Earlier this fall Ms. Edinger read aloud Kathi Appelt’s The True Blue Scouts of Sugar Man Swamp. We were then fortunate to have a visit from the author herself who talked about writing, answered questions, read a bit, and gave every child his or her own Official Sugar Man Swamp Scout Information Officer card.  And now, these big fans of the book, have made a mural of it!  Blinkle is there on the top of the tower on the left, some of the Farrow Gang are flying on the right, those raccoon bros are up and down the tree, there is a bird’s eye view of the DeSoto, and even a rather big mythical creature!

Here are Ms. Edinger and Kathi (holding each other’s books).

Ms. Edinger was fortunate enough to receive an advanced reader’s copy of Neil Gaiman’s Fortunately, the Milk.  While adults know him for many things (Sandman, tweeting, American Gods, etc) kids know him mainly for The Graveyard Book and Coraline.  This year’s Edinger House seems completely unfamiliar with The Graveyard Book and thinks the Coraline movie is scary. But fortunately, Fortunately, the Milk is on a whole different.er, planet.  It is fun and silly and charming and is perfectly calibrated to read aloud to a class of — what else?– 4th graders!

So, to give tiny taste, a dad goes out to pick up some milk for his children’s cereal and…things happen.  Silly and funny things involving dinosaurs, a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier, snot, and ponies.  Here are some comments from Edinger House directed to the author (with spoilers though I don’t think they mean much outside of the story):

It went so fast because it was sooo interesting. Where did you get all these ideas?  My favorite part was where the green dwarfs with beards started dancing. I also liked that you kept on using “fortunately, the milk.”  This is one of my favorite books.”  KS

I loved this book. It was creative and well written.  I wouldn’t have thought that Professor Steg was a girl. ML

Your story was incredibly funny. I really liked the dwarfs and when he realized Professor Steg was a girl.  Have you ever flown in a Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier?  AR

I loved the story. It was awesome and fortunately the milk. I said “fortunately the milk” because it was the best part and I liked the dad and Professor Steg. NA

It was really funny! I liked how he did all of that for the milk. I liked the twist that the professor was a girl.  BR

I really loved it because it was funny and didn’t make sense. I loved it so much I want to get it for my brother and me.  AJH

It was a very funny book with tons of humor! I loved all the different characters! I especially liked the dwarves dancing! I think the length was perfect! CC

This book is really funny, especially the part with the “Floaty-Ball-Person-Carrier.” Even though it is very fortunate about the milk it was un-fortunate that the book ended! IS

Really great story! It was cool how instead of the universe ending, the dwarfs came out and danced!  It was also cool how the “button” was named in a regular way (compared to the “red pushy flat thingie”). Fortunately, the Milk is still there! HL

It is really good and funny about traveling through time, how the dad is obsessed with the milk.  The funny-names are also good. Aliens remodeling planets and how they remodels Rigel Four (“Three gigantic plastic ducks flying around the moon.”) LZ

 

The first 4th grade literature unit of the year is an author study of E. B. White. After a close scholarly study of Charlotte’s Web (celebrating its 60th birthday this year), each student reads one or both of White’s two other children’s books, Stuart Little and Trumpet of the Swan. The culminating project is an E. B. White box. Here is the assignment the students received followed by the boxes themselves.

After doing a great job examining the similarities between E.B. White’s children’s books, you are now going to consider a theme for an E. B. White box.  What is an E. B. White box, you might ask?  It is a box inspired by the works of artist Joseph Cornell, an artist who created remarkable boxes and collages using all sorts of stuff. To learn more  I will read aloud  Joseph Cornell: Secrets in a Box and then show you a very special object — The Joseph Cornell Box: Found Objects, Magical Worlds. After that you will begin to create your own E. B. White Box!  First of all, you will have to decide on a theme and create a quick plan for your box. And then you will begin to actually create it! When  you are done you will have to write a brief essay describing your theme and how you represented it in your box.  We will then put your box and your paragraph in two places — on the bulletin board outside our classroom and on this blog for everyone to see. Have fun!

I read two books by E.B. White,  Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. Both of these books have a lot of change in them and that inspired me to do my box on change. In my box I have Wilbur in his box by the stove when he is a few days old then I have him in a larger pen in the yard when he is 2 weeks old. On the other side of my box I have Stuart when he is 5 years old next to a ruler and Stuart when he is 6 on the other side of the ruler. In the book Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur moves from the box next to the stove to the larger box under the apple tree because he is too big for the box by the stove. In Stuart Little, the book talks about Stuart getting older in almost every chapter. My favorite part of making my E.B. White box was thinking about how I was going to make my box and how it would represent my theme change.

