Surviving the Applewhites by Stephanie S. Tolon

Award winner- Newbery Honor Book

Jake Semple has been kicked out of so many schools, including one that he may have set on fire, that no school will accept him.  He finds himself in North Carolina at Wit's End farm where an extended family pursues artistic activities and homeschools.  He is not thrilled.  Juvenile Detention is starting to be more appealing!
E. D. (Edith) does not fit in with her artistic family.  She is organized, practical and likes order.  She creates her own curriculum and goals and takes pride in her thick homeschool binder.  When she finds out that Jake will be in her "class", she declares that her school year is ruined.

This book is full of eccentric, quirky characters who will make the reader chuckle.  Definite changes occur in Jake and by the end of the book, it is not just his hair that has transformed!

Guided Reading Level: U (5th-6th grade)

Warnings/cautions/point to discuss: The parrot swears and Jake likes to swear (specific words are not written-just inferred).  Destiny, the four year old, tries his hand at swearing.   Jake also smokes and tries to steal away to smoke.  Jake is attracted to the one sister, Cordelia, and checks her out thoroughly a couple of times.  The one aunt is into the New Age way of life/religion/meditating.

-Borrowed from the library.

Ranger's Apprentice #1 The Ruins of Gorlan by John Flanagan

Will has dreamed of being a warrior but he is too small.  Instead he possesses the skills of  a Ranger.  He embarks on an adventure where utilizes his skills against Morgarath, the Lord of the Mountains of Rain and Night.
My ten year old read this book to himself and really enjoyed it.  He read 1/4 of the second book in the series (The Burning Bridge) but is stopping (see "warning").

-We own book #1.

Guided Reading Level: U (5th-6th grade)

Warning: Towards the end of the book the word "damn" is used frequently.  Its usage bothered my son immensely so he is not going to continue reading the series.  In all fairness the library has the book labeled "Young Adult" so that should have been an indicator it contained some mature content.

The Chronicles of Prydain #1 The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander*

Taran lives a simple life in Caer Dallben as an Assistant Pig Keeper (an oracle pig named Hen Wen!) with Dallben (the master) and Coll.  Periodically Dallben reads from The Book of Three where Taran hears about the history and heroes of Prydain.
Now it seems like the Horned King who serves the evil King Arwan is on the move.  Hen Wen senses the evil and escapes from her pen.  Taran pursues but soon finds himself on an unexpected adventure where he meets a variety of interesting characters.
Readers who love The Lord of the Rings will enjoy this journey/quest adventure story.
A phrase I want to remember from the book is "there are times when the seeking counts more than the finding." (pg. 185)
My fourth grader is currently reading the series and is on book #4.
*Highly recommend.
-I own the series (#1-5).
Guided Reading Level: U (5th grade)

Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool*

*Award Winner- Won the John Newbery Medal
Abilene Tucker has traveled the rails with her father, from job to job, town to town all of her twelve years.  Then she develops an infection from a cut.  For her safety, her father sends her on a train to the town, Manifest.  Her father had lived in this town during his youth and was now entrusting her to a man named Shady whom he trusts and respects.  Abilene feels abandoned but soon pursues investigating what her father was like in the 1917-1918's.  Miss Sadie, the town's "diviner", shares stories with Abilene from that time period about two boys named Ned and Jinx, but never does she mention her father's name.
Lots of rich historical contexts and events.  The author does a superb job of developing a setting (based on her family's home town in southeast Kansas) and creating intriguing characters.
This story really captured me.
Strategies: check for understanding/monitoring (the author switches back and forth between time periods-1917 and the current story time 1936); predicting; inferring
*Highly recommend but read the "points to discuss" below.
Points to discuss: World War I, speakeasies/making illegal alcohol; Jinx thinks he killed a man by accident; one phrase where one infers swearing "Get the "l" out of here."; Miss Sadie claims to be a diviner (but really she is observant and cares for people).
Guided Reading Level: U (5th)
*Highly recommend for junior high students.
-Borrowed from the library.

A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park*

Award winning book- John Newbery Medal
Tree-ear has lived under the bridge in Korea with Crane-man for as long as he can remember.  Crane-man has taught him how to live with integrity amidst their poverty.  Tree-ear longs to make beautiful pottery and secretly watches Min, a potter in his village,  create breath-taking pottery.   Then Min discovers his secret admirer and invites him to be his helper.  Min is not kind like Crane-man but one can infer why he is so harsh as his past life is revealed throughout the book.
Very well written.  Excellent word choice and character development.
Guided Reading Level: U (5th grade)
Strategy: word choice/vocab. expansion
 Warning/points to discuss: In ancient Korean history, women committed suicide (jumping off a cliff) instead of surrendering to the invading enemy.  Two men attack Tree-ear while he travels.   **Spoiler Alert- Crane-man dies.
*Highly recommend.
-I own this book.

