Mrs. D’s Reads

I shortchanged the primary recommendations a bit last post, so I wanted to make up for it this time…

Leaves

by David Ezra Stein

Grades K-2

A young bear isn’t sure what’s happening when the leaves start falling in the fall. But as he gives in to the cycle of hibernation, he discovers he is part of that cycle. Wonderful illustrations, simple text, a great read.

Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity

by Mo Willems

Grades K-3

Those who loved the first Knuffle Bunny will enjoy this evolving story about Trixie and her special bunny friend. This time, Trixie and Knuffle Bunny go to school, but another girl has a very similar bunny. When they get home from school, they find that the beloved bunnies have been switched accidentally. Lots of humor, Mo Willem’s fabulous illustrations, and a heartwarming story where Daddy saves the day, again!

This Rabbit Belongs to Emily Brown

by Cressida Cowell

Grades K-2

Like Trixie in Knuffle Bunny, Emily has a special bunny who goes everywhere with her. However, when the Queen wants her bunny for herself, Emily has to work hard to convince her where Stanley really belongs. Very funny language, a light pattern to follow, and some very fun illustrations.

Cherry and Olive

by Benjamin Lacombe

Grades 1-4

This is a touching story about a plump, bookish girl who is an outcast at school. However, she finds her voice and a friend with the help of an odd stray dog named Olive. Lovely stylized illustrations and tender language will ring true with readers.

Also, once in awhile I like to throw in some recommendations that are not for kids. It’s been a great winter for reading with all the snow, so here are a few things I’d like to recommend..

The Zookeeper’s Wife

by Diane Ackerman

This is an amazing non-fiction read about the zookeeper of the Warsaw Zoo at the time the Nazis invaded Poland. The zoo and most of its animals were destroyed, but the zoo enclosures were covertly used to hide Jews trying to escape the Warsaw Ghetto. This book is a fantastic blend of narrative, natural history, and amazing heroism. I loved it!

Mercy Seller

by Brenda Rickman Vantrease

I just finished this interesting historical fiction novel about the early 1400s in both Prague and England. It centers on the conflict between the Catholic church, the Lollards (followers of John Wycliff and Jan Hus), and the role of the monarchy in enforcing church doctrine. I thought I had a good understanding of the Reformation, but this book gave me a different understanding of the conflict. It’s also a good story about finding love and standing up for what you believe.

I also want to recommend a wonderful movie that my whole family is in love with. Once is an Irish film about two musicians, a man from Ireland and a woman from Eastern Europe, who meet and make music in Dublin for a week. The story is unexpected, and tender and beautiful, as is the music in the film.

With the recent snow days, I have had a little extra time to read. Here are some things I’ve enjoyed.

Goose Girl Enna Burning, River Secrets

by Shannon Hale

Grades 5-8

Hales’ Princess Academy was a big hit (and a Newbery Honor Book last year). She has a wonderful knack for taking classic tales and remaking them as something completely new and fresh. In the Bayern books, she has created a world that has all the elements we look for in stories: rich characters, suspense, danger, friendship, discovery; the list goes on. And while the first two seem to appeal more to girls, Razo, the main character in River Secrets, is an unlikely hero many boys would identify with as well.

Book of a Thousand Days

by Shannon Hale

Grades 5-8

This is Hale’s newest book. She has taken an obscure tale from Grimm, and set it on the Mongolian steppes. This story, told by a lady’s maid who is sentenced to be imprisoned in a tower with her lady for seven years, is surprising in both its joyful turns and in its darker elements. I am definitely a fan of the work Shannon Hale is doing. For something a little more “grown-up,” see an earlier review of her novel Austenland.

Hattie Big Sky

by Kirby Larson

Grades 5-8

I’ve been hearing about this book since last year, and I am so glad I finally got around to reading it. This is a homesteading tale, based on the author’s family. However, 16 year-old Hattie’s claim is filed in the 20th century, at the start of World War I. This novel mixes the classic hard life on the prairie we are accustomed to, with a world where there are also automobiles, and telephones, and rationing due to the war. Because of the war, some of Hattie’s neighbors face some dark predjudice and violence. The heart of the story is really the choices Hattie makes about friendship and what kind of person she is in the face of those challenges. A great read or read aloud.

Velma Gratch and the Way Cool Butterfly

by Alan Madison

Grades 1-3

This story, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes, one of my favorites, is about Velma, a misfit first grader who is following in the footsteps of some very accomplished older siblings. However, Velma finds her own unique gifts in a passion for butterflies. When a butterfly “follows her home” from a class trip, people start to appreciate Velma for who she is, not for who her siblings are. Great fun!

Akimbo and the Lions, Akimbo and the Snakes, Akimbo and the Elephants

by Alexander McCall Smith

Grades 2-4

Akimbo lives on a game preserve in Africa, where his father is the head warden. In each story, Akimbo discovers that the animals are in trouble and need his help. McCall Smith (famous for his No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books) has created some wonderful mysteries for emerging readers here. They would be great for those kids in transition to longer chapter books or fun, exciting read alouds in the classroom.