Category: 5th Grade

Music for Tigers

11/9/2021

Louisa wants nothing more than to spend the summer rehearsing with her violin for her big audition with the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra. But her environmentalist parents have other ideas. They went off on an expedition observing toads and sent Louisa to stay with her uncle in the wilds of the Tasmanian jungle in Australia. At first Louisa is scared stiff of the spiders and snakes that could be lurking in any corner, but soon she learns that even more fantastic creatures may be lurking in the jungle. Creatures like the widely-believed to be extinct Tasmanian Tiger. As she learns more about the history of Tasmania and her family she becomes determined to find and save the enigmatic creature that seems drawn to her music. But with her uncle's home set to be bulldozed, will she be able to find it before it's too late?

This is an excellent read for music and animal lovers everywhere. The book completely transported me to Tasmania and made me fall in love with its native fauna. Even tasmanian devils are cute as babies. Louisa is a great character who grows immensely over the course of the book and watching her friendship bloom with Colin was a delight. Highly recommended.

Music for Tigers by Michelle Kadarusman

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
tags:

The disability experience

11/9/2021

20% of Americans have a least one disability. Many innovations aimed at adapting the environment to their needs have had wide-reaching benefits from closed captioning to curb cuts. How can we further understand the disability experience past, present, and future? What stereotypes exist that hurt all of us? How can we better understand each other and celebrate the diversity that exists in the world? To find the answers to these questions and more, check out The Disability Experience!

This is a great overview of the many varied experiences of people with disabilities presented in a fun, accessible way for teens. Because it covers such a wide range of topics from sensory to physical to intellectual disabilities the book doesn't go too far in depth to any one. This would be a great, eye-opening introduction that will hopefully inspire more reading and dialogue.

The Disability Experience: Working Toward Belonging by Hannalora Leavitt

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
tags: disability, nonfiction, SEL, social justice

Wink

11/9/2021

Some kids crave popularity, but Ross just wants to be ignored. He hates the spotlight and would rather just doodle comics quietly while his peers look past him. This is hard when he becomes "cancer kid." At first the whispers around him at least contain fake sympathy, but when his treatment leaves him with a permanent squint, dripping eye goo, and a ridiculous protective hat, the whispers turn to outright disgust and cruel memes about him start circulating. Luckily he has one friend who has stuck by him and a new-found love for music. Will Ross's performance at the talent show be epic? Or will it be another mortifying moment he'd rather forget?

This book, based on the author's own experiences, has a lot of heart and a surprising amount of humor. An excellent choice for anyone looking for a realistic fiction book. Highly recommended.

Wink by Rob Harrell

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, friendship, humor, school stories, SEL

Show Me a Sign

11/9/2021

In Chilmark, everyone knows sign language. Even hearing people use it to communicate regularly, which comes in handy when neighbors can talk across distances with the use of a telescope. Most families on the island are a blend of deaf and hearing. Mary has never left her island and sees all this as normal, so she is shocked when a scientist arrives and says it's rare to be deaf. She starts to understand how deaf people are treated on the mainland by observing how this outsider treats them. But nothing could prepare her for the shock of leaving her island and seeing for herself.

I absolutely adored this historical fiction novel. It blends together so many fascinating aspects of history from the prevalence of deaf people on Martha's Vineyard and the sign language they created, to the history of the native Wampanog people. Mary is a great protagonist and I eagerly followed her adventures and was grateful for her insight. Highly recommended for fans of history or those want to learn about Deaf culture.

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
tags: disability, family life, historical fiction, mystery

Girl Who Stole an Elephant

11/9/2021

When a villager gets injured and needs money for a doctor, Chaya knows just where to get it. She sneaks into the Queen's chambers while everyone is distracted with a party and steals her jewels. But when her best friend gets blamed for the crime, she knows she has to save him. Soon she's fleeing through the jungle on the King's own elephant. With the King's guard hot on her heels and the dangers of the jungles all around her, Chaya plots to save herself and the rest of the villagers under the King's cruel reign.

I loved the adventures of this young Robin Hood and the Sri Lankan setting was like a character to itself. This fast-paced novel provides plenty of excitement and animal lovers will love the story too. Great for children looking for an adventure or as a read-aloud.

