Summer Love

Madeleine Peterson and MacKenzie Grube are all excited for summer! Here they share their summer hopes Prezi style!

Summer on Prezi

Great Books to Read Over the Summer (3-5)

Esperanza Rising is based on the real life experiences of the author's great grandmother. It takes place during the Great Depression and tells the story of a girl and her mother working in the California labor camps. This book is truly an enjoyable read that is hard to put down!

Midnight for Charlie Bone. Charlie lives a frustrating life with his widowed mother and two grandmothers. It isn't until he discovers that he can hear people in photographs talking that his life undergoes a dramatic change. I started reading this book earlier this year but never got around to finishing it. I plan on reading the series over the summer.













The Mysterious Benedict Society. If you haven't read this series yet, you should! Quirky and funny the books are really great at making the unbelievable happen. This series is fairly easy to read and lots of fun! It follows 4 gifted and talented children chosen for their intelligence and resourcefulness, as they go on a mission to uncover a secret and save the world.











I really believe summertime is perfect for light, fun lighthearted reading. Postcards from Camp is just that. Micheal's first time at sleep away camp isn't going well. Through his postcards and letters we follow his journey from scared to enthusiastic, even if his counselor is an alien.

Island of the Blue Dolphins is another great summer read. The story follows Karana, a brave 12 year old Native American who refuses to abandon her brother when her tribe is evacuated from their island. After his tragic death Karana waits to be rescued and reunited with her tribe. I loved this story when I read it in 4th grade!

The Top Ten Ways to Ruin the First Day of 5th Grade is the story of Anthony Madison aka Tony Baloney and his obsession with David Letterman. Determined to make it on the late show, Tony comes up with many lists of his top ten. Tony doesn't just stop at making lists, he is determined to get everyone from family, friends and you the reader on his journey to make his dreams come true. A very funny read!






 

Great Books to Read Over the Summer (K-2)

This fictional story is based on the life of Mary Ann Goodnight, a pioneer who in the late 1800's felt there was a need to save the buffalo from extinction. The character in the book is called Molly and it is only after she discovers two abandoned buffalo calves that she slowly starts the first heard of domestic buffalo.

 Jenny and the other city mice decide to go live by the sea where it is more peaceful. At first their new home seems perfect but soon they discover their island is not abandoned and they must contend with The Skog. Is he as scary as they all fear?

A simple book about Hondo the dog and Fabian the cat. Follow their daily actions from eating to sleeping, contending with baby and playing with friends. It is the illustrations by Peter McCarty that make this book a dream to read.

The Chinese have an ancient tradition of kite flying. This book follows a family as they create a dragon kite one windy summer day. As they watch the dragon soar in the sky and talk to the wind, they wonder what he is saying. 

This book is always a fun read!
A boy named Louis, his Uncle McAllister and a "wee bit of Scotland" in the form of a mysterious tadpole named Alphonse. Louis tries his best to nurture and feed Alphonse but when he starts to grow out of control Uncle Mc Allister admits that the tadpole came from a lake known as Loch Ness. Read along as Louis tries his best to build a safe and happy home for his beloved pet. 












The story of a boy who finds a treasure. When he discovers that people are after his treasure he creates Frog Belly Rat Bone, protector of the specks that are his treasure! This book is whimsical and fun. Timothy Basil Ering does a wonderful job of inspiring imagination and wonder.

First Spring then Summer

As spring winds down to summer and we all look forward to days playing in the sun I thought I would share a thought provoking book that helps explain the question of which came first the chicken or the egg. First the Egg by Emmy Award winning artist Laura Vaccaro Seeger shows the reader many firsts then seconds in life. First the tadpole then the frog. First seed then the flower. First the word then the story. The pages are die cut as seed becomes flower, paint becomes picture and word becomes story. I love the use of canvas and paint to create textured, simplistic yet vivid artwork. This is a book where everyday life becomes extraordinary. A book that helps transform spring into summer School year to summer vacation. .