Worst of Friends by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain and illustrated by Larry Day

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. During the late 1700s the American Colonies wanted independence from England and King George. At the heart of the American leadership were two leaders named Thomas Jefferson and John Adams. These two important men were the best of friends until The Colonies won their independence to become a new nation. Then everything fell apart. Both men had a different opinion about how the new American government should look and work. One wanted a strong national government while the other preferred a strong state government. These best friends became bitter enemies. Both became president of the United States and the country would never be the same due to their leadership. I really enjoyed this book. I enjoy history stories and this is an interesting story that is rarely told. Many students are taught about the disagreements between these two great leaders, but they are rarely taught about the friendship that developed AFTER they both retired from the presidency. The story was told so well I wanted to read the whole book during one sitting, and the illustrations helped tell the story in a humorous way. If you want to find more books by this author and illustrator visit, http://www.suzannejurmain.com/ and      http://www.dayhere.com/.
973.4 Jur

I Could Do That!: Esther Morris Gets Women the Vote by Linda Arms White and illustrated by Nancy Carpenter

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  In the 1800s, only white men were allowed to make major decisions, including voting.  Esther Morris didn't think this was right.  She was a teenager when she opened her first shop, was a single mother when she left her family in New York to move to the mid-west, and she had no problem "encouraging" the men in the Wyoming Territory to allow her and other women the right to vote.  Based on real facts, Esther Morris not only became a leader in her community who helped women get the right to vote, but she later became the first woman in the country to hold public office when she became a judge.  I really enjoyed this book.  The struggle for women to get the right to vote went on for many decades, and in some parts of the world this struggle continues.  It's important for students to learn and understand how important it is to vote.  Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton get much of the credit for women getting the right to vote, but maybe Esther Morris should be studied alongside these other important women.  To find more books by the author visit, http://lindaarmswhite.com/default.aspx.
921 Mor

John, Paul, George & Ben by Lane Smith

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda


Five paw prints.  What a fun book!  This book "explains" about important people and important events during Colonial America in relation to the American Revolution.  First, we learn about the young lives of John, Paul, George, and Ben (oh, we learn about Tom too, but he's too INDEPENDENT to be part of the title) and how they became important men as adults.  Then we learn the "real" story of why these men are important.  Finally, there is a test to see if you were paying attention to the story.  Don't worry, it's a fun test that should be easy.  Have I mentioned this is a fun book?  I love American history, but I realize many people think history is boring.  If more people read books like this, I bet they would look for more books to help them understand the silly fiction from the fun facts.  To find more books by Lane Smith visit, http://www.lanesmithbooks.com.  Oh, if you decide you want to be like Paul Revere, bell clubs are still popular and there are plenty of bell clubs in town.
E Smi

Grandpa Green by Lane Smith

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  Somewhere in the world there is a garden.  A VERY beautiful garden.  In this garden is a boy who is searching for something.  He finds a baby made out of a bush, animals made out of bushes, family members, and a number of other things.  The boy is also finding garden tools that would be needed to take care of the garden.  While this is going on, the plants in the garden are telling a very special story to the boy.  The story is of his great-grandfather.  The great-grandfather wants to share his life story, but his memory isn't very good and he uses the plants to help him remember.  What a wonderful story!  I really enjoy books by Lane Smith, but this has got to be one of the best books he has ever created.  The story is simple but powerful.  The pictures are easy to follow but so detailed you need to "read" the pictures more than once to understand everything that is happening.  It's also a good example of a picture book that is not necessarily for younger students because of the maturity of the subject matter.  I highly recommend this book to "children" of all ages.  To learn more about Lane Smith and his books, visit http://www.lanesmithbooks.com.

The Man Who Walked Between The Towers by Mordicai Gerstein

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  Once there was a young man named Philippe Petit.  He was born and raised in France, and he was expected to be a good student and eventually have a good job.  But, this is NOT what Philippe Petit had in mind.  Philippe was not interested in school (he was kicked out of a number of schools) but he was interested in circus acts.  He was interested in things like magic, juggling, and tightrope walking.  He knew he didn't want to be in the circus so he taught himself everything he felt he wanted to learn.  Soon he was doing his own shows and "stunts".  This led to many interesting tightrope performances.  One of his most famous shows/stunts was in New York City, which is where the story in this book takes place.  In the early 1970s two new skyscrapers were being built.  Most people were interested in the towers, but Philippe was interested in the space between the towers.  He wanted to walk between the towers.  With the help of friends, he was able to sneak into one of the towers, string strong cable across to the other tower, and walk/dance/bow to the people on the ground.  Though his show was beautiful (at least to some) to see, it was illegal.  In the end, Philippe was punished for his crime, but it was a very interesting punishment.  Strangely enough, I like this book because of the way it handles the events of 9/11.  The events of this day are mentioned but they have little to do with the story.
Yet, this is what makes the story work so well.  The story is about an important event in New York City history without letting the events of 9/11 overshadow Philippe and his unique accomplishment.  This is a (dare I say) wonderful way to introduce young students to the events of 9/11 without focusing on just the sadness of that horrible day.  To find more books by Mordicai Gerstein, visit http://www.mordicaigerstein.com/.
791.3 Ger

September Roses by Jeanette Winter

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  In South Africa there are two sisters who own a flower shop.  The flowers they specialized in were roses, and one year they decided they would share their roses with the world.  They did this by designing a beautiful display that they would take to the big flower show in New York City.  In September 2001 they took approximately 2,000 roses and their ideas to the other side of the world.  But, when they arrived in New York they learned something terrible had happened just before they landed.  Now, there was no flower show, no hotel rooms, and no way to get home.  The sisters weren't sure what to do.  Fortunately, all will end well for the sisters, even if the world as they knew it will never be the same.  So, why do I like this book?  This is an extremely good book that deals with 9/11.  The story itself is NOT about 9/11, but the events on 9/11 directly affect the story.  The pictures are simple and clear without being scary.  And, the story deals with the important events that happened as a result of 9/11 without getting in to the specifics of some very serious topics that may not be appropriate for younger students.  To learn more about 9/11, ask a parent or guardian to visit http://www.911memorial.org/ with you.
Fic Win

perfect square by Michael Hall

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints!  One day there was a square and it was perfect.  It had four perfect sides and four perfect corners.  It was happy.  Then it was cut, torn, shredded, and shattered...and that was just the beginning of the week.  But every time the square was no longer perfect, it became a new picture that was even better than the square.  Unfortunately, in the end, the square is no longer happy and there is only one way to be happy again.  What a wonderful book!  I can't remember the last time I read such a clever and original picture book.  If you loved Not a Box but you are ready for the next great book then this is the book for you.  But don't take my word for it, visit the book at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JD9PnQFc8Kk.

