What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read" Pick 11

Title:  Sometimes People March

Author/Illustrator:  Tessa Allen

Publication Information:  2020, Balzer & Bray

Received or Recommended By:  Amazon

Number of Pages:  28

Level/Target Audience:  PreK-adult

Genre:  Picture Book/ Narrative Nonfiction

Date Finished:  February 2, 2022

Part of a Series?:  No.

First Lines:  Sometimes ants march.  Sometimes bands march.  Sometimes people march.

Last Lines:  And together we find the courage to march.

Quotable Quotes: 

•People march for the freedom to love and live and learn.

•People are more powerful together.

Teaching Points:  This book is great tool to launch a study of historic movements and marches of both the past and the present.  The end pages include supplemental information to all the key figures and featured marches throughout the text and illustrations including the Woman's Suffrage Movement (1776-1920), the Greensboro Sit-Ins (1960), Loving v. Virginia (1967), the Black Lives Matter movement (2018-present), the Pride Parade (1970-present) and the People's Climate March (2017).

Author Tessa Allen dedicates this book to her family "who have always encouraged [her] me to be feisty and curious."  It introduces young readers to a familiar use of the word "march" as something both ant and bands do.  From there, it expands the idea to marches that occur in order to resist injustice, create change, gain freedom, and protect the earth.  The carefully placed illustrations help show that people can show resistance in many ways besides marching.  These ways include using voice, typed words, songs, or art.  In addition to marching, this picture book cleverly shows how people resit by having meetings, standing up, sitting down, or even taking a knee.  This book carries the theme that even though the road may not be easy, problems may become too complex, and one may grow pretty tired and feel defeated people, when together, can make a difference.  This is book leaves the reader hopeful, inspired and empowered.  It celebrates the heroes who have stood proud for us and have fought for us to receive the many rights we have today.

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read" Pick 10

Title:  Harbor Me

Author:  Jacquelin Woodson

Publication Information:  2018, Puffin Books

Received or Recommended By:  4th and 5th grade ELA teachers at my school

Number of Pages:  176

Level/Target Audience:  Grades 5-8

Genre:  Realistic Fiction

Date Finished:  January 30, 2022

Part of a Series?:  No.

First Lines:  We think they took my papi.  It's over now.  Or maybe it isn't.  Maybe, even as I sit on my bed in the dying light of the late afternoon, it's beginning again.  Maybe Ms. Laverne is looking over the new class list, her finger moving down the row of names.

Last Lines:  Me too, I say.  And when I rest my head against his arm, when the music circles around us, when my uncle stopped packing and joins in with his guitar and we pool up the song as if we'd always been singing it, what I know for sure now is that this is the end of one of many stories.  And also a beginning.

Quotable Quotes: 

•But what's unfamiliar shouldn't be scary.  And it shouldn't be avoided either.

•None of us really knew about forevers yet.  We were still just learning how things could change in a minute--how you could be in the middle of putting plates on the table when the phone rings with bad news.

•I want you to know that we are all flawed, he said.  We all have those days when we don't want to show up.  Days we just want to forget the world.  Doesn't make us bad people.  Just makes us people.  And time moves as it moves.  In a month, this moment won't be anything.

•Tragedy is strange.  It takes away.  And it gives too.

Teaching Points:  Immigration, social justice/injustice, author's craft and structure (use of dialogue), poetry, diverse family structure, character development, social emotional learning, bullying, death and dying

This is the story of Hayley, Holly, Esteban, Tiago, Amari and Ashton--classmates in what appears to be a sub-separate middle school classroom.  It's set in the Crown Heights section of Brooklyn.  Their endearing teacher, Ms. Laverne, gives them the last hour of Friday to sit in a circle, alone, and "talk."  Things start off with an awkward silence among the six classmates who couldn't appear to be more different.  Over time, however, they grow into a tight circle of friends who realize that they all share experiencing loss, wanting to belong, seeking to be free, and more importantly, looking to be "harbored" when in need.  The group shares their darkest secrets in their ARTT Room (A Room to Talk). This book is a mirror book to young adolescents dealing with incarceration, death of a parent, diverse learning styles, racial identity, socioeconomic imbalances and deportation.  This book serves as a powerful window to those that may not directly relate to the characters in this book.  Reading this invokes a feeling of empathy during a time when we need it most.  When asked why she wrote this book, Woodson notes "I have so many questions.  Sometimes, writing is the only way I can answer them."

