I’ve seen first-hand how audiobooks bolster students’ confidence and reading skills. They enjoy reading, and this makes them want to read more. But even more so, I’ve experienced how listening together creates a shared reading experience.

As we head into summer, spend some time trying out audiobooks, listening together with your children. June is Audiobook Month, and as part of that celebration I'd like to share some of my favorite audiobooks for children. Please make sure you see the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Fantasy for longer listening (ages 8-12): Many families love being whisked away into a fantasy world. Jim Dale is masterful narrating the Harry Potter series, but our love for fantasy extends far beyond Hogwarts.

Adam Gidwitz brings humor and adventure to his take on classic fairy tales in A Tale Dark and Grimm. Skullduggery Pleasant also combines this same dark humor with fantasy and adventure in this terrific fantasy. Monster's Ring prompts kids to consider what they would do if magic suddenly let them get the upper hand over their bullies. Horizon is the beginning of a great new fantasy series with a science fiction twist.

• Harry Potter, by J.K. Rowling
• A Tale Dark and Grimm, by Adam Gidwitz
• A Monster's Ring, by Bruce Coville
• The Mark of the Dragonfly, by Jaleigh Johnson
• Skullduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy
• Horizon, by Scott Westerfeld

Realistic fiction for longer listening (ages 8-12): These stories pull you into characters' lives, letting you see and feel what they go through. They are absolutely absorbing and heartfelt.

• Ghost, by Jason Reynolds
• Wonder, by R.J. Palacio
• Clayton Byrd Goes Underground, by Rita Williams-Garcia
• The War that Saved My Life, by Kimberley Brubaker Bradley
  
• The Harlem Charade, by Natasha Tarpley
• Our Only May Amelia, by Jennifer Holm

Ghost is a huge favorite in Berkeley, winning our district-wide Mock Newbery award. The audiobook is fantastic and won the Odyssey Award from the ALA. This year, my students particularly loved The War that Saved My Life, finding the story of Ada inspiring as she realizes how she's able to overcome many odds stacked against her. If you like stories of gutsy girls, you'll definitely want to seek out Our Only May Amelia.
Do you have any other favorites for children who love listening to long, engrossing stories? Please let me know your favorites, so I can add to my list!
Click the Rafflecopter form below for an easy entry. Enjoy listening and sharing.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The review copies come from my personal and school libraries. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

As children start developing their attention span, try listening to longer stories. I've found that many children love listening to engrossing stories--remember that children's listening comprehension is often two years above their reading level. This means that preschoolers are ready to listen to the early chapter books that 1st graders read.
As we head into summer, spend some time trying out audiobooks, listening together with your children. June is Audiobook Month, and as part of that celebration I'm sharing my favorite audiobooks all week. Make sure you see the giveaway at the bottom of the post.

Early chapter books (ages 4-7): These stories combine humor, friendship and adventure. Mercy Watson makes us laugh with its slapstick humor, and Dory is an utterly lovable rascal. The classic friends Frog and Toad are completely charming as an audiobook collection.

• Mercy Watson, by Kate DiCamillo
• Dory Fantasmagory, by Abby Hanlon
• Frog & Toad, by Arnold Lobel
• Juana & Lucas, by Juana Medina
• Magic Tree House, by Mary Pope Osborne

Developing listeners (ages 7-9): Our 2nd and 3rd graders in Berkeley love listening to longer stories at school and at home. Some like listening and reading together, taking in the story with both their eyes and their ears. Others like just listening and letting the story develop in their mind.

Magic and imagination is a constant theme with these books. As you listen to Toys Go Out, you'll start wondering what happens to your toys when you're gone for the day--do they have a secret life all of their own? The Wild Robot follows Roz as she finds herself stranded on an island far from any humans. As any robot would do, she sets out to make herself useful and tries to be a good friend to the animals.

