HOW TO SCARE A GHOST by Jean Reagan & Lee Wildish

Just in time for Halloween! This fun way to learn about Halloween contains lots of gentle humor!

Summary from the publisher: 

Who says ghosts get to have all the fun on Halloween? In this humorous new addition to Jean Reagan and Lee Wildish’s bestselling How to… books, the kids are in charge! But in order to scare a ghost, you might have to find one first. Guided by a tongue-in-cheek instructional style, two children show young readers how to set the stage for a spooktacular Halloween by carving pumpkins, playing games, and even reading scary stories. Has a ghost showed up? Great! Now the fun–er, the scaring–can really begin. Filled with charming role-reversal humor, creative ideas, and lots of holiday spirit, How to Scare a Ghost is sure to delight kids, parents, and things that go bump in the night.

How to Scare a Ghost was written by Jean Reagan and illustrated by Lee Wildish. It was published by Alfred A. Knopf in 2018.

Opening:     

Do you want to scare a ghost? The easiest, spookiest time to try is…Halloween!

My Thoughts as a Writer:

I loved all the fun lists in this book! It’s a great example for a writer to check out for a how-to mentor text. I enjoyed the snippets of humor. Who knew ghosts love glitter? The illustrations show children of diverse backgrounds participating in fun Halloween and fall activities, giving child readers lots to explore.

My Thoughts as an Educator:

A fun, not-scary book to read as Halloween approaches. I love books that showcase list-making, though in this case the list items are scattered throughout with the illustrations.

Ages: 4 - 7

Grades: K – 2

Themes: Halloween, ghosts, how-to book

Activities:

Share: Draw a picture or tell about what your family does on Halloween. If you celebrate, what are your Halloween traditions? If you don’t celebrate, what do you do instead?

Design & Build: Could you make a trap for catching a ghost? What materials would you use?

Write: Make a list of things to do when you are feeling scared.

EXPLORER ACADEMY: THE NEBULA SECRET by Trudi Trueit

This debut novel in an exciting new science-related series from National Geographic has lots of action as well as secret codes to solve!

Description from Amazon:

Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world's leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there's more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all: Who is out to get him, and why?

Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret, written by Trudi Trueit, was published by National Geographic Partners in 2018.

Why you want to read this book… 

I loved all the twists and surprises in this story! The idea of a special school for science explorers is exciting and I was really curious to find out more. There are lots of fun gadgets in this book (emoto-glasses anyone?) and a mystery to solve about Cruz’s mom and her research. Cruz’s friends and classmates Sailor, Emmett and Lani have interesting skill sets and personalities that help to contribute to their mission. Love the action-filled colour illustrations by Scott Plumbe. I’m looking forward to reading the next book to find out what happens!

Opening:

“Cruz!” His name floated easily to him across the water. Cruz turned to see his dad waving him in from the beach.

If you’re a writer… 

You might want to study this novel to learn about writing action scenes. It’s hard to write an action scene with enough sensory detail to make it come alive while at the same time not slowing down the pace.

She flew past him so fast he felt a brisk breeze. “Run!”

They heard the sharp smack of hard soles against marble and saw a figure charging their way.

If you’re an educator…

This would be a nice addition to the classroom library. I loved the way science and history is incorporated into the story. There’s lots of cool technology to keep readers hooked and wondering about what our own future might bring. It would be interesting for students to research whether any of the gadgets are real or under development, or to come up with their own ideas for a new piece of technology.

He had read about mind-control digital photography in their text and was eager to try it.


Extras:

There’s an awesome website for this book where you can learn more about science, play games and even win a trip!

https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/explorer-academy/

Check out the book trailer!

For another take on this book, check out Greg Pattridge’s review here.

You can also find more middle grade fun for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday on Greg Pattridge's blog.

MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN by Nancy Churnin & Danny Popovici

I really loved this book! It’s a great story to share when talking about perseverance or even just to read when you need a bit of inspiration.

