Snowbound….
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.
