Nate Harlow of the small town of Paradise Beach, Florida considers himself a pretty unlucky guy until he is struck by lightning on his 11th birthday and lives to tell about it. But not only does he survive, it seems the strike may have changed his luck. Suddenly his grandfather's fishing boat has lots of customers, he starts to hit homeruns, and he wins all the coin tosses challenges with his best friend Genesis Beam. Gen is a lover of science, and protector of the baby turtles that nest once a year on their beaches. She doesn't believe in luck though and is not thrilled when the popular kids who used to ignore Nate and Gen, begin to pay attention to Nate. Read Lucky Strike by Bobbie Pyron to find out how Nate handles his newfound luck, will he continue to help Gen protect the baby turtles, and what will happen the next time lightning strikes in Paradise Beach. Grade 3-5. The Mountain Dog, by Margarita Engle is a memorable story, both sad and uplifting. When we first meet eleven year old Tony, the hard life he has always known is about to change. His mother is sent to jail for abusing pit bulls and training them to fight and Tony will now live with an Uncle he doesn't know in a remote part of Washington State. But Uncle Leo and his black lab, are warm and welcoming, offering Tony both a new family and a brand new way of life. Leo is a forest ranger who guides nature walks, takes care of trees and rescues lost hikers or anyone who is missing, with the assistance of Gabe a trained search and rescue dog. Tony and the reader learn about how search and rescue dogs and their handlers operate, and how to survive in the wilderness if you are lost, including what plants to eat, and all kinds of tips for waiting until the rescue dog arrives. Grades 4-6. Fort by Cynthia Deflice is the both the title of the book and the highpoint of Wyatt and Augie's summer vacation. Wyatt has visited upstate New York every summer with his dad, always spending time with Augie, a full year resident of the town and expert in the woods that surround it. This summer, these eleven year old boys decide to build a fort out of material found in their Uncle's junkyard. The fort is amazing and the boys camp out, cook their own food, and get a real taste of adventurous freedom. That is, until Morrie and J.R., older, meaner, and bigger teenagers show up to invade and ruin. Wyatt and Augie are fiercely protective of their fort and determined to stop these bullies, but not just from their fort, but also from picking on Gerard, a local teenager with developmental disabilities who they discover has been terrorized by J.R. and Morrie. Their plan is brilliant but challenging. Read to find out how the plan works and if they can conquer the bullies! Grade 4-6.
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December 2021
My Reading List!
AuthorI am the Library Media Center director at Patton School in Arlington Heights where I help students from kindergarten through 5th grade find terrific independent reading for enjoyment and information, and teach students the skills to use information and technology safely and productively and to connect, communicate and share with others. I have four grown children, a large black dog, (flat coat retriever) and a small striped cat. I am an obessive Chicago Cubs fan and I love to run. Patton LMC Summer Reading Blog |