For the Love of Reading....

Last year I posted about Maya's librarian passing.  I finally got around to scrapbooking her tribute.  I wanted Maya to have this memory of her...she was so wonderful.


I knew when I saw this book paper from the Maggie Holmes Open Book collection that it would fit perfectly for this page.  I love "The Storyteller" book.  My memories of her are with the children gathered around her as she captivated them with a fun book.

I went to the local library and picked a book off of their sale shelf that I could tear pages out and use on some layouts. 

On the subject of books...I did a post awhile back about books that Maya has been reading and how we are keeping track of which book in what series she is on.  The system is working fantastic for us!  Here is an updated list of books we'd recommend if you're interested in what we are liking.  This time I am going to include the books and the series order they are in.  I sometimes have a hard time finding the series order if it isn't printed directly on the cover!

In Texas the state gives out the Bluebonnet Award to outstanding books.  The kids grades 3-6 have the opportunity and a contest to read all the books on the list.  Maya was the only one in her class to complete the challenge and got to go to a special party with others who had also read them.  Here are a few of her favorites from that list (all shown in blue) and an overview taken from bn.com and Publishers Weekly:

LOST TREASURE OF TUCKERNUCK, by Emily Fairlie
Bud and Laurie's quest to find the infamous Tutweiler Treasure. They're hot (or at least lukewarm) on the trail of scavenger hunt clues, but time is running out—the school board wants to tear down Tuckernuck Hall. Can Bud and Laurie find the treasure before it's lost forever?
It also has a sequel called The Magician's Bird.

THE EXPEDITIONERS AND THE TREASURE OF DROWNED MAN'S CANYON, By S.S. Taylor
The invention of computers in 1880—and their failure a century later—has led to the discovery of strange lands not on any map as well as the rise of steampunk technology in place of gasoline and electricity.
This one also has a sequel called The Expeditioners and the Secret of King Triton's Lair

RUMP: THE TRUE STORY OF RUMPELSTILTSKIN, By Liesl Shurtliff
In a magic kingdom where your name is your destiny, 12-year-old Rump is the butt of everyone's joke. But when he finds an old spinning wheel, his luck seems to change. Rump discovers he has a gift for spinning straw into gold. His best friend, Red Riding Hood, warns him that magic is dangerous, and she’s right. 
She has a new book called Jack: The True Story of Jack and the Beanstalk coming April 2015.

PICKLE: THE (FORMERLY) ANONYMOUS PRANK CLUB OF FOUNTAIN POINT MIDDLE SCHOOL, By Kim Baker
This is the story of THE LEAGUE OF PICKLEMAKERS 
Ben: who began it all by sneaking in one night and filling homeroom with ball-pit balls.
Frank: who figured out that an official club, say a pickle-making club, could receive funding from the PTA.
Oliver: Who once convinced half of the class that his real parents had found him and he was going to live in a submarine. 

Bean: Who wasn't exactly invited, but her parents own a costume shop, which comes in handy if you want to dress up like a giant squirrel and try to scare people at the zoo.
TOGETHER, they are an unstoppable prank-pulling force, and Fountain Point Middle School will never be the same.


PLATYPUS POLICE SQUAD: THE FROG WHO CROAKED, By Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Rick Zengo is a rookie on the Platypus Police Squad, paired with grizzled veteran Corey O’Malley (Kalamazoo City’s residents are a melting pot of frogs, turtles, crabs, kangaroos, foxes, and one powerful, possibly corrupt, panda). The two are assigned to investigate some fishy business at the docks, which seems linked to the disappearance of a popular high school teacher.
There are other books in the series
Platypus Police Squad: The Ostrich Conspiracy
Platypus Police Squad: Last Panda Standing


ONE DEAD SPY, By Nathan Hale
Nathan Hale, the author’s historical namesake, was America’s first spy, a Revolutionary War hero who famously said “I regret that I have but one life to give for my country” before being hanged by the British. In the Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales series, author Nathan Hale channels his namesake to present history’s roughest, toughest, and craziest stories in the graphic novel format.

