Oh, Rats!; If the World Were a Village; Skyscraper; Girl's Like Spaghetti; Chasing Vermeer

Oh, Rats! The Story of Rats and People by Albert Marrin, ill. by C. B. Mordan, 2006 (599.35 MAR)
A 2-3 class period read, this book is a history and trivia book about rats. The illustrations are red and black line drawings. It contains information about the myths of rats, encounters with humans through the ages, and modern partnerships between rats and humans. This is a high-interest read.


If the World Were a Village: A Book About the World’s People by David J. Smith, ill. by Shelagh Armstrong, 2002 (304.6 SMI)
This book is a very engaging and informative analysis of the world, reduced down to a comprehensible size – a village of 100 people. It presents facts about nationalities, languages, ages, religions, food, air and water, schooling and literacy, money and possessions, electricity, the past, and the future. There are two pages full of activities to do with children to help them develop a sense of their world. You can read the entire book in one class period, or use one of the analyses as a lesson starter. It could be used in geography, social studies, or math classes.


Skyscraper by Lynn Curlee, 2007 (720 CUR)
One side text, one side illustration, this book goes through the history of skyscrapers and describes the tallest ones. There are many facts that could be compared and contrasted. Most of the history is in the U.S, but by the end, the tallest buildings are being built elsewhere. It could be mostly, if not all, read within a class period.


Girl’s Like Spaghetti: Why You Can’t Manage Without Apostrophes! by Lynne Truss, ill. by Bonnie Timmons, 2007 (428.2 TRU)
Fun and fast illustration of the effects of using or not using an apostrophe. It could be used as a lesson opener, or for a pattern for students to make their own pages for a class book.


Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett, 2004. Read by Ellen Reilly in a Listening Library production.
Caulder and Petra want to discover who stole a priceless Vermeer painting, but they are not sure what are clues and what are coincidences. Set in Chicago at the end of their 12th year, Caulder gains insights from his set of pentaminoes and Petra discovers clues from dreams and impressions to help solve an international art scandal. The playaway devise was very convenient, and the reader OK. I liked the story at first, but by the end it seemed too contrived, though I think MS students will enjoy the seemingly random connections.

Some memory-jogging tags: A Lady Writing. twelves. coincidences. University School. Families. Mystery

MS Rating: OK. It’s a little young (characters are 11).