Sarn, Amelie. I LOVE I HATE I MISS MY SISTER

Sarn, Amelie.
I LOVE I HATE I MISS MY SISTER
New York : Delacorte Press, 2014
IL YA 
ISBN 0385743769
Two sisters are very different but very close.  Sohane is in her last year of high school and is very serious about her studies.  Her sister Djelila is a year younger and loves playing basketball, wearing tight jeans and makeup.  And her boyfriend.  The girls live in France in a housing project with many other Muslim refugees.  France has outlawed the wearing of head scarves by Muslim girls in school.  But Sohane decides that she wants to wear one and is expelled from school when she refuses to take it off.  On the other side of the issue, Djelila is being harassed by the boys in the housing complex for being too modern.  The two side of the issue lead to a tragic outcome.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/XEBdcQr8gR4Ip

Krasner, Barbara. THE MYSTERY OF AREA 51

Krasner, Barbara. THE MYSTERY OF AREA 51
Minneapolis, Minnesota : Abdo Publishing Company, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 6.6
ISBN  1680780220
Have you ever heard of Area 51?  It is a place in the state of Nevada that has had a very mysterious past.  It is a top secret site that has been known as an area where advanced airplanes have been developed for the military.  It is also believed to be the site of a UFO landing many years ago.  People believe that the UFO was captured along with its crew and have been held in secret.  What is the truth to all this?  See what you think.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/dUSMoJ2qphLWz

Dowell, Frances O'Roark. TROUBLE THE WATER

Dowell, Frances O'Roark.  TROUBLE THE WATER
New York : Atheneum, 2015
IL 5-8, RL 5.7
ISBN 1481424637
Life in a small town in 1953 is pretty predictable.  Everyone knows each other.  Blacks and whites pretty much leave each other alone.  When 11 year old Callie who is black spots a runaway dog, she decides to try to find the owner.  When she follows the dog, she meets Wendell, a white boy on a quest of his own. The two team up to try to solve an old mystery and overcome the anger of other children because of their friendship.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/2WVUvKJh0CTDe

Cirrone, Dorian. THE FIRST LAST DAY

Cirrone, Dorian.

THE FIRST LAST DAY
New York : Aladdin, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 1481458132

Haleigh Adams is on vacation and loving it.  Her family has rented a cottage on *the Jersey Shore and they will be moving to a new home in the fall.  She has made a new friend, Kevin, and hopes to keep in touch.  Kevin's grandmother owns a cottage and Kevin spends the summer with her.  On the day before they are all about to leave, a tragedy strikes.  Haleigh wishes this never happened.  When she wakes up the next day, she finds that none of it did happen.  She is reliving this day over.  She hopes to find a way to avoid the tragedy but is that even possible.  She finds that she is reliving the day over and over and over again.  What is going on here?

podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/7NKzG7P8H1m9n

Carbone, Courtney. DARCY SWIPES LEFT

Carbone, Courtney.  DARCY SWIPES LEFT
New York : Random House, 2016
IL YA
ISBN 1101940522
One of my favorite classics is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  It is a romantic love story between Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.  Have you read it? Well, not like this you haven't.  Imagine the story told entirely in text messages and emojis.  How will that change the story?  Or will it?  And don't worry if you are not all that fluent with text.  There is a glossary at the back! 

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/bzsxJrZMsWxXC

Callaghan, Cindy. LOST IN IRELAND

Callaghan, Cindy. LOST IN IRELAND
New York : Aladdin, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 4.3
ISBN 1481462075

Are you superstitious?  What do you do if you get a chain letter?  Do you forward it to friends so you don't have bad luck?  Or do you ignore it?  Well, Meghan McGlinchey is a very superstitious girl.   When she gets a chain letter from someone in Ireland, she sends it on but not in the way it is meant to be.  Now she is worried.  And then she has a series of bad moments that she is sure are because of the chain letter.  As it turns out, her family is going to Ireland on vacation so she is determined to find the sender of the chain letter and try to break he unlucky streak.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/8DGNVC4b4wZGl

Giff, Patricia Reilly. JUBILEE

Giff, Patricia Reilly. JUBILEE
New York : Wendy Lamb, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 3-6
ISBN 0385744862
Judith lives on a island with her Aunt Cora.  Her mother left her years ago and she has lived with Aunt Cora since.  Judith has not seen her mother since then and she has not spoken a single word since then.  The doctors say she has selective mutism.  This means that she is physically able to speak but not emotionally able to       speak.  The kids make fun of her and she has no friends.  But maybe 5th grade will be better.  Maybe this is the year she'll make a friend. And discover more about herself.