I read Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little by E.B. White. Some of the characters I focused on were Wilbur, Charlotte, Stuart, and Margalo. I chose loyalty because Charlotte is very loyal to Wilbur because she is trying to save his life, and Wilbur also takes Charlotte’s egg sac and takes care of her babies. In Stuart Little, Stuart and Margalo are loyal to each other because Stuart saved Margalo’s life when Snowbell the cat tried to eat Margalo.  Also went to find her, while Margalo rescued Stuart from the trash dump.  I think that they are all in a way, loyal to each other.  E.B. White has focused on many great qualities in his characters, that’s why he is an amazing author.

I read all three E. B. White books and realized that one of the main themes running through the books was that death is a part of life, and that life is good. In Charlotte’s Web, E. B. White shows how valuable life is. For example, when Wilbur is born Mr. Arable and then Mr. Zuckerman want to kill him, since he is the runt of the litter, but Fern stops them both times. She changed the way the men thought about killing the runt of any litter, not just Wilbur. In my box, I showed Wilbur’s non-runt brothers and sisters getting sold away, not killed.

In The Trumpet of the Swan, E. B. White shows the life cycle, including birth and death. First, Louis and his four brothers and sisters are born. They grow up, and Louis finds Serena. When their cygnets hatch, two generations of this book have been shown. At the end of the book, Louis’s father is referred to as “the old cob,” whereas at the beginning, he is known as just “the cob.” Also, Sam Beaver and his father are getting older throughout the book. In my box, I showed Louis, his brothers and his sisters hatching and learning how to fly at the beginning of their lives.

Last we come to Stuart Little. In Stuart’s tale, E. B. White shows how a little mouse can endure many treacherous situations that are deadly for a mouse Stuart’s size. When Stuart is chased by Snowbell, the cat, up into the window-shade, he veers near death hanging alone for so long. Margalo also flees from Snowbell because the cat is trying to hunt her too. In my box, I showed Stuart’s hat and cane in front of the old mouse hole, showing the deadly trick that Snowbell played on his family causing Stuart to be up on the window-shade for so long.

All three of these E. B. White masterpieces of children’s literature are phenomenal. They all show the theme of life and death running through them at some point. They are by one of my favorite authors, and they took a lot of effort, I am sure, to perfect the way they are perfected now.

In my E. B. White box the themes are seasons and changes. In my box I split it into four sections. In the Spring section I focus on Wilbur from Charlotte’s Web because Wilbur is a spring pig. In the Summer section I focused on Louis playing his trumpet from Trumpet of the Swan because Trumpet of the Swan takes place in the summer.  In the Fall section I focused on Stuart Little next to his automobile from Stuart Little and in the Winter section I focused on Wilbur and the other farm animals in the snow at the farm from Charlotte’s Web. In Charlotte’s Web changes happen in two different ways. One way is the seasons change throughout the book.  The second way is how the characters change throughout the book.  Fern in the beginning was “only eight” and acted so little but by the end of the book she was more grown up and didn’t care as much for Wilbur as she used to and didn’t have as much time to take care of Wilbur as she used to.  In Stuart Little the seasons change to but also Stuart  gets braver. In the beginning of the book he was just a little old mouse minding his own business, but at the end of the book he is a braver mouse who is going on an adventure by himself to go look for Margalo his very good friend. In all of E. B. White’s books a big theme is changes.  Charlotte’s Web, Stuart Little and Trumpet of the Swan are very alike. All these books are based on animals and their friendship with humans. Fern from Charlotte’s Web, George from Stuart Little and Sam from Trumpet of the Swan are very alike. They all care for the animals, but throughout the book they grow up and change. E. B. White’s books are based on animals because E.B. White is an animal lover. E.B. White truly is a fantastic writer!

The theme of my box is love and it is found in E.B. White’s books Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. If you look carefully you can see a little girl and on the other side you can see a pig. They’re looking at each other with love. Just like George loves Stuart, Fern loves Wilber and Louis loves Serena. There is also a path with cobblestones that says E.B White. My box has a barn because Wilbur lives in a barn. If you look carefully you can see a spider web above Wilbur’s head that Charlotte lives in. There is also a fence around Wilbur’s yard so he can’t get out during the night. This shows love because if Wilbur escapes then everybody will be sad. There’s a mud pile for Wilbur so he can roll around. There’s some leaves on the ground too. There is also Charlotte’s spider web around the whole box because Charlotte saved Wilber’s life. E.B White is famous for writing so many great books!

