The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate

    I loved this story!  It was a little sad at times.  My favorite part of the story was when Ruby was  introduced into  the story.  Through her innocence she made Ivan think about his past life and current living conditions.  She helped him see his life at the zoo and his art in a new way.  With Ruby's arrival comes change and Ivan realizes he can change things for all of the animals for the better!

Highly Recommended!

As I was driving in my car the other day, I heard the radio announcer talking about the best books to read this summer.The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate was at the top of the list for kids ages 9-14.  I am really looking forward to reading it. I know Mrs. Goodnow read it to her class and all said they enjoyed it tremendously.  It also received the Newbery Medal for best children's book of 2013 and is on the RICBA 2014 list. Wow!  I'll keep you posted. Happy reading!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler

I just got back from a trip to New York City, and while I was there I visited the Metropolitan Museum of Art or "The Met", which is a huge and amazing art museum.

While I was there, so many of the sights reminded me of one of my all-time favorite chapter books from when I was a kid: From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg.

This book is about a brother and sister who run away from home, but decide to stay in the Met because it is much more comfortable than trying to live on the street. They spend time exploring the exhibits around the museum, and eventually they even solve a mystery about a piece of art. My favorite part when I was younger was how they would bathe in the fountain in the lobby and take the coins that people would throw in for wishes to pay for things!

From the Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler is definitely a classic - it won the Newbery Medal in 1968, and rereading it now, I realized it is just as good as ever. If you happen to be traveling to NYC this summer this is a must-read!

But even if you can't make it to NYC to visit the Met this summer, click here to explore some of the Met's art - they have interactive pages where you can learn more about the art and artists from the museum.