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick

Title:  Front Desk

Author:  Kelly Yang

Mr. Giso's Book Pick Number:  8

Received or Recommended By:  Mrs. Erps, The Literacy Coach at my school

Number of Pages:  286

Level/Target Audience:  Grades 3-8

Genre:  Realistic Fiction with an Autobiographical influence

Date Finished:  July 29, 2019

Part of a Series?:  No, but the sequel to Front Desk is coming in 2020!

First Lines:  My parents told me that America would be this amazing place where we could live in a house with a dog, do whatever we want, and eat hamburgers until we were red in the face.  So far, the only part of that we've achieved is the hamburger part, but I was still holding out hope.  And the hamburgers are pretty good.

Last Lines:  "Wait, wait, wait!" she said.  "Let's get a picture!"  "I'll take it!" Hank jumped out.  As he held his hand up and clicked, I looked around at my new family and smiled.  It was a picture I'd been waiting a long, long, time for.

Teaching Points:  Immigration, Chinese culture/customs, character development, social justice/injustice, family

This incredible read took me along the journey of Mia and her parents-- all three immigrants from China who traveled to America in search of freedom.  Mia manages the front desk of the Calivista Motel while her parents work tirelessly to clean and upkeep the motel for its guests.  The Tang family, together with the residents who live weekly in the motel, teach us what compassion, loyalty, hard work and freedom really mean.  Family can be chosen.  We follow Mia's hopes and dreams, feel her letdowns and heartbreak and are left with a piece of her heart.  Many accounts of Mia and her parents are based on the author's childhood working in several motels.  This makes this read even more poignant and inspirational for me.

We are reminded of how much we can learn through the eyes of a child and how they are, in fact, listening to their elders-- even if it may appear that they aren't.  Mia reflects, "My grandmother used to say that people don't change.  Our heart is like a rubber band.  It might stretch a little, but it snaps right back."  Mia isn't quite sure that this is true.  She has hope it's not.  Mia knows that if people don't have the power to change, we are in a way, doomed!  I'm with her.  

Reflecting upon this book's significance, Kelly Yang notes "Often during tough times, the first instinct is to exclude.  But this book is about what happens when you include, when despite all your suffering and your heartache, you still wake up every morning and look out at the world with fresh, curious eyes."  This story is so inspiring, and it's not over.  A sequel comes out in 2020.  Thank you Ms. Yang for sharing so much of your childhood with us.

Introducing My Summer Reading Scrapbook Featuring What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read" Pick #8

I'm really delighted to introduce my summer reading project.  I'm so busy during the school year with teaching grades 1/2 by day and instructing my grads and undergrads by night.  As a result, I try to cram all my reading in over the summer, but last summer that was impossible!  I moved schools (after 15 years of teacher hoarding--you know we all do it), got my Sheltered English Instruction (SEI) endorsement, taught six graduate credits worth of courses AND co-directed a summer reading program.  Whew!

My goal this summer is to take some time for myself to do something I find relaxing.  It's school related, but it's also part of my hobby--reading children's literature.  I'm considering this a "two birds with one stone" kind of deal.  This idea is a double bonus.  It will put all the countless scrap booking supplies I have to use.  They have been collecting dust for years.  I am also playing around with the idea of using this as an assignment in my Children's Literature in the Elementary Grades course this fall.

Our Teaching and Learning Alliance (TLA) coach, Joia, ended our last PD with sharing ways to encourage summer reading for both ourselves and our students.  I was inspired.  She showed us some very neat ways of keeping track of reading in journals, on bulletin boards, etc.  I thought this was a perfect idea.  The reading coach in our school, Shawna, and I have decided to read and log as many books as possible over the summer.  We have started already even though our last day of school is (YIKES) June 25th.  We are sharing and trading books and hope to get a few more colleagues on board.  Each book we read will help us become better teachers and will more importantly, give us the chance to share these books with our students and to incorporate them as possible mentor texts for Reading Workshop.  This is the cover of my journal.  Surprisingly, it's not orange.

Here is the beginning of my Summer Reading Scrapbook.  The first book I read was Esio Trot by Roald Dahl. 

