Ms. P's Picks!

Must-read Books for Grades 3-5

              

 

New Books Spring 2008

The Name of this Book is Secret by Pseudonymous Bosch (FIC BOS)

A Week in the Woods by Andrew Clements (Author of Frindle) (FIC CLE) **Funny

My Teacher is an Alien Series: My Teacher Flunked the Planet by Bruce Coville (FIC COV) **Funny

Top Ten ways to Ruin the First Day of School by Kenneth Derby (FIC DER) **Funny

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney (FIC KIN)  **Funny

Fairy Haven & the Quest for the Wand (sequel to Fairy Haven and the Quest for the Egg)  (FIC LEV)

Madison Finn Series: Play It Again by Laura Dower (FIC DOW)

The Midnight Library: Voices **Scary

Babymouse 5: Heartbreaker

Eragon by Christopher Paolini (FIC PAO)

Clemency Pogue: the Hobgoblin Proxy (FIC PET)

The Fairy's Return (FIC LEV)

Coming Soon...

Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians  **Funny mystery

Lawn Boy  **Funny

Ten Ways to Make My Sister Disappear

 

& & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & & &

 

Happy Kid! by Gail Gauthier (FIC GAU) 5 only

Meet Kyle.  He just started junior high.  Due to an unfortunate bus incident last year & being moved into accelerated classes, he’s lost his friends.  When his mom buys him a self-help book called Happy Kid: A Young Person's Guide to Satisfying Relationships and a Happy and Meaning-filled Life, he only agrees to read it because Mom offers to pay him!  But the book seems to have a mind of its own and may come in more handy than he anticipated…

Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay (FIC MCK) 4, 5

Saffron.  Cadmium.  Indigo.  Permanent Rose.  What kind of names are these?  Well, they make sense if your mum and dad are artists.  And you live in a house with a pink shed.  And your brother makes pancakes for dinner.  And your little sister eats paint (well, it is edible paint).  What if one day you learned you had been adopted and your granddad got sick before he could deliver your statue of an angel from your first home in Italy?  Would you go to Italy to find your angel along with your wise cracking new friend Sarah?  Would you ever forgive your family for not telling you the truth?     ALSO READ INDIGO’S STAR
 

BFF by Judy Blume (FIC BLU) 4, 5

Have you ever had a good friend who suddenly wanted to be friends with people you didn’t like?  Or have you ever grown tired of an old friend and wanted to hang out with new people?  Judy Blume’s newest novel deals with the problems of new friends, old friends, growing apart and keeping friends.

 
Did you like this book?  Try these other Judy Blume books: Blubber, Deenie, and tons more!   

The Man Who Was Poe by Avi (FIC AVI) 5 only

It is night.  Edmund is alone. 
His mother is gone.
His aunt, who went in search of her, is dead.
His sister has disappeared. 
Edmund has no one.
Except for a dark, mysterious stranger who promises to help Edmund, nut often hinders him….
 

The Rules by Cynthia Lord (FIC NEW LOR) 4, 5

Catherine just wants a normal life.  But that’s hard when your family revolves around a little brother with autism.  Especially you spend your time trying to stop him from embarrassing you!  That’s why Catherine begins teaching David the RULES of how the world works.  But when Catherine makes some surprising new friends, it’s her own shocking behavior that makes her question: what is NORMAL?

The World According to Humphrey by Betty G. Birney (FIC BIR) 3, 4, 5

Humphrey is a hamster.  He loves school in Room 26 until Ms. Mac leaves and Mrs. Brisbane returns!  Mrs. Brisbane does not like furry creatures, especially ones with a sense of humor!  Still, he gets to go home with a different student each weekend and learns a lot about the students in his class.  If only Mrs. Brisbane wasn’t out to get him…
 

