Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians byBrandon Sanderson

Alcatraz Smedry has already told us, he is not a good boy. He's not even a nice guy. So how in the world is he now being considered a hero by a land most of us have never even heard of. Then again, most of us have never received a box of sand for our birthdays either, but Alcatraz did. That one bag of sand would lead Alcatraz on a journey that would forever change his life.

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I'll admit, when I picked up this book, I thought the title was slightly amusing. I mean really, how many times do you see a book that flat out calls Librarians evil on the front cover? I did not realize that when I opened the book I would be laughing nonstop. Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians is probably one of the funiest books I have ever picked up. There has been a laugh on almost everypage and it keeps me wanting more. I love this book. :O)

2009-2010 Sunshine State Books

The 2009-2010 Sunshine State Readers Book Lists have finally arrived! WHOO HOO!!!

The list for grades 3-5 is pretty exciting!

Drumroll please, . . .

The Puzzling World of Winston Breen by Eric Berlin
Middle of Somewhere by J.B. Cheaney
The Lemonade War by Jacqueline Davis
The Fabled Fourth Graders of Aesop Elementary School by Candace Fleming
Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It by Sundee T. Frazier
Igraine the Brave by Cornelia Funke
Found by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Defiance by Valerie Hobbs
Emmy and the Incredible Shrinking Rat by Lynne Jonnell
Me and the Pumpkin Queen by Marlane Kennedy
Year of the Dog by Grace Lin
Highway Cats by Janet Taylor Lisle
Punished by David Lubar ***
Night of the Howling Dogs by Graham Salisbury
Crooked Kind of Perfect by Linda Urban

*** I was really excited to see Punished on the list this year. I feel in love with the story when I read it months ago.

This year's list has some amazing books on it and I think the voting will be kind of close at the end of the year.

reading "The Loudest Roar" during storytime

Roscoe Riley Rules # 2 Never Swipe a Bully's Bear by Katherine Applegate

Roscoe Riley has done it again. He's back in the time out corner. This time he remembered that you can't glue your friends to chairs, but he conveniently forgot that stealing the classroom bully's bear is a major no-no.

When Roscoe's stuffed friend Hamilton the pig gets "stolen" from his backpack, he is convinced the classroom bully stole it. So when Roscoe realizes that the bully still brings a bear to school, he takes the bear home to get his pig back.

Of course being Roscoe, things get a little out of hand, but everything turns out in the end.
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I still love Roscoe Riley! This is a fun, quick read and a very enteratining way to remember some of the rules of life you may not actually be told.

Roscoe Riley Rules #1: Never Glue Your Friends to Chairs by Katherine Applegate

The first book in the Roscoe Riley Doesn't Mean to Break the Rules series. Roscoe Riley has a little problem following all the rules the grown-up in his life give him. Whether it's simple rules like don't touch the don't paint the class hamsters green to don't touch the Super-Mega-Gonzo-Glue, Roscoe can't seem to follow them.

Roscoe knows he's not supposed to touch the Super-Mega-Gonzo Glue, but when he notices the "head-bobbles" not staying and bee drummers who would rather have sword or light saber battles, he can't help but use the "grown-up" glue to help save the day.
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I love Roscoe Riley. He reminds me of a couple of my cousins when we were little. Younger, new-to-chapter-book elementary school children will love this story simply because Roscoe is just like them. Also, teachers will get a kick out of the semi-accurate description of 1st graders anticipating an open-house.