The Golden Compass, by Philip Pullman

Published December 9, 2014 by Dagmar

I’ve had The Golden Compass on my school library shelf for three years. I’ve wanted to read it and never had the opportunity. With so many students all eager for fiction recommendations, my reading list can be long and scattered – science fiction, mysteries, fantasy, realistic fiction. I’m often reading several books at one time. One or my fourth grade students simply tore through this series this fall. I’m grateful to her for putting this book and series back on my radar. The beginning of this book really grabbed my attention. I didn’t stop reading until I’d finished the book.

The Golden Compass is the first book in the “His Dark Materials” series (The Golden Compass, The Subtle Knife and the Amber Spyglass). Lyra is the main character. Her world resembles the current world with recognizable countries and geography. Every human being has a daemon, an animal that acts as an expression of each person’s soul, and is their closest friend. Daemons change form as a child grows and eventually settle into one animal form when the child becomes an adult. Lyra is being raised by the Scholars at Jordan College. Lord Ariel, her uncle, visits Lyra occasionally, but she is largely left to her own devices. She spends most of her time with her best friend, Roger, a kitchen boy. Together, they get into a lot of mischief, battling with other children, climbing onto the roof of the College and discovering all that tunnels and rooms that lie beneath the College.

The story begins as Lyra, a girl, and her daemon, Pantalaimon hide in a wardrobe in the Retiring Room at Jordan College. Hidden, she sees the Master of the College walk into the room and put poison in the wine glass of the visiting Lord Asriel, who is soon to arrive. Lord Asriel enters the Retiring Room only to catch Lyra, hiding in the wardrobe. Lyra tells him of the poisoned wine. Grateful to know about the plot to kill him, Lord Asriel allows her to crawl back in the wardrobe so that she can see the slideshow he is presenting to Scholars at Jordan College. The slideshow shows the Aurora in the North and an image of a city in the sky. Lord Asriel speaks to the group of Scholars about a mysterious substance called “dust”. Lyra is fascinated by the images Lord Asriel has shown the group. She is curious about everything she has heard and wants to visit the North to learn more about “dust” and the City in the sky.

From that day forward, Lyra’s life changes completely. She and Roger begin to hear rumors that children are being stolen from Oxford and surrounding areas. Then, Roger is abducted. Lyra also learns that Lord Asriel is being held prisoner in the North. Then, the Master of the College tells Lyra that she must leave Jordan College and go live with Mrs. Coulter, a beautiful and charming, but mysterious, woman. Before she leaves the College, the Master gives her a strange device called an alethiometer, that looks like a compass. She is told to keep it safe from others.

Lyra soon finds out that she has a special gift that allows her to “read” the alethiometer. She learns more about her family and the evil that exists in her world. She is forced to run away from Mrs. Coulter’s house and is found and protected by Gyptians, a nomadic people who move from place to place on their boats. Together with the Gyptians and an armored bear called Iorek Byrnison, Lyra heads north to free her friend Roger, the other lost children and Lord Asriel.

This is a fast-paced book’s unfolding mystery will hold you in suspense until the final pages. There are truly evil characters and smart, loyal characters that you’ll come to love. Lyra is brave and determined to fight the evil she sees.

I highly recommend this book to fourth grade-middle school readers who love mystery and fantasy.

My Teacher is a Monster!, by Peter Brown

Published November 1, 2014 by Dagmar

Peter Brown, author of You Will Be My Friend and Children Make Terrible Pets, has written a new book that was a big success with my kindergarten students.

Running into your teacher outside school can be fun. Or, if you think your teacher hates you, it can be “a terrible surprise.”

Ms. Kirby is always yelling at Bobby, especially when Bobby flies paper airplanes in class. Ms. Kirby stomps, and she roars. Ms. Kirby even looks just like a monster. Bobby runs into Ms. Kirby sitting on a bench reading a book. Not knowing quite what to do, and feeling awkward, Bobby sits next to her on the bench. Suddenly, a gust of wind blows Ms. Kirby’s favorite hat off her head. Bobby runs to catch Ms. Kirby’s hat. Ms. Kirby is so grateful to Bobby that she thanks him and then shows him how she likes to quack with the ducks at the park. Bobby decides to show Ms. Kirby his favorite part of the park. Sitting at the top of a hill in the park, Ms. Kirby has an idea. She pulls out a piece of paper and gives it to Bobby. Bobby quickly folds it into an airplane and launches it. It’s the best paper airplane flight ever. Bobby and Ms. Kirby each decide the other is not so terrible. In fact, Ms. Kirby starts looking like an actual teacher, instead of a monster. It’s a great resolution…until Bobby throws a paper airplane in class.

