When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead

Check out this cool book trailer for When You Reach Me. After watching this video, I could not wait to read the book.

Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko

Moose Flanagan’s family moves to Alcatraz Island so that his dad can work as a prison guard and his sister, Natalie, can attend a special school in San Francisco. He had to leave behind his baseball team and now he never gets to see his dad because he is always working.  His mom is preoccupied with Natalie and her condition (autism). Everyone is obsessed with wanting to know facts about Al Capone, who is a prisoner at the time. To top it all off, the cute warden’s daughter, Piper, seems to always get him into trouble.  All Moose wants to do is play baseball, protect Natalie, and stay out of trouble.  But on Alcatraz, there is always trouble brewing. 

Choldenko, G.  (2004). Al Capone does my shirts.  New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons.
Image: Public-Domain-Photos.com
Retrieved from http://public-domain-photos.com/travel/san-francisco/alcatraz-island-prison-free-stock-photo-4.htm

Will You Sign Here, John Hancock by Jean Fritz

This is a super fun biography about the life of John Hancock.  You will love the wonderful illustrations that compliment the historically accurate text.  If you want to learn about the exciting events that shaped our nation, then hurry in and check out this book.


Frtiz, J. (1976). Will you sign here, John Hancock. New York:  Coward, McCann, & Geoghegan.

Knuffle Bunny by Mo Willems

I absolutely loved this book!! Trixie loves her bunny. One day while going on an errand with her daddy. She lost her favorite bunny on this trip and is very, very upset.  When they get home, mom realizes why Trixie is so upset…she lost Knuffle Bunny.  They look all over and finally make their way back to the Laundromat.  She finds her friend and says her first words “Knuffle Bunny”. 



Caldecott Honor Book, 2005

Willems, M. (2004). Knuffle bunny: A cautionary tale.  New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic Press.

I recently finished reading a delightful realistic fiction book. Catherine who is twelve years old is struggling to figure out just what normal means. Her younger brother David has autism and has a hard time learning the rules. Catherine has tried to teach him the simple rules of behavior. “Chew with your mouth closed.” “No toys in the fish tank.” Catherine has also developed a friendship with Jason. Jason is a boy who is in a wheelchair and points to words to communicate. She is basically living two lives, one with her cool friends and one with David and Jason. Catherine is learning to live her life despite what others may think. You will have to read this book to find out the decisions Catherine makes at the end of the story.  This is a wonderful book that I would definitely recommend to students(4-6), teachers, and even parents!


2007 Newbery Honor Book

Cynthia Lord Website

Click here to check out a great book trailer on Rules.