NOVEMBER 26, 2007
The Best Christmas Pageant Ever by Barbara Robinson
This is the story of the six Herdman children and how they are the meanest kids in the world. They are so mean and so bad that they will push pussywillows down a kid's ear to see it grow, steal weight charts from the nurse's office, and even, set fire to an old building by using a chemistry set they stole from the store.These kids are unruly, and yet, somehow, one feels sorry for them, at times. Their father has run off, and their mother works a double shift in a shoe factory. The Herdmans never go to church, until one day they hear about free food that is served. So, the next Sunday, they show up for church, and they hear the announcement about the Christmas pageant. Each of the six Herdmans is very interested in the Christmas story. They are also the only ones to volunteer for the main parts. Imogene is the Virgin Mary, Ralph is Joseph, and Gladys is the Angel of the Lord. Leroy, Claude and Ollie are the three Wise men. Rehearsals go from bad to worse. The Herdmans often interrrupt the rehearsals to ask questions about Mary and Joseph and King Herod. Finally, pageant day arrives. It really is "the best Christmas pageant ever," as the Herdmans really feel the part of Mary and Joseph being turned away at the inn, and are overcome with joy at the birth of Jesus. One of the funniest parts is when the three Wise Men bring the baby Jesus a ham instead of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. A great book to read at any time of year, but most fun at Christmas. Kids will really enjoy this book and all of the hilarious moments in it. Recommended for grades 3-6.
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NOVEMBER 19, 2007
Postcards from William by Betty Southard Stokes
A new spin on an old story! Recaptured as a historical fiction tale based on the Lewis and Clark expedition to the Great Pacific Northwest, this book is written for the reader who loves adventure. The story of the adventures from the trip is told from the view point of William Clark as he writes postcards to his brother, George Rogers Clark, back in Ohio. The book is formated as postcards with spiral binding. It is beautifully illustrated by Emry Quinn, who happens to be the grandmother of one of Oakwood's residents and a patron of Wright Library. The book is personally autographed by Emry Quinn. This book is most suitable for readers in grades 3-5.
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NOVEMBER 17, 2007
Arthur and the Minimoys by Luc Besson
I liked this book much better than many reviewers. The setting is the Midwest, sometime after World War II. Life seems quiet and simple, except that a man has gone missing for more than four years, leaving his wife and grandson, Arthur, behind. From reading his grandfather's journals, Arthur learns of two African tribes, the Bogo-Matassalai whose shortest member is more than seven feet tall and the Minimoys, with the peculiarity of measuring only three-quarters of an inch tall. Threatened by eviction for not paying their taxes, Arthur and his grandmother scramble to find the bag of rubies that Grandfather has hidden in the garden. Instead of treasure, Arthur finds a map to the gateway to the land of the Minimoys. Arthur, a normal yet precocious ten-year-old, must use creativity, bravery, and heart if he is to save an entire race of people from extinction. Committed to his quest and to finding out what has happened to his grandfather, Arthur agrees to be shrunken in order to join the Minimoys in their fight. A fast-moving plot with surprising twists and turns makes this adventure a delight. Suitable for grades 3-6. The "Pizza and Pages" group is currently listening to chapters from this book each week, and finding it to be both funny and exciting. They especially like that mosquitos are used to ride on and catapults shoot raisins in battle.
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NOVEMBER 11, 2007
Babe the Gallant Pig by Dick King-Smith
When a piglet is won at the Fair by Farmer Hoggett, he is instantly adored and fostered by Fly, the sheepdog raising four pups of her own. She adapts the name given him by his own mother and "Babe" joins the dog pups in their training to guard the sheep. The sheep appreciate his tender nature and polite manners and, when he saves the flock from hustlers, Babe soon earns the respect of Fly, Farmer Hoggett and his wife, who had planned on having the pig for Christmas dinner. Babe continues his training with Farmer Hoggett as a sheep-pig and soon the two are preparing to enter the Grand Challenge Sheepdog Trials. Will Babe be able to work with strange sheep as well as he does with his farm friends? This touching animal fantasy will charm readers in the same fashion as
Charlotte's Web. The suspense will keep young readers engaged until the final page. Suitable for children in grades 2-4, although it may also be read aloud to younger children.
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NOVEMBER 7, 2007
Freddy and French Fries: Fries Alive! by David Baldacci
If you are looking for some light reading and a funny story, this is it! This is the story of 9 year old Freddy Funkhauser, a scientist who likes to improve upon the experiments of his wacky inventor father. Freddy and his family own the Burger Castle, a vegetarian hamburger joint. Their main rival in town is the Pattycakes, owned by the Spanklers. They serve real hamburgers, plus have an arcade and a roller coaster. It is now getting to be time for the Founders' Day parade, and the Funkhausers are trying to assemble an award-winning float. The Spanklers have always won and so this year, the Funkhausers are doing their best to win. Here is where the fries come in, with nanotechnology and help from a lightning storm, Freddy's fries for the float have come alive! Each frie has a name and a very distinct personality. These fries help Freddy to pull pranks on Freddy's sister, Nancy, and on Freddy's enemy, Adam Spankler. Freddy and the fries, and Freddy's cheese cube eating friend, Howie, get into all kinds of scrapes. Will they win the float contest? Will the fries be discovered? Read this silly story to find out! And if you like this story, be sure to read "The Mystery of Silas Finklebean," with another adventure of Freddy and the Fries. Recommended for readers in grades 3-5.
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NOVEMBER 6, 2007
Best Friend Emma by Sally Warner
Friendships in the third grade are crucial. Emma and Cynthia, third grade girls, compete for the friendship of a new girl, Kry (Krysten) Rodriguez. Emma learns the hard way about making new friends but keeping your old friends. Read this story and see how girls in the third grade work out who will be whose friend and the possibility of everyone getting along together! This book is most suitable for girl readers in grades 1-3.
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