Fourth Grade Journey

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

Thursday, October 18, 2018

The Jigsaw Jungle by Kristin Levine

How I Heard About It:  I remember reading a positive comment about this book before it was even released.  I have loved everything Kristin has written so I was excited to dive into this story and see what it was about.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  

 1.  *The story begins with Claudia and her mother being concerned about the disappearance of her father.  

 2.  *After a few days of not knowing, Claudia receives word from him.  He is alright, but needs some time to figure "things" out.  

3.  *The timing isn't great because her mother has a trip planned over seas for work.  Claudia is sent to spend that time with her grandfather w, his ho is her father's dad.  

 4.  *The two of them don't know each other real well, but as they spend time together, they get to know each other and get to know her father and his secrets.  

 5.  *Claudia's father begins to send messages to her to figure out, and put together; all of which lay out his past, his story, and what brought him to the point he is at today.  


What I Thought Of It:  The book was "put together" in quite a unique way.  The story is told via email, voicemails, videos, movies, and a variety of other formats.  This made for a fun and unique reading experience.  I was a bit concerned about why the dad would just up and leave.  I don't think I could do that, but I know in real life things like this happen.  Once the entire story was told, it made a bit more sense.  Overall, I really liked the story, but think it is definitely for the mature reader.  I really appreciate how talented Kristin Levine is as a writer because all of her stories are so different from each other.  


Who Should Read It:   I do think that young readers would enjoy the story, but in my opinion the reader should be in grades six or above.  There are some heavy and mature themes and I think that middle-school readers would be best to handle the content.  The format is perfect for this audience.  I do think that adult readers who gravitate toward middle-grade novels should definitely read this one.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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The Benefits of Being an Octopus by Ann Braden

How I Heard About It:  The novel came to me via my Twitter #bookexpedition reading group.  Not only were these members complimentary  of the novel, but other reading friends have been raving about it.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Zoey is the main character and in seventh grade.  She is the oldest sibling of three and has many responsibilities within the family.  

 2.  *Her mother has been down on her luck and is living with another boyfriend in his trailer.  She is trying to make ends meet, but it isn't, and hasn't been easy.  

 3.  *As much as Zoey wants to stay under the radar at school, one of her teachers tries to convince her to be a member of the debate team.  She sees something in Zoey that Zoey can't see in herself.  

 4.  *When Zoey finds out the truth about her mother's boyfriend, she wants to do the right thing, but is surprised when her mom doesn't take her side.  

 5.  *On top of all this, she must also deal with some major life issues that her friend is experiencing with her own family.  Can these two young girls make it out of very difficult situations.  
What I Thought Of It:  I was very excited to read this book.  I have been watching online friends tweeting and blogging about the story.  When I first started it, I thought it was going to be a middle-grade story.  As I got into the book, I found it was more of an older elementary story if not a middle-school story.  There are many mature and complex themes explored throughout the story.  Zoey doesn't have an easy life and is dealt some pretty difficult cards.  I loved that there was a teacher in her life that was in her corner and wanted to help.  I enjoyed the entire story even though it was pretty depressing and full of hardship.  


Who Should Read It:   The more I think about the book, the more I think it would be best for a middle-school and/or high school reader.  I would not put this in the hands of my fourth graders because of the content, themes, and vocabulary choice.  The plot is strong and I know young adult readers would find great satisfaction.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  4 STARS out of 5 Stars!


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Wednesday, October 17, 2018

A Stitch in Time by Daphne Kalmar

How I Heard About It:  This was another novel that came to from the publisher and I knew nothing of it, but was willing to give it a try. 


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Donut is her name and she is dealing with some major "stuff" in her life.

 2.  *She lost her mother early on and now is dealing with life without her pops.

 3.  *With her father gone, her Aunt Agnes has arrived in their hometown to care for Agnes.  She is ok with that, but is not alright when her Aunt shares her plan to take Donut to Boston to live with her.  

 4.  *Donut and her best friend Tiny decide to come up with a plan to keep her in their little village and living life as they have come to know and enjoy.  

