Time to finish your summer reading

Hi everyone--

Thanks so much for helping make this summer's book sharing program so successful.  I'm motivated enough to do it again next summer.  I've gotten lots of books back, but sent so many out there that there are still many unreturned.  If you have any of these books (with the Read It, Rate It, Pass It On sticker inside the front cover) please bring them to Room 4:  Babymouse: Puppy Love, The Calder Game, Clementine, Horace Splattly, How to Save Your Tail, Invention of Hugo Cabret, Ivy & Bean, Legend of Captain Crow's Teeth, The Lemonade War, Max and Maddy and the Chocolate Money Mystery, Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little, My Dad's a Birdman, Phineas L. MacGuire...Erupts, Roxie and the Hooligans, Secrets of Dripping Fang, The Talented Clementine, The Cat on the Mat is Flat, Time Surfers, The Twenty-One Balloons, Varmints, The Willoughby's, The World According To Humphrey, You're a Bad Man, Mr. Gum.

Thanks again for your time, energy, and love for books.  

Rumor

So, I heard a rumor that "The Lightning Thief", book 1 in the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series is available for an avid chapter book reader.  I'm not promising anything - its just a rumor at this point, but if anyone were interested in reading the first book in this very popular new series, I'd certainly be willing to look into the rumor.  Also, over shopping carts in Safeway last week I learned that "The Mysterious Benedict Society" might also be available.  If either of these titles interests you, please post something or email me.  I'll see what I can work out for you.  Happy reading.  Ms. Cebrian.

Jake Drake: Know-It-All

Tommy (going into 2nd grade) just finished this cute story -- we're ready to trade if someone is interested. It's about a 10 year old boy competing in a school science fair. Tommy thought it was pretty entertaining, he gave it 4 stars. Emily (Tommy's twin) wasn't interested at all, so the appeal seems to be male oriented.

Did Fleming Rescue Churchill?

Great shared read and good springboard for discussing how to search and use information found on the web. Paul (1st grade) did not enjoy this as an independent read but did enjoy it as a shared read. We did go to the web and look up information about Fleming and Churchill which was fun and interesting. 3rd graders have autobiographies. This book would be excellent to read before they start gathering their own research on the web. Sarah

Happy readers

I'm back from a long vacation. I did manage to check email and the blog occasionally, but without my own computer, it was somewhat sporadic. I did manage to read - and finish - "The Book of Story Beginnings". I really enjoyed it. Some thoughtful concepts about the life your story characters led before you wrote them into your story and the life they will lead after your story is over. Its a great adventure/mystery/magic book. I have to print a sticker for the inside, but its otherwise available for anyone to read. Let me know if you're interested and we can arrange a meeting. I'm curious to know where the books are - but I could probably live until school started again before finding out. I hope everyone is getting a chance to read a couple of really really great books this summer. I'm currently reading "Tale of Despereaux" because I saw a movie preview for it and thought I should get it read before that came out. I'd also like to finish "The Calder Game" but I can wait until the books come back for that. Keep up the reading.

Time Surfers Available

I am done time surfers. If Ivy and Bean is available I am ready for it.

Lemonade War Available

4 stars per Grayson. He deducted a star for "inappropriate words like stupid."

The Calder Game

Per Grayson, "In this book, Calder Pillay vanishes and his whereabouts are a mystery. Anybody will like this- 5 stars."

Lemonade War available

Hi Everyone,

Ethan is done reading the Lemonade War.  Does anyone want to swap?

Monica

Only Emma

My daughter, Lauren (entering 2nd grade), enjoyed Only Emma, a chapter book which is about an only child named Emma and her weeklong adventures with a younger boy named Anthony. She rates it 4 stars. Please let us know if you'd like to read it.

Finshed "Just Grace" (5 stars)

my daughter, lindsey, just finished this book and gave it 5 stars and now wants to read the other two books in the series. does anyone have "The Wave", "Baby Mouse Puppy Love", "Talented Clementine", or "Ivy & Bean". we would be interested in any of those if you're done with them and have them. we could come pick them up at your convenience. please email me :) thanks! allison

Just Grace

My daughter, Lindsey, loves this book. We are still reading it but almost done and will rate it then. Let me know if anyone wants to read it next :)

Moxy Maxwell Does Not Love Stuart Little

Hi, Zannie finished this book and LOVED it she rates it a 4. We have it if anyone wants it. It is about a girl who does not want to read Stuart Little (required summer reading)...her mom is making her finish the book or suffer a consequence...read the book to find out what happens. Thanks, Sarah

The World According to Humphrey

When someone is done with this Zannie Whittle would like to read it, can you email me when you are done? My email is sarah_whittle@sbcglobal.net Thanks, Sarah

Horace Splatty The Cupcaked Crusader

Hi, Zannie (entering 4th) just finished this book and loved it. She said it is like the Melvin Bederman series, but in this book the hero eats cupcakes to become a superhero. She thinks Henry (going into second) will love it. She rates it a 4 1/2. Henry is going to start reading it right now. Thanks, Zannie, Henry and Sarah

All the books are out there now!!!

