Classroom Library Buy – Page 141

Encyclopedia Horrifica by Joshua Gee

November 3, 2013October 30, 2013 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday is hosted by Kid Lit Frenzy and was started to help promote the reading of nonfiction texts. Most Wednesdays, we will be participating and will review a nonfiction text (though it may not always be a picture book).
Be sure to visit Kid Lit Frenzy and see what other nonfiction books are shared this week!

Encyclopedia Horrifica: The Terrifying TRUTH! About Vampires, Ghosts, Monsters and More!
Author: Joshua Gee
Published August 1st, 2007 by Scholastic

Goodreads Summary: Bursting with eerie photos and Special Investigations, a nonfiction compendium of all things ghoulish and ghastly–from Aliens to Zombies!

Vampires, ghosts, monsters, and more–Encyclopedia Horrifica invites you to join our quest for the terrifying truth about all things ghoulish and ghastly. But beware! Surprises lurk at the turn of every page. . . .

Discover a time line of ALIEN LIFE on earth–beginning 4 billion years ago! Meet a man recruited by the U.S. government to become a PSYCHIC SUPERSPY. Spend a dark and stormy night with professional GHOSTBUSTERS. Visit a mysterious library in search of DRACULA’s shocking origins. Witness new photos of the actual sea monster that inspired the mythical KRAKEN. And much more!

My Review: This book is full of crazy information that students are going to love. Information about ghosts, aliens, zombies, pixies, mummies, and crazy other things. The book is a perfect mix of text and photos/illustrations that will keep middle grade readers turning the pages.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This book will find a happy home in the classroom and school libraries of middle schools around the world.

Discussion Questions: Do you believe in _____?; Pick one of the historical elements of the book and research it. What did you learn? What is your conclusion about the historical mystery?

We Flagged: Some of my favorite parts of the book are:

Ghost or Hoax? A section where the reader must decide if the photos being shared are a real ghost or just a hoax.

Q&A Sections There are sections throughout the book filled with questions and answers from paranormal people like a psychic spy and “Professor Paranormal” who knows all you want to know about the afterlife.

The Top Five Most Horrific Hoaxes Exactly what it sounds like and so interesting!

Read This If You Loved: Ghost stories, Nonfiction books about ghosts and monsters

Recommended For:

The Chatswood Spooks #1 & #2 by Notti Thistledore

October 27, 2013 by Kellee

The Chatswood Spooks
Author: Notti Thistledore
Illustrator: Nela Krzewniak
A Frightful Recipe published January 15th, 2013 by CreateSpace Independent Publishing
Sheets and Ladders published February 17th, 2013 by Crooked Chimney Books

Goodreads Summary (A Frightful Recipe): The Chatswood Spooks are in trouble. If they don’t improve their scare tactics they’ll have to find somewhere else to haunt. But the spooks have lived their entire afterlives at the Chatswood Manor, and are determined to show just how scary they can be.

Unfortunately, they haven’t counted on having to scare Ivan the Fearless…

The Chatswood Spooks: A Frightful Recipe is the first in the Chatswood Spooks series. Each story is illustrated with detailed line drawings and is bursting with silliness.

Goodreads Summary (Sheets and Ladders): With his sheets, chains and pet spider, Jingo likes to look the part of the classic ghost. So when someone puts their red knickers in with Jingo’s favourite white haunting sheets, Jingo is devastated.

Feeling hurt and unloved, he decides to run away to join the local Carnival. But what Jingo has in spooking skills he lacks in street smarts, and he soon finds himself in trouble…

My Review: A cute (non)scary ghost story early chapter book that features 3 very different ghost personalities. I loved the vocabulary throughout this book that was not overwhelming yet showed that the author was obviously not writing down to her readers. She also had allusions to fairy tales, word play, and onomatopoeias making the narrative more interesting. I also found the author’s humor really rang throughout.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: I could definitely see these books being used as a read aloud in a classroom as well as a great mentor text to introduce narrative elements since it has a perfect plot arc, conflict, and interesting characters as well as an introduction into figurative and descriptive language and allusions.

Discussion Questions: Book 1: What do you think the ghosts are going to do to be scarier?; Book 2: Do you think Jingo did the right thing by running away?

