Paraskevas, Michael. MR. MOON

Paraskevas, Michael.  MR. MOON
New York : Crown Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3, RL 3.0
ISBN 0399549927

While you are sleeping, there is a lot of work being done to get the world ready for the new day.  There are clouds that need to be fluffed and stars to dance.  Mr. Moon helps light the way and keeps watch over everything.



Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/NQdwpei3NitOl

Moses, Will. FAIRY TALES FOR LITTLE FOLKS

Moses, Will.  FAIRY TALES FOR LITTLE FOLKS
New York : Viking, 2015
IL K-3, RL 4.7
ISBN 0451472837
Are you a big fan of fairy tales?  Or maybe you are just discovering them.  Here is a collection of some of favorite fairy tales for you to enjoy.  From Little Red Riding Hood to Puss in Boots, sit down and escape into the world of fairy tales.


Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/WdEDW6CZP9gkb

Moreillon, Judi. READY AND WAITING FOR YOU

Moreillon, Judi.  READY AND WAITING FOR YOU
Grand Rapids, MI : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2013
IL K-3, RL 4.7
ISBN 0802853552


The first day of school can be a scary time.  Especially if you don't know anyone.  How wonderful it would be if you are greeted by many of the people you will see all day. And that is what this book is all about.  From the bus driver, to the students, to the staff, they are all waiting for you.  So come on in.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/8WI5iNfgdEL1b

Martin, Emily Winfield. THE LITTLEST FAMILY'S BIG DAY

Martin, Emily Winfield.  THE LITTLEST FAMILY'S BIG DAY
New York : Random House, 2016
IL K-3
ISBN  0553511017
Meet the littlest family. They have just moved in to a new home in the forest.  They decide to go exploring their new surroundings.  What do you think they'll find?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/uOJgSQ7NOVayU

MacLachlan, Patricia. THE MOON'S ALMOST HERE

MacLachlan, Patricia. THE MOON'S ALMOST HERE
New York: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2016
IL K-3, RL 1.5
ISBN 1481420623

The day is just about done and the moon is almost here.  As a parent and child slowly make their way home, they get to see lots of animals getting ready for the night.   There are birds and sheep and other animals settling down for the night.  Come along for the walk as the day winds down and the moon comes out.



Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/Pq4lsTgXTuhFf43

Sarn, Amelie. I LOVE I HATE I MISS MY SISTER

Sarn, Amelie.
I LOVE I HATE I MISS MY SISTER
New York : Delacorte Press, 2014
IL YA 
ISBN 0385743769

Two sisters are very different but very close.  Sohane is in her last year of high school and is very serious about her studies.  Her sister Djelila is a year younger and loves playing basketball, wearing tight jeans and makeup.  And her boyfriend.  The girls live in France in a housing project with many other Muslim refugees.  France has outlawed the wearing of head scarves by Muslim girls in school.  But Sohane decides that she wants to wear one and is expelled from school when she refuses to take it off.  On the other side of the issue, Djelila is being harassed by the boys in the housing complex for being too modern.  The two side of the issue lead to a tragic outcome.


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/XEBdcQr8gR4Ip

Lampert, Diana Charlotte. SUITE FOR HUMAN NATURE

Lampert, Diana Charlotte.  SUITE FOR HUMAN NATURE
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3, RL 3.9
ISBN 9781416953739
Mother Nature had a job to do.  She tends the Earth and all the creatures in it.  She helps the plants, the animals and the humans.  She makes sure the seasons change when they are supposed to and everyone is happy.  Everyone except Mother Nature.   She longs for a child of her own so she created a little boy and called him Fear.  How do you think that turned out?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/htSPoCcXx0hsu

Krasner, Barbara. THE MYSTERY OF AREA 51

Krasner, Barbara. THE MYSTERY OF AREA 51
Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Publishing Company, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 6.6
ISBN  1680780220

Have you ever heard of Area 51?  It is a place in the state of Nevada that has had a very mysterious past.  It is a top secret site that has been known as an area where advanced airplanes have been developed for the military.  It is also believed to be the site of a UFO landing many years ago.  People believe that the UFO was captured along with its crew and have been held in secret.  What is the truth to all this?  See what you think.


