Explorink » Middle Grades Popular Authors http://www.explorink.com Connecting Kids With Great Books! Tue, 23 Oct 2007 23:00:57 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 en hourly 1 Heckedy Peg-Audrey Wood http://www.explorink.com/lower-grades-early-readers/heckedy-peg-audrey-wood/ http://www.explorink.com/lower-grades-early-readers/heckedy-peg-audrey-wood/#comments Mon, 17 Sep 2007 00:53:00 +0000 Letha http://www.explorink.com/lower-grades-early-readers/heckedy-peg-audrey-wood/ heckedy-peg.jpgWhy is it that kids are so fascinated with scary stuff? Actually, I don’t think they’re fascinated with “real” scary things, but books and movies and campfire tales and peek-a-boo delight them to no end. And one of those “delightful” scary things? Why no other than Heckedy Peg, a book by Audrey Wood. The mother in our story is off on an errand to town. Each of her seven children (for being so good) is to be brought back one requested item. Before she leaves, the mother admonishes Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday not to play with fire and not to let a stranger in. Exit Mom. Enter children playing with fire and letting in the tricky and oh-so-nasty Heckedy Peg. Heckedy Peg changes the children into “dinner”, loads them into her cart and takes the “food” to her hut. It’s up to the returning mother to discover her children (Thank goodness for nosy blackbirds,) and heroically save the day. Let’s see: We have fire; transmutation (hey); kidnapping; strangers; faux dismemberment; drowning and egg pudding. What more could a child desire in a book? Okay, maybe not the egg pudding. The pictures by Don Wood are impeccably done-could we expect less? Oh, back to that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday thing-interestingly, that’s how most of the students visiting the library ask for the book: “Where’s that Tuesday Sunday book?” You gotta love it.

Heckedy Peg
Written by Audrey Wood
Illustrated by Don Wood
Accelerated Reader RL 3.2

]]> http://www.explorink.com/lower-grades-early-readers/heckedy-peg-audrey-wood/feed/ 0 The Adventures of Captain Underpants-Dav Pilkey http://www.explorink.com/middle-grades-chapter-books/the-adventures-of-captain-underpants-dav-pilkey/ http://www.explorink.com/middle-grades-chapter-books/the-adventures-of-captain-underpants-dav-pilkey/#comments Fri, 17 Aug 2007 14:21:05 +0000 Letha http://www.explorink.com/?p=47 The two questions I’m asked most in my library are: “Where do you keep the good books?” and “Where are the Captain Underpants books?” The first is answered with a sigh at my lack of forethought and the second answer is, inevitably, “They’re all checked out.” Captain Underpants is one of the most popular series in the library for the 8 to 11 set. Now, shall we digress? There are two schools of thought on the Captain Underpants type genre: “It’s not good literature!” and “But, they’re reading!” “It’ll warp their minds!” and “But, they’re reading!” I could go on, but for your sake, I’ll desist. Dav Pilkey is the author of the aforementioned controversial books. Some of his books are: The Adventures of Captain Underpants; Captain Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets; Captain Underpants and the Wrath of the Wicked Wedgie Woman. (Almost pretentious, aren’t they, in their lack of pretention.) I’m sure generations, ad infinitum, have run into this dilemma. In fact, I can almost picture an ancient Roman library and an 8 year old student asking Tiberius (He did have something to do with libraries, right?): “Where are the Imperator Underpants Scrolls?” And after a well-practiced scowling look from the librarian, defensive student replies, “Hey, I’m reading, ain’t I?” My opinion? I never scowl.
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The Adventures of Captain Underpants (et al)
Written and Illustrated by Dav Pilkey
Accelerated Reader RL Middle to High 4’s

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