Joia said I had to read it, so I did!  It was adorable and exciting.  I made Alfie the turtle and typed out the turtle chant whispered by Mrs. Silver in order to get her pet to grow.  Because Mr. Hoppy kept a garden, I incorporated some plants along the sides with the word "grow."  Here is the finished product.

After this, I put together a PowerPoint template that I will use to journal some thoughts for each book.  I'd love to attach it for you, but I can't due to the font and border copyrights.  The information I chose to record was, in part, inspired by a wikiHow I came across on Pinterest.  Click HERE for it.  It includes the following.

book number (read):
title (with the book level):
author:
received/recommended by:
number of pages:
genre:
part of a series (or not):
first line (from the book):
last line:
teaching points:
summary, favorite quotes and anything else (on the back):

I plan to store each form in back of my scrapbook page.  Here's a better look.

I'm looking forward to sharing with you my summer reading.  Please leave a comment with a favorite book or two.  Here's my "Room to Read" pick. . .

Esio Trot

By:  Roald Dahl

Illustrated By:  Quentin Blake

This fantasy begins with "Mr. Hoppy living in a small flat high up in a tall concrete building."   He lives above Mrs. Silver (his secret crush).  Retired, Mr. Hoppy tends his garden.  He's lonely and sad.  Afraid to ask Mrs. Silver for tea, he devises a plan to help Mrs. Silver's beloved turtle, Alfie, to grow.  It involves Mr. Hoppy's homemade tortoise-catcher, a secured chant from a tribesman in North Africa and over 140 tortoises!  Whether or not Alfie grows or if Mr. Hoppy confesses his love for Mrs. Silver are revealed by the end.  This book is surprisingly, a quick read.  I read it in one sitting on my back porch.  It's ideal for a few days worth of interactive read aloud in grades two or three and perfect for an opinion writing piece (you will understand this if you have read it).  This book is definitely all you would expect from Roald Dahl!

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read" Pick #7

Mirror Mirror

By:  Marilyn Singer

Illustrated by:  Josee Masse

I've had this brilliant book standing upright on my desk at school for the longest time, just waiting to share it.  Being Daylight Savings time and all, means I enjoyed an extra hour of sunlight today.  As a result, I'm feeling extra productive, so here it goes!

Mirror Mirror a Book of Reversible Verse is just one of over 80 books for children by Marilyn Singer.  Singer entertains the age old saying that there is more than one side of a story.  The topic of each page is a familiar fairy tale.  Each poem is paralleled in what Singer refers to as her "reverso."  Simply put, a reverso is a poem read from the bottom up using meaning altering punctuation and capitalization.  This puzzled verse is the perfect style for letting the reader know the two points of view each fairy tale has to offer. It has definitely given this reader a new perspective.  

In this "reverso" of Little Red Riding Hood, we are presented with a poem on the left in which Little Red Riding Hood is telling us her story of "picking berries to eat-."  She "mustn't dawdle," as her Grandma is at home waiting.  On the right, you find the reverso. 
The Big Bad Wolf spies Little Red Riding Hood trespassing in his "hood."  She is his "juicy and sweet" treat "picking berries to eat."

What's perfect about this book is that both poems are presented on each page.  You don't literally have to read the poem from the bottom up to get the double meaning--it's done for you.  The illustrations by native Canadian Masse offer the perfect visual for the reader.  Just as each poem is split in half, so are her illustrations.  We get both points of view in her vibrant, bold and fairly tale-like paintings.  For adult readers, her artwork brings back the fondest memories of childhood.

Some of the classic fairy tales covered in this book include Cinderella, Rapunzel, The Ugly Duckling, Snow White, Jack and the Beanstalk and  Hansel and Gretel.  Both the poems and the illustrations work hand in hand to inspire children to step back and realize that perhaps the Three Bears were just as scared as Goldilocks, and that maybe the Prince could have used a few hours of the sleep that his Sleeping Beauty took for granted!

I can see middle or high school English teachers using this book with their students accompanying a lesson on writing original "reverso" poems.  Obviously, it's a great read aloud for children of all ages and a great gift for a child to add to his or her bedtime book collection.  Scroll down to my book picks to order it.

