Got Geography?

The Scrambled States of America

The Scrambled States of America Talent Show

Written and illustrated by Laurie Keller

Most enjoyed by geography fans in 4th through 8th grade

If you've got a 4th grader in the house, by now you're well under way with memorizing the U.S. state names, capitals, locations, and spellings. Want to test it out? Check out Laurie Keller's two books about the states, 'The Scrambled States of America' and 'The Scrambled States of America Talent Show'. Both books will be a good test of your geography skills, if you can stop laughing long enough!

In 'The Scrambled States of America', the states are tired of their current positions on the map. Kansas starts it all, and one by one the states agree that it is time for a change. They meet and decide who will go where. All is fun as the states get to know their new neighbors but after a few days, the excitement of the change begins to wear off. Arizona, who had switched places with South Carolina, doesn't like the effect the ocean waves have on her hairdo. Kansas, who was used to being surrounded by company, is feeling all alone and blue after trading places with Hawaii. Is it possible that their original places are the best places to be after all?

After getting to know each other in 'The Scrambled States of America', the states realize they are so much more than just places on a map. They have depth, they have breadth, they have talent galore! And such amazing talent it is. 'The Scrambled States of America Talent Show' highlights the incredible skills these states have, like Michigan's ventriloquist act or Delaware's awe-inspiring attempt to name all 50 states while jumping on a pogo stick. Honestly, you'll be amazed at the talent we have in the states!

Both of these books are funny, goofy and full of little gags galore. Make sure to read everything on every page because they're loaded with silliness. Great tools for practicing your U.S. geography!

A Visitor For Bear

Written by Bonny Becker

Illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

Most enjoyed by Preschoolers through 2nd Graders

Bear does not want any visitors. He has a sign right on his front door that says 'NO Visitors Allowed'. He's a bit surprised one day as he's making breakfast when a small mouse shows up at the door asking to come in for tea. Bear tells him 'NO Visitors Allowed' is the rule but the Mouse is not so easily swayed. As a matter of fact, he keeps popping up in the most unlikely places, forcing Bear to take drastic measures to keep him out. When Bear reaches the end of his rope and finally lets Mouse stay, he discovers that having visitors isn't quite as terrible as he thought. When Mouse leaves as he promised, Bear does all he can to make him stay, forever changing his rule about visitors.

This is a great read-aloud because of the anticipation built into each step Bear takes in making his breakfast. Young readers never know around which corner the mouse will appear. The gentle, watercolor illustrations perfectly capture the expressions on both characters' faces. While 'A Visitor for Bear' is about friendship, it sure shows the benefits of perseverance!

Hate That Cat

By Sharon Creech
Most enjoyed by 4th through 8th graders

Jack is back. Remember him from 'Love That Dog'? In that book, Jack was learning about poetry from his awesome teacher, Miss Stretchberry. Using classic poems, Miss Stretchberry taught Jack to love poetry and encouraged him to try writing it. Not only did Jack discover he was a pretty good poet, but the poems gave him an outlet for sharing the grief he felt over losing his dog, Sky.

In 'Hate That Cat', another year is here and Jack and Miss Stretchberry are back together. They have moved up a grade, but Miss Stretchberry is still teaching poetry using classic poems. Jack keeps a poetry journal again, but this year he has more to ponder. He's tormented by a cat on his way to school which is why he hates cats. At least he thinks he does until Miss Stretchberry brings her new kitten to class. Jack' s uncle has expressed his opinion of what poetry is and isn't, leaving Jack to ponder the question himself. As Jack listens to the poems Miss Stretchberry reads, he hears their rhythm and beat, feels their cadence and pulse. He plays with rhythm in his own poems, but he still wonders about rhythm for those who can't hear. Slowly, poem by poem, Jack reveals why he's concerned and once again, we learn something about someone very close to Jack that he can only share best through his poetry.

Even though 'Hate That Cat' continues where 'Love That Dog' left off, it can be read and enjoyed on its own. More classic poems are included and used as writing models, making 'Hate That Cat' an excellent book to use with poetry units. Jack's confidence in his writing has grown between the two books and it shows, both in what he writes and in his discussions about poetry with his uncle. The questions Jack asks about the hearing and non-hearing worlds are good for classroom discussions and will stay with readers long after the book is finished. Read what inspired Sharon Creech to continue Jack's story on her website here.

Sadly, there is no reference to Miss Stretchberry's brownies in 'Hate That Cat' . I hope she's still bringing them in once in a while for Jack's class to enjoy as she did in 'Love That Dog'. I wonder how many teacher she's inspired to do the same over the years!

Imagine a Place

By Sarah L. Thomson

Illustrated by Rob Gonsalves

Most enjoyed by readers of all ages

This book is hard to describe and yet it has incredible appeal for anyone looking for something thought provoking. 'Imagine a Place' invites readers to imagine places they have been or someday might be. It asks us to let our imaginations soar, from the night sky to the ocean to mountain tops. To help us, illustrator Rob Gonsalves has created illustrations that meld two images into one. Take a look at the cover image above. Your eye sees houses that appear to be floating in boats, a seemingly ridiculous idea. But as your eye follows the houses to the lower right corner, you discover they are anchored to the ground, surrounded by wooden fences, the same wooden fences that become the boats the houses float in. The image gives us the idea that our thoughts and dreams can soar while the accompanying text asks us to image our ships full of what we know but pointed to a horizon of promise.

