Children's Literature

The Final Four!!!!

2010-03-31T10:39:00.001-07:00

The Final Four!

Title: "The Sun is Up: A Child's Year of Poems" Verses Compiled by: William Jay Smith and carol Ra

Publisher: Boyds Mill Press, Inc. 1996

Reading level: varies on the poem

Genre: poetry

Pages: 30

Summary:

This collection of poetry provides children that represent the year from New Year's Day until New Year's Eve. Each month has at least one poem that talks about the uniqueness of the month. Most months have another poem either about a holiday in that month or a special event in that month. The first poem is written by William Jay Smith and talks about the bright new hope that comes from a new day and a new year.

Winter: January's poem is written by James Stephens and is entitled "White Fields." In January, everything is covered by the white snow, and mothers always know by the footprints in the snow where their children have been. "February Twilight" by: Sara Teasdale and "My Valentine" by: Robert Louis Stevenson are the poems for February. The first talks about the magic of seeing a single star on a clear, February night. The second talks about the things that a person will make for his or her valentine.

Spring: "March" talks about the things like birds and grass that can be seen as the snow melts in March. "Kite Days" explains that a child's definition of spring is flying a kite on a breezy March day. "April" explains that singing birds and blossoming flowers welcome spring to the world. "First Day of April" gives a warning to all that if someone offers you gifts on April 1^st, we should just laugh and remember that it is April Fool's Day. In May people weave rainbows of ribbon around the Maypole as explained in "Maypole Dance." The other poem for May, "Maytime Magic", explains that with a little seed, a hole, some water, and a little wish a flower will bloom.

Summer: In "A Day in June" children lie beneath the shade of a tree and relish the moments of summer. "Kick a Little Stone" is the second poem for June and explains that if a person kicks a small stone, the stone along with its shadow will bounce ahead and become a friendly sight. Tomatoes ripen, grass grows, and fireworks fly in the poem "In July". A child makes a sand castle that is swept away by the waves in the poem "At the Seaside". What can be done on a hot summer day? The poem "August Afternoon" explains that two children can swing on the swings and sip lemonade on a hot summer day.

Autumn: The poem "September" explains that the work of harvest must be done, but the reward is seeing the golden hues of the month along with the deep purple of the setting sun. "October" explains that the month of October can be characterized by the colors of gold, brown, and orange as well as the sight of children dressed as ghosts, witches, and pirates. The poem for November is called "Down! Down!" and explains that the leaves fall down in November. In the poem "First Thanksgiving" the food that the pilgrims ate is listed; they had lived for so long on so little, so they were really excited for the feast. December brings the "First Snow" and the "Winter Moon". December also brings Christmas time. "Christmas Tree" explains about a family who cut down and decorated a tree to welcome everybody on Christmas Eve. In "Christmas in the Olden Time" children add more wood to the fire, so they can make Christmas day last as long as possible.

The book ends in much the same way that it began, with a New Year's Eve poem by William Jay Smith that talks about how a clear sky and tinkling bells welcome the New Year.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a great book to introduce any child to poetry. The pictures are beautiful and inviting, and all of the poems are about things that are familiar to children.

Possible Problems:

This poem dedicates a whole page to Christmas, but does not mention anything about Hanukah or Kwanza. Children and parents might be offended that their religious holidays were not represented in the book.

Reaction:

I adore this collection of poetry. I think that all of the poems are beautiful in their simplicity. Each poem made me want to go to that month or time of the year. I love that the pictures portray children of the 19^th century with girls in full-length dresses and boys in knickers and suspenders. I feel like the pictures add to the nostalgic feeling and remind children of a time where things were simpler.

Title: "Spencer's Adventures: The Great Toilet Paper Caper" by: Gary Hogg

Publisher: Scholastic, 1997

Reading Level: 3.6

Genre: Humor/Realistic Fiction

Pages: 76

Summary:

Spencer Burton is always coming up with crazy ideas. His most recent scheme is to get into the Giant Book of World Records. He plans on doing that by setting the record for walking backwards for the longest time, which would be longer than 4 days. As soon as Spencer walks into his classroom, he all but loses his nerve for setting the record. He is asked to complete a problem on the board, and all of his classmates make fun of him for his goal. His insightful teacher, Miss Bingham, decides that she should get the class to support Spencer with his goal, so she declares the next day as backwards day. Spencer had been thinking about giving up on the record, but he decided to stick with it since a whole day in the classroom was dedicated to supporting him in his efforts. The next day, Miss Bingham's class did everything backwards. They said their names backwards, greeted each other by saying "good-bye" instead of "hello", and walked backwards to their classes.

Soon the whole school heard about backwards day. Mr. Warner, the school principal, got so excited about the idea of backwards day that he declared the next Friday to be a school-wide backwards day. He also declared Miss Bingham's class as the class of the day for their great idea.

The students in Miss Bingham's class decided that because Mr. Warner was so generous with giving out awards, they were going to give him an award. Spencer thought it would be better to give him the fame that would accompany getting a world record. So Miss Bingham's class got out the Giant Book of World Records and started looking for a record they could set on Mr. Warner's behalf. Many records were suggested, but they decided the most likely record would be the record for the largest toilet paper roll. As it stood now, the largest roll was 6 feet four and a half inches tall.

Each student in the class was supposed to go home and get as many rolls of toilet paper for operation TP that they could. Spencer was disappointed when his mom would only allow him to have 3 rolls of toilet paper. He decided to go around house to house to ask for toilet paper. His mom quickly put a stop to that. His second attempt at gathering toilet paper was to stuff the shirts of his brother and himself with toilet paper from the bathroom of the burger restaurant. His mom didn't like that idea either and made him give the toilet paper back. His final attempt was to go to the corner of two busy streets and hold a sign saying "toilet paper needed". His dad found him this time and put a stop to that as well, but not before he got $10 to buy toilet paper with.

The day came to build the toilet paper roll. All of the class members had a different job, and they were able to build a roll 6 feet 4 and ¾ inches tall. They broke the world record and had the world record official take a picture and prepare the paperwork. The class presented Mr. Warner with the largest roll of toilet paper at the assembly held to honor the school-wide backwards day. They explained that he would be in the Giant Book of World Records. He was so flattered. As Tom Meyers, the record book official, went to take the picture, the roll of toilet paper rolled off down the hill towards the city. Mr. Warner ran after the roll. He decided to jump into his car and chase after the roll before it killed someone in town. Spencer rode after him on his bike. With the quick thinking of Spencer and Mr. Warner, they were able to stop the roll by grabbing an unraveling end and letting it unroll. By doing so, they stopped the roll, but also gave up their hopes of a world record. Tom Meyers told them, though, that they would be in the book after all because the whole school had walked backwards all day which was a world record.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a fun book for all children. It is pretty easy to understand and really funny. The content is appropriate for both boys and girls.

Possible Problems:

I don't really think many problems could arise from this book. The only thing that I could think about would be that students, after reading this book, would want to build a roll of toilet paper or set another record. In my opinion, that would kind of curiosity and drive would be a good thing.

Reaction:

I thought that this book was extremely funny. I laughed out loud on several occasions, which meant that I had to explain what was so funny to my roommate. The best thing about this book was Miss Bingham, Spencer's teacher. I would love to be a teacher like her. She capitalized on the interest of her students and made going to school and learning so much fun for them. I think that it would be fun to have a backwards day in my classroom. It would be fun for the students, but they would still have to be thinking and using their brains. It would be great.

Title: "The Baby-Sitters Club: Boy-Crazy Stacey" by: Ann M. Martin

Publisher: Scholastic, 1987

Reading Level: 3.5

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 138

Summary:

Dawn, Kristy, Claudia, Mary Anne, and Stacey are all members of the Baby-Sitters Club. This group of middle schoolers meet three times a week to answer phone calls from parents in need of a sitter. The summer after their seventh grade year in school, the group of friends discover that they will be separated for two weeks. Dawn is going to visit her dad in California for the first time since her parents divorced seven months ago. Claudia is taking a trip with her grandma, Mimi, and her parents. Kristy will be stuck in Stoneybrook, Connecticut in the mansion of her new step-father, Watson. Mary Anne and Stacey got invited to be "mother's helpers" to Mr. and Mrs. Pike on their two-week vacation to Sea City on the New Jersey Shore. The Pikes have eight children. Adam, Jordan, and Byron are triplets. Margo and Mallory are the middle children. Nicky is the other boy who doesn't like to hang out with the girls but is not always accepted by the triplets. Vanessa always speaks in rhymes, and Claire, the five year old, is going through her silly stage and always adds "silly-billy-goo-goo" to the end of words. Stacey's parents were reluctant to let her go at first because she has diabetes, and they were worried that she would not stick to her diet and forget to take her insulin. After much persuasion, she convinced them to trust her.

After a long car ride in the Pikes' two station wagons, the caravan made it to Sea City. The Pikes expected Mary Anne and Stacey to help care for the children and watch them while they went off and had alone time. The Pikes visit Sea City every year, so they remembered all of the fun things to do in the city. They, of course, wanted to do everything right away, but Mary Anne and Stacey convinced them to just take a tour of the city the first night. The group eventually began getting into a routine. While the lifeguards were on between 9 in the morning and 5 at night, the crew left their beach-front rental home and headed onto the beach.

Stacey was a big fan of spending every day on the beach, especially after discovering that a bleached-blonde was the lifeguard along that strip of the beach. Stacey soon began coming with every excuse to talk to Scott, the lifeguard. At first, she had to fight for his attention with the other teen-aged girls, but eventually, they began going away. Stacey seemed to have Scott's full attention. He called her things like "babe" and "cutie". He was even generous enough to let her get him soda and make him sandwiches. While Stacey was flirting with her "love", Mary Anne was tending all 8 Pike children by herself, and she was not very happy about it. Besides being annoyed that she was having to do Stacey's work, Mary Anne knew that the 18-year old soon to be college student could not possibly be interested in Stacey. Stacey knew that Scott loved her and that Mary Anne was just jealous and didn't understand. Mary Anne began giving Stacey the silent treatment.

One night, Mr. and Mrs. Pike gave the girls the night off to go out on the town. The excitement of the night off was enough to help the girls mend their friendship. They headed for the board walk, grabbed some dinner, bought some souvenirs in the little gift shops, and rode the Ferris wheel. On the way back to the house, Stacey decided that she would buy a gift for Scott. Mary Anne did not like the idea very much, but she had no choice but to wait as Stacey picked out the right gift. As Stacey was bringing out her choice of a heart-shaped box of chocolates, Mary Anne froze. Stacey looked over to see what Mary Anne was looking at. On a bench near the store, Scott was kissing a girl who was at least 18. Stacey was crushed. She felt stupid for thinking that Scott could possibly interested in her.

After that night, Stacey began to see how neglectful she had been of her responsibilities. She realized that she had been around the Pike kids but hadn't been with them. She determined to make the most of the time she had left with the children. The next day the girls decided to split up. Mary Anne took the kids who were sick of the beach to the boardwalk, and Stacey took the others to the beach. She met Alex, a boy "mother's helper", who Mary Anne had been hanging out with while Stacey was preoccupied with Scott. She also met Alex's cousin, Toby, who was her age. She fell instantly in love with Toby, but this time her love helped her with the children.

On the last night that the girls were in Sea City, the Pikes gave them the night off again, and the girls went on a double date with Toby and Alex. They all ate dinner together, and then the pairs split off to spend time by themselves. Stacey and Toby played games at the arcade, walked on the boardwalk, and rode the tunnel of love. On the ride, Toby kissed Stacey. She was so thrilled to have gotten her first kiss. She didn't want the night to end. It had to end, though, and the next day they had to leave. Toby and Alex found the girls the next day to say good-bye. Tony and Stacey promised to write each other and stay in touch. Mary Anne was so sad when Alex left that she started crying.

After another long car ride, Stacey made it back home. She could not wait to tell Claudia all about what happened in the two weeks that she was gone. She got her first love, lost him, found another, and got her first kiss. It was a really successful trip.

Recommended Readers:

This is definitely a girls' book. Because it is a lower reading level, it is more fit for younger girls about 3^rd or 4^th grade, but I know that older girls in the 5^th or 6^th grade like these books as well.

Possible Problems:

There are two big problems that I see with this book. The first problem is that this book and other books in the series paint what I see as an unrealistic picture of what 13-year old girls should be like. I remember reading these books and thinking that those girls were so mature, and that is how I should be when I am that age. This book especially shows girls that age 13 is the average time to be dating and kissing boys. I know that I look at this book with a biased, LDS lense, but I don't think that that message is good for girls, LDS or not. The girls that I knew in high school who started dating at about 12 or 13 ran into serious problems by the time they were 16 or 17. Besides that, I remember reading these books and thinking that there was something wrong with me because I wasn't receiving the same kind of attention from boys that the girls in the stories were receiving. It wasn't really good for self esteem.

The other problem that I see from these books has more to do with the books themselves than the content. The Baby-Sitters Club book series is a really extensive series. I was reading the list of books and there are over 90 regular series books plus several other "special" series books. These books are great to get children interested in reading, but as far as literary merit goes, they are not the best. I remember that these books were the only ones that I wanted to read, and it really was pretty much the only thing I read because there were so many to choose from. A series as extensive as this doesn't encourage children to branch out and try new things.

Reaction:

I really enjoyed reading this book, mostly because it was a walk down memory lane for me. I realized while reading it how silly it really is, though. The story is so dramatic that it is almost funny. There will always be a special place in my hear, though, for the Baby-Sitters Club, though.

Title: "Pokémon: Attack of the Prehistoric Pokémon" Adapted by: Tracey West

Publisher: Scholastic, 1998

Reading Level: Could not find

Genre: Fantasy/ Anime

Pages: 65

Summary:

Ash's dream is to become the world's greatest Pokémon master. As it stands now, his Pokémon training skills could use a little help. One day while hunting for Pokémon with his friends, Misty and Brock, and his very first Pokémon, Pikachu, Ash hears about a fossil hunt at Grandpa Canyon. Ash figures that finding the first fossilized Pokémon will get him that much closer to fulfilling his dream. It also be amazing to beat Gary Oak, Ash's rival trainer.

Ash's plans and the plans of the other Pokémon diggers are ruined by Team Rocket, the infamous Pokémon thieves. Team Rocket also heard about the pre-historic fossils and planted tons of dynamite at Grandpa Canyon, so they could blow it up and get all of the fossilized Pokémon. Ash and his friends hear about their evil plan and try to blow out the lit flame of the dynamite before it blew up and injured everyone at the site. Even with the help of his Pokémon, Ash was not able to stop the explosion. He and Pikachu got knocked over by the force of the explosion. The ground caved below them, and they found themselves with Team Rocket and their Pokémon, Meowth, in an underground cave. Soon they discovered that they were not alone in the cave. Four prehistoric Pokemon that had been sleeping for thousands of years were awoken by the explosion, and they were not happy.

After trying to fight off the prehistoric Pokémon with Pikachu and the defiant Charmeleon, Ash was overtaken by the angriest of the Pokémon, Kabutops, and was carried out of the cave in his claws. Ash cried for the help of his friends and those around them. While they tried to think about what to do, Charmeleon got so angry with the prehistoric Pokémon that he evolved into Charizard, the powerful Pokémon. Ash thought that he evolved to save him, but he quickly learned that Charizard was only angry at the other Pokémon. Down below, Ash's friends decided that they would have Jigglypuff sing his slumber song that would make the Kabutops fall asleep. The prehistoric Pokémon along with everyone else except for Charizard fell asleep. Ash fell out of the grips of Kabutops and landed on the back of Charizard who carried him down to the ground safely. The dangerous Pokémon fell back into the cave, which was quickly covered back up. Ash determined that it was better off to leave ancient Pokémon alone. His trip was not a loss, though, because he found the egg of a rare Pokémon, Togepi, which quickly took a liking to Misty and would cry when Ash picked him up.

Meanwhile, Team Rocket was still stuck in the cave. They vowed to teach Ash a lesson as soon as they got out.

Recommended Readers:

I don't know if Pokemon is still popular among little children, but I know that it used to be. I think that this book would be great for little children who love Pokemon but don't like to read. It would be a good way to get them to read and would be a good lead into reading other books.

Possible Problems:

If a student has no prior knowledge of Pokemon, this book would be really confusing because it definitely has its own set of words. I got really confused about what was going on, and I have even seen a couple of the Pokemon movies. Even having base-vocabulary knowledge, it is still a little confusing because there is so much going on in the book.

Reaction:

I thought that this book was so ridiculous that it was funny. The situations that Ash gets himself into are really funny, and I just couldn't help but laugh to hear how he and his friends tried to get him out of those situations. It was funny to me that they always conveniently had a Pokemon that would do exactly what they needed it to do, but at the same time it showed me the character's ability to use their resources to get themselves out of scary situations.

More Books 2nd Block

2010-03-24T15:12:00.001-07:00

Title: "Angel Park All Stars: Making the Team" by Dean Hughes

Publisher: Random House Inc, 1990

Reading Level: Could not find

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 91

Summary:

For third graders Kenny, Harlan, and Jacob making the Dodgers, the little league major team, is all they have ever dreamed of. Try outs were nerve-racking for all of them. With his amazing hits and great fielding, Kenny whose dad played a season in the major leagues, was a shoe-in to make it on to the team, even as a third grader. Harlan and Jacob's chances were not as great, but they all ended up making it onto the team.

They soon realized that being the youngest players on the team had more disadvantages than just having less experience than the other players. If Rodney Bunson, the sixth grade star on the team, wanted nothing more than to have Kenny and the other boys benched for the season. With Kenny's talent, Bunson might not be the all-star on the team this season. He and his sidekick, Danny, tease the third grade boys so much that they get so nervous and can't play well.

In the first game of the season, Kenny and the team got off to a rocky start. Kenny struck out the first time he was up to bat, much to Bunson's delight. After Kenny got a great hit his second time up to bat, Bunson tried to out perform him by pitching really hard. He got himself so worked up, that the coach had to pull him from pitching. The coach put Kenny in for Bunson, which made Bunson really mad. Kenny threw a few scary pitches and then got calmed down enough to get out of the inning. The boys ended up walking away from the game winners, but they still were by no means a team.

At school the next day, Bunson told Kenny that he would stop teasing Kenny's friends if Kenny would promise to refuse to pitch when the coach asked him to. Kenny didn't know what to do. He felt really bad that his friends were receiving so much persecution, but he didn't think that it was fair for the team to refuse to pitch. In the next game, the coach ended up asking Kenny to play. Rodney threw a fit, and the coach told him that they needed to act like a team. It was then that Kenny knew that he had to pitch for the team. The coach ended up benching Rodney because of his was throwing a fit. He told him that he would be able to play when he was ready to play as a team. While Bunson was benched, the coach asked Jacob to bat for him. He got out, but because of his plan to have Harlan bunt and force a "squeeze" at home base, Kenny was able to score the winning run. Everybody went wild, everyone but Bunson.

When Kenny and the boys got back to Kenny's house, the whole team was waiting for them to have an impromptu batting practice. Bunson and Danny found out and said that they would quit the team if the other players had that practice with Kenny and the boys. The other players let the boys quit because they realized the team would be a lot more fun without them. After those boys left, the third graders were actually part of the team.

Recommended Readers:

This book would be great for boys who are not really interested in reading. It is not only about a subject matter that interests most boys, but it is a fairly short book to read.

Possible Problems:

The team in this book does have a girl on it, but I think that having just one girl on the team might draw more attention to it than if it had no girls on the team at all. Some people might read about the only girl on the team and wonder why there aren't more girls on the team.

Reaction:

Reading this book brought back all of the memories from my time playing softball. I feel like the author did a great job helping the reader to feel what Kenny was feeling as he got up to bat or when he got up to pitch. The way the author described it is exactly how I felt each time I got up to bat. I also think that the author did a good job of portraying some of the real animosity that exists between the different ages on a sports team. Sometimes varied ages can be a real problem on a team, especially when there is an all-star player who is worried he might lose his position.

Title: "Homeless Bird" by: Gloria Whelan

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublisher, 2000

Reading Level: 6.8

Genre: Historic Fiction

Pages: 212

Summary:

Koly is a 13-year old girl in India whose parents have arranged a marriage for her. They don't want to see her leave, but they are very poor and can no longer afford to keep her. It is all that they can do to gather up enough money and gifts to present a worthy dowry to her future mother and father-in-law. On the marriage date, Koly and her family find that the Mehta's, her husband's family, were not exactly honest with their family. Instead of being a 16-year old boy in good health, Hari, Koly's husband, turned out to be a young, sickly boy on his death bed. The family only arranged the marriage, so they could use the dowry money to buy a train ticket to the Ganges River where Hari could wash in the river and be healed. Hari, his mother, his father, and Koly all made the trip to the Ganges River to hopefully see him healed. Hari was not healed in the river, however, and he passed away after only a couple of days of being in the city. That left Koly a 13-year old widow after only being married a week.

As was tradition in India, Koly could not return back to her family because it would seen as shameful to the family, so she had to continue living with Hari's mother, father, and sister, Chandra. Koly's mother-in-law, her sass, resented Koly because she could not restore the health of her son. Her sass insisted that Koly earned her keep and made her do many chores around the house, criticizing her the whole time. Her sass also insisted that she wear a white sari, a sign that she was a widow. A widow in India was seen as unlucky, and Koly new that her chances of remarrying were slim to none. Koly did have some moments of joy in the house. Her sister-in-law Chandra became a good friend to Koly. She and Koly would stay up late at night talking, and Chandra tried to make Koly happy after she had been scolded by her sass. Koly's father-in-law, her sassur, was also good to her. After Koly's chores were done, he would teach her to read at nights, something that was unheard of for most common women in India. Koly loved to read, and when she was not busy doing chores or reading, she would do what she really loved, embroider quilts. She had a gift with embroidery and would embroider her feelings into the cloth.

