Young Reader in the Making

Young Reader in the Making

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Book 559: Let's Go Rock Collecting

Let's Go Rock Collecting, by Roma Gana, illustrated by Holly Keller, HarperCollins, 1997.

My son used this book for his Second Grade Science class.  The text contains some solid information, and it is accessible to a second-grader; however, this book did not prove to be nearly as helpful as I hoped.  I think the problem is with the illustrations.  The illustrations, even of the rocks, are a bit cartoonish, which made it difficult for my son to match up his rock sample to the correct rock.

Friday, February 10, 2017

Book 558: Cam Jansen, The Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

Cam Jansen, The Mystery of the Stolen Diamond, by David Adler, Puffin Books, 1980.

My second grade son read this book for his Literature class, and learn to make inferences and deductions using this book.

This book was my son's first introduction to a mystery story.  It wasn't difficult for him to figure out, and he enjoyed it.  But I can't be the only mom who nearly had a heart attack when the baby was brought into the 'den of thieves'.

Monday, February 6, 2017

Book 557: Bad Kitty, Drawn to Trouble

Bad Kitty, Drawn to Trouble, by Nick Bruel, Roaring Brook Press, 2014.

From the very beginning, my eight-year-old son has been a big Bad Kitty fan -- possibly because he calls our Molly Kitten 'Bad Kitty'.

He received this book for Christmas, and he started reading it in January, which was, coincidently, when he was learning the difference between the plot and the theme of a story.  I could NOT have explained the difference better than Uncle Murray.

And, my son has tried his hand at drawing Bad Kitty, and not just like the example.  If Nick Bruel is ever looking for an assistant... ;)