Courtyard Cat - C.S. Adler

Courtyard Cat

by C.S. Adler
★★★☆☆

Summary

Lindsay is eleven years old and tasked with taking care of Garth, her 3 year old brother, for the summer while her mom works and her dad goes to school.  They had to move to the city to be closer to Garth's doctors, as Garth had previously been in an accident that disfigured his face.  Lindsay is angry that she has to take care of him, that she had to move away from her friends and that she can't leave the courtyard of their apartment building.

Even though life seems impossibly rough, a cat named Sapphire and the task of saving her from the landlady's clutches brightens their otherwise dull summer days. 

Review

At first this was a slow read but as I got into the book, it touched my heart.  I would recommend this book for 4th-7th grade readers.  It has a little mystery and gives the reader lots of personal connection points such as struggles with money, parents working and in school, taking care of siblings and pets, and much more.  

Author Website

http://www.c-s-adler.com/

Technical Stuff (from Amazon)

• Age Range: 8 and up 

• Hardcover: 172 pages

• Publisher: Clarion Books (September 18, 1995)

• Language: English

• ISBN-10: 0395711266

• ISBN-13: 978-0395711262

Spirit Horse - Ned Ackerman

Spirit Horse

by Ned Ackerman

★★★☆☆

Summary

Running Crane is a youth new to the Kainaa Indian tribe and gets picked on a lot by the other boys.  Weasel Rider is especially rude to Running Crane and calls him "Falls Off" when he can't rie any of the horses.  The elder, Wolf Eagle, invite both boys and some warriors along on a raid to capture some horses from the Snake People.  The raid goes awry and Running Crane is separated from the group. He must fend for himself, and while trying to find his way back to the Kainaa, runs into many dangers.  He is able to capture the prised Spirit Horse of the Snake People and break him before he heads back to the Kainaa to share his story.

Review 

This book had a slow beginning and many difficult to follow names such as Beaver-Slaps-Tail-Twice and Hunts-Smoke-Rising.  There is however a very good moral, that hard work and patience always win over empty bragging, and slacking.  I would recommend this book for 4rd-6th graders or anyone interested in Native American culture in the 1770's.    

Technical Stuff (From Amazon)

• Age Range: 10 and up 
• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic; 1 edition (April 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590396501
• ISBN-13: 978-0590396509

Frindle - Andrew Clements

Frindle

by Andrew Clements
Ill. by Brian Selznick

★★★★☆

Summary

Nick Allen is a very bright 5th grader who likes to step out on his own against the main stream.  His teacher Mrs. Granger tells the class the history of how new words are made and Nick decides that he is going to create a new word of his own.  Frindle.  That was Nick's new word for pen.  Pretty soon kids, then adults all over weren't using the word pen anymore, but the word frindle.  Mrs. Granger tries to put a stop to it, but it was too late, the word had become a sensation.  

Review 

This book is well written, and I would recommend it for 3rd-5th grade students.  Kids will enjoy reading this story of a word invention by a student their own age.  Nick likes attention and can be a bit obstinate, but he is humble in the end.  I think that most kids will be able to connect to this book easily.  While this is a very good story, the characters are not very deep and some students might desire more.  

For Teachers

Andrew Clements' webpage has a lot of good information that could be used in an author study here.  More specifically is the page dedicated to Frindle including answers to some frequently asked questions about the book.  This was a great resource!

If reading this story with a whole class, you should be ready for your own students to start creating their own new words.  :)   This died down in my class after a few weeks, but it was interesting for a while.  

Technical Stuff (From Amazon)

• Reading level: Ages 8 and up
• Paperback: 112 pages
• Publisher: Atheneum Books for Young Readers (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0689818769
• ISBN-13: 978-0689818769

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds - Rodman Philbrick

The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds : The Donner Party Expedition, 1846

by Rodman Philbrick

★★★★★

Summary

This is a journal style book written from the point of view of 16 year old Douglas Deeds in 1846.  He is alone, just him and his horse until he joins up with the Donner Party as they head toward the Oregon Territory. He is loyal to the party, even when they hit hard times and he could have left.  He and the Donner party cross with many hardships, including the issue of cannibalism when members of the party are dying and others are starving to death. 

Review 

Love, Love, Love this series!  This is a wonderful historical fiction piece based on the true story of the fated Donner Party.  The story of the Donner Party is a hard one to speak to students about, but this book does a wonderful job of explaining it from a young man's point of view.  I would recommend this book for small book groups for mature 5-6th graders.  5-8th grade students could learn a lot about the Oregon Trail and the hard decisions that had to be made to survive just 160 years ago in American History.  The Journal of Douglas Allen Deeds is book 13 in the "My Name is America" book series, a series for middle grade boys. 

Technical Stuff (From Amazon)

• Reading level: Ages 9 and up
• Hardcover: 158 pages
• Publisher: Scholastic Inc.; 1st edition (November 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0439216001
• ISBN-13: 978-0439216005

The Gawgon and the Boy - Lloyd Alexander

The Gawgon and the Boy
by Lloyd Alexander

★☆☆☆☆

Summary

David is an 11 year old boy living in the early 1920's who has been too sick to attend school.  He spends his time writing stories, drawing and playing indoors.  His parents decide that he will be part time home schooled by his great aunt whom he secretly nicknames "The Gawgon," a terrifying female creature in Greek Mythology.  Durning a lesson she discovers this nick name but rather than getting upset about it welcomes it and nicknames David "The Boy."  

During their studies David learns about Napoleon, Leonardo Da Vinci, Sherlock Holmes and many other characters.  Intermingled with the stories of David's "real life" are fantasy stories that he makes up about himself, The Gawgon and the multiple characters he has learned about.  

Review

The story line is difficult to follow with the same characters occurring in David's fantasy stories as in Alexander's.  There are many very clever conjunctions between these characters that most school aged children would not understand, they would just confuse most young readers.  That being said, a student who was very well rounded in their studies might enjoy the mix up of historical and fictional characters in the fantasy of David's life.  Personally, I would not recommend this book to my students.  

For Teachers 

My Favorite Quote: "What's gone is gone.  Sometimes we lose what we love best. ... We always keep loving and remembering, but the past isn't a good place to live in, only to visit from time to time."  page 107, chapter 7.

Lloyd Alexander B. Jan 30, 1924- D. May 17, 2007

There are several websites about Lloyd Alexander.  One I particularly liked was: http://www.nndb.com/people/057/000044922/  

Technical Stuff

Alexander, Lloyd. The Gawgon and the Boy. Dutton Children's Books.  New York.  2001

ISBN: 0-525-46677-0

Callie's Rules - Naomi Zucker

Callie's Rules
by Naomi Zucker

★★★☆☆

Summary

A sixth grader in her first month, Callie, finds out that Halloween in Hillcrest is cancelled.  This is big news for her family and she works hard to keep a family tradition alive while staying within the town's rules.  Callie does have to break a few social "rules" that she has painstakingly learned from her peers in order to do this, but it is worth it!

Review

I think that this book could inspire young girls to be themselves, and stay original even when it is hard, and everyone else is tiptoeing around the unspoken social rules of middle school.  I would recommend this book for 5th-7th graders.

For Teachers 
The Author Website contains some discussion guides with questions and talking points.  I think that this book and discussion guide would work well in small group reading circles.  Girls would probably get the most out of this book.

Technical Stuff
Zucker, Naomi, Callie's Rules. Egmont. New York. 2009

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