Mrs. D’s Reads

A Million Dots
by Andrew Clements
Grades K-3.

I loved the concept of this fascinating number book. Clements uses all the pages of the book, covers them with dots margin to margin (as well as some fun facts and cool illustrations) and gives us a pretty good idea of how many a million really is.

Belle Prater’s Boy
by Ruth White
Grades. 5-9

This is a wonderful story of family, healing, and two friends who find their way through their pain together. Gypsy and Woodrow are both unforgettable characters. There is a sequel called “The Search for Belle Prater”, which I have not read yet. I will definitely be reading more of White’s books.

A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake
by Debra Frasier
Grades 1-3

“On the Day You Were Born” is one of those books I have given as a baby gift time and time again. This newest Frasier title tells all the things that have to happen on the planet to get us from one birthday to the next. The recipe format makes for a nice change, and there is an actual cake recipe in the book.

My Father’s Dragon
By Ruth Stiles Gannett
Grades K-3

This was the first real chapter book my daughter read, and she gobbled up the whole trilogy. It has been around since the 1940s and it is still a great story about adventure and courage and doing what’s right. A read-aloud your kids will love.

Bat 6
by Virginia Euwer Wolff
Grade 5-7

This book has such a wealth of ideas to wrestle with. Each chapter is told from a different girl’s point of view, and the issues of racisim, revenge, and healing are just as relevant today as when the book is set, and as when the book was published. Could create some great discussion in a classroom!

Giant Children
by Brod Bagert
Kindergarten-Grade 3

This is one of the goofiest and most entertaining books of poetry for kids to come out in recent years, and they love it! It plays on all the icky, silly stuff kids love, so read a couple of these poems during the WASL and release some of the tension!

I’ve decided to add covers to my blog. I know, not groundbreaking, but a nice touch!

Kiki Strike
by Kirsten Miller
Grades 5-8

This is a great adventure about a group of girls, each with unique talents, who form a team to solve a mystery which takes place in the underground city that lies beneath New York City. (I was surprised to find that there really is such a place!) Some great lessons about integrity and friendship to go with a fun, readable action-filled mystery.

The Big Bad Wolf and Me
by Delphine Perret
Grades 2-4

This book cracks me up. What do you do when the Big Bad Wolf forgets how to be the Big Bad Wolf? Feed him cookies and give him growling lessons! The humor is wonderful, as are the illustrations.

You’re All My Favorites
by Sam Mcbratney
Grades PreK-2

When my daughter was little, we all loved the book Guess How Much I Love You. This is a nice follow up. The message is simple, the illustrations are gentle and expressive, and kids will love this reassurance that they are wonderful and loved just the way they are.

Teachers are often asking me for recommendations of what I am reading that’s not for kids, so here are a couple of recent reads…

I am a huge Isabel Allende fan, and I have read two more of her books this winter and Spring.

Ines of My Soul is an epic historical fiction novel about the conquest of Chile. Allende, through her fascinating narrator, is able to make it both sweeping and very personal.

Zorro, which I finally got around to reading, was a great adventure set during the settlement of California by the Spanish, but she also brings in Barcelona, Napoleon, revolutions, and even the pirate Jean Lafitte! A very fun read!

Finally, after several people recommending it, I read Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen. Maybe it is my long fascination with Circus life, but this was a great read. I loved the characters, the desperate love story, and the intimate look into this world.

The weather is mostly delightful, here are some stories to share in the weeks to come…

The Book of Story Beginnings
by Kristin Kladstrup
Grades 4-7

This was a fun read with some meaty ideas on family, time, and connections. It also speaks to the power and influence of stories and words in our lives. Plus it’s a really fun adventure.

Scaredy Squirrel
by Melanie Watt
Grades 1-3

No one is more scared, and more hilarious, than Scardey Squirrel. But through his adventures he learns to be a little less frightened. The illustrations are great!

Delivering Justice: W.W. Law and the Fight for Civil Rights
by Jim Haskins
Grades 2-4

This is a wonderful non-fiction book about a quiet hero of the civil rights movement. W.W. Law was a postman, but also a leader in the civil rights movement. Why haven’t we heard his story before? We can all learn a lot about doing the right thing from this book.

Gossamer
by Lois Lowry
Grades 4-7

I read this last summer, and althought I really liked it, I have been unsure about where to recommend it. It feels like a book for younger readers, but some of the nightmare scenes are pretty frightening. Lowry is a wonderful storyteller who has written many of the books that make me think. This is another one of those books and is worth a look.

Sword of the Rightful King: A Novel of King Arthur
By Jane Yolen
Grades 5-9

I love the King Arthur stories, and Yolen, who is another great storyteller, has made the legend accessible but has not compromised it with making it too contemporary. I was very absorbed in this one, and it would be a great way to get kids involved with these stories.

Shy Charles
by Rosemary Wells
PreSchool-Grade 2

I must be feeling nostalgic because Rosemary Wells is another of my favorites. This book is a great story about a quiet boy who comes through in a pinch. Delightful illustrations.