Out-of-Print Newbery

My fifth graders are required to read at least five Newbery books to earn their school award. Most read the popular ones such as Charlotte's Web and Holes. In discussion with the school media specialist about the of recent Newbery Award winners, she mentioned that several of the past winners were out of print. I thought you might be interested in knowing that only four of the Newbery books are out of print:

1925 -- Tales from Silver Lands by Charles Finger

1932 -- Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer

1935 -- Dobry by Monica Shannon

1940 -- Daniel Boone by James Daugherty











 
I have not read these books even though I own a copy of Waterless Mountain. Published reviews of these books are mixed. Has anyone read these books? Does anyone know why these are out-of-print? Please leave feedback

The Very Worst Thing

Thanks to a colleague of mine for introducing me to this book by Torey Hayden. The Very Worst Thing is a real-life fiction jaunt that students can relate too.  I use this book to start out my school year to help form a sense of "community" in the classroom.

The Very Worst Thing has prompted discussions with my students about bullying and standing up for what you believe in. Family, foster care, love, friendship, empathy, and keeping wild animals in captivity are also part of the plot. Recommended for grades 5 and up.

Why and What

My first reason for starting this blog is that as a teacher I have read many popular and obscure juvenile books. Review of these books are limited by the book sellers and/or the publishers. Some of the books have been out of print for years, yet are worthy of still being in print. My goal is to review many of these books.
My second reason for creating this blog is to offer ideas for teachers to integrate these books, along with popular juvenile books, into their curriculum planning. This is the scary part. Am I a talented enough teacher to pull this goal off or yet, a talented enough reader and writer? Please join me into my voyage into the new unknown.