Mrs. Hart's Book Nook

Taylor Stark from 3L has read the book, Benjamin Bear, which is a graphic novel by Phillipe Coudray.  Here is what Taylor has to say about the book: Benjamin Bear: The reason why I like Benjamin Bear is that it is funny and it teaches you things, like what not to do. And it teaches you new things. The most likely reason of all is that they are friends. The reason why I don't like this book is because Benjamin Bear brags about winning. I would recommend this book to people who like funny books. People who like friendship and people who like to learn new things.    Thanks for your review, Taylor! I hope everyone enjoys this book! It is a series that I look forward to exploring. Happy Reading!

Today we have a review by Ella Cook in 2R. She read the book, Penny and her Song , by Kevin Henkes. Penny and Her Song by Kevin Henkes Penny kept on trying to sing her song. Penny was the main character. She was a mouse and she had a love of music. I liked that it had a happy ending. Ella, thank you so much for taking the time to share this book with us. Just like you, I love a happy ending! 

Ready Freddy is always a favorite series! Today, Averi G. in 3L is going to review,  Ready Freddy and the Gingerbread Jitters  by Abby Klein. This is a perfect book as Christmas approaches! Ready Freddy and the Gingerbread Jitters by Abby Klein I like this book because I like gingerbread houses. In it, Freddy took some shaving cream and was making a Santa beard. Then Freddy climbs a tree and breaks his arm. At school he makes gingerbread houses. I recommend this book to people who like Ready Freddy. One thing I don't like are the Freddy's Fun Pages because they make the book longer and my mom makes me read them.  Averi, thank you for sharing this book with our readers! I know many of them enjoy our friend, Freddy. 

Today our special guest book reviewer is Charlotte C. in Ms. Rice's room. She is reviewing a great picture book: Charlotte and the Rock  by Stephen W. Martin. Here is her review: Look at all of Charlotte's hard work! Thank you Charlotte for sharing this funny book with us! It is in our learning commons, so be sure to look for it. 

Today we have Ellie Y.  in second grade sharing a review of Barbie: Fairytale Collection . She saw this book in my room and lit up with excitement. Ellie could not wait to read it! Here is a picture of her review: Look at the hearts and her describing words: Awesome! Best Book Ever! Love it!  I love when I see kids get excited about books! Thanks for reviewing it for us, Ellie!

Jadelynn from 5C is our guest reviewer today! One for the Murphy's  by Linda Hunt Carly is in foster care. She tries her best to understand that she is going to be moving from house to house. Carly also needs to accept that she can't steal someone's heart and can't stay with someone forever! You should read this book if you want suspense. If you want a good tear jerker- you should read One for the Murphy's. So go get the book and experience all the feelings with Carly!!  Thank you, Jadelynn, for sharing this book with us! I haven't read this book, but loved Fish in a Tree,  which is by the same author. I am definitely going to put this in my TBR (To Be Read) pile!

"Mom, are you crying?" "Maybe." "You are just waayyy too emotional." "Doesn't this book make you feel so happy? I just love how....(I don't want to give any spoilers!)" This was the conversation between Wesley and I on the ride home yesterday. We were listening to Soar  by Joan Bauer in the car. Clearly I thought the story was powerful. Jeremiah is a character that made you want to root for him. He faced some pretty big challenges in his young life (from being abandoned as a baby, to needing a heart transplant), but continued to look at the bright side. When he couldn't play his beloved baseball, he found ways for it to be a part of his life. He sees the best in everything and everyone. Jeremiah lifts up people that others may ignore or dismiss. His shining impact is wide spread. I could talk all day about why I loved him and this book! For those of you who haven't heard of this book, it is one of the Maine Student Book Awa

This week we have a new guest blogger- Wesley (my son 👦). He has been really into the Geronimo Stilton series, in fact, we went to the Topsham Public Library book sale this weekend and he scored a whole stack of them! Here is his review of the Geronimo Stilton: Geronimo Stilton Series By Wesley Hart Geronimo Stilton is the best book series ever. Geronimo is a mouse with a sister named Thea, a cousin named Trap, and a grandfather named William Shortpaws, aka Cheap Man Willy. Now that you know the characters, read why these books are so wonderful. The first reason why Geronimo Stilton is the best book ever is because they are mysteries or adventure. I mean who doesn't like a book with those in them? In Mystery of Cacklefur Castle , Geronimo gets dragged there and he keeps meeting people and everything is a mystery. The second reason why Geronimo Stilton is the best book series ever is because they have  a lot of characters and it is fun to read about them.

