Camp Read-A-Lot 2010 + 2nd-3rd Grade Reading List

I will be a "camp" counselor again this summer! What am I going on about?

From Camp Read-A-Lot:

Camp Read-A-Lot is Back!!

This summer workshop is an opportunity for teachers and school library media specialists to read current books that could be used in connection with classroom curriculum.

Tuesday, Aug 3 - grades 2-5 : Wednesday, Aug 4 - grades 6-12

9:00 a.m. ‐3:30 p.m. ∙ Como Park Lakeside Pavilion in St. Paul

Program registration: $30

Author David LaRochelle and booktalker and SLJ columnist Kathy Baxter

Camp Read-A-Lot is sponsored by MELSA and Metronet


I took part in this one day workshop last summer, and had a very lovely time. My fellow librarians and I were recruited as camp counselors, to read all the books for a particular grade level and then lead book discussion. We even got cute camp t-shirts! What's not to love?

Last year I worked with high school teachers and got to hear Alison McGhee speak. I just love her. Her Julia Gillian (and The Art Of Knowing) and Julia Gillian and the Quest For Joy are great for grade school and early middle schoolers. This year, the teen counseling postions are full, but I was offered the chance to talk 2nd and 3rd grade books. Hooray!

And now, the reading list (annotation from :Camp Read-A-Lot):

Camp Read-A-Lot Grades 2-3 Reading List

Fiction

The Amazing Trail of Seymour Snail by Lynn E. Hazen (Henry Holt, 2009), 9780805086980.
Seymour has always dreamed of being a great artist. But he’s shy about showing his artwork and, being a snail, he’s slow. Who will hire him? When Seymour finds a job at the Speedy Arts Gallery, he is thrilled— until he finds himself sliming envelopes shut and delivering packages.

Alvin Ho: Allergic to Camping, Hiking and Other Natural Disasters by Lenore Look
(Schwartz & Wade, 2009), 9780375857058.
When Alvin’s father takes him camping to instill a love of nature, like that of their hometown hero Henry David Thoreau, Alvin makes a new friend and learns he can be brave despite his fear of everything.

Bad Kitty Gets a Bath by Nick Bruel (Roaring Brook Press, 2008), 9781596433410.
A humorous look at the normal way cats bathe, why it is inappropriate for humans to bathe that way and the challenges of trying to give a cat a real bath with soap and water.

Best Pet of All by David La Rochelle (Dutton, 2004), 0525471294.
A boy enlists the help of a dragon to persuade his mother to let him have a dog.

The Big Fat Cow that Goes Kapow by Andy Griffiths (Feiwel & Friends, 2009),
9780312367886.
Ten easy to read stories that are slimy and rhyme-y and sure to please.

Dodsworth in Paris by Tim Egan (Houghton Mifflin, 2008), 9780618980628.
When Dodsworth and the duck vacation in Paris, they have a grand time despite running out of money and accidentally riding their bicycles in the Tour de France.

Note: Dodsworth in New York or Dodsworth in London can be substituted for this title.

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Chronicle Books, 2009), 9780811868655.
Two unseen characters argue about whether the creature they are looking at is a rabbit or a duck.

Julian Rodriguez Episode One: Trash Crisis on Earth by Alexander Stadler (Scholastic,
2009), 9780439919708.
Julian Rodriguez is on a mission for the Mothership. He's been sent to Earth to study human life forms and their bizarre habits.

Note: Julian Rodriguez Episode Two: Invasion of the Relatives can be substituted for this title.

Magical Ms Plum by Bonny Becker (Random House, 2009), 9780375856372.
Everybody wants to be in Ms. Plum’s class. It’s not just that she teaches the usual things in unusual ways. There’s something more, something about Ms. Plum herself—and her mysterious supply closet. Whenever she asks her students to get her an eraser or a pencil or some paper clips, they come back with something . . . unusual.

Pip Squeak by Sarah Weeks (Laura Geringer Books, 2007), 9780060756376.
Pip Squeak the mouse works hard to clean the house for his friend Max’s visit, but then he has to clean up after Max too.

Red Sings from the Treetops: A Year in Colors by Joyce Sidman (Houghton Mifflin, 2009),
9780547014944.
The names of colors are woven into unrhymed poems that celebrate the seasons.

Wiggle and Waggle by Caroline Arnold (Charlesbridge, 2007), 9781580893060.
Two worms who are best friends have fun together as they tunnel their way through a garden. Includes facts on how worms help plants grow.

Nonfiction

14 Cows for America by Cameron Agra Deedy (Peachtree, 2009), 9781561454907.
In wake of 9/11 an American diplomat in Kenya receives a gift from the Maasai people. The gift is as unsought and unexpected as it is extraordinary. For a heartsick nation, the gift of fourteen cows emerges from the choking dust and darkness as a soft light of hope—and friendship.

Bird, Butterfly, Eel by James Prosek (Simon & Schuster, 2009), 9780689868290.
This nonfiction title follows a bird, a monarch butterfly, and an eel from summer on a farm until they make their respective fall voyages south.

Never Smile at a Monkey and Seventeen Other Important Things to Remember by
Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin, 2009), 9780618966202.
Discover how dangerous an animal can be when it feels threatened or trapped.

Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang (Blue Sky Press, 2009),
9780545044226.
This informative yet dramatic book will mesmerize readers and furthers a child's understanding of the energy we share with all living things in nature.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?! by Jonah Winter (Schwartz & Wade Books, 2009),
9780375837388.
In this striking picture book biography, an old-timer tells us what made Sandy Koufax so amazing.

Yummy: Eight Favorite Fairy Tales by Lucy Cousins (Candlewick, 2009), 9780763644714.
In this bold, funny, and unflinching collection retains all the emotion and humor of the original fairy tales: the heroes are courageous, the villains are horrible, and the children are tasty.