Cherry Valley Elem. School Library

SUMMARY:  From 1939, when Syvia is four and a half years old, to 1945 when she has just turned ten, a Jewish girl and her family struggle to survive in Poland’s Lodz ghetto during the Nazi occupation. What a sad story. This is historical fiction and is based on the story of the author’s aunt. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres. I learn so much about history reading historical fiction.

Learn more about the author, Jennifer Roy and her books, at:

http://www.jenniferroy.com/

SUMMARY:  Ten-year-old Sprig no longer gets along with her twelve-year-old sister, Dakota, but the two pull together during their father’s extended business trip to Afghanistan, sharing concerns about his safety, an elderly neighbor’s health, fights with their best friends, and boys. This was a fun book to read. The author got the relationship between two sisters correct. Sisters don’t always get along.

SUMMARY:  When twelve-year-old Stephanie inherits her weird uncle’s estate, she must join forces with Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton mage, to save the world from the Faceless Ones. This was one of the more unusual books in the High Tea list. I can’t decide if I liked it.  What do you think?

Learn more about Skulduggery Pleasant at:

http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com/

SUMMARY:  Tuffy the pet cat narrates his escapades as he attempts to escape his family’s cat-sitter and suffers through a humiliating episode of mistaken identity. When Ellie tells Tuffy the family is leaving for the week, Tuffy couldn’t be more thrilled.  A whole blissful week of rolling around in the flower bed and lounging on top of the TV?, Tuffy can’t wait! But the cat sitter the family procures doesn’t understand Tuffy’s refined feline palate, and Little Miss Soppy next door seems intent on dressing Tuffy in a nightie and calling him Janet. To get out of such a terrible mess, Tuffy is going to have to rely on his comical killer instincts.  This is a nice easy chapter book. I like cats, but I didn’t like Tuffy.

To find out more about this British author, Anne Fine, go to:

http://www.annefine.co.uk/

Summary:  The noisy fifth grade boys of Laketon Elementary School challenge the equally loud fifth grade girls to a “no talking” contest. Has Andrew Clements ever written a book that isn’t worth reading? He chooses subjects that can be fun, but make you think as well.

To find out more about Andrew Clements, the author, go to:

http://www.andrewclements.com/

Summary:  After passing a series of mind-bending tests, four children are selected for a secret mission that requires them to go undercover at the Learning Institute for the Very Enlightened, where the only rule is that there are no rules. This is one of the harder books in the Literary High Tea List. If you like long books, let me know what you think of this one. There is a sequal to it and we have it in the library.

SUMMARY:  An account of the tragic voyage of the British ship to the island of Tahiti. I learned a lot about the Mutiny on the ship, Bounty. This is a great picture book for older readers.

To find out more about the author, Patrick O’Brien, go to:

http://www.patrickobrienstudio.com/

SUMMARY:  With summer coming to an end, about-to-be-fourth-grader Moxy Maxwell does a hundred different things to avoid reading her assigned summer reading book. Moxy sure can think of ways to get out of reading Stuart Little over the summer. Did you know that E.B. White, the author of Stuart Little and Charlotte’s Web  used to work for the Seattle P-I newspaper?

To find out more about the author, Peggy Gifford, go to:

http://www.peggygifford.com/

Summary:  A true account of a dog named Marley.

There are four versions of this story. The first was an adult book, and then came this book. There’s also a picture book and the movie. Have any of you seen the movie.

To find out more about John Grogan and Marley the dog go to:

http://www.johngroganbooks.com/index.cgi

Summary:  When twelve-year-old Hugo, an orphan living and repairing clocks within the walls of a Paris train station in 1931, meets a mysterious toyseller and his goddaughter, his undercover life and his biggest secret are jeopardized. I’ve shared this book in class. It’s a Caldecott Award winner. Selznick’s artwork is also on the cover of Andrew Clements No Talking. He’s illustrated all of Clement’s books.

To find out more about Brian Selznick and The Invention of Hugo Cabret go to:

http://theinventionofhugocabret.com/index.htm