• Toys Go Out, by Emily Jenkins
• The Wild Robot, by Peter Brown
• Pip Bartlett's Guide to Magical Creatures, by Jackson Pearce & Maggie Stiefvater
• James and the Giant Peach, by Roal Dahl
• Make Way for Dyamonde Daniel, by Nikki Grimes

Do you have any other favorites for children who are starting to listen to longer stories? Please let me know your favorites, so I can add to my list!
a Rafflecopter giveaway
The review copies come from my personal and school libraries. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

As we head into summer, spend some time trying out audiobooks, listening together with your children. June is Audiobook Month, and as part of that celebration I'd like to share some of my favorite audiobooks for children. Every day this week, I will be sharing some of my favorites for different age groups.
My favorite storytellers blend songs, stories and folktales to captivate young listeners. Have fun listening to Diane Ferlatte, Jim Weiss or Pete Seeger as they sing traditional songs with a modern twist. Young children also enjoy listening to picture books, both new and old, especially if they are familiar books.

• Knick Knack Paddy Whack, by Diane Ferlatte
• Fairytale Favorites in Story and Song, by Jim Weiss
• Stories & Songs for Little Children, by Pete Seeger
• Round is a Tortilla, by Roseanne Thong

Do you have any other favorites you would add to this list? Perhaps there are other folk tales you love? Or classic picture books like Mike Mulligan and His Steamshovel or Is Your Mama a Llama? Please let me know your favorites, so I can add to my list!
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The review copies come from my personal and school libraries. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2017 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

"Either you see it or you don't."

As you open the heavy novel The Marvels and read this epigraph, you wonder--just what am I supposed to see? What pieces fit of the story together? What details in his multilayered drawings does Brian Selznick intend as hints for plot twists to come? What imagery from his rich descriptions stand out?

Please join me as I ruminate over the wonder of Brian Selznick's masterful story The Marvels. And definitely add your name below for a chance to win a giveaway of this beautiful novel.

The Marvels
by Brian Selznick
Scholastic, 2015
Your local library
Amazon
ages 10-14

As in Wonderstruck, Selznick tells two entirely different stories, one in pictures and the other in text. Instead of intertwining the two narratives, The Marvels begins with nearly 400 pages of continuous pictures, telling the story of Billy Marvel and his family of actors, who flourish in London from the 17th to 19th centuries. The text then jumps nearly a century later, to Joseph Jervis, a boy who runs away from home, seeking refuge with his uncle in London. Joseph's eccentric uncle lives in the Marvel house, and young Joseph is intrigued by its portraits and ghostly presences.

The book trailer for The Marvels is wonderful -- giving you a taste for the story, Billy's shipwreck and the sense of drama created by the theater setting.

I'm sure our Emerson book club will be talking about this as we go through our Mock Newbery discussions. Honestly, I haven't been able to fully digest this story. What parts of a story do we pay attention to? Can we see more when we look again? How does the text develop the characters and setting? The Marvels, like Selznick's other masterpieces, is definitely a story that demands multiple readings.

Brian Selznick is setting out on a multi-city tour to celebrate the release of The Marvels! Find out where to meet Brian Selznick on his tour for #THEMARVELS here.

Please complete the rafflecopter below to enter for a chance at winning your own copy of The Marvels plus a Marvels jigsaw puzzle.
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway open to US addresses only. Prizing and samples provided by Scholastic.

Here are some snippets from other reviews:

• "Art is seen to illuminate life and life to constantly spark art — a point further reinforced in the afterword when Selznick reveals his inspiration. Rich with “miracles and sadness,” a bookmaking tour de force, this novel is as full of marvels as its title suggests." -- The Washington Post review
• "Upon completing The Marvels, I sat still, feeling as I did after a remarkable theatrical experience, say a dramatic opera, a visually stunning film, or a striking play, in awe of what I’d just experienced. Hours later it lingers with me, a gorgeous work of art." -- Monica Edinger, Educating Alice
• "As a mentor text, this book is an excellent anchor piece for looking at character development and characterization. We see especially how Joseph develops as a character and how he changes throughout the book. It's simple and subtle but remarkable at the same time." -- Jen Vincent, Teach Mentor Texts

The review copy was kindly sent by the publisher, Scholastic. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2015 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

James Patterson's middle school novels are a huge hit at Emerson--kids find them funny, relatable, and engaging. Patterson has long been committed to inspiring kids to read -- I'm a big fan of his Read, Kiddo, Read website and the way he uses his notoriety and success to champion all sorts of reading for kids.