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/qKWgEXGttsSxE

Garner, Em. CONTAMINATED

Garner, Em.  CONTAMINATED
New York : Egmont USA, 2013
IL YA
ISBN 1606843540


Imagine a diet soda that helps you lose weight!  Of course it becomes popular.  Who doesn't want to enjoy a soda and also lose a few pounds?  The drink becomes so popular that the company can't keep up with the demand.  They cut a few corners to make the main ingredient. Unfortunately they discover too late that there are some side effects to the contaminated drink.  Well, side effects is a bit mild.  It turns perfectly normal people into raging, violent animals.  During the first wave, many of these affected people are killed.  But then the "connies" as they are called are able to be controlled by drugs and shock collars.  The public is encouraged to claim their relatives and take them home.  Velvet has been caring for her younger sister since her parents became "connies".  Her dad was killed but now she learns that her mother is still alive and available for placement.  People are still terribly afraid of the connies and don't want them around.  Can Velvet find the courage to take care of her mother? Will she and her sister be safe if she does?  

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/26hLVWKY3mfJG

Ehrlich, Amy. WILLA : THE STORY OF WILLA CATHER, AN AMERICAN WRITER

Ehrlich, Amy.  WILLA : THE STORY OF WILLA CATHER, AN AMERICAN WRITER
New York : Simon & Schuster, 2016
IL 3-6, IL 5.6
ISBN 0689865732
American novelist Willa Cather was born in 1873 in Virginia.  Her family moved to Nebraska when she was young and she loved the wide prairie but soon decided she needed more in her life.  She went to college and wanted to be a doctor but opportunities took her on a different path.  She found work on a newspaper and then became an editor with a publisher in New York.  She loved living in New York but knew she wanted still more.  She found her calling as a writer and found that the prairie life of her childhood was what she loved writing about. 

Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/RnuKKuNG3PW7E 

Alexander, Lloyd. THE BOOK OF THREE

Alexander, Lloyd.  THE BOOK OF THREE
New York : Henry Holt,  2014
IL 5-8, RL 5.3
ISBN 1627791221

Taran is the Assistant Pig-Keeper but he dreams of becoming a hero.  When Hen Wen the pig runs away, he may just get his chance.  This is the first book in the classic series Chronicles of Prydain. Taran is sent to find Hen Wen and return her to Caer Dallben.  Hen Wen is an oracle and she needs to be consulted to find out what is happening with the animals.  As he is searching for Hen Wen, Taran meets none other than High Prince Gwydion, who is on his way to consult with Hen Wen for the same reason.   Together they set out with Gwydion’s horse Melyngar to find the pig.  

Morpurgo, Michael. LISTEN TO THE MOON

Morpurgo, Michael.  LISTEN TO THE MOON
New York : Feiwel & Friends, 2015
IL 5-8, RL 6.3
ISBN 1250042046
When Alfie finds a young castaway on an uninhabited island off the coast of England, he and the town are all really curious as to who she is and how she got there.  She won't speak and she doesn't interact with anyone.  At first the rumors were that she was a mermaid.  Then people began to think she was deaf and just couldn't hear when people spoke to her.  Alfie's family takes her in and names her Lucy.  Alfie tries to keep secret the fact that she was wrapped in a blanket with German writing.  He is afraid that the islanders will think she is a spy.  England is at war with Germany and everyone is afraid of Germans.  What will they do when they discover the truth?

podcast: 
http://www.nancykeane.com/booktalks/mp3/morpurgo_listen.mp3

Gephart, Donna. LILY AND DUNKIN

Gephart, Donna.
LILY AND DUNKIN
New York : Delacorte Press, 2016IL 5-8, RL 4.6
ISBN 0553536745

Lily loves the feel of her mother's dress.  But her father wants her to dress as Tim and act like a boy.  How can she ever convince him that she is really a girl?  Her mother and sister have accepted it but not her father.  So when he sees Lily dressed up, he is furious.  And the new boy on the block sees her as well.  When school starts, the new boy, Norbert Dorfman, is confused to meet Tim.  He was sure he had seen a girl who looked just like him.  Lily befriends Norbert and nicknames him Dunkin because he is always drinking Dunkin' Donuts coffee.  The two become friend but Dunkin is recruited to join the basketball team because of his height.  These are the boys who are making Lily's life miserable.  When Lily confides in Dunkin about her desire to live openly a a girl, will that change everything?  And what is Dunkin hiding from everyone?