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #6

Beatrice's Goat

Written By:  Page McBrier

Illustrated By:  Lori Lohstoeter

Afterword By:  Hillary Rodham Clinton

"If you were to visit the small African village of Kisinga in the rolling hills of western Uganda, and if you were to take a left at the crossroads and follow a narrow dirt path between two tall banana groves, you would come to the home of a girl named Beatrice."

"Beatrice lives here with her mother and five younger brothers and sisters in a sturdy mud house with a fine steel roof.  The house is new. So is the shiny blue wooden furniture inside.  In fact, many things are new to Beatrice and her family lately."

"And it's all because of...?"

If you haven't guessed yet, the answer is a goat.  A goat that Beatrice names Mugisa which means "luck."  See, before Mugisa, Beatrice spent her days taking care of her younger brother and sisters, hoeing and planting in the fields, tending the chickens and grinding the cassava flour they took to the market to sell.  All Beatrice wanted most was to be a schoolgirl.  In fact, she would often hide behind a jackfruit tree and, carrying her younger sibling, Paskavia, would pretend she was a student too.  Unfortunately, Beatrice knew this was not a reality, for she was unable to save enough money for two essential requirements--a uniform and books.  Here is Beatrice in Uganda at the age of nine.

One day while pulling the weeds, Mama comes to Beatrice.  Mama had a different look on her face; her eyes almost sparkled which never happened.  She explains, "...some kindhearted people from far away have given us a lucky gift.  We are one of twelve village families to receive a goat."  Beatrice thought that was sort of nice and was a bit curious, but knew this would mean more work for her.  Being the devoted daughter that she is, Beatrice helped prepare for this "gift" without even knowing what magic it would bring.  This goat would change her life forever!

Mugisa, the goat and Beatrice the young girl from Kisinga are both  real.  This poignant book recounts the hope brought to Beatrice's family and countless other families thanks to the charity known as Heifer International which strives to help families like Beatrice's have a better tomorrow.  Just one goat provided Beatrice and her family with nourishment, a roof, an education and a dream.  This picture book takes you on the journey of a young girl who is granted her wish--an education!  In fact, after earning scholarships, Beatrice attended Connecticut College and graduated in 2008.  In May of 2010, she earned her Master's degree from the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service.  Here she is at her first graduation.

Both from Connecticut, the author, a teaching artist and arts-in-education consultant and the illustrator, an art teacher, were given the uplifting experience of traveling to Africa to meet the real Beatrice before creating this book.  The way that the magical prose and illustrations come to life truly attest to the fact that they know Beatrice and Mugisa personally.

This picture book was given to me by one of my first graders.  It quickly instilled upon me the true meaning of giving.  It's one of my new favorite reads, so I hope you have a chance to enjoy it.  As always, just scroll to the bottom of my blog to find this and my other favorites.  A portion of buying this book goes to helping families like Beatrice's.  To learn more about Heifer International, click here.

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #5

Auntie Claus

Written and Illustrated By:  Elise Primavera

This is by far, my favorite Christmas read aloud.  This story is set among the hustle and bustle of life as it exists among the skyscrapers and towers of New York City.  The Kringle family lives atop the luxurious Bing Cherry Hotel.  Of course, they love Christmas.  They keep up their Christmas tree all year.  Mrs. Kringle even owns the Mistle-Toe-to-Nail Salon on 56th and Fifth.

Sophie and her litter brother have everything, but of course, they are not satisfied.  Their great-aunt, Auntie Claus often wondered if Sophie and her little brother had too many presents.  No one loved Christmas more than Auntie Claus, who lived in the penthouse of the hotel.  Each day Sophie would have tea with Auntie Claus and get the latest advice.

"Always pick a nice full one, darling, with springy needles."  

"You must dr-a-a-a-ape the garland, darling, one strand at a time..."

Each tea time would end with Auntie's most important piece of wisdom.

"And darling, always remember my first and final rule-- whether it's birthdays, Christmas, or Halloween, it is far better to give than to receive!"

Auntie Claus is quite prim, proper, and fancy.  She is tall, thin, and always made-up.   Auntie Claus is also very mysterious as she always has a diamond key that hangs from a sliver ribbon around her neck.  Every year she leaves after Halloween and does not return until Valentine's Day.  Each time Sophie would question her Auntie about these oddities she would say, with a twinkle in her eye, "That, darling, is something for me to know and you to find out."

