The Talented Clementine by Sara Pennypacker

There she is! That's Clementine and she's a third grade girl with so many worries. In The Talented Clementine she wants to avoid being in the school talent show, Talent-Palooza, Night of the Stars, because she has no talent - or so she thinks. Her friend Margaret has many talents and tries to teach Clementine to tap dance. That doesn't work out at all. Clementine finally has a plan to have her younger brother appear on stage on a leash so she can make him laugh - now there's a talent! Of course, Mom and Dad say no to that idea. Clementine eventually helps out Principal Rice at rehearsal only to discover her real talent.

If you like reading Ramona or Judy Moody books, get ready to enjoy Clementine. The author, Sara Pennypacker, has written three Clementine books so far and there will surely be more to come. This is the second in the series. Find them all at your library and curl up in a cozy place to enjoy laughing with Clementine.

The Cheese by Margie Palatini

"The farmer in the dell, the farmer in the dell, hi-ho the dairy-oh, the farmer in the dell." Do you know this silly song? Have you ever wondered just where is the farmer when he is in the dell? Why does the cheese have to stand alone at the end of this song? In The Cheese by Margie Palatini, that's exactly what the rat wonders too. Why should a perfectly good piece of cheddar be left alone in the dell? Even though "The cheese stands alone" is a clearly posted rule at the farm, the rat, the cat, the dog, the child, the wife, and the farmer all are tempted to ignore that rule for a piece of that tasty cheese. You'll chuckle when you read this retelling of the silly song, The Farmer in the Dell, and you'll be surprised with what the rat has to tell you at the end of The Cheese. Be sure to visit Margie Palatini's website to read about her and the other silly books she has written - lots of fun!

Lawn Boy by Gary Paulsen

What do you get when you mix a twelve year old boy with an old lawn mower, a crazy Grandma, a neighbor who is a stockbroker, a group of hard workers, a couple of thugs and a prizefighter? The new engaging novel by Gary Paulsen, Lawn Boy. Join the adventure as this team of characters take care of lawns, and each other. One of my fifth grade teachers asked me to purchase a copy of Lawn Boy for his team, so they could use it as a read-aloud before they began their stock unit in economics. Great choice!

On his twelfth birthday the main character of the story receives an odd present from his Grandma ... his Grandpa’s rusty old riding lawn mower. He has absolutely no use for this present and doesn’t quite understand why his Grandma gave it to him, but she was a bit strange! After a few days, he decides that maybe he could mow a couple of his neighbors’ lawns, earn a little money, and buy a new inner tube for his ten speed. A few short weeks later he has earned over three hundred dollars and more jobs than he can manage on his own. Enter Arnold, the stock broker neighbor. Instead of paying cash for the work, Arnold invests the forty dollar payment in stocks. Arnold also knows a guy who needs work, so if it workers they need, they will get as many as they can to help mow the lawns. The stock rises, the business takes off, and Arnold continues to invest the earnings in stocks. Told in first person, we never learn the name of our main character, but we know he is a twelve year old with his own lawn business, including employees; he has stocks through his customer, Arnold; they all have thugs after them and who is the prizefighter and how does he fit into this story? Pick up this page turner and enjoy the wacky cast of characters, I guarantee you will not want to put it down until you finish the whole story.