November13
by Brian Selznick
Synopsis by Amazon.com
ORPHAN, CLOCK KEEPER, AND THIEF, twelve-year-old 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 girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train 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 all come together…in The Invention of Hugo Cabret.
This 526-page book is told in both words and pictures. The Invention of Hugo Cabret is not exactly a novel, and it’s not quite a picture book, and it’s not really a graphic novel, or a flip book, or a movie, but a combination of all these things. Each picture (there are nearly three hundred pages of pictures!) takes up an entire double page spread, and the story moves forward because you turn the pages to see the next moment unfold in front of you
Links:
Author’s site About Hugo
Scholastic’s interactive site
(awesome)
Martin Scorsese’s Hugo movie
Maillardet’s Automation (videos)
Paris Paper Cuts
For Teachers
Library Lesson I.D.E.A.s (worksheets Gr. 3-7)
Eduscapes Library
Ed Helper Worksheets (must be member $)
Webquest by Teacher Materials
October14
We are with sixteen different people as they head for the battle at Bull Run, the first major battle of the Civil War. Fleischman lets their many voices speak individually as they tell variously of their excitement, loathing, fear and hope about this battle which several of them are convinced will be the only one in the Civil War. For some of them, it is. They each get a short chapter in no particular order and are later given others, some more than others. The effect is of the humanity and horror of war. It’s a powerful statement.
Links:
Author Biography
Battle of Bull Run Overview
First Manassas Battle
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
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
