Completely Clementine by Sara Pennypacker pictures by Marla Frazee

In 2009 I talked about Clementine.  We have the whole series in our library now including the latest installment and seventh Completely Clementine.

Sara Pennypacker has created a such a memorable character with little Clementine.  This is one of those books where you really 'hear' the character's voice and this lingers with you long after reading.

The Clementine books are perfect for students in Grades 2-4.  As this book opens the end of Grade Three is looming and Clementine is upset.  She does not like to say goodbye, she does not want to leave her special teacher Mr D'Matz and she is especially upset with her dad because she thinks everyone should be a vegetarian.

The fight against her dad eating meat is such a funny and poignant thread through the whole story.  Clementine has decided she will not talk to her dad - she will give him the 'silent treatment' but she also needs to communicate her feelings so each day she presents her dad with a different drawing :
Crying Cow, Terrified Clam, Thanksgiving tragedy and Petrified Piglets.  Sadly, for Clementine, these heart-felt and graphic pictures do not seem to affect her father.  Her mum explains:

"I want to talk to you about this feud you're having with your father.'
'The sad-animal drawings?'
'No, not those. I like that you're doing those, in fact.  You're presenting your side of something you care about.  That's what  artists do: when they care about something, they make art about it.  And sometimes their art makes other people care too, although sometimes it doesn't.  The problem is the other thing: your not speaking to him."

I highly recommend the Clementine series.  You might like to read this review from Kirkus.  Here are some other junior series worth exploring.

Grade Six students recommend

Announcing

At this time of year I like to give you a list of the titles our Grade Six students have mentioned in their Year Book.  Here is one from the past.  You might also like to compare 2014 with this year.

Their entries for this publication follow the format

Name, birthday, sporting house, High School, school duties in Grade 6, friends, likes, dislikes AND

The best book I ever read is ...

Many students mentioned these :

• Skulduggery pleasant series
• Rangers apprentice series
• Wonder
• Hatchet
• The Giver
• Deltora Quest series
• Shadow by Michael Morpurgo 
• Tom Gates
• Gangsta Granny
• Heroes of Olympus
• Alex Rider series
• Diary of a wimpy kid series
• Sisters Grimm series
• Treehouse series by Andy Griffiths

Other students mentioned these :

• A tangle of knots
• Counting by sevens
• The invention of Hugo Cabret
• Honey Cake
• Friday Barnes
• A long walk to water
• The lost hero by Rick Riordan
• Caesar the war dog series
• Give me Four reasons
• Harry Potter series
• The name at the end of the ladder
• Finding serendipity
• Withering by sea
• Big Nate
• A room full of chocolate by Jane Elson
• Turtle in paradise
• When Hitler Stole pink rabbit
• The honest truth
• The land of stories
• The Golden Compass
• Skellig by David Almond
• Goth Girl by Chris Riddell
• No Talking by Andrew Clements
• Skeleton Creek
• The trumpet of the swan by EB White
• The Power of Poppy Pendle
• Rooftoppers
• Stargirl
• Escape from Mr Lemoncello's Library

Elmer on Stilts by David McKee

Towards the end of the year I love to explore some of my favourite book series with our Kindergarten groups.  We read the circle stories by Laura Numeroff which begin with If you give a mouse a cookie.  Next we read the Blue Kangaroo books by Emma Chichester Clark followed by several books from the Elmer series by David McKee.

I have talked about Elmer in a previous post but today I thought I might mention my favorites from this extensive series (there are more than twenty titles) and focus on one especially - Elmer on Stilts.

There are so many interesting things you can explore with young children before reading this book and while reading this book and in a discussion after reading.

What are stilts?
Why would they be painted green?  Would another colour work just as well?
Why would an elephant climb onto a set of stilts?
What are some of the problems the elephant might encounter?
How could the elephant climb onto the stilts?
Does it matter if the ground underneath is hard or soft?
Why would the hunters want to catch the elephants?
How do the elephants feel at the end of this story?
How do the hunters feel at the end of this story?

When we read Elmer on stilts I like to make some simple stilts using two rulers.  Pushing them into a cushion shows the problem with soft soil.  Adding cardboard 'feet' to the stilts is a way to show Elmer's ingenious solution. I have collected some other Elmer ideas here.

At its heart this is a book about problem solving, about right over wrong, poetic justice and, most importantly, determination.

My other favourite Elmer titles are :
Elmer and the snow
Elmer in the wind
Elmer and the lost teddy
Elmer and Wilbur

You can see some glorious Elmer illustrations here.  You could even make some stilts for fun!

My haunted house as told to Angie Sage

"I have a Secret Passage Kit, just like my Ghost kit.  I have always wanted to find a secret passage, and now I was sure that at last I had the key to one.

First I opened my Secret Passage Kit box and took out a torch a ball of string and some emergency supplies of cheese and onion crisps.  You need a torch because secret passages are always dark, and you need a ball of string so that you can find you way out again … You need emergency food supplies as you never know how long you are going to be in the secret passage, do you?"

This little extract should show you the tone of this first book from the series Araminta Spook. I have had this book on my reading pile for far too long.  A fellow Teacher-Librarian recommended it months ago as a popular series in her library.

