|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants |
||
Conley, Jane Leslie. What Happened to Planet Kid. 2000. 216p. Henry Holt. Gr. 4-8. Dawn has been sent to live with her uncle and aunt on a farm while her mother recovers from surgery back in Washington, D.C.. On the farm she meets Charlotte and her brothers and Del, another boy up from D.C. who is staying with his grandmother. Charlotte is full of spunk, but also very untidy in appearance. As Dawn and Del learn some hurtful things about Charlotte's family, Dawn struggles with finding a way to help. The setting is 1958 and back then people in small communities new about family secrets, but never talked about them in public.
Couloumbis, Audrey. Getting Near to Baby. 1999. 211p. Putnam. Gr. 6-8. Newbery Honor Book. Dealing with the loss of an infant sibling is a challenge for Willa Jo. She and her little sister, who has not talked since, were sent to live with Uncle Hob and Aunt Patty while mother gets her feelings sorted out. Willa Jo and her Aunt Patty, who wants to help, are at odds most of the time and unable to communicate their real needs. Uncle Hob's patience becomes a godsend for both. Couloumbis does a very good job of letting us feel the hurt, confusion, and final acceptance of unexpected loss.
Cox, Judy. Weird Stories from the Lonesome Café. Illus. by Diane Kidd. 2000. 72p. Harcourt Brace. Gr. 2-5. What a treat! The stories that take place at the Lonesome Café are just quirky enough to catch your attention. Don't be surprised if you recognize a character or two. Next time you are traveling through Nevada you might stop in for a visit with Sam, Uncle Clem and any other interesting characters who might be employed at the time. This is a good book for beginning chapter book readers to some reluctant middle grade readers.
Draper, Sharon M. Romiette and Julio. 1999. 236p. Atheneum. Gr. 7 & up. What happens when a new kid from the South with Hispanic roots moves to a school in the North where Blacks rule? To add to the tension Julio befriends Romiette, a Black girl. The Blacks from the hood don't want anybody outside their race messing with their kind. This is a timely thought provoking story about gangs, resistance, coping, and friendships.
Fleischman, Paul. Whirligig. 1998. 133p. Henry Holt. Gr. 7 & up. If you have a teenager that is about to embark on driving or already has a license you might want them to read this book. Brent Bishop lives with parents who are totally caught up in social climbing. When they move to a new house and neighborhood in the wealthy part of town he must break into the new school culture. His first chance comes with an informal invitation to a party at one of the "more popular" kids. The results lead to something not even Brent would have imagined. The reconciliation for his actions literally takes him to the four corners of the United States. What he finds and learns along his journey will have your attention right to the end.
Gantos, Jack. Joey Pigza Loses Control. 2000. 196. Farrar Straus & Giroux. Gr. 4-6. This is another amazing Gantos adventure with Joey Pigza. In this story Joey meets his dad for the first time in several years and gains some insights on where his wired behavior comes from. Joey's father is an alcoholic who is doing community service coaching a little league baseball team. His feisty grandmother is a chain smoker on oxygen. Joey is on medication for hyperactivity. Combining all this with Gantos' humor paralleled with touching moments make this a fast moving read that may help kids empathize a little more with some of he hyperactive kids they have encountered.
Hale, Bruce. The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse: A Chet Gecko Mystery. 2000. 97p. Harcourt Brace. Gr. 3-6. Chet Gecko, Private Eye and fourth grader at Emerson Hicky Elementary. If you remember Maxwell Smart from Get Smart, you' get a feel for Chet's personality. He is witty, a bit of a bumble head, determined to solve the mystery and full of funny one liners. This book is part of a series featuring Chet Gecko. Hale loves lizards, particularly geckos and the inside information on their habits comes in pretty handy in the series.