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/BJyL498B

McAllister, Cameron.
THE TIN SNAIL
New York : Delacorte, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 6.4
ISBN 0553536389

Angelo's  father is an automobile designer in Italy during 1940s and has a new car design showing at the Paris auto show.  But Angelo accidentally crashes it.  Now Angelo is determined to help hi father get back his reputation and design a car for the people.  Together, they come up with a brand new concept.  The "people's car" will be economical enough that just about everyone will be able to afford it and dependable enough that they will want to.  But World War II breaks out and they must find a way to hide the car from the Germans so they cannot use the new technology.  Join Angelo and his father as they take an old lawn mower and turn it into a revolutionary car design.


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/ByzpDLpN

DiCamillo, Kate. RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE

DiCamillo, Kate.
RAYMIE NIGHTINGALE
Somerville, MA : Candlewick Press, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 4.2
ISBN 0763681172

Raymie Clarke is standing outside Ida Nee's waiting for her baton twirling lesson to begin.  But what she doesn't know is that this will be the start of a new chapter in her life.  She wants to learn to twirl the baton so she can enter the Little Miss Central Florida Tire 1975 competition since she believes that this will bring her father back.  He ran away with a dental hygienist and now Raymie is miserable.  Two other girls are there for the baton lesson as well.  Beverly, a tough kid whose father is a cop, and Louisiana who passes out at the first lesson.  What could these three possibly have in common?  And will they ever learn to twirl the baton?

podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/H1N3SMu4

Weatherford, Carole Boston.
YOU CAN FLY : THE TUSKEGEE AIRMEN
New York : Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2016
IL 5-8, RL 5.0
ISBN 1481449389
The story of the Tuskegee Airmen told in verse.  These brave men were the first black military pilots in the United States.  During a time when blacks weresegregated, these men stepped forward and fulfilled their dream of flying and were eventually sent to fight for their country and for an opportunity to help break the color barrier.


Podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/S1adkaIN

Waudby, Jeannie. ONE OF US

• Waudby, Jeannie.
• ONE OF US
• New York : Running Press Teens, 2015
• IL YA
• ISBN 9780762457991

K lives in a group home and will soon be on her own as she ages out of the system.  Her parents were killed in a bombing years ago.  Then the unthinkable happens.  On her way to school, another bomb explodes and she is caught in this one.  She recovers but her life is about to take a dramatic turn.  She falls for a young man who convinces her to infiltrate the Brotherhood, the plaid-wearing group that has been responsible for the bombings in the past.  K is given a new identity and moves into the school with the Brotherhood.  But what she finds is not what she expected.  As she gets to know the teens in the Brotherhood, she becomes torn between the two groups.  Who is on the right side?  The Brotherhood or the Citizens?

podcast:  https://spark.adobe.com/video/r1wTi0E4

Six Kids and a Stuffed Cat by Gary Paulsen

Paulsen, Gary.
SIX KIDS AND A STUFFED CAT
New York : Simon & Schuster Books, 2016
IL 3-6, RL 6.0
ISBN 1481452231

Six 8th grade boys are stuck in the boys' room during a weather lock down.  Five of the boys have known each other for years but have not really taken the time to find out what makes each other tick. There is the class clown who spends many afternoons in detention; the hostile one; the brainy one, the big man on campus; the spaced out rocker dude and there is also the new kid who has just slept through his first day at the school.  As the time passes during the lock down, the boys talk and find out much about each other.

Podcast: https://spark.adobe.com/video/Hk9fyCGN

Today's book 06/05/2016

Choosing News by Barb Palser

Palser, Barb. 