 5.  *Donut, her family, and friends are living in 1920's and this historical fiction novel explores the issues of loss, coping, friendship, and moving forward.  


What I Thought Of It:  This was another book that most readers enjoyed while I thought it was alright.  The cover, the storyline, and the tone all felt very old fashioned to me.  This may have been done intentionally since it is a historical fiction novel.  The story was simple, but warm and full of heart.  I did appreciate the humor that was used throughout the story.  


Who Should Read It:   I'm thinking this story would be appreciated by middle-grade female readers.  I think they would enjoy Donut and her lively characteristics.  The book isn't very long.  Readers in grades four, five, and six could handle it with ease.  I've seen many positive reviews by adult readers who LOVED the story.  Give it a try.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Wicked Nix by Lena Coakley

How I Heard About It:  I knew nothing of this novel until it came to me via the publisher.  It is a short little novel with a true fantasy/fairy tale type story.


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *The main character in this fairy tale is a "wicked woodland fairy Nix".

 2.  *The queen of the forest has left and has put the Nix in charge of protecting it from the humans.  

 3.  *He tries to "trick" the intruder and in return just may be tricked himself.
4.  *He serves up a variety of "pranks and spells" while doing everything in his power to fulfill his duties.  

 5.  *What might appear to be a simple fairy tale turns into something different altogether.  


What I Thought Of It:  The reviews for this little novel are really strong.  Most readers enjoyed the story.  While I thought the writing was great, I didn't fall in love with the story.  I enjoyed the beginning of it, but then the plot lost me and I found myself skimming.  Even as a child, I never did enjoy the traditional fairy tales.  There was more to the story than the fairy tale on the surface, but I'm not sure I truly took in all the story had to offer.  


Who Should Read It:   I think children that enjoy reading fantasy and fairy tales would appreciate the story.  It is not long so readers in grades three through six would be able to easily handle the book.  Each reader will comprehend the content in their own way.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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The Train to Impossible Places by P.G. Bell

How I Heard About It:  I saw several write-ups of this novel and thought I would give it a shot.  I decided to download it via Audible and have been listening to it during my commute to and from work.  


What It Is About - FIVE Things You Need to Know:  
1.  *Suzy Smith is living her life with her parents when a train shows up in the middle of her living room.  Her parents slept right through it. 

 2.  *She boards the train which is called The Impossible Postal Express.  It is here she meets an assortment of odd little trolls who run the train.
3.  *Suzy becomes the Deputy Post Master and is challenged with her first delivery.  At first she is excited, but soon becomes very nervous when she comes face to face with the evil Lady Crepuscula.  

 4.  *The package she delivered to Lady Crepuscula begins "talking" to Suzy and "begs" her to take him with her and away from the evil lady.  

 5.  *This is just the beginning of a wild journey aboard a train to unique and unreal places.  Suzy is on an adventure of a lifetime and will risk her life to complete the mission.  


What I Thought Of It:  The story was fun.  The story was fast-paced.  The story was full of adventures, mysteries, and surprises.  It has been awhile since I have read a middle-grade fantasy so I was ready for the change in pace.  The action started in the first chapter and caught my attention.  The story-line may have slowed down a bit in the middle of the story, but that could also be that I'm a 51 year-old reader as opposed to a young child reading/enjoying it.  Suzy Smith was fun to read about and such a spunky character.  The writer certainly does have a wild imagination.  


Who Should Read It:   The book is long at almost 400 pages so I'm thinking that the story could be read by a fifth and/or sixth grade reader.  If you know of a strong reader in fourth grade with good stamina, they could handle it as well.  Middle-school fantasy lovers would also enjoy the story of Suzy and her friends.  Happy Reading!  



Rating:  3 STARS out of 5 Stars!
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Wonder Wednesday #242 (Game Changer)

Wonder Wednesday - Book Access for ALL Kids

 *When I first heard that my friends Donalyn Miller and Colby Sharp were working on a book together, I was thrilled.

*I couldn't image two better people to collaborate and write a book about the topic of book access for all kids.

