I have a few more books to share today.  Happy reading.  Share the passion!!

The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davies- This is a new series about sibling rivalry!  Evan is about to enter fourth grade and his brainiac sister Jessie is skipping a grade and will not only be in fourth grade along with her brother but in the same class.  Evan loves his little sister and in the past was her defender when she was bullied by a small group of girls in her class. But, what Evan has in street smarts, he lacks in the classroom so he fears his sister will make him look dumb.  The conflict centers around a war, a lemonade war- Will the winner take all or end up the loser? This book is great for grades 2-5. Each chapter leads in with a special word or phrase that includes a pronunciation and definition which is kind of fun!

The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate- I know I should have read this last year, but I am trying to make up for lost time and books!! If you have students that are animal lovers, they will find it hard to put this book down. Ivan is a gorilla stuck in a small cage in a run-down mini-mall where he and several other lonely wild animals are kept to entertain and entice customers!

Ivan has a huge heart – a heart that will break if he is unable to save Ruby, a baby elephant from ending up just like him, lonely. Ivan seems more human than us, and teaches us lessons in love, determination, and sacrifice.  Great for third grade and up and younger strong readers!

I Survived the Attacks of September 11, 2001 by Lauren Tarshis- Story is always at the heart of historical events and The Attacks of September 11, 2001 is no exception.  Tarshis creates a vivid image of this horrific day in New York City seen through the eyes of Lucas a young energetic kid who is experiencing his own personal crisis. He skips school to visit his Uncle Benny, a New York City firefighter and suddenly the chaos of the day unfolds.  I have to tell you, I found this a little hard to read. It brings back memories of that … well- it brought tears to my eyes as I read.  Lauren Tarshis ends the book explaining why she chose to write about this day and I do believe she handles it in a way that creates a clear picture of this significant event in our history but doesn’t sensationalize.  This is a very quick easy read. It is listed for grades 3-8 for interest level. This is part of an “I Survived” series about other noteworthy events in history.