Shiloh

Naylor, Phyllis Reynolds (1991). Shiloh. New York, NY: Atheneum.

One day 11 year old Marty Preson comes upon a stray beagle near his home in West Virginia. After many attempts to loose the dog, he continues to follow Marty. Against his morals and ethical views, he decides to keep the dog because he knows the dog is abused and mistreated. He names him Shiloh. When his family says "NO" to keeping the dog, Marty decides to keep the dog hidden, hoping that the dog's owner Judd won't find him. Judd eventually finds out that he has his dog and demands him back. Marty asks to keep the dog (so he can keep him safe) and Judd says no. One day, Marty catches Judd doing some illegal deer hunting and decides to use that to blackmail him into letting him keep the dog. Judd makes and agreement that if Marty helps with manual labor around his house, he will let him keep the dog. After a lot of hard work, Judd does not keep his word and tells Marty no again. With much struggle and some bonding, Judd decides to let Marty keep the dog because he "EARNED" him. Marty is so happy in the end because he saved Shiloh and learned so much in the end.

The Author uses dialogue to show the connections between the characters very well. Marty, as the narrator,opens up and shows us what a great child he is and he is driven to do good. A very unexpected insight by the author was Judd giving in and giving Marty the dog on the last page of the book. 

Because of Winn-Dixie

DiCamillo, Kate (2000). Because of Winn-Dixie. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

10 year old India (Opal) Buloni has just moved to a small town in Florida where she knows no one. She is sad and lonely because the only person she really knows (there) is her father. One day, while Opal is at the local Winn-Dixie supermarket, she finds an old dog and decides to claim him so that he won't end up in the pound. She names him Winn-Dixie. Opal really connects with the stray dog because she knows what it feels like to be abandoned. Opal's mother has been gone her whole life. The dog acts as an inspiration to Opal throughout the story. It is because of Winn-Dixie that she is brave enough to ask her father about her mother, and make friends with some of the town's oddest people and outcasts (That is an unexpected insight given to the reader by the author). She even has a party where she invites all the new friends she has made. The author does a great job of making us feel so much love for little Opal. We really know that is all she needs :) The dialogue in the story helps the reader connect to the characters and the bonds that they build with one another.

Twilight

Meyer, Stephanie (2005). Twilight. New York, NY: Little, Brown and Company.

The book opens with Bella Swan moving to live with her dad in a small (and very rain) town named Forks in Washington. It has been years since she has been with her dad, but has decided to make the move because her mom will be busy traveling with her new baseball player husband. As acqward as it could be moving to a new high school, Bella is greeted and welcomed by all. She is especially intrigued by a boy, Edward Cullen, who seems very standoffish towards her. This makes her even more interested in him. As the plot progresses and unfolds, Bella learns that Edward and his family are actually vampires although they do not hurt humans. Bella falls deeply in love with Edward and it doesn't matter what comes her way, she wants to be with him. When a group of visting vampires comes into town and they attempt to attack Bella, Edward and his family come to her rescue hoping she will not remember the attack. 

The author definitely does a great job using dialogue to allow the reader to feel how deeply Bella and Edward care for each other. The book opens with beautiful language with the following: "I'd never given much thought to how I would die-- though I'd had reason enough in the last few months-- but if I had, I would not have imagined it like this." 

The City of Ember

DuPrau, Jeanne (2003). The City of Ember. New York: Random House.

This story takes place in an underground city called Ember. Days and nights are dark. The only light the city sees comes from floodlamps run by a generator that is failing after 241 years running. Lina and Doon, two twelve year olds from Ember, have just finished school and started their "jobs" as a messenger and pipeworker respectively. Both curious to find out if there is life and light outside of the city of Ember, they search for ways to make the city better. One day, Lina's baby sister Poppy, finds a piece of paper in a box in their home. After her baby sister nearly ruins it, Lina and Doon try to decipher the message and realize that it is instructions to escape from the city. They go into the underground river and find boats to use that eventually lead them OUT of the city to above ground (they never knew they lived underground!)

