SUPER EMMA

When EllRay is constantly being bullied, Emma’s natural reaction is to jump in and defend him, however in this specific situation things don’t go the way that she had hoped for since EllRay being a boy ends up feeling embarrassed by the fact that a girl is defending him.  This whole situation blows out of proportion because their teacher gets involved as well as other classmates. There are many lessons to be learned from this book, Super Emma  by Sally Warner  and illustrated by Jamie Harper.                                                                                                                                                                                                                        For grades 3rd and up.                                                                                     

SECRETS-- KEEP THEM OR SHARE THEM?

Dear Reader,

At this moment, there is a child grinning from ear to ear and skipping across the play yard thinking.."I have a secret! I have a secret!" And as children go about the day and interact with one another, little does he/she know that the person that they're interacting with holds an incredible secret! For Molly, in Tor Freeman's book, Olive and the Big Secret, wants to share her secret with the classmate of her choice.  Does she pick the right friend to keep her secret? A simple and gentle story about keeping secrets and sharing secrets.  

For ages 5 to 8 years.

THE TALENT SHOW

When the tornado hit the town of Tornado Alley, a lot of the town’s residences were on their usual daily routines of cleaning houses, rehearsing for school plays, running errands, or just simply doing nothing. However, when cars started to fly like Frisbees, people realized what was happening…After the tornado, things were destroyed and buildings were ruined, such as the local elementary school. When the principal of that school suggested raising money by doing a talent show, people got excited and started to feel optimistic about the future. The talent was recruited and the roles were assigned, until that is… another tornado hit the town of the Tornado Alley… THE TALENT SHOW by DAN GUTMAN, is fun and you don't have to have a talent to read it!

For grades 5th and up.

ONE WAY, TWO WAY...THIRTEEN WAY!

Want a fun and relatable book about the crazy things that happen in a usual classroom? Now imagine that all those fun and relatable things are happening without your teacher. The regular teacher is out and a new substitute teacher has taken over the class. Imagine all the pranks and all the endless possibilities of great mishaps that the class can come up with the hope that the substitute teacher will not be as harsh as their regular teacher? Sounds fun ha? THIRTEEN WAYS TO SINK A SUB is by JAMIE GILSON and one you finish reading this book, I am sure that you will be able to come up with more than thirteen ways to "sink a sub."

Warning: Don't try the pranks that you read in this book in your classroom!

For grades 5th and up.

PIZZA OR FISH GUTS

CAMILLE MCPHEE FELL UNDER THE BUS... by Kristen Tracy is a good book and a surprising book, but never a dull book. Camille is in fourth grade. She knows life is not fair. But she just didn't realize how unfair life could be! Falling under the bus is only one of the many unfair things that happen - some of them funny, some of them sad. She tries being a Dingo about it...until she realizes Dingoes aren't as tough as she thought. In the end, she realizes it's not about dwelling in the unfairness, but how you move past it. This book will remind some readers of Beverly Cleary. For 4th - 6th grades.

TERRIBLE LIES?

Have you ever made up stories about yourself to try and impress someone? How do you think people feel when they know you have told them a lie about yourself? What would you do to make a new kid more comfortable? It is always hard being the new kid, especially when you go to a new school right in the middle of the year. In the book HEY NEW KID! by Betsy Duffey, Cody decides he is going to be the most exciting, adventurous, brave new kid anyone has ever seen and makes up stories about how crazy and exciting his life is, when it's really not all that action-packed. In the end, it turns out all the kids like him, even though his great new image falls apart one day at a party, and they see Cody for who he truly is. It's a great book for anyone in 2nd - 4th grade.

NERDS OF THE WORLD UNITE!

It's amazing these kids get along! In THE VIEW FROM SATURDAY by E.L. Konigsburg, Noah, Ethan, Nadia, and Julian have nothing in common, except that they are all loners for one reason or another. They are as different as North, South, East, and West. Things change one Saturday when Julian, a small boy originally from India, invites them all to tea. It's not long before the four form firm friendships, which only become stronger when their teacher Ms. Olsinki, who's in a wheelchair, chooses them to compete in the Academic Bowl. This story isn't like other stories, because it jumps from one person's point of view to another, and each one sees the things happening in their lives differently. Great for 5th - 8th graders.

NOT JUST A SPELLING BEE

It's a tale told in from the points of view of kids who enter the annual school spelling bee. It's about parents and adults who have ulterior motives. It's about desire, corruption and competition.

Jennifer: Could care less about the bee, but her parents won't allow her to lose.

Mutual: Only going to regular school because his parents want him to win the bee.

Chrissie: Determined to get to the truth no matter how much it hurts.

Harlan: Class clown who wants to be a legend. All he needs is one perfect prank.

Jake: He wants the prize. The money will go to a good cause... his future.

I Put a Spell on You: From the Files of Chrissie Woodward, Spelling Bee Detective by Adam Selzer is a book of stories within a story of kids who are determined to do what is right rather than what is expected. For 6th -8th grade readers.