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Reading out the sad end of summer
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Published: August 24, 2008
Monday starts a new school year for public-school students. While you might not be ready for the sound of the early morning alarm clock, a new year is full of promise -- just like every student in every grade! However, Hannah and her friend Angela would like to point out that while a new school year (especially freshman year) may be exciting, the end of summer is quite sad.
YOU CAN'T GO TO SCHOOL NAKED. By Dianne Billstrom. Penguin. Ages 4-7. $15.99.
Hannah, remember that time on the 18th hole at Celebration Station when you took off all your clothes? Luckily, you were only 2 and resolved your apparel issues by the time school started (only too well, I've learned at the mall).
In this book, a little boy wants to go to school naked. Not a good idea, his parents warn. Their clever scenarios of what could happen at school when you are naked dissuade the boy. Instead, he merely gets creative in choosing his clothes.
SCHOOL FEVER. By Brod Bagert. Penguin. Ages 5-10. $16.99.
Brod Bagert made an author visit to Forsyth County a few years ago. A children's poet from New Orleans, Bagert is hilarious in verse and in person. School Fever does not disappoint; it is full of hysterical poems about school life. From "A Thanksgiving Poem, or, The Day Our Teacher Turned Into a Turkey" to "Cafeteria Magic," Bagert covers every aspect of elementary school in his rhymes.
KEENA FORD AND THE SECOND-GRADE MIX-UP. By Melissa Thomson. Penguin. Ages 7-9. 102 pages. $14.99.
Keena Ford is like a black Junie B. Jones. She finds herself in bewildering predicaments of her own making and uses her charming exuberance to stay out of trouble. She gets caught up in a lot of trouble, such as when she accidentally writes her birthday backward to be Sept. 2 instead of Feb. 9.
When her new teacher makes a big deal over the Sept. 2 birthday, Keena doesn't correct her. Instead, she basks in the limelight. Clever, entertaining and a wonderful read for any second-grade class!
ALONG CAME SPIDER. By James Preller. Scholastic. Ages 7-11. 127 pages. $15.99.
Spider Stevens has accepted next-door neighbor Trey Cooper's eccentricities since they began playing together in preschool. But now that fifth grade is here, Trey's odd behavior embarrasses Spider, who suggests to Trey that they hang out only at home.
Trey, who seems autistic, although this is never stated in the book, is thrown off-balance at Spider's suggestion that he make some new friends. However, Trey bravely tries to expand his horizons. This would make a fabulous read-aloud for elementary classrooms. Both Spider's and Trey's viewpoints are conveyed well, providing an excellent springboard for discussion on compassion and true friendship.
For another boy-centric back-to-school book, read GRAHAM AND RAYMOND RULE THE SCHOOL. By Mike Knudson and Steve Wilkinson. Penguin. Ages 7-11. 136 pages. $14.99.
VIOLET RAINES ALMOST GOT STRUCK BY LIGHTNING. By Danette Hayworth. Walker. Ages 9-12. 176 pages. $15.99.
New this week, this sassy end-of-summer, starting-middle-school book reminds us of Because of Winn-Dixie. Violet Raines, an active tomboy who isn't afraid of much, grows fearful of losing her best friend to a Barbie doll-type of girl who moves into their small Florida town. Everyone in our household who read this book loved it. The imagery is beautiful, the story captivating and the wholesome-yet-troublesome 'tween issues are refreshing!
HOW NOT TO BE POPULAR. By Jennifer Ziegler. Random House. Ages 12 and up. 339 pages. $15.99.
Hannah calls this her favorite book of all time, which, considering how many she has read, is a pretty large compliment. In How Not to Be Popular, Sugar Magnolia Dempsey, or Maggie, as she prefers to be called, has hippie parents who move her all over the country. Her family never stays in one place for long, which makes her feel unstable. Her most recent move has been the worst because she has left behind the best friend she ever had and a serious boyfriend, who decides he cannot do long-distance relationships and breaks up with her.
Moving from Oregon to Austin, Texas, is a painful transition, especially at the start of Maggie's senior year and 10th high school. She knows that her parents plan to live in Austin for only a few months. Her plan is to become as unpopular as possible to prevent making any friends and avoid the inevitable pain of separation when they move again.
Instead, Maggie's crazy acts of behavior and dress make everyone in school think that she is just very confident and idolize her. Soon she ends up making friends anyway, but not in the traditionally "popular" crowd. Maggie discovers genuine friendship in unlikely places.
■ Monica and Hannah Young can be reached at <span>cyoung9@triad.rr.com. View book reviews at the Journal in Education site at www.jie.journalnow.com or by visiting www.myspace.com/youngreading .
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