Author Study - Patricia Polacco

I completed my Polacco spring break author study, which came out to 25 books. "Thank You, Mr. Faulker" and "Pink and Say" were not available, so the 25 I took home might be lesser known stories.

As I read them I filed it according to how much I like each one. 

My top five were An Orange For Frankie, The Keeping Quilt, John Phillip Duck,For The Love of Autum, and Rechenka's Eggs. 

Dear Genius: the letters of Ursula Nordstrom

I'm reading several books at a time right now, and one of them is "Dear Genius". I got this book for my birthday maybe a year or two ago, but I picked it up at the beginning of spring break and now I'm infatuated. UN was the children's book editor at Harper for like 30 years and was a major force in kid lit. She adored books and authors, and her use of flattery is the real genius. This book of letters is a wonderful read for kid lit book nerds. 

Doing a little bit of pre-spring break reading promotion before a staff meeting.

Plans for Spring Break


Read all the Patricia Polacco books from my library.

We Could Be Brothers by Derrick Barnes.

I have been reading Derrick’s book slowly, but only because I’m savoring it. “We Could Be Brothers” is a really special book, because the story is so sophisticated, but its reading level is about third grade (lexile 600).This book is a treasure for older boys reading below grade level.
Barnes writes the Ruby series as well, which is really enjoyable, but We Could Be Brothers is the real thing. Add this to your classroom libraries.

I’m doing some literary non-fiction reading with my first graders today.

text message book club

The Summer Book is a dream.

Tove’s writing is precise, descriptive, without judgement. The work of a true naturalist. Tove is like V. Woolf, except more gentle and never boring.

Snow Day Reading:
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson, an adult book I am reading with some friends.
We Could Be Brothers by Derrick Barnes, the author who recently visited my school.
Sarah’s Key, my book group’s March pick.

February's Bibliography

(A list of all things referenced here in the month of February 2014)

Bink and Gollie by Kate DiCamillo

Bink and Gollie, two for one by Kate DiCamillo

Bink and Gollie: best friends forever by Kate DiCamillo

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The Wanderer by Sharon Creech

The Moorchild by Eloise Jarvis McGraw

The Year of Billy Miller by Kevin Henkes

The Absolutely True Story of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie

The Invisible Boy by Trudy Ludwig

The Show Must Go On – Three Ring Rascals Series by Kate Klise

Ruby and the Booker Boys by Derrick Barnes

We Could Be Brothers by Derrick Barnes

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos

Library Sparks – March 2014

Flora and Ulysses: the illuminated adventures by Kate DiCamillo

Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes

Penny and Her Doll by Kevin Henkes

Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes

This is my third Scholastic Book Fair this year. Yes, I’m that good. And that’s why I get paid The Big Bucks.

The House of the Scorpion has been sitting around my house for awhile. I wanted to read it because it’s a Newbery honor book, but I was a little nervous to start it because A Girl Named Disaster, also by Nancy Farmer, took me a month to read.


Anyway, I’m on page 80 and I started it at 9:00 last night. This book is Captivating! Nancy Farmer is a terrific writer.

This evening I will be introducing a Classic to Ramona. She’s already a big time Henkes fan, having already fallen in love with Penny.

Update: Ramona did not like Lilly’s Purple Plastic Purse. It kind of scared her when Lilly was naughty at school and wrote her teacher a mean letter. I shouldn’t be surprised. Ramona has a serious aversion to drama of any kind.

Thoughts on Dead End in Norvelt

Dead End in Norvelt is surprisingly folksy. It was strange to meet a more wholesome younger Gantos alter-ego after having previously read Hole in my Life and watching Jack go to prison. I would really love to re-read the whole Gantos cannon and really get down to the bottom of his disfunction.

I LONG to have a Flora and Ulysses tattoo. Is this possible?

At Barnes & Noble, scouting out the new books. We both prefer the library, but this is a good perspective from time to time.

Professional reading at Ramona’s gymnastics class. Really and truly, Library Sparks is a great resource, but only if you read it. My favorite columns are Toni Buzzeo’s Reader’s Theater and So Many Books…So Little Time.

Bedtime reading tonight was a Bink and Gollie marathon. Ramona is mining these books for vocabulary. Mom, what’s Destiny, Film, Inquire, Andes Mountains???
I really love Bink and Gollie. And Ramona, who is a “marvelous companion”.

Author visit day!! We had author Derrick Barnes visit us today. He is the author of the Ruby books and a new middle grade novel,”We Could Be Brothers” which is going on my to-read list. It’s so great to meet authors and always makes me so thankful for my very cool job.

Sunday Read - I revere Gantos. His books “Hole In My Life” and the Joey Pigza books are on my Best Books list. I can’t wait to read this 2012 Newbery Medal winner.

Valentine from my sweet husband. Love the Library