• Dear Gina and Jenna:
• Please view the attached power point. It provides important information about the Battle of the Books, a district-wide reading program specially designed for students in 5th grade.
• Hopefully, your class will find the opportunity to participate in the program. I will promote the program through my library lessons.
Furthermore, I will recruit students for an after-school book club that will start in October; the sole focus of the book club will be the reading and discussion of the 10 Battle of the Books titles. If you wish, you may check out the books for your literature circles; we have ten copies of each title. Some of titles are also on the
Bluebonnet book list —hitting two birds with one stone!
• Thank you for viewing the power point.
• Diane Shamloo

The Misadventures of Maude March by A. Couloumbis
School Library Journal - 09/01/2005 Gr 5-8-Sallie March, 11, devotee of dime novels, narrates this rollicking Wild West adventure. The irrepressible tomboy and her ladylike older sister, Maude, have been living in Cedar Rapids with their stern Aunt Ruthie since their parents died. When she is shot dead by a random bullet, Reverend Peasley takes the girls in, but works them like servants. Then grandfatherly Mr. Wilburn proposes to Maude, and it's the last straw. The sisters take two horses and head to Independence, MO, in hopes of finding their uncle. They disguise themselves as boys and begin to live as dime-novel heroes, hooking up with Marion Hardly, aka Joe Harden (the Joe Harden, of the dimer series?), who is also their aunt's killer. Although the girls' intentions are never bad, they end up in the midst of a bank robbery and committing murder. The newspapers are full of news of Mad Maude March, gone crazy with grief. All ends well as they make it to Missouri, where everyone has a reputation anyway.
Sallie's narration is delightful, with understatements that are laugh-out-loud hilarious. While this novel at first seems a departure for Couloumbis, there are many similarities to Getting Near to Baby (1999) and Say Yes (2002, both
Putnam). Her strong females are memorable, largely due to her perfect pitch in conveying their unique voices. Hard to put down, and a fun read-aloud.-Connie
Tyrrell Burns, Mahoney Middle School, South Portland, ME Copyright 2005 Reed
Business Information. - Copyright 2005 Publishers Weekly , Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

Who Stole Halloween?
by M. Freeman
• School Library Journal - 10/01/2005 Gr 4-6-Alex, his remarkable cat, and Yasmeen are back in their second romp that started with Who Is Stealing the 12 Days of Christmas?
(Holiday House, 2003). While following Luau into the local graveyard, the two friends find a flyer from a boy in their school asking that his cat be returned. As they investigate,
Alex's mom, a local police detective, finds that more and more felines are disappearing, and some witnesses think maybe a ghost is responsible. Legend has it that the Harvey house is haunted because of a murder in 1879. The story unfolds to a satisfying resolution to both mysteries. Characters are well drawn, and the book will entice even reluctant readers with its action and humor. Fans of the first book will enjoy it, but it stands perfectly well on its own.-Debbie Stewart Hoskins, Grand
Rapids Public Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business
Information. - Copyright 2005 Publishers Weekly , Library
Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

• School Library Journal - 11/01/2005 Gr 5-8-One October evening,
Bethany's parents drive her to another state to stay with an aunt she never knew existed. Left confused and without a way to contact her parents, the 12-year-old tries to figure out the reason behind their strange behavior and learns some family secrets in the process. It turns out that she is the clone of her sister, who was killed years earlier in a tragic automobile accident, and she is being hunted by a man who wants to expose her secret existence for his own benefit. Although there is not much action, the twists and turns of the suspense-filled plot are more than enough to keep readers interested. When one question is answered, another one is raised. Readers will relate to
Bethany's feelings of abandonment, as well as her struggle to set herself apart from the sister she never knew but with whom she shares so much. This quick, engaging read is a good choice for reluctant readers.-Michele Capozzella, Chappaqua Public Library, NY Copyright
,
Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

