however, the chats are archived for your reading pleasure. Check out the November 25th chat on this Wiki where they talked about "Best Book Lists and Using Them with Students."


If you spend even a short amount of time perusing hashtags like #tlchat, #titletalk, or #nerdybookclub, you'll be sure to happen upon a whole host of inspiring folks, including K-5 Teacher-Librarian John Schu (@MrSchuReads), 4th Grade Teacher Colby Sharp (@colbysharp), Teacher Librarian/Tech Integrationist Shannon Miller (@shannonmmiller), Elementary Librarian Travis Jonkers (@100scopenotes), and Pennsylvania Teacher-Librarian Joyce Valenza (@joycevalenza).

Unlike the library, which closes daily and has limited hours, Twitter is always open and these inspirational educators can be at your fingertips in the click of a mouse.

So if you are looking for your child's next great read, don't leave it to chance.  Head over to Twitter to see what the experts have to say.

Here are a few of their recommendations from this week's chat:

• Mr. Schu's 2012 Best Book Lists
• Donalyn Miller recommends the 2012 Notable Children's Books from the Children's Literature Assembly of the National Council of the Teachers of English
• Joyce Valenza recommends The Kirkus Reviews Best Children's Books of 2012

Happy exploring and reading!

Book Bags ... Not Just for Kinders

This past week the LP Reads team has been busy assembling new book bags for the Kindergarten classes.  The book bag project was inspired by an established set that Mrs. Miller uses to create additional touch points for children with books outside of the classroom.  Each book bag comes complete with a fiction and a non-fiction book, a recommended reading list, and activities related to the bag's theme that parents can enjoy with their children.  While Mrs. Miller's collection includes many bags that she has come up with on her own, the majority of the Kinder collection has come from Reading Rockets.  The bags are created for Pre-K to 2nd grade children and the themed guides are all free and downloadable from the Reading Rockets site.  So if you are a Kinder parent who can't wait to get started with the book bags or the parent of an older child hoping to get in on the fun, head over to Reading Rockets and check out their selection of themes.

The Reading Rockets website is also a fantastic resource for all things reading, so even if the book bags and activities don't strike your fancy, you might be interested in their themed booklists, videotaped author interviews, or research about reading.

Eureka! Trelease's Read Aloud Treasury

Summer has me in the perpetual hunt for book recommendations and I was very excited to learn about Jim Trelease's book, "The Read Aloud Handbook."*  Originally published in 1979 and in its sixth edition as of 2006, "The Read Aloud Handbook" has chapters dedicated to:

• Why reading aloud is important
• When to begin reading aloud
• The stages of reading aloud
• The do's and don'ts of reading aloud
• Sustained silent reading
• Libraries
• Television, and 
• What Oprah, Harry, and the Internet have gotten right

As you might imagine, Trelease is a passionate advocate for reading to your children early, often, and forever!

Following his informational chapters about the importance of reading aloud, he includes a "Read Aloud Treasury," which lists 113 pages of book recommendations (with short reviews) broken down by genre and age group.  This list of more than 1,000 books is complemented by his website, which showcases his more current recommendations for books that have been published since the handbook's 2006 printing.  Eureka!

In addition to his own treasury, Trelease also recommends these resources (among others) for finding out about quality new children's books:

• "Worth a Thousand Words: An Annotated Guide to Picture Books for Older Readers" by Bette D. Ammon
• The American Library Association parent resource pages as well as their book lists for award winning books like the Caldecott, Newbery, and many others
• Children's Choices and Teacher's Choices from the International Reading Association

This book is a tremendous resource and serves as a perfect starting place for anyone trying to find that next great read.

*I read the 5th edition, so there is likely new material in the 6th edition that isn't covered in this post.

So Many Books, So Little Time

So many books, so little time!!!

I think I need to become a librarian so that I can devote more time to reading ...

This post will be short and sweet.  Today I received Jen Robinson's May newsletter and happened upon her recommended reading lists for Picture Books, Early Elementary School, and Late Elementary School and just had to be sure to pass these on.  There is a lot to pull from here and judging from the titles that I am familiar with, Jen continues to be a trusted resource for book recommendations.