SPY SCHOOL, By Stuart Gibbs
Ben Ripley may only be in middle school, but he’s already pegged his dream job: C.I.A. or bust. Unfortunately for him, his personality doesn’t exactly scream “secret agent.” In fact, Ben is so awkward, he can barely get to school and back without a mishap. Because of his innate nerdiness, Ben is not surprised when he is recruited for a magnet school with a focus on science—but he’s entirely shocked to discover that the school is actually a front for a junior C.I.A. academy.
Maya actually read Spy Camp, which is the 2nd book in the series.  I'd start with Spy School.  This author also has Space Case and Poached.

Following are some series that she is enjoying:

MERMAID TALES
By: Debbie Dadey
Mermaids and their school adventures under the sea at Trident Academy.
□    Trouble at Trident Academy
□    Battle of the Best Friends
□    A Whale of a Tale
□    Danger in the Deep Blue Sea
□    The Lost Princess
□    The Secret Sea Horse
□    Dream of the Blue Turtle
□    Treasure in Trident City

GODDESS GIRLS
By: Joan Holub & Suzanne Williams
An introduction to Greek mythology with immortal goddesses and godboys and their lives at school.
□    Athena the Brain    
□    Persephone the Phony
□    Aphrodite the Beauty
□    Artemis the Brave
□    Athena the Wise
□    Aphrodite the Diva
□    Artemis the Loyal
□    Medusa the Mean
□    Pandora the Curious
□    Pheme the Gossip
□    Persephone the Daring
□    Cassandra the Lucky
□    Athena the Proud
□    Iris the Colorful

Super Specials
□    The Girl Games

WHO WAS/IS...? WHAT WAS...?
By: numerous authors
Non-fiction biographies about historical figures that have impacted our world.  Also a few books are about historical places and events.
Creatives
□    Who Were the Beatles?
□    Who Was Claude Monet?
□    Who Was Dr. Seuss?
□    Who Was Elvis Presley?
□    Who Was Harry Houdini?
□    Who Was Jim Henson?
□    Who Was Leonardo da Vinci?
□    Who Was Louis Armstrong?
□    Who Is Maria Tallchief?
□    Who Was Mark Twain?
□    Who Was Maurice Sendak?
□    Who Was Pablo Picasso?
□    Who Was Roald Dahl?
□    Who Was Walt Disney?
□    Who Was William Shakespeare?
□    Who Was Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?
□    Who Is Bob Dylan?
□    Who Is Steven Spielberg?
□    Who Was Frida Kahlo?
□    Who Was Laura Ingalls Wilder?

Explorers
□    Who Was Amelia Earhart?
□    Who Was Ferdinand Magellan?
□    Who Was Johnny Appleseed?
□    Who Was Marco Polo?
□    Who Was Neil Armstrong?
□    Who Was Christopher Columbus?
□    Who Was Davy Crockett?
□    Who Was Ernest Shackleton?

Scientists/Inventors
□    Who Was Albert Einstein?
□    Who Was Ben Franklin?
□    Who Is Bill Gates?
□    Who Was Charles Darwin?
□    Who Was Neil Armstrong?
□    Who Was Steve Jobs?
□    Who Was Thomas Alva Edison?
□    Who Was Thomas Jefferson?
□    Who Was Alexander Graham Bell?

Sports
□    Who Was Jackie Robinson?

Leaders
□    Who Was Abraham Lincoln?
□    Who Is Barack Obama?
□    Who Was Daniel Boone?
□    Who Was Franklin Roosevelt?
□    Who Was George Washington?
□    Who Was John F. Kennedy?
□    Who Was King Tut?
□    Who Was Martin Luther King, Jr.?
□    Who Was Ronald Reagan?
□    Who Was Thomas Jefferson?
□    Who Was Nelson Mandela?
□    Who Was Milton Hershey?

Women's History
□    Who Was Amelia Earhart?
□    Who Was Anne Frank?
□    Who Was Annie Oakley?
□    Who Was Eleanor Roosevelt?
□    Who Was Harriet Tubman?
□    Who Was Helen Keller?
□    Who Is Jane Goodall?
□    Who Is Maria Tallchief?
□    Who Was Queen Elizabeth?
□    Who Was Rosa Parks?
□    Who Was Sacagawea?
□    Who Was Sally Ride?
□    Who Is Michelle Obama?

What Was...?
□    What Was the Battle of Gettysburg?
□    What Was the Boston Tea Party?
□    What Was the Gold Rush?
□    What Was the March on Washington?
□    What Was Pearl Harbor?
□    What Was the First Thanksgiving?
□    What Was the Alamo?
□    What Was the Underground Railroad?

