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It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

6/29/2015

Last week, I did one of my favorite summer activities - I went camping. It was a week filled with outdoor adventures, sunny days on the beach (except when it rained!), and reading good books. I saw a snapping turtle laying eggs on the beach in the rain! I saw a hummingbird for the first time in my life! I stayed up late looking at stars and eating s'mores every night! I love camping with my family!

I decided to take along books that were family vacation themed. If you are going on vacation, try one of these out! If you are staying home for the summer, maybe one of these can help you imagine a vacation for yourself. Perfect for a stay-cation! Enjoy, and don't forget to let me know what you're reading lately!

I've been meaning to read The Yeti Files, by Kevin Sherry, for a few months now! Taking it on vacation was the perfect time, though. The main character, Blizz Richards, goes on a trip to his family's annual family reunion. His trip was a lot like mine, except of course I didn't have a mean cryptozoologist following me! Oh, and I didn't get to ride on a unicorn to get there! This is a funny book with lots of illustrations. You'll love it!

We loooove Daisy Dawson! In Daisy Dawson at the Beach, Daisy and her family go to the seashore for a camping vacation. Daisy, of course, makes some animal friends along the way and helps them in incredible ways! Also, did you know Daisy can surf?! Wow! I think it would be pretty awesome to surf with rabbits and meet sea creatures like crabs and dolphins. Too bad I can't talk to them like Daisy can. Oh well, with this book, I could use my imagination!

If you have read The Critter Club series before, you probably know that each of the four friends in the Critter Club likes different things. Liz loves the outdoors, so Liz at Marigold Lake was a great pick to take camping! In this one, Liz invites the rest of the Critter Club to her family's cabin for a weekend. They do lots of cool outdoor things, but the other girls don't always enjoy them as much as Liz hoped they would! This is a good story about friendship, trying something new, and acceptance. Oh, and of course there are animals to help!

The Pain and The Great One: Going, Going, Gone is a fantastic book about family vacations, annoying siblings, and special memories. If you have an older sister who thinks she's so great or a younger brother who is a pain, you will definitely relate to this book! If you don't have any siblings and ever wondered what it's like, this book will help you imagine it! Each chapter is told from the point of view of either the older sister (The Great One) or the younger brother (The Pain). It's fun to see how they each look at things so differently. This would be a good family read aloud!

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

6/22/2015

I went to see Jurassic World this weekend, so I had dinosaurs on my mind! I thought Dinosaur Cove #1: Attack of the Tyrannosaurus would be a fun companion book to read, and boy, was I right! This book has lots of action, without being quite as scary as the movie was! Two new friends discover a secret cave that leads back in time to when dinosaurs roamed the earth. This is a great book for kids who like Magic Tree House, especially if you always wished there were more of them about dinosaurs! There are lots of illustrations and even fact files about the dinosaurs featured in the story. It looks like there are quite a few in the series, so this will be a great addition to your summer reading list!

You can find out more on the book series website: http://www.dinosaurcove.co.uk
You can also play the Dinosaur Cove game on the National Geographic Kids website here: http://www.ngkids.co.uk/games/dinosaurCove

I even found out that Dinosaur Cove is a real place! Can you believe that? You can find out more about the real Dinosaur Cove in Australia and the kinds of fossils that have been discovered there at this website: http://dinosaurcoveaustralianfossilsite.weebly.com/types-of-fossils.html

I just love the way Cynthia Rylant writes. Her books always have great characters, like Henry and Mudge, Poppleton, and Mr. Putter and Tabby. If you liked any of those series, this might be one you want to try! The Lighthouse Family books are longer than other series by Cynthia Rylant, so they are probably a better fit for you now that Henry and Mudge. They also have beautiful black-and-white illustrations.

If you like stories with animal characters, books about family, or imagining living by the ocean, you'll love this series! The Lighthouse Family is made up of a cat who is a lighthouse keeper, a dog who is a sailor, and three orphaned mice. Can you image them all living together as a family? Well, they do in this series! Not only that, but in each book, they have an exciting seaside adventure with a different ocean animal - and one eagle!

The characters in the Lighthouse Family are kind and brave, just like you. I think you'll want to be a part of the Lighthouse Family after you read these books!

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

6/15/2015

Hi there, kiddos! Happy summer! As promised, this is the first IMWAYR post of the summer. Here are some of the books I've been reading this weekend:

Another great Binky Adventure by Ashley Spires! In this one, Binky is supposed to train a new space cat... but things aren't exactly as they seem! I won't spoil it by telling you what happens- you'll just have to read it to find out!

Don't forget, all the Binky Adventures are on Epic! Books for Kids. If you haven't gotten you two free months of summer reading from Epic!, here's what you do - have your parents go to www.getepic.com/promo to sign up. Use the code EpicReading to get two months free!

If you ever thought that princesses should do more than sit around in pretty dresses drinking tea, then this is the book for you! Here are three great reasons to read The Princess In Black by Shannon and Dean Hale:

It features a princess with some serious ninja-like moves.
It has great, full-color illustrations.
It's hilarious!

There's even a second book coming out this fall. And in case you are wondering if this book is "for girls", the answer is definitely NO! Unless you think fighting monsters and being awesome is just for girls! :) Lots of boys in our class loved Missy, Daisy Dawson, and Franny K. Stein this year. You will love the Princess in Black, too!

Well, that's it for now. This week, once I have the whole classroom packed up and my summer break REALLY begins, I'll have more time for reading and recommending great books! In the meantime, let me know in the comments what you're reading! Have you tried out any of the recommendations on your list yet?

Until next week,
Happy Reading!

Dear Second Graders...

6/4/2015

Welcome to Room 3! I am so excited to have you in my class this year! We are going to learn a lot, and we'll have lots of fun along the way. Last year's students, who are in third grade now, left you some notes about being a second grader. Read them in the comments below! They wrote advice, encouragement, or just some things you can expect in second grade this year. Have fun reading them!

See you on September 2nd!
Love, Mrs. Freeman

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

It's Monday, What Are You Reading?

It's Monday! What Are You Reading?

Dear Second Graders...

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