We're back on the road! Whoosh and Whew! Whoosh and Whew! Where were you when Irene blew through? As powerful Hurricane Irene churned its way up the Atlantic coast and slammed into New Jersey, Reading Road Trip took a break to help family and friends prepare for—and clean up after—the massive storm. We can learn more about hurricanes at Weather Wiz Kids and FEMA for Kids. Click on the red-highlighted words to get started.
Now that the storm has passed, we can check out Hurricanes by Seymour Simon (RL 6.2), available at the Library of the Chathams and in the Lafayette LMC. The book, illustrated with satellite images and color photographs, discusses where and how hurricanes are formed, destruction caused by wind and rain in storms, how meteorologists rate and predict hurricanes, and precautions to take when a hurricane strikes.
Let’s celebrate the last few days of summer vacation with a fun book!Fourth grade math and science teacher Mrs. Scarpello enthusiastically recommends the very funny and very popular Diary of a Wimpy Kid books by Jeff Kinney. The series follows the adventures and misadventures of sixth-grader Greg Heffley as he records, in words and pictures, the ups and downs of middle school life. Take a look at a Wimpy Kid Club Websiteand watch the exclusive series book trailer:
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Greg Heffley’s Journal (RL 5.0). Greg and his best friend Rowley—two undersized weaklings—share the middle school hallways with boys who are taller, meaner, and already shaving! When Rowley grows more popular, Greg takes drastic measures to save their friendship. Reading Road Tripper Matthew likes the book “because it is funny, easy to read, and has a picture on every page.” Jack W. appreciates the humor in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid stories, while Peter P. recommends the series “to everyone who likes comic books.”
In the summer time, I like to... play wiffle ball, swim, and play Xbox 360. -Will M.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules (RL 5.7), Greg chronicles his summer vacation experiences and his many attempts to steer clear of trouble. When he returns to middle school, the Wimpy Kid tries desperately to keep older brother Rodrick from telling everyone about his most humiliating experience of the summer.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (RL 5.4). Greg attempts to live out his ultimate summer vacation fantasy: spending the days indoors playing video games, with no responsibilities and no rules. His mother, of course, has a different plan, attempting to pack the summer with outdoor activities and family fun.
In the summer time, I like to... play video games, bounce on my trampoline, and swim. -Ethan A.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (RL 6.1). Greg nimbly sidesteps his father's attempts to reform his wimpy ways... and faces the looming threat of military school.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Ugly Truth (RL 5.6). Greg tries to find a new best friend after feuding with Rowley, and older family members warn him that adolescence is a time to act more responsibly and to think seriously about his future. Sam R. would like to read other Diary of a Wimpy Kid books, noting that “The last book is not the end… I think there would be more to write about Greg Heffley.”
Sam is correct! Coming to an LMC near you in November 2011:Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever (RL 5.6). The much-anticipated sixth installment in the series finds Greg stranded in a blizzard… stuck indoors with his family over the holidays. Our favorite wimpy kid suffers from claustrophobia and worries that he and his family will not be able to weather the storm.
In the summer time, I like to... play video games, shop, swim, and play basketball and soccer. -Rishi W.
Whatever the weather, a visit with the Wimpy Kid brightens the day. Next, let’s soak up some late summer sunshine with New Jersey author Wendy Mass!
The Candy Makers by Wendy Mass (RL 5.7). When four gifted twelve-year-olds-- including Logan, a candy maker's son—compete in the Confectionery Association's national contest to determine the country's tastiest sweet, nobody anticipates that a friendship will form between them. Reading Road Tripper Katie S. found that she could relate to the characters and the story. And while Emilie D. believes that "The Candy Makers is one of Wendy Mass’s best books,” she also thinks that “it is a little too much like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.”
Finally by Wendy Mass (RL 4.6). After her twelfth birthday, Rory checks off a list of things she is finally allowed to do. Unexpected consequences, however, interfere with her involvement in a movie being shot at her school... and a weird prediction starts to make sense. Chloe C. appreciates the humor in the book and likes that “it teaches you that you don’t need to be like everybody else.”
