Riding Freedom - Pam Muñoz Ryan

Riding Freedom 
By: Pam Muñoz Ryan 
Illustrated by: Brian Selznick
★★★★★

Summary

Charlotte Parkhurst became an orphan at the age of two when her parents were killed in a horse and buggy wreck during a storm.  She grew up in an orphanage for boys where she helped in the kitchen and spent as much time as she could out in the stables with the horses.

One Day she knew that she had to leave, or be stuck in the kitchen forever.  She disguises herself as a boy, because of course a girl can't travel alone in the mid 1800's, and narrowly escapes.  In the next few years, she has several close call but ends up as "Charley" spending the rest of her days among horses and stagecoaches making quite a name for herself.  

Review

        

Riding Freedom is a truly lovely book of historical fiction.  In a note from the author, we find out that this story is based on the true life story of Charlotte Darkey Parkhurst, making this an even more charming novel.  I would most defiantly recommend this book to 3rd-6th graders.

Author Website

http://www.pammunozryan.com/

This website has some great resources for teachers including a few reader's theater scripts for her other books, none yet for Riding Freedom.  

Technical Stuff

Ryan, Pam Muñoz. Riding Freedom. Ill. Brian Selznick.  Scholastic Inc. New York. 1998.  

ISBN-13: 978-0-439-08786-4

ISBN-10: 0-439-08796-1

The Old Willis Place - Mary Downing Hahn

The Old Willis Place 
by Mary Downing Hahn 

★★★★☆

Summary:

Georgie and Diana seem like perfectly normal siblings, they take care of one another because their parents are dead.  They live on the estate of The Old Willis Place.  One average day a care taker of the estate and his daughter, Lissa, move in.  Diana wants desperately to become friends with Lissa, but Georgie reminds them of their pact to not let themselves be seen.  

Through a series of descriptions of Diana and Georgie and their interactions with Lissa the reader discovers that Diana and Georgie are non corporeal this leads into some detective work to find out why they are still on the property and what exactly happened to Old Miss Willis.  

Review:  This is a great ghost story for young readers!  It keeps you guessing, but explains everything well throughout the course of the book.  There are a few scary parts, but for a ghost story it is relatively tame.  I would recommend this book to kids in grades 4-6 who like a good ghost story.  

Author Website: www.marydowninghahnbooks.com

Technical Stuff:

ISBN-13: 978-0-545-08711-7

ISBN-10: 0-545-08711-2

Hahn, Mary Downing. The Old Willis Place. Scholastic INC. New York. 2004

Andrew Clements' Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School: We The Children

Benjamin Pratt & The Keepers of the School: We The Children

Andrew Clements, Illustrated by Adam Stower

★★☆☆☆

Summary

Benjamin Pratt is a carefree boy who is excited about an amusement park taking the place of his school building.  That is he was, until the janitor gives him a very old coin with instructions to defend the school no matter what. Benjamin scourers the school with his best friend Jill looking for clues and to come up with a way to save their school. The new janitor is  after them, and does not want them to succeed. 

Review

This is the first book in a series by Andrew Clements.  It had a pretty slow beginning and unfortunately didn't become exciting until the very end where there was no conclusion except to look for Book 2 of the series.  I guess I will look for it later, but I'm in no real rush to do so.  

Clements was one of my favorite authors as a kid because of Frindle, and I've used his book No Talking as a read aloud in my classroom.  I like the real world scenarios about school and friendship that usually weave through the plot lines, and while not completely absent here, they are not up to the standards I've grown accustomed to in Clements work.  I have to say that it seems like the publishers might have broken one good book up into a trilogy to cash in on extra book sales.  

That being said, I would still recommend this to students in grades 3-5 if they like mystery and suspense because it is a wholesome and interesting book.  

Publisher Stuff:

Published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers

ISBN 978-1-4169-3886-6

Copyright 2010

The Postcard

The Postcard
by Tony Abbott

★★★★★

Jason, a young boy from Boston, finds out that his grandmother, whom he has never met, has just died.  His father wants Jason to come to Florida to help clean out his grandmother's house so that they can sell it.  While cleaning, he finds a postcard that changes his life forever.  The postcard leads him and his new friend Dia on an adventure all over the city of St. Petersburg, Flordia.  Along the way they discover the truth about Jason's grandmother, all the while being chased by the criminals who hid the clues to the truth in the first place.  

