The Extraordinary Mark Twain by Barbara Kerley

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range:  3rd-6th grades

We all know who the famous author, Mark Twain was.  This book tells us about the biography that his daughter, Susy, wrote about him.  She wanted the world to really know who her father was.  Through her journal, she lets the reader see the different sides of Mark Twain.  One feature that this book has is that on many of the pages, there is a mini journal that is attached to the page with words from Susy's real journal.  When Mark Twain wrote his own autobiography, he included some of his favorite passages from Susy's journal.  The last page of the book gives kids a step-by-step guide on how to write a biography. 

The Storm in the Barn by Matt Phelan

Please listen to my Voicethread above about this book.

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range:  5th-8th grade

Imogene's Last Stand by Candance Fleming

Please listen to Imogene above tell you about the book.

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range: K-3rd grade

Once Was Lost by Sara Zarr

2011 TAYSHAS Book

Age Range:  Young Adult

Once Was Lost is broken down into 16 days, each of them being a chapter in this book.  The main character, Sam, opens the book and is depressed and upset about how her life has ended up.  Her mother, after a DUI accident, is off in a rehab program.  Her father, is a pastor of a church, and tends to place the church and the congregation first.  His family comes in last place and he never seems to have time for them.  One afternoon, a young girl (Jody Shaw) from church is kidnapped.  The remainder of the book focuses on the community pulling together to help in the search for Jody.  Throughout this time, Sam questions her relationship with God, her parent's, and her friends.  She also hopes for a happy ending for her parents and desperately wants her mother to come home again.  This is a wonderful book about finding yourself.  Another great book by Sara Zarr is Sweethearts.

Here is a book trailer that I made about this book:

Pretty Little Liars by Sara Shepard

The New York Times 2011 Children's Series Book

Age Range:  Young Adult

This was a very entertaining book that I couldn't put down!  The book begins with five best friends the summer after 7th grade.  Unexpectedly, one of them, Alison, disappears and her body is never found.  The disappearance really gets to the four remaining girls and they grow apart.  They all go their separate ways and the book picks up three years later.  Spencer, is expected to be perfect by her parents and is an overachiever and on the field hockey team.  Aria has recently moved back and falls in love with her high school English teacher.  Hanna is now beautiful and popular, but has an eating disorder to stay thin.  Emily is on the swim team and has a new best friend, Maya, who makes her question her relationship with her boyfriend.  All four of the girls have buried secrets that only Ali knew.  They begin getting text messages and emails from a mysterious "A" that mentions their secrets.  The ending of this book was a shock and not what I expected.  It does a great job of setting it up for the next book, Flawless.  Great book!

Goal! by Mina Javaherbin

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range:  Kindergarten through 3rd grade

This is a wonderful book celebrating soccer.  A group of young boys in South Africa love to play soccer together in the street and alley.  One of the boys, Ajani, has earned a new federation-size ball for being the best reader in class.  As the friends play, one of them stands guard and looks out for bullies.  A group of bullies interrupt their game.  The boys attempt to outsmart them and hide their new ball, in hopes the bullies will take their old ball.  Once the group of bullies leave, the friends go back to playing soccer (football) again.  Playing this game helps them to feel safe and forget their worries.  The illustrations have a bright blue sky in the background in contrast to the brown buildings that show the poverty of the town.  The facial expressions are life-like and you can see the emotions the characters are feeling.  This is a great book about soccer.

The Duchess of Whimsy by Randall and Peter de Seve

Meet Mr. Wizard above!  He will tell you a little bit about this book.

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range:  Kindergarten through 3rd Grade

This is an entertaining fairy tale.  The Duchess of Whimsy is very elaborate and loves unusual things.  She thinks the Earl of Norm is just too ordinary for her.  He tries several different stunts to impress her, but fails.  One day, when the cook is ill, the Earl of Norm makes a grilled cheese sandwich and shares it with the Duchess.  She begins to realize that maybe she likes normal things.  The Earl and the Duchess live happily ever after. 

Amazing Faces by Lee Bennett Hopkins and Chris Soentpiet

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range:  Kindergarten through 3rd grade

The poems throughout this book are from many different famous poets.  The illustrations in this book are painted and make the people in them look real.  There are many different topics covered by the poems.  Dreaming, being the new child in school, wanting friends, first loves, and a soldier returning home are just a few.  The illustrations help you feel the emotions that the people are feeling through these poems.  The remarkable illustrations and poems in the book will make any child drawn to it. 

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Texas Bluebonnet 2011-2012 Book

Age Range:  Grades 3-6

This book of poetry is an amazing twist on the classic fairy tales.  The words of each poem are read, then reversed upside down to make an entirely new poem.  Classics such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Rupunzel, Snow White, and Goldilocks are just a few of the poems you'll find in this book.  The illustrations are bright and colorful with primary colors that compliment each poem perfectly.  This would be a great book to use to introduce the fairy tales in a new way to kids.

of Thee I SING by Barack Obama

Above is a Glogster I made about this book.

2011 New York Times Bestseller Children's Picture Book List

Age Range:  Ages 5 to 8

This is a wonderful book.  On the left side of each page, Obama asks his daughters if he's ever told them if they are a certain quality such as creative or smart.  On the right side of each page, someone from history with that quality is described.  The illustrations are beautful and  feature many important people from our past.  Georgia O'Keeffe, Albert Einstein, and Martin Luther King Jr. are just a few of the people found throughout this book.  The ending ties it all together and talks about how America is made up off all kinds of people. 

Silverlicious by Victoria Kann

Above is my Voicethread about Silverlicious. 

2011 New York Times Bestseller Children's Picture Book List

Age Range:  Ages 4 to 8

Jumping Off Swings by Jo Knowles

2011 TAYSHAS Book

Age Range:  Young Adult

This is a great book centered around teen pregnancy.  The book is told from four different points of view.  Each chapter changes with a new person telling the story.  Ellie, is the one after a one-night stand who becomes pregnant.  Through her chapters, she explains the difficulties that come along with teen pregnancy.  She has to face everyone at school, seeing the father at school, and the choice of having an abortion or keeping the baby.  Corinne, is Ellie's best friend and helps her through everything.  She also explains the difficulty of having to watch her best friend go through this and trying to understand her decisions.  The pregnancy deeply effects her as well.  Josh is the father of the baby.  Through his story, the reader understands how hard it is to be cut out of any decisions and the feelings of a teenage father.  Caleb, is Josh's best friend.  He tries to help Josh through this. It was very interesting to see the different perspectives that are shown through this book.  All teenage girls need to read this book!

Here is a Wordle that I made about this book:

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

John Newbery Medal 2011 Winner

Age Range:  Grades 5-8

This is a wonderful story that switches back and forth between Manifest, Kansas in 1936 back to the town in 1917.  Abilene has grown up with only her dad, Gideon. They move from town to town while he works railroad jobs.  After an illness, Gideon sends Abilene away to Manifest without him.  She lives with the town's interim minister, Shady.  At Shady's house she finds a box under the floorboard in her room that contains various trinkets and letters between two men, Jinx and Ned.  Abilene later finds herself having to work off a debt to Miss Sadie, who is known as a diviner.  Miss Sadie shares the story of the town back in 1917 and the story of Ned and Jinx.  Through the story, Abilene gets to know the town and the people that lived there.  Most of them were immigrants from various different countries.  Throughout Miss Sadie's story, Abilene tries to find pieces of her father and his past.  She also wonders where she belongs and if Gideon will return for her.  This book is well-deserving of the Newbery Medal.  I loved how in the end, Abilene ends up where she belongs.  Great book!