Wednesday, July 27, 2016

What is Ms. Papa reading? - Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises

Ms. Papa has another great book recommendation!  Check it out below;

Image result for Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises 
Seven Wonders: The Colossus Rises, the first book in a five book series, by Peter Lerangis is a must read for adventure and fantasy fans.  13-year-old Jack discovers, when he wakes up on what remains of the Lost Island of Atlantis, that he has a rare genetic condition the will kill him unless he finds the source of Atlantis’ power.  Unfortunately when Atlantis was destroyed the power was stolen and divided into seven loculi hidden in the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.  Finding the power will not only keep Jack alive, but will give him superpowers!  Travel along with Jack and his friends as they search for the loculi and come up against one disaster after another!    



If you’re reading something you want to share, I’d LOVE to hear from you!  Send me your quick book talk via email or mail at the contact information below so I can share it out with the rest of the Barrows School Community! (This can be for Barrows students, staff, or parents because we can all use a good book recommendation now and then!)

Happy reading!
Love, Mrs. Leonard




Want to share what you’re reading?
Send me an email: heather.leonard@reading.k12.ma.us

Or mail me a letter/postcard:
Heather Leonard
16 Edgemont Ave
Reading, MA 01867

What is Ms. Papa reading? - Sophia's War

Ms. Papa has another great book recommendation!  Check it out below;

 

Sophia's War by Avi is ideal for readers who love suspense, adventure, mystery and perfect for historical fiction enthusiasts.  Living in British-occupied New York is not easy for 12-year-old Sophia Calderwood and her parents.  Not only do they have to pretend they are still loyal to England (which they're not) they have to quarter a British officer, Lieutenant John André!  André turns out to be kind and well-mannered, so Sophia is surprised when he refuses to help get her brother, William, out of The Sugarhouse, the worst British prison, (he's been there since the Battle of Brooklyn and conditions are horrible). Sadly William dies and Sophia vows to avenge his death. Her opportunity comes three years later when she agrees to help the Rebels by spying! Sophia takes a job, as a maid, in the British Army’s headquarters. While there she learns of the plot, by the British, to capture West Point! If West Point falls to the British the Rebels would most likely have to surrender and lose the War.  It's up to Sophia to stop this from happening.  Can she do it? Read Sophia's War to find out. 





If you’re reading something you want to share, I’d LOVE to hear from you!  Send me your quick book talk via email or mail at the contact information below so I can share it out with the rest of the Barrows School Community! (This can be for Barrows students, staff, or parents because we can all use a good book recommendation now and then!)

Happy reading!
Love, Mrs. Leonard




Want to share what you’re reading?
Send me an email: heather.leonard@reading.k12.ma.us

Or mail me a letter/postcard:
Heather Leonard
16 Edgemont Ave
Reading, MA 01867

Monday, July 11, 2016

What is Mrs. Leonard reading? - Stuck


Last night I re-read the book "Stuck" by Oliver Jeffers with my daughters.  We always get a good laugh from reading this book.  Floyd is enjoying time outside when he gets his kite stuck in a tree.  He goes to great lengths (and utilizes a wide range of materials!!!) to try to get his kite un-stuck.  It's a fun and silly family read-aloud book!  Enjoy!

I love the summertime – it’s a great opportunity to pause and pick from a wide range of literature to enjoy!  There is so much out there that I thought it would be fun to share what I’m reading in the hopes that it may inspire a new title for you to try or start a great dialogue of book sharing and recommendations.  If you’re reading something you want to share, I’d LOVE to hear from you!  Send me your quick book talk via email or mail at the contact information below so I can share it out with the rest of the Barrows School Community! (This can be for Barrows students, staff, or parents because we can all use a good book recommendation now and then!)
Happy reading!
Love, Mrs. Leonard






Want to share what you’re reading?

Or mail me a letter/postcard:
Heather Leonard
16 Edgemont Ave
Reading, MA 01867



….hope to hear from you!

What is Ms. Papa Reading? - Loot



"What I'm Reading" - Mrs. Papa, Library/Media Specialist:

I just read (and loved) Loot: How to Steal a Fortune by Jude Watson.  The story grabs you from the beginning and its short chapters and fast pace holds your interest until the last word!  LOOT is thrilling, suspenseful, and packed with action, I couldn’t put it down!  Ms. Watson said the idea for LOOT came from a simple question: what if you were the son or daughter of the greatest jewel thief in the world?  March McQuin is that person and when his dad dies he hands March a stone and his final words are “Find jewels”.  It turns out jewels is Jules, his long-lost sister!  Together, with some friends, they set out to find six more stones all the while trying to avoid the authorities who want to send them back to an orphanage and the bad guys who are also trying to find the stones!  I highly recommend this 2017 Massachusetts Children’s Book Award nominee! 





If you’re reading something you want to share, I’d LOVE to hear from you!  Send me your quick book talk via email or mail at the contact information below so I can share it out with the rest of the Barrows School Community! (This can be for Barrows students, staff, or parents because we can all use a good book recommendation now and then!)
Happy reading!
Love, Mrs. Leonard

Want to share what you’re reading?

Or mail me a letter/postcard:
Heather Leonard
16 Edgemont Ave
Reading, MA 01867



….hope to hear from you!

Thursday, July 7, 2016

What are you reading? - One & Only Ivan

I love the summertime – it’s a great opportunity to pause and pick from a wide range of literature to enjoy!  There is so much out there that I thought it would be fun to share what I’m reading in the hopes that it may inspire a new title for you to try or start a great dialogue of book sharing and recommendations.  If you’re reading something you want to share, I’d LOVE to hear from you!  Send me your quick book talk via email or mail at the contact information below so I can share it out with the rest of the Barrows School Community! (This can be for Barrows students, staff, or parents because we can all use a good book recommendation now and then!)
Happy reading!
Love, Mrs. Leonard


 Image result for the one and only ivan


I recently finished “The One and Only Ivan” by Katherine Applegate.  This book was written in 2012, received the Newbury Medal and was voted this year as MCBA book award recipient.  This story was a powerful tale told from the perspective of Ivan, a Silverback Gorilla and his life as a feature in a small side-show in a mall.  I found the story to be an interesting read that really made me empathize with Ivan and his animal and human acquaintances. It was that much more intriguing to learn that this story was based on a real-life Ivan who lived a similar situation to the story that is told.   (Check out more information here:  http://theoneandonlyivan.com/) I encourage you to check this story out, it’s a great read! (Don’t worry, if you want to wait until the fall for this one we have many copies in the Barrows library!)


Want to share what you’re reading?

Or mail me a letter/postcard:
Heather Leonard
16 Edgemont Ave
Reading, MA 01867


….hope to hear from you!