Thursday, July 11, 2013

Iowa Children's Choice Award Reading Challenge

Earlier this summer my daughter and I challenged each other to read all 25 Iowa Children’s Choice Award Nominated books.  Of course, we have all 25 books at our library, so I challenge you to do the same!  

The Trouble with Chickens: a J.J. Tully Mystery by Doreen Cronin
This is a fun read that would be great to do as a read aloud with your children!  J.J. is a retired search and rescue dog who is used to a life of excitement and clues.  Now retired, he spends his days at the farm, where life is pretty dull.  Until some chicks go missing!  With the promise of a cheeseburger, J.J. finds himself in the middle of a case looking for clues.  The evidence doesn’t add up and things don’t smell right.  Will J.J. find the chicks?  Will he get his cheeseburger? 

Mallory Goes Green by Laurie B. Friedman
Mallory is an elementary student who is passionate about an upcoming school wide project which is to challenge all of the students to “Go Green”.  She volunteers to be her class’s committee chair for this initiative and attends a workshop for the class leaders.  During the workshop she comes up with the project she intends for her class to do.  Excited to tell the class her great idea, she is upset when discussion is leading toward other ideas and not her project.  In her overly ambitious (and somewhat annoying) tactics to get her family, friends and class on board, she ends up making a mess of things.

Willowood by Cecilia Galante

Lily and her mother have just moved from the quiet countryside to a big city.   Lily is struggling to adjust to a new school, a new set of bullies, and trying to make a friend.  She also misses her best friend Bailey terribly, and when Lily calls Bailey, she realizes that Bailey has moved on.  Her single mother is working extra hours to support them and hires the next door neighbor, Mrs. Hiller, to watch Lily after school.  Mrs. Hiller introduces Lily to her friend who owns a pet store, and his adult son, Nate, who has Down syndrome.  Lily loves the pet store and soon finds herself with an unofficial part time job.  Just as Lily is making new friends at school and with Nate, past secrets and misconceptions are revealed that threaten to change everything.

~ Sarah

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