Book of the Day: The Extraordinary Mark Twain According to Susy

The Extraordinary Mark Twain by Barbara Kerley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


13 year old Susy Clemens knew Mark Twain just about as well as anybody.  She lived with him after all.  Susy decided that no one had succeeded in writing an acceptable biography of her famous father so she set out to do so herself.  This book is a picture of Susy and life in the Celmens household as she wrote the very personal biography of Mark Twain.  Included are pages and paragraphs from the original journal and quotes by Mark Twain himself. IN the end, “people got what Susy thought they needed: a portrait of the ….extraordinary Mark Twain, according to Susy”
Following the story are a guide to writing and extraordinary biography which would be useful for teaching, and a timeline. Recommended to both adults and children alike.




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Book of the Day: The Lacemaker and the Princess

The Lacemaker and the Princess by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley


My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Dim lighting, a demanding grandmother, tiny stitches, a tired back and fingers. This is the life of eleve-year-old old Isabelle. She lives in the time leading of up the French Revolution and is suddenly plucked from her life of hard work and thrown into the lap of luxury. She is rescued, by Marie Antoinette, from being trampled in a crowd and Isabelle becomes playmate to a princess. She is given new clothes, a new name and all the food she can eat, but what of her family living in near poverty without her help with the family lace-making business? Then Isabelle begins to hear whispers that all is not well with France, the people are unhappy with their King and the royal family. Will her position as the princess’s closest friend put her and her family in harm’s way? Which side is right, she loves and understands the princess but her family is starving, is that how the royal family should care for their people? This story is based upon the true friendship between the princess and a commoner; many events are true to history. This story is a fine introduction into an intriguing time period and an enjoyable read.




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Kindergarten Thanksgiving and Fall Research

Kindergarten has been working on Thanksgiving and Fall research during their Specials time. They visit 6 stations where they learn about the First Thanksgiving, when Thanksgiving became a national holiday, how different people celebrate Thanksgiving, pumpkins, apples, and finally discuss their perfect Thanksgiving Dinner. Wonderful 4th grade helpers read books at each station and help the kindergarten students pull out the important information to include in their research packet. This project has been very fun and exciting for all the students involved. Check out the fun and the great books below.

The Books:

The Pilgrims First Thanksgiving by Ann McGovern (394.264 MCG)
Thank you, Sarah: The Woman who Saved Thanksgiving by Laurie Halse Anderson (394.264 AND)
Duck for Turkey Day by Jaqueline Jules (E JUL)
Pumpkin Circle: The Story of a Garden by George Levenson (635 LEV)
Apple Harvest by Calvin Harris (634 HAR)
I know it’s Autumn by Eileen Spinelli (E SPI)

Surfer of the Century

Surfer of the Century: The Life of Duke Kahanamoku by Ellie Crowe


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Surfing is an exciting and mysterious sport, especially to those of us who live in land locked DFW. Duke Kahanamoku was a man who mastered this sport and shared his love of the water with the world. He learned to swim and surf at a young age, was able to hold his breath underwater for minutes at a time, set World Records for swimming in the Olympic Games, and even saved lives with the help of his surf board. Duke traveled all over the world promoting the sport of surfing and his dream was to see a surfing entered into the Olympic Games.


Surfer of the Century gives readers a look into the life of the man who revolutionized the sport. The illustrations are drawn in beautiful water tones that convey the setting of Dukes life and passion. The time line in the back shows all the highlights of his life as well as impact since his death. This is an interesting look at an impressive man.






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Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything

Kubla Khan: The Emperor of Everything by Kathleen Krull


My rating: 4 of 5 stars


Kubla Khan, the grandson of Genghis Khan, is a lesser known emperor usually referred to in context of Marco Polo's travels. In Kubla Khan: Emperor of Everything Kathleen Krull presents a portrait of this ruler’s life, accomplishments and the lasting impact he had on the world.


Before Kubla Khan’s life the Mongolian empire had been no empire at all, warring tribes of Mongolians fought with each other, never united. When Genghis Khan was elected “the Khan, Khan of all Khans” he united the various tribes into a strong empire. After Kubla Khan came to power the Mongolians defeated China and Kubla Khan rose to the role of Emperor of China, where he developed the most ornate, over-the-top, and awe inspiring culture of its time. Under his rule the Chinese people had outlandish celebrations, studied the arts and sciences, developed farming techniques and created the first system of paper money. This book and its detailed illustrations provide an insightful peek into the life of an amazing Emperor.






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