CHOOSING NEWS : WHAT GETS REPORTED AND WHY 

New York : Compass Point Books, 2012 

IL 5-8, RL 8.0 

ISBN 075654517X 

It seems that the news is all around us. On the television, radio, Internet and on lots of social media sites. How does the news get chosen? Lots of things happen that we don't hear about. Why do some things get the headlines and other things are never talked about? Find out about how reporters decide on what makes the news.

tags: podcasts blueduke

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Today's book 06/04/2016

Your Presidential Fantasy Dream Team by Daniel O'Brien

O'Brien, Daniel.

YOUR PRESIDENTIAL FANTASY DREAM TEAM

New York : Crown Books, 2016

IL 5-8

ISBN 0553537482

Have you ever put together a sports fantasy dream team? Maybe you know just who to choose for quarterback or point guard or pitcher. But what if we were to ask you to put together a presidential fantasy dream team?? Who would you choose? George Washington? Abraham Lincoln? Who else? And what strengths do they bring to your team. Check out this book and see if you would agree with some of the dream team picks.

tags: podcasts blueduke

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Today's book 06/03/2016

The Flinkwater Factor by Pete Hautman

Hautman, Pete.

THE FLINKWATER FACTOR 

New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015 

IL 5-8, RL 6.8 

ISBN 1481432516 

Imagine sitting at your computer and then -- nothing. This is sort of what is going on in Flinkwater, Iowa, home of the largest manufacturer of Articulated Computerized Peripheral Devices. If you own a robot, chances are it came from Flinkwater. And now something is going terribly wrong with these devices. People who use them are turning into mental vegetables. Ginger Crump coins the expression that they are bonked. When her own father is bonked, Ginger sets out to find out what is going on. And as if people being bonked is not bad enough, throw in a talking dog and even a zombie.

tags: podcasts blueduke

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Today's book 06/02/2016

The Fog Diver by Joel Ross

Ross, Joel. 

THE FOG DIVER 

New York : Harper, 2015 

Imagine a time on Earth where deadly mists cover the land, and all but the highest mountaintops are uninhabitable. In this world, the rich and powerful live in beautiful houses on the high ground, while the poor struggle to survive on the lower slopes. Poorest of all are the ones who must make their living by entering the mists to recover leftover scraps from the world that existed there before, to sell to the scrap merchants above. It is children who seem to be able to resist the poison of the mist longer than the adults, so into the mists they go to support their families…. Thirteen-year-old Chess and his crew of fellow children sail in a rickety air ship just above the mist, with Chess “diving” into the fog to retrieve items for sale. Thanks to the expertise of the crew and the fact that Chess seems to resist the poison of the mist more easily than anyone else, they run a fairly successful business. But things are changing---Mrs. E, the woman who has been the closest thing to a mother the crew has ever known, is becoming ill, and they must leave their usual hunting grounds to find a cure for her. Maybe even worse, the powerful Lord Kodoc has taken notice of Chess’s abilities---and seems determined to make him a captive. Will Chess and the crew manage to evade the powerful warships of Lord Kodoc in time to find a cure for Mrs. E? If you like non-stop action and wonderful characters who inhabit a fully imagined world, you will love The Fog Diver. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 06/01/2016

Pax by Sara Pennypacker

Pennypacker, Sara. 

PAX 

New York : Balzer + Bray, 2016 

IL 3-6, RL 5.7 

ISBN 0062377019 

Pax is the word for peace in Latin. Through the ancient and modern world, the word pax has many associations. In this book, Pax is the name given to an orphaned fox kit adopted by a boy named Peter. In the beginning of the story, Peter is made to return the tame fox to the wild because his father has enlisted in the military. Peter is sent to live with his grandfather 300 miles away. As soon as he arrives, Peter knows his place is with Pax. So instead of starting at his new school at his grandfather’s house, Peter packs his backpack for the long journey back to find Pax. Meanwhile, Pax is learning the ways of the wild the forest. Can Peter find his way back to Pax in a land where war is breaking out? With the help of a new friend, Peter may just discover the way that leads to Pax. (Booktalk by New Hampshire Great Stone Face Committee)

tags: podcasts elementary blueduke gsf

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Today's book 05/31/2016

Soar by Joan Bauer

Bauer, Joan. 

