Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Sunday, August 26, 2018

Babysitting Nightmares: The Shadow Hand by Kat Shepherd

How I Heard About It:  I had the honor of meeting Kat Shepherd at #NerdCampMI this past July.  It was a pleasure talking with her and wonderful to learn that she lives right here in the Twin Cities where I live.  We are hoping to connect my fourth grade class with her at some point during the 18/19 school year.  Kat Shepherd was kind, fun, and so giving with her time.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Rebecca loves to babysit and is good at it.  During one "job", there is a storm and something bizarre, strange, and scary occurs.

 2.  *The baby, Kyle, that Rebecca was babysitting, begins to act strangely and she learns that the storm only happened at the house she was babysitting.  There are also a variety of strange happenings going on inside the house.

 3.  *Rebecca wants to get to the bottom of what is going on and enlists the help of her friends Tanya, Maggie, and Clio.  Each friend brings a special talent/gift in solving the "mystery".  

 4.  *Every strong middle-grade novel needs a villain, and this particular story has a "top-notch" villain that readers won't soon forget.  Nor will the group of babysitters!  

 5.  *The group of girls realize they must travel to another world in order to rescue the real and true baby Kyle.    


What I Thought Of It:  As I was reading the novel, I kept thinking how much my fourth graders would enjoy the story.  I'm thinking of choosing it for a "Breakfast with Books" book club selection in October of 2018.  I so appreciate when authors create a book that is absolutely perfect for middle-grade readers.  The chapters were short.  The plot was fast-paced.  The characters were full of life.  The action was nonstop.  I have an ARC of book number two and can't wait to see what Kat Shepherd has in store for the reader.  


Who Should Read It:   I already mentioned it, but this is the perfect novel for the middle-grade reader.  I know that third, fourth, and fifth readers will find great satisfaction reading about the adventures of these four girls.  Your female readers may enjoy the story a bit more, but I know I'm going to use the book with all of my readers.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

How I Heard About It:  I am a huge fan of Fredrik Backman novels.  I believe I have read them all.  For the most part, they all have provided me with hours of reading enjoyment.  I was surprised when I saw this title on the shelf.  I didn't realize he had written a sequel to Beartown.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *This story takes up right where the first story left off.  It follows the residents of Beartown after the rape of a high school student by the star hockey player.

2.  *Beartown's hockey team fell apart after the rape, and now a new coach has been brought in to reestablish a team that can again represent the town. 

 3.  *Several of the teammates have secrets and issues they are dealing with and would prefer that the rest of the team, and town, don't find out.  

 4.  *Many of the members of the first "team" have now gone to the rival team in the next town over.  As the new Beartown team takes shape, an epic hockey game comes to "play" and will change everyone involved.  

 5.  *Just as there was a shocking event in book #one, this second installment concludes with a horrific event that will shake each and every member of Beartown.  


What I Thought Of It:  I started reading the hard copy of the novel, but then "life" got in the way.  I decided to give it a try via audio.  As I would take walks and spend time driving, I listened to the story and was drawn in more than I had been reading the actual pages.  The plot was interesting, engaging, and thought-provoking.  As a reader, I was interested in how the characters dealt with what happened in their town and how they chose to move on or not move forward.  The cast of characters was top-notch and developed quite nicely.  Even thought the story revolved around hockey, this time around I thought Backman spent more time on digging into his characters and life "away" from the rink.  Overall, I enjoyed everything about the story and I'm glad I used the audio to finish.  


Who Should Read It:   Obviously it would be best if you had read the first book before you tackle this second novel.  If you have not read any of Fredrik Backman's novels, I highly recommend them.  You do NOT need to be a fan of hockey, to enjoy these stories.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars!



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Thursday, August 16, 2018

Ms. Mulligan and the Enchanted Ice Cream by Tiffany Elaine

How I Heard About It:  This title came to me via the publisher.  I was intrigued by the cover.  It was a thrill to be invited to be a part of "press" tour where readers were sharing their thoughts on Instagram and their blogs.  I'm excited to share my thoughts when I first posted this review on August 14th.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Tabby, Dolly, and Kat are having a sleep over the night before Tabby's twelfth birthday.  When Tabby wakes up the next morning she finds herself in the body of a 25-year-old woman.  