Hoffman, Mary. Starring Grace. Illus. by Caroline Binch. 2000. 95p. Phyllis Fogelman Books. Gr. 2-5. Grace picks up right where she left off in her two previous picture books, Amazing Grace and Boundless Grace. Only this time she and her friends are on summer vacation. Each day turns into more creative play and adventure as they learn about the reclusive and ghostlike Mrs. Myerson, spying on Mom's boy friend Vincent, taking care of Nana, time machines that really work, being in the theater, and much more. The marvelous episodes in each chapter serve as a great boredom fighter.
Horvath, Polly. The Trolls. 1999. 136p. Farrar Straus Giroux. Gr. 3-7. Newbery Honor Book. When peculiar Aunt Sally shows up to babysit Melissa, Amanda and Pee Wee for one week their routines around the house are changed forever. Aunt Sally amuses the kids with one family story after another. The people in Aunt Sally's captivating stories include their father along with other intriguing characters who play out adventures that walk on a fine line between reality and tall tale. If you live in a family where stories are shared you will find this book particularly delightful.
Myers, Walter Dean. Monster. 1999. 281p. Harper Collins. Gr. 7 & up. This book received a National Book Award finalist, Coretta Scott King Award, and the Michael J. Prinz Award. Walter Dean Myers, a familiar name in writing for youth award circles has another spellbinding book. Imagine being accused of being an accomplice to a robbery murder charge, doing some jail time, and then feeling at the mercy of the jury. Sixteen year old Steve Harmon reveals an incredible inside look at his thoughts and observations through this real life nightmare. Myers' writing style interplays journal entries with movie action script that rivets your attention right to the end of the trial.
Pilkey, Dav. Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants. 2000. 60p. Scholoastic. Gr. 2-5. Only Dav Pilkey could pull off a title like this without experiencing the wrath of mothers and fathers around the country. His Captain Underpants Epic Novels are hilarious and young kids love him. We look forward to the next installment.
Pullman, Philip. The Firework-Maker's Daughter. 1995 (1999 in America). 96p. Scholastic. Gr. 3-6. Pullman pulls you in right away with is opening sentence. "A thousand miles ago, in a country east of the jungle and south of the mountains, there lived a firework-maker called Lalchand and his daughter, Lila." From there you are taken on a rollicking adventure as father and daughter work to become the greatest firework-maker in the kingdom. And do they make their goal? You'll have to read the story to find out.
Rowling, J. K. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. 2000. 734p. Scholastic. Gr. 3 & up. Rowling has done it again! Despite the number of pages this is another great Harry Potter adventure that is hard to put down. Harry is mysteriously selected as one of the champions to represent Hogwarts at the Triwizard Tournament. The dips and turns in his fourth year will keep the reader focused right to the end. Several new characters and interconnections among the regulars are revealed. And yes, Rowling puts another spin on the end that already has me wanting the fifth installment of the proposed seven book series.
Staples, Suzanne Fisher. Shiva's Fire. 2000. 276p. Farrar Straus Giroux. Gr. 6 & up. From the day Parvati was born things were different for her family and some believed for the whole village. As she grew up in Nandipuram in the South of India others noticed that Parvati was different. Word spread. Then one day her mother and Parvati receive a visit from The Guru, a well know follower of Mahatma Mohandis Ghandi, and are faced with a decision that will change their life once again, but the choices also come with sacrifice. Filled with suspense and mystery, Staples takes readers inside India's caste system and life of a devadasi dancer, an honor only bestowed upon a few women. Staples riveting style of writing found in her previous books is true in this story as well.
Swift, Jonathan. Gulliver's Travels: Dorling Kindersley Classics. Illus. by Martin Hargreaves. 2000. 64p. Dorling Kindersley. Gr. 4 & up. Dorling Kindersley has brought new life to the classics through this series. Each is filled with side notes including photos, illustrations and historical context to match the setting of the story. The books in this series are often abridged versions, but they work well for young readers and also providing some attractive context for reluctant and challenged older readers. Additional titles in the series include: Black Beauty; Robin Hood; The Hunchback of Notre Dame; Dracula; A Christmas Carol; Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde; King Arthur; Aladdin; Robinson Crusoe; 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea; Oliver Twist; The Odyssey; The Nutcracker; and Little Women.