Author/Illustrator: Sarah Prineas/Javier CaparoPlot Summary: A boy who lives on the street and steals to survive meets up with a wizard and becomes his apprentice.
Comments: Engaging fantasy that is equally as interesting as Harry Potter without the dark elements. It is perfect for younger students or those not ready to commit to the Harry Potter series. Book two is available and it will eventually be a trilogy.
Extensions:
1. Great lesson ideas for this book involving magic from EducationWorld
2. I will use this book on my weekly book recommendation/book talk which goes on our weekly news show. This is a great book for second and third grade, higher level readers.
3. Book Club book for second and third graders who want to read this book. It could be a "lunch bunch" or before school.
Themes/keywords: magic, wizards, apprentices, fantasy
Age/Reading Level: 3 - 6; ATOS/Follett - 4.5; Lexile - 680
Standards:
(Similar standards for fifth and sixth grades.)
ELA4R2(through eighth grade) The student consistently reads at least twenty-five books or book equivalents (approximately 1,000,000 words) each year. The materials should include traditional and contemporary literature (both fiction and non-fiction) as well as magazines, newspapers, textbooks, and electronic material. Such reading should represent a diverse collection of material from at least three different literary forms and from at least five different writers.
ELA4R1 The student demonstrates comprehension and shows evidence of a
warranted and responsible explanation of a variety of literary and informational
texts.
ELA4W1 The student produces writing that establishes an appropriate organizational structure, sets a context and engages the reader, maintains a coherent focus throughout, and signals a satisfying closure.
ELA4W2 The student demonstrates competence in a variety of genres.
Publisher's Info: HarperCollins, New York. 2008
ISBN-13: 978-0-06-137587-3
ISBN-10: 0-06-137587-X
Awards/Review Sources:
Wilson's Children 07/01/09
School Library Journal 06/01/08
Booklist starred 05/15/08
Horn Book starred 01/01/09
Book Links starred 07/01/08
Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books starred 07/01/08
Publishers Weekly 06/16/08
Kirkus Review starred 05/01/08
Genre/Dewey: Fiction
Websites:
The publisher's website for the book
Interview with the author: http://cynthialeitichsmith.blogspot.com/2008/06/author-inteview-sarah-prineas-on-magic.html
Author interview from the publisher's website
Notes for Booktalk: The second book in this series is called The Magic Thief: Lost
Vocabulary:
Comments