Fourth Grade Journey

A Fourth Grade Teacher's Journey Through the World of Books

Monday, January 27, 2025

The Sea Elephants by Shastri Akella

How I Came Across It... *During 2024, I kept seeing this novel pop up on different lists. I ended up buying it for myself as a Christmas gift. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Shagun is a young man who has always felt different.

*After the loss of his twin sisters, and the disapproval from his father, he flees the home and ventures to all-boys boarding school.

*During his years at the school, he endures teasing, bullying, and abuse.

*Shagun ends up fleeing again, and finds himself living with and performing along side of a group of "traveling story tellers".

*It is here, he begins to feel he can truly be himself.

*Even with a new relationship, and time and space from his family, Shagun can't seem to escape his past or shame about who he truly is. What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *Beautifully written.

*The plot was a slow burn, but I found myself interested in Shagun and the path he traveled.

*There were some slow-moving parts, but I kept going and then would find a section I was engaged with.

*I found it interesting and fascinating to read about the Indian culture in India and what and who was accepted and those who were not.

*I'm not sure I always understood some of the deeper meanings, myths, and stories that were presented in the novel, but I didn't let that deter me from the overall plot. Who Should Read It... *Adult readers who gravitate toward strong fiction/literature will be the perfect audience for this story. If you enjoy character driven plots set in foreign lands, this is also the story for you. The plot doesn't always move fast, but the overall story is quite beautiful and emotional. Happy Reading!
Rating...
3 out of 5 stars


The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson

How I Came Across It... *During my winter break 2024/2025, I came across this title via social media. After reading some reviews, I bought the book and have been reading this historical fiction novel published for adults over the last month. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Based on Roosevelt's Kentucky Pack Horse Library Project, this story follows a young woman's desire to bring books to her local neighbors.

*Cussy Carter is a horse-riding librarian who also happens to be one of the last people in the area with "blue" skin.

*Cussy makes it her mission to deliver books to as many people as she can, despite the challenges she faces in her area.

*Not only does she face hardships from the environment, but the local people as well.

*With strength, a vision, and will-power; Cussy is determined to fulfill her mission and bring joy to as many people as she can. What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *I had high hopes for this novel.

*When I first started, I was thinking it was going to be a fast read, but found the plot moved a bit slow for my taste.

*I certainly got a taste for the time frame, the local setting, and the way people were treated back in the 1930's.

*Being a book lover myself, I enjoyed reading about Cussy bringing reading materials to as many people as she could.

*The further I got into the story, I found myself skimming parts that just didn't engage me.

Who Should Read It... *This novel has received RAVE reviews and many 5-Star recommendations. If you are a historical fiction reader, this is the story for you. It may not have been the novel for me, but I think I'm in the minority. Happy Reading!

Rating...
3 out of 5 stars



Pied by Avione Lee

How I Came Across It... *This middle-grade novel was sent to me via the publisher Simon & Schuster. I was captivated by the title and cover and got to read right away. What It's About - Five Things You Need to Know... *Rim has had a normal and average life until he doesn't.

*His uncle has kept a secret from Rim until the time was right and told him.

*His uncle and grandmother take Rim from the world he has known and travel to another place that Rim could never have imagined existing.

*He is shown the world of "pipers", but Rim isn't just a piper, he is a Pied Piper.

*While trying to learn his new powers, and pass a series of tests, Rim learns about another world full of magic, music, and lots of adventure. What I Thought of It - Five Observations/Reflections... *I'm not normally a fan of fantasy, but I enjoyed the fantasy world of Rim and the pipers.

*The writing was excellent, engaging, and satisfying.

*I so enjoyed following Rim to his new world and read about all of his new and thrilling adventures.

*The cast of characters that surrounded Rim were unique and full of life.

*As I finished the story, I thought to myself there definitely could be a sequel to this first novel. Who Should Read It... *Readers who enjoy fantasy, music, and animals MUST read this novel. I would recommend the book to readers in grade five and above. It is a bit longer at 341 pages, but will capture the imagination of young children. Happy Reading!

