Good Sports: rhymes about running, jumping, throwing and more by Jack Prelutsky and Chris Rashka

A collection of poems about a variety of sports (baseball, basketball, gymnastics, frisbee, swimming, etc). Lots of humor. many of the poems are about NOT winning, NOT making the team, or dropping the ball. All sorts of defeated things but the kids are still playing and enjoying what they're doing. It's quietly about sportsmanlike attitude! Other poems are about the joy the kids have in the activity itself - not winning, just doing it! (pun, intended!)

Rashka's illustrations are whispy, bright and action packed. The movement of each game or activity is included in the mood of the artwork.

Tap Dancing on the Roof; Sijo (Poems) by Linda Sue Park

A new twist for our poetry units. Sijo is a form of poetry from Korea; similar to haiku, it is dependant on a certain number of stressed syllables, and has an unexpected joke or twist at the end. (Maybe you guys knew about this form, but I'd never seen it)



These poems are neither monumental or side splittingly funny but this book and poetry style are charming. These little poems are playful and light and the illustrations are a little odd but are equally as spirited.



The author gives sufficient but not overwhelming background on the form and includes further reading and some tips on how to write your own.

A fun "something new" and I learned a new word in one of the poems: sesquipedalian - lots of syllables.

The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker and Marla Frazee

Clementine is back in this fun intermediate story about the school talent show. Clementine can't find her talent. She plans a variety of hilarious acts, finally settling on one which uses her baby brother. That plan is stopped by her father. Clementine goes to dress rehearsal without an act and becomes a great assistant director when her teacher has to leave.

Almost as much fun as the original Clementine.
The audio version was a notable children's recording nominee. Grade 3-7.

Lawn boy, by Gary Paulsen

When the twelve-year old narrator of this book inherits an old riding lawn mower from his grandfather, he has no idea that his lawn mowing business will become a lesson in capitalism, profit and loss, labor, and investing. Although a short book, the economics and the dry humor of the author are best appreciated by older readers. The length and narrative will also work well as a class read-aloud during economics units.

Grades 5-7

Jack Plank Tells Tales by Natalie Babbitt

Jack is an out-of-work pirate who wanders his new town searching for potential work. At the end of each day, he amuses his fellow tavern goers with tales about why each available job is unsuitable for him.
Potential for him being a whiny slacker is avoided in the creative and always witty tales Jack weaves. The reader (and listener) understands completely and sympathetically exactly why Jack couldn’t possible take that job – what ever it may be. We have a slightly predictable but satisfying enough ending.
A short author’s note at the beginning says these are tales from Jamaica dating from 1720 but there aren’t any resource notes.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid

Author: Kinney, Jeff

Illustrator: Kinney, Jeff

Publisher: harry n. abrams, inc.
ISBN (library bind): 0-8109-9313-9
Price: $12.95
#pages: 217
Call number: 741.5 KIN

Annotation:
This book is a must have for all middle schoolers. Greh Heffley is a 6th grader who wants to make his mark in the school. In his attempts of making his mark his has tried weightlifting, creating the ultimate haunted house, trying for class treasurer, and trying to bet the World Record for the biggest snowman. However his attempts never work because he is always caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. Middle school readers can relate to the typical teenage problems. The author is clever is using cartoons to play up the humor of the book.

Recommended grade levels: 4 grade – 7 grade

Curriculum


Character Education: Middle School, Friendship, Diaries, Humor

Other: graphic novel/comic

Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

This is the story of Holling Hoodhood's seventh grade year at Camillo Junior High in 1967, highlighted by Wednesday afternoons, when Holling is left alone in Mrs. Baker's class while his classmates go to temple or catechism class. Excellent middle school fiction.