This book takes us through the twists and turns of Sophie's adventure in finding out the truth behind her Auntie Claus.  Through Sophie's journey we travel to the North Pole, learn about "elf rules and vital information," and discover the secrets behind the "B-B-and-G list" (Bad Boys and Girls).  Does Auntie Claus reveal her true self and finally get Sophie to realize the true meaning of giving?  Read to find out.

The illustrations by Primavera are marvelous!  Each page illuminates with the spirit of holiday lights.  Scale is cleverly used to show the high-rise hotel in all its glitz and glamour.  Deep blues, holly greens and vibrant reds dazzle each page.  Auntie Clause is long-lashed, painted tall, slender and dressed to the nines.

I love reading this book each year the day before the winter break.  I enjoy the look on my first grade's faces and the sound of their giggles when I say "darrrrrling" in my raspy voice the way I imagine Auntie Claus to sound. This book was given to me by my Auntie Dee ten years ago this Christmas.  Her message on the inside cover adds the perfect personal touch to this story.  

  

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #4

Memoirs of a Goldfish

Written By: Devin Scillian

Illustrated By: Tim Bowers

I grabbed this book on Amazon.com when it came up in my book recommendations.  Admittedly, I judged a book by it's cover.  I did, however, buy this book in hopes that it would be handy to teach students about point of view.  I was right.

Written by Devin Scillian, this book tracks the thoughts of two weeks in the life of the main character--a goldfish.  On day one, he swims around his bowl.  On day two, he swims around his bowl, twice.  Fun, huh?  Soon, the mundane life of the goldfish changes when over the next week, he gains company.  Mr. Bubbles, a bunch of plants, Mervin the snail, Fred the crab, Rhoda and Clark the guppies, a pirate ship, Cha-Cha the angelfish and more soon intrude his once peaceful bowl.  The goldfish can't take his crowded surroundings and one day, loses it.  He exclaims, "I want my bowl back!"  His wish is granted as he finds himself in a tiny bowl all by himself with a whoosh and a splash.

Soon, the goldfish wonders.  As annoying as they may have been, he misses his friends.  He wonders if they even realize that he is gone.  On day fourteen, with another whoosh and another splash, the goldfish is reunited with his friends.  Why you may ask?  What had happened while he was gone?  Read the book to find out.

The illustrations by Tim Bowers are remarkable!  The look on the sea creatures is priceless.  The perspective of the illustrations is done in a way that clearly depicts the crowded nature of the bowl.  The looks on the goldfish and his friends as their home becomes more and more crowded is startling, annoying and shocking.  There eyes are hilarious.

Yes, this book is great for teaching children point of view in a concrete manner.  You can clearly place yourself in the "shoes" of the goldfish and understand what he's feeling throughout the course of the story's plot.  In addition, this book is appropriate for teaching sequencing in a fun manner.  I've added it to my book picks from Amazon.com at the bottom of my blog.  It's a book choice from the International Reading Association.

What's Mr Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #3

Sammy in the Sky

Written by Barbara Walsh

Paintings by Jamie Wyeth

"His name was Sam.  But I called him Sammy.

He had black and tan fur, large brown eyes, and a snout that could sniff three-day-old smells.  My dad said Sammy was the best hound dog in the world.  All I knew was that I loved Sammy and Sammy loved me."  

The above starts this poignant story about an unnamed girl and her beloved best friend named Sammy.  Sammy didn't mind wearing a pink bonnet to play house or being bandaged up to play doctor.  Sammy always seemed to know when the girl in this story was sad; he had a way of nuzzling his nose in his proud owner's lap and handing her his paw.  The love between the girl and her best friend Sammy was so powerful, she though it would last forever.

On Sammy's twelfth birthday, the girl's father found a lump on Sammy's neck.  A lump that made Sammy sick.  A lump that had no medicine to fix it.  Turning away to hide his tears, the girl's father says "We've got to love Sammy as much as we can because he's not going to be with us much longer."

One day Sammy was no longer able to stand up in the kitchen.  In an emotional, child friendly manner, mother explains the reality that Sammy is going to die.  She describes his body as an "empty shell," but his spirit as something that will be kept alive forever.