In my E.B White box I created a theme of vocabulary because the characters in Charlotte’s Web and The Trumpet of the Swan (mostly Charlotte and the cob), use complicated words. The writing on Charlotte’s web (some pig, terrific, radiant, and humble) and the cob in The Trumpet of the Swan all say words that the other characters don’t know . They also create speeches that are long and perfect. Sometimes they seem unnecessary, like this quote from The Trumpet of the Swan, “A cygnet! A cygnet at last! I am a father with all the pleasant duties and awesome responsibilities of fatherhood. O blessed little son of mine, how good it is to see your face peering through the protecting feathers of your mothers breast, under these fair skies, with the pond so quiet and peaceful in the long light of the afternoon!” This quote was much longer than it could have been but, I think it’s good to be happy when you’re becoming a father. This is the way I created my E.B White box: When I made my box I started by finding a topic which was vocabulary for me. I made a swan, a spider, and a web, glued them in and I had a box. When I made my box I chose vocabulary as a theme because my favorite characters are the ones that talk a lot with words that are very different from what most people are normally hearing

This box is about modern things in 2012. I thought of this because it is now 2012 so I thought I should use Fern and Henry Fussy now because that would be nice to do. I decided to show Fern and Henry Fussy because they went on the Ferris wheel together and Fern ignored Wilbur at the time because they would only want to be together. I decided to make that but in the future when they will have jobs.  And so on the floppy side, Henry Fussy is a security guard and Fern is just being herself holding an anticancer card.  Henry’s assistant is looking very scared and putting her hand out as if she is saying halt! And on the rest of the box it is showing what they like. They like phones, rings, lions, Ben&Jerry’s ice cream, and they like the Sunday Business article. They also have a cat and a dog. I put a heart between Fern and Henry Fussy because they are in love. I mostly used newspaper clippings and I used a pipe cleaner and some tissue paper. I really liked making the box because I was just finding random pieces of newspaper images and if I really wanted it if it was going to make sense with the box.

My theme is changes. The two books that I read were Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. The characters that I focused on are Charlotte and Stuart and how they change a lot in the book. The characters change a lot in Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little because they are getting older and become different. “When are you going to spin a web? This afternoon, late, if I’m not too tired, The least thing tires me these days. I don’t seem to have enough I once had. My age, I guess.” This is a quote from Charlotte’s Web that shows changes in Charlotte. Stuart changes when he meets Margolo. A similarity between Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little are that both of the main characters are animals. Another similarity between Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little is that both of the characters change as the story goes on. You should definitely  read Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web because they are different from other books. E.B. White uses details that you wouldn’t expect in his writing.

Part of my theme is a journal. It also has a “newspaper clipping” and little strips of paper which represent what E.B wrote.On one piece it says, “1952, Tomorrow Charlotte’s Web will be published.”Another says, “1945 Today Stuart Little my first children’s book was published.”The sides of the box have both quotes and ideas. My two favorites are, “1952 Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of the new spiders ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself.” and “1952 It is not often someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” I chose these quotes to express what E.B White might have been feeling when he wrote his books.

My E.B White box is about life and death. The scene on the Charlotte’s Web side of my box shows Mr. Zuckerman with an axe, going to kill Wilbur like he does to every pig on his farm. This represents what could have happened, but it didn’t because Charlotte saved Wilbur’s life. On the Stuart Little side of my box there are two ways life and death are represented. Snowbell tries to eat Margalo, but Stuart being Margalo’s friend gets his bow and arrow out and shoots Snowbell in the ear so he can’t eat her. It was very fun making my E.B White box especially creating the bow and arrow. I recommend reading the books Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web both by E.B White.

My box is about writing. I did this theme because both books make references to writing, like the words on Charlotte’s web or Louis learning to write on a slate so he can talk to humans. My two scenes are Charlotte’s web with “some pig” written on it from Charlotte’s Web, and Louis next to a chalkboard writing an A from The Trumpet of the Swan. Writing is one of the themes of Charlotte’s Web. The last sentences of Charlotte’s Web talk about writing, “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.” All in all, I think EB White was an excellent writer.

My E.B. White box is about fame. It shows different scenes from the two books I read, Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web. From Charlotte’s Web I made the scene where Wilbur becomes famous because Charlotte writes on her web that Wilbur is some pig. I made Wilbur in his pen, and above him is Charlotte in her web and the words some pig. Next to them are Fern, Avery, a dog, and a few other people from their town. In the background there are cars, a bike, a bus, a tractor, and a barn, representing the people who came to see Charlotte’s web. For Stuart Little, I made the scene where he becomes kind of famous by sailing a ship called The Wasp. I made Stuart in a sailor suit holding a telescope. In the background you can see two other sailboats competing in the race. E.B. White is a very good author.

Friendship is a very big and important theme in both books. I focused on Charlotte’s Web and Stuart Little. In my box I have Wilbur looking up at Charlotte in her web and and on the other side Margalo and Stuart are in the bookshelf of the Little’s house. Stuart and Margalo are very good friends and so are Charlotte and Wilbur. In Stuart Little, Margalo sleeps in a bookshelf, and in Charlotte’s Web, Charlotte lives in the doorway of Wilbur’s pen. The box was so fun to make and my favorite part was making the bookshelf. One of the many great quotes in Charlotte’s Web is, “It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both.”

