Meet Rebecca (American Girl Collection, Rebecca #1)

written by Jacqueline Dembar Greene
grades 2-4 (and their Moms)

Rebecca Rubin is a nine year-old Jewish girl growing up in New York City in 1914. She wants to be an actress, although her traditional parents and grandparents think that this is not an appropriate aspiration for a young lady; they want her to become a teacher instead. Rebecca's family is working hard to make a successful life in America. When Rebecca and her family learn of the hardships of her cousins still living in Russia, her passion becomes helping them find a way to come to America- and safety. Spunky Rebecca puts on a show on the front stoop of their apartment building to make money to help with her cousin's boat fare, only to be met with reprimand from her family. Still determined to help her family in Russia escape to America, Rebecca finds another unexpected way to help.

American Girl has become synonymous with well-written historical fiction for children. Researched thoroughly, Meet Rebecca also includes a section entitled "Looking Back," about Jewish immigration and culture. Rebecca is a charming addition to the American Girl series; strong-willed and intelligent, she is a girl to be admired.

School is Starting!

Great questions to ask your child’s teacher!

What program are you using to help teach reading?
Often districts and school mandate certain programs, but good teacher realize supplementing the instruction is important. Every program is going to be lacking something and is not perfect. A good reading program needs to include phonics, word study, comprehension, fluency, and writing.

How are you incorporating writing in your classroom?
Studies are showing that students are writing less and less in the classrooms. Younger grades need to be writing as well. A child doesn’t have to have perfect grammar, spelling, or format; Students need to be communicating even if it means through pictures.

What is the curriculum for the ____ grade?
It doesn’t hurt to know what students are studying in the different disciplines (language arts, math, social studies, and science). There are many ways to reinforce subjects in the home by having discussions and finding out more what your child is learning. Take it to the next level of your child wanting to learn more. Feed them!

What are your classroom manners (procedures, rules, expectations)?
I prefer to call them manners because it focuses on students learning the appropriate manners needed for classrooms and schools. Each teacher has different pet peeves that drive them crazy.

This doesn’t include the basic questions such as: How is the discipline handled in your room? How can I reach you (email, phone) or how are you communicating with parents? What are your rewards? What behaviors are not acceptable in the classroom? What supplies do you need? How much homework do you give? When is it assignments due? Etc….

Judy Moody Saves the World

By Megan McDonald
Ilus. Peter H. Reynolds
Ages: 7-11

Judy Moody is my new favorite series. Judy Moody is a spunky third grader with an idea and dream for every occasion. When Judy’s class studies the environment, she is startled to learn about the destruction of the rain forest, the endangered species in her own backyard, and her family’s crummy recycling habits. Can she come up with a plan to save the world?

It starts with the Crazy Strips contest and a dream that she might see her very own band-aid design covering the knees of thousands children all over the world. When her “Heal the World” band-aid is awarded only honorable mention, Judy realizes that it is time to focus on something bigger. She drives her family insane by throwing out everything that comes from the rain forest, including her mother’s lipstick. When she decides to release her brother’s pet Toady, she may have gone too far. Can Judy whip the plant into shape?

Other books-Judy Moody Gets Famous, Judy Moody Predicts the Future, Judy Moody Declares Independence, www.judymoody.com for more books

Summer Reading for Gals

It's the three words that kids dread the most- back to school. Happily, there are still a few more weeks of glorious summer. Make the most of it with a few of these "girly" Young Adult books.

1. Fifteen by Beverly Cleary
2. My Fair Godmother by Janette Rallison
3. I'd Tell You I Love, but Then I'd Have to Kill You by Ally Carter*
4. Princess Academy by Shannon Hale
5. Bras and Broomsticks: Magic in Manhattan Series by Sarah Mylnowski*
6. Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson*

* indicates a previously reviewed book

Squids Will be Squids: Fresh Morals and Beastly Fables

written by Jon Scieszka and illustrated by Lane Smith
ages: 7-12 or the author's recommendation of 49-630 (in dog years)

In this quirky twist on Aesop's fables, Squids Will be Squids authors Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith reinvent morals for today's reader. This is a collection of fables that Aesop "might have written if he were alive today." Gone are the tortoise and the hare, the crow and the fox; here are the frog's new shoes, elephant and mosquito, he who..., little walrus, and duck billed platypus versus beefsnakstik. With reinvented animals and modern morals, Squids Will be Squids is sure to become a belly laughing favorite in your home.

Written by the authors of The True Story of the Three Little Pigs and The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales, Squids Will be Squids lives up to its quirky title. This book is cleverly written and wonderfully irreverent. However, there are two incidents in the book that might be considered questionable; there is a bit of name calling and one of the morals is "he who smelt it, delt it." This is a book that you might choose to preview; be mindful though, it promises a good laugh.

The Art of Keeping Cool

by Janet Taylor Lisle


Ages- 10+

In The Art of Keeping Cool, by Janet Taylor Lisle, Elliot and Robert learn to deal with prejudice on a personal level. Robert and Elliot, who are cousins, live in Rhode Island during World War II time period. The setting plays an important role in this story as it does in all historical fiction books.

The story begins with Elliot and Robert, who are cousins and friends, living in the same house on the East Coast of the United States during World War II. Abe Hoffman, an artist, from Germany escaped and immigrated to Rhode Island. At the county fair, Elliot meets Abe and notices that Elliot is good at art. Abe is generous enough to let him take art lessons from him and let him use his supplies. Supplies are rare because war rations. After several U-Boat attacks, townsfolk begin to think Abe is a German spy. Although everyone in the town believes Abe was guilty, Robert and Elliot knew the truth that he was not a spy.

I love World War II therefore; this book really caught my interest. I recommend this book to readers that enjoy the subject of World War II. Readers should have a wide vocabulary, understand basic events of World War II, and should be at least ten years and older. This book contains material (killing) that might be inappropriate for children under the age of ten. Overall, my rating was 10 out of 10.

By: Grant (12 years old)

I Am Too Absolutely Small for School (Charlie and Lola Series)

written and illustrated by Lauren Child
ages: k-3

It is almost the- gulp- first day of school and Lola is feeling worried. Lola spends most of the book creating reasons for why she doesn't need to go to school; she already knows the important things, like how to use the telephone (so who needs to learn to write) or how to count to 100 (nobody eats more than 10 cookies at a time....). In the end, Lola goes to school to help Soren Lorensen, her imaginary friend, feel less afraid. In the end though, with reassurances from big brother Charlie, Lola realizes that school might now be all that bad. It is Charlie's resourcefulness and patience that helps her come to the conclusion that school might actually be worthwhile- and maybe even a little bit fun.

This is a great book choice for back to school. Humorous and fun, it is a gentle reminder to children than even something as scary as school can end up being quite wonderful. Child's whimsical collages really add to this charming book.