11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass (RL 4.1). Amanda and Leo celebrate their first nine same-day birthdays together. They fight on their tenth birthday and do not speak to each other for a year. As they prepare to celebrate their eleventh birthday separately, peculiar things begin to happen: the day of their birthday begins to repeat itself over and over and over again….
11 Birthdays by Lydia V.
The reviews are in, and Reading Road Trippers have a lot to say about 11 Birthdays!Clara T. “never read anything like it before," while Emily C. gives the book five stars, stating, “It is really funny… I can relate to it.” Cate B. recommends the book because “it is a good fantasy book that is also realistic.” Bella F. offers, “It teaches you about the importance of friendship,” and Shaye C. and Maggie H. suggest it to “people who are having trouble with their friendships.”
11 Birthdays by Emily C.
Mary A. appreciates the humor of 11 Birthdays; Brianna F. describes the story as “magical, amazing, and fantastic.” Brooke M. and Emma B. caution that some readers may find the repetitive story line a bit boring. Lydia V. calls the book “a good mix of drama and mystery. It’s fun when you can relate to a mystery… It was confusing in parts but came together with a great ending.”
11 Birthdays by Mary A.
Grace C. sums it up: “11 Birthdays is interesting… Even though it’s the same day over and over, new things happen, and you don’t know what’s going to happen next.”
We've learned a lot this summer. It's true: sometimes we don't know what's going to happen next! But we've also learned the importance of family, of good books and good friends... and that every day on our Reading Road Trip offers new and exciting adventure!
Cowabunga, Reading Road Trippers! Greetings from sunny Southern California! We’re cruising down Silver Strand Boulevard toward Imperial Beach, a way-cool destination fourteen miles south of San Diego and five miles northwest of Tijuana, Mexico. It's the southern-most beach spot on the west coast of the United States.
While we’re in town, let’s check out the 2011 Imperial Beach US Sandcastle Competition. The annual event features dozens of professional and amateur sand sculpture teams competing for bragging rights and awesome amounts of prize money. Groovy music, rad street vendors, epic food, and totally tubular sand castles: we can dig it!
We can dig it online, too: let’s build a virtual sand castle. Click on the red-highlighted words to get started. Next, we’ll chill on the Southern California beach with a bucket full of books about castles-without-the-sand:
A non-fiction selection from the Fast Forward series, Castles through Time by Nicholas Harris (RL 5.9) tells the history of a European castle, featuring illustrations and descriptions of the same location as it may have appeared from 600 B.C. to the early twenty-first century.
The Castle Corona by Sharon Creech (RL 5.5) shares the story of two orphaned peasant children who discover a mysterious pouch. The cryptic contents lead them to the majestic Castle Corona… where their lives may be transformed forever.
A Tale of Two Castles by Gail Carson Levine (RL 4.9) follows twelve-year-old Elodie on a fantastic journey to Two Castles, where she becomes apprentice to a dragon. The aspiring actress learns to be observant and to think logically… skills that will help her solve the mystery of who is poisoning the king.
In long-time Lafayette fantasy favorite The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop (RL 5.0), a gift of a toy castle, complete with a silver knight, introduces William to adventure involving magic and a personal quest.
Surf's up! Let's catch a wave of books about knights in shining armor:
Excalibur: The Legend of King Arthur: A Graphic Novel by Tony Lee (RL 3.9). Retells, in graphic novel format, the legend of Arthur Pendragon who draws a legendary sword from a stone and begins the life he was born to lead, guided by the elusive wizard Merlin.
Sir Lancelot, Where Are You? from the Dragon Slayers’ Academy series by Kate McMullan (RL 3.1). After the witch Morgana le Fay puts a curse on Sir Lancelot, three knights-in-training from the Dragon Slayers' Academy set out to save him.
