Summer Reading: RICBA Books

Kids going into grades 3-6 will be eligible to vote for the Rhode Island Children's Book Award if they read 3 of the 20 nominees.

I've read all of them and encourage students to do the same ... why not get started over the summer? If you read one of the RICBA books, add a comment below to tell other kids what you thought. Include your last year's room number and initials if you would like, but not your full name.

Here are a few that I would have a hard time deciding between if I were allowed to vote:

Applegate, Katherine. The One and Only Ivan Inspired by the true story of a gorilla who spent 30 years alone in a cage at an indoor zoo in a mall, this beautifully written book is told from the point of view of Ivan, the Gorilla. Follow his struggle to free himself and a baby elephant from his down and out “domain.”

Graff, Lisa. Double Dog Dare Fourth grade students Francine and Kansas are in a double dare contest to win the morning announcer spot for their school. These dares are out of control until the two enemies discover their common secret.

Nielsen, Jennifer. The False Prince When Sage is taken from his orphanage by a nobleman, his life completely changes. He soon discovers that he is part of a plot to impersonate the long lost prince of the kingdom. Since only one boy will be chosen, defiant Sage has to be the one ... or it could mean his death.

Palacio, R.J. Wonder August Pullman was born with a craniofacial abnormality—a genetic defect that caused his facial features to be severely deformed. Told from multiple perspectives, this is the tale of August’s transition from home school to private middle school. Will he make friends? Will he decide to stay at the school? And can the people around him learn to see past his appearance? 

Turnage, Sheila. Three Times Lucky Eleven years ago during a hurricane, “Mo” was rescued by the Colonel, and her “Upstream Mother” has yet to claim her! Now a neighbor has been murdered, her best friend Dale’s family is in turmoil, the Colonel is missing, and another hurricane is beginning to blow!

Weiner, Ellis. The Templeton Twins Have an Idea This hilarious adventure features genius inventors, nefarious kidnappers, and a pair of very clever 12-year-old twins. The narrator makes you laugh out loud with his snarky comments.

A Collection of Nouns

Fourth-graders learned about collective nouns, which describe a group of people, places, or things. Some are general - a class of students or a team of players. But others can be quirky and actually work like adjectives - a splash of mermaids or a crash of rhinos. They used the dictionary and their brains to figure out how some terms go together:

gaggle of geese	a gaggle is a noisy group, and geese make a lot of noise
skulk of foxes	skulk means to be sneaky, and foxes are known for being sly
bask of crocodiles	reptiles need to bask in the sun because they are cold-blooded

Then the kids came up with collective adjectives for themselves:

Planet Research

The first and second graders practiced using a table of contents and index; they were each assigned a planet for which they had to find out three facts.

Dig Into Reading - Kickoff Event June 6