The Million Dollar Shot: Game Time Books!

This season, fourth graders are scoring buzzer-beater points for the home team, reading an awesome title by Dan Gutman and completing slam-dunk projects to share in the LMC.

Nothing but net: In The Million Dollar Shot, eleven-year-old Eddie gets a chance to win a million dollars by sinking a foul shot at the National Basketball Association finals. 

Check out a book trailer for The Million Dollar Shot by Reading Road Trippers Matt, Aidan, and Ally:

Also by Dan Gutman: The Million Dollar Putt.  It's a hole-in-one! Assisted by his neighbor Birdie, blind thirteen-year-old Ed "Bogie" Bogard will win one million dollars if he can sink a ten-foot putt in Hawaii's fifth annual Angus Killick Memorial Tournament. 

 

Poster Project by Ally F.; Papier-Mâché Basketball by Jack A.; Clay Basketball by Thomas R.; Basketball Court Diorama by Jane W. 

Prepare to be bowled over with The Million Dollar Strike. Best friends Ouchie and Squishy love bowling and horror movies.  They meet the wealthy and nutty owner of a local bowling alley and try to help him save Bowl-A-Rama from the wrecking ball... and from other destructive forces. 

Sketch-a-Scene from The Million Dollar Shot by Ethan B.

Next, we'll make a move to the goalposts with The Million Dollar Kick. Thirteen-year-old Whisper hates sports... until she gets a chance to win a million dollars by kicking a goal against a local soccer hero.

We can visit Dan Gutman's website to learn more about the author and his million dollar books!  Click on the red-highlighted words to get started.

Book Commercial for The Million Dollar Shot by Laurence B.

Hoop it up with LMC basketball-themed poetry and picture books!

For the Love of the Game: Michael Jordan and Me by Eloise Greenfield.  Inspired by basketball star Michael Jordan, children face the uncertainties in the game of life, determined to succeed.

Rimshots: Basketball Pix, Rolls, and Rhythms by Charles R. Smith, Jr. Stories and poems about playing basketball.

Salt in His Shoes: Michael Jordan in Pursuit of a Dream by Deloris Jordan with Rosyln M. Jordan. Smaller than the other players, young Michael Jordan learns that determination and hard work are more important than size when playing the game of basketball.

Mount Olympus Basketball by Kevin O’Malley. Zeus, Hera, Athena, Poseidon, and Hades pull some dirty tricks as they face off against Hercules, Jason, Odysseus, Achilles, and Theseus in this gods versus mortals basketball game in ancient Greece.

Lenore Look at Lafayette School: Talking about Reading, Writing, Alvin Ho, and Other Author's Day Things

This Friday, Lafayette School's Reading Road Trip welcomes author Lenore Look for a visit that promises to be entertaining, educational, and flat-out fun!  Our action-packed Author’s Day program includes four school-wide presentations and Student Writing Lunch Bunches for fourth and fifth graders.

Lenore Look began creating picture books when she was in kindergarten. Her first official book was published in 1999, followed by more picture books and two popular chapter book series, Alvin Ho and Ruby Lu. Spending time with Alvin has transformed our Author’s Day guest into a Red Sox fan and an enthusiastic collector of Fenway Park trivia.

Alvin and Flea

The Ruby Lu series is set in Seattle, Washington, Lenore Look's childhood home. Although she currently lives in Hoboken, New Jersey, the author holds fond memories of “foggy mornings and slugs on the sidewalk” from her Pacific Northwest youth.

Poster by Heather I.

As luck would have it, Lenore Look is the author of one of the most popular titles on the Fifth Grade Reading Road Trip List, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Girls, School, and Other Scary Things. Fourth graders are wild for Alvin, too, and the Alvin Ho series has skyrocketed up the LMC Top Checkouts chart!
Let's pack our Reading Road Trip suitcases and travel to Concord, Massachusetts, to catch up with Lafayette School's favorite fictional friend....

Book Trailer by Carly and Ella

Alvin and His PDK

Alvin is a young boy who loves superheroes and comes from a long line of brave Chinese farmer-warriors. He wants to make friends, but first he must overcome his fear of… everything.
Alvin assembles a PDK (that's Personal Disaster Kit in Alvin-speak) to help him deal with life's fearsome moments.  Reading Road Trippers have been building customized PDKs to prepare themselves for the challenges of fourth and fifth grade:

Fourth Grade PDK

Fifth Grade PDK

Fifth Grade PDK

Fourth Grade PDK

Personal Disaster Kit  by Lauren C.

