Why I Picked It Up: Sherry and I presented at the International Literacy Association (ILA) annual conference in St. Louis, Missouri this year and were invited to a special event held by the amazing people at BookSource. There were many authors there who signed copies of their newest books. I was giddy with excitement, mostly because […]
Book Review
Book Review: Words with Wings, by Nikki Grimes
Why I Picked It Up: Honestly, I had to find out novel in verse that would be appropriate for grades 3-5 for our up coming High Tech Literature Circles session. I am one of those people who typically freeze up and become a little panicky, so I wasn’t having much luck. However, many of the […]
Book Review: The Genius Files by Dan Gutman
** Contact us if you would like to have one of our engaging mentor text sessions come to your campus! ** Why I Picked It Up: Two reasons. First, the author is a favorite of mine and my son, he makes both of us giggle as we read. Second, the twins in the book are named […]
Book Review: The Shadows, by Jacqueline West (Series: The Books of Elsewhere)
Why I Picked It Up: Finding strong upper elementary novels can be tricky. I always take time perusing the shelves looking for titles, covers, and teasers (on the back of the book) that would appeal to students in grades 3-5. On one of my countless hours in Barnes & Nobel, I spotted this book. The […]
Book Review: Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff, by Robert Paul Weston
Why I Picked It Up: This was a classic case of “Sherry” and “Jessica” books. In preparation for our Head to Head session, we each needed a novel-in-verse to read and review. Jessica had already fallen in love with The Crossover, so I had to find my own novel-in-verse that was different enough to be competitive in our […]
Book Review: 13-Story Treehouse, by Andy Griffiths, illustrated by Terry Denton
Why I Picked It Up: Continuing the quest for high interest reads for 3-5 grade students, 13-Story Treehouse looked like a strong option. It came with a recommendation from all three of the Rogers boys, so I requested it from the library, sight unseen. I was not disappointed. When I picked it up from the library, the cover […]