The Popularity Papers: Research for the Social Improvement and General Betterment of Lydia Goldblatt and Julie Graham-Chang by Amy Ignatow

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four pawprints.  Lydia and Julie are best friends, are in 5th grade, and they are worried about starting middle school next year.  Neither of them have many friends and they are determined to be popular next year, but they are not sure how to be popular.  They decide to watch all the popular kids in school and keep notes of  their observations.  Unfortunately, being popular isn't as easy as they thought and it's not working out the way they hoped.  When I first saw this book it was the great visuals that got my attention.  The book isn't really a graphic novel, but it is a combination of words and pictures.  I really liked this book.  I thought the words and pictures worked well together and I loved the idea of two students "observing" popular students to learn how to act.  I only had one problem with the book.  The story is supposed to be about 5th graders, but NOTHING about their experiences "say" elementary school.  This book may claim the girls are getting ready for 6th grade but the plot SCREAMS 8th grade girls getting ready for high school.  Though I feel this is a GLARING problem...I still loved the book.  The plot (aside from the grade) is very realistic and I think girls will be able to relate to Lydia and Julie.  I'm looking forward to reading the next book.  In fact, it's already on my nightstand.  To learn more about Amy Ignatow, visit http://www.abramsbooks.com/popularitypapers/.

Junonia by Kevin Henkes

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  It's winter break and Alice is taking her traditional family vacation in Florida to escape the cold in Wisconsin.  As luck would have it, Alice's birthday is always during break and this year should be extra special because she is tunring 10.  Double digits!  Every year Alice and her family stay in the same cottage and get to see all their Florida friends.  It's a wonderful time of year.  But this year is different.  Some of Alice's closest friends aren't able to visit and other people rent their cottages.  Nothing is going as planned.  This is a lovely and very gentle book.  There are no mysteries and no huge adventures, just a simple story about a girl and her family during a family trip.  Strangely enough, as gentle as this story is, I couldn't put the book down.  I had to read and finish this book as soon as possible.  There was just one very small thing I can't get out of my head, but if I told you, I might ruin part of the story.  I am happy to say I was one of the first people to receive a copy of this book.  The book was released the day I attended Book Expo in New York City.  To learn more about the author, visit http://www.kevinhenkes.com/.

Biblioburro: A True Story From Colombia by Jeanette Winter

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  In South America there is a country called Colombia.  There are parts of the country where the people are very poor and there has been lots of fighting for control of the land.  People are so poor that many families don't have enough money to send their children to school.  A man, named Luis, thinks this is very sad.  He is a teacher who thinks books are very important and that ALL children should go to school and learn.  If children go to school and learn, then they shouldn't be poor when they are older and they shouldn't want to fight over the land.  Luis decided that he needed to help these children so he created a bookmobile using his own books.  But there aren't many good roads where he lives so he has a very interesting bookmobile.  His bookmobiles are two donkeys named Alfa and Beto.  Every weekend Luis, Alfa, and Beto visits villages to give reading lessons to the children and then he leaves books so the children can practice reading while he is gone.  As always, Jeanette Winter has picked an interesting subject for one of her books.  You learn about Luis and what he is doing.  The story is easy for many children to understand, but it's not so long that children would lose interest in the story.  And, in case you want more information, there is more detailed information at the end of the book.  To learn more about this author and illustrator, visit http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Jeanette-Winter/64041479.  To see a video of Luis, Alfa, and Beto, visit http://www.pbs.org/pov/biblioburro/.  (Families, please keep in mind that this is a PBS video that may not be appropriate for all children.)
020 Win

of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters by Barack Obama and illustrated by Loren Long

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints!  This story is a simple letter from a father to his daughters that he has decided to share with other families.  In this case, the father happens to be the current president of the United States.  In this letter the father talks about wonderful traits he has seen in his daughters, and he gives examples of important people in American history who have also shown these traits.  Not only are examples given, the people listed are briefly described and include explanations on how these people made others feel.  This is a beautiful book.  Not only are the words important and powerful, but the pictures are just as important.  Without these pictures, I'm not sure the words would be as powerful.  Two of my favorite pictures are about Sitting Bull and Maya Lin.  This book is an excellent example of the words and pictures working together so well that you can't imagine the words or the pictures being separate from each other.  To learn more about President Obama, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents/barackobama.  To learn more about Loren Long and his books, visit http://www.lorenlong.com/.

What Does the President Look Like? by Jane Hampton Cook and illustrated by Adam Ziskie

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  Did you know there was a time when people didn't know what their own United States president looked like?  It's true.  There were no televisions, movie theaters, magazines,and very few newspapers.  Very few people knew what George Washington looked like.  It wasn't until his portrait was displayed in public in Philadelphia that people knew how serious he looked.  James Polk may have been the first president to have his photograph taken while in office, but because it wasn't easy to reproduce photos in newspapers, no one saw it and it wasn't until Abraham Lincoln was president almost 20 years later that many people knew what a photograph of a president looked like.  This book was extremely interesting.  It really wasn't about the presidents and what they look like; instead it was about the history of technology while using the United States presidents to show how technology has changed during the history of the country.  In less than 300 years the technology has moved from painted portraits, to film, to digital.  This is a great book to read whether you like history or technology.  Oh, in case you don't know what all the presidents look like, visit http://www.whitehouse.gov/about/presidents.

Saving Audie: A Pit Bull Puppy Gets a Second Chance by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent with photographs by William Munoz

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  In April 2007, police raided property owned by NFL football player Michael Vick.  On the property were 66 dogs (51 were pit bulls) and NONE of them were being treated humanely.  These dogs were locked in crates, there was very little in interaction with other dogs, and there was very little interaction with people.  The worst part was when the dogs were around other dogs and people, it was strictly for FIGHTING!  Each dog involved had a short and sad life.  But, in April 2007, all but three of these dogs were saved (three died soon after being found) and were given to animal rescue groups to be retrained to be around other animals and people.  One of these dogs was a puppy "named" Number 86.  He was one of the pit bull puppies who was sent to California to become a family dog.  While in California, Number 86 was sent to live with a foster family (yes, these do exist for dogs) but the family loved him so much they decided to keep him and name him Audie.  Audie is much happier now, as are most of the original dogs, and he has many adventures with his family, including being used as a training dog to teach other abused dogs how to behave properly around animals and people.  I really loved this book.  All animals should be treated well and this book is a wonderful example of what can happen to a dog that is given a second chance.  To learn more about the specific dogs that were rescued visit, http://vickdogsblog.blogspot.com/.  To learn about the group that rescued Audie and some of the other dogs visit, http://www.badrap.org/rescue/index.html.  To learn about a local group that rescues pit bulls visit, http://www.outofthepits.org.  And, if this isn't enough information, there are plenty of websites listed at the end of the book.
636.75 Pat

