Mystery Readers 2009-2010

Every Friday, we eagerly await a new surprise visitor. Who will it be next week? Check back to find out!!


	We were so excited to greet our very first mystery reader! Ruben's mom read a great book by an author that most of us recognized since he was the author for Roald Dahl! Quentin Blake's Mrs. Armitage on Wheels, is about an eccentric woman who sets out on her bike followed by Breakspear the dog. Unfortunately, her bicycle always seems to be in need of improvement…when she adds the mast and sail she really rides into trouble. This was a great first read!

	We laughed out loud while Jack's dad read us The Seven Silly Eaters by Mary Ann Hoberman. This funny rhyming tale involves seven silly kids who all like different things to eat. Just when you think the mom is going to burst, she has another child with another funny eating habit. In the end, this cute story about a family proves how much kids love parents! Jack's dad was a super reader and had us on the edge of our seats!

	Justin's mom read 3 books to us this week! The first was the perfect book to get us in the mood for Halloween! Hallo Wiener is by Dav Pilkey, one of our favorite authors. It is a hilarious story about a dog named Oscar, who unfortunately has to wear an embarrassing Halloween costume that his mom picks out. Luckily, despite others making fun of him, Oscar saves the day and is loved by all in the end! One of the other books she read was The Graves Family by Patricia Polacco, another book that was perfect for the Halloween season! It tells the story of a very strange family, who just can't seem to win over the people in the town until a Neighborhood House show proves this odd family isn't as different as everyone thought. Both books have great messages about accepting differences!

	What a fun time we had today when Susannah's lively dad came to visit! He read two hilarious books and kept us laughing the whole time! Burnt Toast on Davenport Street byTim Egan is a wacky book with very droll characters and odd, but comical illustrations. The story's moral is quite simple...be careful for what you wish for since you might just get it! The second book, Irving and Muktuk: Two Bad Bears is about 2 polar bears who want to steal muffins. You will love this hilarious story of two polar bears who try their hardest to outsmart the town! We enjoyed 2 brand new books this week!

	Savannah's mom read some of her and Savannah's favorite poems from Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends. The best part was how animated she would get when she read. This always makes reading aloud fun! She also read Jabberwocky, a nonsense poem written by Lewis Carroll. It had lots of silly words but was fun to hear.

	How does water dance? From rain, to river, to lake, to sea, to cloud, with half a dozen more sidesteps in the circle. Thomas Locker's Water Dance is a book that invites readers to see the beauty in their world and is one of Mrs. McClendon's favorites! After hearing her read it aloud, it is clear why she loves it! Not only is it written in beautiful poetic verse, but Locker even offers the reader information about the water cycle as the last few pages are written in expository text. He tempts us to go out into nature, see its beauty, and choose words that allow us to share our experience with others while we learn.

	For the second year in a row, Miss Dale, one of our favorite teachers, came to visit us as a mystery reader. We should have known it was her since one of her clues was that she likes Pirates...ECU Pirates, of course! Miss Dale read Pinduli byJanell Cannon, which is about a yound hyena named Pinduli, who promises to stay close by his mom while she hunts, but soon trots off and encounters a pack of wild dogs, a lion, and a zebra, who all tease her about her looks. The animals think that she is a "ghost" that has come for them. This touching book about personal growth and self-acceptance gently demonstrates how the actions of one can have far-reaching effects on many others. An appealing and worthwhile purchase.–

	What an absolutely inspirational book! The true story of Selavi ("that is life"), a small boy who finds himself homeless on the streets of Haiti. He finds other street children who share their food and a place to sleep. Together they proclaim a message of hope through murals and radio programs. The book opens with Sélavi's evocative words, "Not so long ago and not so far away, people with guns could take a family, burn a house and disappear, leaving a small child alone in the world." We all felt like giving back after this motivational tale!

	Another one of our favorite teachers at Estes joined us today. Mrs. Fox, our media specialist (i.e. librarian) brought 2 books that we loved hearing read aloud. The first book was called Eggbert and it was actually a book that Ms. Coleman read to us. We had no problem hearing it a second time since it is a favorite! It is a great story about a slightly cracked egg that learns a life lesson about how being different is something to be proud of. The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candance Fleming is a collection of contemporary fables about a hilariously rambunctious group of kids, fearlessly led by a globetrotting, "Mayan- ceremonial-robe-wearing teacher named Mr. Jupiter." One of our favorite fables, which had us laughing out loud, was The Boy Who Cried Lunch Monitor, which was inspirted by the fable, The Boy Who Cried Wolf. It was definitely a book we hope to read more of!



	Susannah's mom read Jon Scieszka's The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. This book is a great way to look at something from another character's point of view. We all know how the pigs felt in this classic story, but we never considered the wolf's perspective. In this book, Alexander T. Wolf explains his side of the story which begins with him innocently venturing to his neighbor’s house to borrow a cup of sugar for his granny’s birthday cake. We enjoyed this fun read aloud!

	We were thrilled to see Ms. Coleman's old Teacher Assistant, Ms. Virginia. She is also one of our favorite subs this year. She came right before Valentine's Day so she had some great books to share.

	Mr. Farrington read some of our childhood favorites. We were so lucky to have our custodian take time off his busy schedule to come and visit. Of the three books he read, we have to admit that Cat and the Hat by Dr. Seuss was a great pick! Especially since it is Dr. Seuss' birthday this month!

	Makenna's grandmother came all the way from Kansas to visit. Well, not just to visit us, but to spend Makenna's 10th birthday with her. We enjoyed this fun book, Giraffe's Can't Dance, especially since Makenna's grandma told us how she too likes to dance! Gerald is a clumsy giraffe who finds he can dance when listening to his own music. There is a funny little cricket on every page helping to illustrate the story. A fun story enjoyed by all!