Katy and the Big Snow

When my dad was little his favorite book was Katy and the Big Snow, by Virginia Lee Burton. He read it to me when I was little and now I can read it by myself. It is about Katy the big red tractor. She does lots of work for the city of Geoppolis. One winter there is a big snow and all the other tractors can't plow the snow. Katy had to go around the whole city and dig out everyone who was stuck. The Police station so they could protect the city. The post office so they could deliver the mail. The railroad station so people could get on and off the trains. The utility companies so there would lights, gas, and water. The fire department because there was a house on fire and Katy saves the day. The airport so the airplanes could land, and all the streets in the city so people could get around. I like Katy because it's a fun story and it shows that it's good to help people.

                       -Larissa-

This is one of our favorite books when we were little too. In fact we read it to our grandchildren.  Thanks so much for sharing this special book with us.  Thinking of all the snow in Geoppolis made us feel cooler on this hot summer day.  Watch for a reading reward coming your way.  Keep reading and we’ll see you in just a few short weeks!  

Janitors, Book 2: Secrets of New Forest Academy

In this exciting sequel by Tyler Whitesides, Janitors with wizard-like powers continue their battle. Now, more than ever, Spencer, Daisy, and even Dez must fight to save schools everywhere. The Bureau of Educational Maintenance (BEM) is after Spencer, and the Rebels hope to sneak him to safety within the walls of an elite private school. But danger follows Spencer and his friends, testing their loyalty and trust as well as their Toxite-fighting skills. Can they hold out long enough to discover the true secret of New Forest Academy and what it means to the future of education?

This book is scheduled for publication on September 4th.  We can hardly wait!  We'll have one in the library by September 5th.

The Sisters Grimm

This is Annalyn again, some other books that I have re-read this summer are The Sisters Grimm series, by Michael Buckley.  There are 9 books each leading you to a suspenseful end. In the first book 2 girls go to live with their grandmother who they once believed was dead because their parents disappeared. They find themselves in a town called Fairy Port Landing. There they meet lots of people who have the same names as characters in the Brothers Grimm Fairytales. To their surprise, they are descendents of the Brothers Grimm and the brothers base their stories off of real living people. The girls' grandmother is a detective for the town, so they help solve mysteries in each of the books and get to know lots of new cool characters. Some of their adventures are: 1) fighting trolls with Jack and the Beanstalk, and controlling people to help a bad man with the Pied Piper and his son, 2) finding out who captured their parents with Red Riding Hood, 3) going back to New York to help find a fairy with witches, 4) finding tears in time and trying to close them with their older self, 5) finding out what really happened in the story with the Big Bad Wolf, 6) getting their parents back with Prince Charming, 7) finding out who is the bad man and going into a book of the Grimm tales, trying to retrieve a sibling and their grandmother being possessed, 8) entering a war with magic mirrors to help with all the characters. I am almost done with the 9th and am really enjoying it. I can’t wait to find out how it ends.

                  -Annalyn-

Thank you for sharing the books that you've read in The Sisters Grimm Series. It is great to know that you have been reading over the summer and that you are willing to recommend books to others. We are sending you another reading reward. Keep reading!

Save the Galaxy

Hi - my name is Isaac, and I am 7 years old and will be in second grade this year. One of the books I've read this summer was a Lego Star Wars book, Save the Galaxy, by Ace Lander. It starts out with Princess Leia and the Rebels fighting the Storm Troopers. She gives R2D2 the secret plans to destroy the Death Star, and then sends him off in an escape pod. But then, the Jawas capture R2D2 and C3P0 on the planet of Tatooine. Then the Jawas sell them to Luke Skywalker. That night, Luke discovered the secret plans that R2D2 had. With the help of Obi-Wan and Hans Solo, they took off to find the Death Star and rescue Princess Leia. Lego Star Wars books are some of my very favorite ones to read!

                    -Isaac-

We love the Lego Star Wars books too! They are exciting books to read. Thanks for sharing and recommending these books to others. Watch for a reading reward in the mail and keep reading!

