If You Plant a Seed by Kadir Nelson*

I loved the over-sized format for this book.  Mr. Nelson's illustrations are always, bold, strong and dramatic.
The book features a rabbit and a mouse planting some vegetables seeds.  When they harvest their crop, a few birds want to join in the eating festivities.  Unfortunately, selfishness consumes them and havoc ensues.
The reader can see what happens when we plant seeds of selfishness and also, seeds of kindness.
A very simple book with a powerful message.
I would use this book on the first day of school to set the tone of the classroom.
Strategy: venn diagram/compare/contrast
*Highly recommend.

Holes by Louis Sachar

Awarding winning book-Newbery Medal
Stanley's family does not have good luck.   They blame everything that goes wrong on the curse placed on his "no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and his future generations.
Then Stanley is falsely accused of stealing a famous basketball star's shoes and sent to youth detention camp.  But this camp is not your typical camp.  To build character, each day the boys must dig holes-five feet wide and five feet deep.    The warden, who runs the camp, is looking for something and is utilizing the boys to do the, literally, dirty work.
I loved how Mr. Sachar interweaves three different stories into one big story (Stanley's, his great-great grandfather's and Zero's).  Very well written in that regard.
Strategies: check for understanding (The chapters flip from modern day to when his great-great grandfather was alive), inferring
Guided Reading Level: V (5th-6th) **I agree with this level more than the 4.6 level.
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.6

I read this book aloud to my kindergartner and third grader after we watched the movie.  I skipped a few parts/sentences as I thought it was not appropriate for them.  Please read the warnings.
Warnings: The counselor, Mr. Pendanski, is quite cruel and demeaning to the boys.  Mr. Sir and the Warden are also cruel but Mr. Pendanski says some awful comments about the boys.  Pg. 150-word "h-ll" included. Pg. 161 the boys talk about how a particular girl would look great in a bathing suit (don't need my boys thinking about that!!).  When Zero escapes it is a bit violent.

The Melody Lingers On by Mary Higgins Clark*

I do not read many adult books anymore. Their content often disgusts me.  But I eagerly read novels written by Mary Higgins Clark.
In her latest novel, Lane, an assistant to an upscale interior designer, finds herself in a romance with Eric Bennett.  His father, Parker Bennett mysteriously disappeared (or died) after he stole his clients' hard earned investment monies.
Through various characters' involvement in Parker and Eric Bennett's lives, the fascinating story unfolds.  Money may cover up crime and wrong doings for a time but one's sins will find them out.
A well paced story and well chosen details.
Ms. Clark is well into her eighties and still can write a well executed novel without filth.  She is proof the "other stuff" is not needed to tell a good story nor needed to have a successful writing career.
*Highly recommend.
Another new book by Ms. Clark is expected to be published in November 2015-All Dressed in White.

The Mother-Daughter Book Club by Heather Vogel Frederick*

Emma's mother, a librarian and three other mothers from a yoga class, decide to bond with their new sixth grade daughters by reading Little Women together and then meeting once a month to discuss the book.
The mothers are thrilled.  The girls are not.
As the girls meet each month, they learn to tolerate and then eventually appreciate each other and their very different personalities and interests.  The mothers also learn about friendship and what kind of mothers the girls need.
Sprinkled with facts about Louisa May Alcott and quotes from Little Women, this book may encourage tweens and teens to read the actual book!
I enjoyed this book and would *highly recommend it to middle school/junior high girls but I am so glad I am not a mother of girls!!  Ms. Frederick captures the cattiness of girls at this age well.
I did not like how the mothers and girls responded to snotty, demeaning Mrs. Chadwick and her daughter, Becca.  I felt like they stooped to the Chadwicks' level.  I would not want my tween or teenage daughter thinking this acceptable behavior in treating one's enemies.
A total of six books in the series.  The girls and their mothers also read: in the other books in the series:  Anne of Green Gables, Daddy Long Legs, Pride and Prejudice, Betsy-Tacy series, and Jane Eyre.  

Everyday Confetti by Karen Ehman and Glynnis Whitwer*

"A Year-Round Guide to Celebrating Holidays and Special Occasions"
This book is loaded with fun, easy ideas for holidays and for making the ordinary day exceptional.
Lots of recipes too.
Christian perspective.
I took tons of notes .  . . .maybe I should just buy the book!!
Other books by this author look excellent too (Keep It Shut, Homespun Memories for the Heart, A Life that Says Welcome)
*Highly recommend.

Rump The True Story of Rumpelstiltskin by Liesl Shurtliff*

My boys loved hearing Jack-The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk by Ms. Shurtliff so much that they wanted to listen to Rump.
I read this book to myself last year but cannot find the blog entry!
Rump lives with his grandmother in The Village and mines for gold in The Mountain.
Rump despises his name and endures merciless taunts and treatments as a result.  Where Rump lives, your name is your destiny.  Having "Rump" for a name is not a promising destiny!!
Rump then discovers that like his deceased mother he can spin straw into gold.  This talent, however, is deep magic and does not bring the happiness and relief he predicted it would.
So he sets off to find his mother's people and to try to change his destiny.
Very exciting adventure with pixies, trolls, and lots of magic!
Recommend reading this book before Jack since some of the characters overlap and the whole story will make more sense.
Looking forward to reading Red The True Story of Red Riding Hood in 2016.
We will be purchasing this book.
*Highly recommend.
Points to discuss/warnings: magic, Rump's aunts are witches
Guided Reading Level: T (4th grade)
Grade Level Equivalent: 4.4

Rhyme Schemer by K. A. Holt

Towards the end of Book Scavenger, the main character was reading Rhyme Schemer, so of course , I had to check it out of the library to read myself!
Kevin is number five in his family; the only one in middle school; "the accident, the oops!"  Petey, the brother before him, treats him with contempt and physically picks on him.  Their parents, both doctors, rarely focus on him and are occupied with their careers.
The result?  Kevin picks on others at school.  He is the bully.
His latest avenue of hurting others is writing poems in his notebook. Then one day he rips a page out of a library book and circles words on the page to make a poem.  Of course poem makes fun of someone.  He posts in the hallway for the school to view.
Then one of his victims finds his poetry notebook and the tables turn. Kevin finds out what it is like to be bullied.  
An interesting point of view-usually books are written from the point of view of the victim.
The book is written free verse poetry.

Strategies: character development, synthesize, figurative language, inferring, compare/contrast with  *Lisa Graff's book-Lost in the Sun*.
Points to discuss/warnings: cruel behavior, Kevin mentions a girl's body part and uses the slang word-(b--b), disrespect to adults, defacing property