The girl's younger sister serves as a foil character in this story.  She didn't understand why Sammy couldn't come back--even if they got a really TALL ladder to get him down from the sky.  Before the summer ends, the healing family takes an emotional journey to Sammy's favorite spot.  They send up bubbles to the sky for him and share some of their favorite memories.  A cloud that looks exactly like Sammy floats by.  They all know that Sammy will always be with them.   Together, they grieve.

This book is worth reading in honor of all dogs loved and lost.  It's perfect for buying young readers who have suffered the loss of a loved family member.  It provides a springboard for talking about death and offers children comfort in coping with it.  The paintings radiate the illustrator's love of our furry friends.  Coming from a dog family adds a personal connection to this fine piece of literature.  Grab this read by scrolling down to the end of my posts.

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #2

Kindness IS Cooler, Mrs. Ruler

By:  Margery Cuyler

Illustrated By:  Sachiko Yoshikawa

This is a terrific beginning of the year read aloud.  It's also the perfect book to take out when your students are having difficulty getting along and you need a fix, quick!  It's about a quirky teacher named Mrs. Ruler who is frustrated, one day at her students not getting along.  Raquelita is stealing a hat, David is pulling a ponytail and Anaya and her twin sister Tawana are talking to each other through story time.  "That's enough!  Too rough!" shouts Mrs. Ruler who talks in fun rhymes throughout the book.  The illustrations are bright and bold in warm colors.  The class is animated with bright eyes and wide open smiles.

Mrs. Ruler keeps her troublemakers in for recess and as a consequence has them perform five acts of kindness at home so that the students will learn how much better it feels to be nice.  In time, the plan works--even for the most tough student named David.  In this fun-filled adventure, the students in Mrs. Ruler's class end up making a bulletin board of over 100 hearts that record acts of kindness.  Mrs. Ruler's plan was extended to the whole class.  Her children marveled in the good feeling one gets from doing something nice for a friend, a family member or even a community!  The book has over 100 suggestions of age appropriate acts of kindness students can do.  It's a valuable lesson-making addition to your library for children of all ages.  As Mrs. Ruler says, "Don't forget--a slice of nice makes a mile of smile!"

Click here to get your free "all week printable" that goes along with this book.  It includes directions, a letter to send home and heart templates so that your class can celebrate random acts of kindness all year long!  Don't forget, ordering this book is a click away.  Scroll down to the bottom of my blog to find my picks from Amazon.com.

What's Mr. Giso Making "Room to Read?" Pick #1

The Boy of the Three-Year Nap

By:  Dianne Snyder

Illustrated By:  Allen Say

I teach children's literature at the university level.  Anyone that knows me would be able to testify that it's a huge interest of mine.  In particular, but not exclusively, I LOVE the art of the picture book.  Three out of the four walls in my classroom are lined with them.  The fourth wall has storage cubbies which houses what?  MORE books!  It's no wonder why "Room to Read" was the obvious choice in naming by blog.

I came up with this new idea from a colleague to blog about my newest acquisitions in children's literature from time to time.  This is my newest book that arrived at my doorstep today.  By the way, I definitely recommend signing up for an Amazon.com credit card for all your book purchases.  You get money back to buy more books!  Totally worth it.  This one was free for me with points.  You can easily scroll down to the waaaaaaaaay bottom of my blog for a link to Amazon.com, and the book is a click away.

This charming picture book for my first pick, is a Japanese folktale.  To no surprise, it's a Caldecott Honor book.  The story can be told by simply "reading" the illustrations.  One of my undergrads chose it in her oral presentation on character--it was the perfect choice, so I just had to buy it to add to my library.  This book is about a very hard working widowed mother who has a lazy son Taro.  He could sleep for "three years at a stretch" if no one woke him, hence his name "The Boy of the Three-Year Nap.

One may think that this boy is good for nothing.  When a wealthy rice merchant, his wife and his daughter move to town and build a mansion next to Taro's shack, we soon realize what Taro is capable of doing to help his poor mother and to help bring food on the table.  The villagers by the river Nagara soon have a visit from the god ujigami which leads to this book's climax.  My favorite part of this book is when we learn that Taro is not the only one who has a trick or two "up his sleeve." 

Remember to sign up for updates and become a Mr. Giso's Room to Read" © blog member for updated "Bright Ideas" and "Book Picks."  All of my "Book Picks" should be linked at the bottom of my blog.  Happy reading!