As you gear up for LP's Summer Reading challenge, be sure to include some of these books in the mix!

Happy reading.

LP Reads Debuts on Goodreads.com

In our ongoing effort to provide LP readers (and their parents) with resources for finding that next great book, the LP Reads Team has started an account on Goodreads.  If you aren't familiar with Goodreads, think of it as an online place to peruse the bookshelves of all of your friends in one place.  While you are there, you can read what your friends think of their books, how they rate them (one to five stars), and find out what else they are planning to read in the future.  You can also create your own bookshelves (using any categorization system you choose), review books you have read, and keep a running list of books that you'd like to read some day.

To date, the LP Reads bookshelves are stocked with more than 2,400 books!  We currently have shelves for each grade level for summer reading and the kids' favorite books.  Other shelves include Parents' Picks, Caldecott Winners, Newbery Winners, Favorite Read Alouds, and Moraga Library Recommended Books (by grade).  We are beginning to do a finer sort of the existing books on shelves dedicated to genre and topic (friendship, determination, dogs, etc.) as well.

To become a friend of LP Reads on Goodreads, sign up for your own account by following this link and then add LP Reads as a friend (don't search for us as a group).   If you get hung up along the way, just email us and we'll walk you through the sign up process.

CYBILS! The 2010 Winners are Here

If you haven't yet checked out the CYBILS (the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards) website, today is the day you should head on over!  CYBILS describes the award program as the place where books with "literary merit [AND] kid appeal" unite.

On Valentine's Day, while we were all feeling the love for our spouses, families and friends, CYBILS announced the books that the groups' esteemed judges are heralding as the best of 2010.  The results are handily broken down by age (Elementary & Middle Grade as well as Young Adult) and by genre (Fiction Picture Books, Non-fiction, Easy Readers, Short Chapter Books, Poetry, Graphic Novels, Fantasy & Science Fiction, and Middle Grade Fiction).

We've listed the Elementary and Middle Grade winners below, but be sure to visit the site for a review of each book to see if it might spark your young readers' interest.   If you are looking for more options, you can also checkout the finalists for 2010 that we reported on in an earlier post.

Congratulations to all of the winners and happy reading LP!

Cleared for Content?

Is Harry Potter too scary for your second grader?  Is Twilight appropriate for your 4th grader?  When questions like this come up, it is sometimes difficult to know the answer unless you plunk yourself down and start reading the book in question yourself.  Add that to the list of to do items you are already trying to plug through in a day, and you might find yourself either prohibiting or approving books based on too little information.

Enter Storysnoops.  One of the Snoops (Eden) started her children's literature blogging adventure because her then 4th grade girl was "reading up" and based on a friend's advice, allowed her daughter to read Twilight because according to her friend, nothing really happens in book one.  Like so many young (and dare I say 30- and 40-year old) Twilight readers, Eden's young daughter was quickly swept away into world of Forks and continued to read her way through all four books in the series.  Unfortunately and much to Eden's dismay, her daughter had finished book four before her friend circled back to say that while the characters didn't even kiss in book one, by book four, Bella was pregnant. Yikes!

As with a lot of media, books are best previewed by parents, but unlike movies and video games, books don't come with ratings.  It remains the case that some books are just not appropriate for kids at certain ages, and as parents and teachers, we need tools for assessing whether or not we are ready for our children to read certain books.  For children's literature, especially literature written for the 8 to 12 year old set, Storysnoops is a fantastic resource.

The site allows you to search for books by title, author, or keyword (like friendship or bullying) and each review provides you with a parent's perspective about the appropriateness of each book's content and subject matter.  Take for example, the Snoops' review of Big Nate Strikes Again by Lincoln Peirce.  In it, the Snoops are careful to point out that

Nate is not always the best role model -- he often goofs off in class, and gets in trouble on a somewhat regular basis. Language is mild and mostly silly (jerk, idiot, butt naked, loser, bonehead) and mild bullying takes place. 

