This book landed in our collection of read-alouds as a gift from my Uncle Mark, who thought my two boys would love a good old-fashioned story about two brothers on the adventure of a lifetime. Set in the 1900s, this book was different than anything we’ve read previously, and it was a hit.

Bud & Me is the true story of two young brothers, Louis (“Bud”) and Temple Abernathy, who – inspired by books like Mark Twain’s Roughing It that their father read to them – decide to journey on horseback from their home in Oklahoma to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Their father, a U.S. Marshal with his own exciting tales of adventures, opens a $100 checking account for the boys for necessities and sends the 9- and 5-year-old on their way. It was fascinating to follow the young brothers as they self-sufficiently worked their way from town to town, cared for themselves and one another, and dealt with adversity. 

After a successful first trip, the boys make an even bolder horseback trek across the country, traveling from the Atlantic to the Pacific. News of the young pair’s mission precedes them, and the boys experience celebrity status at their stops along the way. 

Bud & Me offers a glimpse at life over 100 years ago – when a trek across the country meant riding horseback, carrying a map in a knapsack with canned beans, tomatoes and a canteen, vs. a temperature-controlled vehicle with a GPS and fast food drive throughs every few miles. It definitely provoked a lot of “imagine what that would be like” kinds of conversations!

I decided to borrow Wishtree from our local library after my fourth grader loved reading Crenshaw, also by Katherine Applegate. I was so glad we checked it out, and my only regret was not having read both Crenshaw and Wishtree with my now eighth grader when he was younger.

Wishtree is written in the voice of Red, an old oak tree that for generations has hosted quirky creatures and witnessed the lives of the neighborhood’s families. Red’s branches are filled with wishes written on strips of cloth, a long-standing neighborhood tradition. The requests vary in significance, but when a lonely little girl whispers that she wishes for a friend, Red feels compelled to take on a bigger role than simply providing the branch on which the wish hangs. 

Applegate developed the character of Red in a really captivating way, with human-like emotions, a sense of purpose, and a heartfelt mission. She takes as much care with the animal characters that live in and around Red, giving them whimsical personalities and using clever naming schemes. 

I thought Wishtree was a great read-aloud choice, and my son and I really looked forward to checking in with Red each night. 

This book is an absolute home run for kids who like baseball. I read it with my older son a few years back and just re-read it with my baseball-playing fourth grader. He liked it so much he asked if I was going to feature it on this blog, and he recently came home from school having discovered another book in the series. 

Honus and Me is the first in a series of baseball card adventures that follow 12-year-old Joe Stoshack, a kid from Louisville who can travel back in time to meet actual baseball players from history simply by holding their baseball cards.  Joe’s life-changing adventures begin when he discovers an old, extremely rare Honus Wagner baseball card while cleaning out an elderly neighbor’s attic. Honus first appears in Joe’s room, and then invites Joe to travel back to the 1909 World Series when his Pittsburgh Pirates battled the Detroit Tigers in a seven-game series. Joe gets a chance to play in a historic game and discovers he, too, can be a great ballplayer if he believes in himself.

The book is an easy length, about 135 pages, and it being presented as historical fiction offers an entertaining way to learn some really interesting baseball history. We also enjoyed the book’s historic photos.

My fifth grader recently read Because of Mr. Terupt for his nightly independent reading and raved about it. I decided to read it myself and review it.  He was right – it’s terrific!

The fifth graders in Mr. Terupt’s class thought they had it made when they got him as their teacher – after all, he was a rookie. But they didn’t know this would be the school year that would change their lives.

This book is written from the first-person perspectives of seven students as they recount the events of their extraordinary school year.

Their journal-like entries illustrate how Mr. Terupt gives them space to navigate challenges on their own, while teaching the principles of being positive, looking at things differently, always trying and, most importantly, forgiving.

When an accident involving their teacher leaves the students feeling helpless, blameful and shaken, they realize how much they need one another despite their differences, and they find themselves believing everything happens for a reason.

Buyea smoothly weaves the kids’ individual stories together in a way that keeps the plot moving forward. At the same time, he reveals details about each student that remind the reader that it’s easy to make assumptions about peers when you don’t really know them, but everyone has a story to tell.

Buyea wrote additional books, Mr. Terupt Falls Again and Saving Mr. Terupt, though we have not yet read them.  I anticipate they will be well worth reading.

Alex and Conner Bailey are typical modern-day sixth graders. They are twins, but while Alex is a bookworm, Conner is more the type to daydream in class. They have grown up listening to their world-traveler grandmother tell them amazing stories full of adventure in far-off places, and they relish the times when she would read fairy tales to them from her treasured Land of Stories book.

The first book in The Land of Stories series, The Wishing Spell, sets the stage when the twins’ grandmother gives them her Land of Stories book for their 12^thbirthday. They are in for the adventure of their lives – they just don’t know it yet.

Author Chris Colfer, of “Glee” fame, takes the reader on a fascinating journey behind the scenes with a wide variety of fairy tale characters. He cleverly intertwines the lives of the Bailey twins with famed personalities like Goldilocks, Jack and the Beanstalk and Snow White – to name a few.  As we travel with the twins we discover what happened in “happily ever after,” look inside magic mirrors, and get the backstory on why Snow White’s stepmother was so evil.

Whether your kids are very familiar – or vaguely familiar – with fairy tales, this series is a great one to read together. We have now read the entire collection, and the books consistently held our interest and left us eager to read the next.  I can genuinely say I found the premise so intriguing that I would have loved reading this series independently as an adult.