Stick Dog wants a hot dog/ Tom Watson / 219 pages / challenge dog book

     This is the second in the Stick Dog series.  It is a fun book, however it is the same formula as the first one except that the dogs are after hot dogs instead of hamburgers.
They have more silly ideas and a new problem to solve ie.: raccoons, and Karen getting stuck in someone's house.  I would have liked to see something different.  I think the next book is about how they get pizza.  I think kids will like the repetition.  I hope there could be a different storyline in the future as he will exhaust the food-getting possibilities.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid/Jeff Kinney/217 pgs.

Middle schooler, Greg Heffley, shares his school year experiences in the format of a diary--though he wants the reader to call it a "journal" not a diary! Through illustrations, along with his commentary, Greg comes across as a typical middle school boy trying to make his way through the ups and downs of pre-adolescence. It's a funny, enjoyable read for the middle school age crowd. I can see why it's a popular series!

Stick Dog / Tom Watson/ 189 pages

     This is a great children's book about a dog (for bonus point).  It is funny, easy to read, and would be great for children to practice reading with expression.  
     The basic story is about five homeless dogs who want to get some hamburgers that they can smell grilling.  From there, it is just funny.  I am going to certainly read the next book and try to get certain kids that I know to read it.  It is a good book for reader's advisory.
It is a third grade reading level on the Scolastic book site.

Ungifted / Gordon Korman / 288 pgs / 6 discs

                     WARNING!!! DO NOT LISTEN WHILE DRIVING A CAR.
     Donovan Curtis is your normal middle school kid with a tendency toward outrageous pranks. He gets into spitball wars with his best friends, broadcasts limericks over the school's PA system and (the best one yet) skips out of detention and whacks the school's statue with a branch only to watch part of it detach and roll down the hill and crash into the school's gym. With shattered glass showering most of the student body, Donovan learns he might have gone too far. The superintendent marches him into the office and begins The Lecture only to be interrupted by the arrival of the fire department. Donovan is told to leave and the discussion will continue tomorrow. Only it never does and in the meantime his family receives a letter notifying them he has been accepted into the gifted program.
     What the perfect place to hide! The Academy of Scholastic Distinction is for kids with IQs in the stratosphere. The classwork is way over his head and he isn't too sure what a pneumatic schematic is but Donovan brings the robotic team together in a way that might win the championship. But he cannot out run the consequences of his past actions. What happens next pure chaotic fun.
     I thoroughly enjoyed this Truman Award winning novel. The audio is done by several people but it does not detract from the story. Donovan reminds me of several guys I knew growing up so maybe that is why I connected with the story so quickly. The gifted students are portrayed with unique personalities that are endearing but shows how much pressure they feel in their lives. Does Donovan learn his lesson? Well, what do you think?

     Six Degrees of Reading: The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate, Jake by Audrey Coulombis, Slob by Ellen Potter.
     

Swindle/Gordon Korman/252 pages

Gordan Korman delivers another humorous children's Chapter Book.   Griffin Bing, and his best friend Ben, find a rare Babe Ruth baseball card.  They take it to an art collector S. Wendell Palomino, who scams the kids.  Later when Griffin and his friend find out the card is worth a million dollars, and not the $120 that S. Wendell gave them, they hatch a plan with their friends to get it back.  Griffin is "The Man With the Plan", but the heist doesn't go according to plan and hilarity ensues.

Three Times Lucky/Sheila Turnage/312 pages

Rising sixth grader Miss Moses LoBeau lives in the small town of Tupelo Landing, NC, where everyone's business is fair game and no secret is sacred. She washed ashore in a hurricane eleven years ago, and she's been making waves ever since. Although Mo hopes someday to find her "upstream mother," she's found a home with the Colonel--a café owner with a forgotten past of his own--and Miss Lana, the fabulous café hostess. She will protect those she loves with every bit of her strong will and tough attitude. So when a lawman comes to town asking about a murder, Mo and her best friend, Dale Earnhardt Johnson III, set out to uncover the truth in hopes of saving the only family Mo has ever known.

Three Times Lucky was a great quick read.  It was named one of the Newbery Honor books for 2013 and was a contestant in the 2013 SLJ Battle of the Books.

The Journey That Saved Curious George: The True Wartime Escape of Margret and H.A. Rey/Louise Borden/80 pages

This is the story of the Reys and their escape from their home in Paris during the Nazi invasion during World War II.  Escaping on bicycles, they managed to save the manuscript for The Adventures of Curious George among their few possessions.

I had no idea the story behind Curious George and the narrow escape of the Rey's , who were Jews, from the Nazi invasion of France, and their eventual immigration to the United States.  But even their story before World War II was interesting and filled with adventures, including a pet monkey that was the inspiration for George.  The book is filled with both photographs from the Rey's collection and colorful illustrations from Allan Drummond, the illustrator of this non-fiction book, that compliments the Rey's illustrations of their many children's books.

Judy Moody: Around the World in 8 1/2 Days / Megan McDonald / 157 p.

Judy is a third grader who has a large imagination, and a bit hyperactive (like Ramona).  In this book, Judy makes a new friend Amy Namey.  However, she starts spending all of her time with Amy and is neglecting her older friends Ricky and Frank.  Of course everything comes to a head and Judy must find a way to make new friends without alienating her old friends.