"Here's a simple but powerful truth that many parents and schools don't act on: the more kids read, the better readers they become. The best way to get kids reading more is to give them books they'll gobble up... Freedom of choice is a key to getting them motivated and excited."

We Can Get Our Kids Reading
by James Patterson

Patterson has just announced a tremendous opportunity he's offering to schools across the US: he's pledged $1.5 million to give to school libraries through a partnership with Scholastic. Please share this news with your school librarians, principals and teachers!

Today I'd like to celebrate his newest book: Public School Superhero. I'm excited about this because so many of my 4th and 5th graders ask for funny books and adventure books. They will love the comics that are sprinkled throughout this. And I'm so happy to see the main character is an African American boy.

Public School Superhero
by James Patterson and Chris Tebbetts
illustrations by Cory Thomas
Little, Brown, 2015
read chapters 1-5 online
Your local library
Amazon
ages 9-12

Publisher summary: Kenny Wright is a kid with a secret identity. In his mind, he's Stainlezz Steel, super-powered defender of the weak. In reality, he's a chess club devotee known as a "Grandma's Boy," a label that makes him an easy target for bullies. Kenny wants to bring a little more Steel to the real world, but the question is: can he recognize his own true strength before peer pressure forces him to make the worst choice of his life?

Kirkus review: Kenny's dreams of superpowered heroics provide a respite from his tough school. Kenny Wright loves his grandma, chess and superheroes. Less loved is his school, an overcrowded, underfunded cinderblock straight out of the fourth season of The Wire. A string of peculiar circumstances puts Kenny in the position of teaching his enemy, Ray-Ray, how to play chess, but this crummy state of affairs may be just what Kenny needs right now. ... A smart and kind story topped with just the right amount of social justice. (see full review)

James Patterson Reads Prize Pack Giveaway

Make it through middle school with James Patterson! Enter for a chance to win copies of:

• Public School Superhero
• I Funny
• Treasure Hunters
• House of Robots

Fill out the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway ends
a Rafflecopter giveaway

This book giveaway is open to participants in the US only. Prizing & samples courtesy of Little, Brown and Company. The review copy was kindly sent by the publisher, First Second. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2015 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

It's been an exciting journey with our students, reading and discussing what they think the most distinguished books for children have been in 2014. My students know their voices and opinions are valued--and that's made a huge difference to them. But even more than that, they've had a great time sharing their ideas with each other.

As a special celebration, I'm hosting a giveaway of one of these titles of your choosing. Please see below for full details!

The winner for the 2015 Mock Newbery at Emerson School is The Crossover, by Kwame Alexander. 

Students passionately argued that The Crossover was not just a book they loved, but the writing distinguished and distinctive. They shared examples about the characters, the plot and the language. Students from all sorts of different backgrounds connected to the themes and language in The Crossover. This is not just a sports book, but rather a book that operates on a multitude of levels. I think most of all, they responded Kwame Alexander's voice, in the way he both riffed on rap style but also wove deeper issues that made kids pause and think. (read students' full thoughts here)

We celebrated three honor books that all received more votes than the rest of the titles. The three honor books for 2015 Mock Newbery at Emerson are:
The Swap, by Megan Shull -- a book that resonated emotionally with many students, because it captured some of the inner and social pressures kids feel today. The followed the complex plot, and found the voices clear and consistent. I especially appreciated the nuanced gender roles -- some typical for boys and girls, some less expected. (read students' full thoughts here)
The Snicker of Magic, by Natalie Lloyd -- students responded to the lovely language, the heartfelt themes and the magical fantasy in Lloyd's debut novel. They understood how hard it was for Felicity to move every time things started to get tough for her mom. They could feel how important words were to Felicity. And they could see Felicity growing throughout the story. (read students' full thoughts here)
The Fourteenth Goldfish, by Jennifer L. Holm -- it was wonderful to see how students responded to the layers of science, fantasy and family. There was just the right amount of depth to draw students in, but never overwhelm them. That balance takes incredible skill; Holm creates thought-provoking situations without making readers feel like they're being led into a discussion. Our readers responded to the humor, the heart and the love in this story. (read students' full thoughts here)

Will any of these win the 2015 Newbery Medal? We'll all find out on Monday, February 2nd when the winners are announced in Chicago at the American Library Association Midwinter Meeting. You can follow the live webcast here early Monday morning.

I'll be spending the weekend with my library "book friends", talking about favorite books we've read and new books we're looking forward reading this year. These four special books will certainly be ones I'll be sharing--because my students' excitement is contagious!

GIVEAWAY: As a special celebration, I would like to send one of these titles to a classroom or school library as a way to share a love of books. Please fill out the Rafflecopter below. Giveaway rulles are simple:

1. Giveaway ends Thursday 2/5 at 12am Pacific.
2. Winners must be to the United States shipping address.
3. Kids & parents may enter, and present the gift to a teacher or school library.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


I want to give a special thanks to all the publishers who supported our book club by sending review copies. It made our small adventure possible. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2015 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Change is in the air all around my school, as children look forward to summer vacation. But change isn't always easy. What if you absolutely adore your teacher? Will next year's teacher ever be as wonderful? Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton show that this is a familiar feeling, in this delightful installment of their Very Fairy Princess series.

The Very Fairy Princess: Graduation Girl
by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton
illustrated by Christine Davenier
Little, Brown, 2014
Your local library
Amazon
ages 4-7

Gerry is getting ready for the end of the school year and celebrating her graduation! She's excited to celebrate, but the end of the year always feels a little sad. Students clean their desks, empty their cubbies, take home all their art projects. But Gerry is also a little nervous about leaving her teacher Miss Pym, who always knows just what this very fairy princess needs.

This story has gotten lots of giggles from my students. One loved Gerry's "exuberance"; others could connect to how change really can be hard. Others found it delightfully silly -- Gerry even worries that her teacher might be a grumpy witch with a wart on her nose! It's definitely the right fit for kids who like their stories sweet, with lots of pluck and sparkle.

Thanks to the publishers Little, Brown, one lucky reader (with a US mailing address) has the chance to win a copy of The Very Fairy Princess: Graduation Girl, just in time for the end of the school year. Please complete the Rafflecopter below to enter the giveaway -- entries due May 15th by 9pm PST:
a Rafflecopter giveaway

The review copies was kindly sent by the publishers, Little, Brown. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books. Thank you for your support.

©2014 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Roald Dahl is one of my all-time favorite authors. Reading his books aloud is a delicious treat, for grown-ups and kids alike. We have particularly loved listening to his audiobooks as a family. We loved, loved, loved Jeremy Irons reading James and the Giant Peach. And Dahl himself recorded many of his books - The Fantastic Mr. Fox was one of our favorites, as well.

I've been so excited that more and more folks are talking about Matilda, with Matilda the Musical moving from London to New York this spring. Did you know that Matilda is turning 25 this year?! On one hand, I'm amazed -- but on the other hand, Dahl's stories have this timeless feel that makes them seem like they've been around forever.

I was happy to help Penguin Young Readers Group celebrate this milestone, joining them in their epic 25-stop blog tour! Bloggers are sharing how they feel about Matilda - join us for a chance to win a Matilda prize pack at each and every stop!

Fill out the form below to enter to win a fabulous Matilda prize pack:

• a paperback copy of Matilda
• one copy of the Matilda Broadway soundtrack, and 
• a Matilda the Musical Broadway poster

I'm super-excited that Penguin Audio is releasing a new audiobook of Matilda on July 3rd. You can get a sneak peak (or listen!) to Kate Winslet reading an excerpt from this new audiobook here. Above all, Matilda loved books -- but only the books that she chose for herself. This quote says it all:

“Matilda said, ‘I would like a really good one that grown-ups read. A famous one. I don’t know any names.’

Mrs. Phelps looked along the shelves, taking her time. She didn’t quite know what to bring out. How, she asked herself, does one choose a famous grown-up book for a four-year-old girl? Her first thought was to pick a young teenager’s romance of the kind that is written for fifteen-year-old schoolgirls, but for some reason she found herself walking past that particular shelf.

