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

In 2008, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, written and illustrated by Brian Selznick, won the Caldecott Medal for best illustrations. But wait! you say, “Isn’t that a chapter book?” Yes. Yes, it is. And it is awesome. On November 23, 2011, the companion movie, Hugo, directed by Martin Scorsese, is opening nationwide. Will it be just as amazing as the book? Who knows? But I can’t wait to find out!

“ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message all come together…in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.”--from the official The Invention of Hugo Cabret web site.

Here’s a great (and quick) interview with Brian Selznick about making The Invention of Hugo Cabret:

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass

Well, I finally read it over summer break and I loved it (as expected)!

After celebrating their first nine same-day birthdays together, Amanda and Leo, having fallen out on their tenth and not speaking to each other for the last year, prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately but peculiar things begin to happen as the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over again.–library catalog

It was the winner of last year’s Massachusetts Children’s Book Awards (yeay!).  Read more about it here where you can also read what some fourth and fifth graders had to say about it.

Wendy Mass is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors! You should also read Every Soul a Star and The Candymakers. But don’t forget to read the companion stories Finally, and 13 Gifts.