Minty (Araminta) lives in a wonderful spooky house but she has not been able to find a ghost despite years of searching.  Her uncle Drac works at night and sleeps with bats and her aunt Tabby (Tabitha) is obsessed with cleaning and the boiler which constantly gives her trouble.  Aunt Tabby announces she is selling the house and moving somewhere small and clean. (Listen to the extract here.) Minty immediately sets up a plan to foil this scheme.  She easily drives away the real estate agent, she modifies the for sale sign, she drops spiders on a prospective purchaser and finally she enlists the help of a small ghost called Edmund and a suit of armour called Sir Horace.

I love the idea of a different bedroom for every day of the week. As this story opens Minty has been doing her ghost practice in her Thursday bedroom.

You might also enjoy One night at Lottie's house and the Piccolo and Annabelle series by Stephen Axelsen.  

Araminta has her own web site with games and more.  There are six books in this series which are perfect for fans of ghosts, haunted houses, mischief and fun!  It would be best to start with this first book in the series where you meet the main characters and learn some of their eccentricities.  

Many readers enjoy a series and these little books deliver all the right ingredients.  Easy to read, fast paced, delightful illustrations and a feisty, lovable main character.

The haunting of Charity Delafield by Ian Beck

This little book The Haunting of Charity Delafield has been in our school library for over a year and each time I shelve it I think - 'I really must read this one' - so yesterday I finally picked it up and two hours later I sighed with happiness.  The cover looked so promising and I am happy to say I was not disappointed.

Charity is about to turn thirteen.  Her whole life has been spent in one house and one garden.  She has not met any other children or been to school. Her father is a distant almost frightening figure who controls every aspect of her life even the number of times her unruly hair is to be brushed by one of the servants called Rose.  The 75 strokes of the brush twice each day are an agony for Charity but she knows this is something she must endure. Just as she knows her questions, and she has many, will remain unanswered.

"She was not allowed to run, or to explore much of her own house, or to leave the grounds.  In fact, she was not allowed outside at all, except under strict supervision.  She was discouraged from reading books of fairy tales and mythology."

All of this is about to change when one morning her father announces Charity is to be sent to a special boarding school.  On this same day she meets a mysterious old woman beside the fence which surrounds her home.  The woman seems to know Charity and more importantly reveals that Charity's mother is not dead, as she has been told.  The old woman tells Charity to look for a horn.

The other hugely significant event on this momentous day is the arrival of the Chimney Sweep and his apprentice Silas Jones.  When Silas meets Charity he immediately offers to be her friend. Together they explore the forbidden parts of the house using the chimneys.  They find a small diary but as the words are read they disappear into smoke and a book of fairy tales.  Each night Charity reads the fairy tales which seems to be hinting at her own history.

One of my favourite parts comes after their first foray into the soot filled hearth.

"They stood in the fireplace, smiling at each other, both covered in soot"
Silas slips away up the chimney just as Edward, the groundsman, arrives to check on Charity who has now been locked in her room.
"her eyes flicked down.  With a shock she realized that the soot had all disappeared.  Her nightdress was as white as snow, and her hair was shining gold; she looked as if she had just stepped out of the  bath."

You can read a sample from the book here.  Here are some insights into the writing process.

This book reminded me of The Secret Garden, The Wolves of Willoughby Chase, Little White horse by Elizabeth Gouge (I loved this book as a child) and Withering-by-Sea.

The Gift by Penny Matthews illustrated by Martin McKenna

Yes right from the beginning - even from the front cover - you will know this sad-faced little bear will find a new home at Christmas but that does not spoil the joy of this story.

Brown Bear sits on the toy shop shelf.  His only decoration is a large, red ribbon.

"Brown Bear had rather hard fur.  His price tag was under his foot, so he couldn't read it, but he knew he didn't cost very much."

All of the toys are gradually sold except for Brown Bear and his shelf companion a green crocodile. Crocodile is certain he will never be picked because he does not look "Christmassy". What follows is a a gesture that will make you gasp and smile as Brown Bear takes off his own red ribbon and ties it around crocodile's neck.  That very same day crocodile is sold.  Now bear is all alone.

You can read more about Penny Matthews here.  Here are a set of teaching notes. We have nearly all of her books in our school library. This story reminded me of Arnold the Prickly Teddy which is a long time favourite book of mine.  You should also read Holly and Ivy and  Ruby and Little Joe,

Twenty-five December Lane by Helen Ward illustrated by Wayne Anderson

As she pushed open the door,

a bell on a spring rang merrily.

A little breath of Christmas slipped past her, 

out into December Lane

These are the most beautiful words - a little breath of Christmas.

A little girl, with no name, in a red coat and hat is searching shop windows in the busy city.  She wants to find the perfect present for someone very special.  It is now getting dark and her time has almost run out.  She stumbles across a shop filled with toys but oddly the one customer seems to be taking everything.  In a matter of minutes his huge sack is full and there is nothing left.

The girl leaves the shop empty handed but discovers the town is now covered in a soft blanket of fresh snow.  Perhaps this can be her gift.

We are celebrating the twelve books of Christmas in our school library.  Each day we announce a winning class and they come to the library to collect a parcel containing a special Christmas book which will be shared with the whole class.  In this way our Christmas books are shared right across the school.  Tomorrow one lucky class will receive Twenty-five December Lane.

I have discovered there is an audio version of this gentle book.  I need to put this new copy onto my shopping list tonight.