One of my favorite pet names for kids is Nerd Bird . I have used it for years as a term of endearment. Imagine my excitement when Esther and I were browsing at the library and we came across the book, Nerdy Birdy,  by Aaron Reynolds and Matt Davies. I knew we had to borrow it! This book is about a bird named... Nerdy Birdy. He doesn't look like the cool birds, and is interested in different things,  but he really wants to be friends with them. While he was wishing to belong to a group of "cool birdies",  he is discovered by a whole flock of book loving, light saber playing birds like him. He thought life was great, until something happens to change his mind about being one of the group. I would recommend this book to all kids, young and old! Whether you read it yourself, or have someone read it to you, it is fun and leaves the reader (or listener), with something to ponder.

Today we are lucky to have a guest author- Ms. Rice! She is reviewing the book, " SMILE " by Raina Telgemeier.  "1, 2, 3, CHEESE!" Those words automatically make me think of having my picture taken, something we have all experienced. But, have you ever had your school picture taken with braces? Imagine that, but also think about not being able to chew gum or have popcorn! These are all things that Raina, the main character, has to deal with in the graphic novel, "Smile" by Raina Telgemeier. This graphic novel is actually about the author's childhood and her experiences with braces. It is a wonderful book for those who love graphic novels (it's the second graphic novel I've ever read!), and is also great for those who like to read autobiographies. It's also really funny! You'll definitely be watching your step when you walk or run though... but you'll just have to read the book to find out what I mean! Thank you Ms. Rice for

Last year I was introduced to the Maine Student Book Awards. I had worked with the Chickadee Award Winners (picture books), but had never spent time with the MSBA winners. Wow, was I happy I did! There were some excellent  reads on there that really moved me! Now that we are back in school, I am ready to start exploring this year's winners. Last week, Wesley and I downloaded the audiobook of All Rise for the Honorable Perry T. Cook  by Leslie Connor. We were hooked! I found myself taking the long way so that we could listen more. I recently started Save Me a Seat  by Sarah Weeks. While I am only a few chapters in, I am really enjoying it! I downloaded this from CloudLibrary, which is a digital library with audio and digital books. We access this through our account with the Topsham Public Library. I read the digital copies on my iPad or Kindle (and even my phone!). It is my goal that I will read all of the books on the MSBA grades 4-6 list this year. To help me keep t

Our first book review is by Maddie N. , a fabulous third grader who has done loads of reading this summer! It’s Snow Joke! by Nancy Krulik One snowy day at school, Katie asks her friends if they would like to go skiing. Her friends, Jeremy and Suzanne said they’d love to go! But…they didn’t know how to ski!!! So they decided to take a ski lesson. Everything seemed to be going well. Katie and her friends were actually skiing! But then, Katie turns into her ski instructor!!! Read It’s Snow Joke! to find out what crazy things happen next! I really enjoyed this book because I love to ski. I also love Katie Kazoo books because Nancy Krulik is an amazing author. She gives a lot of detail about the setting, and her characters are very funny and interesting. She also puts facts/jokes and recipes in the back of the book!!! I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking for a fun chapter book. Thank you, Maddie for this recommendation! If you have a book you wan

As summer is winding down, so is all of our extra time for reading. While the Hart family has had a pretty active summer, with many trips to the beach and camp, we have also done a lot of reading. For me personally, summer is a time to read all of the adult books that I may not have time to read during the school year. This summer, I participated in the Topsham Public Library's Adult Summer Reading Program, and have read or listened to 28 books so far~ and I hope to finish at least two more before school starts! Both of the Hart kids (Wesley and Esther) also participated in the TPL reading program, and they rocked it! Wesley has discovered a love for Diary of a Wimpy Kid (see him reading it at camp one morning), and Esther has rediscovered the classic book, The Carrot Seed by Ruth Krauss.  She will read it over and over, using a mean voice for that pesky older brother (hmmm... I wonder who she is imitating).   While I've focused mostly on books for adults, I did read s