SOAR 

New York : Viking, 2016 

IL 5-8, RL 4.0 

ISBN 0451470346 

 Jeremiah is a huge baseball fan. Nobody knows his exact birth date or who his mother is. He was nine months old when he was found sitting in his baby chair chewing on a stuffed eagle in the snack room of Computer Partners Ltd. A note was left that said: “pleez tek car of him Bcaz he my best boy I know yur good!” Jeremiah was found by Walt Lopper a computer engineer with a heart as big as his brain. Walt eventually adopted Jeremiah. When Jeremiah was eight years old he was diagnosed with a serious heart condition that would lead to a heart transplant. Jeremiah had to give up playing baseball but not the game he loves. A new consulting job takes Jeremiah and Walter to Hillcrest, Ohio home of the champion Hornets High School baseball team. Soon after Jeremiah arrives in Hillcrest, tragedy and scandal threaten the future of baseball in the town. Join Jeremiah and his new friends on this page turning adventure to bring baseball back to Hillcrest and make the newly formed Hillcrest Junior High Eagles baseball team soar! (Booktalk by the NH Great Stone Face Committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/30/2016

Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands

Sands, Kevin. 

BLACKTHORN KEY 

New York : Aladdin, 2015 

IL 5-8, RL 5.0 

ISBN 1481446517 

 “I found it. “Master Benedict said he wasn’t the least bit surprised. According to him, there were several times over the past three years when he was sure I’d finally discovered it. Yet it wasn’t until the day before my 14th birthday that it came to me so clearly, I thought God himself had whispered it in my ear. “My master believes occasions like this should be remembered. So, as he ordered, I’ve written down my formula. My master suggested the title. The Stupidest Idea in the Universe By Christopher Rowe, Apprentice to Master Benedict Blackthorn, Apothecary Method of manufacture: Snoop through your master’s private notes. Find a recipe, its words locked behind a secret code, and decipher it. Next, steal the needed ingredients from your master’s stores. Finally— and this is the most important step— go to your best friend, a boy of stout character and poor judgment equal to your own, and speak these words: Let’s build a canon.” Christopher Rowe rather enjoys his life as an Apothecary’s apprentice, uncovering the mysteries of different items and chemicals, and finding plenty of mischief along the way. But when a series of murders across the city strikes too close to home, Christopher is drawn into a world of cults and puzzles, and must use all his training to solve his master’s secrets… and possibly save the world. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face Committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke gsf elementary

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Today's book 05/29/2016

Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson

Jamieson. Victoria.

ROLLER GIRL 

Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015 

 Ladies and Gentlemen! Your roller derby skaters tonight are: Thrilla Godzilla, Illegally Blonde, Rainbow Bite, Napoleon Blownapart, Braidy Punch, Slay Miserables, and… Astrid. Astrid is looking forward to another summer spent with her best friend, Nicole. They’ve done everything together since 1st grade. But when Astrid signs up for Roller Derby Camp, expecting Nicole to join her, she’s in for a shock. Nicole is already signed up for dance camp, along with their grade’s mean girl, and seems more interested in boys than skates. Now, Astrid faces a long summer of drills, training, bruises & falls, all without her best friend. But as the weeks go by, Astrid learns how not to fall over (usually), how to make a proper war face, and even makes a new friend. But former-best-friend drama and a summer of secrets from her mom catch up, and now Astrid must decide what she wants, and WHO she wants to be. (Booktalk by Great Stone Face Award Committee, 2017)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/28/2016

Pugs of the Frozen North by Philip Reeve

Reeve, Philip. 

PUGS OF THE FROZEN NORTH

New York : Random House, 2015

IL 3-6, RL 5.4

ISBN 0385387962

Abandoned after his ship is crushed by a flash-frozen sea, Shen finds himself alone on the ice with only 66 sweater-clad pugs. Determined to get himself AND all the dogs to safety, Shen finds shelter in a small seaside village, where a girl named Sika explains everything. True Winter, she tells him, comes only once in a lifetime, and signals the start of The Great Northern Race, where competitors try to reach the Snowfather, who will grant the winner one wish. Sika has her grandfather's sled but no dogs, so the two join forces, harness all 66 pugs, and set off. They face a monstrous Kraken, a Yeti noodle bar that is not what it seems, and a range of competitors with different strategies for winning the race… including cheating. Can our two heroes survive? What wish do they want granted? And can pugs really win an epic race across the frozen north? Find out, in Pugs of the Frozen North! (Booktalk by New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/27/2016

When Mischief Came To Town by Katrina Nannestad

Nannestad, Katrina. 

