Best Book Club 2012
Edmonds School District
2011
Sasquatch
Award
Winner
Click on the picture
to go to the
Sasquatch Website.
2011
Young Reader’s
Choice Award
Winner
Click on the picture to go to
the YRCA Website
Created by Marianne Costello, LIS, Cedar Valley Elementary
ALVIN HO IS an Asian
American second
grader who is afraid of
everything—elevators,
tunnels, girls, and,
most of all, school.
He’s so afraid of
school that, while he’s
there, he never, ever,
says a word. But at
home he’s a very loud
superhero named
Firecracker Man, a
brother to Calvin and
Anibelly, and a
gentleman-in-training,
so he can be just like
his dad.
source
Author Lenore Look
Biography
This is the 1st book in the Alvin Ho
series. There are 4 books total:
source
Alvin Ho Allergic to Girls,
School and other Scary Things
by Lenore Look RL 4.2
Teacher Made Video
Ignatius B. Grumply moves
into the Victorian mansion
at 43 Old Cemetery Road
hoping to find some peace
and quiet so he can crack a
wicked case of writer's
block. But 43 Old
Cemetery Road is already
occupied by eleven-yearold Seymour, his cat
Shadow, and an irritable
ghost named Olive. It's
hard to say who is more
outraged. But a grumpy
old ghost just might inspire
this grumpy old man--and
the abandoned kid? Well,
let's just say his last name's
Hope.
Click the Picture to go to Kate
and Sarah’s website
Watch this video to learn all
about sisters, Kate and Sarah
Klise and about their book,
“Dying to Meet You,” which is
the 1st book in the “43 Old
Cemetery Road” series. The
fourth book in the series is
due in the Spring.
Overview from
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/dying-to-meetyou-kate-klise/1100156625
Dying to Meet You
by Kate Klise RL 4.9
Other Books by Kate and
Sarah Klise
Are you ready?
Gil Goodson's future
happiness depends on
winning the Golly Toy & Game
Company's ultimate
competition. If Gil wins, his
dad has promised that the
family can move away from all
the gossip, false friends, and
bad press that have plagued
them ever since The Incident.
Inside the toy company's
fantastic headquarters, Gil will
have to master trivia, solve
puzzles, and complete
physical stunts—and he'll
have to do it better than all of
the other kids competing.
Oh, and did we mention that
Gil's every step—and every
mistake—will be broadcast on
national television? Hold on
tight, because the ride of his
life is about to begin!
Description from Amazon.com
The Gollywhopper Games
By Jody Feldman RL 3.9
Click on Jody’s picture to
visit her awesome
website and read her
biography
Book Trailer
Golly-Whopper
Challenge Video
Golly-Whopper
Website
ABOUT THE BOOK The Grayson
twins are moving to a new town.
Again. Although it’s a drag to
constantly be
mistaken for each other, in truth,
during those first days at a new
school, there’s nothing better than
having a twin brother there with
you. But on day one of sixth grade,
Ray stays home sick, and Jay is on
his own. No big deal. It’s a pretty
nice school—good kids, too. But Jay
quickly discovers a major mistake:
No one seems to know a thing about
his brother. Ray’s not on the
attendance lists, doesn’t have a
locker, and doesn’t even have a
student folder. Jay almost tells the
school—almost— but then decides
that this lost information could be
very useful. And fun.
As Ray and Jay exploit a clerical
oversight, they each find new views
on friendship, honesty, what it
means to be a twin—and what it
means to be yourself. Entertaining,
thought-provoking, and true-to-life,
this clever novel is classic Andrew
Clements times two: twins!
From “School Days: A Guide to
Books” by Andrew Clements
Lost and Found
by Andrew Clements RL 5.0
Andrew Clements
Website and Biography
Andrew Clements has
written over 56 books.
Here is a link to his
other books.
An Interview with
Andrew Clements video
Video of Meg Cabot
talking about the
Allie Finkle series
Finally! A heroine
you can share with
your little sister!
Allie is nine years
old and trying to
learn the rules of
friendship...which
isn't easy when
you've got two
annoying little
brothers, are
starting a whole
new school, and
just got a brand
new
kitten.
Click on Meg’s Picture to read
her biography.
Moving Day is the the first
book in the “Allie Finkle’s Rules
for Girls” Series. Check out the
Website.
#2
#3
#5
#6
http://www.megcabot.com/alliefin
kle/index.php
Moving Day
By Meg Cabot RL 5.0
#4
NERDS combines all the
excitement of
international espionage
with all the
awkwardness of
elementary school, and
the results are hilarious.
A group of unpopular
fifth graders run a spy
network from inside
their school. With the
help of cutting-edge
science, they transform
their nerdy qualities
into incredible abilities!
Their enemies? An array
of James Bond–style
villains, each with an
evil plan more
diabolical and more
ridiculous than the last.
Click on the picture
to go to Michael
Buckley’s website
Video of Michael
Buckley talking about
NERDS.