Wideness & Wonder: THe Life and Art of Georgia O'Keeffe by Susan Goldman Rubin

                                           Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  There was a time (a long time ago) when people loved art, but women didn't create art.  It wasn't that women didn't want to create art, but many people assumed women could NOT create good art.  About 100 years ago there was a young woman who didn't agree.  Georgia O'Keeffe wanted to be a great artist and she recognized she would have to travel to different locations across the country (including Lake George, NY) to learn as much as she could to be an artist.  Not only was Georgia successful at becoming an artist, but she became one of the greatest artists of her generation.  This was such a good book.  I already knew about Georgia O'Keeffe, her life, and her artwork, but the book was still a page-turner.  I couldn't put the book down.  I had to keep reading and reading until I had read the whole book.  I now want to read more books by this author to learn about more important people.  If you want to learn more about Georgia O'Keeffe visit, http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/episodes/georgia-okeeffe/about-the-painter/55/.  If you want to read other books by this author visit, http://susangoldmanrubin.com/.
921 O'Ke

Celebritrees: Historic & Famous Trees of the World by Margie Preus and illustrated by Rebecca Gibbon

                                         Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  Have you ever wondered where the tallest tree lives, or the oldest, or the widest?  Maybe you have wondered what it would be like to live or work in a tree.  No, NOT a tree house, but actually live inside a tree.  This book is about famous and fascinating trees around the world.  Almost all of the trees listed in this book are still alive, a number of them are in the United States, and many of these are OVER 1,000 years old.  This book had so many interesting facts.  Who knew that trees could be so interesting?  The end of the book even gave basic facts about the types of trees that were listed in the in the story.  Not only does the book talk about how to take care of trees, the book was made out of recycled materials.  Oh, and if you want to learn more about the moon trees, visit http://nssdc.gsfc.nasa.gov/planetary/lunar/moon_tree.html.  There was only one thing about this book I didn't like.  After learning about so many interesting trees I want to visit some of them, but I can't!  The exact location of some trees is a secret.  This protects the trees from possible vandalism.  Oh, well, I guess I'll have to read more books.
582.16 Pre

First Garden: The White House Garden and How it Grew by Robbin Gourley

                                             Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  In honor of the 4th of July, my mom (Mrs. Manore) and I decided to review a book with a patriotic theme.  So, you may be thinking we read about patriotic music, famous people, American History, the military, or even fireworks.  Well...no.  We read a book about gardening.  Specifically, the White House garden.  This book was all about the official garden that has been in continuous use since the beginning of the 1800s.  Every president and his family have made changes, big and small, from adding a green house to have tropic fruit year round, growing a Victory Garden to show support for soldiers during World War Two, to the most recent changes with First Lady Michelle Obama encouraging local school children to learn about healthy eating by helping in the White House garden.  This book was so very interesting.  I love American History, but it was interesting to learn about the history of the White House through a garden.  Who knew that gardening could be so interesting.  To learn more about gardening, visit http://www.kidsgardening.org/.
712.09 Gou

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

FIVE PAW PRINTS!!  It's the time of the Great Depression and Abilene Tucker and her father Gideon have always lived their lives by "riding the rails", looking for work and looking for food, but they have always been together.  But now it's 1936 and Abilene is 12 years old.  Gideon thinks it's time for his daughter to have a chance to "grow up" so he sends her to the town of Manifest, Kansas.  Gideon spent part of his childhood in Manifest and he thinks Pastor Howard (also known as Shady) would be a good person to leave in charge of Abilene while he works building railroad tracks in Iowa.  Though Abilene doesn't agree (she feels abandoned) with her father's opinion, she doesn't have a choice and she moves in with Shady.  While in Manifest, Abilene hopes to learn more about her father, who doesn't talk much about his youth, but instead she becomes friends with two local girls and ends up working for an old woman who doesn't have any family.  While spending time with Lettie and Ruthanne, they discover a mystery going back as far as World War I.  (Her time with Miss Sadie, the local fortune teller, is where she learns all about the people of the town from the past and the present.)  When you hear people say something is so good that "you'll laugh and you'll cry", you normally roll your eyes at the exaggeration of the statement.  This is one story where this description is NOT an exaggeration.  When I first started reading this story I thought I was going to have a terrible time keeping track of all the different characters from the different time periods.  Not only was the story so well told that I didn't have any troubles, but I didn't even need the list of characters in the beginning of the book.  I'm not sure words can fully capture how good a book this is.  You laugh when the underdog wins and you cry when the world comes crashing down on the same underdog.  But, to say anything else would completely give the story away.  RUN, don't walk to find a copy of this book and don't put it down until you finish reading.  To learn more about the author, visit http://www.clarevanderpool.com/home.html.
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Miss Spitfire: Reaching Helen Keller by Sarah Miller

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  By now you have probably heard of Helen Keller.  She was born a healthy child in Alabama, but when she was two years old she became very sick and lost her ability to see and hear.  It was only with the help of Annie Sullivan that Helen was able to escape from her shell and learn about the world around her.  This book is NOT Helen Keller's story.  It is the story of how Annie Sullivan came to be Helen's teacher.  Annie Sullivan was an orphan who had a very sad early life.  Her mother died when she was young leaving her with two younger siblings, and her father was a drunk who wasn't interested in raising children.  A relative adopted the youngest sibling while an aunt and uncle agreed to take care of Annie and her younger brother.  Unfortunately, this arrangement didn't last long because the aunt and uncle didn't want to take care of a blind niece or the little brother who refused to do anything without his older sister.  The uncle then sent the children to a poor house to live with other people without family or money.  No one at the poor house wanted to take care of two orphan children under the age of 10 and they were left to take care of themselves.  And since no one wanted them around they were forced to live in the morgue.  While this was not ideal it allowed the children to live together until Annie's younger brother became sick.  A few months after their arrival at the poor house Annie's younger brother died and Annie was now alone. As luck would have it, a famous doctor happened to visit this poor house and "bump" into Annie--actually Annie intentionally bumped into the doctor because Annie had heard the doctor had connections with a school for blind children and Annie wanted to attend school.  Though Annie never met the doctor again she was sent to the school where she not only learned braille, but she also learned sign language, and she learned that there was an operation to restore her eyesight.  After many years at the school she became a teacher, was sent to Alabama, and the rest is history.  I loved this book.  I grew up knowing about Helen Keller (just like many school children) but I never knew much about her teacher.  Annie Sullivan had such a hard life and in a way it was probably harder that Helen's life.  Even when Helen was young and no one understood what she was trying to communicate, she at least had family who loved her.  Annie had no one and she had to take care of herself, and even after all she did with Helen, people still know very little about her.  I know I will do my best to learn more about Annie Sullivan.  If you want to learn more about Annie Sullivan visit http://www.perkins.org/vision-loss/helen-keller/sullivan.html.