The Candy Shop War

I have read the Candy Shop War, by Brandon Mull and would like to tell you about it.  It is a chapter book and it is good.  It is about 4 children named Nate, Summer, Travis and Pigeon. They find a brand new candy shop and decide to go inside.  There they find a nice looking woman at the counter.  She says her name is Mrs. White.  She offers them a job at the candy shop and they will be paid with sweets and candy.  After they finish up their jobs they get to decide what they want out of two kinds of treats. They can’t decide what they want so Mrs. White says, “Maybe I should have suggested the secret candy.” This immediately sets the children off and they ask her about it.  Then she says, “I never bring up the secret candy on a first work day, ask me another time.” When they finally ask about the candy, to their surprise they find out it is magic.  They go on many adventures with the candy at their side and find out there is another candy shop that is rivaling with the shop Mrs. White owns. With the magic candy on both sides the children try to find the bad one and defeat them.  Do they have what it takes to stop the chaos and keep the town safe?

                                
                                  -Annalyn-

Thank you for sharing the Candy Shop War. We are going to share your review on our blog and send you a reading reward. Remember the second book in the series is due out on October 23, 2012. It is titled Arcade Catstrophe. We have already pre-order a copy of this book for our school library. Thank you again for sharing and participating in our summer reading blog. Keep reading!

Squids Will Be Squids

Hi Sprucewood readers,

I hope you are having a wonderful summer! I have been reading, so I thought I’d share.

I have read the following books:

Squids Will Be Squids
Delores On Her Toes
Dragon Dancing
Read It! Don’t Eat It!
                            Splat the Cat (Back to School)
                            Little by Little
                            Heat Wave
                            Big Plans
                            Lady Bug Girl and Bumblebee Boy
                            I’m Your Bus
                            Love Splat
                            Walruses of the Arctic
                            The Principles New Clothes
                            All You Can Be, good message for kids!
                            The Little Red Pen
                            Too Many Fairies


See you before you know it.
-Mrs. Wallace-

Mrs. Wallace,

Thank you for sharing! You have been busy reading this summer. Good for you! We love the books that you have read. You have read a few of our favorites. Squids Will Be Squids one of our favorites and can be found in our school library. We are going to include your recommendation on our blog. Watch for your reading reward. It will be coming soon. Thanks again for sharing! Keep reading.

The Mysterious Benedict Society

I have finished reading another book called The Mysterious Benedict Society, by Trenton Lee Stewart.  It is about when a peculiar ad comes in the newspaper and dozens of children start enrolling to take a lot of mysterious and mind twisting tests.  But in the end 4 special children succeed.  They go on a secret mission which only the most intelligent and resourceful children can go on.  With a a new friendship at stake can they pass the most important test?

-Taimoor-

 

Thanks for sharing!  "The Mysterious Bendict Society" is the first book in a new series and one of our favorites. It can be found in our school library too. Watch for a new reading reward. It will be coming soon. Thanks again for sending your book recommendation. Keep reading!

Wonderstruck

Wow! I have a new favorite author. It is Brian Selznick. I LOVED reading "the Invention of Hugo Cabret" and now I also enjoyed "Wonderstruck". I love how in Wonderstruck there are two separate stories, one told in words and one told in pictures. It is fun to figure out how the stories fit together! Have fun reading this summer!


                            -Mrs. Law-

Thank you so much for sharing with us Mrs. Law.  You are the best teacher to follow our blog.  We hope your summer has been great and we can't wait to see you again soon!

I Love My Daddy

I Love My Daddy, by Giles Andreae, and brightly illustrated by Emma Dodd, is a fun book that showcases a delightful and humorous rhyming text.  “He lifts me on his shoulders high, Until I nearly touch the sky. And when we’re playing on the swings, He does all sorts of silly things.” Each page is filled with a different bold background of color.  This would be a great book to read with your Dad during the summer.  And it is always fun to read a book that rhymes.  You can get this one at the library.  Happy reading.

