Read This Book! Recommended Reading for 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders 

I’ve been a fan of the Redwall books by Brian Jacques for a long time now so I was thrilled to stumble upon Poppy by Avi. All the characters are animals (mostly mice) who live in an abandoned house in the country. They live under the control of Mr. Ocax, the neighborhood owl, and are afraid to ask him permission to find another place to live. Only Poppy has the courage to look for a new home and face Mr. Ocax when she is banished from the house and her family.

The characters are great, honest, likable (and not so likable); the woods setting is described

beautifully; and there is plenty of danger and adventure.

Here are the sequels: Poppy and Rye and Poppy and Ereth

Below is an interview with the author Avi about how he got his ideas for the Poppy books:

If you know what’s good for you, you WILL NOT read this book.

No. I mean it.

Don’t read this book.

You won’t enjoy it all.

Not one bit. I’m serious.

You will be in grave danger if you read this book!

Fine. Read it.

But don’t say I didn’t warn you. (Click on the book cover for more mysterious fun)

And make sure that you also DO NOT read the sequels: #2 If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late, #3 This Book is not Good For You, #4 This Isn’t What it Looks Like, and #5 You Have to Stop This.

Who is Pseudonymous Bosch? Watch the video to find out.

An ambitious Stone Age man demands a talisman that will harden his heart, allowing him to take control of his tribe. Against his better judgment, the tribe’s magic man creates the Flint Heart, but the cruelty of it causes the destruction of the tribe. Thousands of years later, the talisman reemerges to corrupt a kindly farmer, an innocent fairy creature, and a familial badger. Can Charles and his sister Unity, who have consulted with fairies such as the mysterious Zagabog, wisest creature in the universe, find a way to rescue humans, fairies, and animals alike from the dark influence of the Flint Heart?–library catalog

What a lovely surprise. I knew I wanted to read this book because the cover illustration is so inviting and charming but the beginning of the story is a bit . . . harsh . . . and dark. Not exactly what I had expected. Then I kept reading and as the story went along it got sweeter and sweeter and had me completely hooked. Doesn’t surprise me, really, when you consider that the author is Katherine Paterson (and her husband, John). Katherine Paterson is responsible for  some of the most memorable children’s books ever: Bridge to Terabithia, Jacob Have I Loved, The Great Gilly Hopkins, etc. Go ahead and add The Flint Heart to her long list of memorable favorites.

The Emerald Atlas: The Books of Beginning, Book One is most certainly one of my favorite new fantasy books. So rich and compelling . . . but that might have something to do with the fact that I listened to this on audio and Jim Dale, the man of a million voices, was immensely superb as the narrator.

Don’t know what I loved better. Reading this book or finding these gorgeous trailers. In fact, I found a couple of different versions of the same trailer and I’m not sure which one I like better. Take a look and decide for yourself!

No sign of when Book Two is coming out, so we must wait with much patience. Sigh.

There was once a boy named Milo who didn’t know what to do with himself — not just sometimes, but always.

The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer is turning 50 this year. I know! Can you believe it? I remember loving this book in 1980 when I was in the sixth grade. (yeah, yeah, now everyone knows how old I am.) I reread it again in honor of its birthday and I loved it just as much as the first time. In fact, I probably enjoyed it a little more due to the fact that my years of knowledge and experience allowed me to read it with a different perspective.

It still has wonderful characters; it still sends a meaningful message to both children and adults about the way we should live our lives; and the unbelievably clever way that Juster uses figurative and literal language still made me chuckle in awe.

My favorite message from the book not only addresses my feelings about living but also about what kind of teacher I want to be and how I want my children and students to learn:

You must never feel badly about making mistakes, explained Reason quietly, as long as you take the trouble to learn from them. For you often learn more by being wrong for the right reasons than you do by being right for the wrong reasons.

Below is a wonderful interview with Norton Juster and Jules Feiffer and the story behind the making of this classic.

Did you know that has been turned into a musical? Watch below and maybe you can catch it when it comes to your city!

Well, not exactly. Rick Riordan’s new book goes on sale on October 4, 2011 to be precise. But that doesn’t mean that we can’t get excited about book two in the Heroes of Olympus series!

In fact, Olympian Week starts on Tuesday where Rick Riordan will tour the country stopping in seven different locations to promote The Son of Neptune and to sign books.

We are thrilled to announce that one of the seven “cabins” where Rick will visit is right here in Burlington, MA at the Barnes & Noble at 7:00.

So, pre-order your book, get your ticket, meet Rick Riordan, and get your book signed. Let the toga party begin!

Let’s just say that if you’re looking for a book that is a little bit strange and a whole lot of spooky then you are going to love 100 Cupboards by N.D. Wilson.

Visit the 100 Cupboards web site to play with the interactive wall of cupboards and to explore other 100 Cupboards goodies!

And here is a fantastic book trailer by one of my previous students–Great job, Mimi!

Don’t forget the sequels, Dandelion Fire and The Chestnut King.

Not convinced yet? Watch this excellent book trailer for the trilogy from Yitz Brilliant.