The Girl Who Stole An Elephant by Nizrana Farook
Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th
tags: adventure, animals, fast-paced, friendship, global perspectives, People of Color, social justice

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame

11/9/2021

Meera longs to learn how to read and write, but when her father sees her spying on the boys' lessons, she is punished. Meera's life has been focused on learning how to be a good wife. Her thirteenth birthday is approaching, and when it arrives she will move out of her parents' house and into her husband's. She dreads the day, but when it finally comes something even worse happens, and she is forced to flee for her life. She finds work in the house of a British officer. She is safe, but his contempt for her people is clear. When she gets a chance to join the revolution will she risk that safety to fight for her people, or will her husband's family find her before she even gets the chance?

Meera is a strong and resourceful heroine fighting her way out of impossible situations. A lot of fascinating historical detail is included but it's revealed naturally. The plot is both fast-paced and thought-provoking as Meera is faced with difficult decisions. Highly recommended.

Strong as Fire, Fierce as Flame by Supriya Kelkar

Erica's Picks
5th - 8th
tags: fast-paced, global perspectives, historical fiction, issues fiction, People of Color, social justice

Roll With It

10/20/2021

Ellie loves her grandparents, so when her grandfather starts getting dementia and her mother decides to move in with them, she is thrilled. Maybe she can even win the local baking contest her grandmother always talks about. The only downside is starting at a new school. Ellie's mother worries that the small school will not have the same supports for a student with cerebral palsy as her old one. Ellie just wants to be left alone without having an awkward aide follow her around all day. At first her new school seems impossible to survive. But as Ellie makes new friends and new recipes she learns how to roll with all the unexpected changes.

This is a funny and sweet story about family and friendship. Bakers will appreciate Ellie's culinary efforts and letters to her favorite chefs. There's some serious issues touched upon, but it never feels heavy as Ellie's sense of humor shines through. Recommended for child bakers and fans of heart-warming tales.

Roll with It by Jamie Sumner
Erica's Picks
4-6th grade
tags:

Canyon's Edge

9/18/2021

One year ago Nora's family went out for dinner to celebrate her birthday. One year ago, Nora's mother was killed when a shooter opened fire in the restaurant. Ever since, her father has kept her close and withdrawn from everyone else, even pulling Nora out of school. This year for Nora's birthday her father has chosen a remote celebration, miles from the nearest person. They get out their gear to explore a slot canyon. But when the worst happens, their remote location means no one can hear their cries for help. So it's up to Nora to survive, find her father, and save them both.

This novel starts and ends in prose but when Nora is fighting for survival in the canyon it switches to powerful verse. The story moves quickly as her situation goes from bad to worse and death seems inevitable. Watching Nora fight is thrilling and inspiring as she combats the real environment around her and the memories that have haunted her ever since her mother's death. A quick, impactful read.

The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling

Erica's Picks
4th - 6th grade
tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, fast-paced, mental illness, novels in verse, survival

The Longest Night of Charlie Noon

9/18/2021

Charlie had a lot of friends in London, but now that they've moved back to the small town where her father grew up, she only has Dizzy. They're both outcasts: Charlie because she doesn't act the way a girl "should", and Dizzy because Polio left him with a permanent limp. Johnny takes a particular delight in tormenting them, but one day he takes it too far. He lures them into the woods with a plan to scare them, but soon all three are lost. As night descends they become trapped in a nightmare where the normal rules don't apply. If they want to survive to dawn, they'll have to rely on each other and keep their wits about them. The woods have more than one trick in store for them, and the morning seems like it will never come.

This is a short and fast-paced adventure that plays with time and history as well as secret codes and science. Great for anyone looking for a spooky mystery to crack.

The Longest Night of Charlie Noon
by Christopher Edge

Erica's Picks
3rd - 5th
tags: adventure, fast-paced, historical, mystery, science fiction

Turtle Boy

9/18/2021

Will loves turtles, but he hates being called turtle boy. The specimens he collects from the nature preserve behind his school are silent but supportive friends he can study and understand. The kids at school, on the other hand, only call him "turtle boy" because of his small chin. It turns out to be more than just a cosmetic concern, and the doctor says he'll need corrective surgery soon. But Will has been terrified of hospitals ever since his father unexpectedly died during a routine operation. Then his rabbi assigns Will to cheer up a RJ, a teen dying from an incurable illness, as his community service project for his Bar Mitzvah. Both boys seem to hate it at first, but Will's life changes in ways he never would have believed once he discovers RJ's bucket list and becomes determined to help him finish it.

This is such moving story that I didn't even mind the buckets of tears it made me cry. All of the characters are well drawn and learning about their interests from herpetology to drumming was fascinating as well. Highly recommended, but have the tissues ready.

Turtle Boy by M. Evan Wolkenstein

Erica's Picks
4th - 7th
tags: character driven, contemporary fiction, family life, friendship, SEL, tear jerker