The Floating House by Scott Russell Sanders illustrated by Helen Cogancherry*

 What a fascinating piece of history!! The McClures float on their floatboat from Pittsburgh, PA to the Indiana territory. This book describes their exciting encounters and beautiful scenery on this journey. When they reach the settlement, they disassemble their flatboat and use its wood to build their home!

I wish author had included an "author's note" at the end to confirm that this book was based on fact. I had to look online to see if settlers actually traveled this way (they had😄).

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Sal Boat by Thyra Heder*

 Despite scoffing and questions from friends and family, Sal is determined to build a boat so he can be out on the water on the waves by himself. He gathers materials from various places and people around town. He doesn't want anyone's help. He, however, has forgotten one vital part of boating.

I loved the extra dialogue handwritten in the illustrations and Sal's creativity.

Considerations: His parents are divorced; written in one illustration is the song "---bottles of beer on the wall..."

*Highly recommend.

-Borrowed from the library.

Carry on, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham**

-A Newbery Medal winner

 My friend has been sharing with me for years how much she and her family love this book. Finally, I decided to add it to our school reading list. My eighth grader will be reading this novel as part of his literature course this coming school year.

In an engaging narrative format, Ms. Latham shares with reader's Nathaniel Bowditch's life and progress to become a self-educated man and an eventual publisher of his book, The American Practical Navigator. Mr. Bowditch is an impressive, tenacious man-a worthwhile historical figure to study and for teens/children to admire. Individuals who love mathematics will relate to Mr. Bowditch as he often says, "It's simple mathematics." As I read this book, I thought of my mother-in-law and husband . . .both who are very intelligent and who love mathematics. I am confident that my eighth grader will relate to Mr. Bowditch and will thoroughly enjoy this account. 

**Highly, highly recommend.

I own this book.

Float by Daniel Miyares*

A father constructs a newspaper boat for his son.  A gray, rainy day he takes this precious boat outside to float in streams in the street.  Unfortunately the stream currents are quite strong and lead the boat on its own adventure.  After a chase, the boy finds his boat ruined.  Dejected his returns home with the sopping newspaper in his hand.  The story does not end on this dismal note.  Like all great dads, this father comes up with an idea to raise his son's spirits.
Wordless.
Strategies: story elements, inferring, sequencing, cause/effect
I love the end pages (they show how to construct two modes of transportation out of newspaper)!
*Highly recommend.

Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome

Four siblings are spending the summer along England's Lake District.  Their father, who is away at sea, gives them permission to camp out on an island.  When they land their boat, Swallow, on the island, they see signs that someone else has made a camp there.  Soon adventures begin as they encounter a surly man living in a houseboat and two rambunctious sisters (The Amazons) who declared war on them.
Full of adventure yet it took me awhile to read the book (older English).  I am not sure how readers in modern times would like the book?
Youngsters nowadays are clueless about playing in this imaginative manner and playing unsupervised.  I am curious how readers today would respond to this book.  Would they be able to relate to these children's imaginations and their ability and willingness to problem solve?
I really liked the mother -she played along with their imaginations and gave them enough space to play and take risks.

Strategies: check for understanding, schema (boating terms, pirates, 1930's England, Robinson Crusoe)

What This Story Needs is a Pig in a Wig by Emma J. Virjan*

A wonderful new addition to the beginning reader collection!
All the words are either sight words, easy to sound/find chunks, or supported by illustrations.
As the story builds, the words on the page are in the same word family.
Recommend this book for K-1st classroom libraries.
Hopefully Ms. Virjan will be writing more books like this one!
I read this with my preschooler and he reread it to himself several times.
**Highly, highly recommend.