I love Peter Brown’s dedication, “To misunderstood teachers and their misunderstood students.” Have fun with this one!

Dracula and other Vampire Stories, by Eric Kudalis

Published October 23, 2014 by Dagmar

We are approaching Halloween, and it’s time to find great read alouds for my classes.

This book absolutely grabbed my 4th and 5th graders’ attention this week. I think lots of my students had heard of Dracula but never actually knew the story. They were surprised that Transylvania really exists and had lots of questions about vampires, including whether they are real. (Thank you, Twilight.)

This book recounts the Dracula story from the classic 1931 black and white film. The next chapters include: a short biography of Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula; superstitions about vampires; the stories of the real Vlad Dracula and another ruler of Transylvania, Countess Bathory (gruesome by the way); Vampires in Books and Films; and Vampire Bats.

I only read Chapter 1, the story of Dracula to my classes. It was just the right length read aloud, about 10 minutes. You could have heard a pin drop while I was reading. My students loved it. Several students asked if they could check out the book after I read it to them.

There is nothing like a good vampire story to get your older students ready for Halloween! Enjoy.

Maniac Magee, by Jerry Spinelli

Published October 20, 2014 by Dagmar

This book may be my favorite book of the year. Written by the author of one of my recent favorites for middle and high school, Stargirl, was recommended to me by the students in one of my third grade classes. They’d been read the book by their teacher. I’d been given all sorts of recommendations, Captain Underpants, among them. This one stuck in my mind, because I knew it had won the 1991 Newbery Medal and because I’d always meant to read it.

Jeffrey Magee was orphaned at the age of three when his parents’ trolley went off the tracks of the P & W Trestle into the Schuylkill River. Jeffrey moved in with his aunt and uncle who always fought. One day, he ran away, literally. He ran all the way to a town called Two Mills. Two Mills was split by Hector Street. The West End of town was reserved for whites. The East End of town was for blacks. The two populations didn’t mix at all. In fact, no one who was white dared come into East End. Likewise, no one who was black purposely went into the West End of town. Until Maniac Magee, unaware of the rules, showed up in the East End of town. He met a girl named Amanda Beale, a great lover of books. He managed, unbelievably, to borrow a book from her, a girl who did not, as a rule, lend her books. He promised to return it and ended up living in Amanda Beale’s house. There, he had two little brothers, a sister and a mother and father – a home. Maniac Magee was fearless. He could do extraordinary things. He hit home runs off a star pitcher, ran touch downs on the football field, untangled complicated knots, ran on a single rail of a railroad line and actually sat on the Finsterwald’s front steps to read a book. He never went to school but loved to read. He was a maniac. He was legend. All was going well until one day someone pointed out that he was white. Maniac, didn’t even realize it himself. Things changed after that day. People didn’t like that the Beale’s were sheltering him. So, Maniac ran. He ran and found a home at the local zoo, in the buffalo pen. There, he met a true friend, Grayson, who would make him another home in the park. Soon, Maniac had to run again, this time, to the West End and a house where two small boys needed someone who would keep them safe. He was fine there, taking care of those two boys who needed him and for whom he would do anything. Until the day they asked him to do something he absolutely could not do, and he ran again.

Like my students, I became completely absorbed in Maniac Magee’s story. I hope you will too.

Quest, by Aaron Becker

Published October 20, 2014 by Dagmar

Quest is the incredible sequel to Aaron Becker’s 2014 Caldecott Honor Book, Journey. It, like Journey, is a wordless book with breathtaking illustrations.

I particularly like to use wordless books with my fourth graders. They are a restless bunch, usually wanting to talk amongst themselves rather than listen to a read aloud. With a book like Quest, I stand in front of my students and page through the book for them as they “read” it to themselves.

Even those students who were reluctant to pay attention quieted quickly. Quest held their attention so well, you could only hear the whispers as they “read” this book and said soft “aahhs” at the beautiful illustrations. At the end, my intractable group smiled and clapped. They loved it!

