Wildfire - 7th article in a series of 9

 ***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9.  Go straight to the Title and Author information.

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year.  There are 9 books on the list. This is the 7th blog in a series of 9.

The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.  

Title:  Wildfire

Author:  Rodman Philbrick

Format:  Chapter Book, 224 pages (available in paperback)

This book is a realistic fiction survival story, set in Maine. The boy main character, Sam,  is inadvertently left behind at a summer camp during the chaos of evacuations.  After a day on foot, he discovers a cabin and a jeep.  At this point, he meets up with Delphy, an older teen girl from a neighboring camp who was also left behind.  The odd pair each has strengths that help them survive a total of 5 days in the wildfire infested forests.  

Sam is also dealing with the death of his father (military related) and a mother who has become addicted to pain killers.  Because of these weighty issues, I think this book would be a good read-aloud for a 5th grade classroom or a 4th grade teacher who knows his/her class is mature enough for it.  The chapters are short and fast paced.  I don’t think teachers will have any trouble holding the attention of the class with this action packed story.  

I would recommend this book to kids who like Hatchet by Paulsen and other similar stories.  This would also be good for kids who are interested in reading about natural disasters and more specifically, wildfires.  At the end of the book, there is a section that shares factual information about wildfires including some actual fires that have happened in Maine.  Curriculum connections could definitely be drawn if a class is learning about natural disasters and/or wildfires.  

The author, Rodman Philbrick, has his own website.

Teachers and students might enjoy looking at some of his other books including the classic, Freak the MIghty  and Newbery honor book, The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg.  I was also pleased to find that he has other action/adventure/survival type stories since I always have students asking for more of them.  The website also has a link to an official video book trailer for Wildfire.

A Wolf Called Wonder - 6th article in a series of 9

 ***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9.  Go straight to the Title and Author information.

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year.  There are 9 books on the list. This is the 6th blog in a series of 9.

The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.  

Title:  A Wolf Called Wander

Author:  Rosanne Parry

Format:  Chapter Book, 256 pages (available in paperback)

This story is told from a wild wolf’s point of view.  It is an action-packed survival story from leaving his pack family after being attacked by a rival wolf pack to wandering through different lands and environments to finally finding a new home territory.  The book is based on an actual Oregon wolf who had a tracking collar installed when he was a pup.

This book could make a good classroom read-aloud, especially if the class likes action/survival types of stories and/or stories about animals.  I think it would be best for 4th and 5th grades.  It could work for 3rd grade as well, but the story is a little longer than some of the others on the WAW list.  Also, the story doesn’t have true dialogue because of the realistic animal characters.  The author’s descriptive writing is excellent, but younger readers/listeners might not be as apt to stick with the story.  There are quite a few illustrations in the book that really add a lot as you are reading.  It would be good if the teacher could project the pictures (using a document camera) while reading.  

If a teacher is contemplating reading A Wolf Called Wander, I would encourage him/her to look for some curriculum connections. Obviously, it is about a wolf in the wild and the reader can learn so much about wolf behavior from this book. In addition, this book could be tied to lessons about habitats, biomes, ecosystems, and symbiotic relationships in nature. (My favorite part of the book was learning about how ravens and wolves can pair up and work together for survival.) At the back of the book there is a map that shows where the actual Oregon wolf (OR-7) journeyed. This could be tied into a maps skills lesson. 

The author, Rosanne Parry, has her own website. I think kids will find it interesting that she writes her books in a treehouse! Also on the website is a Teacher’s Guide for the book. This guide has a lot of great ideas about using the book in the classroom. My favorite was an activity where students go to this website about wolf OR-7 and then create a list of equipment needed for a wildlife explorer to join the expedition that traced the wolf’s route. 

Whenever I recommend a book as a read-aloud for teachers or parents, I encourage them to read the book themselves first. However, I know that time constraints can keep that from happening. So… I always look for possible “trouble spots” - places in the story that might take the reader by surprise. Sometimes it’s a cuss word or a topic that might be “touchy” for a teacher or parent to read aloud. Other times it might be a “trigger topic” - death of a parent, difficult family situations, etc. This book only has one scene that I would forewarn a teacher or parent about. In the scene, the wolf (narrator) witnesses a new baby foal horse being born. The birth is described in graphic detail. There was nothing wrong with this section in the book. It just took me by surprise and might spur questions from kids who have never seen the birth of an animal. I would just want the teacher/parent to be prepared and not caught off-guard.

Because of the Rabbit - 5th Article in a series of 9

 ***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9.  Go straight to the Title and Author information.

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year.  There are 9 books on the list. This is the 5th blog in a series of 9.

The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.  

Title:  Because of the Rabbit

Author:  Cynthia Lord

Format:  Chapter Book, 208 pages (available in paperback)

Emma and her game warden father rescue a small bunny.  She convinces him to let her keep it.  The following day she starts public school for the first time after years of being home schooled. She hopes to make a best friend, especially since her older brother has been too busy with his own school activities.  She is paired up with Jack for a school project, but Jack has trouble fitting in with his classmates (possibly on the autism spectrum). Emma and Jack form a bond, but will it keep Emma from finding her new best friend?  

