Top Ten for Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Boys, boys boys.  I love them!  As a librarian, they are my biggest challenge.  Boys don't check out as many books as the girls- and they just don't seem to have the passion for books that girls do.  The statistics speak volumes: boy readers lag behind their female counterparts. According to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study in 2001, 4th girls in all of the 30+ participating countries scored higher in reading literacy than 4th grade boys. Similar findings show up in the U.S. National Assessment of Educational Progress  scores.

"Why", you ask? Theories abound. According to Michael W. Smith and Jeffrey D. Wilhelm in Reading Don't Fix No Chevys ( 2002), research on gender differences and literacy provide some interesting findings:

• Boys take longer to learn to read than girls do
• Boys read less than girls read
• Boys value reading as an activity less than girls do

According to a national survey conducted by the Young Adult Library Services Association in 2001, boys of an average age of 14 listed their top obstacles to reading:

• boring/no fun 39.3%
• no time/too busy 29.8%
• like other activities better 11.1%
• can't get into the stories 7.7%
• I'm not good at it 4.3%

What is the key to changing this trend?  Provide boys with GREAT (and I mean GREAT) books!  Provide them with a variety of books and encourage them to read!  If you value reading, they will too.  Talk with boys about books- ask them to tell you about what they are reading.  Turn off the tv and the video game system and make them read!  (easier said than done, I know!  My husband would rather play XBox 360 than read... unless it is a video game magazine!)  

So, here are my top 10 books for little guys and my top 10 books for big guys.  I hope you can find something for the guy in your life.  And, I have made a fierce display of boy only books in the Lemme Library (yes, girls can read them too!)

LITTLE GUYS

Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg E VAN 

Left on their own for an evening, two boisterous brothers find more excitement than they bargained for in a mysterious and mystical space adventure board game.

Dinosaur Roar! by Paul & Henrietta Sticklan E STI

Rhyming text and fun illustrations present all kinds of dinosaurs! 

Arrowhawk by Lola Schaefer E SCH

Based on the true story of a bird of prey's survival after being struck by a poacher's arrow.

Bubble Bath Pirates by Jarret Krosoczka E KRO

When pirate mommy announces bath time, it is yo ho ho and to the bath we go for her little pirates.

Leonardo, the Terrible Monster by Mo Willems E WIL

Regardless of all his efforts, Leonardo the monster simply cannot seem to frighten anyone, until he meets the perfect nervous little boy.  

Karate Hour by Carol Nevius E NEV

Rhyming text portrays the excitement of an hour of karate class.

Clay Boy by Mirra Ginsburg 398.2 GIN

Wanting a son, an old man and woman make a clay boy who comes to life and begins eating everything in sight until he meets a clever goat.  

Puss in Cowboy Boots by Jan Huling 398.2 HUL

Set in Texas, a retelling of the fairy tale in which a clever cat wins for his master a fortune and a wealthy and talented bride.

Hi Fly Guy by Jim Arnosky ER ARN

When Buzz captures a fly to enter in The Amazing Pet Show, his parents and the judges tell him that a fly cannot be a pet, but Fly Guy proves them wrong.  

How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long E LON

Jeremy Jacob joins Braid Beard and his pirate crew and finds out about pirate language, pirate manners, and other aspects of their life.

BIG GUYS

The Switch by Anthony Horowitz F HOR

When wealthy, spoiled, thirteen-year-old Tad Spencer wishes he were someone else, he awakens as Bob Snarby, the uncouth, impoverished son of carnival workers, and as he is drawn into a life of crime he begins to discover truths about himself and his family.

Heat by Mike Lupica F LUP

Pitching prodigy Michael Arroyo is on the run from social services after being banned from playing Little League baseball because rival coaches doubt he is only twelve years old and he has no parents to offer them proof.

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen F PAU

Things get out of hand for a twelve-year-old boy when a neighbor convinces him to expand his summer lawn mowing business.  

Surviving Brick Johnson by Laurie Meyers F MEY

Afraid of getting maimed for making fun of Brick, the husky new kid in his fifth-grade class, Nick decides that even his baseball collection will not protect him so he signs up for karate class, despite his little brother's reassurances that Brick is not a bully.  

Weasel by Cynthia DeFelice F DEF

Alone in the frontier wilderness in the winter of 1839 while his father is recovering from an injury, eleven-year-old Nathan runs afoul of the renegade killer known as Weasel and makes a surprising discovery about the concept of revenge.

The Get Rich Quick Club by Dan Gutman F GUT

Summer vacation in their small Maine town does not look too promising until twelve-year-old Gina and four of her friends make a pact to become millionaires before school starts in September.

Anything But Typical by Nora Raleigh Baskin F BAS

Jason, a twelve-year-old autistic boy who wants to become a writer, relates what his life is like as he tries to make sense of his world.

Holes by Louis Sachar F SAC

As further evidence of his family's bad fortune which they attribute to a curse on a distant relative, Stanley Yelnats is sent to a hellish correctional camp in the Texas desert where he finds his first real friend, a treasure, and a new sense of himself.