The author uses a lot of unexpected insights in the story. I read the book as a read-aloud to my 5th graders this first six weeks and we were all in shock as we discovered that they were living underground. DuPrau also uses precise vocabulary that made for great discussions in my class.

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus

Park, Barbara (1992). Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. New York: Random House.

Junie B. Jones is a hard character to NOT fall in love with! (My kindergarten kids always loved this series as a read-aloud). Junie is a sweet yet feisty kindergarten student who is faced with a big problem. She does NOT want to ride the school bus home on her first day of school. She hates everything about the bus and is scared even more about her afternoon bus ride when her best friend Lucille tells her that meanie kids will pour chocolate milk on her head on the way home. Junie B. solves her problem by hiding from everyone after school so she doesn't have to get on the bus. After some adventures in the school, she realizes she might have made a bad choice. She gets even more worried when the police and firefighters show up at the school to look for her!!

The book is written in first person by Junie B. Jones herself. Author Barbara Park does a great job making it sound so realistic and uses vocabulary like a real kindergarten kid would! Kids can relate so well because many of them have felt the way Junie B. feels (and expresses) in her books. I know I have!!

Magic Tree House- #9 Dolphins at Daybreak

Osborne, Mary Pope (1997). Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House, No.9). New York: Random House.

This was my first read in the Magic Tree House series and I really enjoyed it!! I loved how the author uses adventure, fiction to engage the reader. I also love how the book was filled with great science info (great tie of fiction and non-fiction).

Jack and Annie are called to the magic tree house to solve a riddle. After going to the beach, they find a mysterious submarine and turned it on. The are transformed into the ocean to begin their adventure.  After they find a leak in the sub, they solve the problem by swimming out into the open water.  In the ocean, they find amazing ocean animals such as hungry sharks, a friendly octopus and life saving dolphins.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Kinney, Jeff (2007). Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books.

(I absolutely had to see what all the fuss was all about. My 5th graders got a kick out of seeing this book in my bag!!)

Greg Huffley is a middle school kid struggling to be himself. The story is told in diary format (which was his mother's idea only he asked for a "journal"). Greg and his goofy friend Rowley have a great time trying to be cool and trying to be everything everyone else expects them to be. Although Greg would much rather have a cooler best friend, it isn't until he looses him to a new kid at school, Collin, that he realizes how much he misses him.  One day Greg lies to save Rowley's repulation (because he touched the stinky cheese)  

and they are friends AGAIN :)

Although it is a chapter book, it has some great illustrations that made me LAUGH OUT LOUD!! The book is full of humor and now I can't wait to see how it was adapted to a movie.

The Hunger Games

Collins, Suzanne (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: New York Scholastic.

Wow is the first word that comes to me after reading this book!! I can't remember the last book I read that makes me feel the way this book did. I honestly neglected my home and family for a couple of days because I couldn't get my head out of the book.

Katniss Everdeen steps up to the plate and takes here little sister's place in Panem's annual Hunger Games. Every year, each of the 12 districts must pick one boy and one girl to represent their district in the "fight for your life" games. Each of the 24 participants (tributes) must do what they can to be the last one to survive and be named the "winner" of the games. In turn, they will take prizes and fortune to their district. Luckily, Katniss is a skilled hunter and able to hold her own. The book is packed with emotion and is quite realistic (considering it is set in future time). I expected a lot more blood and guts, but the Author did such as great job of providing imagery without being too gory. The characters had to overcome cold nights and hot days, hunting and eating anything and everything they could find, and missing their families they may never see again.  In the end, when all is said and done, district 12 comes out victorious- and both Katniss and Peetra (the boy from district 12) are able to outsmart their competition.

I can't wait to continue with the trilogy!! (Of course, I've got a lot more reading to do for class- so this will have to wait.)