What Ms. Moore is Reading - Vacation Week 6

Here are some of the most recent books I've read and recommend for my students. They're all available from the public library, but any donations towards getting them into our collection are most welcome! All cover images and descriptions are from Goodreads.

Picture Books

When Andrew gets hold of a pencil, anything can—and does—happen in this innovative and artistic book. The story literally unfolds step-by-step as readers are invited to follow Andrew through flaps and gatefolds. After sharpening his drawing implement on the first page, Andrew challenges the boundaries of each spread by beginning with a line that leads . . . and leads . . . to unexpected finishes. Staircases become dinosaurs, kites become rockets, and even the most unassuming squiggle morphs into a giant chicken!

Jabari is definitely ready to jump off the diving board. He's finished his swimming lessons and passed his swim test, and he's a great jumper, so he's not scared at all. "Looks easy," says Jabari, watching the other kids take their turns. But when his dad squeezes his hand, Jabari squeezes back. He needs to figure out what kind of special jump to do anyway, and he should probably do some stretches before climbing up onto the diving board ... NOTE: Gaia Cornwall will be at the RI Festival of Children's Books and Authors in October, and I'll be reading this to K-2 students beforehand. 

What can you do with two blobs of clay? Create something amazing! But don't leave them alone for too long. Things might get a little crazy. In this photographic friendship adventure, the claymates squish, smash, and sculpt themselves into the funniest shapes imaginable. But can they fix a giant mess before they're caught in the act? NOTE: I may or may not add this to our Mock Caldecott list. I love it, but the speech bubbles and details in the clay might not work as a large group readaloud.

Middle Grade Novel

Twelve-year-old Henry Hewitt has been living by his wits on the streets of London, dodging his parents, who are determined to sell him as an apprentice. Searching for a way out of the city, Henry lands a position as an assistant to Sir Richard Blackstone, an aristocratic scientist who performs unorthodox experiments in his country manor. ... One of Sir Richard’s experiments accidentally transforms a normal-sized tarantula into a colossal beast that escapes and roams the neighborhood. After a man goes missing and Sir Richard is accused of witchcraft, it is left to young Henry to find an antidote for the oversized arachnid. Things are not as they seem, and in saving Sir Richard from the gallows, Henry also unravels a mystery about his own identity.

Nonfiction

Award-winning author Grace Lin joins science writer Ranida T. McKneally to get kids talking about the science of food, the five food groups, and what a healthy meal looks like. Answering questions like "why are so many vegetables green?", "What's the difference between brown bread and white bread?", and "Why do beans make you gassy?", cheerful haiku poems and a simple Q&A format make this book a nutritious treat.