Here are the hits so far...I will continue to post as they come in.
I can't thank everyone enough (and, I imagine, neither can Jim Murphy).
I'm looking forward to the shopping and reading!
Steve
HITS:
Two of my recent favorites are:
Top Secret: a Handbook of codes, ciphers, and secret writing (Janeczko) It
is easy to booktalk - just give the kids a code to solve! There is some
history woven into the fascinating details.
Shark Life: true stories about sharks and the sea (Benchley) Try reading
pages 9 - 13.
____________________________________________________________________________
The Pigman and Me by Paul Zindel is a wonderful book.
It's a memoir of a year during his childhood when he
lived on Staten Island. I read it aloud to my homeroom
a few years ago and they loved it!
Anything by Jim Murphy is good (Great Chicago Fire, Blizzard, etc);
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World (Armstrong - this book is
fabulous); Black Potatoes (Bartoletti).
Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World : The Extraordinary True Story of
Shackeleton and the Endurance by Jennifer Armstrong is an excellent
non-fiction title for MS kids. It's a real page turner. If I didn't know it
was a true story I never would have believed it.
Shark Life by Peter Benchley is great and keeps you on the edge of your
seat.
My favorites are always Jim Murphy's books.
How about books about people's relationship with animals? I am thinking of
an oldie but goodie, Frosty, A Raccoon to Remember. Also the James Herriott
books. I think there are others out there for animal lovers along the same
vein. I teach tech classes rather than lit, so am not up on recent titles but
stories of that order are hits with kids
You may already have these, but I recommend anything written by Jim Murphy.
He sucks you into the stories of the people to whom the historical events
happened. Our 7th graders do a project where they have to read and report
back about a non-fiction book. I always booktalk Blizzard and mention some
of his other books like The Great Fire and An American Plague. The students
who try them are always glad they did.
The same thing with just about anything Russell Freedman writes. Many of his
are biographies, but anything he writes is equally readable.
Philip Hoose also wrote two that that I really like. It's Our World, Too --
Young People Who are Making a Difference. This has a number of real-life
stories of young people who saw things in their communities or in the world
that they wanted to change that they they did something to change. Awesome
book! His Race to Save the Lord God Bird tells the story of the
disappearance of a particular kind of woodpecker from America. (It may have
recently possibly been spotted again.)
I'd suggest anything by Jim Murphy or Jerry Stanley. Lots of great
non-fiction topics from both of them.
Permanence, perseverance and persistence in spite of all obstacles,
discouragements, and impossibilities: It is this, that in all things distinguishes
the strong soul from the weak. Thomas Carlyle
Steve Patnode, MLS
Grades 7-12 SLMS
Chazy Central Rural School
Chazy, NY 12921
sun85@aol.com
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