I always get really excited when I find a new beginner chapter book series- especially a series for boys! Project Droid by Nancy Krulik and Amanda Burwasser is sure to be a hit. Krulik is the author of George Brown, Katie Kazoo, and Magic Bone, so she is pretty much an expert in this genre.
Science No Fair! is the story of Logan Applebaum and his new "cousin" Java who just happens to be a robot. Logan's mom is an inventor, and her latest experiment is to try and design a robot that can pass for a real boy. In this first book of the series, Logan thinks a robot friend will give him an advantage in the school Science Fair, but the minute Java gets to school things start to go hilariously wrong. Java reminds me of Amelia Bedelia. He takes everything literally like "take your seat" and "butterflies in your stomach" with the latter resulting in him shaking Logan upside down to remove the butterflies. The Science Fair doesn't go quite as planned, but it's all very entertaining.
So far there are three Project Droid books, and they have been a huge hit in my library. It's also nice to have books to offer budding engineers!
This novel is a "new to me book" published in 2011. It's one of those that has been on my list to read for a while, but it always got pushed aside for newer books. Luckily, I saw it in the used book store this weekend and grabbed it. I'm SO HAPPY I did because it's wonderful.
Umbrella Summer by Lisa Graff tells the story of 10 year old Annie Richards who is a little different than other kids her age. Annie's older brother died in a freak accident and as a result, she is determined to remain as safe as possible. To say she is overly cautious is an understatement. She wears band-aids over every scratch (in case of infection), ace bandages around her ankles (in case of a sprain), and full padding when she rides her bike (that she won't ride down hill). This is all BEFORE Annie gets her hands on a garage sale book about diseases and begins to wonder if she has a variety of rare illnesses. Of course this is all Annie's way of dealing with her grief. Her parents are struggling themselves so Annie has to find her own way to heal. Luckily for her, a friendly new neighbor teaches her to "put down her umbrella and look at the sun once again."
This story could have easily been a little maudlin, but charming Annie is very endearing. She is funny and her inner dialog throughout the story is quite entertaining. Her list of ailments is ridiculous, but it's all tied to her very real pain. I think this is an excellent book for any child dealing with loss as Annie learns that life does indeed go on after sadness. Everyone can certainly use a lesson on embracing the sunshine in his or her life.
I have a love hate relationship with Lisa Graff. I find some of her books to be incredible (like this one) and some not so much (Tangle of Knots). I will continue to read her books with the hope it will be one I like. :)
I don't often write about picture books, but I recently read A Bear and the Piano to my 1st grade class and they actually started clapping as soon it was over- CLAPPING!
This book, by David Litchfield, is about a bear who finds a piano in the woods and teaches himself to play. His dream is to become a famous musician, so he practices all day, every day. He eventually gets discovered by some human children who convince him to move to the big city to pursue his dream. The bear becomes the most famous musician of all time, but after years of success, longs to see his woodland friends again. When bear arrives home to the forest, his first piano seems to be missing. What actually happened to it is the part that had us all clapping with happiness!
This is VERY sweet story about following dreams and preserving special friendships.
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