The Book Lady Blog

I am a 4^th grade teacher that will be teaching 5^th grade next year.  I like to read aloud to the students for a few minutes every day. Do you have any recommendations for a good book to read to my 5^th grade students?Michael 

Dear 5^th grade teacher,There are many wonderful books that your students would enjoy.  I could list hundreds – but here is my short list of books you may consider: 

No Talking - by Andrew Clements
The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a "no talking" contest. (Teacher paradise) Henry Huggins – by Beverly Cleary (or any book by Beverly Cleary!)One of my all-time favorite books about a boy, his dog, his friends, and their day to day adventures. 

The Trumpet of the Swan -  by E. B. White
 A wonderful book, tells the tale of a swan family in Canada in 1968 that is befriended by an 11 year old boy named Sam.  One of the baby swans is mute and cannot “trumpet”.  The story is how Sam helps the swan find his voice in the world. This is probably E.B. White’s most underrated book, and a wonderful read – and a great way to discuss animals, the environment, and respecting nature. 

Shiloh – by Phyllis Naylor
An 11 year old boy must decide how to help an abused beagle named Shiloh.A wonderful way to discuss compassion and animals.

Any book from the “Dear America” or “My America” series. Any book by Laura Ingalls Wilder, especially “By the Shores of Silver Lake”

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry
"Misty of Chincoteague" by Marguerite Henry is a classic children's book in the genre of realistic fiction. Main characters in the chapter book, two children named Paul and Maureen, set their eyes on Phantom, the wildest horse on Assateague Island. They work really hard to earn enough to buy the horse. After twists and turns, the two children bring the wild mare and her colt Misty to their home on Chincoteague Island. In the end, they have to decide whether to set Phantom free.

Because of Winn-Dixie -  by Kate DiCamillo
A 2001 Newbery Honor book, tells a heartwarming story about love, friendship and tolerance. Main characters of the realistic fiction book are Opal Buloni, a 10-year-old girl, and Winn-Dixie, the dog she has found in the town grocery store. Opal has just moved to Naomi, Florida with her preacher father. Her mother left them seven years ago. Because of Winn-Dixie, Opal makes new friends. Among them are Gloria Dump, a kind old lady called a witch by children, Miss Franny Block, a librarian who loves to tell stories, and Otis, a pet shop worker who plays music to animals. These quirky characters are part of the charm of the chapter book.

The Incredible Journey - by Sheila Burnford
A classic animal adventure book. Three animals-- a Siamese cat, a bull terrier, and a Labrador retriever-- make an incredible journey through the Canadian wilderness in search of their family and their home. The pets face hardship, starvation and wild animals on their adventurous journey. The last chapter, in which they find their owners, is very moving.

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - by Judy Blume
A humorous story, especially for children with younger siblings. Main character Peter, a fourth grader, has a two-year-old brother named Fudge, who gets into a lot of trouble. "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" is a good book to read aloud. Children in second grade through seventh grade will enjoy this very funny and entertaining chapter book in the genre of realistic fiction.

I am addicted to books.  I can’t pass a Barnes & Noble or Borders book store without getting caught in its tractor beam and getting pulled in.  I have Amazon.com as my homepage on my computer (and if I could have registered there for our wedding two years ago, I would have).

So it would make sense when my husband asked me last year if I would like an eBook reader.  “Not me” I said.  “I’m a book purist – I like the feel and smell of a book in my hands”.

Then we visited our brother-in-law and his wife.  The subject of eBook readers came up and he quickly retrieved his Kindle and showed it to me.  Now I was intrigued.  A small device that could hold hundreds of books?  No more lugging 6 books with me when I go on vacation?.

My favorite part of the Kindle was the ability to change the font size, since the necessary addition of reading glasses recently to read was a sore subject with me.  (I swear they are making newsprint smaller these days)  The Kindle 2 even has a voice feature, so the book can be read to you.

After playing with the Kindle, I decided that you could still be a book person with an electronical device.  My Kindle arrived on Valentine’s Day.  I promptly downloaded a slew of books and started reading.  I got the entire Jane Austen collection for $3.99.

Suddenly I was reading – everywhere.  The Kindle fits in my purse and I can sneak a few pages in while waiting in line at the grocery store, Dr.’s office – the only place I drew the line was reading in the bathtub (still need paperbacks for that one).

While the cost of eBooks have been coming down the last year or so – they are still pricy – the Kindle is $299 and the Sony book reader is $249.  EBook devices currently do not have color – so pictures are not what they are in books – but for reading most books it is fine.  Amazon will soon release the Kindle DX with a 9 inch screen for $489 – much better for reading newspapers and magazines.  The average new book is $9.95 to download but there are hundreds of free books and books for under $5.00.

So, I still love my books – and I love my Kindle.  An EBook reader might be a great way to get younger kids to read more – the portability is terrific and I do find myself picking up my Kindle more often due to the convenience.  Do I think books will be extinct someday?  The answer is no – but the eBook readers do add another way to make reading fun.

Happy Reading!
The Book Lady