Cute series, Judy is a bit self-absorbed and full of bad ideas, like making Pickle chewing gum; but in the end she does try to always do the right thing.  As a media tie-in there is a Judy Moody movie, "Judy Moody and the Not Bummer Summer".  This movie is my kids' favorite go-to for the month, and they will watch the movie 3x a day if I would let them.  I'm just glad that I was able to roll that movie obsession into a great reading experience!

Bad Kitty for President / Nick Bruel / 142 pages

The Bad Kitty books are great for those 3rd graders who are making the transition to longer books.  They are heavily illustrated with plenty of white space and large print.  In this particular Bad Kitty story, we find out all about Presidential elections in a fun and creative way.  There's even a glossary in the back that covers all election-related vocabulary such as primary, delegate, convention, etc.  Recommend for primary grade readers.

Beyond the Grave / Jude Watson / 190 pages

This is the 4th book in the 39 Clues series. This time we find Amy and Dan heading to Egypt to find the next clue. I listened to the audio version and David Pittu does a great job with the book. These books are winners because of the puzzles, mystery, villains and heroes but also because of the growing and changing relationship between the two siblings. The author combines just the right amount of history, geography, mystery, trust & mistrust, humor, and adventure to engage readers and leave them running to get the next title. Recommended for all readers (especially boys) in late elementary and middle school.

A Whole Nother Story / Cuthbert Soup / 264 pages

This is a very funny story for kids grades 4 & up. It offers adventure, suspense, humor, pathos, and time travel! The main characters are three attractive, polite and relatively odor-free children and their inventor father. He is inventing a time machine so they can go back and rescue their mother who was killed by evil corporate villains. They are also pursued by top secret government spies and international superspies. It is hilarious and absurd while telling a great story of family and friendship. Oh yeah, did I mention Captain Jibby's Traveling Circus Sideshow, the poet cowboy, Leon the Chimp and....well you'll have to read the book to find out more!

Soup / Robert Newton Peck 96 p.

Robert Newton Peck tells his own story and that of his best friend and companion in adventure, Luther Wesley Vinson. Soup and Rob find fun stuff to do that get them into trouble. Like the time they threw apples from sticks, each trying out do the other as boys are apt to do, with Rob's flying into the inevitable window. How Soup talked Rob into rolling down a hill in a rotten apple barrel is any one's guess. Then there is their joint venture where they make their own pipes to smoke 'corn silk' tobacco. Add in a cast of characters and you see just how Robert Newton Peck grew up during the depression in Vermont. Be sure to read the dedication page found at the end of the book: "To the Reverend Luther Vinson, a shepherd of his flock, from his first sheep. Robert Newton Peck."

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett- pp 179

A young kid Steve Brixton gets assigned a school report about quilts and heads to the public library. Little does he know that quilting has a historical significance about sending secret country messages by spies.

Steve is an amateur detective and he has to use all his skills to escape all kinds of silly situations.

The author has exaggerated many chapters in funny unthinkable things that kids will just love.

Look for more in this series.

The CD Spoken was an easy listen.

Enjoy!

Bill Peet: an Autobiography/Bill Peet/190 pages

While this is a childrens book and was a Caldecott Honor Book, it will also be enjoyed by adult readers. Bill Peet, illustrator of many beloved children's books, tells his story from boyhood to parenthood with an emphasis on the time he worked for Walt Disney. He starts out telling about his life as a boy in Indiana, fun on his taciturn grandfather's farm, an absentee father who just showed up when he needed money, a mom who taught to support her family, making it through the Depression, struggling as a student, surviving the 27 years in the Walt Disney studios and finally his achievement as a reknowned illustrator of books. The story of the years with Walt Disney are highly revealing...almost cathartic in nature. What every reader will gain is how we are constantly recreated by our lives but also formed by our childhood. And the best thing of all, the book is filled with wonderful Bill Peet illustrations on each and every page. I am sooooo glad I read this!

Mr Popper's Penguins / Florence & Richard Atwater / 138 pages

January reading....When I read this the first time 40 or more years ago, I thought it was hilarious. On re-reading it, I still think it's funny but it's interesting how my perspective changed. Somehow I was emphathizing with "Mama" Popper who had to put up with "Papas" eccentric fixation on Arctic regions and all wives who put up with their husbands hobbies. Really, as he set off to the North Pole I could see her waving happily and telling him don't hurry back, dear, we'll be fine. Sad to be an adult I guess. Anyway, it's still a great book, a funny story, and should be enjoyed by many future generations of young readers. I hope the movie doesn't ruin the book for kids! Robert Lawson's illustrations are priceless. Great book to read aloud and share some laughs with your child. Easy enough for a good 2nd or 3rd grade reader.

Ramona and Beezus/Beverly Cleary/159 pages

Ramona is the pesky, stubborn and imaginative sister of Beatrice Quimby. This book tells of Beezus(the nickname given by her sister) and her troubles and trials with Ramona as she tags along to her art class, plans her own birthday party without permission and generally drives her sister nuts.

These Ramona books were some of my favorite when I was young and I enjoyed reading it again; it brought back good memories.