In the aftermath of super-storm Sandy, Reading Road Trip took a break, waiting for power to be restored to our homes and schools-- and helping friends and family recover from the massive storm. Now we’re back on the road, beginning a brand new reading adventure, exploring books about Animal Rescue and making connections to real-life places and events. 
In LMC classes, Mrs. Cifrodella read Two Bobbies: A True Story of Hurricane Katrina, Friendship, and Survival by Kirby Larson. The picture book tells the story two New Orleans pets who formed a special bond as they struggled to survive the devastation of Hurricane Katrina.
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| Two Bobbies Diorama by Mckenzie G. |
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| Two Bobbies Model by Caity B. |
Inspired by our Animal Rescue destination, Reading Road Trippers have been checking out and reading featured titles, completing projects that connect to their reading, and earning valuable points for their teams.
The 1992 Newbery Medal winner: When Marty Preston finds a lost beagle in the hills behind his West Virginia home, it’s love at first sight. The boy tries to hide Shiloh from his family and protect him from the dog’s real owner, a mean-spirited, abusive man named Judd Travers. Before long, Marty’s secret exposes his family to Judd’s anger. How far will Marty go to save a special dog? We're reading Shiloh by Phyllis Reynolds Naylor to find out!
A 2001 Newbery Honor winner: In Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo, ten-year-old India Opal Buloni describes good things that happen to her because of a large, homely dog named Winn-Dixie during her first summer in Naomi, Florida.
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| Because of Winn-Dixie Poster by Sara and Alyssa |
A 2003 Newbery Honor winner: In Hoot, Carl Hiaasen follows Roy—a newcomer to small-town Coconut Cove, Florida—as he becomes involved in another boy’s efforts to save a colony of burrowing owls from a proposed construction site that would destroy the creatures’ habitat.
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| Hoot Paper Owl |
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| Animals Helping People: The Seeing Eye Poster by Evelyn V. |
A 2012 Caldecott Honor book: In Me... Jane by Patrick McDonnell, young Jane Goodall studies the natural world around her, reads Tarzan stories, and imagines living in Africa and helping wild animals. This magical picture book blends beautiful illustrations with biographical information on the inspirational zoologist. We like Jane's tiny stuffed chimpanzee!
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| The Turtle Back Zoo, Essex County |
We’ve been reading amazing stories with local connections about animal rescue during Hurricane Sandy, learning how shelters, social media, and caring people are working together to aid animals after the storm. At our local Turtle Back Zoo, emergency generators protected animals—and human refugees—from the dangerous weather!
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| The Raptor Trust, Millington |
The Raptor Trust in Millington reports that all their birds are safe after the storm—but that several aviaries suffered extensive damage from falling trees and are in need of repair. St. Hubert’s Giralda in Madison is accepting food and supply donations to benefit shelters affected by Sandy. The center is also helping storm-impacted families with pets.
Scout
fiction by Shobhit S.
Scout was a Border Collie. His family lived in Miami. When Hurricane Isaac was on its way, Scout's family had to evacuate the town. Since they were in such a hurry, they forgot to bring Scout. He was in the backyard. During the storm, he hid under the stairs. The fence got destroyed by the hurricane, so Scout could easily get to the road.
After the storm Scout was hungry, and he was very lonely. As he walked down the street, he saw so many fallen trees that the person who I interviewed lost count. Finally, Scout saw a person. A man was looking at the damage done to his property. I interviewed this man. His name is Kenny Gibson.
"He just started poking my leg and whining. He looked hungry so I brought him inside to my wife, Mary. After we gave him some food, he came outside with me and just sat by my leg." Kenny didn't know what to do so he phoned the closest animal shelter. "The shelter said they didn't have any space because of all the animals that were left behind in the hurricane," Kenny told me. "I put up lost dog signs all over town."
Kenny waited for three months, but no one responded. "I didn't know what to do with him, so I adopted him. My wife and I were thinking about adopting a dog anyway. Scout is such a good dog. He loves to play fetch and tries to help when he can. He learned to fetch the newspaper inside. He also loves to be petted. When he is inside, he loves to sit near my wife or me and he tries to be petted. Now he has become our family member. We love him very much."
