Big Mean Mike is the meanest, toughest dog in the entire neighborhood.
He has the meanest bark. Mike has big, mean teeth and his black collar has mean, silver spikes. Clearly by the colorful, graphic pictures all the other dogs get out of his way when he comes around.
So when Mean Mike discovers a soft, fuzzy bunny in the trunk of his big, mean car, he sits it down on the sidewalk, speeding away knowing that bunnies and mean dogs don't go together.
As the story continues, the bunnies begin multiplying, not leaving Mike alone.
Like any good, tough guy, Mike eventually learns it is acceptable to be tough and caring.
I especially loved the large, graphic pictures throughout the entire story. With details of skullbones and spikes, the reader is not fooled by Mike's mean exterior, especially as the tiny, white bunnies keep popping up.
Picture book pre-k - 3. Would be a fun read aloud to grades 4-5 when dealing with friendships, bullying, self-image.
If you haven't met Junie B. you are in for a treat. Junie B. is in first grade (though if you catch her early books she's a big, bad kindergartner) and the reader learns from Junie B's journal on the first page that "it is the month of Thanksgiving."
I appreciate her ageless language and using words like 'the month of Thanksgiving.' And I love that Mr. Scary is having Room 1 create a thankful list for a school contest. The winner of the contest will get a homemade pumpkin pie from their very own lunch lady. This is not a plus for the kids because they are sure they will vomit. Ha. Ha.
Junie B. is thankful for exploding biscuits. Others are thankful for nipsy doodles and toilet paper. Classmate May is not thrilled with their thankful list, attempting to use her mom's thankful list. The class does not approve. They enjoy their honest list--but will that get them the winning pumpkin pie??
Geared towards young readers, Junie B. can bring a smile to most anyone--and that's something to be thankful about--whether it's Thanksgiving or not.
From the moment Kelly handed me Waiting by Carol Lynch Williams to read,
I assumed I would enjoy it. Little did I know, I would sail through it, loving the characters from beginning to end.
Written from London's perspective in a melt of poetry and prose, you are instantly brought into her world of loneliness. Sadly her brother, Zach, died and her once-upon-a-time missionary family is being ripped apart from the seams. The reader discovers a realistic sibling relationship that creates a certain despair, as London remembers and shares memories about her brothers untimely death.
Inbetween the sadness, I enjoyed the process of London discovering what it means to "like" a boy or two. She is a teen, learning to live again. She is processing feelings, friendships and her parents. Ahhhhh... her parents. Thankfully she has one parent that eventually stands up for her, remembering that she is still alive--needing love, affection and attention. I appreciated that London tried to reconnect with her parents through words, making dinner and when that didn't work--teenage angst.
This story was a reminder that often we don't know what's going on in other peoples lives, whether you're a teen or adult. I'd highly recommend to middle school through adult.
If you liked these popular modern books for young
adults, try some of these classics. Or, vice versa. Expand your reading
horizons!
For fans of The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini
(Eragon, Eldest, Brisingr, Inheritance), I would recommend anything by J. R. R.
Tolkein. Of the high fantasy series I have read, Christopher Paolini has the
most in common with the “father” of the genre.
The Twilight Series
(Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse, Breaking Dawn) by Stephenie Meyer reminded me the
most strongly of Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. The character Jane Eyre is
remarkably similar to Bella Swan, if you dropped her on the darkly whimsical and
rain-soaked moors of Victorian England. However, there aren’t any vampires in
Jane Eyre, so I also recommend Dracula by Bram Stoker for an air of fantasy. And
even more bleak weather.
If Unwind by Neal Shusterman is your thing (the
next book in the series, UnWholly is due out August 28, by the
way), check out Frankenstein by Mary Shelley and 1984 by George Orwell. Between
the two novels, you will find a creepy sci-fi stitched together body, and an
even creepier dystopian society.
Suzanne Collins’ Hunger Games series
(The Hunger Games, Catching Fire, Mocking Jay) built on a long tradition of
dystopian novels. I once again recommend Orwell’s 1984, this time in conjunction
with Lord of the Flies by William Golding. Happy Reading! Well, happy reading if
you like disturbing stories.
A big thanks to Kelly for today's classical crossover recommendations!
Today I was reminded why librarians, educators and parents
need to be social-media savy. I associate with plenty of adults
who know their way around Facebook and possibly Twitter,
but I also know plenty of others who are grumbling over my
first sentence.
Most days when I come to work, I check our libraries Facebook and Twitter.
Amazingly we are over 2000 + friends strong and 800-some
following us on Twitter, so this has become a priority in my
morning. Today, I logged on and within 10 minutes I got a chat-ding:
from a local teen, ‘What up dog?” I chuckled at the ‘dog’ spelling vs. ‘dawg’
and responded back accordingly, asking if he need anything.
I let this teen know that I was researching paper airplanes,
did he need anything? No--he didn’t.
No big deal, right?
I don’t think so. If anything it reminded me as a librarian
that even though this teen isn’t visiting the library in-house,
he still wants to know that we are here for him. Teens, tweens
and kids are online or able to be at most points of their day.
They need to know that we are available, just like they walked
through the doors, even for a brief second.
I would recommend if you do not have a Facebook or Twitter
at your library, or if you are parent with children with social
media accounts, you take the initiative and do it.
Reminding kids and teens, we are able to help, listen and learn with them just like
the good-ole-days.
