BloodyJack

"Bloody Jack" is the first novel in a series by L.A. Meyer.  It is about a young orphaned girl in the 1800's who, to navigate the harsh England in which she finds herself alone, pretends to be a boy and gets hired on as a Ships Boy.  She chooses this path knowing that it will keep her fed and clothed and that she has a better chance of survival as a boy than a girl in the world in which she lives.

Complications arise as "Jacky" matures and develops but you'll have to read it to find out how she deals with such things.  There are currently 12 books in the series.  In each book, Jacky encounters a huge obstacle to her well being (slavery, pirating, the law, war) and, in each case, through ingenuity and bravery, she prevails, winning friends and gathering supporters along the way.

These books are great for readers that can't find enough books to read.  A student can immerse themselves in the world of Jacky Faber for a long time.  They are exciting, interesting and adrenaline pumping and they feature a strong, irresistible female protagonist.

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse

The Town Mouse and the Country Mouse is an amazing book based on a classic fable. Jan Brett’s adaptation of this story is vibrant and visual with an interesting twist at the end. Two city mice go to the country to smell the fresh air and see the bright sunshine. They encounter two country mice that want to go to the city. The couples agree to trade houses and they each think that they have the better deal. However, when the country mice arrive in town, they got their tail caught in a breadbox and almost got snapped up in a mousetrap. Then a terrifying “owl with teeth” also known as a big cat chased them. The town mice encountered a black bird, a river otter, a hedgehog and a scary owl. The mice were so scared that they ran all the way home with the big animals chasing after them. The owl and the cat collided with one another and got knocked out. When they woke up they decided to change places…

Mossy

Mossy is a beautiful book about a turtle with a garden growing on her back. She lives by Lilypad Pond and meets a handsome turtle named Scoot. However, a woman named Dr. Carolina catches Mossy and puts her in the museum. Many people love to come and admire the amazing turtle but Mossy is lonely and misses her home. One day Dr. Carolina hires two painters named Flora and Fauna to paint a picture of Mossy. They return Mossy to her home where she is happily reunited with Scoot. The painting will remain in the museum while Mossy roams freely in her natural environment. 

Hedgie’s Surprise

Jan Brett wrote and illustrated Hedgie’s Surprise, a wonderful book about friendship between Henny the hen and Hedgie the hedgehog. This tale takes us on a journey around the farm and describes the interactions of the animals with a little Tomten (a mischievous elf). Henny and Hedgie work together to protect the hen’s eggs from being taken by the elf who wants to eat them for breakfast. Henny wants to have chicks but she can’t do that if Tomten keeps stealing her eggs. Hedgie comes up with a surprise plan to save the day and help Henny. This is a sweet story and children can learn about friendship, collaboration and literacy concepts.

RED: A Haida Manga

Now this is an interesting concept (and well done!).  "RED: a Haida Manga" is exactly that - a traditional Haida story told in the Japanese Manga style as graphic novel. It is the story of a brother and sister who are separated by war and the brother's quest to find the sister and exact revenge on her captors.  It is a tragic story of heroism, a search for justice and blind fury.

The really interesting aspect that makes this story telling so unique is the creator's choice to tell it in the Manga style, marrying the two cultures seamlessly.

Another fascinating thing about this book is that if you disassemble it, and reassemble it in a certain order, it becomes a 4m long continuous poster telling the story (pictured below).  I recommend this book for graphic novel studies, for learning about the Haida culture and traditions and for introducing the Manga style.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

This is a beautiful book.  It is illustrated with charcoal drawings that are simple and intricate at the same time.  It is a book that is told in pictures and in words with entire sections (like chapters) told through images alone, interspersed with sections of novel-like text.

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" is about a young boy who finds himself orphaned, penniless, alone and carrying on his father's work as a clock maintenance man in a train station in Paris in the 1930's.  An adventure-mystery and a young girl find Hugo and his life is forever changed.  I recommend this book for any age from about grade 5 on.  It is captivating.  I also recommend it for reluctant or avid readers, aspiring artists and motivated writers.  

As an added bonus, a stunning Martin Scorsese film, "Hugo" can be used as an introduction or follow-up to this book.  It would make for a fascinating compare and contrast activity.

I am Blop!

I read Hervé Tullet's I Am Blop! with the grade 3 student who I tutor, and he absolutely loved it. After reading it, we made our own stories about Blop. This book is engaging, colourful, and a wonderful way to connect art with language arts.

Since I will be working with French Immersion classes, I was delighted to find that it's also available in French: Moi, c'est Blop!