Yum, Yum... Chocolate-Covered Reading Road Trip Books!

Reading Road Trippers have been devouring The Chocolate Touch by Patrick Skene Catling, the story of a chocolate-loving boy who discovers that there might be such a thing as too much chocolate! Let's sample a delicious book commercial, created by Ahmer K. in Miss Killea's fourth grade class:

Check out a chocolate-covered classic!  Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl.  Poor young Charlie Bucket's life is changed forever when he finds one of five golden tickets, allowing him a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to tour the chocolate factory of the mysterious Willy Wonka.

The Chocolate Touch by Chloe M.

More chocolate in the LMC!  Chocolate Fever by Robert Kimmel Smith.  Henry eats too much chocolate and breaks out in brown bumps. The experience helps him foil some hijackers and teaches him a valuable lesson about self-indulgence.

We're thinking the time is right for a Reading Road Trip to scrumptious Hershey, Pennsylvania-- otherwise known as Chocolatetown, USA:

Milton Hershey: Hershey's Chocolate Creator by Joanne Mattern, examines the amazing life of Milton Snavely Hershey, looking at some of his business ventures and discussing the founding and growth of the Hershey Chocolate Company.

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar Fractions Book and The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Multiplication Book, both by Jerry Pallotta, make math time yummy... with Hershey Bars!
 

The Chocolate Touch Scene Summary by Jaclyn A.

Hershey's Plate by Charlie F.

Fourth grader Charlie F. checked out The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Multiplication Book from the RRT Diner display in the LMC.  He served up a plate of Hershey's chocolate and three facts from the book: 1). Multiplication is a quick way to add equal numbers 2). When a number is multiplied by itself, the product is a square number 3). One, two, three, four, six, and twelve are all factors of twelve.

Inspired by The Chocolate Touch, fourth grader Leonie F. created a Reading Road Trip Chocolate Factory.  She shared some scrumdiddlyumptious homemade chocolate... and her secret recipe:

The plot of The Chocolate Touch is patterned after the Greek myth of King Midas, whose magical wish turned everything he touched into gold. After we've eaten our fill of chocolate, we'll turn our attention to Greek mythology... and chocolate gold coins!

In The Adventures of King Midas by Lynne Reid Banks, King Midas comes to regret his wish to turn all he touches into gold and must deal with a magician, a witch, and a dragon as he tries to undo the magical spell.

Tales of Greek Mythology II: Retold Timeless Classics, retold by L.L. Owens, presents versions of four classic Greek myths about King Midas, Aphrodite and Adonis, Echo and Narcissus, and Oedipus and the Oracle.

Save room for dessert! Let's watch our favorite Swedish Chef prepare Chocolate Mousse-- or maybe that's Moose-- in classic Muppet style.

In the mood for a delectable rich-in-history treat?  Check out Mercedes and the Chocolate Pilot: A True Story of the Berlin Airlift and the Candy That Dropped from the Sky by Margo Theis Raven.  This nonfiction picture book tells the true story of a young German girl, Mercedes Simon, and of the American pilot, Gail Halvorsen, who shared hope and joy with the children of West Berlin by dropping candy-filled parachutes during the post-World War II Airlift.

So much chocolate!  Fourth graders are dreaming about chocolate, illustrating and performing a poem by Arnold Adolff during our April Poetry on Parade celebration: