Lunedì Letterario

Being a 5th grade teacher gives me a lot of contact with children's literature. I enjoy reading aloud to my class and we began this school year with Gregor the Overlander by Suzanne Collins. It was followed by Marvin Redpost: Why Pick on Me? by Louis Sachar, Because of Winn-Dixie by Kate DiCamillo and Granny Torrelli Makes Soup by Susan Creech. Because the World Series is happening now in the United States, we are currently reading In the Year of the Boar and Jackie Robinson by Bette Boa Lord.

On my own, I have recently enjoyed reading two new mysteries for young readers. 

The 39 Clues:

The Maze of Bones

by Rick Riordan

2008

The 39 Clues is a series of fantasy adventure books, the first of which is titled The Maze of Bones and was published in September. (Future books in the series will be written by different authors.) The story line involves relatives of Grace Cahill, a fictional character, who are challenged by her will to find 39 clues around the world. The winners are told that they will become the "richest and most important people in the world." Simultaneously, the series publisher, Scholastic, has launched an online game with players able to win prizes.

The Calder Game

by Blue Balliett

2008

The Calder Game is the third novel by this author to combine art and three students solving a mystery. This one begins with a class field trip to the Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art and takes the reader with the three kids to England and the maze at Blenheim Palace in Woodstock.