We Flagged: “On Tuesday evening Toby, the caretaker of Chatswood Manor, called a meeting. All three Chatswood Manor ghosts were there, as well as two crows and a stone gargoyle.
“That gargoyle is worse than Hansel and Gretel,” muttered Winifred as she swept a trail of rocks from the carpet.
“Ahem!” Toby adjusted his half-moon spectacles and consulted a sheet of paper with a squiggly graph on it. Now, listen up, spooks. You’re here because my research shows that you’re all lazy to the bone!”” (Book #1, Location 5)

“Hauling his battered suitcase along behind him, Jingo wandered out onto Bridges Road. All the way he kept telling himself that the Chatswood ghosts were very disrespectful and didn’t deserve to work with him.” (Book #2, Location 34)

“The moon was starting to drag across the sky when the Ghost Bus appeared. Jingo stuck out his thumb to flad it down. The Ghost Bus was the sort of old-fashioned car that had to be started with a hand crank, and its headlights could only be turned on with a switch near the grille.”(Book #2, Location 40)

Read This If You Loved: Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watts, The Witches by Roald Dahl, Ivy Bean and the Ghost that had to Go by Annie Barrows

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Notti Thistledore for supplying copies of these books for review**

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween by Melanie Watts

December 27, 2013October 26, 2013 by Kellee

Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween
Author: Melanie Watts
Published August 1st, 2013 by Kids Can Press

Goodreads Summary: From costume ideas to trick-or-treating strategies, Scaredy Squirrel helps readers plan for the spookiest night of the year! Scaredy Squirrel Prepares for Halloween is the second in a series of nutty safety guides featuring everyone’s favorite worrywart.

My Review: Scaredy Squirrel is one of my favorite rodent characters ever and he shines again in this “Safety Guide for Scaredies.” Scaredy Squirrel thinks of everything and gives advice for everything in preparation for the scariest holiday of the year. As always, he fills his advice with lots of cautions, but also with lots of practical advice– costumes, games, decorations, etc.

One of my favorite things about the Scaredy Squirrel books is that his voice is so consistent and always rings true throughout the book and never falters. He cracks me up! If you’ve read any Scaredy Squirrel books, you know exactly what I am talking about.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This book would be perfect for reading aloud before Halloween. Kids will love it and many discussions about choices for the holiday can happen with this book as a jumping off point.

With all of Scaredy Squirrel books, there is always the opportunity for cause and effect discussions.

Discussion Questions: Which of the “Scaredy Tips” did you find the most helpful?; What do you think Scaredy Squirrel is scared of when it comes to Halloween?; Which of the costumes S.O.S. shared do you like the best?; What do you prefer: makeup or masks?; What is your plan for trick-or-treating?

We Flagged: “About this safety guide: Salutations, ghostly readers. Halloween is creeping up quickly, and it’s time to gather the courage and face the ghoulish festivities! Which is why I, Scaredy Squirrel, have created this essential Safety Guide. Divided into 8 spellbinding chapters, this books is designed to help you prepare for and survive Halloween, all in one piece! Now let’s begin! S.O.S. (Disclaimer: This safety guide includes fictional monsters and similarities to real monsters are pure coincidence.)” (p. 14)

Read This If You Loved: Any other Scaredy Squirrel book, Ol’ Mama Squirrel by David Ezra Stein, Sticky Burr by John Lechner

Recommended For:

Doll Bones by Holly Black

October 25, 2013 by Kellee

Doll Bones
Author: Holly Black
Illustrator: Eliza Wheeler
Published May 7th, 2013 by Margaret K. McElderry Books

Goodreads Summary: Zach, Poppy and Alice have been friends for ever. They love playing with their action figure toys, imagining a magical world of adventure and heroism. But disaster strikes when, without warning, Zach’s father throws out all his toys, declaring he’s too old for them. Zach is furious, confused and embarrassed, deciding that the only way to cope is to stop playing . . . and stop being friends with Poppy and Alice. But one night the girls pay Zach a visit, and tell him about a series of mysterious occurrences. Poppy swears that she is now being haunted by a china doll – who claims that it is made from the ground-up bones of a murdered girl. They must return the doll to where the girl lived, and bury it. Otherwise the three children will be cursed for eternity…

