The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister

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The Busy Life of Ernestine Buckmeister should be on a must-read list for parents. Ernestine's parents only want the very best for her, so they enroll her numerous extracurricular activities: yoga, tuba lessons, karate, knitting, water ballet, etc. Ernestine even has a nanny who's main job is to get her to all of her activities. Ernestine is envious of the boy next door, who gets to play in his backyard. Finally, Ernestine decides it's time to take action and she runs away with Nanny to the park. When her parents try to find her, they realize just how hectic Ernestine's life has become. 

So many kids would be able to relate to Ernestine's dilemma, from elementary-aged children all the way through high school. The activities may be different, but the feelings are the same.

Here Comes the Garbage Barge!

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Boy, was I skeptical when I first picked up this book. In fact, I would say I thought the cover was downright creepy. The guy on the front looked a bit scary and I wasn't sure how a book about garbage was going to be interesting enough to keep me reading for 32 pages. 

Jonah Winter's Here Comes the Garbage Barge is based on a true incident that occurred in 1987. This book tells the tale of 3,200 tons of garbage that went on a 162-day journey. While some of the book is fictionalized, it is based on actual events. This is a great book for beginning a discussion on recycling, the environment, reducing our waste, landfills, etc.

The illustrations are unusual and this short video shows how the sets were created. 

Disappearing Desmond

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Anna Alter has created a wonderful read with Disappearing Desmond. The cover does not give the story justice, as it is hard to tell who/what Desmond is and why he would be hiding (which is sort of the point).

Desmond usually disappears into the background at school, play, and recess. No one notices or invites him to play. Eventually, the new girl Gloria notices Desmond and invites him to play. From that day on, Desmond can't remember why he ever wanted to hide. 

Soon, Desmond begins noticing other students that are hiding and becomes a friend to them. 

Ferret Fun

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I love this book! When I first read it, I wasn't sure that the format/topic would be one that would interest kids. However, after reading it for a second time, I noticed the humor in the book that I think kids and adults would enjoy. Fudge and Einstein are two ferrets who are used to relaxing in their hammocks and eating raisins. When Marvel the cat comes to visit, their day is turned upside-down. Marvel thinks they look a lot like rats (and she likes to eat rats).
Einstein and Fudge have to stand up to Marvel and soon they are all getting along together. Karen Rostoker-Gruber has written Ferret Fun with an embedded message that is not overt but enhances the story.

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino

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I stumbled upon this book while looking for memoirs. Although I don’t think this is a memoir, it is a great personal narrative. In the book, a boy and his father spend every Friday going to breakfast together. The story focuses on their walk to the diner and the people that they see along the way. It is a fantastic book for pointing out how to zoom in on a moment and describe the things that are important.

It can also be a great way to help students brainstorm family traditions or rituals that they have that can become a story. 

Guys Read: Funny Business edited by Jon Scieszka

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Jon Scieszka is always putting together great collections to help promote reading among boys. This book is no exception. The stories will capture the interest of any boy who reads them. The stories are each written by several different authors and each one easily holds the interest of the reader. There are several different kind of stories, some realistic, some fantastical, but all entertaining to those who read them.

Blackout

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With such busy lives, it is easy to forget that spending time together as a family is so important. In John Rocco’s book, Blackout, he shows how a child is trying to get the family’s attention to play a board game. When everyone says that they are too busy to play, the child dejectedly walks back upstairs to play video games, alone.

When the city experiences a summer blackout, all the neighbors come outside to visit and stay cool. When the lights finally come back on, everyone begins to return to their normal routine. But as the author states, “Not everyone likes normal.” Soon the family is back playing another game.

The illustrations are fantastic. There are many small details that might be missed if you don’t look carefully. This book could be used to model ellipses. There are several pages where an ellipsis is used . . . correctly.