This book is one that I can confidently recommend as a classroom read aloud to any teacher.  I mentioned in the first article in this series that Lety Out Loud by Cervantes could be read to a 3rd grade classroom.  Well, Because of the Rabbit is the other one!  I know teachers will appreciate the themes of acceptance and friendship, especially as it relates to students on the autism spectrum or even students that just struggle to fit in with their classmates.  Any teachers that are looking for a fresh, new read-aloud book for the beginning of the school year and want something that will encourage classroom cohesiveness, this would be my recommendation!

The author, Cynthia Lord, is one of my favorites.  I often recommend her book, Rules, to students and teachers who are looking for a book similar to Wonder by Palacio. Cynthia has a knack for writing authentic characters who are disabled yet yearn to be treated as normal kids.  You can find her author website here:  www.cynthialord.com 

Her bio on the website is really good and one that her young readers will enjoy.  She also has resources on her website for some of her books, but it doesn’t include anything for Because of the Rabbit yet.

Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen - 4th article in a 9 part series

 ***Skip the intro if you have already read any of the blogs in this series of 9.  Go straight to the Title and Author information.

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year.  There are 9 books on the list. This is the 4th blog in a series of 9.

The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list.  

Title:  Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen

Author:  Niki Lenz

Format:  Chapter Book, 240 pages (available in paperback)

Bernice has been a bully all her life.  She has a chance to start over when she moves to a small town in Missouri to live with her aunt, who is a Catholic nun.  This is a 1st person narrative and is very funny.  There is some “farts and boogers” style of humor, but the story is also very heart-warming.  

This could be a fun read-aloud as long as the teacher is comfortable reading about the butts, farts, and boogers. I can promise you that most 9, 10, and 11 year olds will find it hilarious when you read those parts out loud!  If that’s not your style, then you might steer clear of this one and encourage your students to read it on their own.

Either way, this book is deeper than the superficial humor.  Kids might actually empathize with the bully and why she acts in a certain way. The 1st person narrative gives the reader a unique perspective, and before you know it, you are rooting for Bernice all the way. 

There are some things to keep in mind while reading this aloud or even recommending it to your students. Bernice’s mom is an awful person, but the book kind of side-steps the deeper issues of this family dynamic.  I’m glad the author chose to write it this way because the story’s focus stays positive and heart-warming.  It could be a story about emotional abuse, but then its audience would be more middle school-ish and the overall tone would be completely different. 

The author is local (from Kansas City, MO.)  She has a great author website and is obviously eager to connect with her readers as well as teachers, parents, and librarians.  If you subscribe to her mailing list, she will send a free Bernice Buttman, Model Citizen comprehension guide.

Shine! (3rd Article in a 9 Part Series)

 ***Skip the intro if you have already read the 1st or 2nd blog in this series of 9.  Go straight to the Title and Author information.

***This blog entry is for teachers’ (and parents’) eyes only! It is intended to help teachers learn about the books on the William Allen White nominee list for this year, and then make decisions about how they might want to use some of these books during the upcoming school year.  There are 9 books on the list. This is the 3rd blog in a series of 9.

The William Allen White Book Award is for kids in the state of Kansas to vote each year for their favorite from a list of nominated books. If you are a 3rd - 5th grade teacher in Kansas, this blog will hopefully be very useful. But even if you teach a grade level adjacent to these grades or teach somewhere other than Kansas, I think you will find some useful information regarding some books that have made it to the 2021-22 WAW nominated list. 

Title:  Shine!

Author: J.J. and Chris Grabenstein

Format:  Chapter Book, 224 pages (paperback available starting Sept. 14, 2021)

This is a really fun, feel good book.  7th grader, Piper, is trying to fit in at an elite private school.  She has a great relationship with her dad.  Her mother has died, but the story doesn’t revolve around that issue except that her dad teaches school rather than pursuing a career as a Broadway musical writer in order to provide stability for Piper.  Dad has just landed a job as a music teacher at the new school, hence the reason for Piper to be at a “new to her” school.  She finds a small group of friends even though there are some snooty “villains” as well.  The story focuses on Piper’s desire to “shine” in some way.  However, she is the type of kid who blends in, not the one to stand out.  She doesn’t have her father’s musical abilities, but eventually she finds a way to “shine” even though she doesn’t think she is very talented.  

This book would make a really good classroom read-aloud, especially for 4th and 5th grades.  I think it could work for 3rd graders as well, however, it’s a pretty big age gap between the listening audience and the protagonist. On that note, though, there isn’t any content in this book that makes me wary of 3rd-5th graders reading it, even though the protagonist is a 7th grader and the setting is a middle school.  

Teachers and parents will love this book because it teaches kids that kindness is always rewarded, even if the reward is delayed or is only realized intrinsically.  It also teaches that kindness can come in many forms and doesn’t matter how big or small the act of kindness is.   3rd-5th graders will like this book because the theme of kindness doesn’t come across as “preachy” or didactic.  They will be pulled in by the authentic characters and situations.  As a bonus, kids who like science will enjoy that Piper loves science (especially aeronautics and space science) and has a great science teacher.  

This book is written by Chris Grabenstein (of the Mr. Lemoncello book series fame) and his wife, J.J. Grabenstein.  This is a debut novel for them as a writing team. The Grabensteins have a knack for showing us a glimpse of the musings and motives of the antagonists (Ainsley in this story) as well as our unlikely heroine, Piper.  I think this gives kids authentic perspectives to be able to see why people act the way they do.