Showing posts with label Book Report. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Book Report. Show all posts

Monday, April 11

BOOK REPORT: Welcome Spring with These 5 Children's Books


Winter has passed and spring is here. Welcome the new season with these five children’s books! Reading aloud with your child helps to boost vocabulary, sentence fluency, and overall comprehension. Use one of the following books to spark a conversation with your child about their favorite flower, how the seasons change, planting a garden, and more.


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The Secret Garden, Frances Hodgson Burnett

The Gardener.jpg
The Gardener, Sarah Stewart

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Miss Rumphius, Barbara Cooney

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Compost Stew, Mary McKenna Siddals

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The Tale of Peter Rabbit, Beatrix Potter

Click here to learn more about improving your child’s reading skills! Discover great reading recommendations on Fairmont’s Literary Genius Pinterest board!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools
Images by GoodReads

Monday, November 9

BOOK REPORT: Thanksgiving Must-Reads


November is a month of falling leaves, hot cider, and preparations for the holidays. With the onset of Thanksgiving, you might be interested to read several fun and interesting books to your young learner. Check these titles out at your local library and share the spirit and history of Thanksgiving with your child!

Mayflower 1620: A New Look at a Pilgrim Voyage, Peter Arenstam
Readers will learn about the realities of the Mayflower’s long voyage to America with primary sources detailing what the voyageurs wore, what they ate, the dangers of the journey, how they survived, and much more.  

Squanto’s Journey, Joseph Bruchac
A Native American descendant, Bruchac tells the story of Squanto, who, after being kidnapped by Europeans and taken to Spain, returns to his homeland and helps a group of new Europeans bear the harsh winter and create the Thanksgiving holiday celebrated today.

Magic Tree House: Thanksgiving on Thursday, Mary Pope Osborne
On another whirl-wind adventure, Jack and Annie are transported back to 1621 and must work together to help the pilgrims prepare the first Thanksgiving meal!

Thank You, Sarah, Laurie Halse Anderson
Anderson’s book shares the history behind how Thanksgiving became a national holiday! Through the persistence and petitioning of Sarah Hale, Thanksgiving become a nationally recognized holiday with Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1863.  

Milly and the Macy’s Parade, Shana Corey
Based on the true story behind the inception of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, this book tells of Milly, a young Polish girl living in New York City during the 1920’s. Noticing the homesickness of her fellow immigrants, Milly persuades her father’s boss, the Macy’s shop owner, to host a parade in hopes of boosting spirits during the holiday season in a new country.  

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools
Images by Amazon & Goodreads  

Monday, October 5

BOOK REPORT: Best Mystery Series

In honor of National Mystery Series Week, here’s a compilation of some of the most timeless children’s mystery series. Check out these titles at your local library!

Nancy Drew, Carolyn Keene
A mild-mannered teenager, Nancy Drew stumbles into mystery upon mystery and solves crimes with wit, gumption, and help from her trusty friends, George and Bess. Follow Nancy as she recovers stolen objects, finds the truth behind spooky phenomena, and foils the crook’s plans! After first appearing in 1930, Nancy Drew has been reborn and revived throughout the years by way of computer games, movies, and updated books with modern story lines.

