Group Projects

I really enjoyed the group projects because there was a lot of creativeness and originality shown. The story on Tikki Tikki Tembo, No Sa Rembo....... was not really my kind of story but their presentation of their little skit was awesome. The group that had Adrian, Jennifer, and Sarah did good too. They did theirs on Lemony Snicket: A Series of Unfortunate Events. Oh yeah, I was in that group also. I forgot- must be the herbel tea that I had this morning.

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I came across a book called Dead Guys Talk written by Barbara Joosse. It's the middle of summer, and the Scarface Detectives (Willie, Kyle, and Lucy) are starting to get bored. Suddenly they recieve a map of the town cemetary as well as a note pleading for help. A different note tells them that someone wants to sell the graveyard and move the bodies. However, according to the note, the dead people do not wish to leave. The detectives investigate to determine who the greedy seller is and try and figure out a way of stopping the plans. The biggest mystery of all is who their client is. Could it be one of the dead bodies in the cemetary? Can dead guys talk?

There was another book I started looking at called Poison Plate. It is written by M. Sobel Spirn. After the death of Mark's parents, he is sent to move in with a family that owns a restaurant. When someone breaks into the restaurant one night, all eyes turn to Mark, suspiciously. When a famous food critic is poisoned, Mark is once again frowned upon. Will he be able to prove his innocence and find the real culprit? Or will he be blamed for serving the diabolic dish?

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As I was looking around the library some more, I stumbled upon a book by Linda Sibley called Footprints of a Thief. This is a story about a person breaking into a coach's office and taking the money that was supposed to pay for new basketball uniforms. There were three sets of footprints left at the scene. One belonged to the coach. The second set belonged to the custodian that had been cleaning in the office. The last set belonged to one of the players. Detective Kevin Anderson is recommended to try and solve the case. Apparently he is great at solving crimes, and he hopes he can find the criminal.

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This book entitled Death Mountain caught my eye when I was walking through the library at my job. It's by Sherry Shahan and it's about a group of people that go hiking along the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Suddenly, a deadly storm descends upon the mountain. Lightning strikes and everyone scrambles for safety and shelter. The two main characters, Erin and Mae, become separated from the group. As the days pass, the two girls must rely on their own determination and skills, as well as each other. They face danger, hunger, freezing nights, exhaustion, and injuries.

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I knew that the name Sarah L. Thomson looked familiar when I ran across it. As a kid, I used to look at many of her books dealing with animals. These are wonderful books for kids because they have a ton of information about all types of animals, including: Amazing Snakes, Amazing Dolphins, Amazing Sharks, Amazing Gorillas, Amazing Tigers, and Amazing Whales. I never really liked to read, so these books were wonderful because they had colorful pictures and interesting information about that particular animal. She also has picture books! The one that interested me the most is called Pirates, Ho! It's a rhyming picture book about pirates who aren't as fierce and crafty as they might think. They brag of their courage and dastardly deeds but face mean storms at sea and hand-to-hand battles. There is also a mix of ghost stories thrown in the story. She has many, many books!

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I found this awesome author by the name of Bernard Most. He is great at making the real-life connection for students. For example, one of his many books is called How Big were the Dinosaurs? He describes the size of the biggest dinosaurs by comparing them to familiar things in a child's world. He compares the size of T-Rex's tooth to a child's toothbrush. He also says that Triceratops was so big, not even his head would fit through their bedroom door. He states that Stegasaurus' plates were as big as school bus crossing signs. Kids would definitely be entertained and gain knowledge because the next time they look at their toothbrush, doorway, or a bus crossing sign, they will imagine how big dinosaurs actually were. In the future, they will activate prior knowledge and be a step ahead because they will have a pretty good idea of the sizes of dinosaurs.

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We all like things that we can relate to. Since I was born and raised in San Antonio, TX, I love hearing stories about the Battle of the Alamo. Sherry Garland wrote this story called In the Shadow of the Alamo. It is about a fifteen year old boy that is drafted into Santa Anna's army in 1835. The boy, Lorenzo, is taken through a horrifying journey to Texas, where he witnesses and engages at the Battle of the Alamo as well as the Battle of San Jacinto. He also goes through the tragic retreat back to Mexico and is left with permanent scars for life. The battles are intertwined with stories of the women and children who followed the soldiers. It sounds like a wonderful drama that features the point of view of yet someone else in the tragic battles.

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I randomly stumbled onto an author and illustrator by the name of David Biedrzycki. Let me tell you something Slick- just looking at the cover of these books makes you want to open them. There could be wonderful book walks because the pictures are extremely attractive. He teaches many aspects through his literature and illustrations. In 2000, he released this book called Dory Story. It is a book that's about the sense of adventure, awe, and danger that the ocean inspires while presenting a bit of marine ecology. The sea creatures in the book are exquisitely drafted in colors that turn bright and friendly to deep, dark, and ominous. There is pratically a photographic reality to the art. I highly recommend that everyone look into David Biedrzycki and check out or buy his books. It's a great way for children to learn many subjects and have fun at the same time.

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I stumbled across an author by the name of Sybil Downing. She writes a lot about womens' rights. She wrote this one book entitled The Binding Oath. It's about a woman living in a man's world where the KKK, bootleggers, and crooked cops are at large in the state of Colorado. The story takes place in 1922. Liz O'Brien is one of only two female reporters for the Denver Post. One day, while getting a big story interviewing the KKK, she suspects that the KKK members are up to something. They claim that they want to recall the city's new district attorney, but she thinks they're interested in something beyond politics. O'Brien takes it upon herself to investigate, despite the wishes of her superiors, who tried to dissuade her. She quickly uncovers two murders, a bootleg operation, and a KKK conspiracy to take over the entire state. I've always admired such a brave and confident woman when she truly expresses how she feels.