Rita & Ralph's Rotten Day by Carmen Agra Deedy

Rita and Ralph are best friends who meet at an apple tree between their two houses to play every day. One day Ralph accidentally hurts Rita in a game of Sticks and Stones. Rita is mad, and Ralph is sorry. What follows is the story of how mending a friendship is not always easy, but it is always worth it!

Carmen Agra Deedy was inspired to write this book by the hand game, "Mr. Wiggle & Mr. Waggle," which is included in the back of the book in case you want to learn it.

I recommend this lovely book to K-2 students.

Mrs. N.

The King of Kindergarten by Derrick Barnes

The King of Kindergarten is another back-to-school read aloud that I plan to share in the future. The 5-year-old in this story is excited about starting school because his mommy tells him that he is going to be the King of Kindergarten! He brushes his "royal chiclets" (teeth) before a "big yellow carriage" (bus) takes him to the "grand fortress" (school). His first-day in his "Kindergarten Kingdom" is wonderful! His teacher reads books to the class, they have recess, lunch, and nap time, and they get to sing, dance, and play music. He cannot wait to return the next day.

I love the color-filled pages of this book, especially the illustration of the quilt on the very first page. I also love the happy and positive mood of this book. It should really help excite new kindergartners about starting school!

Mrs. N.

Lena's Shoes Are Nervous by Kath Calabrese and Juana Medina

I discovered Lena's Shoes Are Nervous: a first-day-of-school dilemma at the public library while I was looking for a good back-to-school read aloud. The story is about Lena's first day of kindergarten. As she wakes up and gets ready for school, she realizes that she has a very big problem...her shoes are nervous. Her sweet dad tries to help, but it is ultimately her headband with the bright green flower that is able to listen to what her shoes are feeling and convince them to be brave.

I really like the artwork in this book. Most illustrations are colorful line drawings, but my favorite pages feature part black-and-white drawings with only a few strategically colored-in elements. I also really like the story because it conveys the combination of nervous excitement that accompanies the first day of a new school year, for students and for teachers!

I recommend this book to K-2 students.

Mrs. N.

Ali Cross by James Patterson

Like John Grisham, James Patterson is one of those authors who writes equally well for adults and for children. Patterson's new Ali Cross series for the middle-grade audience springs to life from his blockbuster Alex Cross series for adult readers. Ali is detective Alex Cross's son who is eager to follow in his dad's footsteps as a police detective. In this first volume, Ali's friend Abraham goes missing, and Ali is absolutely determined to find him. At the same time, a string of burglaries targets Ali's very own neighborhood, and his father is on trial for an act of police brutality that he did not commit.

I recommend Ali Cross to upper elementary students who liked the Theodore Boone series or who enjoy mysteries and/or action stories. The story is set in the modern-day and deals with topics ripped from today's headlines in a way that is unbiased and illuminating.

Mrs. N.

The Space We're In by Katya Balen

The Space We're In is the story of Frank, a "normal" 10-year-old boy who loves soccer, coding, and playing with his friends. The problem is that Frank's younger brother Max is not "normal;" he is autistic. And because Max is different, Frank has to deal with those differences too...differences like Max's noises, his screaming, and his embarrassing, sometimes public, melt downs. When people make fun of Max, Frank is ashamed that he does not take up for him. Frank loves his brother, but living with Max is hard on his entire family.

When Frank's mother becomes ill, Frank blames Max for demanding so much from her. But when tragedy strikes, Frank realizes that he was wrong,--wrong about the cause of his Mother's illness and also wrong for not seeing Max for the wonderful brother he is.

I recommend this book to students 3rd grade and up who enjoy reading about people with differences or who live with challenging differences themselves. Author Katya Balen does a good job of capturing the challenges of both living with autism and living with someone with autism. 

Warning: The story is a sad one, and you may cry, but the ending is uplifting.

Mrs. N.

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

I ordered Hello, Universe for our school library right after it won the Newbery Medal but have just now gotten around to reading it. What was I waiting for?! This story is full of so many things I love in books...varying points of view, humor, wonderful, misfit characters, and a satisfying ending. It is about how four kids' lives unexpectedly intersect and bring about changes they could never have foreseen.

Virgil Salinas is a shy, quiet 11-year-old boy who feels like he doesn't fit in anywhere, not even in his own family. Kaori Tanaka, also 11, is Virgil's friend who believes she is psychic and, with the help of her younger sister Gen, offers her services to the public. Next is Valencia Somerset, one of Virgil's classmates who is smart, deaf, and Virgil's secret crush. Finally, the bully of the story is Chet Bullens, a thoroughly unlikable kid whose act of meanness sets the plot in motion.

I had a great time listening to this story as an audio book and even laughed out loud more than once. Erin Entrada Kelly's character development is top notch! If you are a 4th-6th grader who likes adventures set in realistic neighborhood settings, I recommend Hello, Universe. It has something for every kind of reader.

Mrs. N.

Stay by Bobbie Pyron

In Stay 11-year-old Piper Trudeau's family has recently become homeless. The story begins with the family moving into a homeless shelter in a new city. While her parents look for work, Piper must adjust to life without a home...standing in line to receive meals, sharing a bed with her younger brother Dylan, riding the "homeless" bus to her new school. One of the things she misses most about her former life is her Firefly Troop, the girl scout troop she belonged to back home.

Things begin to look up for the Trudeau family when they are accepted into a family shelter that sponsors Firefly Troop 423. Finally Piper is able to make friends who understand her situation because they are in the same situation themselves. She also begins to notice and even befriend some of the homeless people around the city, many of whom have pets. In particular, she befriends a little dog named Baby who lives in the park with his owner Jewel. One horrible day Baby and Jewel get
separated, and Piper realizes she must be the one to reunite them.

I like how the author tells her story by alternating between Piper's perspective and Baby's perspective because that helps the reader truly empathize with both characters. I also appreciate how Piper's experience with homelessness opens my eyes to the fact that people become homeless for a lot of different reasons, any one of us could become homeless during our life time, and whether we have a home or not, ALL people are worthy of love and respect.

I recommend this touching book about a compassionate hero to dog-loving students 4th grade and up.

Mrs. N.