The Hardy Boys, Franklin W. Dixon
Frank and Joe Hardy are a pair of ordinary teenage brothers who frequently become tangled within the plots of countless mysteries. Male counterparts of Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys series was created by the same American writer and publisher, Edward Stratemeyer. Both series were penned under ghostwriters Frank Dixon and Carolyn Keene, but the stories were actually contributed by many different writers.
Encyclopedia Brown, Donald Sobol
Boy detective Leroy Brown has a brain full of trivia and operates his own detective agency. Solving the mysteries for the neighborhood children, Encyclopedia Brown picks up sleuthing tips from his police chief father and aides in the solving of many of his father’s police cases! Donald Sobol, author of this acclaimed mystery series, has collected many writing accolades, including a special Edgar Award from the Mystery Writers of America for his contributions to the genre.
Harriet the Spy, Louise Fitzhugh
Eleven year old Harriet Welsch knows that she’ll be a famous writer someday. Dedicating all of her free time to jotting down her most inner thoughts and observations, Harriet strictly follows her daily spy route, spying on her classmates and neighbors. Harriet’s life is somewhat isolated, leaving her to channel her opinions of herself and others into a notebook. Tension ensues, however, when the notebook is discovered by her classmates and Harriet’s secret thoughts come spilling out. 
The Boxcar Children, Gertrude Chandler Warner
Four orphaned children make a home out of an abandoned boxcar and are eventually taken-in by their long-lost grandfather. As the children visit their grandfather during school holidays and travel to different locations, the Boxcar Children stumble upon mysteries wherever they travel. Including over 100 titles, this mystery series was originally written in the 1920’s by a 1st grade teacher.

Basil of Baker Street, Eve Titus
The mouse version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, Basil of Baker Street follows a mouse-detective and his biographer, Dr. Dawson. The sleuthing pair reside in a mouse community built in the basement of 221B Baker Street. Reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes, Basil and Dr. Dawson solves mysteries and are in constant pursuit of Basil’s nemesis, the criminal mouse-mastermind, Professor Ratigan.




For more ideas, check out these popular children’s mystery novels:
The Westing Game, Ellen Raskin
The Invention of Hugo Cabert, Brian Selznick
Horton Halfpott, Tom Angleberger
The Wizard of Dark Street, Shawn Thomas Odyssey
The Aviary, Kathleen O’Dell


Discover more literary gems through Fairmont’s Pinterest board Literary Genius!

Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools
Images by Wikipedia, Goodreads, & Amazon

Monday, September 14

BOOK REPORT: The Best Book I Read This Summer

In honor of Library Card Sign-Up Month, several Fairmont students and faculty members have recommended their favorite summer reads! Visit your local library to sign your child up for their very own library card and to check out these great titles!

The Story of Ferdinand, Munro Leaf
A passive, young bull calf, Ferdinand desires to spend his days smelling flower instead of participating in the famous bullfights of Spain.
Recommended by Ms. Aguilar, 1st Grade Teacher

Junie B., First Grader - The Dumb Bunny, Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones is stuck is a bunny costume, but does her best to win the Easter egg hunt without getting egg on her face!
Recommended by Saba T.

 Bob the Dog, Rodrigo Folgueira
Bob the Dog and Mark must figure out what to do when Bob accidentally swallows a yellow canary!
Recommended by Yasmina S.

 Junie B. Jones is (almost) a Flower Girl, Barbara Park
Junie B. Jones looks for ways to show everyone how grown-up she is at her Aunt Flo’s wedding.
Recommended by Sofia K.

What Makes Popcorn Pop?, Time Life for Children
A question and answer book for kids’ questions about food!
Recommended by Ms. Johnson, Junior Kindergarten Teacher

Spark the beginning of a life-long journey by encouraging your young learner to read! Before taking a trip to the library, be sure to visit Fairmont’s Pinterest board Literary Genius for great reading ideas and book recommendations!
  
Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools
Images by Pinterest, BTSB, Goodreads, Little Sprout Speech, Comidaconalta, & Sort It Apps  

Wednesday, May 6

BOOK REPORT: five summer must-reads for young adults


During the school year, students perpetually read and analyze a variety of texts. Summer provides a great opportunity for students to deviate from the required reading list and engage in books of their own choosing. To establish a love of reading, students should be encouraged to explore their own literary tastes and preferences. Check out these renowned bestsellers for summer reading inspiration!


Alice in Wonderland, Lewis Carroll
Lewis Carroll’s adventure story, riddled with nonsense and confusion, begins with a young girl’s daydream of tumbling down a rabbit hole into a magical land of talking animals, wild tea parties, and disproportionate limbs. Alice tries to make sense of  Wonderland and the characters she meets, but the more she tries to solve their riddles, the more frustrated she becomes. Alice in Wonderland captures the essence of growing up and the confusion young people face while transitioning from childhood to adulthood.

