School!

School! Adventures at the Harvey N. Trouble Elementary School
by Kate McMullan


School! is an all around silly book and Kate McMullan meant it to be.  The star of the book is Ron Faster and each of the five chapters, where each chapter is one day long,  starts when Ron begins his day and ceases when Ron ends his day.  


Ron and his class mates have goofy adventures as they try to figure out if their sub will be boring on Monday, find Mrs. Fasollatidoo's wig on Tuesday, make a volcano on Wednesday, spend the day with the kindergarteners on Thursday.


During all their zany adventures five big questions emerge.

1. Will Ron's parents find jobs?
2. Will Mr. Stuckinaditch, the bus driver, every make it to school without getting stuck in a ditch?
3. Will Miss Ingashoe, the principal, ever find her missing shoe?
4. Will Mrs. Petzgalore, Ron's teacher, come back to school?
5. Will the janitors, Janitor Iquit and Assistant Janitor Quitoo, ever make it through a day of work without quitting?

If you read all the way through Friday you'll have a few laughs and find the answers to all these questions. 

P.S.  all the characters have funny names.

Published: 2010

Genre: Exaggerated Realistic Fiction

Locations: Classroom Library, your library, Public Libary, and Amazon

The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow

The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow
by Tim Kehoe


Vincent Shadow is a toy inventor, a middle school toy inventor, who has never successful created a toy. His ideas come from visions, powerful visions that blind him to everything except the toy that he sees in his mind.  
The only person that knows about this gift is his mother. With his mom's help he builds a secret workshop in the attic of his house where he works on his inventions and studies other inventors. He works incredible hard and knows that success is just around the corner. 


But then his mother dies, his father remarries, he picks up three step sisters, and he is forced to leave his home and lab behind in New York when his new family moves to Minnesota. 


In Minnesota, his toy visions cease and he gives up on inventing toys.  Then his crazy teacher Mr. Dennis brings toy inventing back into his life when he announces that all the students in class need to prepare an invention for Howard G. Whiz's invent a toy contest.  


Will Vincent be able to come up with a toy minus his visions?  And if he does will Vincent be able to win Howard G. Whiz' contest?  Read The Unusual Mind of Vincent Shadow to find out. 


Published: 2009


Genre: Science Fiction


Location: Classroom Library and Amazon

The Houdini Box

The Houdini Box
by Brian Selznick


Victor wants to be a magician just like Harry Houdini.  Whenever  Houdini comes out with a new trick, Victor tries them and fails.  Despite all of his failures, Victor never gives up and continues to dream of being a magician.  


Then by the luck of the gods, one day Victor meets Houdini at the train station.  During their quick conversation, Houdini promises to write Victor a letter.  


After an unbelievably long wait, the letter arrives at Victor's door.   He reads it and discovers Houdini has invited him over for a visit later in the year.  His patience has been used up so Victor rushes over to Houdini's house.


Now, I'm not going to tell you anymore.  I've given you enough to get going.  You need to read the book to find out what happens next.  Just as a warning, expect a few surprises as you read the rest of The Houdini Box.  


Published: 1991


Genre: Historical Fiction Picture Book


Locations: Class Library, Public Library, and Amazon

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda
by Tom Angleberger


Can a Yoda, made out of paper, sitting on a sixth grader's finger really give good advice?  Does Yoda really know what's going to happen or is it just a piece of paper?  That's exactly what Tommy needs to find out because if Yoda can really give advice he has an extremely important question to ask.


First off, Origami Yoda is exactly what his name says he is.  He is a Yoda made out of origami paper.   The thing that's strange is that he resides on Dwight's finger and travels around school giving advice.  Yoda can't speak, so he does his speaking through Dwight.  Some students believe in Yoda's powers, others think it is a big hoax.  


And as I said before, Tommy needs to find out if Yoda is real or fake because he has a big problem that he needs help with.  Please read The Strange Case of Origami Yoda to find out if a little piece of folded paper can really help sixth grader Tommy with his pressing issues. 