ALSO READ… Friendship According to Humphrey & Trouble According to Humphrey

Bone Series by Jeff Smith (GF SMI) All

The Bone cousins—Smiley, Phony & Fone—are kicked out of Boneville when the people get tired of Phony’s get rich quick schemes.  The cousins become separated and each finds their own path to a strange valley filled with creepy rat creatures, the beautiful Thorn and her feisty fightin’ Granma!  Their future looks good, except for the strange hooded figure looking for Phony…

Clemency Pogue: Fairy Killer by JT Petty (FIC PET) 3, 4

Everyone knows that saying “I believe in fairies” once saved a very famous fairy, Tinkerbell’s, life.  But when Clemency Pogue shouts several times “I DON’T believe in fairies,” she doesn’t expect several good fairies to drop dead!  Especially not the Tooth Fairy!  Now Clemency must restore the balance of good fairies or the bad fairies will take over the world!

Bunnicula by James Howe (FIC HOW & FIC HO) 3, 4, 5

Can a rabbit be a vampire?  That’s what Chester the cat thinks!  When his owners bring home a bunny they found at a Dracula movie and name him Bunnicula, strange things start happening.  Like all the vegetables turning white?  And what about the strange marks on Bunnicula that look like a cape?  Chester is determined to prove Bunnicula is dangerous but Harold the dog defends his new friend.  Can Chester convince Harold & their owners before it’s too late?

ALSO READ...Howliday Inn, Celery Stalks at Midnight, Return to Howliday Inn, Bunnicula Strikes Again and Bunnicula Meets Edgar Allen Crow.  Companion series...Tales from the House of Bunnicula by Howie the Puppy

Dog Friday by Hilary McKay (FIC MCK) 4, 5 By the author of Saffy's Angel

What if you were once attacked by a dog so badly you were in the hospital?  Would you become friends with your cool new neighbors even if they had a dog?  What if you found a starving, abandoned dog  on the beach?  Would you be able to help it, even though you were terrified?

Ramona Quimby, Age 8 by Beverly Cleary (FIC CLE) 3

Before there was Judy Moody or Junie B. Jones, there was Ramona Quimby! If you looked up the word TROUBLE in the dictionary, you’d find Ramona!  She doesn’t mean it but somehow trouble just finds her!  Fighting with boys, breaking eggs on her head and—throwing up in school!  That’s Ramona Quimby at age 8!

ALSO READ…Ramona’s World, Beezus & Ramona, Henry & Ribsy, The Mouse on the Motorcycle, & more…

Clementine by Sara Pennypacker (FIC PEN) 3

If you like Judy Moody, Ramona & Junie B. Jones…meet Clementine!
 
Clementine always gets in trouble!  She doesn’t mean to get in trouble, she just sometimes forgets the rules.  Like answering the phone in the Principal’s office.  Or cutting off Margaret’s hair.  Or  maybe she’s just having a BAD week?!

Judy Moody Gets Famous by Megan McDonald (FIC MCD) 3

Meet Judy Moody.  She has good moods.  And bad moods.  She has a mood for every occasion!  Today she’s in a jealous mood when Jessica Finch, Know-it-all Queen of the Spelling Bee, gets her picture on the front page of the newspaper!  So Judy is determined to be at least as famous—or maybe infamous—as Jessica!  Join Judy, her brother Stink, and best friend Rocky on this funny adventure!  Read the whole series!  And the Stink series too!

My Name is Stilton, Geronimo Stilton (ER MY in the "Funny Books" basket) 3

Who is Geronimo Stilton?  Only the best writer in New Mouse City!  Geronimo runs a newspaper and likes normal things like plain pizza and bland American cheese.  Until one day he hires Pinky Pick to be his assistant, and his life changes from normal to a great adventure!

A Girl, a Boy and a Monster Cat by Gail Gauthier (ER GAU in "Funny Books" basket) 3

All Brandon wants to do after school is watch TV.  But his mom sends him to Hannah's house 3 times a week.  Hannah doesn’t watch TV.  She makes up games about spies, cave explorers and pirates.  Even though Brandon has to play them, the best parts always go to her cat!  But when a crazy Chihuahua moves in next door, will Brandon finally get to play the hero and save Hannah?