Life as a Knight: An Interactive History Adventure by Rachael Hanel (RL 6.4). Describes the lives of knights in medieval Europe through three stories: a French knight during the Crusades, an English knight during the Hundred Years' War, and a German knight during the Peasants' War. The reader chooses the plot lines!
Before the tide washes away all those beautiful sand castles, let’s imagine who lives inside. Kings and queens, lords and ladies, dragons and jesters, princes and princesses. Hmm... sand castle princesses. Here's a video book review by Kara E.
The Princess Academy by Shannon Hale (RL 6.2). While attending a strict academy for potential princesses with other girls from her mountain village, fourteen-year-old Miri discovers unexpected talents and connections to her homeland.
Let’s wiggle our toes in the sand, soak up the Southern California sunshine, and savor more princess stories:
The Tales of the Frog Princess series by E.D. Baker (RL 5.4). After reluctantly kissing a frog, an awkward princess suddenly finds that she has turned into a frog and sets off with the prince to find a way to become human again.
The Wide Awake Princess, also by E.D. Baker (RL 6.6). Annie, younger sister of the princess known as Sleeping Beauty, stays awake when the rest of the castle falls into an enchanted sleep. She decides to find a way to break the spell.
The Princess Plot and The Princess Trap by Kirsten Boie (RL 5.2). In The Princess Plot, fourteen-year-old Jenna becomes the unsuspecting pawn in a royal conspiracy after auditioning and winning the role of a movie princess. In the sequel book, Jenna runs away from her elite boarding school, hoping to escape the pressures of being a princess. When she is kidnapped by a villain who is trying to overthrow the royal family, she must put her fears aside and escape her captor before rebellion turns to war.
Princess Diaries series by Meg Cabot (RL 5.7). In journal format, Mia Thermopolis chronicles her ups and downs as an average teenager—and as a princess of royal descent. Check out a printable list of titles in the series!
Princess Mix-Up Mystery:Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew by Carolyn Keene (RL 3.8). Let’s learn how Nancy Drew, everyone's favorite super sleuth, got her start! Eight-year-old Nancy Drew and her friends win a day of royal treatments at Prissy's Princess Parlor. When someone tries to sabotage their makeovers, the girls decide to track down the culprit.
The Two Princesses of Bamarre by Gail Carson Levine (RL 4.8). With her adventurous sister Meryl suffering from the Grey death, meek and timid Princess Addie sets out to find a cure.
Ella Enchanted, also by Gail Carson Levine (RL 4.2). In this novel based on the story of Cinderella, Ella struggles against the childhood curse that forces her to obey any order given to her.
The Redheaded Princess: a Novel by Ann Rinaldi (RL 5.5). In 1542, nine-year-old Lady Elizabeth lives on an estate near London, striving to get back into the good graces of her father, King Henry VIII. As the years pass in this historical fiction page-turner, Elizabeth faces the death of her father and of other close relatives until she finds herself in position to ascend to the throne of England in 1558.
The Thirteenth Princess by Diane Zahler (RL 5.4). Zita, cast aside by her father and raised as a kitchen maid, learns that she is a princess. When she discovers that her twelve long-lost sisters are victims of an evil enchantment, she desperately tries to save them. Let's watch a book trailer for The Thirteenth Princess, a story inspired by The Twelve Dancing Princesses, a German fairy tale published by the Brothers Grimm in 1812:
Back from the Beach? Check out Spa Princess Cookbook by Barbara Beery (RL 5.2). This yummy book contains recipes for edible treats like smoothies, cookies, and fondue. It also offers soothing spa treatments-- including facials, scrubs, baths, and scented glitter gel—designed to create a relaxing and therapeutic home environment.
Imperial Beach certainly lives up to its nickname, Classic Southern California. We’ve had a totally awesome time cruising the West Coast, constructing outrageous sand castles and compiling a list of primo book suggestions. Next up on Reading Road Trip: a return to the East Coast, with Endless Summer Reading down the Jersey Shore! Stay tuned….