The good news is, all the books have been taken!!! Hooray! The bad news is, all the books are taken. My best advice if you're interested in a particular book is to post that you'd like to read it when its current owner is done. I'm not promising that you'll always get the book you ask for, but its certainly worth the effort. Not every kid is going to enjoy every book and every book isn't necessarily appropriate for every kid. There are 35 books out there for the sharing. Two of them are really really special picture books and thus can be shared even more frequently. Try really hard to get a day with either The Wave or Varmints. It will be worth your time. Your book comments really warm my heart. Nothing pleases me more than to have successfully paired a book with a reader. Thanks. Happy summer reading.

The True Meaning of Smekday

My daughter Carly, finishing 1st grade loves this book. At first try it seemed overwhelming, so we started with the comics in between the all text pages. Then she was hooked! She ranks it a 5 since it would be a book she would definitely want to keep! It will be a while before we finish, but now she actually goes up early to her room to get in her reading of Smekday before bed. Cheers, -Jennifer

Roxie and the Hooligans

Hi -- Lauren Baker (going into 2nd) just finished this book and gave it 5 stars (out of 5 stars.) She loved it and said it was one of her favorite books of all time! It is a quick read and she couldn't put it down. She is returning it to Ms. Cebrian today, so be sure and pick it up before school gets out!

Puppy Love Baby Mouse

Hi, Zannie (entering 4th grade) loved this book. She rated it an 8, I guess out of 10. We will bring it in to Ms. C tomorrow and maybe zannie can get another book. It is a fun, quick read. Thanks, Sarah Whittle

Need another book yet???

Some of you had asked me if you could take two books.  I made you wait and now I have several books sadly waiting for loving readers to take them home for a fabulous summer vacation of being read by lots of little (and big) people.  If you were interested in having another book - or are nearly finished with the one you started, by all means come by room 4 (or send your avid reader) and pick up another.  They all need to find homes by Thursday.  And if you have not already done so, please log yourself in as a poster so I can solve any erroneous email issues before I leave for vacation.  Thanks and happy happy reading!

The Lemonade Stand

I picked up The Lemonade Stand for Alex (just finished 2nd grade).  I thought the whole concept of earning money might appeal to him as he spent the last two months saving up and coming up with chore ideas to earn money for a very special thing.  He's quite keen on this book swap thing.  We'll see how it goes...!

Sharing the books

Just to clarify a couple of points for people.  You can share the books with anyone from Oak Knoll who is interested in reading the book you have.  If by chance they didn't sign up at the beginning (and you think to ask/tell them) have them email me their email address and their child's name and I'll add them as a contributor.  I'm not going to freak out if a book drops off the blog radar, but it would help the sharing process if people knew who to ask about a desired book.  Enjoy your summer reading.  Can't wait to read your reviews.

The World According to Humphrey

I'm looking forward to being a part of this program! I took "The World According To Humphrey" (who appears to be a hamster) today for my son, Demetri Alfano, who is 9. He loved reading the Cricket in Times Square and other books by George Selden while in fourth grade, and highly recommends them. Thanks, Jacqui, for pulling this together!

We have "The Invention of Hugo Cabret"

...and will let you all know when it's available.

Disclaimer

I have to share a challenge I'm sure you're familiar with. Finding books that are both challenging enough and appropriate for your avid six to eight year old reader is difficult. If I further complicate things by not including books with rude humor, my choices become even more limited. I have learned that as adults, we often overthink the humor or content of books or overestimate the traumas. Kids often read blithely through topics that are far more sensitive to people with more life experience. However, I also don't want kids to miss out on the much deeper concepts of chapter books designed for older readers, but decodably accessible for younger readers. All of this is simply a long winded way of saying that some of the books may have some occasionally questionable language and crude humor. It happens. If necessary, it becomes a great conversation starter about appropriate language and humor. As always, those are my thoughts about reading and kids. Yours may differ and that's okay.

A new adventure

Someone suggested to me that a blog might be a great way to help my little summer reading project experience more success.  Its my first such venture, so here goes....

I'll be sending home some fabulous books for the 1st to 3rd grade reading crowd.  They are varying levels and almost all chapter books.  Some may be more appropriate (and enjoyable) if you read them aloud together.  I try to choose books that I have genuinely enjoyed - in hopes that you will as well.  

When you finish the book, write your name on the list, rate it, and pass it on to another Oak Knoll family.  

It is my hope that the blog will be able to help in the overall sharing process.  Sharing favorite stories, characters, lines, bits of stories, etc;  finding out who has which books and where you might look for your next reading challenge.  As I said, this is a work/project in process and we'll see if unfolds like the picture in my head.