• School Library Journal - 10/01/2005 Gr 4-7-Josh, 12, is furious at his mom and step-dad, who are spending their summer in India while he is trapped in Carbon City, WA. Aunt Ethel is very peculiar-she serves dinner for breakfast and thinks the peacock living on the porch is her dead sister. Josh's luck turns when he discovers a tree house and a stray cat with kittens nearby. He also meets a ghost named Willie, who shares the tragic story of his death and convinces Josh to dig up his leg bones and reunite them with the rest of his body. When Josh stumbles upon a metal box full of money buried with Willie's leg, he heads home with the cash, planning to tell Ethel and to call the police. But she breaks her ankle and is rushed to the hospital before he gets the chance. Later that night, the owner of the cash tracks down Josh and demands it back at gunpoint. Willie, the peacock, and a quick-thinking neighbor come to Josh's aid and foil the thief. This fast-paced and character to whom readers can relate and they will cheer him on as he searches for the truth.-Alison Grant, West Bloomfield Township Public
Library, MI Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information. - Copyright
2005 Publishers Weekly , Library Journal and/or School Library
Journal used with permission.

The Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
• School Library Journal - 03/01/2006 Gr 3-5-A lighthearted comingof-age novel with a cultural twist. Readers follow Grace, an American girl of Taiwanese heritage, through the course of one year-The Year of the Dog-as she struggles to integrate her two cultures. Throughout the story, her parents share their own experiences that parallel events in her life. These stories serve a dual purpose; they draw attention to
Grace's cultural background and allow her to make informed decisions.
She and her two sisters are the only Taiwanese-American children at school until Melody arrives. The girls become friends and their common backgrounds illuminate further differences between the American and
Taiwanese cultures. At the end of the year, the protagonist has grown substantially. Small, captioned, childlike black-and-white drawings are dotted throughout. This is an enjoyable chapter book with easily identifiable characters.-Diane Eddington, Los Angeles Public Library
Publishers Weekly , Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

• School Library Journal - 01/01/2000 Jesse's colorless rural world expands when he becomes fast friends with Leslie, the new girl in school. But when
Leslie drowns trying to reach their special hideaway,
Terabithia, Jesse struggles to accept the loss of his friend. A Newbery Medal winner. Copyright 2000
Cahners Business Information. - Copyright 2000
Publishers Weekly , Library Journal and/or School
Library Journal used with permission.

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse… by Kate DiCamillo
• School Library Journal - 08/01/2003 Gr 3 Up-A charming story of unlikely heroes whose destinies entwine to bring about a joyful resolution. Foremost is Despereaux, a diminutive mouse who, as depicted in Ering's pencil drawings, is one of the most endearing of his ilk ever to appear in children's books. His mother, who is French, declares him to be "such the disappointment" at his birth and the rest of his family seems to agree that he is very odd: his ears are too big and his eyes open far too soon and they all expect him to die quickly. Of course, he doesn't. Then there is the human Princess Pea, with whom
Despereaux falls deeply (one might say desperately) in love. She appreciates him despite her father's prejudice against rodents. Next is
Roscuro, a rat with an uncharacteristic love of light and soup. Both these predilections get him into trouble. And finally, there is Miggery
Sow, a peasant girl so dim that she believes she can become a princess. witty, suspenseful narrative that begs to be read aloud. . . - Copyright
2003 Publishers Weekly , Library Journal and/or School Library
Journal used with permission.

Ferret in the Bedroom, Lizards in the Fridge by Bill Wallace

((This book was one of the Bluebonnet titles from last year. Some of your students have probably read the book.))

• With her brilliantly hued flower-print dresses, her maracas and
tambor, and the migrating beauty mark over her lipsticked mouth, Tia Lola stands out in Vermont like a tropical bird in a snowstorm. Her nephew, 10-year-old Miguel, just wants to fit in to his new home. He and his mother and sister have just moved here from New York following his parents' divorce. With his black hair and brown skin, it's hard enough already without the flamboyant antics of his friendly, nutty aunt, visiting from the
Dominican Republic. But even while she is dancing her merengues in front of his new friends and painting the white farmhouse purple, Tia Lola is also weaving a magical spell of love and support that Miguel and his wounded family sorely need.
Miguel's growing appreciation for his crazy aunt's ways, and the entire town's admiration and respect for an outsider who, without even speaking the same language, wins the hearts of all, is a funny, uplifting story. (summary taken from bookfinder.com)

http://www.classroom.springisd.org/webs/baelibrary/battle_of_the_books.htm
Or access the site via your school’s homepage/then library’s homepage.