Summary from the publisher:

Dashrath Manjhi used a hammer and chisel, grit, determination, and twenty years to carve a path through the mountain separating his poor village from the nearby village with schools, markets, and a hospital. Manjhi Moves a Mountain shows how everyone can make a difference if their heart is big enough.

Manjhi Moves a Mountain was written by Nancy Churnin and illustrated by Danny Popovici. It was published by Creston Books in 2017.

Opening:     

Deep in the heart of India, a mighty mountain separated two villages.

My Thoughts as a Writer:

The carefully chosen details in this story made it come alive for me. I could easily imagine “their pockets jangled with money” and “Powdered rock and tiny chips sprayed.” Another excellent model for writers who are interested in telling narrative non-fiction.

The illustrations are perfect for this story. I love the warm browns and especially the beautiful night sky on the page where Manjhi worked into the night.  

My Thoughts as an Educator:

This story made me marvel over what a single person can accomplish. There’s a thought-provoking question in the text: Why should some people have so much and others so little? This book would be excellent to discuss with both primary and junior level students. I think children will be amazed and impressed by Manjhi’s hard work and what he accomplished. A great choice for a school library.

 Ages: 4 - 10

Grades: K – 5

Themes: determination, perseverance, goals

Activities:

Retell: Build a mountain of blocks or rocks and use puppets or pictures to retell Manjhi’s story.

Imagine: Imagine you are one of the villagers. How will an opening through the mountain change your life? Draw a picture or write a paragraph to explain. Will you welcome the change? Talk with a classmate who has a different point of view.

Think: Is there something you can do to make things better for your family or community? How could you do it?  

FRONT DESK by Kelly Yang

At first, I wasn’t sure I’d like this book but as I kept reading, I found I couldn’t put it down! A compelling & thought-provoking story that's also a lot of fun.

Description from the publisher:

Mia Tang has a lot of secrets: Number 1: She lives in a motel, not a big house. Every day, while her immigrant parents clean the rooms, ten-year-old Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel and tends to its guests. Number 2: Her parents hide immigrants. And if the mean motel owner, Mr. Yao, finds out they've been letting them stay in the empty rooms for free, the Tangs will be doomed. Number 3: She wants to be a writer. But how can she when her mom thinks she should stick to math because English is not her first language?

It will take all of Mia's courage, kindness, and hard work to get through this year. Will she be able to hold on to her job, help the immigrants and guests, escape Mr. Yao, and go for her dreams?

Front Desk, written by Kelly Yang, was published by Arthur A. Levine Books, an imprint of Scholastic, Inc. in 2018.

Why you want to read this book… 

It’s an absorbing read that takes you right inside another person’s life and experiences. I grew quite emotionally connected to Mia and was rooting for things in her life to work out. Reading the stories of the different immigrants Mia’s family helped made me feel sad, but also inspired me. It was great, too, how this book showed that making friends isn’t always that easy, especially when you don’t have the things that other kids have.

That night I could not stop thinking about Uncle Li and how he was willing to do anything, go literally anywhere, even into the belly of a Dumpster, to get what he wanted.

Opening:

My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers till we were red in the face.

If you’re a writer… 

You might study this novel to get a good sense of a strong middle grade perspective. Everything in this novel comes from Mia’s point of view. There are lots of small details that create an authentic reading experience. I also really enjoyed all the references to writing!

Panic seized me. The words were so open and exposed. My story looked like a belly button. I immediately wanted to cover it.

If you’re a teacher…

I thought so much about my own place in the world and my privilege while I was reading this story. An excellent choice for reading aloud, to get kids thinking deeper about the experiences of being an immigrant or sharing their own experiences and feelings. This book also provides several examples of practical writing for letters or job recommendations, and I loved how hard Mia worked to get her writing right.

He and his friends stopped talking, but I could feel their eyeballs on me. I could feel them sinking into my pants.

Go here to read an interesting article about Kelly and the story behind the book in the South China Morning Post.

There’s lots more middle grade fun for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday at Greg Pattridge's blog.