The Aviary, Kathleen O’Dell
The Aviary follows a Victorian girl named Clara who has been cloistered away in a crumbling mansion. Clara soon discovers that there’s more than meets the eye to the mansion and the pet birds living in the aviary outside her window. When a new neighbor moves in across the street, Clara becomes intrigued with life outside and begins investigating the strange  happenings around the mansion.

The Invisible Man, H.G. Wells
Written by a student of science, The Invisible Man delights budding science fiction readers with scenes of great chases, escapes, and trickery only capable by an invisible man. An overarching theme of isolation follows the character of Griffin as he creates an invisibility elixir and becomes forever concealed. However, Griffin soon discovers that life as an invisible person is not as simple as it appears. Disasters ensue, leaving the invisible man on the run, isolating himself even further.  




Where the Red Fern Grows, Wilson Rawls
The classic tale of boy and boy’s best friend, Where the Red Fern Grows reveals the resilience and determination of one young man as he achieves his dream of raising competitive coonhounds in the Ozark Mountains. Meshed with triumph and heartbreak, Billy’s adventures with his young pups display the friendship and grit of which young people are capable.

The Princess Bride, William Goldman
What do you get when you mix a beautiful princess, a friendly giant, a penniless farmhand, and a revenge-driven swashbuckler? Adventure and intrigue are the result, making The Princess Bride an excellent novel for any fantasy reader. The story follows two lovers, Buttercup and Westley, who are separated by fate but brought back together with the aid of several heroic, and sometimes comedic, characters. Sword fighting, castle-storming, true love, magic, and more; William Goldman’s epic adventure contains something for everyone.



Visit the Fairmont Pinterest board Literary Genius for more young adult reading recommendations!



Contributed by Rebecca Stokes, Fairmont Private Schools

Images by
Wikipedia, Goodreads, The Collector's Library

Monday, April 28

BOOK REPORT books celebrating motherhood

Mother's Day is coming up on May 11th, but it's never too early to celebrate the special moms in our lives. Ask most moms what they want for Mother's Day and chances are you'll find out that moms really just want to enjoy some carefree, quality time with their kids. With meals to cook and laundry to fold and children to ferry all over town, being a mom is sometimes just about surviving until the next day.  In the spaces between the rushing and doing, moms steal time to soak in the joy of motherhood.  That's why I love this book list from Reading is Fundamental.  At the end of the day, there's something so comforting about cuddling up with your kids in your lap and reading a good book together.
hushHush! by Minfong Ho, Holly Meade (illustrator) – In this beautifully illustrated Thai lullaby, Mom must go around quieting the creatures of the night whose sounds threaten to wake her sleeping baby.
my-first-dayMy First Day by Steve Jenkins, Robin Page – Has your kid ever asked you what happened on the day they were born? Textured cut paper portraits bring 22 animals to life on their first day of existence as you learn which ones had Mom nearby to help and which were on their own from birth.
lucky-ducklingsLucky Ducklings by Eva Moore, Nancy Carpenter (illustrator) – When Mama Duck takes her little ones for a walk through town, one by one they fall down into a storm drain! Can three firemen and a tow truck driver reunite Mama Duck with her ducklings?
touch-the-skyTouch the Sky: Alice Coachman, Olympic High Jumper by Ann Malaspina, Eric Velasquez (illustrator) – Young minds will be inspired by this true story of Alice Coachman, America’s first African American Olympic gold medalist, who never forgets how hard Momma works so that Alice could rise high.
snow-schoolSnow School by Sandra Markle, Alan Marks (illustrator) – Follow two young snow leopard cubs as their mom helps them grow strong and teaches them how to survive in the snowy mountains.
Contributed by Danyelle, Fairmont Private Schools