Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Snow Day! HOORAY!!!

I hope everyone had a fun and not-too-cold Snow Day yesterday. I enjoyed the day off by cuddling with my cat and, of course, READING! I would have gone outside and played, but...this looked COLD to me...



Anyway, for future snow days (if we're lucky this year), here are some good reads:

Ramona is probably one of my favorite literary characters. I grew up reading her, and this book is the newest book in the Ramona series. She's nine now, and determined to make fourth grade the best year EVER. Will a new teacher, a new baby sister, and the Yard Ape prevent that from happening? Oh Ramona, what trouble will you get into this time?







The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Told in both words and pictures (though not a picture book), this book is the amazing journey of Hugo Cabret. He is an orphan who keeps the clocks running at a train station in Paris. He's also a thief. His shenanigans make him cross paths with a well-read girl and an old man who runs a toy both. Both may help him solve the mystery of a cryptic drawing, a stolen key, a mechanical man, and how they all connect to each other and Hugo's father. I couldn't put this book down, and the ending was so amazing, it quite literally almost blew my mind. This is a book you DON'T want to miss.




Think you've got it bad? The Willoughby children definitely have it worse. Their parents want to get rid of them. And honestly, they'd be quite happy without their parents. The question that often comes up in this book is "what would good old-fashioned people do?" The book offers many answers, from a kind nanny, to a candy bar inventor, to many other odd characters that the children come across. This is a fantastically funny read, but very different from Miss Lowry's other books. It constantly pokes fun at "classic" children's literature, especially where there are orphans involved. A good read indeed.




Enjoy these books, or whatever you're reading, and stop in at ImaginOn this Friday, Jan. 23rd, for a super fun G.O.O.F. Off Day that celebrates the Chinese New Year.

~Ellen

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