My Review: Wow. I am very reluctant to read “scary” books because I too often find that they rely too much on the scary and not enough on the writing. However, with Doll Bones, Holly Black was able to write a well-written middle grade novel with a good plot arc and characterization mixed with a lot of creepy. Within her “scary” book, Holly Black is able to capture a very awkward time in one’s life– middle school! –in a very realistic way. Her characters are believable, completely filled with the internal debate of growing up or staying a child a bit longer. Then, on top of her great middle grade story, she has included a completely creepy aspect of the story that I even had to put down a couple of times because I knew I was reading some creepy stuff too close to bedtime.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This one will be a phenomenal read aloud and will find a ton of readers when put into classroom libraries. I also know that some of my teacher friends are planning to use it in a book club setting as well.

Discussion Questions: Have you ever been in a situation like Zach where you feel like you are supposed to grow up, but you’d rather play like you used to?; Do you think Poppy was telling the truth the whole time?; What do you think happened to The Queen?

We Flagged: “It wasn’t like a regular dream,” Poppy said, her fingers smoothing back the Queen’s curls and her voice changing, going soft and chill as the night air. It reminded Zach of the way Poppy talked when she played villains or even the Queen herself. “It wasn’t like dreaming at all. She was sitting on the end of my bed. Her hair was blond, like the doll’s, but it was tangled and dirty. She was wearing a nightdress smeared with mud. She told me I had to bury her. She said she couldn’t rest until her bones were in her own grave, and if I didn’t help her, she would make me sorry.” (p. 62-63)

Read This If You Loved: Mary Downing Hahn books, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman, Guys Read: Thriller edited by Jon Scieszka

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Simon & Schuster for providing me with a copy!**

Reality Boy by A.S. King

November 14, 2013October 24, 2013 by Ricki

Reality Boy
Author: A. S. King
Published: October 22nd, 2013 by Little, Brown

GoodReads Summary: Gerald Faust knows exactly when he started feeling angry: the day his mother invited a reality television crew into his five-year-old life. Twelve years later, he’s still haunted by his rage-filled youth—which the entire world got to watch from every imaginable angle—and his anger issues have resulted in violent outbursts, zero friends, and clueless adults dumping him in the special education room at school.

Nothing is ever going to change. No one cares that he’s tried to learn to control himself, and the girl he likes has no idea who he really is. Everyone’s just waiting for him to snap…and he’s starting to feel dangerously close to doing just that.

In this fearless portrayal of a boy on the edge, highly acclaimed Printz Honor author A.S. King explores the desperate reality of a former child “star” who finally breaks free of his anger by creating possibilities he never knew he deserved.

Review: Gerald’s incredibly dysfunctional family allows us to truly appreciate our own families. His mother wants him to be “retarded” so she doesn’t have to recognize the errors she committed while raising him, his oldest sister is allowed to both harm him and have loud sexual intercourse in the basement (while the whole family listens), his dad ignores the issues Gerald is facing, and his one good sister moved away and doesn’t call.

Rightfully, Gerald has a lot of anger, and he has great difficulty controlling it. I loved how raw this book was—it will help teenagers understand the ways that anger manifests itself. Gerald doesn’t have any friends (until he meets Hannah), and he feels very alone, which is a feeling that many teens (and adults, for that matter) can identify with. The book shows how our pasts can haunt us, as Gerald is unable to trust anyone and can’t escape from the decisions he made when he was a young child. This book will have widespread appeal, as different kinds of people will be able to identify with Gerald, and I highly recommend it.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This would be a great book to introduce to the entire classroom. It has strong literary merit, and teachers will find a wealth of teachable information with this text. It would be interesting to have students research the levels of anger and pair passages with emotions associated with anger. Gerald tries a variety of methods to cope with his anger: fighting, yelling, ignoring people, escaping into his own world (which he calls Gerday), running away, etc. It would also be interesting to investigate the techniques associated with anger management, as Gerald’s anger management guidance doesn’t seem to work for him.

