Two of the books on this week’s homeschool bookshelf came from an amazing blogger, tweeter, and book reviewer: @PragmaticMom. We’ve actually come across some pretty great titles over on her page. Like last week’s post, I’ve included the Lexile Measure for the books we read this week. Although homeschoolers have flexibility with regard to what their kids read and when, I think it’s wise to have an idea of your child’s reading level, especially for reluctant readers. The act of reading is too important for kids to be turned-off by reading books that are either too hard to comprehend or not interesting! And remember, the Lexile Measure is only a guide. By no means should kids be forced/required to read books that are too easy for them.
Alvin Ho: Allergic to Dead Bodies, Funerals, and Other Fatal Circumstances by Lenore Look
Lexile: 600L
Everyone’s favorite neurotic second grader is back, in the most touching Alvin Ho book to date. In this fourth book in the Alvin Ho series, Alvin is facing something truly scary: the idea that someone he loves might die. When Alvin’s GungGung loses his best friend, Alvin (gulp) volunteers to go with him to the funeral. Lenore Look and LeUyen Pham touch on a more serious subject in this Alvin book, but it’s still filled with the same humor and wild antics fans have come to expect from the series.
Tales of a Sixth Grade Muppet: The Good, The Bad, and The Fuzzy by Kirk Scroggs
Changing into a Muppet has really turned Danvers Blickensderfer’s life upside down . . . literally! That’s him dangling above a toilet at the hands of Beebus Spracklin, the biggest thug in school. This creep is the Picasso of insults, swirlys, and wedgies and Danvers is his canvas.
But he’s messin’ with the wrong kid! Not only is Danvers the heart throb star of Kermit’s upcoming band camp movie musical, he’s also a secret . . . superhero? That’s right, Danvers is convinced that his Muppetmorphosis has bestowed on him extraordinary powers-now he’ll need Gonzo, Miss Piggy and the gang’s help to figure out what the heck those powers could possibly be!
Can Danvers balance being a caped crusader and a tween crooner? Or, will the bully behemoth drive him out of his own school into the open wings of Sam Eagle’s Talent Academy? And what’s with the mysterious green light at the edge of Custardcrust Swamp?
The Sisters Grimm #4: Once Upon a Crime by Michael Buckley
Lexile: 720L
The Grimms take Manhattan in the fourth book in the New York Times bestselling series!
When fairy-tale detectives Sabrina and Daphne Grimm venture back to the big city to help a friend, they land in the middle of a big mystery. Puck’s father, King Oberon, has been murdered, and the Grimms suspect one of the many famous (and infamous) fairy-tale folk who call the city home. Can they find the culprit while coming to terms with their mother’s secret life? And will Sabrina ever accept her family’s destiny?
Funny and fast-paced, this series puts a fresh spin on girl-detective stories and has won an everexpanding number of fans.
Amazing Greek Myths of Wonder and Blunder by Michael Townsend
From Hercules? snake assassin slippers to Arachne?s wicked weaver rap songs, these are the mythic monsters and Hellenic heroes that have captured Western culture for centuries?but a whole lot more fun. Each story showcases the wondrous and blunderful antics of gods and mortals in bright graphics that rival the super-heroic action of The Lightning Thief, burst with the knock-yoursocks- off humor of Jeff Kinney, and still remain unerringly faithful to the original myth. Kids won?t be able to resist the bickering sheep, unruly rulers, and undercover details of Amazing Greek Myths?while teachers, librarians, and parents can relish this new way to share moral messages that remain as relevant today as they were a thousand years ago.
A Boy Named Beckoning: The True Story of Dr. Carlos Montezuma, Native American Hero by Gina Capaldi
Lexile: NC880L
This story reveals the remarkable life of a Native American boy named Wassaja, or “Beckoning,” who was kidnapped from his Yavapai tribe and sold as a slave. Adopted by an Italian photographer in 1871 and renamed Carlos Montezuma, the young boy traveled throughout the Old West, bearing witness to the prejudice against and poor treatment of Native Americans. Carlos eventually became a doctor and leader for his people, calling out for their rights.
Gina Capaldi’s exquisite paintings bring to life excerpts from Dr. Carlos Montezuma’s own letters describing his childhood experiences. The culminating portrait provides an inventive look back into history through the eyes of a Native American hero.
The Painting That Wasn’t There by Steve Brezenoff (Field Trip Mysteries)