I would definitely recommend this book for 4th-7th graders who like an adventure full of twists and turns. It is a mystery within a mystery, full of surprises that you can't wait to discover. 

Tony Abbott's webpage has tons of info about him, The Postcard, and his other books.

Abbott, Tony.  The Postcard. Little, Brown and Company, New York 2008
ISBN: 978-0-316-03354-1

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.

Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.

by David A. Adler

Illustrated by Susanna Natti

★★☆☆☆

After meeting Cam Jansen in book one Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds, she and her co-detective Eric see lights floating in the air.  Eric uses his actual camera to snap a picture of them, while Cam uses her photographic memory, and reason to find out what is really happening.  They follow the lights to the source and are almost caught by the creators of the floating lights, and lets just stay they were "aliens" from a place not so far, far away.  

While this book is very predictable for older readers making it maybe not so exciting, it would be great for young developing readers because it is fast paced and at an easier reading level.  I would use these books for students with 2-3 grade reading levels.
There is a support website with pages both for kids and teachers.  On this Cam Jansen website there are check lists for all of David A. Adler's books, comprehension questions for readers, and fun quizzes that test your own memory like Cam Jansen is always doing. 

New cover of the book

David A. Adler talks about the inspiration for the character Cam Jansen. He says the reason the mystery moves so fast is that the books are meant for slow readers so that as they read events unfold more quickly to keep children engaged in his books!




Citation:
Adler, David A. Cam Jansen and the Mystery of the U.F.O.  Ill. Susanna Natti.  Viking Press, New York. 1980.


ISBN: 0-670-20041-7
AR reading level: 3.4

Roman Diary - The Journal of Iliona of Mytilini

Roman Diary - The Journal of Iliona of Mytilini, who was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Rome, AD 107

by Richard Platt & David Parkins

★★★★★

     This book is written as an illustrated journal of a young girl from a Greek Island, Mytilini, captured and enslaved in Rome.  It follows her journey of being captured, becoming a slave and learning her new position in life.  Because she is educated, she is given a position in a wealthy home helping to raise the children, but her younger brother is sent to work in the fields. The reading level is at about a sixth grade level and would be great for any middle schooler, or high schooler looking to learn more about Rome in it's height of power from a young slave's point of view.  

     I do have to warn that the content is a little hairy at times talking about ill-treatment of slaves, Gladiator tournaments, and war stories.  But it has a wealth of information, great vocabulary words and is a great history lesson in a relatively short book.  

Platt, Richard. Roman Diary - The Journal of Iliona of Mytilini, who was captured by pirates and sold as a slave in Rome, AD 107. Ill. David Parkins.  Candlewick Press, MA. 2009. 

ISBN 978-0-7636-3480-3

AR reading level: 6.0

The Many Troubles of Andy Russell

The Many Troubles of Andy Russell
by David A. Adler

★ ★ ★ ☆☆

Andy Russell is a young boy with lots of troubles at home and at school.  Andy's best friend Tamika who lives in foster care might be forced to move away if he can't convince his parents to let her move in and share a room with his sister.  Before he has a chance to ask his parents seven of his gerbils escape and are running all over the house. Ms. Roman, his teacher, is always calling on him when he isn't paying attention in class.  Andy tries so hard, but he just can't seem to make things turn out the way he wants. 

I think that this is a good book, where the children in it are not purposefully causing trouble, but inconveniently things are always happening to them.   I would recommend this to kids in 1st-4th grades.  This book might be helpful for kids with ADHD symptoms to understand their situation better as Andy has a mind that wanders and he can't focus even when he really, really wants to.  

Adler, David A. The Many Troubles of Andy Russell. Ill. Will Hillenbrand. Gulliver Books, Harcourt Brace & Company.  San Diego, CA. 1998.  

ISBN: 0-15-201295-8