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/dUSMoJ2qphLWz

Holm, Jennifer L. LITTLE BABYMOUSE AND THE CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES

Holm, Jennifer L. LITTLE BABYMOUSE AND THE CHRISTMAS CUPCAKES
New York : Random House, 2016
IL K-3, RL 2.1
ISBN 1101937432
It is Christmas and Little Babymouse has eaten all the Christmas cookies that are meant for Santa.  Not wanting to risk not getting a present from Santa, she comes up with a plan.  She and her Mom will bake cupcakes.  That will be a lot better than cookies!  Santa will be so pleased.  Do you think this is going to go well?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/sDoIvJrusHFv7

Fan, Terry. THE NIGHT GARDENER

Fan, Terry.
THE NIGHT GARDENER
New York : Simon and Schuster, 2016
IL K-3 ,RL 3.2
ISBN 1481439782

Life on Grimloch Lane is pretty grim as you can imagine.  But that is all about to change.  When William wakes up one monring, he looks outside and sees that the tree has been sculpted into an owl.  Each morning another tree or plant has been trimmed to look like a different animal.  This is called a topiary.  But who is doing this?
Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/ZYJ3ir9VFMcFK

Hood, Susan. ADA'S VIOLIN : THE STORY OF THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA OF PARAGUAY

Hood, Susan.  ADA'S VIOLIN : THE STORY OF THE RECYCLED ORCHESTRA OF PARAGUAY
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3, RL 4.0
ISBN 1481430955
Ada lives in a slum.  It is one of the poorest towns in Paraguay.  The town is actually made up of trash. Every day trucks arrive to dump more and more trash.  And everyday, the people of the town sort through the trash looking for things they can use or sell.  Ada is only 8 so she cannot become one of the a recyclers yet.  She and her sister wander through the town and watch the older boys who have joined gangs.  But this is all about to change.  A man who is new to the town has offered free music lessons to children who are interested.  Of course Ada is but there is a big problem.  More than 20 kids sign up and there are only three guitars and two violins.  Would this just be another disappointment to Ada?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/nMxesEvSqb9ut

Hofmann-Maniyar, Ariane. ICE IN THE JUNGLE

Hofmann-Maniyar, Ariane.  ICE IN THE JUNGLE
New York : Child's Play Inc., 2015
IL K-3, RL 2.0
ISBN 1846437318

Ice is a little polar bear who lives in the snowy north.  One day her mother tells her that they are going to move since she got a new job.  Ice is not very happy about leaving her friends and her home but she really has no choice.  When they get to their new home, it is so hot.  And the kids are very different from her friends.  And even the food is strange.  Will Ice ever find a way to fit in?



Podcasts: https://spark.adobe.com/video/Yl9UuXWCzwqsv

Dowell, Frances O'Roark. TROUBLE THE WATER

Dowell, Frances O'Roark.  TROUBLE THE WATER
New York : Atheneum, 2015
IL 5-8, RL 5.7
ISBN 1481424637
Life in a small town in 1953 is pretty predictable.  Everyone knows each other.  Blacks and whites pretty much leave each other alone.  When 11 year old Callie who is black spots a runaway dog, she decides to try to find the owner.  When she follows the dog, she meets Wendell, a white boy on a quest of his own. The two team up to try to solve an old mystery and overcome the anger of other children because of their friendship.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/2WVUvKJh0CTDe

Crow, Kristyn. HELLO, HIPPO! GOODBYE, BIRD!

Crow, Kristyn.  HELLO, HIPPO! GOODBYE, BIRD!
New York : Knopf, 2016
IL K-3, RL 0.9
ISBN 055350990X
Have you ever met someone who is a bit annoying?  Maybe the other person wants to be friends but you just think they are annoying.  That's what happens here.  Bird wants to be Hippo's friend but Hippo just wants to be left alone.  No matter how hard he tries, Hippo wants nothing to do with Bird.  Can anything bring these two together?