*I'm excited for the book release and getting my hands on a copy.




*I've been noticing new videos via Facebook, and other social media, where Donalyn and Colby discuss various topics that will be explored in the book.

*I thought I would share some of those videos here with you...









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Monday, October 15, 2018

An Inside Look #66 (Author INTERVIEW)

An Inside Look with Barbara O'Connor
(Author of Wonderland)

*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 FIFTEENTH interview of what I'm calling Season #FOUR.  

*Thank you to Barbara O'Connor for being the Sixty-Sixth author that I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  

*Here are links to the first Sixty-Five 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)

Interview #57 with Kelly Yang (Author of Front Desk)

Interview #58 with Jennifer A. Nielsen (Author of Resistance)

Interview 59 with Christina Collins (Author of After Zero)

Interview #60 with Eric Walters (Author of Elephant Secrets)

Interview #61 with Phil Bildner (Author of The Rip and Red Series)

Interview #62 with Erin Soderberg (Author of Milla in Charge)

Interview #63 with Laura Shovan (Author of Take Down)

Interview #64 with Donna Gephart (Author of In Your Shoes)

Interview #65 with Alan Gratz (Author of Grenade)


*I truly enjoy reading any Barbara O'Connor novel.  She writes such a special story that always touches my heart.  I've had the honor of meeting her in person.  She is delightful.  My fourth grade class has a Skype visit coming up in November.  Her newest work of fiction is a must-read!  

*Barbara 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 the book...

*Thank you Barbara O'Connor for writing this book...
Wonderland
by Barbara O'Connor (August 28, 2018)


How did you come to know Rose and Mavis?
WONDERLAND actually started out as ROSE AND HOWARD GO TO WONDERLAND. I knew Rose instantly. I knew her house and her family. She just presented herself to me from the get-go. Now, the problem I had was that Mr. Duffy would NOT come to life for me. I just couldn’t get a handle on him as a character. So I set that manuscript aside and began to write WISH. But I liked Howard so much, that I took him out of ROSE AND HOWARD GO TO WONDERLAND and plunked him right down into WISH.

 After I finished WISH, an amazing thing happened. Mavis appeared to me - sitting on a bus stop bench with her mother. Bingo! The story came back to life - even Mr. Duffy! So now I had ROSE AND MAVIS GO TO WONDERLAND, which eventually got shortened to WONDERLAND.
What do you think are Rose and Mavis' most admirable qualities?
Rose is very empathetic and sensitive to the feelings of others. She also wants to obey rules and always do the right thing (which, of course, Mavis interfered with sometimes. haha)

 Mavis is creative, independent and full of life. She also has the ability to persuade others (especially Rose) to do things her way.
Is there anything you they would have changed or done differently in their story?
Not really. MAYBE I would soften Rose’s mother a bit at the end so we have a little more hope for Rose’s family life to be happier.
What do you think Rose and Mavis can offer other children that are experiencing similar situations to what they went through?
I think they are a great example of how to be true friends and to get to know others who are quite different from you and who live in very different circumstances.
How did you research the girls and the circumstances they found themselves in?
The only research I did was in my head - thinking long and hard about them and imagining their behavior, dialogue, etc.
Do you and these two characters share any similarities?
I think they both are loyal friends.


What was the hardest scene to write about them?
The hardest scene to write was when Mavis and her mother moved into the apartment and Mavis’s mother is telling her she thinks she loves her new job and wants to stay. I had to make that convincing and believable.

 Most of Rose’s scenes were pretty easy.
Who do you think were Rose and Mavis' biggest supporters and why?
Mr. Duffy, for sure. He accepted each girl as an individual and was kind-hearted, yet truthful with them.
Why do you think humans and dogs have such a special connection?
Because dogs offer unconditional love and all humans want to be loved.
What do you think the girls are doing as the present time?
I think they’re having weekly meetings of the Best Friends Club and getting together after school to play. I think Rose learns to ride the skateboard and Mavis joins the Tullys for dinner occasionally, maybe even eating tomato aspic.
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