I’m starting to feel a touch of blue in and around getting ready for next year. Next week I’ll get my class list. I’ll send out letters to 3E 2017-2018. You’ll be getting your letters too. It’s exciting to think of a new school year, but … I still read with you in mind. All summer long I’ve been finding books that made me think of all of you. Some great new series and some stand alone books that I think you’d all be interested in. This week I’ve read the new Stick Dog and I wonder if Gavin and Zack have read that. I found a new-to-me series called Misty Inn and I think Samantha will really like that. Charise Mericle Harper (author of the Just Grace books) has a new series about a cooking show competition. I think Gabby, Julie and Mackenzie will like that. I think Max and Sully will like Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World. I know you’ll all find your own way to terrific for you books – but if you ever need a suggestion or want to borrow something, please stop by. I’d love to keep sharing books with you from our classroom or on the blog! Let me know what you’re reading too! I love new suggestions. ♥
Here’s some of what I’ve been reading this week. I discovered the Misty Inn series this week. I found it through a review of the 7th book in the series, Teacher’s Pet. I thought it sounded interesting, so I purchased books 5, 6 and 7 at the bookstore. I read them in backwards order and think they’re great – so needless to say, I’ll be getting books 1-4 soon. In book 7 school has just started again, and Willa’s first assignment is to make a how-to presentation to her class. It is supposed to share something important to Willa so the class will get to know her better. There are lots of things Willa could teach people how to do, but it’s challenging to come up with a topic that shares something important too. As you read, you discover that Willa’s family has recently moved from Chicago to Chincoteague. Her family has a new inn and her dad, a chef, runs a restaurant there. The inn is called Misty Inn in honor of Marguerite Henry’s book, Misty of Chincoteague . Family, horses, food and the inn are all important to Willa – finally she creating and cooking with her dad for her how-to topic. Cooking only happens when you can get all the right ingredients… You’ll have to read 
Teacher’s Pet to find out how Willa’s presentation goes. If you have an interest in horses or just like to read about family and friends similar to you, make sure to check this series out. Willa, her brother Sam and friends, Sarah, Lena and Chipper are fun to spend time with.
It’s October and Stick Dog and his pals are hungry again. I bet you can imagine some of the things the friends do in Stick Dog Craves Candy. At first they’re frightened of the witches, but on closer observation they discover that this might be a pretty amazing night. Of course Karen get’s distracted, PooPoo offers to slam into a tree, Stripes comes up with an outrageous plan and Mutt shakes out all the tools he can. In the end, there are several ways that Stick Dog helps his friends to an incredible stash. Nothing new, but fun all the same. If you’re a Stick Dog fan, make sure to check this new addition out.
Light, Camera, COOK is the first book in the Next Junior Chef series. In it four kids meet for the first elimination round of the competition. There’s Rea, who’s learned to cook with her grandmother, Oliver, who’ taken lessons with some to the best chefs in the world, Tate, who’s an inventor who love to mix tastes and cuisines and Caroline, who’s been around great food all her life in her family’s bistro. At the end of the week, one of the kids will be asked to leave. It’s pretty interesting to read about the story behind the tv drama and to read about how these very different chefs can root for and support each other even when they know they may be left behind. I can’t wait to read the next (I’m guessing) three books in the series to find out who wins the competition, but also to discover what the four kids do with all they learn along the way.
What have you been reading this summer? Do you have any suggestions for me? Please share them in a comment. Happy reading – so many books…
…you just found a 
Rachael went to a garage sale. Each stuffed animal cost 5 dollars. How much money did Rachael spend on the 13 stuffed animals that she bought?
You’ll also enjoy The Silver Jaguar Society mysteries by Kate Messner. In the first, 
… you wanted to create your own geode? You could use an egg, some alum and some dye to do it. With adult help, you can grow some beautiful crystals in just three days.
Set the container in a safe place overnight to allow the crystals to grow undisturbed. The longer the eggshell is in the solution, the larger the crystals in the geode will be. 12 to 15 hours is just about right.
There are two pair of Loons nesting on Northwood Lake. We’ve been watching them and keeping an eye out for their chicks. They’ve recently hatched. They are beautiful birds to see and to listen to.
Chicks begin to dive for their own food with they are 12 weeks old. How many days old would they be when they began to fish for themselves?
Once in the air, Loons are fast fliers. They can fly up to 70 miles per hour. In winter they migrate to the Gulf of Mexico, 1,675 miles away. If the loons fly 10 hours a day. How many days will it take them to get to the Gulf of Mexico?
If you like realistic fiction, Claudia Mills is the author for you. Her characters are true – just like kids in our classroom and school! Nora is from a family of scientists. She observes, questions and notes things around her. She’s about to become an aunt, and so her notebook is full of things about babies at home. She’s also looking forward to (and planning on winning) the upcoming science fair at school. But changes in the rules partners her with pink-loving Emma. Ugh! Nora’s world is thrown even more off kilter by the role and fate of the character she been given for the Oregon Trail project. Science experiments with variables and constants meets pinkness and baby visitations. Just when you think Nora can’t stand another thing… turn the page to see what happens. Nora is strong and opinionated – so is Emma. Read The Nora Notebooks – 
Last summer I discovered books by Suzi Eszterhas. She is a wildlife photographer and conservationist. She uses some of the money she raises through books sales to support wildlife organizations and rescue operations throughout the world. This summer I’ve added two books to that collection. 
The second book is 
Mackenzie walked through the gardens at Prescott Park. There were five different gardens. Each garden had 14 daisies, 22 lilies, 17 begonias and 36 marigolds.
Remember our celebration of kindness during the Global Kindness Project, when we read a variety of refugee stories? Well last week I discovered this picture book. I hope you’ll all read it and then share it too. 
Super Turbo
I’ve been in an Elise Gravel phase. You might like a view into her sketchbook where she captures ideas for writing in 
Disgusting Critters series. You can learn about head lice, flies, slugs, and more in a way that will make you shiver and giggle at the same time. Or you might want to explore the picture book, 
smile. And finally you might enjoy