RESCUE PRINCESSES
By: Paula Harrison
Princesses that save endangered animals.
□    Secret Promise
□    Wishing Pearl
□    The Moonlight Mystery
□    The Stolen Crystals
□    The Snow Jewel
□    The Magic Rings
□    The Lost Gold
□    The Shimmering Stone
□    The Silver Locket
□    The Ice Diamond
□    The Rainbow Opal
□    The Golden Shell

SASSY
By: Sharon Draper
A book I got to help Maya see when she is being sassy, just like the character!
□    Little Sister is Not My Name!
□    The Birthday Storm
□    The Silver Secret
□    The Dazzle Disaster Dinner Party

KYLIE JEAN
By: Marci Peschke
A girl who can't decide what she wants to be when she grows up.  All she knows is that she wants to be a beauty queen ... 
□    Blueberry Queen
□    Drama Queen
□    Hoop Queen
□    Rodeo Queen
□    Dancing Queen
□    Football Queen
□    Singing Queen
□    Spelling Queen
□    Cupcake Queen
□    Party Queen
□    Pirate Queen
□    Summer Camp Queen
□    Green Queen
□    Valentine Queen

NANCY DREW AND THE CLUE CREW
By: Carolyn Keene
I chose this for her age as an introduction to Nancy Drew.  The characters in this book are in 3rd grade, so the content isn't quite as mature as the original series.
□    1. Sleepover Sleuths
□    2. Scream for Ice Cream
□    3. Pony Problems
□    4. The Cinderella Ballet Mystery
□    5. Case of the Sneaky Snowman
□    6. Fashion Disaster
□    7. The Circus Scare
□    8. Lights, Camera...Cats!
□    9. The Halloween Hoax
□    10. Ticket Trouble
□    11. Ski School Sneak
□    12. Valentine's Day Secret
□    13. Chick-napped!
□    14. The Zoo Crew
□    15. Mall Madness
□    16. Thanksgiving Thief
□    17. Wedding Day Disaster
□    18. Earth Day Escapade
□    19. April Fool's Day
□    20. Treasure Trouble
□    21. Double Take
□    22. Unicorn Uproar
□    23. Babysitting Bandit
□    24. Beauty Parlor Princess
□    25. Buggy Breakout
□    26. Camp Creepy
□    27. Cat Burglar Caper
□    28. Time Thief
□    29. Designed For Disaster
□    30. Dance Off
□    31. The Make-a-Pet Mystery
□    32. Cape Mermaid Mystery
□    33. The Pumpkin Patch Puzzle
□    34. Cupcake Chaos
□    35. Cooking Camp Disaster
□    36. Secret of the Scarecrow
□    37. The Flower Show Fiasco
□    38. A Musical Mess
□    39. Museum Mayhem

GRIMMTASTIC GIRLS
By: Joan Holub
Welcome to Grimm Academy, where Cinderella, Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Rapunzel are BFFs -- and saving the world from the E.V.I.L. Society, one magical adventure at a time!
□    Cinderella Stays Late
□    Red Riding Hood Gets Lost
□    Snow White Lucks Out
□    Rapunzel Cuts Loose
□    Sleeping Beauty Dreams Big (January 2015)
□    Goldilocks Breaks In (April 2015)

WHATEVER AFTER
By: Sarah Mlnowski
A brother and sister travel through  magic mirror and always end up messing up a fairy tale and have to try and make things right again.
□    Fairest of All
□    If the Shoe Fits
□    Sink or Swim
□    Dream On
□    Bad Hair Day
□    Cold as Ice
□    Beauty Queen

SECRET KINGDOM
By: Rosie Banks
When Ellie discovers a box while cleaning up after a school rummage sale, her two friends, Summer and Jasmine are there by her side. While cleaning the box, they discover it’s magic. It transports them to a secret kingdom, a place filled with unicorns and mermaids.
□    Enchanted Palace
□    Unicorn Valley
□    Cloud Island
□    Mermaid Reef
□    Magic Mountain
□    Glitter Beach