Fifth Grade PDK

Fourth Grade PDK

Personal Disaster Kit  by Ethan F.

Check out an Alvin Ho video book commercial created by Alexa:

... and another book commercial, this one by Hannah S.

Alvin’s adventures and misadventures continue in Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking, and Other Natural Disasters. Alvin and his father, inspired by nature-loving hometown hero Henry David Thoreau, venture into the New England wilderness on a camping trip. Alvin makes a new friend and learns that he can be brave despite his fear of… everything.

Poster by Nick D.

In Alvin Ho: Allergic to Birthday Parties, Science Projects, and Other Man-Made Catastrophes, Alvin confronts another terrifiying life challenge.  He is invited to a girl’s birthday party, but his fear of… everything may prevent him from attending.

Poster by Axel M.



The latest in the series, Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances, follows Alvin as he learns about death when his grandfather’s best friend passes away and he offers to accompany Gung Gung to the funeral.

It's just about time to hit the road to Author's Day. But first, let's watch a dramatic Alvin Ho book trailer, created by Bridget and Grace:

Road Trip to Adventure: Escaping the Giant Wave by Peg Kehret

Thirteen-year-old Kyle thinks that spending a vacation on the Oregon coast with his family will be great fun.  But the quiet getaway is about to take a surprising and dangerous turn.  While Kyle is babysitting his sister BeeBee, an earthquake creates a fire at their hotel, followed by a colossal tsunami. Kyle must try to save himself, his sister, and a boy who has bullied him for years.  Will they survive nature’s fury and escape the giant wave?  Fifth grade Reading Road Trippers are checking out Escaping the Giant Wave and joining in a Pacific Coast adventure!

by Nick V.

Alexandra D. gives the story high marks: “It’s like you are in the book… It is so descriptive.” Camryn D. would definitely read other books by Peg Kehret, sharing that Escaping the Giant Wave is “thrilling, scary, and intense.” Sage S. recommends the book to “people who like excitement and adventure.” Teresa G. portrays the action as “exhilarating,” but she cautions friends who are scared of the water or anxious about earthquakes and tsunamis to think twice before choosing this book.

by Jane R.

Escaping the Giant Wave includes an author’s note with information about tsunamis. Reading Road Trippers Emma S., Michael H., Alex W., Sarah D., and Abigal S. researched tsunamis; check out their Power Point presentations in the Fifth Grade Reading Road Trip Souvenir Scrapbook in the LMC.  

We can learn more about the science of giant waves, experimenting with a Tsunami Simulator and with a Savage Seas Wave Machine.  Later, we'll match wits with the forces of nature, playing a Tsunami Survival Challenge Game.  Click on the red-highlighted words to get started!

 

Escaping the Giant Wave by Hannah S.

More West Coast Adventure: After Jonathan’s mother breaks her ankle on a family camping trip, twelve-year-old Jonathan and his partially paralyzed younger sister are temporarily left alone on an isolated island.  Then a devastating earthquake strikes, and the brother and sister must survive Earthquake Terror, fighting for their lives until help arrives.

by Olivia M.

Let’s take a side trip to visit with author Peg Kehret.  She makes her home in the state of Washington-- in a log house on a ten-acre wildlife sanctuary near Mount Rainier!  Peg Kehret talks about her life and her writing in two popular memoir-style biographies: 

In fifth-grade Reading Road Trip favorite Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio, Peg Kehret describes her childhood bout with polio and her efforts to overcome the ongoing effects of the disease.

by Jane B.

Five Pages a Day: A Writer’s Journey (RL 6.9) expands upon the story. Peg Kehret describes her ongoing struggle with polio and how she became a writer. She talks about family relationships and about the importance of writing in her life.


  

After reading Small Steps, fifth graders Colleen and Jane composed letters to the author:

Meanwhile, Kaitlyn F. and Molly R. created a Small Steps timeline, a story map of Peg Kehret's journey with polio:

Justine opened her writer's notebook, creating a letter from young Peg Kehret to her parents:

Check out an “author interview,” researched and performed by fifth graders Samantha and Holly:

We can learn more about Peg Kehret at her website: there’s a biography, a book list, a blog, photographs, and frequently asked questions.  Click on the red-highlighted words to get started.

Poster by Emily V.

Escaping the Giant Wave Diorama by Sydney O.

Escaping the Giant Wave Diorama by Grace P.