‘Try this,’ she said at last, ‘It’s very famous and very good. If it’s too long for you, just let me know and I’ll find something shorter and a bit easier.’

‘Great Expectations,’ Matilda read, ‘by Charles Dickens. I’d love to try it.’

I must be mad, Mrs. Phelps told herself, but to Matilda she said, ‘Of course you may try it.’ –p.15, Matilda

That’s the key, isn’t it? Teachers and librarians foster a love of books in students by introducing them to new books and helping them stretch their limits. Whether it's sharing a favorite classic or a brand new book, the key is helping kids find books that speak to them.

As a school librarian, it's key that I know my students, their tastes and their reading levels. I know that Sam loves books about war - he'll devour anything about World War II, the Vietnam War, the Civil War. He's now my go-to guy to test out new historical fiction about soldiers, and he's thrilled with this new important job. It's also important to give kids the time to share books with one another - their recommendations carry even more weight than mine, in many cases. Each time a class comes in, I set out books that I've chosen just for them.

As a parent, I need to keep telling myself how important it is that my child gets to choose their own books. I might really want my 3rd grader to read Matilda with me, but if she's dying to read the newest Dork Diaries then that's what she should read. I do talk about the importance of variety in our reading diet, especially with my older children who are committed readers. But with kids who are just developing the reading habit, it's crucial that most of their reading flies along without a struggle.

Giveaway Rules:

1. This giveaway will run from June 12, 2013, at 12:01 PST until July 2, 2013, at 11:59 PST. No purchase necessary.
2. You may enter once each day.
3. You must be at least 13 years old.
4. You must have a US shipping address.
5. Please pay it forward, sharing a book with a friend.

Be sure to visit the Official Matilda Facebook page to keep up with all things Matilda! To find out more about Matilda the Musical on Broadway, visit their Facebook page!

For the next stop on the Matilda 25th Anniversary blog tour, head to Bookish.

The review copies were kindly sent by the publishers, Penguin Young Readers Group. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

©2013 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

In celebration of the publication of Minette's Feast, I asked the author Susanna Reich to share some of her memories growing up reading with her parents. Reading this brought back so many memories for me, and reminded me of all we give our children sharing that time together, reading together and talking about what books mean to us.

Growing up reading
by Susanna Reich, author of Minette's Feast

Most authors were avid readers as children, and I’m no exception. My reading habit began early, when my parents would tuck me in to bed with a pile of picture books. Nowadays I tuck myself in, but I still like to “settle my brains” with a good book. Here’s a baker’s dozen of favorites from childhood:

• The Story of Ferdinand, by Munro Leaf, illustrated by Robert Lawson
• The Story of Babar, by Jean de Brunhoff
• Caps for Sale, by Esphyr Slobodkina
• Curious George, by Margaret and H.A. Rey
• Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson
• A Hole Is to Dig, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Maurice Sendak
• Millions of Cats, by Wanda Gag
• So’m I, by Ted Key, illustrated by Frank Owen
• Nono, The Baby Elephant, by Inez Hogan
• Animal Lore and Disorder, by James Riddell
• The Lovely Summer, by Marc Simont
• Madeline, by Ludwig Bemelmans
• Goodnight Moon, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Clement Hurd

Reading wasn’t limited to bedtime. My brother and I devoured books all day long—literally and figuratively. Our Little Golden Books must’ve been bought when we were still in diapers, for our copies of Seven Little Postmen, The Poky Little Puppy and Five Little Firemen were extremely well-chewed.

Fairy tales were part of our diet, too. I especially loved our edition of Hans Christian Andersen’s The Swineherd and The Tinder Box, illustrated by Gustav Hjortlund and translated by R.P. Keigwin. We also read poetry, and I took great pride in being able to recite many of the poems in A.A. Milne’s Now We Are Six.

The first book I read on my own was The Cat in the Hat, by Dr. Seuss. I memorized it first, then spoke it aloud as I turned the pages. Eventually, the mysterious black marks on the page began to take on meaning as letters and words. I began reading on my own and fell in love with Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking, A.A. Milne’s Winnie the Pooh and, later, Madeleine L’Engle’s A Wrinkle in Time and J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings. I also read comic books, maps, series fiction like Nancy Drew and The Hardy Boys, and nonfiction, especially books about dance. We visited the public library regularly, returning home with our arms weighed down by stacks of books.