We’re traveling on State Route 375 in south-central Nevada, also known as The Extraterrestrial Highway. What do we see? A blazing blue cloudless sky, faraway rugged purple mountains, sparse and scrubby desert plants, and 98 miles of well-paved road slicing through the dry and desolate landscape....
Our map tells us that we’re passing just north of Nellis Air Force Range… and that we’re near the shadowy top-secret government base Area 51. Over the years, Reading Road Trippers just like us have reported seeing strange things along this legendary stretch of highway. They’ve observed multi-colored flashing lights racing across the sky. They’ve spotted unidentified flying objects hovering over the desert floor. They’ve even described weird alien encounters along the side of the road! Bizarre sounds, abnormal smells… what on earth (or maybe not from earth) is going on out here? Are the countless UFO and alien reports true? Could there be little green men running around the Nevada desert? If so, do they have summer reading suggestions that they would like to share with us?
Let’s start to look for answers in Secret American Places: From UFO Crash Sites to Government Hideouts by Nelson Yomtov (RL 5.4). Available at the Library of the Chathams, the book describes a variety of secret and mysterious places in the United States, such as Mount Weather, the Pentagon, and Area 51.
Without a doubt, those Little Green Men—and Reading Road Trippers looking for fantastic summer reading—will appreciate the Ranger's Apprentice, a series of fantasy novels written by Australian author John Flanagan. Ryan M. and Chris S. created a video book review:
Ranger’s Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlen by John Flanagan (RL 7.2). When fifteen-year-old Will is rejected by battle school, he becomes the reluctant apprentice to the mysterious Ranger Halt, and winds up protecting an entire kingdom from danger. Chris S. appreciates “the suspense and action throughout the book.”
Ranger’s Apprentice: The Emperor of Nihon-Ja by John Flanagan (RL 6.4). In a faraway land, a young warrior and his Ranger friends must train an inexperienced army and protect an emperor from an unwelcome uprising. Nick D. enthusiastically recommends this book to readers looking for stories with action, strategy, and just a bit of humor.
We can visit the official Ranger’s Apprentice website; later, we’ll share knowledge and read comments about the series on a Ranger’s Apprentice Wiki. Click on the red-highlighted words to get started! And here’s a chance to find out if we have what it takes to be a Ranger’s Apprentice. Let's pack up our virtual bows and arrows and test our cyber-archery skills in two challenging games: John Flanagan’s Ranger’s Apprentice Games.
On the road and in the air, fourth grade math, science, and social studies teacher Mr. Yates is joining our summer reading adventure. We may see him touring the town in his Ural sidecar motorcycle with his trusty canine companion, Lily. Or perhaps he’ll don his aviator glasses and take flight in a Piper Aztec or a Cirrus SR20 with his wife and daughters.
The Girl Who Could Fly by Amira M.
In The Girl Who Could Fly by Victoria Forester (RL 6.0), Piper McCloud's ability to fly sets her apart from the other kids. Her mother sends her to an exclusive school for children with exceptional abilities—but even there she does not fit in with the other students. The story has science fiction elements, but it’s also about embracing individuality and finding self-contentment. Amira M. gives the book five stars, reporting, “It is full of action, and it’s exciting… I think it is a book for both girls and boys.”
With both feet planted firmly on the ground, it might be fun to make some paper airplane fun. Flight School by Christopher Harbo (RL 5.5) provides step-by-step instructions for folding eleven basic paper airplanes. Let's watch how to make a traditional paper airplane:
It’s lunchtime when we pull into Rachel, Nevada, a tiny town located along The Extraterrestrial Highway. We'll grab a bite to eat at the alien-themed restaurant, the Little A’Le’Inn... get it? We’ll buy a souvenir license plate in the gift shop, and we’ll order up more fantasy and science-fiction suggestions from Reading Road Trippers:
Tom Swift by Will C.
