My Book List.

Okay folks.  Here's my list of books that I've read since September.  In most schools, we do something that is called "guided reading" or I've heard of some calling it "group reading."  Basically, the kids are put into groups of 5 or 6 based on their reading levels.  At the beginning of the year, my kids were all over the place as far as their levels were concerned, so I had to have 6 different groups.  Which meant I was reading 6 different books at any given time.  By January, they were a lot easier to group because their levels were closer to each other, so I went down to 5 groups which was AWESOME.

I had to stay ahead of all the groups and get their reading assignments done so that I could plan the lessons and know what was coming.  I got to read A LOT of books this year as a result.  I've had family members and people at church ask me about what books I recommend for their kids, so I thought I'd make a list of the ones I read this year and tell if they're worth reading again.  I also attached an Amazon review so that you can see what the book is about and what others thought.  Two opinions are always better than one.  :)

Things Not Seen - I would read this again with another group.  I read it in a group with 4 boys and 1 girl and all of them LOVED it.  I literally had a kid in the group say to me one day, "Mrs. Rasmussen, I can't even choose a favorite part of the book.  I feel like I'm actually there when I'm reading it.  For the first time, I think I actually like to read."  Andrew Clements is a great writer and worth the read.

Alida's Song - It wasn't great, wasn't horrible.  I usually really like Gary Paulsen.  I read this with one of my highest groups.  It was good, but definitely not one where you're dying to pick it up and find out what happens next.  I'm not sure if I'll choose this one again for a group next year.  It is a really short read, though.

Fudge-a-Mania - Judy Blume always rocks.  I read this with a group of 1 boy and 1 girl and they both loved it.  It's humorous and I think anyone ages 7 and up would enjoy it.  If I had another group at this level next year, I would totally read it again.  There are two books before this one that are part of the series: "Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing" & also "Superfudge."  Both of which have great reviews.  However, I hadn't read either of them and I didn't feel like it took away from the storyline of Fudge-a-mania.

The School Story - This is another Andrew Clements book.  It's a super cute story and I would totally read it again with another group.  I read this one with both boys and girls, and they really enjoyed it.

Dear Mr. Henshaw - This is a Beverly Cleary book & a Newbery winner.  The whole book is set up in a series of letters going between a boy and an author.  It's a fairly quick read and the group really liked it.  I would read this one again.

True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle - Um, I love this book.  I read this one when I was in elementary school, so when I saw it in the guided reading library at our school, I KNEW I was going to need a group to read this.  The books takes place in 1832, so the language is a bit different than what most kids are used to.  It's definitely an upper-level read.  It is one of those books where you're dying to know what will happen next.  Plus, it's by Avi.  And I love him.  Although it's not a winner, it was a Newbery Honor.

The Day the 5th Grade Disappeared - This book was very short and I'm sure anyone in fourth or up could handle. it.  It has enough cliffhangers that it keeps the interest of the reader.  It was good, but it wasn't one of those books that I feel like I just have to read with a group next year.

Stormbreaker - This is a great action-packed, mysterious book that is a total must-read for at least one of my groups next year.  I LOVED it and so did the kids.  It's the first of like a 6 book (more or less) series.  I had lots of kids (boys, especially) that were hooked with this one and were constantly begging me to buy the next book in the series.  I would definitely recommend this one.

The View from Saturday - I actually bought this for my classroom one day and ended up reading it on my own.  I like E.L. Konigsburg so I thought I'd try it out, and it is a Newbery winner.  I really enjoyed it.  Again, it wasn't something like Stormbreaker where you're dying to know what will happen next, but it was a really cute book that I would love to read with a group if we had a set of 6 in our school library.

Sarah, Plain and Tall - This is another Newbery winner.  I read it with two boys and a girl.  I don't think they enjoyed it as much as I did.  It's a very short read and I think a girl would do better with this book.  Although it's not a difficult read, I do think it would take a special kind of kid that enjoys reading about life when it wasn't as modern.

On My Honor - This was a Newbery Honor book that I read on my own during one of our read-a-thons.  I finished the book during it, so it's a really short read.  It's about a boy having to deal with the death of one of his best friends.  I think it actually teaches a lot of great life lessons, and I'd love to read it with my class if I had a set of 6.

Crispin - This is another one by Avi and it's yet another Newbery winner.  It did start off a bit slower, but then it really picked up and both the group and I really enjoyed the book.  It's definitely a book for a higher reader and takes place in Medieval times.  I would for sure read this book with another group.

Maniac Magee - Jerry Spinelli is an awesome author and this is also a Newbery winner (can you tell I love a lot of Newberry's?).  My group loved this book and I think it taught a lot of great life lessons, focusing especially on breaking down prejudices and preconceived ideas about others.  I would absolutely read this again.

The Tale of Despereaux - Another Newbery winner for ya.  It's a cute book.  It's really good for kids with big imaginations.  The entire book revolves around anthropomorphism; animals are given human characteristics and tendencies.  For example, the main character is a mouse and he talks and has feelings, etc.  This book is good for 3rd or older and I would read it again with a group.