Inside Out and Back Again by Thanhha Lai*

Award Winner- Newbery Honor Book; National Book Award Winner
Ha, her mother and three brothers leave Saigon in 1975 right before the Communist bomb it.  Their father has been missing in action for years and are reluctant to leave in case he would return home.
This novel in verse reveals the events and emotions a child feels fleeing a country being ruled by evil and adjusting to a country where individuals are a mixture of kindness and insensitivity.
Ms. Lai, the author, actually experienced the events and emotions shared in this book.  It is based on real events in her own life.
Expertly written so the reader feels the frustration and longing Ha experiences as she and her family adjust.
One part particularly upset me when Ha and her family attend church and are baptized so people will accept them more readily.  They had no idea what they were doing. . .only if they were baptized and attended church people would be nicer to them.  A sad commentary on Christians, I think.
Points to discuss: Communism, war, bullies (one child was really mean to Ha), refugees, different cultures
*Highly recommend for junior high (because of the content-see above)
-Borrowed from the library.
Guided Reading Level: U (5th grade)

Passage to Freedom by Ken Mochizuki illustrated by Dom Lee*

"The Sugihara Story"
Told from Hiroki Sugihara's point of view, readers learn how his father, a Japanese diplomat saved 10,000 Jewish refugees while then Sugihara family lived in Lithuania.  Despite the Japanese government's wishes, he issued visas to the refugees in Lithuania.
Mr. Machizuki describes the father's agony as he makes his decision and his personal sacrifice for the refugees.
This story reveals how one person and their selfless love can make a huge difference.
What an amazing story!!
**Highly, highly recommend.
Guided Reading Level : U (5th/6th grade)-probably because of the subject matter
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.2
Borrowed from the library.

The People of Sparks #2 by Jeanne DuPrau*

Lina and Doon have led their people from their underground city, Ember, to an amazing world of color, sights and smells to a village called to Sparks.  At first the people of Sparks welcome them and assist them as they adjust to this new world and way of life.  But then fear takes hold of the Sparks people as they are on the brink of prosperity but with 400 extra mouths to feed . . .
Tick, an Emberite, desires power and will do anything to hold it-even causing friction between the two groups of people.
Lina and Doon's characters are tested but at the end, the reader admires these individuals all the more.
Strategies: inferring, character traits, cause/effect, predicting
*Highly recommend.
Guided Reading Level: U (5th grade)
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.1

Warriors-Into the Wild #1 by Erin Hunter

Rusty is a kittypet (he lives in a house; eats bland cat food; has no adventures) who dreams of excitement.  One day as he ventures into the woods he encounters a breed of cat which he had no idea existed.  From the Thunderclan, these cats capture their own food and live in the elements plus defend their territory from other cat clans. Rusty realizes living like this is what he has been longing for so he leaves his pampered life and goes. . . into the wild.
Lots of excitement as trouble is brewing with the ShadowClan-cat fights, some blood and death.
Admirable characters-

Rusty who is not quick to judge and will do the right thing even if it puts him in danger

 Bluestar is the Thunderclan's fearless leader who must make tough decisions on behalf of her declining clan
Readers who enjoy the Guardians of Ga' Hoole series will love this series too.
Ms. Hunter must have spent hours observing cats and imagining how they would interact in the wild to create such a detailed story!
**At first, I found all of the characters confusing.  Ms. Hunter has provided a list of characters and to which clan they belong.
Guided Reading Level: U (5th grade)
Grade Level Equivalency: 5.2
Points to discuss/warning:  The many characters could make the reading challenging and frustrating at first; violent at times; description of fights; several cats die because other cats killed them; the "cutter" is mentioned-meaning the house cats are neutered.
For some reason our library has this book labeled "young adult"?  Maybe because of the violence.

Number the Stars by Lois Lowry*

Newbery Medal-Award winner
Annemarie and her family reside in Copenhagen, Denmark during the Nazi occupation.  Her best friend is Ellen, a Jew.  When the Germans begin to transport Jews away, Annemarie's family must make decisions that place them in harm's way.
An amazing story to give us a glimpse of the bravery of the Danish people.
*Highly recommend.
Warning: In Ch. 16. pg. 125 word "damn".
Pair with Lauren Tarish's I Survived The Nazi Invasion.
Guided Reading Level: U (5th grade)
Grade Level Equivalent: 5.2

One Day in the Alpine Tundra by Jean Craighead George*

Johnny is camping in the Alpine Tundra.  A monolith is precarious, about to drop. Various animals scurry about, finding viable plant life.
In short chapters, Ms. George describes this habitat in detail from the animal life to plant life to smaller communities within it.
Very descriptive language and lots of scientific vocabulary.
*Highly recommend.
My mother in law, a fourth grade teacher, used this series to begin her ecosystems unit.

One will learn a lot about various habitats by reading this series "One Day in . . ."
The levels on the back of the book claim the books to be third-fourth grade reading levels.  The Guided Reading levels for all the books are "P"-third grade --which is so incorrect!!
 I agree with the GLE this time!
-Alpine Tundra  (the grade level equivalent is 5.1.)
-Desert (GLE-4.5)
-Tropical Rain Forest (5.5)
-Woods (4.7)
-Prairie (4.9)