IVY & BEAN
By: Annie Barrows
The moment they saw each other, Bean and Ivy knew they wouldn't be friends. But when Bean plays a joke on her sister, Nancy, and has to hidequickIvy comes to the rescue, proving that sometimes the best of friends are people never meant to like each other. 
□    #1: Ivy & Bean
□    #2: Ivy & Bean and the Ghost that Had to Go
□    #3: Ivy & Bean Break the Fossil Record
□    #4: Ivy & Bean Take Care of the Babysitter
□    #5: Ivy & Bean Bound to Be Bad
□    #6: Ivy & Bean Doomed to Dance
□    #7: Ivy & Bean What’s the Big Idea
□    #8: Ivy & Bean No News is Good News
□    #9: Ivy & Bean Make the Rules
□    #10: Ivy & Bean Take the Case

PALACE PETS
By: Tennant Redbank
Easy reads about the Disney Princesses' fun pets.
□    Beauty: Aurora’s Sleepy Kitten
□    Blondie: Rapunzel’s Royal Pony
□    Teacup: Belle’s Star Pup
□    Treasure: Ariel’s Curious Kitten

AT THE CASTLE
By: Jessica Day George
These are from an LDS author.  Castle Glower is quite a remarkable place since it grows and shrinks and changes at will—it's will—and only Celie seems to be able to communicate with it.
□    Tuesdays at the Castle
□    Wednesdays in the Tower
□    Thursdays with the Crown

THE KINGDOM OF WRENLY
By: Jordan Quinn
Easy chapter books with large type and lots of illustrations.  A fun world with exciting fantasy quests.
□    1. The Lost Stone
□    2. The Scarlet Dragon
□    3. Sea Monster
□    4. The Witch’s Curse
□    5. Adventures in Flatfrost
□    6. Beneath the Stone Forest
□    7. Let the Games Begin
□    8. The Secret World of Mermaids

UNICORN MAGIC
By: Jessica Burkhart
My Little Pony meets Candy Fairies. In the magical Crystal Kingdom, being eight years old is a big deal for a royal prince or princess—it’s the birthday where you get a unicorn, who becomes your friend and guardian for life.
□    Bella’s Birthday Unicorn
□    Where’s Glimmer?
□    Green with Envy
□    The Hidden Treasure

PRINCESS PONIES
By: Chloe Ryder
Pippa’s real name, Philippa, means lover of ponies. Imagine her delight when she goes to the beach and finds two gigantic, talking seahorses. They carry her away to the island of Chevalia. Known only by true pony lovers, it is a place where ponies can talk.  Each book comes with a horseshoe charm.
□    A Magical Friend
□    A Dream Come True
□    A Special Secret
□    A Unicorn Adventure
□    An Amazing Rescue
□    Best Friends Forever
□    A Special Surprise

THE 39 CLUES
By: Multiple authors
Instead of 39 steps, billionaire Grace Cahill left her heirs 39 clues scattered around the world. At the end of this circuitous trail are the answers to a great family mystery, but Amy and Dan must decide whether any prize can be more important than the rescue of their missing parents. All related to Benjamin Franklin they travel around and learn about world history.  Readers can collect cards, each of which contains evidence, and play the online game (www.the39clues.com)
SERIES ONE: THE 39 CLUES
□    Book 1: The Maze of Bones
□    Book 2: One False Note
□    Book 3: The Sword Thief
□    Book 4: Beyond the Grave
□    Book 5: The Black Circle
□    Book 6: In Too Deep
□    Book 7: The Viper's Nest
□    Book 8: The Emperor's Code
□    Book 9: Storm Warning
□    Book 10: Into The Gauntlet
□    Book 11: Vespers Rising

SERIES TWO: CAHILLS VS. VESPERS
□    Book 1: The Medusa Plot
□    Book 2: A King's Ransom
□    Book 3: The Dead of Night
□    Book 4: Shatterproof
□    Book 5: Trust No One
□    Book 6: Day of Doom

SERIES THREE: UNSTOPPABLE

□    Book 1: Nowhere to Run
□    Book 2: Breakaway
□    Book 3: Countdown
□    Book 4: Flashpoint

SERIES FOUR: DOUBLECROSS
□    Book 1: Mission Titanic


Whew!  In keeping track of my daughters reading, I can see how she grows.  In Kinder she read roughly 16 chapter books, in 1st Grade she read about 60, in 2nd Grade it skyrocketed to 233.  We can't wait to see what 3rd grade will be!

I am going to write another post soon about Ethen.  He is diving in with both feet and I'll give some recommendations for young boys (which seem harder to find for me for some reason).

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