Published: 2010


Genre: Realistic Fiction


Locations: Class Library, Public Library, Amazon

Intro # 2:

If you are an adult, you won't believe this story so don't bother reading it.  But if you're a kid who spends all day in a school exposed to all the different kinds of kids out there, you will believe this book, so read it!

Dwight is a sixth grader.  He wears pants, wears shirts, and goes to class just like you or me.  What is unique about Dwight is that he walks around with an Origami Yoda on his finger.  And another thing, Yoda gives out free advice. Sounds a little far fetched, but picture your school, your class, not so far fetched anymore is it.


Well, Tommy needs some advice but he's not sure he can trust Origami Yoda so he starts to investigate.  He interviews students that Origami Yoda has helped.  He then has to decide, can Origami Yoda help him or not?

Justin Case

Justin Case School Drool and Other Daily Diasters
by Rachel Vail


Worrywart, worrywart, worrywart!  Justin Case is a worrywart.  


Justin shares all of his thoughts as he opens up his journal to you.  He lets you see how he worries about his teacher, his classmates, his extra-curricular activities, and his life at home.  


As he worries his way through life you'll ask yourself tons of questions.  Will he survive in a third grade classroom that doesn't include his best friends Daisy and Noah but does include the scariest boy in school Xavier Schwartz?  Will he ever find his missing stuffed dog Wingnut?  Will he make it through soccer, basketball, and baseball seasons?  Will he survive living with Qwerty, his new pet dog?  As you can see, Justin has a lot to worry about.  Do you think he can make it through third grade?


Published: 2010


Genre: Realistic Fiction


Location: Class library, Public Library, and Amazon

Cabin Fever

Diary of a Wimpy Kid
by Jeff Kinney


I'm not perfect.  You're probably not perfect.  Greg Heffley isn't perfect either. 


Greg Heffley tries to do awesome things.  He tries to do nice things.  But things often go wrong for him.  His mishaps make him easy to relate to because we've all made mistakes. 


When he tried to advertise his own holiday bazaar, he accidentally defaced school property.  Remember, he wants to do good, he just doesn't always pull it off.  Do you think he can redeem himself after ruining school property?


I really enjoyed reading Greg's story and think you will too. 

Published: 2011

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Below Fifth Grade

Locations: Public Library and Amazon

Hooray for Inventors
by Marca Williams


If you've always figured the great inventors of history came up with their ideas and succeeded right away, you're wrong.  Many of them struggled for years and only  perseverance and hard work allowed them to succeed.


Hooray for Inventors is a great introduction to numerous inventors throughout time.  It details the inventions of Edison, Bell, the Wright Brothers and more.  Their stories are told in two to three page cartoons. 


These short stories are great introductions and may inspire you to keep trying to accomplish your goals or simply inspire you to read more books about these famous inventors. 


Published: 2005

Genre: Non-fiction

Locations: School Library, Public Library

Short Picture Book Biographies

Short picture book biographies are a great way to introduce yourself to a historical figure.  They quickly allow you to learn the most important events in a historical figure's life and help you to determine if you want to invest more time reading a longer biography about that person.  



If a Bus Could Talk The Story of Rosa Parks
by Faith Ringgold



Read to find out how Rosa Parks' life influenced her brave actions on a public bus in Montgomery, Alabama helping to spark the Civil Rights Movement in the United States.


Published: 1999

Locations: School Library, Amazon

Houdini: World's Greatest Mystery Man and Escape Artist
written by Kathleen Krull
illustrated by Eric Velasquez


How do you become the greatest escape artist of all time? Read Houdini to find out how he used dedication, hard work, and practice to do the impossible? 


Published: 2005

Locations: School Library, Amazon

Roberto Clemente Pride of the Pittsburgh Pirates
written by Jonah Winter
illustrated by Raul Colon


When I was younger, my best friend and I played wiffle ball in my driveway throughout the summer.  We always pretended to be professional baseball players.  I choose someone new everyday, players like Steve Garvey or Pete Rose. But my friend always choose to be Roberto Clemente .  I often wondered why he picked a player who had died before we were born, but after reading this biography I can see why he did. Roberto Clemente was a hard hitting, hard running, hard throwing outfielder that was all around awesome. 