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/C4Nrx3BAi0Zu6

Cronin, Doreen. BLOOM

Cronin, Doreen.  BLOOM
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3, RL 4.2
ISBN 1442406208
Bloom is a fairy who once lived in a great kingdom.  But she was messy and she left muddy footprints all over the kingdom and was always being criticized for being so messy.  She had enough so she left.  Now, the kingdom is falling apart. It is being held together by duct tape and peasants.  The king decides he needs to find the fairy who used to take care of the kingdom.  When the king fails, the queen tries to find her.  But she too fails.  So they send an ordinary girl to find the magic.  But what can an ordinary girl do to help?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/r1S7qv-h

Cirrone, Dorian. THE FIRST LAST DAY

Cirrone, Dorian.

THE FIRST LAST DAY
New York : Aladdin, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 1481458132

Haleigh Adams is on vacation and loving it.  Her family has rented a cottage on *the Jersey Shore and they will be moving to a new home in the fall.  She has made a new friend, Kevin, and hopes to keep in touch.  Kevin's grandmother owns a cottage and Kevin spends the summer with her.  On the day before they are all about to leave, a tragedy strikes.  Haleigh wishes this never happened.  When she wakes up the next day, she finds that none of it did happen.  She is reliving this day over.  She hopes to find a way to avoid the tragedy but is that even possible.  She finds that she is reliving the day over and over and over again.  What is going on here?

podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/7NKzG7P8H1m9n

Carbone, Courtney. DARCY SWIPES LEFT

Carbone, Courtney.  DARCY SWIPES LEFT
New York : Random House, 2016
IL YA
ISBN 1101940522
One of my favorite classics is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  It is a romantic love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.  Have you read it? Well, not like this you haven't.  Imagine the story told entirely in text messages and emojis.  How will that change the story?  Or will it?  And don't worry if you are not all that fluent with text.  There is a glossary at the back! 

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/bzsxJrZMsWxXC

Callaghan, Cindy. LOST IN IRELAND

Callaghan, Cindy. LOST IN IRELAND
New York : Aladdin, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 4.3
ISBN 1481462075

Are you superstitious?  What do you do if you get a chain letter?  Do you forward it to friends so you don't have bad luck?  Or do you ignore it?  Well, Meghan McGlinchey is a very superstitious girl.   When she gets a chain letter from someone in Ireland, she sends it on but not in the way it is meant to be.  Now she is worried.  And then she has a series of bad moments that she is sure are because of the chain letter.  As it turns out, her family is going to Ireland on vacation so she is determined to find the sender of the chain letter and try to break he unlucky streak.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/8DGNVC4b4wZGl

Geist, Christina. BUDDY'S BEDTIME BATTERY

Geist, Christina. BUDDY'S BEDTIME BATTERY
New York : Random House, 2016
IL K-3, RL 3.7
ISBN 0553513397


Dressed in his robot pjs, Buddy declares he is not a boy.  He is a robot..  But it is bedtime for robots.  He needs to power down to get ready for the snuggle pod.  Come along with Ro-Buddy as he powers down each part of his body to get ready for bed.


Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/5zRMB7LyGvaUV

George, Kallie. THE LOST GIFT : A CHRISTMAS STORY

George, Kallie.  THE LOST GIFT : A CHRISTMAS STORY
New York : Schwartz & Wade Books, 2016
IL K-3, RL 2.1
ISBN 055352481X

It's Christmas eve in the forest and the animals are looking at the sky.  They can't believe when they see Santa flying by.  How exciting.  But wait.  Something has fallen off Santa's sleigh.  It is a present for the new baby.  The animals decide that they must find this baby and deliver the gift.  But how will that be possible?

Podcasts: https://spark.adobe.com/video/nAuWz7adfViZT

Godwin, Laura. OWL SEES OWL

Godwin, Laura. OWL SEES OWL
New York : Schwartz & Wade, 2016
IL K-3
ISBN 0553497820


A baby owl decides it is time to leave the safety of the nest and go exploring.  Come along and visit the places in the forest with baby owl.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/A8WpxRqCP6okG

Gravett, Emily. BEAR & HARE, WHERE'S BEAR?