A Wrinkle in Time

A few weeks ago I read, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle.  I loved it. The story is about a girl named Meg and her little brother Charles Wallace. Their two parents are scientists but her father has been gone on a top secret mission and has not made any contact with his family for a long time. Charles Wallace doesn't speak to anyone outside the family and Meg is not considered to be smart in school. But really she just does things her own way. Anyway one day a strange lady appears at their house and then leaves after saying this, “And remembers there is such a thing as a tesseract and it can be used in real life." These words seemed to make Megs mother angry. The same lady comes back the next night and tells Meg and Charles Wallace it is time to find their father. This book was so good I read it in two days!

                                                        -Libby-

Thanks for sharing your review about the book A Wrinkle in Time. This is a great book and it is one of our favorites. It is celebrating it's 50th birthday this year. This book was originally written in 1962 and received the Newberry Award as well as numerous other awards. We are so happy that you enjoyed it.

Watch for your reading reward and keep reading! Please share with us again, if there is another book you read that you think others might enjoy. Thanks!  Enjoy your summer

A Perfect Time for Panda's

Watch for the newest Magic Tree House book A Perfect Time for Panda's, coming out July 24th. Jack and Annie are ready for their next adventure to find a certain kind of food—the fourth thing needed to save Merlin’s beloved penguin, Penny. The magic tree house whisks them off to a village in the mountains of southeast China, close to a world-famous panda reserve. Will it be their easiest adventure yet? Not a chance! Jack and Annie don't know it, but they’ve arrived on the day of a historic earthquake! How will Jack and Annie survive when the giant quake strikes? Will they be able to rescue the pandas? We are looking forward to reading A Perfect Time for Panda's and hope you are too.

Pingo and the Playground Bully

Look what Brandon Mull has been up to.  A brand new Pingo Book.  Pingo and the Playground Bully.  In first grade, Chad and his imaginary friend, Pingo, meet other kids and their imaginary friends.  One recess Chad and his friends decide to have a contest to see which imaginary friend is the smartest or the strongest or the sneakiest. However, when Jeremy, the schoolyard bully, and his imaginary friend, Grunt, decide to prove that they're the best, Pingo saves the day by befriending Jeremy and Grunt and inviting them on an adventure.  Sounds like a great read to us!  Enjoy.

The Red Pyramid

I just finished The Red Pyramid it is an amazing book to read and it is great. The book is about two kids. The older one is named Carter and the little sisters name is Sadie. Their mom died to save their dad and her husband. So Sadie lives with her grandparents. Her dad and Carter go to pick up Sadie and go to a museum. Their dad goes to the Rosetta stone they chant and the stone breaks and their dad disappears. They both go on a quest to save their dad and mom. And they have to defeat a king, The Red King. The author of this book is Rick Riordian he is the other many other books too.

-Taimoor-


Thanks for sharing about the book The Red Pyramid. Rick Riordan is an amazing author. If you liked The Red Pyramid,  you might enjoy The Throne of Fire or Maze of Bones  from the Thirty-Nine Clues Series.

The Guardians of Elijah's Fire

Look what has arrived just in time for some great summer reading.  The Guardians of Elijah's Fire, by Frank Cole.  We are sure you recognize that name.  Frank is the author of the Hashbrown Winters series.  This new book is the second in a different series that Frank Cole has written.  The first book is entitled, The Guardians of the Hidden Scepter.  Once again Amber and Trendon and their classmates are pulled back into action as they try to protect an ancient weapon that could cause the earth's destruction.  We think you could get either of these books at your local library.  We hope you like them.  Keep reading!

Searching for Dragons

I just finished the book called Searching for Dragons, by Patricia C. Wrede. (Second book of the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.)

It was about a princess of the king of dragons trying to find the missing king of dragons. The princess also finds true love. There are wizards lurking around and they cause a lot of trouble in the Enchanted Forest Chronicles.

-Khylan-

You are a reading machine! Great job! Thanks for sending this email and for recommending this book. We are very excited about the recommendation. This is a book that we have not read and because of your recommendation we are going to read it this summer. Thanks!

Time to Start Reading

Hello Sprucewood kids! You can now start reading 20 minutes a day and begin emailing us the books you have read. Hope to hear from you soon! Happy reading.