WHEN MISCHIEF CAME TO TOWN 

New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015 

IL 3-6, RL 6.4 

ISBN 0544534328 

Wedged between a goat who nibbles at her braid and a cage full of pecking geese, ten-year-old Inge Maria Jensen is traveling by boat from Copenhagen to the Danish island of Bornholm. It’s 1911. Her mother has died, and she is headed to live with a grandmother she has never met. When Inge arrives, the island is not at all like the bustling city she grew up in, and her stern grandmother seems nothing like her lively, loving mother. Life is quiet, filled with chores and boring visits with grumpy old neighbors. Even worse is her new school, where there’s no fun to be had, not even in music or at recess. She seeks solace in her beloved book of Hans Christian Andersen’s fairy tales. But even in her grief, Inge Maria is curious about her new surroundings and isn’t able to contain her inner joy and zest for life, which sometimes causes her trouble. How was she to know she shouldn’t feed her grandmother’s pig prunes? And how could she stop herself from leaving her seat and hopping like a bunny when she was carried away by the song in music class? Perhaps Inge is just what the island of Bornholm needs. Filled with humor, love, and acceptance, this gem of a book begs to be read aloud, and the spunky character of Inge is one all readers will long remember. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke gsf elementary

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Today's book 05/26/2016

Escape From Baxter's Barn by Rebecca Bond

Bond, Rebecca. 

ESCAPE FROM BAXTER'S BARN

New York : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015

IL 3-6, RL 6.1

ISBN 0544332172

If you were a cow, you'd be better off living with Old MacDonald, or in the dell with the farmer and his wife–anywhere else but in the Baxter brothers' barn! The animals who do live in Baxters' barn are snug and happy until they learn from Burdock the one-eyed cat that Dewey, one of the brothers, is planning something terrible, something that puts them all in danger. Together they must come up with a way to escape the barn.Can Burdock, Figgy Piggy, Nanny the goat and her kid, Fluff the sheep, Mrs. Brown the cow, and the two draft horses Pull and Tug work together? Can they get out of the locked barn in time? The tension mounts as Dewey sets his plan in motion and each animal is forced to find its inner strength. Their fear is palpable, but so is the coziness of the barn with the rain on the roof and smell of hay and old wood. When they must leave, will they be ready? (Booktalk by New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/25/2016

Lost in the Sun by Lisa Graff

Graff, Lisa. 

LOST IN THE SUN 

New York : Philomel Books, 2015 

 When Trent was in fifth grade a terrible accident occurred. Sixth grade in a new school will be a new start for him. Despite a new year, anger issues and guilty feelings are making Trent act horribly. He pushes everyone in his life away, he doesn’t want anyone to like him. How can he have a nice life when that other boy died? (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face Committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke gsf

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Today's book 5/24/2016

Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

Castle Hangnail by Ursula Vernon

Castle Hangnail has a vacancy. It is in need of a wicked witch. Molly applies for the position. She is twelve years old and very polite. Polite!! Wicked witches need to be evil, rude and demanding. Molly does not look like witch material, but Castle Hangnail needs a new master right now. A castle with no master will be decommissioned and the castle minions will have no home. Maybe, with the minions help, Molly will fit the bill.

Today's book 05/23/2016

Nightbird by Alice Hoffman

Hoffman, Alice. 

 NIGHTBIRD 

New York : Wendy Lamb Books, 2015 

They say there’s a monster in Sidwell, Massachusetts. They say it has enormous black wings, and that it flies only at night. Twig, who lives alone with her mother in the house her family has occupied for generations, knows that the stories are true. She knows that it’s up to her to make sure no one gets close enough to their family to guess at the secrets they conceal. But Twig is getting older, and it’s getting harder to hold herself apart from the world around her. Life is meant to be lived, isn’t it? So, when a new family moves into the old property next door, Twig secretly defies her mother to make a friend---and sets into motion a series of events that will change their futures forever…Nightbird is a story of love, of anger, of curses, and of blessings---will Twig’s actions ruin her family’s precarious existence, or will they bring about healing and forgiveness? Read Nightbird to find out.

tags: podcasts blueduke gsf

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Today's book 05/20/2016

Pack of Dorks by Beth Vrabel

Vrabel, Beth. 

