Four good books

Hi Kids,
I just got back from spending a week in New Hampshire with my family. I went kayaking and swimming, I ate lots of good food, and I went to a science center and saw real bears and a mountain lion. Mostly though, I read books--at least one book every day! There are four that I read that I would recommend:
The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick is not really like any other book I can think of. It looks enormous, but that is because more than half the pages are illustrations that also tell part of the story. The words and pictures work together to tell the story of a little boy in France who becomes involved in a mystery around a robot, a toy store, and one of the world's first movie makers.
The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron won the Newbery Prize for best novel this year. It is a story about a girl named Lucky living in a desert town in California. After her mother dies, her father doesn't come to care for her--his first wife Brigette comes instead, all the way from France. Lucky and Brigette are funny together and care for one another, but Lucky is not sure Brigette will stay.
Bella at Midnight by Diane Stanley is another good twist on the Cinderella story. In this version, "Bella" has a stepmother, and stepsisters and goes to a ball with a prince. She also stops a war and she lives happily ever.
The Journey that Saved Curious George by Louise Borden is a nonfiction book about Margaret and H.A. Rey, the couple that created Curious George. It tells a fascinating story of their escape from France during World War II when their lives were in danger. You will be interested to hear that their first idea for their famous books was the story of "Curious Fifi" the monkey.

Let me know if you read something good too!
Ms. Paradis

Lots of books to read

Hi Kids,
I'm really busy this week. I've been working in the Plympton library most days getting books ready for school. We have some good new things, and I've also repaired lots of damaged books and reorganized some of the library.
Since I'm in the library all week, I keep taking out different books that I've wanted to read. I loved a really quick picture book called Tiger in a Tree. It is fun to read out loud. I am also reading a book about Jim Thorpe, a Native American boy who grows up to become a super athlete. He was a football star AND an Olympic gold medal winner in track. He even has a town named after him in Pennsylvania. I read a book called Sees Behind Trees yesterday about a boy who cannot see with his eyes, so his other senses get so well developed that he seems to be able to "see behind trees." It takes place in this part of North America about 400 years ago, and has lots of good details about Native American life. Today I started a book called Every Little Bird That Sings. It is so good that I read 10 chapters in one sitting. It is about a girl who LIVES in a funeral home. She has an awful cousin and nice crazy old relatives who are always dying. It sounds sad, but it is very funny.
Next week I'm going to New Hampshire to sit near a pond and READ! I will probably eat too.
See you soon--remember to let me know if you read anything great,
Ms. Paradis

Graphic Novels

Hi Kids,
This week my son's friend was looking for something FUN to read and we suggested a graphic novel. You might know about graphic novels--they are like long comic books that tell one story like a novel. Some that kids at Plympton like include Monkey Versus Robot, Baby Mouse and Owly. You can get more at the public library. If you read one that you really like, let me know!
Ms. Paradis

I've been shopping!

August is usually when I buy new books for the library. This is because I have some time to clean out everything IN the library and to see what we lost during the past year. Then I try to think about what we need for our school work, and what kids seem to like reading for fun. I will do some serious shopping next week. However, over the weekend I remembered we had some money leftover from the book fair, and I bought some things that I think sound good. First I added to our Judy Moody collection. I bought Judy Moody, Around the World in 8 1/2 Days and a new book about her brother Stink. If you haven't read books in this series, they are pretty funny. I find that kids who enjoy books like Junie B. Jones, the Ramona series, or Judy Blume's Fudge books usually like them a lot.
I also bought some more biographies since people really do use them a lot. I bought the Secrets of Droon series because Zac recommended it. We have lots of fantasy readers at Plympton, and I want them to have plenty of choices. Finally, I bought a series of books called World Discovery Science that has nonfiction books about lots of science topics, such as astronomy and animal behavior. I know LOTS of kids like these types of nonfiction books.
Since I am going to be doing more shopping, let me know if you have an idea for some books I should buy!
Your library pal,
Ms. Paradis

Halfway through the summer

Hello,
Now that we are half way through the summer, I'm really curious. What is the best book you've read so far?
Ms. Paradis

My BUSY Week

Hello Kids,
I have not written anything new for a while because I've been super busy. Last week I went to the town of Gloucester (right near the beach) every day and went to school! I took a class about how to make all kinds of books, even books like the ones in our library. It was really fun and I have many ideas about how we might make books together at Plympton School next fall. I was thinking that making a book makes you want to write a book.
I had a friend visiting me this weekend from California. I took her out for dinner on Friday night and we ran into Elijah and his family and I was delighted to see that he had TWO BOOKS with him at the restaurant. There's a well-read guy!
I have also been busy reading the new Harry Potter book. My son Rob is a teenager and he and I went to Harvard Square in Cambridge last Friday at midnight to get the final book in this series that we have been reading together since Rob was starting third grade. We have been sharing the book. Rob is almost finished and I am on page 526. I am going to read more today. Yesterday some friends of ours had a Harry Potter trivia contest at their cookout. I didn't do as well as I'd hoped, but Rob did really well. Rob says if you finish Harry Potter, he recommends the Inkheart books by Cornelia Funke, and ANYTHING by Diana Wynne Jones. I think these are great choices too.
Write back and tell me about your busy summer!
Ms. Paradis

Books on Tape

Hi Folks,
I have been driving around this week a lot, so I checked some books on tape out of the library. Today I listened to a book called Surviving Brick Johnson by Laurie Myers. It was a good easy chapter book about a boy named Alex who has to figure out what to do after he insults the biggest boy in the 5th grade--should he learn karate? get into detention so teachers will protect him? The answer turned out to be a surprise--but very sensible.

Next I started listening to a book called The Enchanted Castle by E. Nesbit. E. Nesbit wrote this book in 1907, and 100 years later it still is great. Three English children who go to boarding school find out they cannot go home for summer vacation because their cousin is sick and they might catch her illness. They stay at school, and of course, they stumble upon magic. So far it is really good.

Do you ever listen to books on tape or CD? I mostly listen to them when I drive, but my son listens to them when he is in bed at night.

Let me know your favorites!

Your library pal,
Ms. Paradis