Read a few pages
online (teaser)
Fun Website about
the book and author
Source for pics and text
NERDS: National Espionage,
Rescue, and Defense Society
By Michael Buckley RL 5.3
#2
#3
Tango is used to the good life. He has
a silver heart charm for his dog
collar, a luxurious doggy bed—even
specially-made booties for taking
walks
in Central Park. But disaster strikes
when Tango’s owners sail into stormy
waters
off the coast of Nova Scotia and the
little Yorkie is swept overboard.
Washed ashore on Prince Edward
Island, Tango waits for his owners to
come for him. As days turn into
weeks, Tango despairs of ever getting
back to Manhattan—unless he does
something about it himself.
Told by an omniscient narrator,
Tango's tale shifts perspectives,
alternating chapter by chapter
between three animal and two
human characters: Tango, a
shipwrecked Yorkshire terrier; Beau,
an island fox with a long-held secret;
Augusta, a broken-hearted widow;
Nigel, a three-legged cat fallen on
hard times; and McKenna, a young
Mi'kmaq girl who is on the run.
Will the little dog who is used to the
good life find a place that his heart
calls home?
by : Tale of an Island Dog
By Eileen Beha RL 4.8
Click on the picture to
go to Eileen’s Website.
It chronicles the
adventures of young
Nathaniel "Nate"
Fludd, a beastologist in
training who travels
the world in search of
mythical beasts, with
his mentor Aunt Phil
and pet gremlin
Greasle.
From London to
Bamako, from
Beddegelert to
Broceliande, join Nate
on his quests to rescue
the world's last
Phoenix, the deadly
Basilisk, Wyverns and
many more!
Click on R.L LaFevers
picture to read her
biography
Book Trailer Video
Nathaniel Fludd’s
Website
Other Books in the Series:
#2
The Flight of the Phoenix
By R. L. LaFeves RL 4.2
#3
#4
When a mysterious
envelope arrives for Jake
Ransom, he and his
older sister, Kady, are
plunged into a gripping
chain of events. An
artifact found by their
archeologist parents on
the expedition from
which they never
returned leads Jake and
Kady to a strange world
inhabited by a peculiar
mix of long-lost
civilizations, a world that
may hold the key to
their parents'
disappearance-if Jake
and Kady can survive
long enough to solve the
mystery.
Information from James Rollins
website.
Jake Ransom and the Skull
King’s Shadow
By James Rollins RL 5.0
Author’s Biography
Video: James
Rollins introduces
the book.
Sequel:
t’s Ryan versus the river in a race
against time to save his brother’s
life.
When twelve-year-old Ryan
reluctantly agrees to join his
experienced older brother Tanner
on a camping trip, he could never
have dreamed this would turn
into the most frightening day of
his life. Ryan’s no good at sports
or outdoor stuff. He’d rather be
home playing video games. But
Tanner says it’s an easy trip.
They’ll kayak down the Boulder
River, catch fish, and roast
marshmallows.
But the river is higher than usual,
and the kayaking is scary. Tanner
isn’t worried. But soon after, he’s
badly hurt in a kayaking accident,
leaving Ryan alone and afraid he
can’t save his brother’s life. He’s
only faced danger in video
games. What good are games
now when Ryan faces a real-life
battle?
Source
Wild River
By P. J. Petesen RL 3.4
Author Information
P.J. Petersen has
written over 27
books during the
past 30 years.
On their first birthday, they
learned to walk. On their fifth,
they planted seeds in
handmade pots. On their
tenth, they learned there are
some words you can never
take back.
Amanda's eleventh birthday
should have been a happy
occasion. Instead she's
dressed in an itchy costume
her mother picked out for her
Hollywood-themed party
(Dorothy from the Wizard of
Oz, even though the flying
monkeys have always creeped
her out). Meanwhile, across
town, her ex-best friend Leo is
celebrating their joint birthday
with a huge bash including a
hypnotist, a football star, a
giant iguana, and a rock band.
SO not fair!
Amanda can't wait for the day
AFTER her birthday so she can
stop thinking about the fight
that led to her and Leo having
separate parties for the first
time in their lives. There's just
one problem. The next day is
her birthday all over again.
source
11 Birthdays
by Wendy Mass RL 4.1
Wendy Mass
Biography
Video: Wendy Mass
talks about 11
birthdays, Finally and
13 Gifts
Website
Series:
A boy named Happenstance
awakens in a lost city buried
under tons of volcanic ash.
Soon a strange trio arrives to
take him away. They are led by
the extraordinary Lord Umber:
a merchant, explorer, inventor,
and chronicler of all things
monstrous and magical.
This begins a dazzling
adventure in a world filled
with frightening and majestic
creatures,
strange and wonderful places,
new friends and terrible foes.
As the boy tries to unravel the
mystery of his own origin, he
also begins to wonder: Who is
this Umber? And what
is the secret he's desperately
trying to keep?
You can read the beginning of
Chapter One here.
To read more go to the source of this
information.
Happenstance Found
By P. W. Catanese RL 4.9
About the Author
Website
Video About the
Books of Umber
Trilogy
Mrs. Starch – fearsome biology
teacher – never returned from
a field trip to Black Vine
Swamp.