I read Trumpet of the Swan, & Charlotte’s Web both by E.B.White. I chose to make the theme of my box changes and similarities between the two books. I think that in the two books they both have a charecter that really wants to accomplish something and then they do but then as they start to accomplish it, they change along the way. In Charlotte’s Web Charlotte wants to save Wilbur from turning into pork or sausage but in the end she gets nimble and older then gradually starts to pass away. In Trumpet of the Swan, Louis can’t talk so his dad goes to get him a trumpet but then he gets hurt. I think that often in the E.B. White books the hero gets hurt. In Charlotte’s Web, Fern wants to hang out on the ferris wheel with Henry,  however if she was younger, she would have wanted to hang out with the animals. In Trumpet of the Swan, all Louis wants to accomplish is to be able to talk, but as he gets older, he still wants to learn to talk but he will use it to talk to Serena, the swan of his dreams. That’s what I think are some changes and similarities.

Travel is a big part of The Trumpet of The Swan. The book The Trumpet of the Swan was written by E.B. White. When Louis the swan leaves his hatching place with his family to their new home, he can’t speak. The young Louis leaves his new home in search of work when meets his friend Sam Beaver who takes him to Ontario to be the camp bugler. He leaves with one hundred dollars in his money bag. Then Louis travels to Boston to be a swan boat trumpeter for one hundred dollars a week. Then he travels to Philadelphia for a job that will pay five-thousand dollars for ten weeks. Ten weeks later, our friend Louis, with his wife to be Serena, came to Philadelphia halfway between his ten weeks of work. Then a few months later, Louis and Serena head up north where Louis was hatched. I chose travel because it was a big part of The Trumpet of The Swan.

E.B. White’s stories Trumpet of the Swan and Charlotte’s Web include many similarities to each other, but the one theme in particular that really caught my eye was that both main characters started small, but ended up on top anyway.

In Louis’s case, he starts out a voiceless trumpeter swan, chasing after the beautiful swan Serena, who pays him no mind, not because she doesn’t care, but because he has no way to grab her attention due to the fact that he’s voiceless (lower middle to left). However, by the end of the book, Serena has fallen under the spell of Louis’s kind nature and countless unusual talents, and people had come from all around the world to hear his trumpet horn (lower far left).

In Wilbur’s case, he begins as the runt of the litter, just minutes from a horrible death by ax (miraculously, he survives). Later on in the book, he faces death yet again, this time by the people who had taken care of him for most of his life (lower far right)! Amazingly, by the end of Charlotte’s Web, Wilbur is Radiant, Humble, and most of all, Some Pig! Winning a special medal at the country fair, attracting countless visitors to Mr. Zuckerman’s small farm, and probably being the worlds first pig to become friends with a grey spider are only some of Wilbur’s many achievements (lower middle to left). It’s amazing that, although both of them were famous enough to wear red diamonds on their tails, neither of them ever get over their heads and continues to be their original, compassionate selves, meaning that they didn’t ask for red diamonds.  Louis proved himself truly worthy and honest when he almost worked his tail feathers off to pay back the money that his trumpet (his most prized possession) had cost. Wilbur proved himself a true friend because when he found out that Charlotte was dying, he gave up most of all his meals to Templeton the rat, and in exchange, Templeton got Charlotte’s egg sac so Wilbur could keep Charlotte’s children safe. Food means a lot to a pig! Some say that when you do good things, good things happen to you, and these books prove it’s true!

I chose friendship for a theme because I think E.B. White made the characters in his books relate to each other really well. I chose these two scenes about friendship from the book because I think they were parts of the main idea of the books. The scene on the left is from Stuart Little and shows Stuart and his ‘’girlfriend’’ Harriot riding in a canoe near the water before it starts to rain. The scene on the right is from Charlotte’s Web and it shows Fern watching and loving the barn animals talk to each other in the barn cellar. E.B. White really loved animals so I think that’s why he included a lot about animals in his books.

For their final book of the year Edinger House 4th graders selected from a large assortment of new and forthcoming books. After reading them each wrote a summer reading post on their individual blogs featuring reviews of these books and some other recommendations as well. Since those blogs are not available to the public we’ve reposted them here with the hope that they will give many some great ideas for summer reading. Enjoy!

Student 1

It’s summer now and that doesn’t mean you have to stop reading! Remember – this is summer and you get to choose what books you want to read!

Signed By Zelda is a great book for children around age 8 or 9. By award-winning author Kate Feiffer, this is a can’t put it down book. This book is written all in entries by two different people (and a pigeon!) which is definitely interesting. It starts out with a girl named Lucy moves from Savannah, Georgia to New York with her mother and father. She moves into the same apartment as a boy named Nicky who – unlike Lucy, has a brother, and a father – but a mother who moved to India two years ago. Lucy and Nicky must help each other – to find Nicky’s grandmother – Zelda who had gone missing a few days before. A pigeon who is both of their friends, must help on their quest. In this book, Signed By Zelda, there is no stop to the mystery and to the handwriting! This is a great book if you are a child who likes to have some mystery in the books that you read!

Here are some other books I would recommend:

Savvy and Scumble which are companion books both by Ingrid Law.

