I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting over-the-top prison stories without much else. I found quite the opposite. Moose is a middle-school aged kid bummed about his family's move to Alcatraz. His sister Natalie is one of the more interesting characters I've encountered from children's books in this genre. My kids have really gotten into this one lately.

I love the witty, dark humor of Lemony Snicket. I also find the author's word choice, subtlety, and play on words to be intriguing. This book, however, was not for me. The plot seemed to move forward too slowly. I had a hard time picturing my students enjoying this one. I'll continue to steer kids towards the Unfortunate Events Series.

I was so pleased to see this book on your summer reading list! I love Matilda (and pretty much anything by Roald Dahl). I've been a little disappointed that this year, Dahl's books seem to be spending too much time on my classroom shelves. Matilda is an exciting read for kids beginning to develop a passion for reading. Young readers can empathize with Matilda and her love of books. This book is packed with action, magic, family struggles, and tenderness. Matilda has something for everyone!

Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing is always our first read aloud book at the beginning of 4th grade. Kids have so much fun reading about Peter and his crazy little brother Fudge, that they get hooked on Judy Blume's books. Blubber is quite different from the Fudge books, however. This story follows a middle-school aged girl named Jill and centers around her relationship with a girl named Linda who is a victim of pretty terrible bullying. Towards the beginning, Linda is giving a report about whales. Kids pass notes about her saying that "Blubber" is a good name for her. Will Jill take a stand against bullying or become a bully herself? Read to find out. (p.s. If you like to read about middle school peer pressure, you also might like Wringer buy Spinelli.)

This was one of our read aloud books in 4th grade this year. The kids absolutely loved it! The plot follows a family from Flint, Michigan in the year 1963. The majority of the book contains the ordinary and hilarious antics of "the weird Watsons." When the oldest brother, Byron, breaks the rules one more time, the family heads south to drop him of at his grandmother's in Birmingham. The ending gets so crazy that we decided to reread and discuss it several times. All in all, a fantastic piece of historical fiction.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting over-the-top prison stories without much else. I found quite the opposite. Moose is a middle-school aged kid bummed about his family's move to Alcatraz. His sister Natalie is one of the more interesting characters I've encountered from children's books in this genre. My kids have really gotten into this one lately.

I was very pleasantly surprised by this book. I was expecting over-the-top prison stories without much else. I found quite the opposite. Moose is a middle-school aged kid bummed about his family's move to Alcatraz. His sister Natalie is one of the more interesting characters I've encountered from children's books in this genre. My kids have really gotten into this one lately.

I loved this book and recommend it to all my 4th grade students. The story follows a middle-school student named Rebecca. In the beginning, her life appears to be happy and ordinary. Suddenly, everything changes. One night, her parents get into a terrible fight, and her mom decides to move the family from Baltimore to Georgia to live with Gran. In Gran's attic, Rebecca ends up finding a magical breadbox. Will the magic be strong enough to make her family whole again? Bigger than a Breadbox is absolutely fantastic. It is so beautifully written. Laurel Snyder is wonderful.