Tag Archives: fantasy

Jul17

Summer Reading: 8 Class Pets +1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos

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8 Class Pets + 1 Squirrel ÷ 1 Dog = Chaos by Vivian Vande Velde.  Illustrated by Steve Björkman. Humor/ Fantasy.

http://www.vivianvandevelde.com/bookDetail.cfm?BookId=49

When a squirrel, being chased by a dog, becomes trapped in the elementary school, there are chaotic consequences as all of the class pets team up to help him escape.

Themes/Content: Animals, class pets, teamwork, perspective (character), voice (character), alliteration, poetry, art,

Recommended for: Grades 4 and up; read aloud, teaching perspective, teaching voice, any teacher who has a classroom pet, animal lovers, beginning chapter-book readers, fictional tie-in when studying animal behavior

My Two Cents:  I decided I needed to review something for the younger crowd and this book will surely please our fourth graders.  Vande Velde crafts a hilarious story and commotion ensues as each critter adds to the tale .  Not only does she expertly capture the point of view, but each pet’s voice is based on that animals behavior in nature.  Björkman’s black and white illustrations are scattered throughout.

This book would make a great beginning of the year read aloud.  It would be even more effective if you are able to read the characters in different voices.  Your students will laugh out loud at the crazy antics of the animals and there is just a little twist at the end that will give them one more smile.

Similar/Paired Books from EHUE Library:

  • Birney, Betty G. Friendship according to Humphrey. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2005. Print.
  • Caudill, Rebecca. A pocketful of Cricket. New York: Henry Holt, 2004. Print.
  • George, Jean C. How to talk to your dog. New York: HarperCollins, 2000. Print.
  • Hatkoff, Isabella, Craig Hatkoff, and P Kahumbu. Owen & Mzee : the true story of a remarkable friendship. New York: Scholastic Press, 2006. Print.
  • Hollander, John. Animal poems. New York: Sterling, 2004. Print.
  • Jenkins, Steve, and Robin Page. How to clean a hippopotamus : a look at unusual animal partnerships. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010. Print.
  • Judge, Lita. Bird talk : what birds are saying and why. New York: Roaring Brook Press, 2012. Print.

Favorite Quote: (Spoken by the school of neon tetras) “We’re in a school.  We’re in a school in a school. We are tickled by that idea.” (Vande Velde, Vivian. 8 class pets + 1 squirrel ÷ 1 dog = chaos. New York: Holiday House, 2012. 23. Print.)

The Final Word(s): A clever and fun read aloud! 🙂

Jul15

Summer Reading: Liesl and Po

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Liesl and Po by Lauren Oliver.  Illustrated by Kei Acedera. Fantasy.

http://www.laurenoliverbooks.com/lieslandpo.php

Lonely, grieving and locked in an attic, Liesl is befriended by a ghost, Po and its pet, Bundle.  An accidental mix-up by an alchemist’s apprentice, Will, soon has all of them entwined in a dangerous adventure as Liesl endeavors to return her father’s mortal remains to his final resting place.

Themes/Content: Friendship, family, death, grief, alchemy, ghosts, magic, drawing, apprentices, orphans, stepmothers, figurative language, imagery.

Recommended for: Grade 5 and up; fantasy lovers, read aloud,

My Two Cents:  I enjoyed this book so much, that I am having a hard time writing about it.  I just won’t be able to do justice to Oliver’s clever and magical writing.  I’d get that little “butterfly in the stomach”  feeling as a read certain passages and marveled at how she chose her words.  As I was reading I started taking pictures of the text with my phone so that I could remember some of my favorite passages.

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Oliver, Lauren. Liesl & Po. New York: Harper, 2011. 142. Print.

You’ll have such empathy for the protagonists Liesl, Po, Bundle and Will, but my heart was stolen by Mo, the Lady Premiere’s guard.

Also worth mentioning… read the author’s note at the end of the book.  I always do, but this one was truly touching and gave me even more appreciation for the story.

Similar Book from EHUE Library:

  • Auxier, Jonathan. Peter Nimble and his fantastic eyes : a story. New York: Amulet Books, 2011. Print.
  • Barrie, J M. Peter Pan. New York: Scholastic, 2002. Print.
  • Gaiman, Neil. The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins, 2008. Print.
  • Nimmo, Jenny. Midnight for Charlie Bone. New York: Orchard Books, 2003. Print.

Favorite Quote: “This was the other problem with the living ones: They were separate, always separate.  They couldn’t truly merge.  They did not know how to be anyone other than themselves, and even that they did not know how to be sometimes.” (Oliver, Lauren. Liesl & Po. New York: Harper, 2011. 92. Print.)

The Final Word(s): Read it immediately! 😀