Bud, Not Buddy - I LOVED this book.  It's also a Newbery winner and my group and I had a great times reading this.  The group I read this book with, was able to draw so many connections from it and then continued to relate it to other books we read later on in the year.  I would totally read this again with another group.


The Witch of Blackbird Pond - I really liked this book.  I read this with a mix of boys and girls.  I think the girls may have connected better to it, since the main character is a girl.  I had to give lots of background information to the group before reading the book, since it takes place in a Puritan community during the Salem Witch Trials.  They really enjoyed learning about the trials, but I would say that the most important thing to emphasize when reading this book, is the lifestyle of the Puritans and who they were.  Again, it's another Newbery winner & I would definitely read it again.

Fever 1793 - This book takes place during 1793 (obviously) and deals with the hardships of the yellow fever epidemic.  I read this with girls and boys (all of which were very good readers) and we all really enjoyed it.  It's either an honor or Newbery winner.  Either way, it was awesome and I'd read it again.

Chasing Redbird  - This is a Sharon Creech book and another one that I read when I was in elementary school.  I remembered loving it, so I picked it out for a group to read.  I actually read it with a group of all boys (the main character is sort of a tom-boy) and they absolutely loved it - although I think girls may enjoy it even more.  It's a very interesting and different story than most and I would read it again.

A Wrinkle in Time - This is a Newbery winner.  I was SUPER excited to read it because I'd heard a lot of great things about it.  It was good, but not as awesome as I was expecting.  It's a very unique plot.  I think it would be great for someone who is into fantasy/science fiction sort of things.  It's not my favorite genre, which is why I think I didn't enjoy it as much as others.  However, if you have a kid (or yourself) that likes those genres, I'd recommend it.

The Taste of Blackberries - This book deals with a boy facing the sudden death of his best friend.  It's actually about a 3rd grade level read, so it's pretty quick and easy.  It was alright but I wasn't amazed.  I wouldn't be dying to read it again.

The Westing Game - We did this as a shared reading where everyone had their own copy of the book and read it as a class.  It's a Newbery winner and I loved it.  It's a mystery novel.  There are a lot of characters, so initially it's a little difficult to keep everyone straight.  However, it's awesome and I would recommend this to anyone.

The Mixed Up Files of Basil E. Frankweiler - This is another Newbery winner that I did as a shared reading with my entire class.  The majority of the story takes place in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in NYC, so you really need a bit of background knowledge on the arts.  I don't think my class loved it, but I also don't think they hated it.  I've had lots of adults tell me that they read this when they were young and loved it, so I think it just appeals to different kinds of people.

Found -  We did this one as a read aloud (I read it, kids listen) this year and both the kids and I loved it. It's written by Margaret Haddix (author of the Shadow Children series) who I love.  This book is the first of a four book series and is another one of those page turners.  It's a little under 350 pages, so it is a bit longer, but VERY good.

Stargirl - JD and I read this on the car on the way to San Fran together.  We both absolutely loved it.  It was so cute and has such a great message.  It is definitely a must-read.  A lot of kids have read it in the past, so I don't think I'd read it aloud unless there were only a few kids who'd read it.

Walk 2 Moons - Another Newbery winner (are you seeing a trend?) and written by Sharon Creech.... that you MUST read!  We also did this as a shared reading and it was so good!  I loved it and would absolutely, 100% read this with my class next year.

Al Capone Does My Shirts - I brought this with me to San Francisco and finished it just today.  The story takes place on Alcatraz.  It was so cute and I loved the ending.  I am going to check and see if this is in our guided reading library at school and if not, I am totally buying a few more copies so that I can read it with a group.  I loved it.  It's historical fiction, which a lot of kids don't think they'll like, but end up loving.

Flipped - I don't feel completely confident in suggesting this book, since we didn't finish it this year.  We started it as a read aloud and the kids begging for me to read more was a constant topic.  They loved it and it was a cute story (from what I read).  I brought it with me to finish reading this summer, and I've already had a student email me to tell me that she finished it and loved it.  It's fun for a 6th/7th grade reader as it deals with a funny love/hate relationship between a boy and girl from the time they're young kids.  It was very humorous and we enjoyed what we read.

I brought 25 other books out to San Fran with me this summer, so hopefully I'll be able to finish those and give you guys some good reviews.  Even though this list is primarily for parents and their kids, I seriously recommend any of these books to people my age and older as well.  I have absolutely loved having the chance to read and discuss all of these books.  I am convinced that children's literature (especially junior nonfiction) is some of the best reading material out there.  Plus, I think it's so beneficial to read all of this stuff so that future parents can have things to recommend to their own kids one day.  So many kids struggle to learn to love reading & I am a firm believer that if there are parents at home who share a love of reading and reinforce that love to their kids, it will be contagious.

I'm currently reading Woods Runner by Gary Paulsen and I found a little line that referred to families reading together that I loved from it: "All the long winter nights with tallow candles burning while they sat by the fireplace, they read aloud to each other.  At first he'd listened as they took turns.  Later he read to himself and knew the joyous romp of words on paper."  The power of books and the lessons that can be learned from them is priceless.  I hope I can instill that knowledge of the "joyous romp of words on paper" in my students and my future kids one day.

(The classics in these adorable covers.  One day, guys...one day)