Published: 2005

Locations: School Library, Public Library, Amazon

Boys in Control

Boys in Control
by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor


This book has it all: brothers, sisters, baseball, teamwork, acting, and blackmail.


The Hatfords, 4 brothers, and the McCoys, 3 sisters, live on opposite sides of the Buckman River and have been feuding since the McCoys moved in.  


But eventually the Hatfords and McCoys need to work together.  Can 6th graders Jake Hatford and Eddie McCoy work together and lead their baseball team to the championship? Can 2nd grader Peter Hatford, and 4th graders Wally Hatford and Caroline McCoy perform a play together that Caroline has written for extra credit? 


Oh yeah, there is a little bit of blackmail too.  The McCoys have found a photo album filled with embarrassing photos of the Hatford boys.  Think diapers on big kids.  Can the Hatford boys work with the McCoy girls even though they are threatening to show the pictures at school?


Boys in Control is one book in a series of 11 books starring the Hatford boys and the McCoy girls.  It is neither the first (The Boys Start the War) nor the last (Who Won the War?) in the series.  This book provides enough background information to allow you to understand it without having read the previous books.

Published: 2003

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Fifth Grade

Locations: Class Library, School Library, Public Library, Amazon

Dork Diaries

Dork Diaries: Tales From a Not-So Fabulous Life
by Rachel Renee Russell


I hate Westchester Country Day. It's the worst middle school ever   I have no friends and I just don't fit in.  I want a new cell phone, a new wardrobe, some friends, and to get into the cool crowd.  


How am I going to do it.  I just don't know.  The only idea I have so far is to enter my school's art contest.  The grand prize is $500.  The money and the prestige would solve all of my problems.  I love art and I'm really good at it.  The only problem is MacKenzie is entering too.  She's an awful person but everyone knows she will win.  She's Miss Popularity and I'm a dork.  Should I even bother to try?


Published: 2009

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Locations: School Library, Public Library, Amazon

Big Nate on a Roll

Big Nate On a Roll

by Lincoln Peirce

In Big Nate on a Roll, Nate's Timber Scout troop is having a fundraiser where the scouts are asked to sell little posters called Warm Fuzzies.  Whoever sells the most wins a customized skateboard.  

If it were just a skateboard, Nate would want to win, but when Artur joins the Timber Scouts and partakes in the fundraiser, Nate has to win.  The problem for Nate is that Artur is really good at selling Warm Fuzzies.  Nate decides he must do anything to win.  Read Big Nate On a Roll to see if Nate can defeat Artur and win the skateboard.

This is the third Big Nate novel and I recommend that you read all three.  It doesn't matter which book you read first because all three contain stand alone stories that you can fully understand without having read the others. 

While the stories can stand alone, the characters remain the same. Nate is a nice kid who just does a lot of minor stuff to get in trouble. Francis and Teddy are his best friends.  Jenny is his dream girl. Gina is his arch enemy and he can't stand super nice guy Artur. (Yes, Artur is the correct spelling.)

Published: 2011

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Below Fifth Grade

Locations: School Library, Public Library, Amazon

Esio Trot

Esio Trot 
by Roald Dahl


Esio Trot is a humorous romance novel.  Mr. Hoppy loves his neighbor Mrs. Silver.  But instead of loving Mr. Hoppy, Mrs. Silver loves her pet tortoise Alfie.  When Mr. Hoppy discovers that Mrs. Silver would reward anyone whom could get her dear little Alfie to grow, he goes into action. Dishonest action.


Mr. Hoppy devises a devious plan to convince Mrs. Silver that Alfie is growing.  His plan is ingenious, a fake chant and a slight of hand, but will he be able to pull it off without getting caught?  If he is successful, will Mrs. Silver reward Mr. Hoppy with what he truly desires, her love?  And what will become of little Alife?  Esio Trot is filled with moments that entice you to predict what will happen next.


