RI Children's Book Award

Newfoundland dog, like Hercules

Ever get in trouble just for being YOU?  It happens a lot to Fran.  She can’t seem to control herself.  She spends quite a bit of time against the wall at recess.  Her teacher is worried that her bossy, rude behavior will keep her from making friends. 

Fran really wants two things.  One is the princess part in the school play.  The other is to keep her mischievous Newfoundland puppy named Hercules.  She will need to control her behavior at school to keep the part in the play.  She will need to help Hercules control his behavior in order to keep him.

The adults in this story can be counted on to help Fran reach a happy ending.

Naima, the main character in Rickshaw Girl,  lives very far from us.  The yellow dot on the left of the map shows about where we live.  The white dot towards the right shows where Naima lives in Bangladesh.  Even though she lives far away and her life is a lot different than ours, I felt that I really understood her.  She was trying to help, but instead caused a costly accident.  It is such an awful feeling when we make things harder for those we love.  Unfortunately, it happens to us all at one time or another.  Perseverance and good thinking allow Naima to solve the problem and help her family in the end.

Have you read a book about a far away place?  Did you feel like you understood the feelings of the characters, even though their lives were a lot different than yours?  Hope you’ll share what you are reading.  Next week I’ll be writing about the dog story, Puppy Power by Judy Cox.

When alive Eleanora was kind and gentle.  In death she was a killer.  Her ghost comes back for revenge, threatening even those she had loved.  Through his photography Horace brings Eleanora forth and makes her stronger.  He had not known he was a “seer”, capable of bringing forth spirits and seeing death.  With the help of the servant-girl Peggy, he struggles to help Eleanora finally rest in peace.

This ghost story will surely make your spine tingle.  Have you read other exciting ghost stories?  Many of you love to read this type of book.  The Seer of Shadows, by Avi, is for a strong reader.  New words will be encountered and need to be looked up.  If you love a fright, it is well worth the effort.

We have a great book in store for next week, Rickshaw Girl by Matali Perkins.  By reading this multicultural cultural book we will learn about faraway places.  You are invited to read a book from any distant land that captures your interest.