Small Steps

We just finished reading my FAVORITE book of all time....

Small Steps: The Year I Got Polio

I cannot read it without letting a tear go at the end because of the joy I feel in the success of overcoming this GIGANTIC challenge.

This heartfelt memoir takes readers back to 1949 when the author, at age 12, contracted polio. Using fictionalized dialogue, she describes her seven-month ordeal--her diagnosis and quarantine, her terrifying paralysis, her slow and difficult recuperation--and the people she encountered along the way.

Earthquake Terror

Our next read aloud is by my FAVORITE author, Peg Kehret. She writes exciting adventure tales that keeps you reading.

Here is a look at our first Peg Kehret book of the year.... EARTHQUAKE TERROR!








When Jonathan and his family go camping on Magpie Island, they expect to have a fun, relaxing weekend. But their fun quickly vanishes when Jonathan's mother breaks her ankle and must get to a hospital. Jonathan offers to stay behind with his younger sister, Abby, and their dog, Moose. Then a devastating earthquake hits, destroying their camper, knocking out the only bridge to the mainland, and leaving Jonathan and Abby with no food, water, or shelter. Alone in the woods, can Jonathan manage to keep calm and save Abby and Moose-- and stay alive himself?

Swamp Monster in Third Grade

What's green and slimy and carries a backpack?

A SWAMP MONSTER IN THIRD GRADE!!

Our next read aloud is a fun read that is sure to entertain your children. Here is a peek at what we are reading....



The new kid in third grade is weird! He can't remember where he lives, he gobbles up cheeseburgers like he's never seen them before, and oh, yeah, he has gills!

Jake's not sure why he changed from a swamp monster to a kid. Was it something he ate? But now he's wearing sneakers and dodging bullies in the hallway. Jake wants to be his scaly self again- he just doesn't want to morph into a monster in the middle of class!

Free Baseball

We are currently reading Free Baseball by author Sue Corbett. It is a book off the Iowa Children's Choice Awards list. To visit the Iowa Children's Choice Awards website click here.

Here is a summary of the book:

Baseball is in his blood. Felix know a lot of ballplayers but not the one he wants to know the most: his father, a baseball star in Cuba, who risked everything to send Felix to America. His mom won't reveal anything else. When a team with a few Cuban players comes to town, Felix sneaks into the locker room to talk to them. That's when the players mistake him for their new batboy. Determined to uncover the truth about his mysterious father, Felix plays along. Just for a few days, he thinks-long enough to find out about his dad. Life at the ballpark is perfect. And when the team ends a long losing steak, the fun-loving, wisecracking players hail the new batboy as their lucky charm. But Felix is slowly uncovering the painful reality of his family's past. Is he strong enough to face the truth?