My son is fighting a strep infection, so I’ve been confined
to the house for the most part lately. Fortunately, we made a trip to the
library last week, so we had some great company to keep us entertained.
Miss Kraft is Daft, by Dan Gutman, is a short, energetic read.
It’s part of the My Weirder School series. A lot of fun for reading aloud, but
the laughter that ensued caused my son’s throat to hurt, so we had to take it
in short bursts.
This was the first book I had seen in the series, but my
guess is that they work very well as stand-alones. The author and artist did a
great job of creating an unbelievable tale of ridiculousness and weirdness,
which is confined to a group of middle-grade students and their teachers.
(Although mention of a parent or two crops up on occasion.)
In this bizarre tale, the math teacher becomes ill, leaving
his class at the mercy of a very strange substitute/magician named Miss Kraft.
She entertains the class with her magical skills, but manages to throw in a
little teaching in the process.
The highlight is the ending, which leaves the door wide open
for additional possibilities. Definitely a fun read, complete with gross factors
that should appeal to the most reluctant readers.
My second selection is a complete contrast to the
lightheartedness of Miss Kraft is Daft.
Jefferson’s Sons, by Kimberly Brubaker
Bradley, is a much longer and more serious read, but well worth every moment.
Jefferson’s Sons is a historical fiction relating a story of
the illegitimate family of Thomas Jefferson. The story is told through the
voices of several of his sons who were born through one of his slaves, and
through the voice of another young slave who was not so fortunate.
The creation of this book must have involved an enormous
amount of research, and that is reflected in the details. The author
transported me to a time and a situation that I had limited knowledge of, and could never quite grasp. She did an amazing job of getting into the heads of
these young boys and allowing me to experience their emotional turmoil.
I must confess that history has always been my least
enjoyable subject, but if it had been approached in the way Ms. Bradley
portrayed it, I would have eaten it up and begged for more. A very good read
that I highly recommend.
So what are you reading this summer? I hope it’s something
you will remember and recommend to others.
HAPPY READING!
Cordelia Dinsmore
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