Reading is Fun

Bibliography: Sachar, L.(1987).There’s a Boy in the Girl’s Bathroom. New York: A. A. Knopf.   Book Summary Bradley Chalker is an unlikable kid with many issues. He sits “ at his desk in the back of the row----last seat, last row. No one sat at the desk next to him or at the one in front of him.  He was an island”(p.1). He is the oldest and toughest kid in his class having been held back twice in the fourth grade. He doesn’t do his homework and is the only kid without a gold star on the wall in his class. As the story progresses, we see him gradually begin to change; first due to the new kid, Jeff, and later due to his visits to the school counselor. He starts doing his homework, improves his grades, makes new friends, and is even invited to a birthday party. At the end of the story he is just like any other regular kid.   My Impression The story is set in a fifth grade classroom at an elementary school and revolves aroun...

Bibliography Teague, M. (2002).Dear Mrs.LaRue: Letters from Obedience School.New York: Scholastic Press.   Book Summary: Ike has been sent to obedience school due to his exasperating behavior; stealing food, chasing the neighbors cats, howling whenever the owner is away , and pulling his owner down and tearing her camel’s hair coat while walking across the street. Ike writes letters to his owner describing the “horror” he has to endure. My Impression: The illustrator uses white and black and color pictures. The black and white illustrations show what Ike is imagining and writing in his letters. The colorful picture show what is actually happening at the school. The illustrations are very detailed. Towards the middle of the book Ike claims that “Miss Klondike has taken my typewriter. She claims it disturbs the other dogs.” The writing changes from typed to hand ...

Bibliography: Meyers, W.D.(2010). Lockdown. New York: Amistad/HarperCollins Publishers   Book Summary Reese, an African American teenage boy, is serving time in a juvenile facility called progress for stealing prescription pads. Reese hopes for a better future for himself and his young sister Icy. He struggles to keep his record clean in jail in order to get an early release. He is constantly faced with random violence from fellow inmates. It is not easy for Reese to do stay out of trouble but he tries hard. He is torn between staying out of trouble and stepping in to protect Toon, another juvenile inmate, from being beaten. His home life is no better. His mother is a drug addict, his brother is an up and coming criminal, and his father is abusive. Reese ends up in several fights and is sent to detention. When he finally gets out of the juvenile facility he has to stay determined to do the right thing and ensure that his sister gets a b...

Bibliography:   Canales, V.(2005). The Tequila Worm. New York: Wendy Lamb Books   Book Summary It is about a young girl, Sofia, growing up in a Mexican- American family. The story centered on family life and traditions. It starts with a young Sofia as she goes through the process of growing up from childhood to adulthood. The various stages of her life are marked by timeless traditions that keep her grounded throughout her life and teach her the value of family in her life. Sofia encounters conflict at school from other kids because she is different. Her resolve to succeed gives her the guts to rise above any petty conflict she encounters from other children. Sofia’s ambition to go to college and the effort that she puts in school finally earns her a scholarship, something that most kids would identify with. My Impression The story is rich with Mexican American culture. Unique Hispani...

Bibliography: Sperry, A.(1968). Call it Courage. New York: Simon & Schuster.   Book Summary This is a legend about a boy, Mafatu, who loses his mother in a terrible hurricane, his fear of the sea due to this experience and his subsequent journey to conquer this fear. After the dreadful experience Mafatu has avoided the sea at all costs. The villagers refer to him as a coward. When the mocking becomes too much to bear, he decides to go to sea and face his fear. He overcomes a storm that wrecks his boat and outruns man eaters. The skills he learned during his time in the village come in handy and he is able to make a new canoe. He escapes the pursuit of the man eaters and comes back home victorious, ready to live up to his name which means courage. His father, the village chief, welcome him back and he is overjoyed that his son will finally take his rightful place among the leaders in the village. My Impression Mafatu is a dynamic ...

Bibliography: MacLachlan, P.(1985). Sarah, Plain and Tall. New York: HarperCollins. Book Summary This book is about a family who lost their mother and the father orders a mail order bride. The little boy, Caleb, doesn’t remember his mom who died a day after he was born but his dad and sister have told him so much about her. He misses her from all the stories they tell about her. The entire family misses her and papa doesn’t sing anymore. Sarah, from Main, comes for a trial run to see if she will like the family and stay with them. The children like her and they hope she will stay. Although Sarah misses the ocean and all its colors, Sarah decides to stay with the family. Her brother has recently married and it is time for her to move on and make her own home. My Impression This story is heartwar...

Bibliography Justor, N.(2005). The Hello, Goodbye Window. New York: Hyperion Books for Children. Book Summary A little girl shares the joyous time she spends at her grandparents’ house. The kitchen window which “looks like a regular window but, it’s not” is the focal point of their activities. Poppy and Nanny use the kitchen window to look out for visitors, make silly faces, wave hello, look at their reflections, watch the stars, wave goodbye, and generally enjoy the world outside. The little girls explores her grandmothers garden, rides her bike, listens as Poppy plays his harmonica to just the one song “Oh, Susannah”. In the evening, when her parents come to pick her up, she is a little sad to leave her grandparents house but also happy to be going home. My Impression This book is fun and full of imagination. There is no dull moment in the little girl’s day. The author uses simple language to tel...