The Sisters Grimm : book 1 and 2 by Michael Buckley

Clover Twig And The Magical Cottage by Kaye Umansky

Let the summer reading begin!

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Student 2

It is now the end of school and the beginning of the 2012 summer! It is a very happy time for many people but there are a few cons. One of them is that many students put reading on hold and that is not good. People should always be reading. I would like to make a few recommendation for some readers that are hungry for funny books.

I recommend The Great Cat Conspiracy by Katie Davies. It is a good book for many reasons. It is third in the series that includes The Great Hamster Massacre and The Great Rabbit Rescue. Ms. Davies did such a great job at making The Great Cat Conspiracy that I still knew who the characters were even though I didn’t read the other books in the series. The Great Cat Conspiracy is the book I recommend most for this summer because it has a good hook which makes students want to finish reading it. I don’t want to give it away but the book is about a dad who gets so angry with his son (who is the cat’s owner) that he locks the cat out of the house. When the dad finally goes to get the cat back – IT’S GONE! The son (who was named Tom) goes with his friends Anna and Suzanne to find the missing cat. To find out what happens, buy the book and read!

I also recommend the book Steve Jobs: Thinking Differently by Patricia Lakin, The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1962-1966 by Steve Turner, and The Beatles: The Stories Behind the Songs 1967-1970 by Steve Turner. I like those three because they are all very detailed biographies.

So go ahead, at least try one of these books. Maybe you’ll enjoy one of them – I hope you do! This summer is going to be a great summer for reading! I can tell already!

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Student 3

Since summer is coming I’m suggesting a couple of books. First off I want to recommend The Last Dragonslayer by Jasper Fforde. If you like wacky nutzy books then this is the book for you. A 16 year old girl named Jennifer Strange runs a magic company called Kazam. Magic isn’t as powerful as it used to be in the old days. Now magic carpets are used for pizza delivery and precious wizard powers are used to fix electric issues. But something weird is happening. Magic is getting more powerful. Big Magic is coming..

Some other suggestions that I have are Newbery medal winning Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos a very funny and witty book,  the Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins which I’m sure you have heard about it might be a little violent for some people, Suzanne Collins’ other series called Gregor the Overlander which involves mysteries and swordfights, Wonder by R.J. Palacio about a deformed kid who has to fit in with the entire middle school, and Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce which has many twists you won’t see coming.

I hope you will decide to read at least one of these fantastic books! Have a great summer!

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Student 4

Because summer is coming, I suggest you decide what you’re going to read. I’m not saying you have to decide as soon as you finish reading this, but don’t spend two months this summer trying to decide what to read. It’s a problem I have all the time. I recommend trying some of these books. I read them over the school year and they’re great for summer reading.

Deadweather and Sunrise by Geoff Rodkey, is a great book. It is about a boy named Egbert who struggles with living on Deadweather, an island where it is always steaming and humid. On top of that, his older siblings beat him up. His adventure starts when he takes a trip to Sunrise, another, much nicer island nearby. His family vanishes and he finds out, someone wants to kill him for treasure. He meets plenty of pirates and in the end, has to protect the treasure hidden on his plantation, that started the whole journey in the first place. This is a great book, especially for people who like books with adventure or mystery.

Some other books I’m recommending are: The Newbery winning book Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos, which is a very descriptive funny mystery, The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins is an excellent series for people who want dark and adventurous. Also, Wonder by R.J. Palacio is a very emotional book, good for people who like regular life with a little twist.

These are some great books I’ve read, and strongly recommend you read over the summer.

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Student 5

 It is almost summer and, it is time to start picking books to read over the summer and, I will help by providing some suggestions. This book will be a late summer read as it comes out in September. I have a few other suggestions as well.

 The book The Templeton Twins Have An Idea By Ellis Weiner has two kids named Abigail and John and they go on a big adventure. Their mom just died and their dad is really depressed and won’t work. (He is an Inventor) They move to a school that the professor (their dad) will work in the Arts and Science Department. A man kidnaps Abigail and John and traps them in the Basement of an old house in the country. The man is named Dean D. Dean and he  leaves his brother Dan D. Dean to keep the kids in the basement. Abigail and John outsmart Dan and they escape. John locks Abigail in the trunk of the car outside, (Why? It is part of their plan) and John starts rolling on the ground pretending to have hurt his ankle. Dan comes out and drives them to the place where Dean has their father and they outsmart the Dean twins once and for all. (This book has a narrator that says important stuff and interrupts the story sometimes.) Though this book is not out until September, it is a good read for kids 8 -10 years old

I also suggest 2012 Newbery Winner Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos which is a funny and exciting read. Cosmic By Frank Cottrell Boyce is a space adventure that you will never forget. The Hunger Games Trilogy By Suzanne Collins is adventurous and if you like Si-Fi you will like this trio of books.

These are some reading suggestions for the summer and if you like to read at all these are books for you!

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Student 6

Now that summer is coming, it is time to find some good books to read over the summer. I have a few suggestions to keep you entertained.

