Dunc's Doll

Dunc's Doll is one of many titles within the Culpepper Adventures series written by Gary Paulsen. In a nutshell, the Culpepper Adventures series is about two boys, Dunc and Amos, who seek out and solve mysteries both by calculated and accidental methods. Dunc and Amos visit a traveling antique doll show learn about a doll Charles Dicken's daughter owned. The adventure begins when the doll was stolen. Dunc and Amos set out to uncover the thief and return the doll. The boys develop a plan which includes dressing up like a girl and distracting a guard dog. Dunc's Doll will guide you through their hilarious adventure of solving the crime surrounding the stolen doll formally owned by Charles Dicken's daughter.

MY TWO CENTS WORTH:
As one of my favorite authors, I eat up anything he writes and publishes. The Culpepper Adventure series has to be one of my favorite series to read. They are short adventure packed books riddled with funny and identifiable moments. Dunc and Amos, the main characters throughout the Culpepper Adventure series, lead you through many engaging and hilarious adventures. Although Dunc's Doll is a book about a collector's doll, it is a book in which boys of all ages will enjoy reading. In fact, I am confident many readers will seek out other books within the Culpepper Adventure series so they can discover what Amos and Dunc are up to.

AR Quiz: 100%

Mr. Peabody's Apples

Mr. Peabody's Apples is a story about how words have tremendous power and influence. In this children's story written by Madonna, Tommy sees Mr. Peabody take the shinniest apple for the store without paying for it. Tommy immediately assumes that Mr. Peabody is a theif and tells all who would listen. Soon the boys who usually play baseball on Saturday don't come and play because they don't want to play with a theif. Another boy, Billy, talks with Mr. Peabody and discovers that Mr. Peabody pays for the apple and milk early every Saturday morning but picks the apple up on his way home from the baseball game. Tommy is sad he spread a rumor. Tommy appologizes, yet he doesn't quite get it. Mr. Peabody has Tommy meet him at the baseball field with his feather-filled pillow. They cut open the pillow and spread the feathers. Mr. Peabody then tells Tommy that each feather represents someone in the town who heard the rumor he spread. Tommy then realized how words can spread fast and influence other people.

MY TWO CENTS:
The story or fable is simple, yet powerful. I enjoyed its simplicity. The artwork is also fantastic.

100% on the AR quiz. ")

Three Names

The author of Sarah, Plain and Tall wrote a lovely children's book called Three Names. Three Names is a simple book about the days when children on the prairie road a wagon, a horse, a pony or walked to a one room school house. In this enjoyable story, a boy and three names (the boy's dog) loved to go to school and they missed it when school was out for the summer.

MY TWO CENTS:
The story transports me back to the days when children did attend a one room school house. I spent a moment or two reflecting on what it would be like to have a multiage classroom and try to meet the academic and social needs of the students in the class. I have to hand it to the early school house teachers, they had their work cut out for them.

Criss Cross

Lynne Rae Perkins was the 2005 Newberry Award recipient for her book Criss Cross. This is a becoming of age story that takes place during the summer months. Each chapter reveals the thoughts and youthful actions of three main boys and two main girls. They live in a small town named Seldem. Many of the five are bored with their small town and all the plain people. As the summer months pass, they begin to discover new things about the town, the people and each other. In the end, they begin to discover that the happiness many of us are searching for is right in front of you.

MY TWO CENTS:
Cute book about discovering and noticing new things about old things. I enjoyed how Lynne Rae Perkins introduced the main characters and intertwinded their lifes throughout the chapters of the book. This was a pleasant read, especially after recently finising The Sorrows of Young Werther by Goethe.

The title Criss Cross came from the radio show the five characters listened to in Leon's truck while parked in the driveway. The radio show was one of the many times these five characters paths criss crossed throughout their life.

I received 100% on my AR quiz.

Big Chickens

Big Chickens written by Leslie Helakoski is a delightful book about four chickens who were frightened away from their chicken coop due to the presence of a wolf. Their flight took them through the woods, into a ditch, to a lake, into a cow patch and then inside a cave. All along these four chickens were scared and frightened. In the end, they discovered they were filled with guts, brains and power and didn't need to be afraid.

MY TWO CENTS
Some of the simplest stories turn out to be little favorites. Big Chickens was a gift from one of my students who purchased the book during our Back-2-School Night book fair. In many ways, I related to these four chickens as they ventured out beyond the comfort and safety of their chicken coop. They were afraid of every new place and run by the thoughts that filled their minds. Although they didn't take the time to process the new information they functioned on a preconceived notion that the situation (i.e. cow patty, lake, wolf) was nothing but doomsday. It wasn't until they were corned in the cave and reluctantly faced the big bad wolf only to realize that they have strength in numbers and strength in doing something. All too often we allow fear to consume us and control our actions (or lack there of). When we face our fear, willingly or unwillingly, and deal with it head on, often times we concur the fear and realize the only thing we feared was fear itself.

Accelerated Reader Quiz: 100% ;)

Junie B., First Grader Toothless Wonder

Ms. Parks does it again. Her well known and well loved first grader, Junie B. Jones, has delighted our hearts and minds with a simple event we have all encountered at least once in our life.

Junie has been wiggling her tooth for days and it is on the verge of coming out. The first tooth is always the hardest. Its the unknown and fear can consume one's mind. Junie talks with her teacher, whom offers little comfort but praises her for being the first 1st grader to loose her tooth in his class. Junie's nemesis is jealous and makes a number of attempts to discredit this experience.

With the help of Junie's grandfather, the tooth comes out. She is scared, yet intrigued. This begins many questions and discussions about the tooth fairy, where to teeth go and why would a tooth fairy take your tooth and leave you money.

In the end, Junie puts the tooth under her pillow, gets some money and then discovers what the tooth fairy really does with a child's tooth. Sorry, I'm not telling. You'll have to read the book to find out. :)

MY TWO CENTS
This series is delightful and fun to read. The main character, Junie B. Jones, is your typical first grade girl who has a fun outgoing personality. The things she experiences and shares in her adventures are real experiences our first and some second graders face. I took the AR quiz and only got 80% correct. I need to keep working on my reading comprehension. As of this blogging, there is not a vocabulary quiz for this book.

Organizing for Dummies

Yes, Organizing for Dummies is another book from the well known series, ..... for Dummies. If I wasn't so frugal and cautious, I would have invested in this organization and made a bundle. At any rate, Organizing for Dummies is a quick and easy read. It is not rocket science but is packed with practical ideas on ways to get organized. The picture on the front of the book leads you to believe it's focus is on the physical room but there are organizational tips that apply to running a household as well as an organization (or business).

Like the "for Dummies" series, the book is organized in sections (typically 3-6). This book starts out with a brief introduction, chapter one talks about training your mind, chapter two discusses gathering the right tools and supplies to create a practical system, and chapter three talks about scheduling for maximum productivity.

MY TWO CENTS
I really like the "for Dummies" series. They are filled with facts, rich research and a ton of practical ideas. They never claim to be the answer to our problems but they provide an enormous amount of usable information. I have found that these books often times reinforce what I am already doing or painfully remind me I need to change my ways. Organizing for Dummies is a practical book that provides many time tested organizational techniques that can have a positive impact on your professional and personal life immediately.