Gravett, Emily.  BEAR & HARE, WHERE'S BEAR?
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3 RL 0.7
ISBN 1481456156

Do you like to play hide and seek?  Do you like to be the one hiding or the one seeking?  Do you know some good hiding places?  Bear and Hare are playing and Bear is the one to hide.  When Hare counts to 10, he goes to find Bear.  Where do you think he hides?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/9YydDmeRKQUVL

Giff, Patricia Reilly. JUBILEE

Giff, Patricia Reilly. JUBILEE
New York : Wendy Lamb, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 3-6
ISBN 0385744862

Judith lives on a island with her Aunt Cora.  Her mother left her years ago and she has lived with Aunt Cora since.  Judith has not seen her mother since then and she has not spoken a single word since then.  The doctors say she has selective mutism.  This means that she is physically able to speak but not emotionally able to speak.  The kids make fun of her and she has no friends.  But maybe 5th grade will be better.  Maybe this is the year she'll make a friend. And discover more about herself.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/qKWgEXGttsSxE

Garner, Em. CONTAMINATED

Garner, Em.  CONTAMINATED
New York : Egmont USA, 2013
IL YA
ISBN 1606843540



Imagine a diet soda that helps you lose weight!  Of course it becomes popular.  Who doesn't want to enjoy a soda and also lose a few pounds?  The drink becomes so popular that the company can't keep up with the demand.  They cut a few corners to make the main ingredient. Unfortunately they discover too late that there are some side effects to the contaminated drink.  Well, side effects is a bit mild.  It turns perfectly normal people into raging, violent animals.  During the first wave, many of these affected people are killed.  But then the "connies" as they are called are able to be controlled by drugs and shock collars.  The public is encouraged to claim their relatives and take them home.  Velvet has been caring for her younger sister since her parents became "connies".  Her dad was killed but now she learns that her mother is still alive and available for placement.  People are still terribly afraid of the connies and don't want them around.  Can Velvet find the courage to take care of her mother? Will she and her sister be safe if she does?  

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/26hLVWKY3mfJG

Dumont, Jean-Franciois. I AM A BEAR

Dumont, Jean-Franciois.  I AM A BEAR
Grand Rapids MI : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2015.
IL K-3, RL 2.8
ISBN  0802854478
“I don’t know how I got here…All I know is that one morning I woke up here, on this street, and I haven’t left it since.” A bear is lost in the city.  He lives in cardboard boxes and his coat is old and patched.  No one wants to be his friend.  He has trouble finding food to eat or anyone to talk to.  When a little girl sits down beside him, she decides he looks like a teddy bear and begins to visit him every day.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/AT8bZD2Y2ih2h 

Dylan, Bob. IF NOT FOR YOU

Dylan, Bob.  IF NOT FOR YOU
New York : Atneneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3, RL 1.0
ISBN 1451648812

Back in 1970, musician Bob Dylan wrote a beautiful love song.  "If not for you // Babe, I couldn't find the door / Couldn't even see the floor / I'd be sad and blue / If not for you."  Now it is available to share as a beautiful picture book.  What are you thankful for from those you love?  What makes your life better?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/HeveJOFe5DDS6

Ehrlich, Amy. WILLA : THE STORY OF WILLA CATHER, AN AMERICAN WRITER

Ehrlich, Amy.  WILLA : THE STORY OF WILLA CATHER, AN AMERICAN WRITER
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2016
IL 3-6, IL 5.6
ISBN 0689865732
American novelist Willa Cather was born in 1873 in Virginia.  Her family moved to Nebraska when she was young and she loved the wide prairie but soon decided she needed more in her life.  She went to college and wanted to be a doctor but opportunities took her on a different path.  She found work on a newspaper and then became an editor with a publisher in New York.  She loved living in New York but knew she wanted still more.  She found her calling as a writer and found that the prairie life of her childhood was what she loved writing about. 

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/RnuKKuNG3PW7E 

Farish, Terry. LUIS PAINTS THE WORLD

Farish, Terry.  LUIS PAINTS THE WORLD
New York : Carolrhoda, 2016
IL K-3, RL 2.1
ISBN 1467757969
Luis is upset because his older brother is about to leave home to join the military.   He doesn't know why Nico would want to leave home.  Nico explains that he is off to see the world and will be home when he can.  Luis decides to paint a mural on the back wall so Nico can see the world without leaving home.  As Nico sends pictures home, Luis adds them to the mural.  Will he be able to paint the world for Nico?


