Kid Lit Mondays: Clementine

I participate in Tween Tuesdays and love it. I love to spotlight books that I think will totally hook fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh graders. But last week as I was trying to pick out what book to spotlight I kept rejecting some of my favorites as being "too young" for tweens. So I decided to do a new series of posts called "Kid Lit Monday." Sometimes the books will be for very young readers (K-1) and sometimes for older (2-3). I will try and put down the reading level, but might sometimes forget.

Today I am going to spotlight Clementine by Sara Pennypacker. (higher first grade readers through fourth)

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder why someone doesn't try to create a modern day Ramona type girl?" (Not that Ramona doesn't stand up to time, she totally does, but this post is not about her). Well, wonder no more, Clementine is here! I was reading chapter one to some second graders today and I was struck again by what a great voice Clementine has.

Some of you may say that Junie B. Jones fills the void of crazy little girls, and she is wonderful and always fun to read aloud for kids. But, the biggest gripe a lot of parents, and some teachers, have against Junie is her language and grammar. Clementine doesn't have that issue. She is more articulate, but gets into as much trouble as either Junie or Ramona. I know several little girls in the school I teach who have Clementine tendencies, things that happen that aren't solely their fault, but that they have a hand in.

Pick up a copy today either for your young reader or for yourself. I guarantee you will find yourself grinning the entire time you read Clementine!