Fic Mil

Weird but True Tales by Allan Zullo

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Two paw prints.  Has anything really strange ever happened to you, something you couldn't explain?  Well, if you are interested in unusual events that can't be easily explained then this book is for you.  This book has true love matched by fate, twins separated at birth, lives saved by accident, and many more weird stories.  This book was definitely entertaining but it wasn't very good.  These are supposed to be TRUE tales but the beginning of the book states that names, dates, locations, and events have been changed to protect people's privacy.  Well, if you change names, dates, locations, and events, are the tales still true?  Unfortunately, these tales read like bad soap opera plots; in fact, I think I have seen some of these plots on TV.  Oh well, if you want some really interesting tales try visiting http://www.ripleys.com/ and you can decide on your own if you think they are true.  Or, you can visit http://www.allanzullo.com/ten_true_tales/ten_true_tales.htm to find more books by Allan Zullo.  (I have read other books by this author and they are normally much better.)

Fic Zul

Memories of Anne Frank: Reflections of a Childhood Friend by Alison Leslie Gold

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints!  Most people have heard the story about Anne Frank.  She was a Jewish girl living in hiding from the Nazis during World War II, but her life was cut short after her family was discovered and they were sent to concentration camps where only her father survived.  The world knows of her experiences while in hiding because Anne kept a diary that was published after the war ended.  This story is about one of Anne's best friends who managed to survive the war.  Hannah Goslar and Anne were best friends, and Hannah was one of the only friends mentioned in Anne's diary.  Hannah's story is just as facinating as Anne's, but with a slightly better ending.  Instead of hiding from the Nazis (like Anne's family), Hannah's family tried to leave the country.  Hannah's father had been a government official in Germany before the war so he was able to use some of his connections to get visas to Paraguay, and the family was included on a wait list to be moved to Palastine.  Unfortuantely, the family was deported to a concentration camp before they could take advantage of the visas or the wait list.  But, because of these documents, the family was treated slightly better than families who had been arrested after having been caught hiding.  This didn't help everyone in Hannah's family, but it did buy Hannah enough time to survive and tell her story.  This story was so moving.  It was interesting learning about Anne from a different point of view.  This story was so well written that even though I had an idea about how the story would end I was still in tears over what might happen to Hannah's family members.  There was only one thing I would change about Hannah's story...I want to know MORE.  To learn more about Hannah and Anne's experiences, find an adult and visit http://www.ushmm.org/.

Fic Gol

The Pirate of Kindergarten by George Ella Lyon and Lynne Avril

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda
Four paw prints.  Ginny loves school.  She especially loves reading and she loves going to the Reading Circle.  But Ginny has a problem.  She doesn't know what is real and what is imaginary.  Ginny sees two of everything.  She sees two of every word on the page, sees two chairs, sees two images on her coloring pages, and sees two teachers.  Unfortunately, she doesn't realize she is the only person in her classroom that is having this problem.  Luckily, there is a school nurse who recognizes Ginny is struggling in school and recommends she see an eye doctor.  Not only does the eye doctor help Ginny see one of everything, but he helps her become a pirate.  Now, Ginny is no longer afraid to visit the Reading Circl,e and school becomes a lot more fun.  I really liked this book.  Not only was the story well told and easy to understand and the pictures were bright and interesting, but the story was about  a child who needs help.  Stories about children with disabilities aren't a common theme in picture books.  To find more books by George Ella Lyon, visit http://www.georgeellalyon.com/ to learn more.

Gabby & Gator by James Burks

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  Gabby is a girl who likes vegetables, her tuba, and recycling.  But, as a result, she doesn't have many friends and she is lonely.  Gator lives by himself in the sewers and he likes computers, books, music, and small animals (especially dogs), but he's misunderstood.  Together Gabby and Gator make a great team.  Gator helps deal with Gabby's bully problems and Gabby helps Gator deal with his animal control officer problem.  They're the perfect team.  Now, about Gabby being a vegetarian and Gator liking small animals...  I really liked this book.  I had doubts when I opened the book because the story description didn't really grab my attention and I'm not a big fan of graphic novels, but I'm so happy I read this book.  I loved Gabby and Gator's friendship and how they helped each other while having fun, and I especially loved Gabby's hair and Gator's stripes.  They were perfect together.  To learn more about author and illustrator James Burks, visit http://www.jamesburks.com/.
Fic Bur

Knuffle Bunny Free by Mo Willems

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  Well, Knuffle Bunny is back with his best friend Trixie.  This time they are on a new adventure to visit Trixie's grandparents in Holland.  This means taxi rides, plane rides, and train rides to safely visit Oma and Opa.  But, as always, Trixie gets excited and becomes separated from Knuffle Bunny.  Unfortunately, this is not a problem that Daddy can easily fix because Trixie didn't leave Knuffle Bunny at the laundromat or school.  Knuffle Bunny was left on an airplane and the plane has left for China.  Knuffle Bunny is gone and there is nothing Daddy can do about this problem.  Trixie now has to make a decision.  Can she live (happily) without Knuffle Bunny?  In the end, Trixie makes a decision that surprises everyone, including herself.  In the final Knuffle Bunny book, Mo Willems tackles the problem of Trixie growing up, whether she wants to or not, and what the future look may look like in a world without Knuffle Bunny.  I'll admit it, I loved this book so much it almost brought me to tears.  I know all children grow up, including Trixie, but did she have to grow up in the book too?  And I LOVE Knuffle Bunny.  I DON'T WANT HIM TO GO AWAY!  Oh well, I guess bunnies have to grow up, too.  If you want to learn more about Mo Willems, visit http://www.mowillems.com/.

We Are in a Book by Mo Willems

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints.  Well, Elephant and Piggy are at it again and not only are they in a new book, they have discovered they are IN the book.  This leads to many interesting ideas.  The funniest idea is trying to make the reader read the book out loud to a group of children and make the reader say funny words.  Of course, if you read the book out loud then their plan works.  There is just one problem.  Gerald (the elephant) has found something new to worry about and the cause of his worry is on page 57.  Normally, it is up to Piggy to help calm Gerald down and come up with a solution to the problem but there is NOTHING Piggy can do about page 57.  Fortunately, Piggy does have an idea, but it is up to the reader to make it successful.  As always, the newest Elephant and Piggy book is wonderful with its innocence, and children will love, and identify, with both the main characters.  But the best part of this book is the inclusion of the reader.  I have yet to meet a child who doesn't like to be included in the book with Elephant and Piggy.To find more great books by Mo Willems visit http://www.pigeonpresents.com/.

Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge by Mem Fox and illustrated by Julie Vivas

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints.  Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge is a little boy with a very long name.  He is also a very lucky little boy.  He has many friends who live in the home next his because this is a home for old people.  He has friends who like music, play cricket, and tell stories, but his favorite friend is Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper.  Miss Nancy Alison Delacourt Cooper has four names just like Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge.  But Wilfrid is worried.  His parents say that Miss Nancy is losing her memory.  Wilfrid wants to help Miss Nancy find her memory but he's not exactly sure what a memory is or how it can be found.  His friends at the home for old people offer to help Wilfrid, but will the help be enough for Miss Nancy?  This is a wonderful book.  It is a good way to introduce young children to the problems of memory loss and what children can do to help old people still feel good about themselves.  I especially like Wilfrid's innocence when he is trying to help Miss Nancy find something she has "lost".  If you want to learn more about Mem Fox and her books then visit http://www.memfox.com/.
Fic Fox

A letter from Miss Dewey and Mrs. Manore

Hello,
Recently, we have made some small changes to the Orenda Reads blog and we wanted to let everyone know what we are doing.

1. If the book is available in the Orenda library then you will see RED call letters and call numbers at the end of the review. This information will help you find the book in the library.
2. We are going to start make book trailers to go with some of the book reviews. Please watch for this soon to be added feature. The label will be "Book Trailer Video".
3. You may notice another new label called "nook". The Orenda Library Media Center is using nooks with the 5th grade students for the first time, starting with the 2010-2011 school year. If a title can be found on a nook, you will see nook at the bottom of a review.
4. Some people have asked if they could make references to the Orenda Reads blog. You are more than welcome to reference this blog. Please understand these reviews are opinions that you are free to agree with or even disagree. (As the students are taught, you may disagree but you must always be polite.) If you would like to reference this blog, we would love to know. Please email us as deweyreadwell@gmail.com and let us know!
5. We have received compliments about the look and feel of this blog. THANK YOU. Blogger/Google does most of the work with the options that are offered, but we always appreciate kind words.
6. If you would like to know what Miss Dewey looks like, please visit the bottom page of this blog. She is a whippet who thinks she is very beautiful. (She's a bit vain.)

Keep reading,

Miss Dewey and Mrs. Manore

Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda
Five paw prints! Minli lives a hard, simple, but happy life. She works in the field during the day and at night she lives with her parents who love her and take care of her. Though they are very poor and can't afford gifts for her, Minli's father gives her gifts by telling her wonderful stories about animals, emperors, dragons, and mountains. Minli believes these stories about talking animals to be true and as a result she buys a goldfish. Minli's mother is very upset that Minli would spend what little money she had on a goldfish, but Minli loves her fish and in return the goldfish also tells Minli stories. Minli comes to believe that if she leaves her home and finds the Old Man of the Moon she will learn how to make her family wealthy and then her parents wouldn't have to worry so much about money. On her trip Minli meets many new people and has many more questions for the Old Man of the Moon, but in the end he will only give her one answer. It's not the answer to the question she left home to ask, but it's the only answer she needs. This book was wonderful. If words can be described as beautiful, then this was a beautiful book. I think all children should read this book, but, more importantly, I think all children should have the chance to read this book with an adult they love and trust. It's definitely a book that should be shared as a family. If you want to read other books by this author then visit http://www.gracelin.com/ to see what other wonderful stories she has created.
Fic Lin

When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan and illustrated by Brian Selznick

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. When Marian Anderson was a girl she began to sing. Actually, most people who knew her would say she was born singing. By the time she was in elementary school she was already the youngest member of the People's Chorus in Philadelphia. She was so small, she had to stand on a chair to be seen. Her voice was so good the people in her church helped pay for her singing lessons and they offered to help pay for her to attend a professional music school. There was just one problem. Marian was black and black students were not allowed to even apply to attend the school, no matter how musically talented they were. But her friends and family didn't want her to give up her dream of singing so she was given a chance to sing before the famous music teacher, Giuseppe Boghetti. He was stunned by how wonderful her voice was and promised that after training with him for two years, she would be able to sing "anywhere for anybody". And after two years he was right. She was able to travel and perform with famous musicians in front of some of the wealthiest and most influential people, including European royalty, all over the world. There was just one problem. It didn't matter how talented or famous she became; when she was back in the United States, she was still treated poorly by some people simply because she was black. Luckily, she didn't let that stand in the way of following her dreams. This was a great book, not just because it was about an African American growing up during the time of segregation, but by showing people she could doing something just as well, if not better, than a white person. Not only did a poor child grow up to become famous, but it shows that no matter who you are, if you work hard at something you enjoy, then you can be very successful. To learn more about Marian Anderson visit, http://www.library.upenn.edu/exhibits/rbm/anderson. To read more books by the author and illustrator visit, http://www.pammunozryan.com/ or http://www.theinventionofhugocabret.com/.
921 And

"A Free Woman On God's Earth" by Jana Laiz & Ann-Elizabeth Barnes and illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. During the late 1700s, before the United States even existed, slavery was legal in the 13 British colonies. In 1751,a seven-year-old girl was taken from her family in New York and given as a "gift" to a family in Massachusetts. This girl was named Elizabeth and she grew up to become Mumbet, a respected member of her community. But she was a slave and respect doesn't mean much without the addition of freedom. During the time leading up to the American Revolution and the creation of the United States of America, Massachusetts created its own constitution stating that all men are born free and equal. Mumbet was smart; she knew some of the men who created this Constitution and she used these new laws to sue for her freedom. Mumbet became the first slave in Massachusetts to sue for her freedom and WIN! Her legal case even led to the freedom of other slaves in Massachusetts. This book was wonderful. I had never heard of Mumbet before, but I found this book and her story to be fascinating. Who could have guessed that a woman who was born and raised as a slave, had never been to school, and had never learned how to read, could be smart enough to understand new laws enough to sue for her freedom? I think all young students should be taught about Mumbet and her contribution to the end of slavery in Massachusetts. There isn't much information about Mumbet on the web but http://www.mumbet.com/ should be a good place to start.

The Sons of Liberty created and written by Alexander Lagos and Joseph Lagos, art by Steve Walker, color by Oren Kramek

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

One paw print--and that is being nice. Imagine, it is the late 1700s and the American colonies are on the verge of declaring their independence from England and the rule of the King. No one likes being told what to do or how to live, and no one knows how terrible this feels as much as a slave. There are two young slaves, Graham and Brody, who have decided they have had enough of slavery and escape from their master. Along the way they meet some people who want to help them and some people who want to hurt them. One of the people who wants to help them is the famous Benjamin Franklin. One of the people who wants to hurt them is Benjamin's son, William Franklin. William is just as interested in science experiments as his father, but he likes to test his theories on living creatures, including humans. During these experiments, Graham and Brody are hurt and they will never be the same again. Now the question is...Who will be hurt next? Run, don't walk, away from this book. This was one of the worst books I have ever read. British soldiers scared of slaves, William Franklin conducting science experiments on humans, ancient African martial arts... WHAT?!?! American history is fascinating and full of great stories with LOTS of real adventures without anyone having to make up such terrible lies. I believe in and encourage GOOD historical fiction but this isn't it. If you want to read a good historical book about the Revolutionary War then visit the library because there are plenty. Some of the titles are even in graphic novel format. Don't get me wrong, I will be putting this book on the library shelves, and I know it will be very popular. But being popular doesn't always mean being good. To learn more about this new series of books visit, http://www.thesonsoflibertybooks.com/. The website is a slightly better than the book.

