For those of you who enjoy ghost stories, check out Mary Downing Hahn’s All the Lovely Bad Ones. Two prankster teenagers spending the summer at their Grandma’s Vermont inn, find out that it is listed in Haunted Inn’s of Vermont. They decide to let the guests have a ‘ghost’   experience but never dream that they might wake the real ones.

I also read (finally) Linda Sue Park’s Keeping Score. For baseball fans, learn how to keep score while listening to (or watching) a game. You can get the flavor of what it was like before TV’s (or the internet) were everywhere. You can also get a little history as a character goes off to Korea for the war and the main character tries to understand just what the fighting is all about.

We were fortunate enough to have Newbery-winning author, Linda Sue Park, visit our school recently. We could never afford to have her so we want to publicly thank the Memorial West Merchant’s Association for arranging it. Our 4th and 5th graders enjoyed her presentation about all of her books but especially her newest title, Keeping Score. It was clear how much research she had to do in order to write this book. She knows baseball! I’m pleased to say that her books have been flying off the shelf ever since! We started a blog, Parking It Here, about the themes in her books to help prepare for her visit. Please check out the Activities (use the sidebar to navigate to them) and comment on your own thoughts.

I came across this in a blog I check from time to time. The deadline is looming (very near) so if you want to submit your favorite title, go to the site now. You will be able to vote in September and again through the fall until Election Day once they narrow down the list. If you missed the deadline, leave a comment with your favorite book of all time. (If you can narrow down it to one, I’ll be amazed!)

I have only 2 more Bluebonnet Book nominees to read for this year. I recently finished The Earth Dragon Awakes. This historical fiction book is a good story that leaves you in suspense a few times but what’s really cool is that a lot of the story really happened. If you read the author’s end notes or epilogue (I don’t have the book in front of me so I don’t know what he called it), the author tells you which events really happened even though they happened to someone else. The whole story takes place in the great San Francisco Earthquake. Certainly an event that I don’t wish to experience for real! So, if you’re tired of made up stories and are waiting for Harry Potter, run to the library and  try this book. It’s not very long and you’ll experience an earthquake safely!

Did you know that teachers get homework assigned to them? My latest assignment is to come up with a list of good historical fiction. Now my impression has been that not too many people in this school like to read historical fiction. Am I wrong? If so, tell me about your favorite books that mix made-up characters with real history. If I’m right, what is it about historical fiction that keeps you from checking it out or finishing it? I really want to know!