Mystery and Adventure April 20, 2009
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I found a new book series this spring that caught my attention. It is called The 39 Clues. Book 1 is The Maze of Bones, written by Rick Riordan, which I finally picked-up and read last week. I thought it was great. Each book comes with a set of 6 game cards that give more leads to the clues you’re trying to find. Plus you can purchase additional packs of game cards. You can also join the search for clues online, register for free, enter the secret code on the game cards to learn more, play games and win actual prizes. There will be 10 books in all, written by different authors, the 10th one due out in September 2010. There are three out already and the fourth is due out in June 2009. I hope to be caught up by this summer. I’ve already purchased Book 2 One False Note, written by Gordon Korman. The books are released through Scholastic. On the website www.the39clues.com, you can find out more about the series. Basically, the storyline is that the Cahills are the most powerful family the world has ever known. It includes people like Benjamin Franklin and Mozart. 39 clues hidden around the world guard the family’s power and the race is on to find them. The books follow Amy and Dan Cahill, two young members of the family, as they travel the globe in search of the clues. There are other Cahills searching for the clues as well and the competition plays dirty.
As a Library Media Specialist, I think it would be fun to get kids excited about reading through this series. There is the online/technology aspect to it that is sure to get there attention. There are also the game cards for them to collect and trade. Then there are the clues themselves to find and figure out. The drawback is that there is stuff to purchase to actually play but even if the kids read the books without the game cards, they can still get involved and get reading. I think the series is going to be a good one. I hope you’ll check it out for yourselves. There are going to be well-known authors participating and I’m looking forward to reading them all.
Read on!
Reading with my girls March 14, 2009
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With both girls in school now, 2nd & Kdg, we have required reading time each night. It can be anything as long as they’re reading. For my second grader it’s The Magic Treehouse Merlin Missions. I think we’re up to #36 now. My kindergartner is still reading through Junie B. Jones. We’re up to #12 in that series. The fun part is reading them together, just me and each of them. Anything they bring home from school to read, they can read with me or their dad. It counts towards their required minutes but we don’t really consider it our READING time. Reading time is right before they go to bed, snuggled together under the covers, ready to get lost in another adventure or tune in to the crazy life of Junie. I read with each of them alone so it’s our special way to end the day. I’ll admit that some nights it’s hard to stop what I’m doing to fit in this reading time. I know that once we start we rarely just read the required 15 or 10 minutes. It can turn into a large chunk of my evening. But once we do it, I’m always glad I took the time. It’s important to them . . . and to me. It’s something we share, just the two of us. If there are evenings when I’m not around to read, they each know they can’t read “our” book with dad. They have to find something else to fill their reading time. “Our” books are a journey we’re taking together and one of us can’t go forward without the other. I hope you’ll take a journey with your kids too . . . and enjoy the ride.
Happy New Year! January 13, 2009
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A new year and so many new books to read! My girls and I have started reading many book series over the years because we like getting to know certain characters and keeping in touch with them through their books. I’ve read the entire Junie B. Jones series with my oldest (now in 2nd grade) and have started it again with my youngest (now in Kindergarten). My 2nd grader and I have also read the A to Z mystery series by Ron Roy and have made it all the way to Q. But for some reason, we’ve stalled there and I think it’s because we keep finding more books that we love. I know we’ll come back around to it someday. I hope we do anyway because I can’t stand not having it complete. Another series we love is The Magic Treehouse by Mary Pope Osborne. We completed the series up to the Merlin Missions about a year ago and then moved on to other books. But in the last two weeks, we’ve picked up where we left off and have now read two of the Merlin Mission books. Love them! She’s only required to read 15 minutes a night for school but we can never just stop after 15 minutes. Once we get started we have to keep going! Other series she’s picked up recently are Ivy and Bean by ?? and Gooney Bird Greene by Lois Lowry. I think there are only 4 books in each of these series right now so we can get through them easily. I really enjoy the Gooney Bird Greene books – funny stuff about an unusual second grader that everybody loves. My kindergartner has fallen in love with Mercy Watson by Kate DiCamillo. We’ve read all 5 books in this series and she just can’t understand why there aren’t more. Come on, Ms. DiCamillo, what’s the hold-up?!
