Blown Away by Joan Harlow

This book is by the popular author of two dog-related books, Thunder from the Sea and Star in the Storm. Blown Away chronicles the hurricane which devastated much of the Florida Keys in the last century.

The setting is the Depression and a boy named Jake tells the story. How he and his family survive the hurricane is just part of this story about Jake, his friend, a cantankerous former soldier, a dog and a mule.

Although part of the story is very sad, the life lessons are not and the reader leaves it feeling very satisfied. How Jake survives the hurricane and who does not survive make this a book that is difficult to put down.

This book made me want to visit Florida again to smell the smells and feel the heat that Jake did.

A Chet Gecko Mystery- From Russia With Lunch

From Russia With Lunch
By Bruce Hale

This book surprised me. I read it, my first Chet Gecko mystery, without having high expectations for it. A series about a gecko with a cutesy title aimed at third graders did not seem to hold much promise as a good read. I was greatly mistaken.
From Russia With Love is filled with wonderful language. As a teacher in a school where the majority of students are second language learners, I think this book is a fabulous way to introduce children to the wonders of the English language. To really explain this, I must include excerpts from the book.
First, the names of the characters are very clever: Natalie Attired, Tanya Lightov, and Pete Moss. While the students reading the book may not “get it,” the adults using it as a read aloud will certainly be entertained. Next, I have selected some parts of the book which highlight the author’s clever use of idiom and figurative language.
“The last dribbles of lunch period were leaking out, like the sauce from a Sloppy Junebug sandwich.”
“Mrs. Bagoong folder her thick arms. ‘I don’t like the crisp of her bacon.’ ‘You think she might be a few eggs short of an omelet?’ I asked.”
“The badger turned uglier than a plate of broccoli at breakfast.”
And my personal favorite: “Blue doesn’t even come close to describing my mood that afternoon. Kids sent to bed without supper are blue. I was gloom-founded, hurtin’ for certain, down in the Dumpster, majorly mope-ified.”
Taking the time to read this book with second language learners (and with native English speakers) opens up a world of idioms and common (and some not-so-common) expressions for such students. What a wonderful way to get students to want to learn the idioms—because it will help them understand the story.
And the story itself is fun. A good third grade reader will be able to understand the story, but the language will be best understood by a more mature reader. Don’t be fooled by its cover—this book will also be greatly enjoyed by fourth, fifth and even sixth graders as well.

animal books kids love

There are several wonderful animal books that children just love.

One of the top picks is The White Giraffe by Lauren St. John. This is available in paperback and tells the story of a young girl who moves to Africa to live with her grandmother after her parents are killed in a fire. The book is engaging and kids just can't put it down. The main character has a special connection with animals and ends up saving a rare white giraffe. The book also chronicles her struggles to make friends at school where she feels very much the outsider. This story continues with Dolphin Song which I think is even better than the first book. It has wonderful teaching themes such as things are not what they appear to be (a very unpleasant boy at school turns out to be a surprise). I ordered the third book, The Last Leopard, from England as it is not yet available here. I paid more for postage than the book, but it was worth it. There will be more books in the future.

Dog Lost by Ingrid Lee is the story of a young boy, Mackenzie, and his pit bull puppy. His neglectful father wins the dog in a card game and brings it home. The boy falls in love with the dog and, of course, the dog loves the boy. Deciding that it is too expensive to feed a dog, the father abandons the dog at the town dump. While Mackenzie searches for his dog and the town tries to pass anti-pit bull legislation, the dog becomes a hero by helping a variety of people. The different characters are woven into a satisfying finish. I highly recommend this book.

The Good Dog by Avi stars McKinley, the head dog in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. He lives with Jack, the human "pup." While McKinley tries to maintain his status as head of the town pack and help a runaway abused dog, a wolf, Lupin, appears in town. This wolf is the last in the pack and wants the dogs in town to join her. She tries to convince them that being subservient to humans is degrading and beneath the dignity of wolves. McKinley must choose between his wild, wolf-like side and the human-loving side while at the same time protect Jack from his impulsive decision to follow the wolf. Because the book tells the story from McKinley's point of view, it can be used in the classroom as a great "point of view" teaching tool. A wonderful read.