 2.  *The three girls come up with a plan and create "Ms. Mulligan" who becomes their English teacher.  Their main goal is to figure out why Tabby changed and how to get her back to "normal".  

 3.  *While Tabby is in the body of Ms. Mulligan, she and her friends are lead on a journey where they find out secrets about Tabby's father, a secret society that Tabby may be a member of, and other mysterious situations.  

 4.  *There are two evil sisters that are called the Black and White Sisters.  They are out to "get" Tabby.

 5.  *Tabby navigates her new world as an adult, but is torn between being a kid and trying to masquerade herself someone else.  It doesn't make it easy when she sees her two best friends and the boy she likes living their life while she is a bit "stuck".  


What I Thought Of It:  The story starts off with a bang as Tabby wakes up in the body of an adult.  I will pulled into the story right from the get-go.  I got a kick out of her friendship with Dolly and Kat. Each girl was so different from the other, but they had such a special bond between them.  There was a lot presented in the story and at times I got a little confused as to how everything related.  It was fascinating to read and learn about the history of the "curse" and how it came to be put on Tabby and her family.  As with every great story, there was a perfect combination of protagonists and antagonists.  The Black and White Sisters certainly added a lot of "tension" to the plot.  I can see many readers enjoying this first "edition" of the series.  


Who Should Read It:   I don't normally like to qualify books for males or females, but I do think that the girls may be more drawn to the story than boys.  They would relate to the three main characters and all the adventures they encounter.  Fourth, fifth, and sixth grade readers would be perfect for the book.  I also think middle-school readers who enjoy a great mystery would find this an enjoyable read.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Wednesday, August 8, 2018

Wonder Wednesday #234 (Two Favorite Things)

Wonder Wednesday - Summer Vacation

 *Summer is almost coming to a close, but not before one more summer vacation.

*My wife and I are heading to Washington and Oregon.


*She has a quick business trip in Seattle and we will be spending two nights in the city.

*While she is at work one day, my plan is to wonder the city, check out the local bookstores, and of course read as much as possible.

*We are also going to spend four nights on the Oregon Coast.  I can't wait to see it as I've heard it is absolutely beautiful.

*After our four nights on the coast, we will head back to Seattle to spend a couple days with some family.

*It is going to be a wonderful way to end the summer with two of my favorite things:  BOOKS and TRAVELING!!!

*Here are the books I'm  planning on reading while there...



 
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Monday, August 6, 2018

An Inside Look #57 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Kelly Yang
(Author of The Front Desk)

*During the summer of 2016, I added this feature to my blog which was called "Season #ONE".  This first season ran from June of 2016 to March of 2017.  

*I started up the interviews again in June of 2017.  It was great to get back to Season #TWO.  This season ran throughout the summer.  

*Season #THREE ran during the school year of 2017/2018.  


*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the SIXTH interview of what I'm calling Season #FOUR.  

*Thank you to Kelly Yang for being the Fifty-Seventh author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

*Here are links to the first Fifty-Six interviews…

SEASON #ONE

























SEASON #FOUR

Interview #53 with Preston Norton (Author of Neanderthal Opens the Door to the Universe)

Interview #54 with Jonathan Auxier (Author of Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster)

Interview #55 with Sharon Creech (Author of Saving Winslow)

Interview #56 with Stacy McAnulty (Author of The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl)


*This was a novel that had so much "buzz" online that I knew I had to read it.  All of my reading friends gave the story 5 stars and raved about the story line.  I was excited when I received my copy of the book.  It was such a delight to read and was excited when Kelly agreed to an interview.  

*Kelly was kind, gracious, and giving with her answers to the questions.  It is an honor to post her responses here on the blog.  

*Here is a link to my review of Front Desk...

*Thank you Kelly Yang for writing this story for readers and taking the time to share your thoughts with us here...
Front Desk
by Kelly Yang (Released May 28, 2018)


How did you come to know Mia?
I started writing FRONT DESK in the summer of 2015, as a way to get my son Eliot (then 8) to read and to tell him about my childhood. Mia is based on me. I also worked at a motel when I was a kid, manning the front desk. I think Mia’s a spunkier and stronger version of me! She’s the version of myself I wish I had been at her age, and even now at times I ask myself, what would Mia do?