The Strange Case of Origami Yoda by Tom Angleberger F ANG

Sixth-grader Tommy and his friends describe their interactions with a paper finger puppet of Yoda, worn by their weird classmate Dwight, as they try to figure out whether or not the puppet can really predict the future. Includes instructions for making Origami Yoda.

The Million Dollar Shot by Dan Gutman F GUT

Eleven-year-old Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals.  

Locker Librarians

Check out these undercover librarians!  Maeve and Madeleine have built a library in their school locker, complete with their very own circulation system!  Maeve's mom said she worked on perfecting their check out system.  So, if you can't find what you are looking for in the Lemme Library, head to the Locker Library.  You are sure to get a great book suggestion!

 

 What?  We don't circulate girls... or do we?

Friday Funny!

Thursday Thirteen (13)

Picture this is you will...

Fade in... a librarian in her late (gulp) thirties walks up to a group of students in the Lemme Library.  She asks them if they've read this book.  "Oh, I don't need to read this book, I've already seen the movie."  The librarian faints dead away. End scene.

This happens more than you might think (minus the passing out). 

So, for this Thursday 13, I give you the 13 movies that I will NEVER watch, because I adore the book.  I hope you will stop by the library very soon to pick up one of these books... even if you HAVE  seen the movie.  I bet you 5 bucks you will like the book way better. (Okay, it's the 8 movies I won't see, the one I did and hated and the 4 I loved... yes, loved).

The movies I can't, won't and refuse to watch:

Here is the movie that I wish I could erase from my memory.  I did watch the original animated Grinch movie, and it will forever be dear to my heart, but not this version:

Here are the movies that I watched and liked... okay, loved.  Don't judge me.

Fall is in the Air

I love fall...  this is a fun display in our library! 

Top Ten for Tuesday, October 5, 2010

Ask any kid who has listened to me give a book talk... I love sad, depressing books.  Most of the books that I booktalk have a character that lives in foster care, her mom has died, she ran away from home, her dog gets hit by a car... if it is sad, I love it.  I don't know why...  This week I give you my top 10 favorite "grab a tissue and cry your eyes out" books.  Just because they are sad doesn't mean that they start sad, stay sad and end sad... but you will have to read them and find out!

  The Same Stuff as Stars by Katherine Paterson

 Angel and her brother have a hard life.  Their dad is in prison and their mom isn't very responsible.  One night, mom drops the 2 kids off at their grandmother's house, even though they have never met her.  Mom reassures the kids that she will be back first thing in the morning to pick them up... but she never comes back.  So, now Angel is stuck with a grandmother she doesn't know, in a town she doesn't know... and she has to be brave for her brother.  Angel walks 2 miles to the town library and befriends the librarian, and she also meets a mysterious man who shares her passion for star gazing.  Who is this man, and how will he help her put her past behind her?  You will have to read the book and find out!  F PAT

Mick Harte Was Here by Barbara Park

Phoebe is narrator of this book, and she has a heartbreaking story.  Her little brother, Mick, was killed in a bike accident.  She starts the book by saying "I don't want to make you cry. I just want to tell you about Mick. But I thought you should know right up front that he's not here anymore. I just thought that would be fair."  Phoebe tells the story of how her family copes with the death of her little brother; including the first time her mom goes in his bedroom after he has died.  Phoebe's father feels so guilty for his son's death, saying that if he had only made him wear a helmet, he would have lived.  This book will break your heart.  F PAR

Greetings From Nowhere by Barbara O'Connor

Aggie and her husband have run a small motel at the foot of the Smokey Mountains since they were married.  Now that her husband has died, she doesn't know what to do.  She knows that the motel is too much for an old lady to run, but she can't bare to give it up.  She finally decides to put the motel up for sale.  She finds a buyer- a single father with a lonely daughter, who come to visit the motel and make the final arrangements.  As fate would have it, the motel gets very busy- 3 more families need rooms at the same time.  All of these families have sad stories that you learn as each chapter is narrated by a different character.  All of their stories come together by the end of the book... this is a beautiful story that will touch your heart.  F OCO

A Small White Scar by K.A. Nuzman

It is 1940 and since his mother died, Will has been in charge of caring for his disabled twin brother, Denny.  Will wants to break out on his own, and leave his brother and his strict father behind.  He resents the responsibilities that have fallen on him, and he knows he will have to give up his dream of joining the rodeo.  Will decides to run away and enter the rodeo in the next town- thinking that he can finally prove himself to his father.  But, Denny follows Will on his journey, and Will is forced to either leave his brother in the middle of the desert, or turn back and give up his dream.  What will he do?  Read and find out! F NUZ

The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson

I cannot talk about this book. I have work to do, and I can't spend the day rolled up in a ball in the corner of my office.  Read it.  Please.

