Three books written by author Greg Trine

This past week I had the opportunity to host a school assembly featuring author Greg Trine.  My second, third and fourth graders were excited to meet this author of chapter books about super heroes that has comic style drawings as well as words.  These are just right books for children making the jump from picture books to chapter books.  These books are funny and will have even reluctant readers turning each page waiting to see how the story ends.

The first series of books written by Greg Trine is the Melvin Beederman Superhero series.  Melvin is a young boy that is sent to a Superhero Academy where he learns how to be a superhero.  He cannot control his x-ray vision, stop trains or even fly on the first try, but he is determined to learn all he can to be a great superhero.  When he completes his classes at the Academy he is assigned to guard the city of Los Angeles.  He finds a perfect side kick in, Candace, an elementary school girl he meets in book one.  In Invasion From Plant Dork Marvin sees that aliens are headed toward Los Angeles.  He is concerned about being able to handle the case with just Candace so he gets fellow Academy graduates, Margaret and James to help him keep Los Angeles safe.  Unfortunately the aliens kidnap Marvin and his friends.  The aliens, Monkey Wrench, Elbow and Shoe need to take earthlings back to the planet Dork for their science class.  Will the superheroes escape this strange planet?  Read this book to find out!  I know you will enjoy reading this book.  One thing I love about this book is how the "narrator" talks to the reader.  At one point the waves are so good at the beach in Los Angeles the narrator takes a break to surf.

The second series written by Greg Trine is the Adventures of Jo Schmo.  In the first book Dinos Are Forever Jo needs to stop the evil Dr. Dastardly from bringing the dinosaurs back to life and destroying their city.
Jo is a young girl who has had many superheroes in her family.  She is feeling bad because she doesn't believe she has any superpowers.  However, when a package arrives for her that has a cape and a book of instructions all that changes.  Her cape is too long so she rips off some and puts a cape on her dog Raymond who becomes her trusty sidekick.  Since she cannot drive she creates a super high speed scooter to help her stop crime.  Her grandpa Joe helps her to learn the skills needed and he texts her when he hears of crimes on his police scanner.  She usually has to leave her classroom to stop crimes, her first big case is stopping a bank robbery.  She succeeds but her teacher wonders why she left the classroom for so long?  This is another funny and wonderful adventure story.

Greg Trine's latest book is Willy Maykit in Space.  Willy and his mom have not heard from dad for a couple of years.  He is an explorer and the last they heard he was in the amazon jungle.  Willy misses his dad but he also wants to be an explorer.  Willy's fourth grade class has the opportunity to visit the newest planet discovered (Planet Ed) on a class field trip.  Willy is so excited he can finally be an explorer just like his dad.  However, will mom let him attend the field trip?    Willy soon finds himself and his classmates on a space ship driven by an android named Max, and Willy cannot wait to land on Planet Ed.  Once the ship has landed he goes off exploring and is separated from his classmates.  When a big storm hits he is left behind his teacher, classmates and Max are flying away in the spaceship.  Willy believes that he is alone but he soon finds another classmate who did not get back on the space ship.  They try to figure out what to eat, where to live and what to do on this new planet.  They meet an alien from yet another planet who shows them around the place.  Monsters are discovered on Planet Ed and these monsters are not nice.  Can they find a way back home?  Will the monsters get them?   This is a fast paced adventure story that you are sure to love.  The author talks to the reader in this story which is something that I really enjoy.  The good news is that Willy's dad is alive but he is being held captive by the foot hunters of the amazon.  Will the family be reunited?  Read this funny story to find out!

After reading any of these books go and share some jokes with a friend.

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

Princess Academy The Forgotten Sisters by: Shannon Hale

This is book three of the Princess Academy series.  I love the first book because of the teaching that education is a way to improve your life situation.  This is shown again in this book written by Shannon Hale. Go and find this book, or the entire series and read!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna

LA Book Festival 2015

Three great book author/illustrators that I was able to listen to and meet for a few minutes at the 2015 LA Book Festival.   It's Only Stanley is the newest book by author/illustrator Jon Agee and I've already shared it with second graders and they loved it!  Salina Yoon has written and illustrated many books for children.  Her newest series is Bear who you can see in this review in the book Found.  In 2013 author/illustrator Bob Shea wrote a great book about envy.  In Unicorn Thinks He's Pretty Great Goat is envious of all that Unicorn can do and Unicorn is envious of Goat, can these two learn to admire their differences and strengths and become friends?  I think this would be a great book to read to any child that might need some encouragement in making new friends.  I really enjoyed the Book Festival and cannot wait to attend next year.

Salina Yoon

Bob Shea

Jon Agee

I also met Junie B. Jones!

Spirit's Key by: Edith Cohn

This was a book I really enjoyed. Thanks to author Edith Cohn

True (…sort of) and You Are (Not) Small

Video Book Reviews for the following two books:  True(…sort of) by Katherine Hannigan and You are (not) Small by Anna Kang

I'd love to hear your comments about this video and the books!

Happy Daily Reading
Deanna