Fic Lag

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream by Tanya Lee Stone

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. Have you heard of Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, or Michael Collins? Probably. They were famous astronauts and while Michael Collins piloted the command module, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were becoming the first men to ever walk on the moon. But have you ever heard of Jerrie Cobb, Jan Dietrich, or Rhea Hurrie. No? I'm not surprised. In the 1960s, while NASA was testing and training seven men to see if they had the "right stuff" to go into space, there were 13 women who were taking many of the same tests. Not only were these 13 women taking many of the same tests as the men, but in many cases the women were doing better than the men on the same tests. But one day the women were told they were not going to be allowed to finish taking the tests, and only people who took, and passed, all the tests would be allowed into space. It would be almost another 20 years before women would, again, have the chance to go into space. So why did it take so long for women to be allowed into space? There were a number of reasons, but the main reason was they were women. In the early 1960s, when NASA was beginning its space program, ALL the people in charge of making the decisions were men. The men liked to believe they were stronger than women and that women should stay at home, take care of the home, raise the children, and be waiting for their husbands to come home from work. The men wanted to believe they were superior to the women, and the men didn't want to change their ways or their thinking. This was a great book. It had everything I enjoy in a good story: history; drama; and underdogs who may not have won the battle but they certainly won the war. There are so many websites that go along with this book that there is not enough room to list them all, so I will list two here, but you will have to look at the back of the book for the full list of recommended websites. The two websites I would recommend starting with are The International Women's Air & Space Museum at http://www.iwasm.org/ and NASA Kids' Club at http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html. 629.45 Sto

Ninth Ward by Jewell Parker Rhodes

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. It's 2005 and Lanesha lives in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her neighborhood is called the Ninth Ward. She has a good life. She lives with Mama Ya-Ya, she gets good grades in school, and she gets along well with the adults in her neighborhood. But as happy as she is, Lanesha is also a little sad. Her biological family doesn't want her (Mama Ya-Ya was the midwife who helped bring her into the world and who has been taking care of her for 12 years) and she doesn't have many friends. Other kids don't like to be around Lanesha because she can see ghosts, including her own dead mother. The ghosts don't really bother Lanesha, but they are starting to change. There is a hurricane approaching Louisiana and it's BIG. It's so big, the local meteorologists are telling people to get out of New Orleans. Even the ghosts seem to be aware of the coming storm and they are warning Lanesha. But Lanesha doesn't know what to do. Mama Ya-Ya, who can also communicate with spirits, is also unsure what to do. The spirits keep telling Mama Ya-Ya that danger is coming, but it is NOT from the hurricane. Though this story is not true the events in the story are true. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina made landfall near New Orleans, Louisiana and the entire American Gulf Coast was devastated by the wind and water. New Orleans was especially hard hit when the levees broke and water poured into the city. And though I loved this book, and I highly recommend it to students, I still want to know what happens to Lanesha and her friends. To learn more about this author, visit http://www.jewellparkerrhodes.com/children.

Fic Rho

Countdown by Deborah Wiles

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints! It's 1962, the beginning of a new school year, and Franny has a lot on her mind. Her teacher seems to be ignoring her no matter how hard she tries to be noticed, her older sister seems to have run away from home, her mother seems to be on edge all the time, her brother only wants to read a book about atoms, her uncle (a veteran who fought in World War I) in losing his mind, and her father is rarely around because he is an Air Force officer assigned to the president of the United States. All of this wouldn't be so bad if the United States wasn't so scared about the Soviet Union trying to bomb the United States, starting with Washington D.C., which is where Franny and her family lives. Franny is constantly having to practice duck and cover drills in school and planning how to live in a bomb shelter in her house. Life couldn't get any worse, or could it? Did I mention Franny's best friend isn't speaking to her, a cute boy just moved in across the street, and she has just been invited to her first boy/girl party? Franny just knows that if she lives until Halloween her life MIGHT get better. This book was very interesting. Not only was the story so good I had a hard time putting it down, but all the pictures between some of the chapters were great. Throughout the book there are pictures and quotes from the time of the Cold War which is the time when Franny is in school. The Cold War was a time when the United States and the former Soviet Union were just waiting for a war between the two countries to start, and people in both countries were living their lives in fear. There are pictures of duck and cover drills, government officials, musicians, athletes, and quotes from many famous and important people from this time period. It really helped to have an idea of what Franny was experiencing in school. If you like this book and you want to read other books by this author then visit http://www.deborahwiles.com/ or visit the official Countdown website at http://scholastic.com/COUNTDOWN.

Fic Wil

The Dreamer by Pam Munoz Ryan and Peter Sis

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints! This is the fictionalized story of world famous poet Pablo Neruda. Pablo Neruda was a man who was fascinated by the world around him. He wrote poems for everyday "common" people to understand and not just for professors at universities. He was such a good poet that he won the Nobel Prize for literature. But before he became a world famous poet he was Neftali Reyes, a small boy from Chile whose father was so embarrassed by his son's daydreaming that Neftali had to change his name to Pablo so his father wouldn't know about the poems. Neftali grew up small, gentle, and quiet, but he made up for it by having good grades in school. But this wasn't enough for his father. His father wanted Neftali to be big, strong, athletic, and eventually go to college to study business. Neftali's father was NOT pleased that Neftali was curious about the world around him, and he hated that Neftali would be kind to other people...even people who didn't look, think, or act like his father or his father's friends. His father would go so far as to call Neftali an idiot in front of his friends from work. Luckily, Neftali had support from his mother, uncle, brother, sister, and local librarian, and they each helped him follow his dream of becoming a writer. I loved this book. It was beautiful. The story was as gentle as Neftali. You wanted to learn and understand the world with Neftali, and you hurt with Neftali when he was hurt by his father. Not only were the words important in this book but the pictures were important too. The pictures were like poems that helped the story come alive. I had a hard time putting this book down. If you like this book and want to read other books by this author or illustrator then visit http://www.pammunozryan.com/ or http://www.petersis.com/.