PACK OF DORKS 

New York : Sky Pony, 2014 

Lucy and her best friend Becky have a plan. They are going to kiss their boyfriends behind the shed at recess. But at the last second, Lucy wants to change her mind. She doesn’t quite, but she doesn’t put her heart into that kiss either, and her boyfriend Tom can tell, but he gives her the dime store ring anyway. That night her mom gives birth to her new baby sister, but something isn’t quite ok with the baby, though nobody’s really telling Lucy what. She forgets that ring at the hospital, and when she comes back to school a few days later, just like that, Lucy is an outcast. Becky plays mean girl, Tom isn’t her boyfriend anymore, and Lucy has to find a new crowd to sit with at lunch, the dorks. With her super cool granny helping her navigate the messiness of 4th grade cliques and friendships and a great cast of characters, you’ll be glad you got to know this pack of dorks. (Booktalk by Great Stone Face Award Committee, 2017)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/19/2016

A Night Divided by Jennifer Nielsen

Nielsen, Jennifer.

A NIGHT DIVIDED 

New York : Scholastic, 2015 

IL 3-6, RL 4.7 

ISBN 0545682428 

The year- 1961 The month – August The place- Germany Almost overnight, The Berlin Wall was erected and families were divided. Fast forward four years and meet 12 year old Gerta Lowe. Gerta’s family has been separated during this spance of time. Her father and older brother were stuck in West Berlin, while she remained in East Berlin with her mother and younger brother. One morning at the market Gerta sees her father on the other side of the wall performing a strange dance. Through dance, Gerta’s father sends a message. Though it takes time for Gerta to decode the meaning, she finally realizes he is telling her to escape. Gerta processes what this means and realizes the danger it posses for the family. Many have died trying to escape. Her desire to reunite her family is strong and her determination is unyielding. Follow Gerta as she plans her dangerous journey. How can a 12 year old escape soldiers, machine guns and tanks? How can she expect her mother and brother to join on this life threatening mission? Can Gerta succeed where many have failed? Read this heart stopping account of a child’s determination to bring her family together.

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/18/2016

Seven Dead Pirates by Linda Bailey

Bailey, Linda. 

SEVEN DEAD PIRATES 

New York : Tundra Books, 2015 

IL 3-6, RL 4.7 

ISBN 177049815X 

Lewis Dearborn’s life transforms after the death of his great grandfather. His parents inherit the great grandfather’s historic mansion, with one catch:....they must live in the mansion for a year before the estate may be sold. Lewis claims the tower room with an ocean view and life takes a ghostly turn. He soon finds there’s more to be discovered than windows that won’t latch, fishy odors, and strange noises that are hard to ignore. Indeed, he seems to have inherited seven pirate ghosts who perished two centuries ago, and a mission to help these feisty ghosts to cross over from the land of the living…. Lewis also discovers that the pirates become visible when they are scared or upset. How can he keep their presence secret as he walks the crew across town to where their ship sits in a museum, waiting to ferry them to the underworld? Who else will discover his secret?

tags: podcasts elementary blueduke gsf

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Today's book 05/17/2016

The Doublecross by Jackson Pearce

Pearce, Jackson. 

THE DOUBLECROSS 

New York : Bloomsbury, 2015 

IL 5-8, RL 4.9 

ISBN 1619634147 

Imagine coming from a family with a history of spying. Not just any spies, but members of the elite Sub Rosa Society, a government funded organization! Meet 12 year old Hale, who comes from such a family. Hale has tough shoes to fill, since his parents are known as “The Team” in this elite organization. However, even “The Team” can run into trouble. When his parents disappear during a top secret mission, Hale’s opportunity to do real spy work comes sooner than he could have imagined. Teaming up with his sister and unlikely league agents, Hale works as a junior double agent to try to unravel the mystery of his parent’s disappearance, sort out the good from the bad and pass his junior level spy test. Sharpen your best detective skills, and hang on through this wild, who done it mystery adventure. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.

Today's book 05/16/2016

Teddy Mars Almost a World Record by Molly B. Burnham

Burnham, Molly B.