While the issues of Nate's behavior and language pale in comparison to a pregnant Bella, the Snoops' review empowers parents with the information they need to decide if they want to encourage or discourage the reading of that particular book.  On the positive side, the Snoops also note that "Nate learns a valuable lesson about combining the strengths and weaknesses with a partner for the greater good," and thus, again, parents are equipped to decide if the book's good points outweigh the bad and if it should be a go- or no-go-book for their child.  The Snoops' reviews also have the added benefit of pointing out the issues raised by each book, which can serve as a great way for parents to start conversations and connect with their children about books they are reading.  

One of the best features that Storysnoops offers is the ability to search for books by age group (Tweens 9-12 and Teens 13-18), by category (like Books for Boys Who are Reluctant Readers and Tweens Reading Up) and by topic (like self-confidence, sportsmanship, aliens, honesty, slavery, tolerance, and MUCH more).

The functionality of the site and the depth of the Snoops' coverage makes Storysnoops a parents' must-have-tool for guiding young readers.  Whether you use it to find the next good book for your child or to help you navigate the "appropriate content" waters of tween reading (without having to dive in yourself), Storysnoops is a great site to bookmark and blog to follow.

Are you a Story Snoop too?  What books would you recommend for LP readers and which ones would you caution other parents about?  Let us know! 

Ask the Experts!

When the pipes burst under your house (as ours did this week), you call the plumber. When your transmission goes out, you naturally head to the mechanic.  And when you're looking for your next great book, it is just as natural to seek out the reading professionals -- your local librarians.

LP's own Mrs. Helton is a wonderful resource for all things literary.  She personally selects the books that find their way into our school library and hence our homes by keeping a close eye on library journals as well as local bookstores, like the Storyteller.  In future posts, we'll be talking about new books to the LP library this year, but rest assured, the collection is staying current.  There have been about 150 new books added in the first part of this year alone, including an LP Reads' favorite, "The Odious Ogre" by Norton Juster (author of "The Phantom Tollbooth" -- remember that one?).

While Mrs. Helton remains a fantastic resource, her expertise can only be sought during work hours, so what do you do if it is Saturday and your child has just finished the last reading-worthy book in the house and is wondering what s/he should read next?  Enter the Contra Costa Library system.  The local libraries have pulled together their staff picks and they also offer lists of recommended reading broken down by grade level.

At the Orinda libary, you will also find book lists organized in the following categories: Growing Up, Historical Fiction, Short Stories, Animal Stories, Science Fiction, Mysteries, Children with Disabilities, Horse Stories, Books about Divorce, Funny Stories, Scary Stories, Books about Cats, Autobiographies, Native American Stories, California Fiction, Picture Books Adults Will Like, Fantasy, Adventure, Classics, WWII Fiction, and Read Alouds for both Young and Older Children.

Another great resource for books that have been vetted at least initially, is the CYBILS website.   CYBILS is the Children's and Young Adult Bloggers' Awards website, which in their own words, seeks to:

"Reward the children's and young adult authors (and illustrators ...) whose books combine the highest literary merit and 'kid appeal.'  What's that mean?  If some la-di-dah awards can be compared to brussel sprouts, and other, more populist ones to gummy bears, we're thinking more like organic chicken nuggets.  We're yummy and nutritious.

It seems like the perfect union doesn't it?  Something your kids will like that you also think has intellectual value.  The great thing about the CYBILS site, is that they are in their fifth year of awards (with the newest set due out on Valentine's Day), so there are plenty of books to peruse in the quest to find just the right one for your child.  To help narrow the field for you, CYBILS breaks down their nominees and winners by the intended audience (e.g., middle grade, young adult) and they include both fiction and nonfiction groupings, with special nods to fantasy & science fiction as well as graphic novels.  Each book that is nominated as a finalist or a winner is reviewed on the site so it is a bit more user friendly than just a long list of books.

Check out CYBILS' finalists for 2010 or their winners for 2009 and you'll be sure find something to peak your interest and that of your young reader!

What is your go to source for finding new books for your children?  Be sure to let us know so we can share the information with other LP Parents!