Book Lover's Day

While sitting through a three-hour long meeting today, I did something I probably should not have done. But I could not help myself. From 10:00 a.m. onward, I clicked the power button on my iPad every few minutes and checked the ALSC (Association of Library Service to Children) updates on Facebook to see which books were the award winners. Someone else commented that it was like Academy Awards Night for book lovers. I agree. Silent cheers emerged from my thoughts for the authors and illustrators. Almost a year ago, I wrote about today's Newbery Medal Winner, The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate (http://extendedlibraryjewelshelflife.blogspot.com/2012/02/one-and-only.html). I have been wanting to write about the Caldecott Medal Winner, This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen, but it is continually checked out of the library! Do check it out to view the illustrations.

Tonight I read the newest book in the Lemonade War series by Jacqueline Davies. It is called The Candy Smash. Though I enjoyed the first three books (and so do readers), I think this is the most clever of the series. Each chapter begins with the definition of a literary or journalistic term, and then the characters and the author cleverly practice that term (and continue to do so in subsequent chapters). They all taught me about slant rhymes. I will be looking more for them as I read.

The story is about the mysterious things that occur in Mrs. Overton's fourth grade class just before Valentine's Day. Candy hearts appear in each student's desk, and the messages on them seem perfect for each person! Jessie, the youngest and most determined student, decides to track down the candy-giver while also getting a front-page story for her class newspaper. Mingled with her clues are the daily poems Mrs. O. shares with the class and which prompt Jessie's older brother Evan (who is also in the class) to write poems of his own. Jessie's resulting conclusions and publication cause quite a stir. The poetry terms and several poems are reproduced at the end of the book.