Tom Swift: Into the Abyss by Victor Appleton (RL 5.1). Tom, Bud, and Yo join Tom's dad on the S.S. Nestor to see Mr. Swift test a submersible, which he plans to use to search the sea floor for earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other phenomena. When a storm hits, Tom risks his life to save his father. Will C. calls main character Tom Swift “awesome,” and he appreciates the plot development in Book One in the Tom Swift, Young Inventor science-fiction series.
The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles by Julie Andrews Edwards (RL 7.3). With help from an eccentric professor who gives their imaginations special intensive training, three children succeed in locating the last of the great Whangdoodles and granting his heart's desire. Katie K. recommends this book-- written by the actress who played the title role in Mary Poppins and Maria Von Trapp in The Sound of Music-- to friends looking for a great read full of imagination and fantasy.
Dark Life by Tyler B.
Dark Life by Kat Falls (RL 5.2). When fifteen-year-old Ty, who has always lived on the ocean floor, joins Topside girl Gemma in the frontier's underworld to seek and stop outlaws who threaten his home, they learn that the government may pose an even greater threat. Tyler B. recommends the book to science fiction fans who wish to read about undersea colonies, robbers and outlaws... and discovering hidden abilities.
Dragon by Phillip W.
Dragon Rider by Cornelia Funke (RL 4.9). After learning that humans are headed toward his hidden home, a silver dragon named Firedrake is joined by a brownie and an orphan boy in a quest to find the legendary valley known as the Rim of Heaven. They encounter both friendly and unfriendly creatures along the way and struggle to evade the relentless pursuit of an old enemy. Phillip W. likes this fantastic tale because “there are dragons in the story, and I am born in the Year of the Dragon.”
The Accidental Hero by Matt Myklusch (RL 5.2). Freed from a dismal orphanage, twelve-year-old Jack makes his way to the elusive Imagine Nation, where a mentor trains him to use his superpower, despite the virus he carries that makes him a threat. Reading Road Tripper Tom B. likes the science-fiction page-turner “because it has a lot of action.”
H.J. Ralles
Keeper of the Empire by H.J. Ralles, an annual visiting author at Lafayette School. This science-fiction favorite follows the adventures of video game enthusiast Matt, as he continues to track down the Keeper in order to win the next level of a real-life computer game; however, he and his friends Targon and Angel must first find the hideout of the Govan Resistance. Mitchell M. admires Matt from the Keeper series “because he is smart, and he is not selfish.”
Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve (RL 4.1). When a drought threatens her family's magical rhubarb farm, eleven-year-old Polly tries to find a way to make it rain again. Julie H. suggests the book to readers looking for a fantasy story about magic and self-discovery.
What a strange and mysterious journey on the Extraterrestrial Highway! We’re happy to be home before dark. We'll grill hamburgers and hot dogs for dinner. And then, with a little help and supervision from adults, we'll make s’mores... and settle in for some spooky campfire stories:
Scary Stories by Charlie T.
Scary Stories for Sleep Overs by Sterling Publishing (RL 5.9) contains thirty-three reportedly true stories of haunted houses, ghostly animals, visits from the dead, dangerous demons, and other frightening phenomena. Reading Road Tripper Charlie T. enjoys reading scary stories and announces, “I would eventually like to read Frankenstein.”
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark by Alvin Schwartz (RL 4.1) contains haunting stories and scary songs that feature ghosts, monsters, and creepy endeavors. Siobhan O. reports that the stories are “funny and weird… The pictures may be too scary for some readers,” while Tanner A. describes the collection as “flabbergasting and terrifying… If someone scares easily, they might not want to read these stories.”
So... what's really going on along the Extraterrestrial Highway? The truth is out there, Reading Road Trippers… and so are the s’mores!
We’re traveling on State Route 375 in south-central Nevada, also known as The Extraterrestrial Highway. What do we see? A blazing blue cloudless sky, faraway rugged purple mountains, sparse and scrubby desert plants, and 98 miles of well-paved road slicing through the dry and desolate landscape....
