Meet the Author: David Shannon
David was born in Washington, D.C. and raised in Washington State. He is well known for the books he writes and his illustrations. Ever since he was a boy and could hold a crayon he drew pictures. When he got older he attended the Art Center College of Design in Pasedena, California. Some of his illustrations have been in the New York Times, Time, Rolling Stone magazine and he has illustrated several book jackets. He has received awards for his illustrations and illustrates his own books as well as for other authors. He is well known for his book No, David which was inspired by his childhood drawings he made at age five of things he shouldn't do. He also wrote, Alice the Fairy, other David books and my favorite, A Bad Case of Stripes, which I read to K-2 students during story time.
K through 3rd Grade
A Bad Case of Stripes
Camilla loves eating lima beans but she cares more about what other people think and is worried others will think she is weird for eating lima beans. She worries so much about what other people think that she makes herself sick with a most unusual sickness. As her parents seek a remedy the sickness gets worse and worse!
Meet the Author: Peg Kehret
She dreamed as a child to be a writer or veterinarian when she grew up. She became a writer of several very popular award winning children's chapter books. Some of the children's favorites include Stolen Children, Terror at the Zoo and Escaping. She is an animal rights activist as well. She does volunteer work with the Humane Society and Pasado's Safe Haven. When she was a child she contracted Polio which paralyzed her from the neck down. She was in the hospital for 9 months. Fortunately, she made a nearly complete recovery. She was married to Carl Kerhet for 48 years. He passed away in 2004. While he was alive, he would travel with Peg in their RV to schools and libraries to promote her books. She currently lives on a 10 acre wildlife sanctuary near Mount Rainier National Park and enjoys reading, watching baseball and gymnastics, playing with her animals and enjoying time with her grandchildren.
3rd through 6th Graders
Saving Lilly
This story is about two sixth grade students, Erin Wrenn and David, who discover the mistreatment of a baby elephant, Lilly, at the Glitter Tent Circus that is visiting their town. They want to help Lilly but it isn't going to be easy. Their school teacher, Mrs. Dawson, loves the circus and has fond memories of going as a child so she wants to reward her class for reading assignment they accomplished by taking them to the Glitter Tent Circus. Erin and David try to inform her of the mistreatment of the animals but she doesn't want to hear a word they say! They do not want to go on the fieldtrip. What will happen when the day of the fieldtrip arrives? What will happen to Lilly? Will Erin and David help Lilly or get in trouble for going against their teacher's point of view?
Meet the Author: Brandon Mull
Brandon Mull is the author introduced to the 5th and 6th grade students. He is from Utah! He is married and has three children. He spent 2 years of his life in the Atacama Desert of Northern Chile where he learned spanish and how to juggle. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 2000. His first book was rejected by publishers but the first publisher to read Fablehaven accepted it. After the book had been on the market for 6 months it became so successful that Brandon was able to quit his day job and focus on writing. The Fablehaven Series is a New York Times Best Selling Series as well as the book, Candy Shop War which is about children who eat candy and get superpowers.
4th-6th Graders
Fablehaven
Kendra and Seth's parents drop them off at their grandparents home for two weeks while they go on a cruise given to them through inheritance. Kendra and Seth have never been to the Sorenson's home before and when they arrive, Grandma isn't there to greet them. Grandpa Sorenson, his housekeeper, Lena and the groundskeeper, Dale are all friendly and welcoming to the children. Grandpa is kind but very busy taking care of the acres of land surrounding his home. He is also very strict about the children abiding by his rules of never going beyond the lawn nor in the barn. The children have the attic to themselves to sleep in and play and a swimming pool to enjoy, but this isn't enough for Seth. He wants to go exploring beyond the lawn!
Thinking of this book (and series) makes me grin from ear to ear because of how perfectly it fits the interests and intelligence of this generation of elementary school students. Brandon Mull knows how to write books that our children will actually enjoy reading from cover to cover!
Students: Make it a goal to read the Fablehaven series over the summer! And check out the first book in his most recent series, The Beyonders, which came out in March, 2011.
The Year the Swallows Came Early by Kathryn Fitzmaurice