You'll find more fantastic images like this one inside the pages of 'Imagine a Place'. It's the type of book you can come back to over and over, seeing or imagining something new each time.

Trouble

By Gary Schmidt
Most enjoyed by 6th through 8th Graders



'Trouble' is one of the best books I read this past summer, hands down. We've added it to the Zion library collection recently so I thought it would be a good time to reprint the review of 'Trouble' I wrote this summer.

This, I can say right now, is the best book I've read this summer. Yes, there's lots of summer left so I suppose some other book might come along to take it's place, but I doubt it. Early buzz on Trouble has it short-listed for an award, like a Newbery or Printz, but whether it wins an award or not, it's still a fantastic book. 7th and 8th grade book club members take note: 'Trouble' is a title we will want to put at the top of our reading list this year.

Henry Smith's father has always said that if you build your house far away from trouble, trouble will never find you. For years, this has been true for the Smith family. They are one of the oldest families in Blythbury-by-the-Sea, their home, wealth and position in town having been secured by generations of Smith's before them. Oldest brother Franklin is a star athlete in the local high school, a senior destined to carry on the Smith family tradition. He has promised Henry that together they will climb Mt Katahdin in Maine. Henry longs to go to prove to Franklin that he has the guts to do it, to earn the respect he seeks from Franklin. Trouble seems to keep it's distance from the family until one night, when Franklin is out running, he is hit by a car, loses an arm and suffers severe brain damage. Trouble has arrived.

The driver of the truck is Chay Chouan, a Cambodian immigrant from the neighboring town of Merton and a fellow student at Franklin's high school. With Chay's arrest, tensions between the two towns come to a head. But for Henry, watching his brother lie motionless in a hospital bed, the trouble he longs for most is to climb Katahdin himself, to accomplish the goal he and his brother set, the goal his brother will no longer be able to meet. As he prepares for the climb, trouble continues to dog his heels, until Henry and his family finally make peace with it.


I don't want to say too much more about the plot because if I do, I'll give quite a bit of the story away. Trust me - read this book. 'Trouble' will give you lots to think about.

The Vowel Family

Written by Sally M. Walker

Illustrated by Kevin Luthardt

Most enjoyed by anyone!

Imagine a world without vowels? Hw wld w rd? Hw wld w talk? (Actually, I'll bet you were able to read those two questions!) That's the problem for Pam and Sam Vowel, a couple who have lots of love but a hard time communicating with each other. It seems something is missing from their conversations, but what? The problem begins to get better with the arrival of twins Alan and Ellen, and even better when another pair of twins, Iris and Otto arrive. At last, it seems like they all can understand one another, especially when baby Ursula joins the family.

As each child wants a pet of their own, the Vowel house feels a little tight. Not to worry because Pam is a master builder. One trip to the lumber store and their problems will be solved. The family arrives at the store ready to shop but where's Otto? The poor boy is lost until Aunt Cyndy arrives to save the day.

'The Vowel Family' is great for young readers who can read pretty well on their own, although it can make for a tricky read-aloud! Enjoy lots of laughs if you try it!

Brooklyn Bridge

By Karen Hesse

Most enjoyed by 5th through 8th graders

In 1903, within the shadow of the Brooklyn Bridge, Joseph Michtom's parents have created the teddy bear. Inspired by a cartoon showing President Teddy Roosevelt sparing the life of a small bear cub, Joseph's parents begin making the stuffed bears, getting closer to their goal of living the American dream. Immigrants from Russia, they work constantly either in their failing candy store or on the stuffed bears. Joseph works for them, too, but longs to break away and make a trip to Coney Island, the new amusement park everyone is talking about. With Mama and Papa working such long hours, time off to spend on fun is out of the question.

Joseph fills his time with baseball, helping Mama and Papa, and visiting the Queen, one of his favorite aunts. When the Queen dies, Joseph finds himself without the one person he can confide in. He also discovers that she's been hiding a secret, living modestly so that she can use her money to bring Russian Jews to America to escape persecution. One of those immigrants becomes the help Joseph needs to realize his dream of a trip to Coney Island.

In the background stands the Brooklyn Bridge. Joseph and his family must cross it when they visit the Queen, but underneath the bridge is a world very different from theirs. It's a world of broken and abandoned children who have formed a loose family of sorts. Joseph's world and theirs come together in a way most unexpected.

'Brooklyn Bridge' is a wonderful slice of life in New York at the turn of the century. It is really two stories in one, with the focus alternating between Joseph and the children under the bridge. It may seem at first that the two stories have no connection, and for most of the book they don't. The lives and stories of the children under the bridge are in stark contrast to the love and relative success enjoyed by Joseph and his family. But the two stories eventually merge into a satisfying conclusion at the end.

Great for historical fiction fans, 'Brooklyn Bridge' is one to add to your must-read list.