Discussion Questions: How does Gerald’s past influence his decisions?; Is reality television always negative? Do we have a right to film children?; Do you agree with the way Gerald’s father handles the difficulties in the family unit?; Do you find Gerald and Hannah’s relationship to be dysfunctional? Do they help each other more than they harm each other?

We Flagged:

“‘I’m, well, I’m,’ I try. ‘I’m not very popular.’

She smiles. ‘Welcome to the club, Gerald. I’m also not popular. I’d go one step further and say I am rather unpopular. I’m okay with that. Aren’t you?'” (Chapter 30).

“When I look around the caf, I can’t see anyone else who is remotely as messed up as I am. Not even Hannah. But maybe I’m wrong. Maybe most other people are messed up, too. It just wasn’t aired on TV or, you know, aired on Tom What’s-His Name’s face” (Chapter 31).

“It’s like we just witnessed a butterfly emerge from its chrysalis. Except that the butterfly isn’t quite what we expected it to be because the whole world is full of shit” (Chapter 38).

Please note: The above quotes are from the Advanced Reader Copy. The e-book (a galley) did not provide page or chapter numbers. The quotes may change when the book is published.

Read This If You Loved: Ask the Passengers by A.S. King, Everybody Sees the Ants by A.S. King, Breathing Underwater by Alex Flinn, The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp, The Silver Linings Playbook by Matthew Quick, The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky, Twisted by Laurie Halse Anderson

Recommended For:

Thank you to Little, Brown Books for Young Readers for sending me the Advanced Reader Copy!

Anubis Speaks! by Vicky Alvear Shecter

October 23, 2013October 23, 2013 by Kellee

Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday

Anubis Speaks! A Guide to the Afterlife by the Egyptian God of the Dead
Author: Vicky Alvear Shecter
Illustrator: Antoine Revoy
Published October 1st, 2013 by Boyd Mills Press

Goodreads Summary: Anubis, the ancient Egyptian god of death and mummification, takes the reader on a personal tour of the “Dark Lands”–the Egyptian afterworld. While touring, Anubis explains ancient Egyptian death practices and escorts the reader onto Ra’s “Night Boat,” where they must battle the evil demon of destruction, Apophis, so that Ra can be reborn in the morning as the sun disk.

Based on Egyptology research–particularly the Book of the Dead, The Book of Apophis, the Book of Caverns and others–Anubis Speaks gives middle-grade readers a fun yet factual look at ancient Egyptian beliefs, rituals and practices.

My Review: I was introduced to Vicky Alvear Shecter when I read Cleopatra’s Moon and was struck by her way to intertwine fact, mythology, and fiction into a fascinating story. I’ve recently (once I started teaching it) become a very hug fan of mythology though mostly Greek and Roman; however, with my reading of Cleopatra’s Moon (then the Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan), I jumped into Egyptian mythology head first and began learning more and more thus realizing how fascinating all mythology is.

Now to Anubis Speaks! What I enjoyed most about this book was how it was put together. It isn’t just another nonfiction book that lists facts and myths and hope that students find it interesting. Instead Shecter made sure to make the book entertaining and different and intertwined myths with a fun narrative from the Egyptian god of the dead. (YES! The whole book is told from the point of view of Anubis making it quite hilarious at points and making it more interesting than just an informational nonfiction book.)

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: This book fits perfectly into a mythology unit. It can be used as a whole or parts taken out. It is a great resource for any teacher teaching Egypt or Egyptian mythology. Also, because it is written so entertainingly, it can definitely be used as a read aloud.

Discussion Questions: Which other Egyptian god/dess’s point of view would you like to read a book by?; Which myth that Anubis shared was your favorite?; What part of Egyptian history that Anubis shared did you find to be the most interesting?

We Flagged: “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Anubis—the Egyptian god of the “Mysteries of Embalming,” the “Guardian of the Veil of Death,” “Opener of the Ways of the Dead,” and if you are “bad” . . . Your. Worst. Nightmare.