F PAT

Charlotte's Web by E.B.White

I know that this new generation has no need to read this book, since they have seen the movie... NOT!  You must read this book.  Spoiler alert here, but when my dad read this book to me,  I sobbed uncontrollably when Charlotte died.  How could she leave Wilbur behind?  That was the first book I had ever heard where a main character dies.  I know that her babies coming to Wilbur's farm are suppose to make us all feel better in the end- but it made me cry harder.  How can they grow up without a mother?  I think this book lead to my irrational fear of spiders. Please read this book to your child. F WHI

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by JK Rowling
I know everyone under the sun has either read this book or seen the movie (sigh), but I read this book to my 4th grade class the year it was published in the US.  My class knew that I would cry at the drop of a hat, but they had a chance to see it in person when I read a certain chapter of this book to them.  When Harry looks into the Mirror of Erised and sees his parents, I became a blubbering fool.  I continued to read, and when I looked up from my book, all of the children were sobbing too.   F ROW

Mars Needs Moms by Berkeley Breathed

The little boy in this book is sick of his mom... she makes him eat his vegetables, makes him go to bed at night; and he decides he will be better off without her.  Little does he know, that aliens have invaded Earth, and they are here to find the perfect human to take back to their planet.  A human who will fix boo boos and drive carpool... so they come and take all the moms.  The little boy manages to stow away on the space ship, and when he tries to escape, he has no helmet and can't breath.  His mother rushes to him and gives him her helmet.  We all know what happens to you if you are in outer space and have no space helmet.  I cry every time I read this.  If you are a mom, you will cry twice as hard...  you know you would do the same for your child.  The first time I read this book out loud to a class, I couldn't finish it- Mr. Aunan had to come and finish reading for me.  I was sobbing.  Buy this for your mom... or for yourself. E BRE 

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney

I don't care how many times I read this to my daughters, I can't keep from tearing up.  When that Big Nutbrown Hare  lifts Little Nutbrown in the air and says "I love you to the moon and back", I just can't stand it.  Every single baby needs this book!
E MCB

Corduroy by Don Freeman

When the little girl takes Corduroy home and sews that button on his overalls... that's what gets me every time.  Every.  Time.

E FRE

Wimp Yourself!

Did you know you can turn yourself into a Wimpy Kid character?  Just click here, and get to work!  Here is a picture of April that we made in class today!  Can't you see the resemblance?

Thursday Thirteen (13)

I love music just as much as I love books!  My favorite movie is "The Sound of Music"!  (Google it!)   So for this Thursday Thirteen, I give you my 13 favorite music related books.  The biographies on my list are of people who inspire me, and the song books are books that remind me of my childhood.  I hope you enjoy these as much as I do... stop by the library and check them out!

John's Secret Dream: The Life of John Lennon by Doreen Rappaport

This story starts during John's childhood and connects future lyrics to experiences he had as a child.  He had a rough childhood- his mom told him she was tired of taking care of him, so she dumped him at his Aunt's house.  His Aunt hated rock music- so of course, John fell in love with the guitar.  This is a stunning book- and you have to read the lyrics that are beautifully  painted on the pages.  I have loved John & The Beatles since I was a little girl and this is my favorite Beatles song, "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away":

I and I: Bob Marley by Tony Medina.This is one of the few books that focus on the childhood of Vov Marley.  The book is written in verse- and each poem addresses a different theme that inspired Bob's music.  One poem speaks of his father being a white man, and mother being a black woman.  Another poem talks about his passion for giving a voice to the voiceless and standing up for inequality.  The book has beautiful paintings and extensive notes... for the grown ups!   I adore his song "Three Little Birds"... if you are feeling blue, crank this up on your iPod!

Forever Young by Bob Dylan: I bought this book for Mr. Bacon when he left Lemme to become the principal at City High.  This book follows Bob Dylan through his life, and on each page are pictures from times in his life that became an influence.  For those of us who know Dylan's music, we see reference to all of his songs on the page- for example, a sign points to "Maggie's Farm".  This isn't a biography, but the song  Forever Young is picture book form... enjoy this video:

 

Little Stevie Wonder by Quincy Troupe: This is a wonderful poetry book that reflects on Stevie's life, from his childhood as a boy genius, to a talented, award winning musician.  The paintings are beautiful!  Adults will see how the poem gives homage to "Isn't She Lovely".  This is one of my very favorite Stevie songs, so enjoy! (I also love the Chili Pepper version!)

 

This Land Was Made for You and Me: The Life and Songs of Woody Guthrie by Elizabeth Partridge

Shake Rag: From the Life of Elvis Presley by Amy Littlesugar

Ella Fitzgerald: The Life of a Vocal Virtuosa by Andrea Pinkney

When Marian Sang: the True Recital of Marian Anderson by Pam Munoz Ryan

What Charlie Heard by Mordicai Bernstein

Sloop John B: A Pirate's Tale by Alan Jardine

As a child, we would listen to "The Kingston Trio" version of this song... circa 1975.  Here is a video of the boys singing... not in 1975, but they sound the same!

A Tisket a Tasket by Ella Fitzgerald

Summertime: from Porgy and Bess by George Gershwin

Baby Brains: Superstar by Simon James
This is a very funny picture book about a mom and dad that read books and newspapers to their unborn child, and also play lots of music for him.  When he is born, he is a musical genius!  He graduates from music school and goes on to become a rock icon!  So funny!