Matisse on the Loose

Matisse on the Loose by Georgia Bragg

An aspiring artist's daily routing of being embarrassed by his eccentric family is interrupted when he finds himself in the middle of an art museum fiasco involving Matisse's 1909 portrait of his son Pierre.

My Thoughts - This was a fun, fast-paced story! Matisse has to figure out how to be honest when being dishonest would be so much easier! I think this would be a good read-aloud for 3rd-5th grade classes. The story provides lots of ideas for discussion with students.

*Summary taken from CIP data.

Shark vs. Train

Shark vs. Train by Chris Barton and Tom Lichtenheld

A shark and a train compete in a series of contests on a seesaw, in hot air balloons, bowling, shooting baskets, playing hide-and-seek, and more.

My Thoughts - This story sparked a wonderful lesson idea for me! It made me think of different reference books and which one would 'win' given a question to answer. Use this story to compare two unlikely things. Or just read it to see how little boys like to play with their toys!

*Summary taken from CIP data.

The Red Hen

The Red Hen by Rebecca Emberley and Ed Emberley

An illustrated retelling of the classic story in which Red Hen tries to enlist the help of her friends in baking a Simply Splendid Cake, but they are not interested until it is ready to eat.

My Thoughts - This is a simple retelling of the traditional Red Hen story with the added twist of a frog as one of the characters. He adds lots of fun "Bribbits!" that little kids like to chime in and help read! This is a quick read aloud for PreK and Kindergarten students or a good story to start a discussion on friendship and helping.

*Summary taken from CIP data.

We Are in a Book!

We Are in a Book! by Mo Willems

Piggie realizes that she and Gerald the elephant are in a book and that she can make the reader say words, but when Gerald comes to understand the danger of the book ending, Piggie comes up with a solution to get the reader to keep reading.

My Thoughts - This is another fabulous addition to the Elephant and Piggie series! It is full of humor that kids can relate to and words that are easy for early readers to tackle! It is also a giggle getting read aloud for PreK and Kindergarten students! Great fun!

*Summary taken from CIP data.

Dog Loves Books

Dog Loves Books by Louise Yates

Dog loves books so much that he decides to open his own book store!

My Thoughts - This was a fun book for story time with the youngest kids. Dog has a great imagination and the kids can easily relate to the places that books can take a reader. This would be a great introduction to books at the beginning of a school year and lead well into discussions of book care. A fun, sweet, short story to enjoy!

*Summary taken from CIP data.

Annie Glover is NOT a Tree Lover

Annie Glover is NOT a Tree Lover by Darleen Bailey Beard

When her grandmother chains herself to the tree across from the school to save it from being cut down, fourth-grader Annie wants to die of humiliation, but when she discover's the town's history, her attitude changes.

My Thoughts: Annie is fun and a typical fourth-grader who doesn't want to be embarassed by her grandmother's protest. She and her friend Jazz learn the history of their town's tree and decide to make Grandma's cause their own. This would be a fun read aloud for third or fourth grade students.

*Summary taken from CIP data.