The Five Little Chickens

Room 12 at One Tree Point School is reading the story The Five Little Chickens.

They are making their own books that they will take home adn read to their parents.

 

Well done Kids!!

Whales on Stilts

It is career day and twelve-year-old Lily Gefelty accompanies her father to work—an abandoned warehouse which contains a "dangerous, highly guarded high-tech, secret scientific laboratory."

When Lily meets her father's boss, Larry, she knows something is amiss. Larry wears a grain sack over his head (with two holes cut out for his eyes), has blue, rubbery hands, and proceeds to pour a vat of brine over his head. When he lets slip that he plans on taking over the world, Lily is astonished. She questions her father: "Dad . . . Don't you think that Larry is . . . strange? I mean . . . how he wants to take over the world?" He father replies, "Honey sometimes adults use irony. They don't really mean what they say."

Unlike the adults around her (who don't seem to notice the odd goings-on), Lily believes Larry is a mad scientist, intent on taking over the world. Fortunately, Lily has two adventuresome friends to whom she turns for help—Jasper Dash (Boy Technonaut) and Katie Mulligan (Crime Fighter).

After some investigation, the trio learn that Larry does indeed have plans for world domination. He intends to accomplish this by unleashing "extremely cranky, stilt-walking, laser-beam-eyed whales" upon an unsuspecting planet. Will the youngsters be able to stop Larry and the whales before it's too late?

Anderson has appended "A Guide for Reading and Thinking: Questions for further study" which is a hilarious spoof of test-preparation material. Filled with funny asides, witty dialogue, gentle jabs at book series (Goosebumps), a pages-long footnote, and clever, tongue-in-cheek writing. A truly fun and funny read.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis.

Being Teddy Roosevelt

More than anything, nine-year-old Riley O'Rourke wants to play the saxophone in music class. Unfortunately, Riley's mom cannot afford to buy or rent an instrument for the boy.

In the meantime, Riley's fourth-grade class is busy preparing for a biography tea in which students will attend dressed as the famous people they have researched and written about. Riley is assigned Teddy Roosevelt.

As Riley reads about the explorer, soldier, and President with the can-do attitude, he begins to set goals and see possibilities where once he thought none existed. The boy eventually saves nearly half the money needed for a second-hand instrument. When he finds out the saxophone he was saving for has been sold to someone else, he feels defeated.

He wasn't Teddy Roosevelt . . . He couldn't charge up a hill in war, or be elected president, or dig the Panama Canal. He couldn't even get himself a saxophone so he could do fourth-grade instrumental music.

All is not lost, however. When Riley's friends find out about his problem, they rally around and help him come up with a Roosevelt-like solution.

R. W. Alley's charming black-and-white drawings complement the story perfectly. Being Teddy Roosevelt is an engaging chapter book about friendship, setting goals, and the importance of never giving up.

Classroom Uses: Perfect for established chapter book readers. Boys will find this title appealing.

Reviewed by the teachers at Education Oasis.

Rabbit's Gift

Rabbit's Gift is a modern retelling of the "giving" fable. The spirit of the original story is cleverly revealed by the re-gifting of a turnip by a well-intentioned community of animals.

Through the eyes of the adorable forest creatures—wonderfully illustrated by Laura Dronzek—the reader sees that while he is not responsible for the happiness of others, his actions can deeply impact those he comes in contact with.

The easy conversational writing style, the logical flow of the story, and the twist to the original story make this book a new classic. Shannon does a marvelous job of telling a complex story in simple language.

George Shannon has created a rich allegory that redefines for a whole new generation of readers and listeners the importance of giving. Rabbit's Gift, is a rare, special treat that simply must be savored and shared.

Reviewed by Shannon Evans