Tua and the Elephant is a heartwarming story by R.P. Harris.  When ten-year-old Tua, a little Thai girl finds an elephant, her and her elephant, Pohn-Pohn find themselves on an adventure, running away from two mean mahouts who want to take back Pohn-Pohn. Tua and Pohn-Pohn make it to a sanctuary, where Pohn-Pohn can be safe, but to get there she had an amazing journey, including swimming across a river, tricking people, meeting monks, being in a chase in the market, and Pohn-Pohn almost being taken away from Tua.

Some other books I’d recommend for summer reading are:

Thirteen by Lauren Myracle is a great, fun book for girls about a girl named Winnie who just turned 13. She has an older sister named Sandra, a 6-year-old brother named Ty, and two BFFs, Dinah and Cinnamon. Even though this is a sequel to Ten, Eleven, and Twelve, you won’t be confused reading it alone.

TTYL is a story all written in IMing about three BFFs a.k.a. the winsome threesome, Angela (SnowAngel), Zoe (zoegirl), and Maddie (mad maddie) who are all in tenth grade. This is the first book of the Internet Girl series, including ttfn and l8r, g8r.

Boys are Dogs by Leslie Margolis is a book about a girl in junior high school named Annabelle who moves and goes to a new school, makes new friends, and best of all, gets a new dog. When the boys at her new school start getting super-annoying, Annabelle decides to train them like dogs. This is the first book in the series including Girls acting Catty and Everyone Bugs Out.

Happy Reading!

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Student 7

Now that summer is here, there is lots of things to do. However, if you ever need something relaxing to do, you can always sit down and read a good book. You may need a very appealing book to really get into it, and that is why I recommend a great book called The Island of Thieves by Josh Lacey.

The Island of Thieves is an adventures book that pulls you in from the start. When Tom Trelawney is left with his uncle Harvey for a week, he soon finds out he is about to go for a joyride. As Tom persuades Harvey to let him go to Peru because of a clue to a buried treasure, Tom soon discovers that his uncle is in some serious dept. Harvey owes Otto Gonzalez, South America’s most dangerous criminal, $100,000. Harvey shares the clue with Otto, and they seem to be in agreement. As they are desperate for more clues, they discover the world is bigger than they thought. In this breathtaking, hardcore story, Tom and Harvey go through every last place in Peru looking for the lost pages of John Drake’s journal, just to be double-crossed. Join them as they go through an adventure, action-packed James Bond thriller filled with enough surprises to keep you locked in the action, to the very last moment. Overall, if you’re looking for a great, thrilling book, that has a great story line, you should definitely read The Island of Thieves.

Other Great Novels

Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos is an fantastic book for kids that are interested in adventures, laugh-out-loud, exciting books. Jack Gantos puts himself in a child character, who goes on throughout a classic plot story, including gripping chapters, amazing twists, and possibly murder? It also gives your imagination a boost, and makes you want to relate to it after.

The Kane Chronicles by Rick Riordan is a fantastic series of books that binds ancient Egypt with modern day life. Carter and Sadie Kane are long distance relationship siblings that rarely ever see each other. But, when they find out that they have many things to do with the Egyptians, become magicions practicing the lost art of magic, and accidentally release the worst monster in Egypt (aka Apophis) they need to do everything they can to stop him. A great series for kids and adults of all ages that like dramatic, action-packed adventure books. It is also very gripping and expands your knowledge of the Egyptian gods.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney is a great laugh-out-loud book that includes a series of books telling the story of a boy named Greg Heffley, and his adventures through school and life. This is a great book for speedy readers that like to rush through books, but enjoy them at the same time.

Well, now you know how to keep yourself busy this summer! All these books are great, full of creativity, and are all listed with great detail. They are all listed with links. Hope you enjoy them, because I know I did!

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Student 8

Now that it is summer you should keep reading like in the regular school year. Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger is a sure read for the summer. This book is great if you are someone who enjoys a hilarious read  with a kick of adventure.

When  Lenny Flem lends $10 to his friend Casper Bengue to buy the Heidelberg Handlebar Number Seven, fake mustache and the next day a mustachioed man goes on a robbing streak. Lenny thinks he knows the culprit. The fake mustache is so convincing that it can hypnotize towns of people to the will of the mustache wearer. Can Lenny stop Casper before he takes over the world?

Other excellent summer reads are: Dead End in Norvelt by Jack Gantos: Can Jack survive the summer grounded? Cosmic by  Frank Cottrell Boyce : What will happen when a 12 year old Liam get launched into space as a grownup? Also The Cheshire Cheese Cat by Carmen Agra Deedy: Can a cheese eating cat (Skilley) live with cheese eating mice?

All these books are sure to keep you reading during the summer!

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Student 9

It is time for summer, and for summer reading. Here is a suggestion. This book is called The Case of the Deadly Desperados.