Fic Rya

Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grishan

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. Theo knows exactly what he wants to be when he grows up. At least he has it narrowed down to one of two careers. He either wants to be a great lawyer or a fair judge. His mother is a lawyer, his father is a lawyer, is uncle was a lawyer, and he spends all his time hanging out at the town courthouse. Regardless, he know he wants to be a part of big and challenging cases. Currently, Theo is very excited about an upcoming trial. It's a murder trial. It's the biggest trial to be in his community in years. He wants to watch the trial every day but, unfortunately, his parents won't let him miss school to watch. There's just one problem. Theo has evidence that none of the adults know exists, and if Theo doesn't speak up, the family of the dead woman may never know what really happened. But this is the real problem. If he speaks up, an innocent person may end up in jail. This was a great book. I don't usually read crime/mystery books but I really enjoyed this story. I actually had a hard time putting the book down. There was just one part of the story I didn't like; it was the ending. It felt like there were too many loose endings that weren't resolved. I'm wondering if there is going to be a second book to resolve these loose endings. I hope there is. Oh, but I did like the last conversation Theo had with one of his teachers. It was great! Believe it or not, Theo has his own website. Visit http://www.theodoreboone.com/ to see Theo's "office".

Fic Gri

Driven: A photobiography of Henry Ford by Don Mitchell

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. What can you say about Henry Ford? He invented cars? No, he didn't, but he did make cars affordable for everyday Americans. He gave jobs to people that most other companies would ignore, he made sure children knew how important it was to get a good education (even though he didn't have a college education), and he gave back to the community he lived in to make it a better place to live for families. He was also very forward thinking when he realized oil is NOT a renewable resource and new technologies would need to be developed so people would have a lesser need for oil. But, unfortunately, as good as he was to others there were some things he did that would NEVER be accepted in today's age. This book was very interesting. I thought I knew about Henry Ford but I was so wrong. I was amazed at all the things he did with technology and the communities where his factories were located. But I was also saddened by his treatment of people he didn't like. Henry Ford was a very complex man. So what about the pictures? They were wonderful. I love biographies that have many pictures because it helps to make the book and the person seem much easier to understand. If you like this book and you what to learn more about Henry Ford then visit, http://www.henryfordestate.org/ and http://www.efwefla.org/.

921 For

How to Clean a Hippopotamus by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints...no, two...no, five...no... As you can tell I'm not sure how to rate this book so let me begin with a description. This book is about how different animals around the world survive by working together. There are birds that eat meat out of crocodiles' teeth and the crocodile does NOT eat the bird. There are birds that eat parasites off fish but don't eat the fish. There are fish that clean turtles. And my favorite, dogs who help people. This book really is very interesting with bright and detailed illustrations and lots of really interesting facts. At the end of the book there are descriptions of every creature that was mentioned on the previous pages. There were over 50 creatures! This book really does deserve five paw prints so you might be wondering why I would even consider only two paw prints if I thought the book was so good. IT WAS GROSS!! I made the mistake of reading this book while in bed before I fell asleep. I was creeped out, I couldn't fall asleep, and I had nightmares. In other words...kids will LOVE this book. To learn more about books by this team visit, http://www.stevejenkinsbooks.com/.

E Jen

The Junkyard Wonders by Patricia Polacco

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. At some point in everyone's life there is at least one teacher that makes such an impression that you remember that teacher as having a huge impact on your life. For Trisha that teacher is Mrs. Peterson. In California, where she lived with her mother, Trisha had been in a special class because she had a hard time learning to read. Now that she can read, she and her parents decide she deserves a chance at a fresh start in a new school, so she moves in with her father and gramma in Michigan. Unfortunately, her old school in California sends her school records to the new school in Michigan and Trisha is again assigned to a class for "special" students. The other kids in the school call her class the junkyard class because no one else in school wants them. This is not what Trisha wanted, but Mrs. Peterson helps Trisha and all the other kids in this class realize they are not "dumb" and many treasures can be found in a junkyard. As always, Ms Polacco has created a wonderful book. Most schools have a class of "leftover" students that may need extra help, and this book shows how special AND SMART these students truly can be with help from a wonderful teacher. To learn more about Patricia Polacco visit, http://www.patriciapolacco.com/.

Rocky Road by Rose Kent

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. Tess has a problem. Actually she has a few problems. Her brother is deaf and her mother has decided to move from Texas to Schenectady, NY in the middle of winter to open an ice-cream shop. Her mother says there are a lot of good opportunities to start a business in Schenectady, and there are better schools for the deaf. Tess wouldn't mind all of this except for the biggest problem--her mother gets "shooting stars". When her mother is coping with the world well (the stars are up) then the family is fine, but when she can't cope (the stars are falling) then she losses her job, her apartment, and Tess has to skip school to take care of her mother and little brother. It's a lot of work for a middle school student. But Schenectady is going to be "better". They already have a furnished apartment (in a retirement community), she has been introduced to the mayor (her mother hit his car on their way into the city), and the family soon owns an old ice-cream shop (with no place for ice-cream because the chiller is broken beyond repair). I really enjoyed this book. I loved the cast of characters from the kids at school, the merchants in Schenectady, and I really loved the characters living at the retirement community. I especially liked how accurately Schenectady was described. I grew up in Schenectady County and I could picture everything that was being described in the story. I also liked that this was a story about a teenage girl who has more problems than your typical girl, but the story would be enjoyed and appropriate for girls as young as 4th grade. If you want to learn more about Rose Kent and her books then visit, http://www.rosekent.com/ or if you would like to learn about the real Schenectady then visit, http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2010/jul/10/0710_summernite/.

Candy Bomber: The Story of the Berlin Airlift's "Chocolate Pilot" by Michael O. Tunnell

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. At the end of World War II the allies (the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and the Soviet Union) had defeated the Nazis in Germany and Germany was left in ruins. In the hopes of preventing another war, Germany was divided into two pieces. The eastern part of Germany was controlled by the Soviet Union while the western part of Germany was controlled by the remaining allies. Not only was the country divided, but so was Berlin, the capital of Germany. Berlin was deep inside the Soviet controlled section of Germany and the Soviet government did not like Berlin being controlled by two different groups. The Soviet government decided it was going to try to "discourage" the United States, the United Kingdom, and France from supporting West Berlin by blocking all road, water, and rail access to the city. The Soviets hoped by cutting off supplies to Berlin residents, the western part of the city would have to agree to Soviet control. But the Soviets underestimated the response the people of West Berlin received from its supporters. The United States, the United Kingdom, and France created the Berlin Airlift to bring supplies to the city 24 hours a day for seven days a week. The Berlin Airlift took hundreds of people to make it successful, but there was only one person the children of Berlin cared about: he had many names, including Uncle Wiggly Wings, but his name was Lieutenant Gail Halvorsen. During one of his days off, Lt. Halvorsen visited what was left of West Berlin, and near the airport runway he meet some children. These children had spent their young lives knowing of nothing but war and Lt. Halvorsen wanted to give them something special. He promised to drop chocolate from his airplane. Since all the airplanes looked the same, he told the children to look for the airplane with wiggling wings. That one gift of candy led to much more candy from people from across the United States offering to help Lt. Halvorsen deliver candy. This book is Lt. Halvorsen's story. I loved this story. It's one of those rare true stories where there is a "good" guy (the Western Allies) and a "bad" guy (the Soviets) but the "good" guys win without ever having to hurt another person. The Western Allies could have tried to help the people by using force against the Soviets but instead used food. And one soldier in particular who decided to use candy to make a difference in the lives of a few children. Now those children try to teach their children about kindness because of this one man. It seems (to me anyway) that many people could learn something about kindness from Lt. Halvorsen. To learn more about Lt. Halvorsen and the Berlin Air Drop visit, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/airlift/sfeature/candy.html, http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/airlift, and http://www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_collections/berlin_airlift/large/.