My parents modeled reading, as well. Mommy spent hours at her desk, reading scholarly books related to her work as a teacher and music historian. Daddy, after a long day in the physics lab, would settle into a comfy chair after supper and disappear behind the New York Times or Scientific American. My parents subscribed to Life magazine, and I “read” the pictures before I could read the words. We got The New Yorker, too, and by twelve I was reading it cover to cover. There weren’t many YA books back then, so at that point I moved on to books for adults and never looked back.

There’s no guarantee that if you read to your child, take her to the library, and model reading for her, she will become an author. But this much I know: books and reading can endow her with knowledge, imagination, a good vocabulary—and strong arms!

------

Thank you so much, Susanna! Your memories really bring me back to days when I used to escape behind the couch, lost in my favorite book, hiding from everyone else in my family. The books we read when we are young really do leave a lasting impression.


Free giveaway of Minette's Feast!
Susanna is offering to give away a free copy of Minette's Feast. To enter your name in a drawing to win a free, signed copy of Minette's Feast, please email Susanna with the subject line "Minette's Feast giveaway." One entry per person, please. Winners will be selected at random on May 31.

Please read more about Minette's Feast at my review here, and make sure to stop by other blogs celebrating this delightful book. For more information on the Minette's Feast blog tour, head over to Susanna's site. If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion goes to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you!). Thank you for your support.

©2012 Susanna Reich
Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books

Do you ever find yourself completely taken away by a book? Perhaps it's the setting that completely enchants you? Or the characters are so real that you feel they might be your best friend or your forgotten twin? Perhaps it's that the writing is so beautiful that you find yourself continually saying, "Oh, yes..." Or it's a book you want to keep sharing with friends. I was completely taken by Breadcrumbs, by Anne Ursu, and am so excited about its release. I'm thrilled to be part of the blog tour celebrating this book. A special bonus is that Anne Ursu is offering a Skype visit for a class or book group - see below for details.

Breadcrumbs
by Anne Ursu
illustrations by Erin McGuire
NY: Walden Pond Press / HarperCollins, 2011
ages 9 - 14
available at your local bookstore

Hazel just wishes that life around her would work the way it does in all the stories she reads, that she could figure out how and why everyone acts the way they do. But at her new school, they don't celebrate children with imaginations and they just want Hazel to pay attention and stop daydreaming. The only thing getting Hazel through each day of 5th grade is knowing that her best friend Jack is just across the hall. Maybe at recess they'll play together. They've been friends for years. But lately, things are changing. Jack's changing. And this is just one more thing that Hazel is having trouble figuring out. How can something, someone you know and trust, change just like that?

Breadcrumbs starts with a snow storm in the real world, but even from the beginning you know that something is different. Ursu draws the reader in with her wonderful, descriptive writing. Here is the opening of this story:

"It snowed right before Jack stopped talking to Hazel, fluffy white flakes big enough to show their crystal architecture, like perfect geometric poems. It was the sort of snow that transforms the world around it into a different kind of place... It was the sort of snowfall that, if there were any magic to be had in the world, would make it come out.

And magic did come out.

But not the kind you were expecting." (p. 1-2)

I am so looking forward to talking about this book with friends and students. Not only does Ursu use beautiful descriptive writing to convey the snowy setting of wintry Minnesota, she also draws Hazel's interior dialog with genuine insight. I would love to talk with students about Ursu's themes of the power of imagination, the changes people go through, and the impact that stories can have on us.

And yet there is much in this story that isn't quite sitting with me. Breadcrumbs was inspired by Hans Christian Andersen's story The Snow Queen. Like in that story, Jack is struck by a magical glass splinter and his heart is frozen. Jack follows the Snow Queen into the enchanted forest to live in her palace, content to be by her side, his heart (and conscience) frozen. In Breadcrumbs, Hazel follows Jack, determined to rescue him. She undergoes harsh trials in the enchanted forest, encountering different bewitched people from Andersen's stories. I'm fascinated by the way that Ursu describes Hazel's emotions toward the end of this journey. What pushes her on to find Jack? How does she keep going?

