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

What are you reading this week?

Hi Kids,
Today I started a new book that Elijah recommended. It's called The Sisters Grimm, Book One, the Fairy Tale Detectives by Michael Buckley. I am only a few chapters into it, but here's what I can tell--it is fantasy with kids who's parents have mysteriously disappeared and they find themselves in the care of their magical grandmother. So far I like it a lot. It seems like there are more and more books all the time that take traditional stories and rework them. Another one that is really popular with Plympton kids is Ella Enchanted by Gail Carson Levine, and I would also recommend I Was A Rat by Philip Pullman. Both stories take the Cinderella story and make it into something completely new.

What are you reading this week? How do you decide what to read? AND...do you ever re-read your favorite books? (I do--and I did it even more often when I was a kid.)
Send me some great ideas for more books to read!
Your library pal,
Ms. Paradis

Read some poems!

Hi Kids,
Today I was reading a bunch of poetry books. They are fun and quick. One of my favorite poets for kids is Doug Florian. His poems are funny and often about science things. One of his newest books is called Comets, Stars, the Moon and Mars. It has poems about all the different planets. I liked this one about Pluto:

Pluto was a planet.
But now it doesn't pass.
Pluto was a planet.
They say it's lacking mass.
Pluto was admired.
Pluto was a planet.
Till one day it got fired.

I know lots of you read Shel Silverstein, Jack Prelutsky, and other funny poets. If you have a favorite poet or poem, let me know! If you don't have one yet, maybe you can find one this summer at the library.

Ms. Paradis

Harry Potter!

Hi Kids,
I am hearing lots about Harry Potter this week, with a new movie coming out next week and a new book shortly after. Harry Potter is fun--but all the books are not right for all kids. Some of the later ones are pretty scary, and some of the movies are scary too. If you are in first or second grade, I suggest sticking with the first two books. The later books, especially books 5 and 6 are really for middle school kids. They are pretty scary and have some difficult situations in them.
But, if you do like fantasy books, there are lots of other things you can read while you wait till middle school. I like Eva Ibbotson books a lot--you might try reading Which Witch? Island of the Aunts, or The Secret of Platform 13. All these books have magical creatures and are great fun. The Spiderwick Chronicles by Toni DiTerlizzi are also great choices.
Last weekend I went camping with my nieces. My niece Meredith, who is going into third grade, was reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone and she really was enjoying it. My other niece Renee, who is going into 5th grade was reading a book by Gail Carson Levine called Two Princesses of Bamarre and she LOVED it. She was so excited about it that I think I will read that next.
Right now I'm reading a book called The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner. It is about a professional thief who is living in ancient times and has been put in prison for stealing the King's ring and seal. He will be granted his freedom, but only if he can help the king steal something valuable and dangerous from the cave of the gods. It is pretty good--an action-packed historical fiction book. I'd recommend it for grades 4 and up.
Keep reading!
Ms. Paradis

Magic Tree House fun

Hi Kids,
Daniel Thompson and his mom stopped by the library this past Monday and found me trying to clean the place up! (It is almost clean.) They showed me a cool thing they found at Barnes and Noble this week--a Magic Tree House passport. Here is how it works--the store gives you a little booklet that contains stickers for all the Magic Tree House books. As you finish each one, you can add a sticker to your booklet until you've read every one of the books. This can be lots of fun. You could make your own sticker booklet or chart for any other series you might like to read if you can't get to Barnes and Noble this summer.

I am heading off on an adventure this weekend. I am going camping at the beach with my kids, my nieces and nephews, and some of my sisters. I will be interested to hear what my nieces are reading because they are in Kindergarten and 3rd grade and they LOVE books! I will let you know if I hear about anything great.

See you soon,
Ms. Paradis

New Books for the Summer!

Hi Kids,
It is SO HOT today that all I want to do is lie in a cool room with a good book. I hope you are staying cool.

As soon as school was over last week, I went shopping for new books for the Plympton Library. I found some more biographies from a series I really like called "Who Was". I bought "Who was Johnny Appleseed" and "Who Was Daniel Boone." These books seem to be perfect for kids who are getting into chapter books, and I'm going to look for more.

I also bought a book from a new series by Cornelia Funke called Ghost Hunters. In this series a ghost hunter named Hetty Hysop and her helper Tom work with a ghost named Hugo solve mysteries and problems involving dangerous ghosts. The stories are pretty silly and I predict kids will really like this series!

If you find a great new book this summer, let me know! I buy lots of books for the library in the summer and I'm always looking for good ideas!

Your reading pal!
Ms. Paradis

Happy Summer!

Hi Plympton Kids,
I'm glad you found me here. I hope you are having fun and READING something fun. I love to read funny books. Do you? My favorite new funny book is called Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. She's the same author who wrote the books Stuart's Cape and Stuart Goes to School. Clementine has lots of adventures that might remind you of Junie B. Jones, Judy Moody, or Ramona Quimby. The book starts when she finds a friend trying to cut some glue out of her hair in the school bathroom. After Clementine finishes with her friend, she has no real hair, and her scalp is colored in with permanent red marker. Clementine doesn't see any problem here. I predict you'll love this book--no matter what grade you are in.

My question for you is--what is the funniest book you've read recently. Let me know so I can read it too! If you click on the word "Comments" here you will be able to write back to me.

I am going out to my hammock now to read some more books. I'll write again soon!
Your Library Pal,
Ms. Paradis