Rating...
4 out of 5 stars

An Inside Look #285 (Author INTERVIEW)

        

An Inside Look with Allison McGhee

(Author of Telephone of the Tree)


*Season #ONE (June of 2016 to March of 2017)

*Season #TWO (Summer of 2017)

*Season #THREE (School Year 2017/2018)

*
Season #FOUR
 (Summer/fall of 2018)

*Season #FIVE (School Year 2018/2019)

*Season #SIX (Summer 2019) 

*Season #SEVEN (Fall 2019) 

*Season #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

*Season #NINE (Fall 2020)

*Season #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

*Season #ELEVEN (Fall 2021)

*Season #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

*Season #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

*Season #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

*Season #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

*Season #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

*Season #SEVENTEEN (Winter/Spring 2024)

*Season #EIGHTEEN (Fall 2024)



*I'm excited to present season #NINETEEN with brand new interviews/authors.  

*It has been such an honor to connect with authors and "chat" about their novel, characters, and thoughts about the story.

*This is the THIRD interview in which I'm calling Season #NINETEEN.   

*Thank you to Allison for being the Two Hundred Eighty-Fifth author I've had the pleasure of interviewing.  I truly appreciate it.  



Telephone of the Tree 
by Allison McGhee

(May 7, 2024)


How did you come to know Ayla?
Ayla appeared to me as a girl sitting in a birch tree, surrounded by that beautiful papery bark and cradled in the limbs of its split trunks. She reminded me a little of me, because I spent a LOT of time in my tree house when I was a kid.


What do you think is her most admirable quality?

Ayla loves deeply and she is steadfast in her love. She loves her parents, her grandfather, the people on her block, her trees, and Junie For Short the dog. She never, ever stops loving her best friend Kiri or hoping that Kiri will return.


Is there anything you wish she would have changed or done differently in her story?
I wish for Ayla's sake that she had accepted what happened to Kiri earlier in the book, but she had to do that in her own way and in her own time, and I respect that.


What do you think Ayla can offer to other children that are experiencing similar situations to what she went through?
Ayla can tell you, from her own experience, that the ones we love will always --in one way or another--be with us. There is always more.


How did you research Ayla and the circumstances she found herself in?
I have had to say goodbye to people in my life, in childhood and beyond, and something that comforts me in the pain is knowing that I can always conjure them in my mind and heart. So the circumstances of the book come partly from my own experience. Beyond that, I did quite a bit of research on trees and how they and other plants communicate with each other.


Do you and Ayla share any similarities?
Oh yes we do! We are both deep thinkers and observers. We both go our own way and never, ever want to be pushed into doing something we're not ready to do. We want people to respect us and accept us just as we are.


What was the hardest scene to write about her?
The hardest scene to write about Ayla was when she finally let herself admit what had really happened to Kiri. I cried, because I could feel her sadness. (Actually I'm crying again as I type this.)


Who do you think was her biggest supporter and why?
Ayla has quite a few people in her life who support her, who understand what she's going through and give her the space to take her time: her grandfather, her parents, Gentleman down the block, and Kiri's dog, Junie For Short. It's hard to pick just one, but if I have to, I'd say it was her grandfather. He's the one who's always there in the morning, making her pancakes, letting her go to her tree, and he's also the one who --as it turns out--left the old telephone in her birch tree. Her grandfather somehow knew that the old telephone would be the key to helping Ayla process her grief.


Why do you think some young people can show such resilience, strength, and courage during difficult life situations; sometimes even more than the adults in their lives?
Young people amaze me with their courage, their resilience, their strength, and their wisdom. They so often have an ability to understand complicated and difficult life situations in a way that lets them go straight to the heart of the matter, while too often the poor adults in their lives deny the difficulties or act like they're not a big deal. I'm not sure why exactly this is, but maybe it's because young people are at the beginning of their lives and are not willing to compromise truth and the need to take action. I admire them so much.


