BOOK OF THE WEEK: Louis Braille: The Boy Who Invented Books for the Blind by Margaret Davidson

Told in narrative form, complete with dialogue and illustrations, this is the biography of Louis Braille, who invented braille, and alphabet for people who are blind. It tells about his life as a very young boy and how he first became blind, his struggles, overcoming those struggles, and being determined to invent an efficient alphabet to make books for people who are blind and help them learn. Throughout his life, Louis did not give up and did not let anything get in the way of achieving his goal.

I think it's interesting how people can feel dots and understand what they mean. It was also interesting to read about how braille came about and how Louis did everything and anything he could to help people who are blind have materials to read. I think students might be interested in how braille was invented...after all...I often see students touching the classroom number signs outside their classrooms and "reading" the braille on the signs.

http://www.jacketflap.com/persondetail.asp?person=101651

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

Joey Pigza has a hard time sitting still, paying attention, and following the rules. It's hard for him, especially when his medication wears off after lunch. Joey knows he is a good kid. His classmates and office staff like him, and he's a nice boy, but sometimes he just can't control himself, and that's when he gets in trouble or accidents happen. It seems like the harder he tries to do something good, something bad ends up happening instead, but it is not his fault. He just needs the right dose of his medicine. Mrs. Maxy, his teacher, and Mrs. Jarzab, the principal, say that the school downtown will help him learn to make good decisions, behave, and stay focused, but will going to that school really help Joey?
I could not help rooting for Joey! He seems like someone I would have wanted to know: nice, funny, and not afraid to tell people what is on his mind. He really is a good kid, and he does try hard to be good and stay out of trouble, but he can't help it when things go wrong. I think students would also root for Joey and even laugh as he gets himself into a few sticky situations and tries to get out of them.

Another book about Joey Pigza is Joey Pigza Loses Control.

http://www.jackgantos.com/

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Rowan of Rin by Emily Rodda

Rowan is a bit of a coward and a weakling; he knows this, and so do the people of Rin, who are known for their courageous nature. More than anything Rin wants to be able to live up to his father, who died a hero saving his family. His chance comes when something is disturbing their source of water from the mountain, and the six bravest citizens of Rin dare to climb the mountain and fight the dragon that lives there. They have a map, but only Rowan can see it; when anyone else holds it, it disappears. Will Rowan be able to keep up with the brave members of the expedition to fight the dragon and save Rin and its citizens?

I don't typically read these types of stories, but I really enjoyed this one. I could empathize with Rowan; who hasn't felt scared at one time or another? Even though the people (even his mom)doubt him, he is determined to help save Rin at any cost. I think students would like this story, especially if they enjoy reading fantasy stories that involve fire-breathing dragons.

http://www.emilyrodda.com/

BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Tale of Despereaux: The Graphic Novel by Matt Smith and David Tilton based on the book by Kate DiCamillo

Despereaux is a mouse unlike any other mouse: he is not afraid of anything and craves adventure. After falling in love with a princess and getting banished from his town to the dungeon, Despereaux is captured by rats. He manages to escape and vows to act bravely and courageously when faced with danger. he does this by saving the princess. This is also the story of Roscuro, the rat who does not fit in with the other rats; Princess Pea and her father are saddened by the death of the queen. and Mig wishes she lived as royalty in the castle. Mig got her wish; she lives in the castle, thought not as royalty but as a servant. This is their story and how they overcame their struggles and supposed places in life to get what they truly wanted and deserved.

I had not read a graphic novel before reading this book, and it was not easy to get used to this style of writing and novels. There is not much text, so I had to depend a lot on the pictures to get the full story and realize when there was a change in scene. It's a good thing the pictures are pretty detailed and brightly colored! I think students would like this book because of the way it is written: like a comic book.

www.katedicamillo.com

http://davidtilton.com/portfolio/home.html

http://www.thetaleofdespereauxmovie.com/

BOOK OF THE WEEK: The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron

Lucky is constantly on the look out for her higher power-something that will give her strength when she feels down and hit rock bottom. She especially wishes she had found her higher power when she notices that Brigitte's (her guardian) suitcase is out, her passport is next to it, and there is a brochure for a culinary school in France. Has Brigitte decided that Hard Pan is not the place for her and she has decided to return to France? Will Lucky succeed in getting Brigitte to realize that she would miss Lucky terribly if she moved back to France? Will Lucky become a ward of the state if she does not convince Brigitte to stay with her in Hard Pan?
Lucky was my favorite character in this book. She was always worried that Brigitte would leave her. All Lucky wanted was to have someone who loves her stay with her, and she knows that Brigitte is the person she wants around for a really long time. You just want to root for her so that she gets what she deserves-someone to love and care for her. I think students would be able to empathize with Lucky and cheer her on.
http://www.susanpatron.com/

BOOK OF THE WEEK: Frindle by Andrew Clements

According to Ms. Granger, objects are called what they are because people give meaning to the name of the object. This gives Nick an idea...the new name for "pen" will be "frindle." Nick starts a sort of revolution by renaming the pen frindle. What was meant to be a little trick to play on his teacher turns out to be a national phenomenon as more and more people accept frindle as the new name for what was formerly known as the pen. Ms. Granger tries to get Nick to straighten things out, but will he be able to get everyone to call a frindle a pen?
Nick is a very strong-willed boy, and will stop at nothing to prove his point.
Who hasn't tried to outsmart their teacher? Nick was able to do this, and in the long run, he came up with a new word that many people accepted. Nick showed that if you really work hard at it, you can prove your point, and that you should stick to what you believe. I liked this book because it made me think about when I was Nick's age and wanted to outsmart my teachers. It also made me laugh and think, "I was never brave enough to do what Nick is doing." As a teacher, I was thinking he would get in trouble, but thinking back to when I was Nick's age, I was rooting for him not to get in trouble. Is it possible to root for people on opposite teams at the same time?

http://www.andreclements.com/