TEDDY MARS : ALMOST A WORLD RECORD BREAKER

New York : Katherine Tegen Books, 2015

IL 3-6, RL 3.5

ISBN 006227810X

From the time 10-year-old Teddy Mars discovered an old copy of the Guinness Book of World Records behind the couch, he was obsessed. Teddy’s five older siblings all had some badge of distinction or other, but there seemed to be nothing about Teddy to set him apart; this was going to be his claim to fame! His many attempts at record-breaking all led to failure, such as when he tried to rake the world’s largest leaf pile and got sabotaged by the wind. But his greatest nemesis of all was his little brother Jake, whose idea of idolizing him was getting into all his things and destroying them. This ultimately led to his moving out of their room into a tent in the backyard. Teddy’s next door neighbor, known to Teddy and his friends as Grumpy Pigeon Man, kept homing pigeons in a large outdoor loft…fascinating, but a little creepy. But once the old man enlisted Teddy’s help to care for the birds, it opened up a whole new world of understanding for Teddy and his friends. Very amusing, with an endearing protagonist. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts elelmentary blueduke gsf

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Today's book 05/15/2016

Some Kind of Courage by Dan Gemeinhart

Gemeinhart, Dan.\

SOME KIND OF COURAGE

New York : Scholastic, 2016

IL 3-6, RL 4.4

ISBN 0545665779

“I aint never shot a man, sir, and I hope I never do. But I’m gonna get my horse back.” It’s 1890, and young Joseph Johnson has suffered some terrible losses. First, his mother and little sister succumb to typhoid fever; then his kindly pa dies in a wagon accident. All he has left in the world is his beloved painted pony, Sarah, given to him when he was 4 years old. Joseph has been left in the dubious care of Mr. Grissom, a grizzled old drunk, who sells Joseph’s Sarah to an unscrupulous horse trader. There begins an amazing odyssey, as Joseph sets out to recover his horse, always just a day’s journey away from reaching his goal. Along the way he joins up with a Chinese boy named Ah-Kee…neither can speak the other’s language, but they endure many hardships and experience many adventures together on their quest, including scaring off a mama grizzly and delivering a baby. A wonderfully imagined picture of the Old West and one boy’s indomitable spirit… superb writing, filled with humor as well as heart…and a satisfying ending. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/14/2016

Awkward by Svetlana Chmakova

Chmakova, Svetlana.

AWKWARD

New York : Yen Press, 2016 

Peppi Torres knows that her first day as a “new kid” in middle school is going to be difficult, but when she starts out by tripping into a not-so-popular boy, and then getting teased about being “nerder girlfriend”, it becomes downright AWKWARD. Peppi tries to manage the crisis by: * pushing away any of the boy’s attempts at friendship to make sure no one thinks she “likes” him, and * joining the art club, to get to know kids who like the same things she does. But, she’s feeling guilty about being mean to someone who was just trying to be nice to her, and her beloved art club is being threatened with closure due to a “prank” they pulled on their rivals, the science club. Will Peppi’s first year at Berrybrook Middle School end as awkwardly as it began, or will she figure out a way to smooth things out? Once you start reading Awkward, you won’t want to put it down until you find out! (Booktalk by New Hampshire GSF Committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke elementary gsf

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Today's book 05/13/2016

Nooks and Crannies by Jessica Lawson

Lawson, Jessica. 

NOOKS AND CRANNIES

New York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2015

IL 3-6, RL 6.2

ISBN 1481419218

Poor poor Tabitha Crum. Not a friend in the world except a pet mouse, and her parents are just absolutely horrible to her. But she does find some refuge in reading mysteries, which is a good thing, because just when her parents suddenly announce they have to leave (and are leaving Tabitha to be a scullery maid at the school), she and five other kids receive a mysterious invitation to a very wealthy Countess’s house. Her parents leap on this opportunity and drag Tabitha along. Turns out the Countess, a very mysterious figure, is looking for someone. Let the mysteries begin! Is the Countess who she says she is? Where are all of the other kids disappearing to? What was that noise? Tabitha is on the case, and we’re rooting for her to solve this terrific mystery. (Booktalk by the New Hampshire Great Stone Face Committee)

tags: podcasts blueduke gsf elementary

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.