What do you think Ayla is doing at the present time?
My guess is that Ayla is sitting on her front steps eating a grilled cheese sandwich with tomatoes from her grandfather's garden. Junie For Short is spending the day with her and is stretched out on the step next to her, basking in the sun. She's chatting with her neighbors Gentleman and Mrs. S., and she's waving to anyone who comes by to make a call on the telephone of the tree, and she's silently sending them love when they pick up the receiver. 



SEASON #ONE (2016-2017)

























SEASON #FOUR (Summer 2018)






















SEASON #FIVE (2018/2019)













SEASON #SIX (Summer 2019)







SEASON #SEVEN (Fall 2019)




















SEASON #EIGHT (Winter/Spring 2020)

Interview #121 with Melissa Savage (Author of Nessie Quest)

Interview #122 with Tamara Bundy (Author of Pixie Pushes On)

Interview #123 with Lindsay Lackey (Author of All the Impossible Things)

Interview #124 with Tae Keller (Author of When You Trap a Tiger)

Interview #125 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Roll With It)

Interview #126 with Hena Khan (Author of More to the Story)

Interview #127 with Phil Bildner (Author of A High-Five for Glenn Burke)

Interview #128 with Leslie Connor (Author of A Home for Goddesses and Dogs)

Interview#129 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Queen Bee and Me)

Interview #130 with Jody J. Little (Author of Worse Than Weird)

Interview #131 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Things You Can't Say)

Interview #132 with Kaela Noel (Author of Coo)

Interview #133 with Rebecca Stead (Author of The List of Things That Will Not Change)

Interview #134 with Gae Polisner (Author of Jack Kerouac is Dead to Me)

Interview #135 with Emily Blejwas (Author of Like Nothing Amazing Ever Happened)

Interview #136 with Joy McCullough (Author of A Field Guide to Getting Lost)

Interview #137 with Kim Baker (Author of the Water Bears)

Interview #138 with Erin Entrada Kelly (Author of We Dream of Space)

Interview #139 with Jess Redman (Author of Quintessence)

Interview #140 with Melanie Conklin (Author of Every Missing Piece)

Interview #141 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Brave Like That)




SEASON #NINE (Fall 2020)














SEASON #TEN (Winter/Spring 2021)

Interview #158 with Rebecca Ansari (Author of The In-Between)

Interview #159 with John David Anderson (Author of One Last Shot) 

Interview #160 with Tracy Holczer (Author of Brave in the Woods)

Interview #161 with James Bird (Author of The Brave) 

Interview #162 with Marcella Pixley (Author of Trowbridge Road)

Interview #163 with Barbara O'Connor (Author of Halfway to Harmony)

Interview #164 with Alan Gratz (Author of Ground Zero) 

Interview #165 with Lisa Fipps (Author of Starfish)

Interview #166 with Ann Braden (Author of Flight of the Puffin)

Interview #167 with Kimberly Willis Holt (Author of The Ambassador of NoWhere Texas) 

Interview #168 with Elana K. Arnold (Author of The House That Wasn't There) 

Interview #169 with Erin Soderberg (Author of The Great Peach Experiment)

Interview #170 with Donna Gephart (Author of Abby, Tried, and True)

Interview #171 with M. Evan Wolkenstein (Author of Turtle Boy)

Interview #172 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of Bea is for Blended)

Interview #173 with Jess Redman (Author of The Adventure is Now)

Interview #174 with David Levithan (Author of The Mysterious Disappearance of Aiden)

Interview #175 with Chris Grabenstein (Author of The Smartest Kid in the Universe)

Interview #176 with Ali Standish (Author of The Mending Summer)

Interview #177 with Holly Goldberg Sloan (Author of The Elephant in the Room)

Interview #178 with Jeff Zentner (Author of In the Wild Light)


SEASON #ELEVEN (Fall/Winter 2021)

Interview #179 with Katherine Applegate (Author of Willow) 

Interview #180 with Padma Venkatraman (Author of Born Behind Bars)

Interview #181 with R.J. Palacio (Author of Pony)

