It has been a couple weeks since I have written a post about books you might like to read.  I’ve read some great books that many of you would really enjoy.  Last week I read Hurry Up Houdini and realized that these Merlin Missions from the Magic Tree House series fit in perfectly with our conversations about self-directed learning and how we are responsible for our own success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Remember our discussion about Anna Maria when she says “either you’re smart oryou’re not” in It’s George.  I think the mission Merlin has sent Jack and Annie of fits with that perfectly. Merlin himself actually shows up in the tree house this time.  He says, “I have been pondering questions about life. For instance, I have been wondering about the idea of greatness.  What are the secrets of greatness?  What makes a person truly great?  …  I cannot answer it by myself, as I do not live in your world – the world of time and mortals.  So, on each of your next four missions, you will meet someone who will help you learn a true secret of greatness.”

Stallion by Starlight, Hurry Up Houdini and High Time for Heroes will be in the classroom ready for you to read after vacation.  We’ll have to wait until May for Soccer on Sunday, about the 1970 World Cup to find out what the last message about greatness is.  So far I totally agree with what Jack and Annie have discovered – greatness doesn’t just happen; it has to be worked for and it constantly changes.  If we follow that advice then our efforts will help us grow.  We’ll each be doing our best and learning more to be even better each day.

I read The Lonely Lake Monster and the Rain Dragon Rescue books 2 and 3 of the Imaginary Veterinary series.  I like Pearl Petal – she always seems to be getting into trouble but she is only trying to figure things out.  There aren’t very many kids in Buttonville since the Button Factory closed and she’s lonely and kind of bored.  Ben Silverstein has come to spend the summer with his grandfather and after their first adventure of rescuing the escaped Sasquatch they have become apprentices of Dr. Woo at the “Worm Hospital.”  The creatures are interesting. The characters – both from the known and the imaginary worlds – are fun.  And the situation are funny.  It is a series I’ll keep building as the books come out.

And finally there is Melonhead and the Vegilicious Disastor.  Melonhead has great friends so when the terrible smell overtakes the house and keeps them outside, they think of ideas to help.  In fact they come to realize it may have been their effort to make Mrs. Melon happy that caused the powerful stink.  You’ll smile your way through the whole book, because while you’ve probably never done anything quite as exaggerated as Adam Melon, I bet you have your own small tales to tell.  The whole Melonhead series is like that.  The new book just came out, Melonhead and the We-Fix-It Company, just came out and I hope I fit reading that into this vacation too.

What are you reading over vacation?  Leave a comment so your friends and classmates can follow your lead to those books too.