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/Yhh4gqU2m0gMC

Brisson, Pat. BENNY'S PENNIES

Brisson, Pat.  BENNY'S PENNIES
New York : Dell Dragoknfly, 1993
IL K-3, RL 1.8
ISBN  0440410169
Benny has five shinny new pennies.  He has plans to find what he wants to buy.  Everyone he talks to has a different idea of what he should spend his pennies on.  Should he listen to his mother, or his sister, or should he just buy something for himself? 

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/925r8pQrrFofo

Brown, Marc Tolon. MONKEY : NOT READY FOR THE BABY

Brown, Marc Tolon.
MONKEY : NOT READY FOR THE BABY
New York : Knopf, 2016
IL K-3, RL 1.9
ISBN 1101933275
Monkey loves being the youngest child in the family.  So when he finds out that his mother is having another baby, he is none too happy.  What does it mean to be a big brother?  How will life change for him?


Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/A1oUo6iFsbu7G

DePaola, Tomie. ANDY & SANDY'S ANYTHING ADVENTURE

DePaola, Tomie.
ANDY & SANDY'S ANYTHING ADVENTURE
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2016
IL K-3, RL 1.4
ISBN 1481441574

Andy invites Sandy to come over to play.  Should they play checkers?  Or maybe dinosaurs?  What about dress=up?  What will these two friends come up with?


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/rkv2Zp1fx

DePaola, Tomie. WHEN ANDY MET SANDY

DePaola, Tomie.
WHEN ANDY MET SANDY
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2016
IL K-3, RL 1.4
ISBN 1481441551
When Andy and Sandy first meet on the playground, neither of them think that they could ever be friends.  Andy is quiet and shy while Sandy is very loud and outgoing.  But this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/Hke6pnyGx

Alexander, Lloyd. THE BOOK OF THREE

Alexander, Lloyd.  THE BOOK OF THREE
New York : Henry Holt,  2014
IL 5-8, RL 5.3
ISBN 1627791221

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper but he dreams of becoming a hero.  When Hen Wen the pig runs away, he may just get his chance.  This is the first book in the classic series Chronicles of Prydain. Taran is sent to find Hen Wen and return her to Caer Dallben.  Hen Wen is an oracle and she needs to be consulted to find out what is happening with the animals.  As he is searching for Hen Wen, Taran meets none other than High Prince Gwydion, who is on his way to consult with Hen Wen for the same reason.   Together they set out with Gwydion’s horse Melyngar to find the pig.  

Bryant, Jen. SIX DOTS : A STORY OF YOUNG LOUIS BRAILLE

Bryant, Jen.  SIX DOTS : A STORY OF YOUNG LOUIS BRAILLE
New York : Knopf, 2016
IL K-3
ISBN 0449813371

 When Louis Braille was born in 1809, he was a tiny baby and no one expected him to live.  But he did.  He was an active, curious boy who was always learning.  When he was 5, he had an accident that cost him his eyesight.  Now blind but still curious, Louis longed to find books that he could read.  He ended up going to a school for the blind in Paris.  The few books they had did not satisfy Louis.  He longed to find a way to write books that blind children could read.  Find out about how Louis experimented with different ideas until he developed the Braille alphabet that opened up reading to many blind people all around the world.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/bryant_six.mp3

Carle, Eric. THE NONSENSE SHOW

Carle, Eric.
THE NONSENSE SHOW
New York : Philomel Books, 2015
IL K-3, RL 1.4
ISBN 039917687X
Nonsense I say.  How can this be?  I dare you to pick up this book and not get a giggle out of the Nonsense Show. Where else will you find a rabbit pulling a child out of a hat? Or a mouse chasing a cat.  What else can you find in this ridiculous book?

podcast: http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/carle_nonsense.mp3

Burleigh, Robert. SOLVING THE PUZZLE UNDER THE SEA : MARIE THARP MAPS THE OCEAN FLOOR

Burleigh, Robert.
SOLVING THE PUZZLE UNDER THE SEA : MARIE THARP MAPS THE OCEAN FLOOR
New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL K-3, RL 4.4
ISBN 1481416006
I love finding books that tell me about people I would never have heard about.  This is the story of a woman named Marie Tharp.  She lived at a time when women were not encouraged to learn about science.  But she was fascinated by maps.  Her father was a map maker and she often helped him.  She was curious about what was under the ocean.  No one knew.  Was it flat or were there mountains that no one could see?  She wanted to know but no one would let her go out and explore.  That didn't stop her though.  Find out how she used science to not only map the ocean floor, but to prove an important theory about the earth.