Interview #182 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Too Bright to See)

Interview #183 with Barbara Dee (Author of Violets are Blue)

Interview #184 with Anne Ursu (Author of The Troubled Girls of Dragonmir Academy) 

Interview #185 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of We Could Be Heroes)

Interview #186 with Jasmine Warga (Author of Shape of Thunder)

Interview #187 with Joseph Bruchac (Author of Rez Dogs)

Interview #188 with Kathryn Erskine (Author of Lily's Promise)

Interview #189 with Elly Swartz (Author of Dear Student)

Interview #190 with Heather Clark (Author of Lemon Drop Falls)

Interview #191 with Veera Hiranandani (Author of How to Find What You're Not Looking For)

Interview #192 with Elizabeth Eulberg (Author of The Best Worst Summer)

Interview #193 with Cathy Carr (Author of 365 Days to Alaska)

Interview #194 with Carol Cujec and Peyton Goddard (Authors of REAL)

Interview #195 with Gillian McDunn (Author of These Lucky Stars)

Interview #196 with Alyssa Colman (Author of The Gilded Girl) 

Interview #197 with E.L. Chen (Author of The Comeback)

Interview #198 with J.M.M. Nuanez (Author of Birdie and Me) 


SEASON #TWELVE (Winter/Spring 2022)

Interview #199 with Jamie Sumner (Author of One Kid's Trash)

Interview #200 with Chad Lucas (Author of Thanks a Lot, Universe) 

Interview #201 with Jenn Bishop (Author of Where We Used to Roam)

Interview #202 with Rebecca Caprara (Author of Worst-Case Collin) 

Interview #203 with Leslie Connor (Author of Anybody Here Seen Frenchie?)

Interview #204 with Caroline Gertler (Author of Many Points of Me)

Interview #205 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of Susie B. Won't Back Down) 

Interview #206 with Shawn Peters (Author of The Unforgettable Logan Foster)

Interview #207 with Aisha Saeed (Author of Omar Rising)

Interview #208 with Adrianna Cuevas (Author of Cuba in my Pocket)

Interview #209 with Jennifer Swender (Author of Stuck)

Interview #210 with Brenda Woods (Author of When Winter Robeson Came)

Interview #211 with Danya Lorentz (Author of the Book Of a Feather)

Interview #212 with Saadia Faruqi (Author of Yusuf Azeem is Not a Hero)

Interview #213 with Ellen Hopkins (Author of What About Will) 


SEASON #THIRTEEN (Summer 2022)

Interview #214 with Nora Raleigh Baskin and Gae Polisner (Authors of What About the Octopus)

Interview #215 with Lauren Wolk (Author of My Own Lightning)

Interview #216 with Rebekah Lowell (Author of the Road to After)

Interview #217 with Gillian McDunn (Author of Honestly Elliott) 

Interview #218 with Dan Gemeinhart (Author of The Midnight Children)

Interview #219 with Melanie Conklin (Author of A Perfect Mistake) 

Interview #220 with Kyle Lukoff (Author of Different Kinds of Fruit)

Interview #221 with Tracy Edward Wymer (Author of The Great and Mighty Benjamin Teller)

Interview #222 with Louise Hawes (Author of Big Rig)

Interview #223 with Paul Acampora (Author of In Honor of Broken Things)

Interview #224 with Shannon Doleski (Author of Gabe in the After)

Interview #225 with Jennifer Ziegler (Author of Worser)

Interview #226 with Natalie Lloyd (Author of Hummingbird)


SEASON #FOURTEEN (Fall 2022)

Interview #227 with Celia C. Perez (Author of Tumble

Interview #228 with Greg Howard (Author of The Visitors)

Interview #229 with Rob Buyea (Author of The Daredevils)

Interview #230 with Sashi Kaufman (Author of Sardines)

Interview #231 with Lindsey Stoddard (Author of The Real Deal)

Interview #232 with Margaret Finnegan (Author of New Kids and Underdogs)

Interterview #233 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of The Hope of Elephants)