943 Tun

Sparky: The Life and Art of Charles Schulz by Beverly Gherman

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. Poor ol' Charlie Brown. He never kicks the football, he never wins the baseball game, and he never wins the love of the little red headed girl. But his life has never been horrible. He has a best friend in Linus, a crazy dog named Snoopy, and a whole cast of characters in his town who are his friends. You might be wondering how he can have all these friends when he appears to be such a, well...loser. It's all because of his creator Charles Schulz. Charles Schulz (known as Sparky to his family) was an awkward boy. He was very shy, he didn't have many friends, he couldn't talk to girls, he was even too shy to talk to some of his teachers. But there was one thing that he could do well and that was draw, and his dream was to draw comic strips in the newspaper. He lived what many people would consider an ordinary (some would say boring) life. He was close to his family, he rarely traveled (except for his tour of duty during World War II), and he enjoyed working hard to be the best at what he did. It was this ordinary life that helped him create a comic strip about a bunch of kids living ordinary lives, and it was their ordinary lives that people read every day for over 50 years to help themselves get through everyday life. Who would have thought living a plain life and doing everyday things could be so rewarding? Over the years I have read many books about artists and illustrators, including Charles Schulz, and I thought this book was good. I would have preferred a few more details about his life but I don't think kids will notice that there a few gaps in his life. I do think this is a very good book to introduce Charles Schultz to kids, and I think most kids would enjoy reading this book. To learn more about Charles Schutz visit: http://www.schulzmuseum.org/.

921 Sch

Heros of the Environment by Harriet Rohmer and illustrated by Julie McLaughlin

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. Everyday, in the news, you hear reports of the environment being hurt by people who do NOT think about the future. Rarely do you hear of people helping the environment and making the world a better place. I guess this is understandable. Bad events made for good news. But this book is different. This books has selected 12 problems in the environment and the people who are the "heroes" trying to fix these problems. What's nice about this book are the heroes themselves. They aren't only scientists (though there are a few scientists), they are kids, teachers, retired grandparents, Native Americans, and even a masked wrestler. (If you want to know what a masked wrestler has to do with the environment you'll have to read the book.) This book was wonderful. Every chapter explains a problem, why the problem exists, who is trying to fix the problem, and how the problem is being fixed. Not only does the book give all this detail, it is done in a way for students to understand AND enjoy the book. I wish more science books were written in this way. To learn more about helping the environment visit the Environmental Kids Club at Environmental Protection Agency at http://www.epa.gov/kids/.

333.72 Roh

Noah Webster: Weaver of Words by Pegi Deitz Shea and illustrated by Monica Vachula

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints. I'll admit, when I first saw this book I was unimpressed. A book about the man who helped to create a dictionary? Boring! But I was so wrong. Noah Webster was a very interesting man. He grew up during a very important time during American history. He was a soldier in the American army, he attended one of the most challenging and oldest colleges in the country, as a teacher he wrote important books for teaching children how to read, and he became famous for creating the first in depth dictionary. Noah Webster wanted all people to understand each other, and he felt one of the best ways to do this was with a common language. As I said in the beginning I wasn't looking forward to reading a book about the creation of the dictionary, but this book was great. Not only do I want to know more about Noah Webster, but I want to know more about dictionaries...especially Webster's Dictionary. To learn more about Noah Webster, visit http://www.noahwebsterhouse.org/.

921 Web

Stand Straight, Ella Kate by Kate Klise and illustrated by M. Sarah Klise

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. Do you know what it is like to be tall? I don't just mean being the tallest person in your family or your class? How would you like to be the tallest person in your town or your state? Ella Kate was the tallest woman in the world, and this is her true story. Ella Kate was a shy girl who "grew up" to become a world famous woman. Her height was her biggest problem, but it was also her greatest asset. As a girl she was made fun of for standing out in a crowd but her height gave her the chance to earn money (in a side show) and travel the world. This book is very interesting. I don't know anyone who would want to be as tall as Ella Kate, but I know plenty of people who would love to travel the world. I wonder how many people would be brave enough to leave home and travel as an attraction in a side show? It really makes you appreciate how lucky you are when you can easily blend in with a crowd. There is only one change (addition) I would have liked to see to make this book even better. I would have liked to see maybe one pull-out page showing the actual size of Ella Kate's shoes or gloves or something. (Actually, this was an idea from one of my students, and I thought it was a very good idea.) If you like this story and you want to read more books by the Klise sisters, visit: http://www.kateandsarahklise.com/.

921 Ewi

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer's Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton and illustrated by Tony Persiani

Posted by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Five paw prints! Do you like bright colors? Have you ever wondered what the world would look like without bright colors? Well, it wasn't that long ago when there were NO bright colors. It wasn't until brothers Bob and Joe Switzer made an interesting discovery that people were able to enjoy colors in a new way. But Bob and Joe hadn't planned on inventing new colors. Bob wanted to help sick people be healthy and Joe wanted to entertain people with magic. They ended up inventing something together that was so new (Day-Glo colors) that people could be helped and entertained with the same invention. I loved this book. I grew up loving bright Day-Glo colors, but it never occurred to me that someone invented these colors. What I liked most about this book was the way the information was presented. The story is told in a picture book format and all the pictures in the beginning are in black and white. As the brothers learn more about color, more and more colors are added to each page until the last pages are filled with Day-Glo colors. This book was wonderful. If you want to read more books by this author visit: http://www.chrisbarton.info/.

The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Adam Rex

Reviewed by Miss Dewey at Orenda

Four paw prints. Steve has a problem. It's Friday, his teacher just assigned a report, and the report is due on Monday. This is bad enough, but his topic is quilting (he hates quilts) and his friend's topic is detectives (Steve wants to be a detective when he grows up). Life is just too unfair. For most kids this would be a huge problem, but Steve's life is about to get worse. He ends up spending his weekend trying to escape evil thugs, secret agent librarians (it seems they are mad he borrowed a quilt book from the public library), and he needs to find a missing quilt that holds the key to national security. Oh, did I mention Steve is only 12 years old? I love this book. It has mystery, action, adventure, humor, quilting, and some very intertesting librarians. What more does a good book need? How about a good sequel? It's coming...this book is the first book in a new series called The Brixton Brothers. If you want to learn more about books by Mac Barnett visit: http://www.macbarnett.com/.

Fic Rex