Presentation prepared for an elementary school booktalk on the 2009-2010 Virginia Readers' Choice Elementary (Grades 3-5) Reading List

1. Virginia Readers' Choice 2009-2010

2. Meet 10-year old Zoe Elias She dreams of becoming a classical pianist and playing at Carnegie Hall Instead of buying Zoe a baby grand piano, her eccentric dad gets an organ What happens when Zoe enters the annual Perform-O-Rama ?

3. Igraine lives with her family of magicians in Pimpernel Castle She dreams about becoming a famous and noble knight But something happens to her parents when they make Igraine a magical suit of armor And something is amiss at neighboring Darkrock Castle What happens when Igraine goes on a quest to find the Gentle Giant and meets the Sorrowful Knight?

4. Meet Mallory McDonald—she’s 8 ¾ years old She lives with her parents, her cat—Cheeseburger, and her older brother Max Not only does Max get a later bedtime, he is also getting a dog Now Max and Champ are getting all the attention The adventure begins when Mallory brings Champ to school. . .

5. School is about to start and Evan just found out that his younger sister, Jessie, will be in his fourth grade class this year Evan doesn’t want Jessie in his class and he doesn’t want to spend time with her So the Lemonade War begins! How will it end and who will be victorious?

6. The fifth graders at Laketon Elementary School are otherwise known as the “Unshushables” Not only are they loud and disorderly, the boys and girls don’t get along Something happens when Dave tries to spend the whole day without talking Boys vs. Girls Contest Who will win?

7. Vinnie Ream lived in Washington during the Civil War While she was one of the Postal Service’s first female employees, she really loved to sculpt clay Vinnie became an apprentice to a well-known sculptor and had the opportunity to work with Abraham Lincoln

8. 10-year old Emmy Addison feels invisible Her parents fly around the world, leaving her with a menacing nanny, Miss Barmy It seems as if only the class pet rat pays attention What happens when the rat bites Emmy and her classmate, Joe? Who are Miss Barmy, Professor Vole, and what are they doing with rodents?

9. When Sam searches for his 11 th birthday present, he finds a mysterious newspaper clipping What does it say and what does it mean? Sam cannot remember coming to live with his grandfather, Mack Maybe Sam’s new friend, Caroline, might be able to help him understand his haunting dreams

10. Kay-Kay’s mother has a new job—President of the United States She and her younger sister, Annie, have moved into the White House What happens when KayKay tries to play a practical joke on her uncle? And is it true that Lincoln’s ghost still lingers in the Lincoln bedroom?

11. The year is 1947 The Brooklyn Dodgers have just acquired Jackie Robinson Dad gets two prized tickets to a game Like Jackie Robinson, Dad has many obstacles he has to overcome and has to deal with prejudice What happens when Jackie catches the ball for the last out of the season?