The Case of the Deadly Desperados by Caroline Lawrence, is a wonderful, gripping, Wild West book. P.K. Pinkerton is on the run from three desperados. They are trying to steal a deed to a large amount of land from P.K. They murdered his foster parents. P.K. escapes to Virginia City, and has many adventures, while still on the run from the three desperados. I thought this book was wonderful. It was gripping, adventurous and wonderfully written.

Some other good books for summer reading are; Dead End In Norvelt by Jack Gantos, The Adventures of Tintin by Herge, and The Mysterious Four by Dan Poblocki.

Summer reading shouldn’t be a chore, it should be fun!

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Student 10

Now that summer is coming, it is time to find some good books to read over the summer. I have a few suggestions to keep you interested.

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Student 11

Student 12

It is important that you read over the summer because you need to keep your brain busy and these books will make it fun!

I recently read an awesome book by R.J. Palacio called Wonder. August Pullman was born with a facial deformity and hasn’t gone to school. Until now. Auggie has a sister named Olivia (but her old friends call her Via). The writer tells the story from 6 perspectives. August goes to school and is bullied. He is called “freak” and “the plague” (if someone touches August they have to put hand sanitizer, on or wash their hands in 30 seconds or less or they have the plague). Wonder helps us understand what it is like to be bullied. I think Wonder is a great book for kids in elementary school because it shows why we shouldn’t judge people by how they look.

I read a lot of books this year and these will also make your summer enjoyable. One book that I liked was Circus Galacticus by Deva Fagan. I liked this book because of its fantasy element. Another book I thought was awesome was Brain Jack by Brian Falkner. I liked it because of its futuristic technology. A third book that I would recommend is The Potato Chip Puzzles by Eric Berlin. I appreciated how Eric Berlin mixed puzzles and words to make the story. I also was crazy about Jeremy Fink and the Meaning of Life by Wendy Mass. I liked it because it was a mystery with a surprising ending.Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce was interesting because of the way it uses cliffhangers, and it also had funny chapter names. Another great summer book is Mousenet by Prudence Breitrose and it was cool because it used technology in a fun and creative way. One last summer book is Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney, it is good for the summer because it is a light read and you can read it by the pool. Sometimes the reading was difficult, but I learned a lot.

Fourth grade made me a better reader, and by reading you understand life.

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Student 13

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Student 14

Summertime is just around the corner so be ready to pick out some great books for your kids to read. Whether it’s action, fairyland, mystery there’s loads of choices for your kid.

Three Times Lucky by Sheila Turnage is about Mo, a girl who loves mysteries. So when a strange detective comes to town, and an old man is murdered, she’s on the case with her friend Dale. This book is great if you adore action. Three Times Lucky is one of those books that has big parts that you know something’s going to happen but you don’t know what.

I would love to share some of my summer reading suggestions. My first recommendation would definitely Fake Mustache by Tom Angleberger. This book is great for kids because it’s hilarious. When Lenny’s best friend turns evil because of a fake mustache, he and celebrity Jodie’O Rodeo try to save the world. My second choice would be The Hunger Games. I’m not a big fan of it but most kids are. This would definitely be for action-lovers. I would give it a try and see what you think. And my last choice would be the Harry Potter Series. This is a favorite to almost all kids, a boy wizard whose life completely turns around.

Have fun this summer and enjoy your books!

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Student 15

Do you not like to read? Well reading is a tricky thing, first you need to learn how to read of course. That sounds pretty tricky learning a whole new language on paper. Personally for me I think picking out the kind of book you want to read is the hardest. You have to decide whether you want to read about someone who lost their glass slipper, and lives happily ever after with her “prince charming.” Or about someone who figures out he is a wizard and is destined to kill the wizarding world’s worst enemy. Now that it is summer people want to relax and enjoy their months of freedom. You might think no more assigned books no more homework. Books are no homework they are simply for you to enjoy you can read picture books to novel but reading is reading and if you think about it reading is fun.

A book just out that I suggest is Of Giants And Ice by Shelby Bach, It is a action book about a girl named Rory. Rory’s parents are both famous, and famously got divorced. Rory has switched schools over and over again. When she finally comes to school in North Carolina strange things happen. When her mother can’t pick her up she sends Rory to the Ever Afters, an after school program there Rory realises that she is a “Character” like on her first day she threw a rock at a dragon….Rory makes friends and follows her friend Lena on her tale as a companion where they live through the guidelines of Jack and The Beanstalk. The story changes a lot and Rory finds out what she is destined to. I recommend this book for people who love action and mystery. In this book the plot is well thought out and makes sense which leads to a great book which might be the perfect book for you.