http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/burleigh_solving.mp3

Aguirre, Zurine. SARDINES OF LOVE

Aguirre, Zurine.
SARDINES OF LOVE
New York : Child's Play, 2015
IL K-3,
ISBN  184643727X
Lolo loves, loves, loves sardines. He eats them every single day.  His wife, Lola, hates sardines but she sells them at the fish shop and she cooks them for her husband.  One day, Lola accidentally sells all the sardines in the shop.  What is she going to serve Lolo?  Maybe she can catch some sardines if she tries.  But she certainly doesn't expect what happens next! 

Podcast:   http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/aquirre_sardines.mp3

Rockwell, Anne F. LIBRARY DAY

Rockwell, Anne F.
LIBRARY DAY
New York : Aladdin Books, 2016
IL K-3, RL 3.8
ISBN 1481427318
Do you go to the public library with your parents?  This is story of Don who is going to the new library with his father. Don thinks there are just books in the library but he soon finds out there is much more to do.  First he goes to story hour and enjoys the books the librarians share.  He even makes a new friend.  While he is choosing some books to take home, he sees a lot more activity going on.  How many of these have you seen in your library?




Podcast:  http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/rockwell_library.mp3

Morpurgo, Michael. LISTEN TO THE MOON

Morpurgo, Michael.  LISTEN TO THE MOON
New York : Feiwel & Friends, 2015
IL 5-8, RL 6.3
ISBN 1250042046
When Alfie finds a young castaway on an uninhabited island off the coast of England, he and the town are all really curious as to who she is and how she got there.  She won't speak and she doesn't interact with anyone.  At first the rumors were that she was a mermaid.  Then people began to think she was deaf and just couldn't hear when people spoke to her.  Alfie's family takes her in and names her Lucy.  Alfie tries to keep secret the fact that she was wrapped in a blanket with German writing.  He is afraid that the islanders will think she is a spy.  England is at war with Germany and everyone is afraid of Germans.  What will they do when they discover the truth?

podcast: 
http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/morpurgo_listen.mp3

Gephart, Donna. LILY AND DUNKIN

Gephart, Donna.
LILY AND DUNKIN
New York : Delacorte Press, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 4.6
ISBN 0553536745


Lily loves the feel of her mother's dress.  But her father wants her to dress as Tim and act like a boy.  How can she ever convince him that she is really a girl?  Her mother and sister have accepted it but not her father.  So when he sees Lily dressed up, he is furious.  And the new boy on the block sees her as well.  When school starts, the new boy, Norbert Dorfman, is confused to meet Tim.  He was sure he had seen a girl who looked just like him.  Lily befriends Norbert and nicknames him Dunkin because he is always drinking Dunkin' Donuts coffee.  The two become friend but Dunkin is recruited to join the basketball team because of his height.  These are the boys who are making Lily's life miserable.  When Lily confides in Dunkin about her desire to live openly a a girl, will that change everything?  And what is Dunkin hiding from everyone?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/BJyL498B

McAllister, Cameron. THE TIN SNAIL

McAllister, Cameron.
THE TIN SNAIL
New York : Delacorte, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 6.4
ISBN 0553536389

Angelo's  father is an automobile designer in Italy during 1940s and has a new car design showing at the Paris auto show.  But Angelo accidentally crashes it.  Now Angelo is determined to help hi father get back his reputation and design a car for the people.  Together, they come up with a brand new concept.  The "people's car" will be economical enough that just about everyone will be able to afford it and dependable enough that they will want to.  But World War II breaks out and they must find a way to hide the car from the Germans so they cannot use the new technology.  Join Angelo and his father as they take an old lawn mower and turn it into a revolutionary car design.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/ByzpDLpN

DiCamillo, Kate. RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE

DiCamillo, Kate.
RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE
Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 4.2
ISBN 0763681172

