My Dog is Better Than Your Dog

by Tommy Greenwald

Greenwald, T. (2015). My dog is better than your dog. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.

11-year-old Jimmy has two loves, an old crime fighting TV show and a series of novels about vampires.  With a mom who works long hours and a dad who is now obsessed with landing a job, Jimmy is beginning to feel neglected.  And now with the start of fifth grade just days away, he has a large red blotch on his face the size of Rhode Island and it just seems to be getting bigger.  When Jimmy's parents finally agree to let him get the dog that he has always wanted, he thinks his life is finally taking a turn for the better.  He selects an old mutt from the local shelter which he names Abby, and right away begins to notice some odd behaviors.  She sleeps all day long, becomes very playful and active at night, and has some incredibly BIG fangs.  Not only that, but she also seems to have a strong dislike of Jimmy's awful new babysitter, Mrs. Cragg.  When Jimmy's mom walks in just as Abby is about to attack the babysitter, it looks as if Jimmy may have to give up his new friend.  He just can't bear to lose Abby, not only because he's finally got the dog he's always wanted, but because he's pretty sure that Abby is a crime fighting vampire dog.  When Jimmy shares his suspicions with his best friend and the neighbor girl who lives across the street, they are pretty skeptical at first.  But then, after a series of neighborhood robberies, Jimmy, his friends and Abby have their own encounter with a thief and many secrets are finally exposed.  This first book in a brand new series titled Crime Biters, is both hilarious and full of mystery.  Both boys and girls in grades 3-5 would enjoy this story.

Crime Biters: My Dog is Better Than Your Dog Book Trailer

Lowriders in Space

by Cathy Camper

Camper, C. (2014). Lowriders in space. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books LLC.

Lupe Impala is a mechanic extraordinaire.  El Chavo Flapjack Octopus can polish a car and make it shine like no one else.  Elirio Malaria is the best detail artist around.  While these three friends from the barrio love working on cars more than anything, they are tired of working at the dealership for El Jefe.  Their dream is to have their own garage and a car that would go low and slow, bajito y suavecito.  When they come across a poster for the Universal Car Competition, they just know they have the skills it takes to win.  Of course that means taking their hunk of junk, which is a shell of a car, and basically reconstructing the whole thing.  The team sets out in search of parts at an old, abandoned airplane factory and discover a box of rocket parts.  Once the car is all fixed up, the friends decided to take it on a test drive.  That's when things get really outrageous.  The car not only starts right up, but blast them right into the stratosphere.  Through flames and asteroids, from moons to planets, the car takes them on a journey like no other, becoming even more incredible as it goes.  Then as the car begins to quickly approach a black hole, the team realizes they must do something to avoid being sucked in!  They arrive back on Earth just in time to make a grand entrance into the competition and WOW both the crowd and judges.  The black, red and blue ball point pen illustrations really bring this graphic novel to life, giving it lots of energy with unique style.  Camper sprinkles Spanish slang throughout the novel and includes a glossary of terms at then end, along with more information about low riders.  This 2016-2017 Texas Bluebonnet Nominee is recommended for children ages 8-12.

Activities and Resources for Lowriders in Space

Lowriders in Space Book Trailer

Interview with Cathy Camper

Maybe a Fox

by Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

Appelt, K. & McGhee, A. (2016). Maybe a fox. New York, NY: Antheneum Books for Young Readers.

Jules, 11 and Sylvie, 12, are not only sisters, they are best friends.  Jules loves rocks and can name just about every one she comes across, and Sylvie is not just fast, but the fastest girl in the whole school.  The girls live with their father in a wooded rural area in the state of Vermont.  Their mother passed years ago due to a heart condition, and while Sylvie has vivid memories of her that she shares with her father, Jules was very young when she died and is frustrated that she only has faint memories of her own.  The girls' father has a set of Do Not rules that he expects the girls to follow, one of which being Do Not go near "The Slip".  The Slip is an area where the nearby river plunges deep below the ground, and also happens to be the perfect place for Jules and Sylvie to throw their wish rocks.  One morning Sylvie takes off running toward The Slip never to return.  Upon searching for her sister, all that Jules finds is an exposed tree root and a gash in the snow that leads straight into the river.  As Jules and her father deal with their devastating loss, a mother fox gives birth to three kits; two males and one female.  Immediately the mother fox senses that there is something different about her daughter, Senna.  Senna is Kennen, spiritually connected to another living creature.  Senna was placed on the earth to watch over and protect Jules.  As if all this wasn't sad enough, Jules' good friend Sam is experiencing his own emotional roller coaster dealing with Sylvie's loss plus the return of his brother from Afghanistan who isn't quite the same since losing his best friend Zeke in the war.  Perhaps I'm too sensitive, but I honestly cried my way through this entire book.  Story time with the kiddos was difficult as I couldn't read through all the tears.  Overall, it was a touching story, but the material was heavy and not for the faint of heart.  School Library Journal recommends this book for students in grades 4-6.

Maybe a Fox Reading Group Guide

SLJ Interview with Kathi Appelt and Alison McGhee

Maybe a Fox Book Trailer

Love Monster

by Rachel Bright

Bright, R. (2012). Love monster. New York, NY: Farrar Straus Giroux.

Monster lives in a world of cute, fluffy things...kittens, puppies, bunnies; you know, all those adorable creatures everyone loves.  But Monster, who is slightly hairy, and just a bit googly eyed is what you could call "funny looking."  So Monster sets off determined to find someone who will love him just the way he is.  After what seems to be an endless search, and more than a couple disappointments along the way, when he has just decided to give up and head home, monster finds what he is looking for and learns that sometimes love comes along when you least expect it.  Children will no doubt be entertained by Monster's story, but also Bright's colorful illustrations set against pale backgrounds which add their own touches of humor. (Such as his "Packing List for the Big, Wide World", his list of "Places to Look," and his home amid the "Official Pile of Extreme Cuteness.")  This picture book is recommended for children ages 2-7.

Love Monster Activity Kit

TPT: Love Monster Valentine's Activities Free Digital Download

Love Monster Read Aloud

I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are

by Bridget Heos

Heos, B. (2015). I, fly: The buzz about flies and how awesome they are. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company.

Why do students always study butterflies in school?  I mean really, what is so great about them?  Is it their wings?  Their ability to fly?  The metamorphic transformation? Well guess who else has all those things...the incredible fly, that's who!  Told from the perspective of a fully mature fly (he's 21 days old to be exact), this humorous story takes students through the entire life cycle of a fly and shares some fascinating details on not only what makes flies special, but why they are so much more awesome than those boring, annoying and clumsy butterflies.  Still unconvinced, the skeptical students have some serious questions about fly behavior, such as throwing up on food and spreading disease.  After the fly pleads his case, the class comes to the conclusion that "Flies rule!" and decide to capture him and study him after all.  Uh oh!  Upon finding himself trapped in a clean habitat with no trash or rotting food, he quickly decides he needs to hype up how disgusting flies are and begs for release.  Far from your typical, primary level reader on insects, this book is funny, while scientifically fact filled, and will captivate younger students.  Illustrator Jennifer Plecas manages to make the flies and even the maggots adorable, and a glossary and bibliography are included for further information and research.  This 2016 Texas 2x2 book is recommended for children in grades K-4.

I, Fly Book Preview

I, Fly Activities from the Author