Quest begins at the end of Journey. (To be sure my students understood this, I showed them Journey first and then Quest.) The two children, a boy holding a purple crayon and a girl holding a red crayon, meet a king who gives them a written message, with multiple colors on it. The king is abducted by soldiers and taken away. The boy and girl use their crayons to try to save the king using the clues in the message he gave them. To see if they succeed, read this wonderful book and enjoy.

Bad Day at Riverbend, by Chris Van Allsburg

Published October 19, 2014 by Dagmar

Chris Van Allsburg is a great picture book author that my students love. His books, usually drawn in black and white, which include: Widow’s Broom, The Garden of Abdul Gasazi and The Z was Zapped are always favorites. A Bad Day at Riverbend is not immediately identifiable as a Chris Van Allsburg, because it’s full of color. The way it introduces color makes my students, even the most obedient ones, cry out in dismay.

The town of Riverbend is in trouble. Riverbend looks like a coloring book. Everything is white, outlined in black. Now, something very strange and scary is happening in Riverbend. Lines of color, like scribbles, are covering things. Stagecoaches rarely come to town, but now a stagecoach has stopped in town… without a driver. It is covered in a slimy, colored substance. No one knows what it could be. The town’s residents are scared. What Luckily, Sheriff Ned Hardy is on the trail.

Read this wonderful book to find out what is threatening the town of Riverbend. My students loved the ending!

In November, by Cynthia Rylant

Published October 17, 2014 by Dagmar

This is a very peaceful book about the changing seasons and the coming of winter. Beautiful illustrations by Jill Kastner are a great accompaniment to Cynthia Rylant’s words.

“In November, the earth is growing quiet. It is making its bed, a winter bed for flowers and small creatures.” “In November, some birds move away and some birds stay.” “In November, the smell of food is different. It is an orange smell. A squash and a pumpkin smell.”

The story talks about the animals, birds, trees and finally ends with a family joining in a special meal, presumably Thanksgiving. This is a wonderful book to share with your younger students as Thanksgiving approaches.

Fall Leaves Fall, by Zoe Hall

Published August 26, 2014 by Dagmar

Here is a great, simple book about fall for young students. I like to read this with my pre-k and K students. The book begins with leaves in summer and then moves to how we know fall is here…leaves changing color and falling from trees. The simple illustrations show children catching falling leaves, collecting different leaves and comparing them, raking leaves and finally jumping in leaves! The children then drink warm cider and make pictures using the leaves they’ve collected.

My pre-k students really enjoyed this book.

The Monster’s Monster, by Patrick McDonnell

Published August 26, 2014 by Dagmar

Grouch, Grump and little Gloom ‘n’ Doom are monsters. They each think they are biggest, baddest monster. They spend their time arguing and trying to best each other. Then, they decide to settle their argument with tape, gunk, glue and a lightning bolt. The monster they create will be truly horrible and will scare everyone in the monster-fearing village just down the hill from their castle.

What a surprise when their terrible, giant monster doesn’t realize that he’s a monster. His first words are “Dank you!” He then proceeds to greet all the bats, snakes and other creatures in the room – much to Grouch, Grump and little Gloom ‘n’ Doom’s chagrin.

They are hopeful when their monster goes down the hill to town, sure that he’ll wreak havoc there. They are disappointed again as their monster goes inside the bakery and then leaves it with a “Dank you!” and a white paper bag. The monster goes to the beach and sits. The three little monsters sit next to him. When their monster hands them each a powdery jelly donut, they do something they don’t do often. They say, “Thank you.”

This is a funny, sweet book that my students loved. Enjoy.

The Black Rabbit, by Philippa Leathers

Published May 8, 2014 by Dagmar

Here’s a really fun read aloud. I read this to students from our transitional kindergarten, kindergarten and first grade. All of them LOVED this book.

Black Rabbit comes out of his burrow into the bright sunlight. He sees a big black rabbit behind him and is very scared. He runs from Black Rabbit, but Black Rabbit runs after him. Rabbit hides behind a tree but when he comes out from behind the tree there is big Black Rabbit. All my students yelled out, “It’s his shadow!”, but this book has a couple of great twists that kept them totally interested until the end.

My students all immediately said, “Read it again!” Don’t miss this great book. A Junior Library Guild selection.

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