And once you finish Of Giants And Ice make sure to check out these suggestions. Cosmic by Frank Cottrell Boyce is a great book about a boy who is mistaken for a grown man (many times) but after almost driving a sports car without a drivers license Leom goes to space without his parents cosmic things happen. I recommend this book for humorous kind of people who can take a joke. Harry Potter series 1-7 by J. K. Rowling. It is about a boy named Harry whose parents were killed with the Avada Kedavra spell casted by Lord Voldemort (the wizarding worlds arch enemy) Harry was taken in by his mean aunt and uncle with their spoiled son Dudley. When Harry turns eleven he figures out he is a wizard and his adventures move on from there, when he goes to a wizarding school called Hogwarts. This book is my all time favorite and I really recommend it to all adventurous people. Dead End In Norvelt is a great book written by Jack Gantos is about a boy named Jack who is grounded for a whole summer and he works for an old lady next door named Ms. Volker. It turned out to be the best summer he ever had. But could there possibly be murder? I recommend this book for people with a big imagination somebody who is humorous and mysterious.

So if you like reading, or if you don’t, just relax and remember its your choice. You can take the shortest book and read it for the whole summer. Or you can read the longest book in a week. As long as you’re reading whether it’s long or short just read.

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Student 16

Summer is almost here! Here are a few books that I would recommend for reading over the summer without getting bored.

One book that I really enjoyed was Chomp by Carl Hiaasen, it has a very unique plot. The book is about a family who is broke, the father is a animal wrangler and has many strange animals in his backyard. When he takes a job with a fake survivalist on a T.V. show, many things go wrong. Someone goes missing, a crazy man is after his daughter and the boy’s mom is in China when they are in the Everglades. I really liked the book and if you read it I hope you like it too.

One of my favorite books that I read is Boys are Dogs which is about a girl who has to live with her mom’s new boyfriend who she hates. She gets a dog and a dog training book too, she trains all of the boys in school so they are not mean to her. I thought the book was really funny and I loved the plot.

Another interesting book that I like is The Winter Pony. It’s about the race to Antarctica. I thought it was very well written and very interesting. Many ponies are helping with the race  too. Sometimes it can be very sad but I still liked the book a lot.

Ella Enchanted is a book that you can just not put down! It’s about a girl who’s terrific mother dies and is left with her mean father and her lovely cook. Her cook turns out to be her fairy god mother. Many events happen in this wonderful book, I really recommend it!

These are books that I really enjoyed and I hope you will take the time to read them!

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Student 17

After a study of Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland in which we considered the many different illustrators of the book, learned something of Carroll himself and Alice Liddell to whom the story was first told, and just had fun as we read the book — exploring puns, croquet (yes, we actually played an indoor version of it!), quadrilles (well we tried anyway), and some stand-ins for comfits (skittles if you must know), Edinger House students were invited to create book trailers for this iconic story. Thinking that others might want to learn more about the thinking behind and process of the project I wrote the following posts at my educating alice blog:

• Book Trailer Project: Before We Started
• Book Trailer Project: Making My Own First
• Book Trailer Project: Introducing the Project
• Book Trailer Project: Production
• Book Trailer Project: The Finished Trailers

1. I think that the trailer is an interesting project because we usually don’t make movies in school.

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2. This year we read Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland then we decided… that we were going to make a lovely, funny, amusing, interesting, and awesome Alice in Wonderland book trailer.

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3. It was fun because I loved Alice in Wonderland!  If you have not read it, I highly recommend it.

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4.In the beginning, I had to start from SCRATCH! It was hard work but as things came together, it got easier and easier.

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5. In the beginning of making our trailers, I thought that it would be easy, but I was wrong!

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6. I thought it was a really cool project, and I really enjoyed it.

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7. I loved doing the project and I love the way my trailer came out. I hope you like it too!

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8. From reading the book to writing this post, I have been thinking to myself, “This is the best project yet this year.”

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9.

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10. The point of the trailer was to tell people that Alice in Wonderland isn’t a scary book written for older kids. It’s a clever and funny story written for a nine year old girl. A great book for all ages.

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11. I picked a song that was mysterious but at the same time bright and bouncy!

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12. I thought Alice in Wonderland was really fun and interesting. I liked all the adventure. I thought he made it really funny by making Alice really calm when really weird things happened. Like when she grew smaller, all she said was, “What a curious feeling.” I also liked how Lewis Carroll made fun of what kids learn in school. I thought it was mysterious but also really hilarious.

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13. The Alice in Wonderland trailer was actually my favorite project because we got to work in Imovie and it was so fun.

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14. Before I got to make the trailer the whole class read Alice in Wonderland together and we talked about it. Part of the point of my trailer was to show that it was a book for all ages and a really great one too.

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15. I wanted the audience to want to buy the book, and iMovie helped with that! In the end, the trailer looked great! I had a lot of fun doing it, and I hope you’ll enjoy it!

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16. Week by week, we read our way through Alice in Wonderland. In two weeks, we had finished! The next step was to look at a bunch of book trailers so we could write one ourselves.

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17. First, we looked at other book trailers. For example, we looked at a book trailer for The Invention of Hugo Cabret, which is very mysterious, because of the fast moving pictures and the music.

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