I’ve been reading lots of different books over the last couple of weeks.  Some of them are just right for in-coming 3rd graders, some are just right for rising 4th graders, some would be fun family read-alouds. A few are in the sidebar.  I hope you’ll check them out…

I’ve been reading and thinking lots about is how we can live so animals can more happily have a place in our world.  This week I read about how conservationists hope to help Cottontail Rabbits (the kind that live in North Hampton).  They are struggling to survive because so much of their habitat has been built upon.  I read more about loons, also endangered because people are vacationing (that would be me and my family 🙁 ) on the lakes they need to nest on. I’m trying to think of how we can add conservation efforts to our CCA inquiry.  Any ideas?  Here are some books you might like to explore.  They are inspiring and hopeful.

Orangutan Orphanage by Suzi Eszterhas tells the story of how people in Borneo are working to rescue this species.  Once common through Southeast Asia and southern China, orangutans can only be found on the islands of Borneo and Sumatra.  Orangutans are amazing mothers.  They are attentive and caring.  They never leave their child’s side for 8 or 9 years.  The babies have constant care and support, but without their moms, babies are unhappy and unhealthy.  Sadly poachers kidnap the  babies to sell as pets – it happens so often that the government has established an Orangutan Care Center.  The purpose of this center is to care for the orphans so they can be reintroduced into the wild.  That means these babies are fostered and loved by people and taught (as best as a human can teach an orangutan) to live in the jungle.  This book shares an amazing story of the efforts of  Dr. Brute Mary Galdikus to create an organization protecting orangutans and teaching us about the importance of conserving the rainforest and caring for these shy gentle creatures.

Blobfish – a book ALL about ME! by Jessica Olien is another book that got me thinking about conservation.   Blobfish live so deep in the ocean, that they were only first discovered in 2003.  We’ve only known about this species for 13 years, but already it endangered.  It is thought that there are only a little over 400 left in the world.  This is because of trawling – a way of fishing by dragging the bottom on the ocean with nets that catches everything and destroys the habitat on the ocean floor – and because blobfish eat anything that floats into their mouths.  So they eat trash if that’s what’s in the water.  They can’t digest trash.  This book is very simple, but it is an interesting introduction to get you thinking about places on earth we know little about.  A fun fact at the end of the books says, “There are likely many animals in the deep sea that haven’t been discovered yet.”  Blobfish says, “Maybe you can help find one of us!”  It’s true you could!

What are you reading?  Do you have anything to recommend?  Leave your suggestions in a comment.   Happy Reading!

Some of the books I read this week are in the sidebar.  I liked some of the a lot and one of them a little, but still I recommend them all.

The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands is on this year’s Great Stone Face list.  I know why.  It is a suspenseful adventure of friendship and intrigue set in 1665.  It seems like a challenging time to live but Christopher Rowe has found comfort in his life.  He has been accepted as an apothecary’s apprentice, with home that he can one day be part of the Guild.  He is lucky to be in this position because he was orphaned AND because his master, Benedict Blackthorn, is kind and caring. Christopher feels his luck everyday as he works beside his master to prepare medicines and salves, potions and ointments.  He is encouraged and questioned, given books of all kinds to read and taught lessons helping him to explore new ideas.  Christopher sees what could be through his best friend, Tom Bailey, the baker’s son who is routinely beaten and shamed.

Christopher is taught that he has been given the tools of his trade by God and that through them he is to find ways to make the world a better place.  He is always to use his skill to do good.  But others challenge that.  A mysterious cult is in search of something they believe the apothecaries have.  They will stop at nothing to reach their goal and so, one by one, are murdering the apothecaries.  The day after his birthday, the day after he solves the mystery of his puzzling gift, and the day after Benedict Blackthorn fall prey to the cult, Christopher receive a cryptic warning.  He must break the code and uncover the key to a terrible secret that could tear the world to apart in the wrong hands.  He has incredible choices to make with hardly any time to weigh the consequences or discover the truth.

This story is full of exciting adventure and heart-stopping suspense.  You’ll be eagerly turning pages to the very end.  One thing is certain – nothing is as it seems.  Even when you get to the end some questions remain.  What would you do in Christopher’s place?

This week I’ve been doing a lot of “beach reading.”  I’ve been reading books that are parts of series that I think beginning 3rd graders might like.  I think you’ll like them too.  You’ll just flip the pages and before you know it – done!  If you look at the bookshelf in the sidebar you can see some of the other titles.  Check them out too.  Happy Reading!

Project Peep and Sweet Peas and Honey Bees by Jenny Meyerhof  are books 3 and 4 of The Friendship Garden series.  These books center around third graders, Anna, Kaya and Reed, who have come together at the school bed at their community garden.  They each have their own passions for growing.  In book 3, Anna figures out a way to bring the classroom chicks into the garden project – though she nearly loses a best friend in the process.  Sneaking and secrets aren’t usually a good choice and they aren’t in this story either.  In book 4 Anna, with the help of her younger brother Collin, works to increase community awareness of the importance of honey bees and the reasons for their declining population.  Did you know that only bee larva eat honey?  Worker bees eat nectar and pollen and the queen bees eat royal jelly.  On top of that, did you know that in its lifetime one honey bee makes only 1 teaspoon of honey?  That’s it!  Think of the jars and bottles of honey people eat.  Standing up for a cause is important – but it isn’t always easy.  You’ll find that out when you read this book.  It’s a fun series to explore.

Lulu’s Mysterious Mission by Judith Viorst is funny.  This is the third book where we meet the obnoxious, Lulu.  Yes, she has gotten better.  She doesn’t always throw a massive tantrum to get her way anymore, but she is still one annoying human being.  That is until Sonia Sofia Solinsky, a trained professional, arrives.  Lulu decides her mission is to get rid of this babysitter asap so her parents  will return from their vacation pronto.  But somehow… though is seems impossible… Sonia Sofia Solinsky is always one step ahead of Lulu.  How is that possible?  You’ll be giggling through the pages as you find out.  I wonder if Lulu has finally changed, or if the next tantrum is just around the corner.  What do you think?

Outback All-Stars by Krisitn Earhart is the 5th in the Race the Wild series. In the books Race the Wild is a reality show where teams of kids, with a show chaperone, race the globe in a giant nature treasure hunt.  The teams are given clues and puzzles to solve.  They have to beat the other teams by using what they know and see to share information about the animals of the world through their ancam device.  Teamwork can be hard, especially when there are strong personalities involved.  But everyone brings something to a team if we allow them to share it and contribute.  What would you bring to a team in the Race the Wild competition? It’s fun to read these books and learn more about the world – its habitats and amazing animals.

That’s what I’ve been reading this week.  How about you?  Let us know in your own post, or leave a comment with a book suggestion.  Next week I’m going to try a couple video posts.  Happy Reading!