The principal says she was
called away on a "family
emergency," but Nick and
Marta don't buy it. They think
Smoke, the class delinquent,
has something to do with her
disappearance.
And he does! But not in the
way that they think. There's a
lot more going on in Black Vine
Swamp than any one player in
this twisted tale can see. And
Nick and Marta will have to
reckon with an eccentric ecoavenger, a stuffed rat named
Chelsea, a wannabe Texas
oilman, a singing substitute
teacher, and a ticked-off
Florida panther before they'll
really begin to see the big
picture.
That's life in the swamp, kids.
Source Website
SCAT
By Carl HiaasenRL 5.5
Author Biography
Scat’s Website with
audio clip
Video Booktalk
Other Books by Carl
Hiaasen for kids.
Truth or
Fiction
Either way it’s
a beautiful
story.
How do you feel
about it?
Would you
donate money ?
Picture source
3 Cups of Tea Website
Barnes and Noble Book
Talk of Three Cups of
Tea before the
controversy.
60 minutes investigation
of Greg Mortenson
Three Cups of Tea
By Sarah L. Thomson RL 6.
PBS Newshour
Questions the author’s
credibility
It's not easy for Danny
Dragonbreath to be the
sole mythical creature in a
school for reptiles and
amphibians - especially
because he can't breathe
fire like other dragons (as
the school bully loves to
remind him). But having a
unique family comes in
handy sometimes, like
when his sea-serpent
cousin takes Danny and his
best iguana friend on a
mindboggling underwater
tour, complete with
vomiting sea cucumbers
and giant squid. It sure
beats reading the
encyclopedia to research
his ocean report . . .
Ursula Vernon’s
Website
Dragonbreath
Webisode
#2
#3
#4
#5
Source Website
Dragonbeath
By Ursula Vernon RL 4.3
Photos
from
Barnesand
noble.com
#6
Pedro Morales has always
been content helping
others look great. The
epitome of a point guard,
he plays the game to set
up his teammates—Ned,
in particular, the star
forward on the receiving
end of Pedro's pinpoint
passes. Pedro wants to
make his father proud, and
so he runs for class
president. Yet doing so
means going one-on-one
against Ned, easily the
most popular boy in
school. And Pedro learns
the hard way that being a
good teammate doesn't
mean that others will
return the favor. Now
Pedro wants to win more
than ever—but this time,
it's for himself.
Source Website
Long Shot
By Mike Lupica RL 5.2
Mike Lupica’s
Website
Comeback Kids
Book Series
Penguin Audio
Book Break (10
min.)
If you like Long
Shot, you might
like the series.
The Evolution
of Calpurnia Tate
2010 Newbery
Honor Award
As eleven-year old
Calpurnia Virginia
Tate explores the
natural world
around her, she
comes up against
just what it means to
be a girl at the turn
of the century.
From Jacqueline
Kelly’s Website
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate
By Jacqueline Kelly
This is the first book
for Jacqueline Kelly.
Click on her picture
for more information
Treated like an enemy in her
own country
Nine-year-old Michiko
Minagawa bids her father
good-bye before her birthday
celebration. She doesn’t
know the government has
ordered all Japanese-born
men out of the province. Ten
days later, her family joins
hundreds of JapaneseCanadians on a train to the
interior of British Columbia.
Even though her aunt Sadie
jokes about it, they have
truly reached the “Land of
No”. There are no paved
roads, no streetlights and not
streetcars. The house in
which they are to live is dirty
and drafty. At school Michiko
learns the truth of her
situation. She must face local
prejudice, the worst winter
in forty years and her first
Christmas without her father.
Source website
When the Cherry Blossoms Fell
By Jennifer Maruno
Jennifer Maruna is a
retired Principal in the
Canadian province of
Ontario.
This is her first novel.
2010 Newbery Honor Book.
In the valley of Fruitless
mountain, a young girl named
Minli lives in a ramshackle hut
with her parents. In the
evenings, her father regales
her with old folktales of the
Jade Dragon and the Old Man
of the Moon, who knows the
answers to all of life's
questions. Inspired by these
stories, Minli sets off on an
extraordinary journey to find
the Old Man of the Moon to
ask him how she can change
her family's fortune. She
encounters an assorted cast of
characters and magical
creatures along the way,
including a dragon who
accompanies her on her quest
for the ultimate answer.
source
Where the Mountain Meets the
Moon by Gace Lin RL 5.5
Book Trailer and
Author Interview
Grace Lin’s
Biography
Grace Lin’s
Website
Watching Jimmy is
about a feisty twelveyear-old girl named
Carolyn, who sees her
next-door neighbour
and friend bullied by
an adult. She decides
to keep this a secret
for a number of
reasons but in the end
tells everything in a
very public way.
Eventually, we find out
why Uncle Ted, the
bully, is so mean, but
that doesn’t excuse his
behaviour and he’s
banished from the
family. The book is
about truth
conquering all. Source
Watching Jimmy
By Nancy Hartry RL 4.3
Video: Launching
of Watching
Jimmy
WINNER 2010 Canadian Library
Association Book of the Year
for Children
This is Nancy
Hartry’s first
novel.