First published in 1990

Reading Level: Slightly below fifth grade

Genre: Romance/realistic fiction (everything could technically happen)

Locations: classroom library, school library, Grace A. Dow, Amazon

Toad Rage

Toad Rage
by Morris Gleitzman


Limpy has a quest he must embark on no matter the dangers.  He must save mankind, wait, rewind, Limpy must save Australian Cane Toads from mankind. 


In Limpy's neck of the world, humans hate cane toads and they go out of their way to run them over on the highway.  After seeing his dear sister, Charm, nearly run over, Limpy sets off to convince humans to stop hating and killing cane toads.


His plan, become an Olympic mascot, because how could humans deliberately kill an Olympic mascot. Enlisting the help of his cousin Goliath, random animals, and an Olympic pole vaulter, he attempts tries to gain the love of mankind.  Is it possible for humans to love cane toads?  Limpy hopes so.  


Published: 2001

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: Fifth Grade

Locations: School Library, Public Library, Amazon

Guts Our Digestive System

Guts Our Digestive System
by Seymour Simon


Have you ever wondered how your body turns food into energy? Then you need to read Guts by Seymour Simon.  Using descriptive details, great word choices, and color photographs, Guts tells the energy making journey food takes through our body starting from the moment it enters your mouth. 


Published: 2005

Genre: Non-fiction Human Body

Locations: School Library, Public Library, Amazon

Ruby Lu, Brave and True

Ruby Lu, Brave and True
by Lenore Look



In Ruby Lu, Brave and True, eight year old aspiring magician Ruby Lu partakes in numerous two chapter adventures. She and her good friend Emma compete to see who has the most advanced baby brother,  she is forced to start attending Chinese school, deals with the new neighborhood bully, learns how to drive a car, really a real car, and prepares to share her room with her cousin from China. I've summarized Ruby's adventures, but if you want the details, you need to read Ruby Lu, Brave and True.  

Published: 2004

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Below Fifth Grade

Locations: School Library, Public Library, Amazon

The Thing About Georgie

The Thing About Georgie
by Lisa Graff

Do you know what a dwarf is?


According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, a dwarf is a person of unusually small stature.


The main character of The Thing About Georgie is fourth grader Georgie Bishop, who also happens to be a dwarf.


You might not think that a fourth grade dwarf could be just like you, but he is.  Listen to his problems and tell me they don't sound familiar.


First off, Georgie has been an only child for the first ten years of his life, but  now his parents have decided to have another baby.  Georgie isn't sure how he will fit into this new family scenario. 


Second, Georgie's best friend Andy has started to hang out with the new kid Russ.  Andy wants Georgie to hang out with Russ too, but Georgie isn't sure how he will fit into this new friendship scenario.


Finally, everyone in his class is working on a research project about a president with a partner.  Georgie has to work with Jeanie the Meanie, the class bully.  Georgie isn't sure how he will fit into this new classroom scenario.


Georgie sounds pretty normal, doesn't he?  He has to deal with problems at home, with friends, and at school just like you.  Read The Thing About Georgie to find out how Georgie handles each new scenario.


Published: 2006

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Fifth Gade

Locations: School Library, Public Library, and Amazon

The Black Island

The Adventures of TinTin
The Black Island
by Herge


In this classic mystery comic, TinTin spots a plane in landing roughly.  As he goes to help the pilots, they  shoot him.  After he recovers, he sets out to find what the pilots were up to.  


Overcoming an abundance of hurdles, TinTin  perseveres until his investigation leads him to The Black Island, where he discovers more danger than he has faced before (remember this is a guy who got shot on the first page). Will he make it off the island alive?


I'm not telling, so read The Black Island to find out.


Published: 1956


Genre: Comic Book/Graphic Novel Mystery


Reading Level: fifth grade (lots of infering)


Locations: School library and Amazon

Flying Solo

Flying Solo
by Ralph Fletcher


Imagine your sixth grade teacher is absent, your substitute teacher doesn't show up, and none of the adults in charge at school know that no teacher is present.  What would you do?


