News from the Curriculum Resource Center

Donaldson, Julia.  The Fish Who Cried Wolf.  Illustrated by Axel Scheffler.  New York:  Scholastic, 2008.  ISBN:  978-0-439-92825-0.

A small fish with a penchant for telling big tales, Tiddler has a tendency to wow his classmates with stories of amazing escapades that cause him to be late for school.  When he really meets up with adventure and finds himself far from home his reputation as a storyteller saves the day.  But will his schoolmates ever believe him?  With steady gentle rhyme and intensely detailed illustrations, the team of Donaldson and Scheffler (see May 22, 2008 Where’s My Mom?) work their magic again on this variation of the … Continue Reading

Lowry, Lois.  The Willoughbys.  Illustrated by the author.  Boston:  Houghton Mifflin Company, 2008.  ISBN978-0-618-97974-5.

From the author of The Giver and Number the Stars,  the newest offering of Lois Lowry is The Willoughbys, a fun romp unlike anything she’s previously published.  A parody of traditional children’s orphan tales, the four Willoughby children suffer from nefarious parents who are inspired by the tale of Hansel and Gretel and set out to rid themselves of their children.  Happily the feeling is mutual, and the children come up with an equally beastly plans … Continue Reading

Lewin, Ted and Betsy Lewin.  Horse Song:  The Naadam of Mongolia.  Illustrated by the authors.  New York:  Lee & Low Books, 2008.  ISBN:  978-1-58430-277-2.

Be transported to the wide open Mongolian steppe through this fascinating book about the annual summer festival of Naadam.  Ted and Betsey Lewin share the sites, tastes, and smells of this horse culture located in the Gobi Desert.  Follow the story of nine-year-old Tamir as his family prepares him to participate in a 14 mile horse race where the jockeys are children and the horses are half-wild.  … Continue Reading