For me, myself and I in my adult reading time, I’ve started the Sue Grafton alphabet series starring Kinsey Milhone. I’ve always been a mystery lover (Nancy Drew, Trixie Belden, Mary Higgins-Clark). I’m having fun with these. I’m already up to “H” and the newest one that just came out is “T”. I’ll be caught up in no time. Well, maybe. School starts again this week which will leave less time for pleasure reading I’m sure. On that note, I better get to reading. Thanks for stopping by!
It’s good to be back October 18, 2008
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Sorry, I haven’t posted for awhile. As I’ve moved on to other classes in my degree, I’ve let this site fall behind. I promise to do better. Share with us some of your favorite Fall books for younger children. I really enjoy Lois Ehlert’s books. Leaf Man, Nuts to You!, and Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf are fun books with beautiful pictures.
Young Women of Faith Library June 8, 2008
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I recently stumbled upon a new (to me) author, Nancy Rue. Actually, my 7-year-old daughter did when she brought home a new book from the library, Here’s Lily!. I think what initially got her attention was that the young girl on the cover was a red-head, just like her. The main character is a 6th grader so I was reluctant to start reading this with my 2nd grader. There were no pictures and I wasn’t sure the story line would interest her much. But I was wrong. She’s enjoying the story even though the kids in the book are older. That may be what appeals to her the most, I don’t know. But what I found was there is a Christian element to the story line, an emphasis on finding God in everyday life and teaching young readers (girls) to talk with God about things that are happening in their lives. With so much popularity surrounding Hannah Montana, Zoey 101 or iCarly these days, I was excited about this. What an unexpected and pleasant surprise. I decided to see what else was out there by this same author and found that in addition to the “Lily Series”, she also has a “Sophie Series” under the series title: FaithGirlz! I haven’t read any of the Sophie series, but after the Lily series, we’re going to check them out too. I am reading and would recommend the Lily books. If you’re interested in providing more faith-centered reading materials for your young, pre-teen girls, I think you’ll enjoy this series too. And if you know of other books along this line, especially for the younger girls, please pass the information along. I’d love to hear about it.
Happy Reading!
Are you a Reading Warrior? June 4, 2008
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Summertime is finally here! Become a reading warrior! Just click on this link from Harper Collins:
http://www.readingwarriors.com/rwshell.html to find out more.
“The Reading Warriors summer reading challenge is rooted in the legends and adventures of the Cats of the Clans in Erin Hunter’s bestselling Warriors series.” You must be at least 8-years-old to participate in the challenge. Adults can become Reading Warriors Mentors on the site, to help encourage young readers in the community to keep reading this summer.
Are you up to the challenge?
Most Challenged Book of 2007 May 8, 2008
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A children’s book about two male penquins raising a chick, “And Tango Makes Three”, tops the list of ALA’s most challenged books of 2007.
http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/may2008/penguin.cfm
If you go to this link, you’ll find a list of all the top 10 most challenged books for 2007.
Does your school have activities for students relating to censorship or banned books? Please share.
National Library Week April 14, 2008
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It’s national library week! Have you thanked your librarians today? Check out this little video:
School Reading Program April 9, 2008
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I’d love to hear what you have to say: Describe a School Reading Program that would get students reading at home. How can we encourage this? Keep track of it? and Make it fun? What are some good incentives?
Summer is Coming! April 2, 2008
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Before we know it, summer will be here! We can’t let our children lose ground in reading during their three months of vacation. Keep books a priority this summer. Visit your local public library often. Find out about the fun summer events that your library has planned. Stock-up on books and books-on-tape before your family road trips and vacations. Reading and listening to books is a great way to pass the time!