Mr. Fab's sixth grade class decided to run class themselves.  Surprisingly, the students' day is pretty close to normal.  They write when they are supposed to write and read when they need to read. As the students take on responsibility, they learn more about themselves and try to make it through the day without getting caught. 


Read Flying Solo to find out what happens when Mr. Fab's class flies solo.


Published: 1998


Genre: Realistic Fiction


Reading Level: 5th Grade


Locations: School library and Amazon

Dodger and Me

Dodger and Me
by Jordan Sonnenblick


Willie has three big problems.

1. After his only and best friend Tim, moves away, he has no friends except for  a girl name Lizzie that he feels is stalking him
2. His mom is way too overprotective
3. He stinks at baseball and his team is trying to win the championship

What does Willie do to solve these problems?  

He discovers Dodger, a talking blue chimpanzee that only he can see. Luckily for Willie Dodger has a three part plan to fix Willie's problems.  Can a possibly imaginary, bumbling, stumbling, catastrophe prone chimpanzee named Dodger that only he can see really help Willie? Read Dodger and Me to find out.

Published: 2008

Genre: Fantasy

Reading Level: Fifth Grade

Location: School library and Amazon

On My Honor

On My Honor
by Marion Dane Bauer


You and your best friend Tony have gone swimming in the dangerous Vermillion River, even though  you know you're not supposed to.  Being the better swimmer, you swim out ahead.  When you reach your destination, you turn back to check on Tony, but he is nowhere to be seen.  At first you think he's hiding.  Then you come to the conclusion that he has drowned.  Now what do you do?

Read On My Honor to find out what Joel does after his best friend Tony drowns in the Vermillion River.

Published: 1986

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Fifth grade

Locations: Class library, school library, Amazon

Dexter the Tough

Dexter The Tough
by Margaret Peterson Haddix


Dexter's life isn't going so well.  His dad is very sick.  His parents have left his hometown of Cincinnati to seek medical treatment in Seattle. Dexter has been sent to live with his grandmother in Bellgap, Kentucky.

With all the problems at home, Dexter needs the first day at his new school to go well.  It doesn't. The principal yells at him, the secretary doesn't show him where to go, other students laugh at him when he falls down, and he beats up a fellow 4th grader, Robin Bryce, before he had even makes it to class for the first time.

This book is really about discovering what kind of person Dexter is.  Is he as tough as he seems?  He isn't.  He actually feels pretty guilty about beating up his schoolmate. So guilty that he decides to write about it for a class assignment.  "I'm the new kid.  I am tuf.  This morning I beat up a kid."

How does he handle the guilt. How does he deal with his teacher after she reads his story?  How does he deal with Robin Bryce, the boy he beat up?  If you want to find out how Dexter does all those things read Dexter the Tough.

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Difficulty: Average

Published: 2007

Locations: Class library and Amazon

The Golly-Whopper Games

The Golly-Whopper Games

by Jody Feldman

If you enjoyed Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The 39 Clues series, The Golly-Whopper Games is the book for you!  It is filled with fantastic adventures and puzzles you'll want to solve all located in a giant toy company.

Gil Goodson, an honest hardworking boy, wants into the Golly Toy and Game Company's 50th anniversary celebration the Golly-Whopper Games. 

His father, a former employee,  was accused of embezzling money from the Golly Toy and Game Company.  His subsequent trial,where his father was exonerated,  has ruined Gil's life.  Old friends ignore him, and former acquaintances are down right mean to him.  In his mind, the only way to improve his life is to the win the Golly-Whopper Games and use the prize money to help his family move to a new town allowing his family to start over..

Along the way, Gil  needs to get into the Games and defeat 24,999 other contestants, including super jocks, bullies, cheaters and brainiacs, to improve his family's level of happiness.   Will  he be able to do it?  Read The Golly Whopper Games by Jody Feldman to find out.

Rating 5/5 stars

Genre: Puzzle solving adventure

Difficulty: average

Published: 2008

Locations: School library and Amazon