I joined the “book-a-day” challenge and so far I’ve been able to meet it and begin my new pile of books. Here are a few I think you will enjoy. The first two are picture books and the third the start of a trilogy. We didn’t do too much with persuasive writing this year, but I know this book will start us off next year. One Word from Sophia begins:
Sophia’s birthday was coming up, and she had five things on her mind – One True Desire and four problems. Her One True Desire was to get a pet giraffe for her birthday. The four problems were… Mother, who was a judge, Father, who was a businessman, Uncle Conrad, who was a politician and Grand-mama, who was very strict.
Sophia comes up with a different kind of argument for each adult in her life. She has to work hard and fast because her birthday is coming soon and nothing is easy. You’ll have to read to the end to find out how masterful Sophia is with the art of persuasion. Does she get her One True Desire?
Do you remember reading Crankee Doodle? I Yam a Donkey – story, pictures and bad grammar by Cece Bell is like that. You’ll snicker all the way through it, laugh out loud at the end and then turn back to the front to start it all over again right away. This book is told by a donkey and a learned sweet potato (a.k.a. yam.) It begins:
Donkey – “I yam a donkey!”
Yam – “What did you say? ‘I yam a donkey?’ The proper way to say that is ‘I am a donkey.”
Donkey – “You is a donkey, too? You is a funny-looking donkey.”
Yam – “No, I am a yam. You are the one who said, ‘I am a donkey.”
Donkey – So you is a donkey- you just said so! Let’s hear your hee-haw donkey!”
And so it goes. The yam tries to teach the donkey how to speak properly and the donkey just doesn’t seem to care. The yam gets pretty frustrated with the donkey, but in the end, does it really matter? Not according to the moral. Ben, this seems like a book you might write. It makes me think of your rib story – fun, funny and totally unexpected.
Suzanne Selfors writes the Imaginary Veterinary series that so many of you love reading. I wondered if her other books would be just right too. That’s why I got Smells Like Dog. It’s the first, and, for sure, I am going to read them all this summer. Once you start you will too. The story is great – the sentences are just right and the chapters aren’t too long. The book is though and I know that might make some of you nervous. Give it a try; you’ll be hooked by chapter nine. The books begins with a letter from the author letting you know it isn’t a sad dog book so you don’t have to worry about that. It also begins on a Sunday morning at the Pudding (that’s the family’s last name) goat farm in Milkydale where no one it seems is particularly happy. It just is, what it is. And then everything changes. First here is untimely death of Uncle Drake. Then Homer inherits his prize possession, a basset hound. And next, the delivery of a silver invitation from the Museum of Natural History pulls Homer from his ordinary, if not boring, farm-life into a treasure hunting life in The City. Coins, cloud machines, lairs, allies and villains. It’s quite an adventure that you won’t want to miss.