But do not fear. I will not snatch your beating heart from your chest and toss it to my good friend, crocodile-headed Amut the Destroyer for a squishy snack . . . not today anyway. Instead, I will guide you through my world of deep magic, strange gods, and gruesome monsters. I will show you how my people, the ancient Egyptians, prepared the dead for eternal and evil—every night—to keep you safe.” (p. 8)

Read This If You Loved: The Kane Chronicles (series) by Rick Riordan, Percy Jackson and the Olympians (series) by Rick Riordan, Cleopatra’s Moon by Vicky Alvear Shecter, Aphrodite the Diva by Joan Holub, Who Was King Tut? by Roberta Edwards and other nonfiction King Tut books, Athena’s Son by Jeryl Schoenbeck, The Gruesome Truth about the Egyptians by Jillian Powell and other nonfiction Egyptian books

Recommended For:

**Thank you to Vicky Alvear Shecter and Teresa Rolfe Kravtin for sending me a copy!**

Now Open the Box by Dorothy Kunhardt

December 27, 2013October 20, 2013 by Ricki

Now Open the Box
Author: Dorothy Kunhardt
Published: August 20th, 2013 by NYR Children’s Collection (First published: 1934)

GoodReads Summary: Peewee’s in the box! Peewee the dog doesn’t know any tricks, “not a single one not even how to roll over not even how to shake hands but never mind he is so teeny weeny that everybody loves him,” the clown, the fat lady, the thin man, the huge tall giant, the strong baby, the acrobats, the elephants, and all the other amazing performers in the wonderful circus of the man with the quite tall red hat. But then something unexpected happens that threatens to bring Peewee’s time under the Big Top to an end.

Now Open the Box is a beautiful example of the art of Dorothy Kunhardt, the author of the timeless classic Pat the Bunny and the pioneering picture book Junket Is Nice. Here Kunhardt speaks with wonderfully reassuring directness to children’s hopes and fears while making magic out of the simplest things.

Ricki’s Review: This picture book made me chuckle. I absolutely adored little Peewee and his circus adventures. I will admit, as an English teacher, the whimsical run-ons make me want to get out a pen, but I have to admit that they do add fantastic, curious element to the story—which remind me of Dr. Seuss’s fun stories. They certainly add to the book’s whimsy. Dorothy Kunhardt doesn’t just tell us about Peewee. She adds great imagery of the various, magical creatures in the circus. These aren’t your average circus animals, either. I loved the vivid illustrations and can’t wait to read this to my baby (who is due in 7 weeks!). I know this will be a favorite.

Kellee’s Review: I will have to second all that Ricki said. Dorothy Kephardt has a way of telling her stories that reminds me of the We’re Going on a Bear Hunt song/story. They are catchy, fun, and will get the kids chorally reading “S/He loved little peewee.” Then underneath all of the fun and whimsy is the essential question of the story: Will I be loved/wanted even after I am not young and little and cute anymore? I think that this question will leave a large impact on the primary students who will get the gift of this story.

Teacher’s Tools for Navigation: Kids will have a lot of fun with this picture book. Teachers can read it aloud and then ask students to envision their own circus animals and draw pictures. There is a lot of great imagery. It would be beneficial for teachers to read a line from the book aloud and then ask students to visualize the animal before they see the picture. There are a lot of great stopping points where teachers could also ask students to make predictions about the box and Peewee’s plight. Finally, as Dorothy Kephardt writes her books in a formulaic fashion, students could use Now Open the Box as a mentor text to make their own story with a surprise ending. This would make for a great teaching tool, and we recommend it for the classroom.

Discussion Questions: What did you think would be in the box? How might your prediction have changed the story?; What makes Peewee unique? What makes us unique? How might being different be exciting and beneficial to us?; What happens after the story ends? Imagine the future for Peewee and add to the tale!

We Flagged: We loved all of the circus animals in this story, so we wanted to share one of the animals who loved Peewee:

“There was a giraffe who can swallow a big rubber ball without sneezing. He loved little Peewee” (p.31).

To see a sneak peak of the book and get an idea for the illustrations, visit the Now Open the Box Amazon page and “Look Inside”

Read This If You Loved: Pat the Bunny by Dorothy Kunhardt, Junket is Nice by Dorothy Kephardt, The Napping House by Audrey Wood, That is Not a Good Idea by Mo Willems, other picture book classics like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey and The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton

Recommended For:

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**Thank you to Media Masters Publicity for providing copies for us to review**