Home Away From Home by Cynthia Lord

 

Home Away From Home by Cynthia Lord was a fantastic read! Cynthia Lord won a Newbery award for her book, Rules, and I predict this book will win its own awards. It is about a young girl named Mia who stays in Maine with her grandmother while her mother and new stepfather try to sell the family home. Mia is not comfortable with how much change is happening in her life, but she thinks a summer with her grandmother is just what she needs.

From the moment Mia arrives, she finds things have changed here too. There is a new neighbor boy hanging around with her grandmother, and when she goes to see the yearly eagle's nest on the point, there is a strange white bird bothering the eaglets. Nothing stays the same!

The characters in this book come alive to the reader. Mia has struggles with social media and limiting her phone time. She is jealous of Cayman the new boy who seems to be very good friends with her grandmother. She worries about having to leave her childhood home behind and about how she will fit into the new living arrangements that her mom is making without her. Pick up this Rhode Island Children's Book Nominee and enjoy reading along as Mia faces each new challenge.

By Mrs. Castro

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango

Something Like Home by Andrea Beatriz Arango is a touching story about a 12 year old girl who has been separated from her parents by child services. It is also a Rhode Island Children's Book Nominee. As Laura tries to get used to living with her Aunt, we read along in simple verse structure about how lonely and sad she feels. 

Fortunately she makes a few friends that help her. She finds a puppy and brings him home with her. Will her aunt let her keep him? It's obvious that he needs love and Laura might be the perfect person to care for him. Sometimes caring for an animal helps us deal with our own overwhelming feelings.

By Mrs. Castro

The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers

The 2024 Newbery winner is The Eyes & the Impossible by Dave Eggers. I just finished reading it and it made me laugh out loud several times. If you like books about animals who converse like humans, you might enjoy reading this out loud to your class.

It's about an art loving dog and a bunch of his animal friends who live in a park. They have all kinds of adventures, but the main theme is that they need each other to work together and solve their problems. One scene has a group of raccoons trying to create a diversion as part of their plan. They attack one of the park ranger's vehicles and are jumping up and down on it to set the alarm off, and then urinating on it while standing on the roof. All while the humans are running around the car saying, "Oh my God!, Oh My God!, OH MY GOD! The raccoons have gone nuts!"

Also as a little perk, all "the illustrations are classical paintings by artists long departed".

By Mrs. Castro