Raymie Clarke is standing outside Ida Nee's waiting for her baton twirling lesson to begin.  But what she doesn't know is that this will be the start of a new chapter in her life.  She wants to learn to twirl the baton so she can enter the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 competition since she believes that this will bring her father back.  He ran away with a dental hygienist and now Raymie is miserable.  Two other girls are there for the baton lesson as well.  Beverly, a tough kid whose father is a cop, and Louisiana who passes out at the first lesson.  What could these three possibly have in common?  And will they ever learn to twirl the baton?

podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/H1N3SMu4

Weatherford, Carole Boston.
YOU CAN FLY : THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 5.0
ISBN 1481449389

The story of the Tuskegee Airmen told in verse.  These brave men were the first black military pilots in the United States.  During a time when blacks were segregated, these men stepped forward and fulfilled their dream of flying and were eventually sent to fight for their country and for an opportunity to help break the color barrier.


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/S1adkaIN

Waudby, Jeannie. ONE OF US

• Waudby, Jeannie.
• ONE OF US
• New York : Running Press Teens, 2015
• IL YA
• ISBN 9780762457991

K lives in a group home and will soon be on her own as she ages out of the system.  Her parents were killed in a bombing years ago.  Then the unthinkable happens.  On her way to school, another bomb explodes and she is caught in this one.  She recovers but her life is about to take a dramatic turn.  She falls for a young man who convinces her to infiltrate the Brotherhood, the plaid-wearing group that has been responsible for the bombings in the past.  K is given a new identity and moves into the school with the Brotherhood.  But what she finds is not what she expected.  As she gets to know the teens in the Brotherhood, she becomes torn between the two groups.  Who is on the right side?  The Brotherhood or the Citizens?

podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/r1wTi0E4

Vande Velde, Vivian. 23 MINUTES

Vande Velde, Vivian.
23 MINUTES
New York : Boyds Mills Press. 2016
IL YA
ISBN 1629794414

Have you ever done something and wished for a do-over?  Maybe it was something embarrassing that you would love to erase!  What would you do if you suddenly had the ability to do just that?  Zoe isn't sure why she got the ability to turn back time but she knows it saved her best friend's life.  And got her classified as crazy and now she is stuck in a group home.  When she ducks into a bank to get out of the rain, she finds herself in a very bad situation.  Should she use her ability to play back 23 minutes and change things?  Or walk away?  What if she makes things worse?

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/ryQm1Q44

Vande Velde, Vivian. 23 MINUTES

Vande Velde, Vivian.
23 MINUTES
New York : Boyds Mills Press. 2016
IL YA
ISBN 1629794414


Have you ever done something and wished for a do-over?  Maybe it was something embarrassing that you would love to erase!  What would you do if you suddenly had the ability to do just that?  Zoe isn't sure why she got the ability to turn back time but she knows it saved her best friend's life.  And got her classified as crazy and now she is stuck in a group home.  When she ducks into a bank to get out of the rain, she finds herself in a very bad situation.  Should she use her ability to play back 23 minutes and change things?  Or walk away?  What if she makes things worse?

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/ryQm1Q44

Six Kids and a Stuffed Cat by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, Gary.
SIX KIDS AND A STUFFED CAT
New York : Simon & Schuster Books, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 1481452231


Six 8th grade boys are stuck in the boys' room during a weather lock down.  Five of the boys have known each other for years but have not really taken the time to find out what makes each other tick. There is the class clown who spends many afternoons in detention; the hostile one; the brainy one, the big man on campus; the spaced out rocker dude and there is also the new kid who has just slept through his first day at the school.  As the time passes during the lock down, the boys talk and find out much about each other.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/Hk9fyCGN

Book of the day 06/05/2016

Choosing News by Barb Palser

Palser, Barb. 

CHOOSING NEWS : WHAT GETS REPORTED AND WHY 

New York : Compass Point Books, 2012 

IL 5-8, RL 8.0 

ISBN 075654517X 

It seems that the news is all around us. On the television, radio, Internet and on lots of social media sites. How does the news get chosen? Lots of things happen that we don't hear about. Why do some things get the headlines and other things are never talked about? Find out about how reporters decide on what makes the news.

tags: podcasts blueduke

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.