August28
Who is Ida B. Applewood? She is a fourth grader like no other, living a life like no other, with a voice like no other, and her story will resonate long after you have put this book down. How does Ida B cope when outside forces—life, really—attempt to derail her and her family and her future? She enters her Black Period, and it is not pretty. But then, with the help of a patient teacher, a loyal cat and dog, her beloved apple trees, and parents who believe in the same things she does (even if they sometimes act as though they don’t), the resilience that is the very essence of Ida B triumph…and Ida B. Applewood takes the hand that is extended and starts to grow up. (sited from google books)
Links
About the author
About Apple Trees
August27
The year is 1935 and Moose Flanagan’s father is desperate for a job. Consequently, he takes a job as an electrician and guard at the high-security prison on Alcatraz Island near San Francisco. The family must live on the island and obey numerous strict rules. Moose is fascinated by the fact that famous criminals, such as Al Capone, are in cells just feet beyond where he is walking. But Moose, who is twelve, misses playing baseball with his friends, and he has difficulty adjusting to his new school. He must spend much of his free time taking care of his older sister, Natalie, who suffers from autism. Worst of all, the warden’s daughter, Piper, who is constantly scheming and cannot to be trusted.
Links:
About the book and author
Alcatraz History
Al Capone Museum
November22
Take three orphans, a mysterious narrator, and oodles of gothic misfortune, and you get these addictive, hilarious tales of woe. Villains, gruesome creatures, and cold food are just a few of the dreadful things the Baudelaire children encounter daily. And as the ever-present narrator warns, your child would be better off “putting the books down at once.” But as this series’ popularity proves, he’ll adore these satires where nothing good ever happens.
Links:
Lemony Snicket Website
November22
ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, Hugo lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric, bookish girl and a bitter old man who runs a toy booth in the station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A cryptic drawing, a treasured notebook, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and a hidden message from Hugo’s dead father form the backbone of this intricate, tender, and spellbinding mystery.
Links:
Book Web Site
Site with video of an automaton
November22
From a strikingly original new voice comes the story of Artemis Fowl, a very unusual hero. Artemis is a genius, a criminal mastermind, and a millionaire…and he is only twelve years old! A combination of Sherlock Holmes, James Bond, and Attila the Hun, even Artemis doesn’t know what he’s taken on when he kidnaps a fairy — because these fairies are armed and dangerous, and don’t play by any rules!
Links:
Artemis Fowl Website
Artemis Fowl Website #2
November22
When a book of unexplainable occurances brings Petra Andalee & Calder Pillay together, strange things start to happen. Before they know it, the two find themselves at the center of an international art scandal. As Petra & Calder are drawn clue by clue into a mysterious labyrinth they must draw on their powers of intuition, their skills at problem solving, and their knowledge of Vermeer. Can they decipher a crime that has left even the FBI baffled?
Links:
Scholastic’s Chasing Vermeer Site
Vermeer’s Lady in Waiting (interactive)
Vermeer’s The Geographer (interactive)
Online Pentominoes
