Wild River by Rodman Philbrick

 If you enjoyed Wild Fire by Rodman Philbrick you will definitely love this book! 

Daniel is fast asleep on the very first night of a white water rafting trip. Suddenly, he is awake from screams. The dam failed and now the river is rushing towards them. With the help of the adults the kids get to higher ground. They make it... barely. But, the counselors weren't so lucky. Now they are alone, in the wilderness, with limited food and survival supplies. Who knew staying alive could be so difficult? This book of survival is filled with twists and turns and will keep you wanting more.

Nubby's Story

The Dodo: Nubby's Story

By Aubre Andrus

 

A student of mine got this book from our book fair. He couldn't read it fast enough. When done he set it on my desk and said I should read it next. :) I sure love it when students start to recommend books to me.

Nubby's story is a true story about a dog born without two front legs. The owners who adopted Nubby weren't sure if he would make it. Against all odds, Nubby overcomes many obstacles and does it in style. If you like animals you are sure to love this story!

Recommended reading age: 8-12 years old

 

Dragons in a Bag by Zetta Elliott

Dragons in a Bag

By Zetta Elliott

    I picked this book because it is part of the Iowa Children's Choice book list (2021-2022). It is a quick read and when we discovered that there is a second book my son immediately said he wanted to read that too. This book combines what most kids love... magic and dragons!

    Jaxon is sent to spend the day with a mean old lady his mother calls Ma. Ma, Mamma and Jaxon are NOT happy with this situation. That is when Jaxson finds out Ma is not his grandmother; she is a witch! Ma recruits Jaxon into helping her deliver three baby dragons to a magical world where they’ll be safe. There are two rules when it comes to the dragons: don’t let them out of the bag and don’t feed them anything sweet. Unfortunately, it's too late for that! Will Jax get the baby dragons delivered safe and sound? Or will they be lost in Brooklyn forever?

Recommended for ages 8-12

 

 

Greetings from Witness Protection!

 Greetings from Witness Protection!

By Jake Burt

                                            

The U.S. Marshals are looking for the perfect girl to join a mother, father, and son on the run from the nation’s most notorious criminals. It is getting more difficult to hide a family with social media, so they have decided to make them a family of four.

Nicki swears she can keep the Trevor family safe, but to do so she’ll have to dodge hitmen, cyberbullies, and standardized testing, all while maintaining her marshal-mandated B-minus average to blend in. As she tries to balance the responsibilities of her new identity, Nicki learns that the biggest threats to her family’s security might not lurk on the road from New York to North Carolina, but rather in her own past.

I could NOT put this book down! WOW! What a great read!

Reading age: 10-14

 

Rescue Dogs- Ember

 

 

Rescue Dogs- Ember

by Jane B. Mason, Sarah Hines-Stephens

If you love dogs and adventure you will love this book! My third grader and I have been taking turns reading pages and we are hooked! We find ourselves laughing at Ember and relating her curiosity to our 1 year old pup at home. After starting this book we discovered it is a series of 4! We are looking forward to reading the other three books. 

Reading level grades 3-7

Ember is looking for her forever home but she has A LOT of energy. This energy can turn into destruction, which is why she has been brought back after three placements. 

The Sterling family takes rescued dogs and turns them into rescue dogs. Does Ember have what it takes to control her curiosity? 

Blended by Sharon M. Draper

Blended

By Sharon M. Draper

Yes, this is another Iowa Children's Choice Award book, and that is what drew me to it. Although I cannot personally relate to many of the situations in this book it didn't stop me from feeling empathy. Our children are faced with many of these issues today... divorce and racism. Sharon does a wonderful job telling the story from a child's point of view. Isabella copes with these challenges by playing her piano. I highly recommend this book to readers who want to see the world through a different lens. 

Reading level grade 4

 

 

Lemons

 Lemons

By Melissa D. Savage

Lemonade Liberty Witt forgets how to make lemonade out of lemons after her mother dies. Now she is in a strange town, living with her grandfather that she has never met. This place is different and so is the boy she meets... Tobin Sky, CEO of Bigfoot Detectives Inc. Will she end up going back to San Fransisco or will she find her place in this new town?

This book had me crying, laughing and wanting to read more. It is a GREAT read!

630 lexile

grade level 3-7