Is there anything you wish Mia would have changed or done differently in her story?
No or I would have changed it lol.



How did you research Mia and the circumstances she found himself in?
As FRONT DESK is based on my real life childhood (see author’s note), I based it on my own childhood growing up in LA in the early 90s.



What was the hardest scene to write about Mia?
The hardest scene to write was probably the jeans scene. That was just so humiliating for her and I brought me back to my own childhood, always not wearing the right clothes, being made fun of at school, etc.



Who do you think was Mia's biggest supporter and why?
I think her biggest supporter is probably her dad. He believes in her  and believes that despite all their suffering, they came to the US for a reason and that reason is Mia. Also Hank is instrumental to Mia and I love how they lean on and support each other in the story.



What do you think Mia is doing at the present time?
Probably writing books!!! :-) 

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It's Monday! What Are You Reading? (8/6/18)



Thanks to Jen and Kellee for hosting this idea on their site.  Here is a link to the site...
                
Books I Read this Past Week…




 Willa of the Wood by Robert Beatty

*Middle-Grade Novel (4 STARS out of 5 Stars!)

My Book Review




After Zero by Christina Collins

*Middle-Grade Novel (5 STARS out of 5 Stars!)

My Book Review







Ms. Mulligan and the Enchanted Ice Cream by Tiffany Elaine

*Middle-Grade Novel (3 STARS out of 5 Stars!)

-Book Review Coming August 14th for Promotional Tour

Most Valuable Players by Phil Bildner

*Middle-Grade Novel (5 STARS out of 5 Stars!)

My Book Review







 Books I Will (continue to) Read this Week…


Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

*My Novel Published for Adults (Audio)









The Strange Fascinations of Noah Hypnotic by David Arnold

*My Young-Adult Novel








Kids 1st From Day 1 by Christine Hertz and Kristine Mraz

*My Professional Reading









The Island at the End of Everything by Kiran Millweed Hargrave

*My Middle-Grade Novel







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Sunday, August 5, 2018

Most Valuable Players by Phil Bildner

How I Heard About It:  The Rip and Red series is one of my favorite series to share with my fourth grade students.  Every year I "book talk" all the novels in the series and encourage as many readers as I can to read them.  I bought the final book when it was released at the end of May.  Unfortunately, I didn't get to read the story until this weekend.  I was excited to see how Phil was going to bring the story to an end.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Rip and Red are finishing their fifth grade year with their incredible and special teacher Mr. Acevedo.  

 2.  *The boys, along with their classmates, are excited for the fifth grade graduation celebration along with their school's 25th anniversary party.  The school is even bringing in a special exhibition basketball team to perform at the celebration.  

 3.  *A couple of the boys are invited to participate with the basketball team.  They are thrilled and find ways to include their other classmates.  

 4.  *As the last few days approach, the class is informed that will be taking one more standardized assessment and they are not happy about it.  

 5.  *The fifth graders are faced with the dilemma of standing up for themselves and take a stand or go along with "flow" and do what the administration expects them to.  


What I Thought Of It:  I read this book in one sitting and it was a complete pleasure.  I enjoy Phil's writing style and the "world" he is able to create through his imagination, creativity, and talent.  Each one of these books brought me joy and insight into the world of fifth graders.  Rip and Red are two special boys/characters that I've encountered through literature.  If I could be half the teacher Mr. Acevedo was, I would be in heaven.  This installment brought the entire year to a strong and satisfying conclusion.  I loved how Rip and Red's teacher was able to instill such wonderful life-lessons and they grew tremendously.  Of course the friendship between Rip and Red was a one-of-a-kind relationship that all young people should model themselves after.  


Who Should Read It:   I think everyone third, fourth, fifth, and sixth grade classroom needs to house this book and the previous three books in the series.  The story is perfect for the middle-grade reader. I have found the story really appeals to some readers that struggle finding books that they enjoy.  These books make for excellent read aloud and/or can be put in the hands of individual readers.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  5 STARS out of 5 Stars!




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