Mrs. D’s Reads

I have a love/hate relationship with winter in Spokane.  Part of the love is I have an excuse to stay home and read.  Here are a few things I have liked recently…

 

Inkdeath

by Cornelia Funke

Grades 5 & up

I am a huge fan of this trilogy, and I think she closes it out beautifully with Inkdeath.  This has all the great villains, and heroes, and complex characters that made me love Inkheart to begin with.  There is justice, and action, and lots of surprises for readers in the Inkworld.

Uprising

by Margaret Haddix

Grades 5-12

This is a really compelling historical fiction novel about the Mill worker strikes of the early 20th century.  The main characters work at the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, so the famous fire figures in the plot as well.  However, the real story here is what it was like to be a young woman in a time when the world was opening new possibilities for work, for voting, for college, and for life.  The three women Haddix focuses on are heroines for sure.

 

 Hurricaine

by Terry Trueman

Grades 4-8

This is a survival story that fans of Gary Paulsen can take a sideways step into.  The young protagonist survives a horrible hurricaine and its aftermath with determination and creative problem solving.  A wonderful look into another culture and the human spirit. By the local author of the book Stuck in Neutral, which is also excellent.

Tales of Beedle the Bard

by J.K. Rowling

All ages

Die-hard fans of Harry Potter can get a little fix while they are waiting for the delayed sixth movie to come out this summer.  This is a slim volume of stories, a copy of the stories given to Hermione by Dumbledore. The stories help guide the young heroes through the final two episodes of the series.  It is not a new Harry Potter book, but it is a new glimpse into the mythology of that world.

The Graveyard Book

by Neil Gaiman

Grades 5-adult

I know I already raved about this book, but I am so thrilled that it won the Newbery Award this year.  Gaiman says it is not a kids book, and I think he’s right in the sense that it is a book that is not just for kids.  Beautiful story, beautifully written.

Library Mouse

by David Kirk

Grades K-2

The library mouse writes books, and can’t understand why all the humans think this is such a hard thing to do.  When the librarians invite him to a “meet the author” event, he turns the tables on them and helps them see that we can all be authors.  Some great applications in the classroom.

The End

by David La Rochelle

Grades K-2

This clever book starts with the end, and then gives cause and effect statements all the way to the beginning of the story.  It has a wonderful sense of humor, and some nice possibilities for talking about writing, organization, sequencing, transitions, and lots of other writing skills.

 

Face to Face With Caterpillars

by Darlyne A. Murawski

Grades 2-6

This great series from National Geographic features fantastic photos and wonderfully informative text.  The layout is really appealing, and the facts go beyond just normal non-fiction fare.  There are titles with Grizzlies, Wolves, Sharks, Gorillas, and many others. Kids love them, and so will you.

 

Dinosaur Parade

by Kelly Milner Halls

Grades Pre-K-2

This vibrant picture book by local author Kelly Milner Halls has a wonderful rhyming text that tells kids about the dinosaurs.  The illustrations put the kids in the dinosaur parade, and by doing so show readers how big these dinosaurs were relative to the children.  The kids are wildly diverse, a nice thing to see in a picture book that’s not about diversity.  Kids will have a ball with this one.