If you're like me, this book will provide wonderful food for thought and lead to rich discussions with book groups or classes. Which leads me to announce a wonderful giveaway, provided by Anne Ursu and Walden Pond Press.

The winner of this giveaway will receive a complimentary 30-45 minute Skype visit with author Anne Ursu!

The contest is open to all teachers, librarians, and other educators (including homeschool groups) who work with children in an instructional capacity. Please keep in mind Anne’s book is written for children in grades 4-7 when submitting your entry. Class/group size must be a minimum of 10 children. One entry per educator only. You must fill out the form below to enter. Giveaway is open to US residents only. Entries must be received by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time) October 8, 2011.

Make sure to stop by other stops on the Breadcrumbs blog tour. You'll find all the links at the bottom of this page.


Tuesday, 9/27 - Review and Book Giveaway at Mundie Kids

I've had a great start to summer. Our weather has turned gloriously sunny, after long stretches of rain and cold all through May. We've been going on lovely after-dinner neighborhood walks, enjoying summer evenings. And my children are enjoying both time with friends and time with each other, in a nice balance (for the moment!). But best of all has been time to read!

Summer can be such a fun time to read what you want to read, not what other people are telling you to. I loved taking my tweens to the library with friends and watch them recommend books to each other. I love sneak-peaking what other people are reading at the pool or on the airplane. And I love stealing quiet moments to read in the middle of the afternoon or late at night - just those times when you're really not supposed to. But it's summer, so all rules can be broken a little, can't they?!!

This summer I've had the delicious treat of reading an advance copy of Brian Selznick's newest amazing work, Wonderstruck. It's written in the amazing style of Hugo Cabret, but weaves an even more intricate, interwoven story. I'll share more about it when it's published in September. And I loved reading a graphic novel Sidekicks, by Dan Santat. If your child inhales graphic novels and loves superheroes, this is definitely worth looking out for - it will be released next week.

Next up for my summer reading are:

• Astronaut Academy: Zero Gravity, by Dave Roman - this graphic novel got great advanced reviews by the 4th and 5th graders at Emerson. They loved its humor, illustrations and overall blend of fantasy and real life.
• The Friendship Doll, by Kirby Larson - I've just started this wonderful historical fiction book. My youngest was drawn to the doll story, but I think it's more suited to older elementary readers (ages 9 - 12) who enjoy the detailed historical fiction that Larson does so well.

• The Boy Who Howled, by Timothy Powers - I've just started this as well (OK, it's a bad habit), and am having fun with this take on the classic story of a boy raised by wolves. Powers creates humorous dialog, imagining what the wolves were saying to one another and how they tried to talk with Callum, the young boy they took in. He's just been sent back to live with the humans, and I'm sure there are many adventures to come.
• The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, by Catherynne M. Valente - I've heard wonderful things about this new fantasy, with its twisted, turning story as September, a young girl from Omaha, Nebraska, finds herself whisked away to Fairyland to retrieve a witch's spoon. One book-loving friend, Donalyn Miller (a.k.a. The Book Whisperer), describes this as a blend between the Phantom Tollbooth, Alice in Wonderland and the Oz books.
• When Life Gives You O.J., by Erica Perl - Our neighbors are getting a puppy today, and my daughter has been yearning for her own puppy. Well, this book's trailer just made me laugh so much and think of her. In this sweet story, Zeely's eccentric grandfather Ace hatches a ridiculous plan involving a "practice dog" named OJ, but Zelly's not so sure how far she's willing to go to win a dog of her own. Is Ace's plan so crazy it just might work . . . or is it just plain crazy?
  

Come enjoy the trailer for When Life Gives You O.J., and you'll want to try it with you children:



Come join me in summer reading! I'd love to share your thoughts about what books you're enjoying with your children. Enter a chance to win a free copy of The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland by leaving a comment on yesterday's post here.

If you make a purchase using the Amazon links on this site, a small portion will go to Great Kid Books (at no cost to you). Thank you for your support.


Review ©2011 Mary Ann Scheuer, Great Kid Books.