Interview #234 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Rover's Story)


SEASON #FIFTEEN (Winter/Spring 2023)

Interview #235 with Varsha Bajaj (Author of Thirst)

Interview #236 with Torrey Maldonado (Author of Hands)

Interview #237 with C.C. Harrington (Author of Wildoak)

Interview #238 with Margi Preus (Author of Windswept)

Interview #239 with Dayna Lorentz (Author of Wayward Creatures)

Interview #240 with Katrina Nannestad (Author of We are Wolves)

Interview #241 with Anika Fajardo (Author of Meet Me Halfway)

Interview #242 with Chrystal D. Giles (Author of Not an Easy Win)

Interview #243 with Gregory Maquire (Author of Cress, Watercress)

Interview #244 with Will Taylor (Author of The Language of Seabirds)

Interview #245 with Gillian McDunn (Author of When Sea Becomes Sky)

Interview #246 with Ann Braden (Author of Opinions and Opossums)

Interview #247 with Jarrett Lerner (Author of A Work in Progress)

Interview #248 with John David Anderson (Author of The Greatest Kid in the Universe)

Interview #249 with Aubrey Hartman (Author of The Lion and Lark-Hayes Manor)

 

Interview #250 with Sally J. Pla (Author of The Fire, The Water, and Maudie McGinn)

Interview #251 with Chris Baron (Author of The Gray)

Interview #252 with Dusti Bowling (Author of DUST)


SEASON #SIXTEEN (Fall 2023)

Interview #253 with Sarah Everett (Author of The Probability of Everything)

Interview #254 with Andrea Beatriz Arango (Author of Something Like Home)

Interview #255 with H.M. Bouwman (Author of Gossamer Summer)

Interview #256 with Kaija Langley (Author of The Order of Things) 

Interview #257 with Elaine Vickers (Author of Half Moon Summer)

Interview #258 with John Gaspard (Author of The Curious Mysteries of Eli Marks)

Interview #259 with Dana Kramaroff (Author of The Do More Club)

Interview #260 with Jessica Vitalis (Author of Coyote Queen)

Interview #261 with Katherine Applegate and Gennifer Choldenko (Authors of Dog Town)


SEASON #SEVENTEEN (Winter/Spring 2024)

Interview #262 with Chad Morris and Shelly Brown (Authors of The Wild Journey of Juniper Berry) 

Interview #263 with Anne Ursu (Author of Not Quite a Ghost)

Interview #264 with Erin Soderberg Downing (Author of Just Keep Walking)

Interview #265 With Kate Albus (Author of Nothing Else But Miracles)

Interview #266 with Robin Gow (Author of Dear Mothman)

Interview #267 with Toni Buzzeo (Author of Light Comes to Shadow Mountain) 

Interview #268 with John Schu (Author of Louder Than Hunger)

Interview #269 with Allie Millington (Author of Olivetti)

Interview #270 with Amanda Rawson Hill (Author of Once Upon a Family)

Interview #271 with Lynne Kelly (Author of The Secret Language of Birds)

Interview #272 with Lisa Yee (Author of The Misfits)

Interview #273 with Lisa Fipps (Author of And Then, Boom)


SEASON #EIGHTEEN (Fall 2024)

Interview #274 with Jasmine Warga (Author of A Strange Thing Happened in Cherry Hall) 

Interview #275 with Lois Lowry (Author of Tree.Table.Book)

Interview #276 with Rob Buyea (Author of Carter Avery's Tricky Fourth Grade Year)

Interview #277 with Gayle Forman (Author of Not Nothing) 

Interview #278 with Kate O'Shaughnessy (Author of The Wrong Way Home)

Interview #279 with Shifa Saltagi Safadi (Author of Kareem Between)

Interview #280 with Jamie Sumner (Author of Deep Water) 

Interview #281 with Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic (Author of Hummingbird Season)




SEASON #NINETEEN (Winter/Spring 2025)

Interview #284 with Kimberly Newton Fusco (Author of The Secret of Honeycake)