Eventually, Chandra was married off, so then there were only three left in the Mehta's house. Then one day, Koly's sassur got home from work, went in to his room, laid on his bed, and passed away quietly. With his passing, Koly's sass was left with no other income than Koly's and her widow's stipend paid to her by the government. It was not nearly enough to live on, and she had to start selling her things. She was going to sell the prized book that Koly's sassur used to teach Koly how to read, but Koly let her trade her silver earrings instead. Sass got word that her brother would take her in, so she sold the house and bought tickets for the two of them to go live with her brother. They stopped in the city on the way to her brother's house, and in a pre-meditated move, Sass left Koly all alone in the city. Koly had her dowry quilt, the book of poems, and a little bit of money to live off of. She soon found out that many widows were dropped off in the city by family members who could not afford their upkeep. She had to sleep outside on the ground next to other widows in her same position.

It was in her hour of great desperation that she ran into Raji, a Rickshaw bicycle driver she found the first day she got into the city, and he took her to a home of Maa Kamal, a woman who took care of widows in the city. It was in that home that Koly met other women like herself. Maa gave these women a home and food and helped them to find work. Koly was able to work for a man making marigolds into celebration garland. For the first time since she left home she felt safe and cared for. The work was not fun, but she enjoyed being able to earn her own keep. Maa kept half of her income for her room and board, and the other half Koly was able to save to hopefully move out on her own one day. Koly made friends with another girl in the home, Tanu, and Raji came around regularly to visit her. It was in that time that Koly taught Raji how to read. She very much looked for to his visits.

One day the rich lady who paid for Maa to keep the widow's house running, saw Koly's quilt and got her job in Mr. Da's workshop embroidering saris and scarves. Koly was making three times as much money as at the marigold place, and she was doing what she loved. Life was going well for her. The only thing that saddened her was that Raji had moved away to invest his well-saved money into planting the land that was left to him by his family and fixing up the house that had been destroyed after his parent's death. He came back to see after some time and asked her to go back with him and become his wife. She was hesitant because she could pay him no dowry, but he cared more about having a kind, lovable wife than a few useless rupees. Koly told him she needed time to think about it, but eventually agreed to be his wife. Her boss told her that she could work from her new home and come bring her goods every few months. She had everything she wanted.

Recommended Readers:

This story would be great for girls who don't really like the typical happily ever after story. It shows a more realistic view about life and growing up. It would also be good for children who are interested in learning about other countries and cultures.

Possible Problems:

This book talks about some what I like to call "heavy" topics. It talks about being despised by someone you live with, abandoned by one who is supposed to be trusted, exposed to the evils of a big city, and almost getting taken advantage of because of naivety. It also illustrates the realities of an impoverished country like India where people are working in sweat shops just to have a little rice to eat every night. Students would definitely have to have a certain level of maturity to read this book.

Reaction:

This is the kind of book that you hate but can't put down at the same time. It was so hard for me to read about this girl who had so many awful things happen to her, but I loved to see the hope that she found in life despite her hardships. It was great exposure for me to the Indian culture and really opened my eyes to what life is really like for them there. I loved the motifs that were present throughout the book and how the symbol of the bird was used throughout the book. I loved the book and was really happy that she was able to find someone in the end who would look past all of the traditions and marry and love her anyway.

Title: "Sarah, Plain and Tall" by Patricia MacLachlan

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers, 1985

Reading Level: 4.2

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 58

Summary:

Caleb and Anna have been without a mother for most of their lives. Their mother died the day after Caleb was born. Anna still remembers her, and the way life used to be before she passed away. Papa has not sung since his wife passed away. He seems lonely. Following after the example of his neighbor, Papa placed an advertisement in the newspaper for a woman who would be willing to be a mother to his children and a wife to him. Sarah, a woman from Maine, answered the ad. She told Papa through letter that she would be willing to live with him on his farm for one month to see if the arrangement would work out for everyone involved.

Caleb and Anna were so excited to meet Sarah. She told them in her letter that she would be wearing a yellow bonnet and would be plain and tall. Papa went to pick her up at the train station, and she indeed was plain and tall and wearing a yellow bonnet. She brought her cat, Seal, who quickly adjusted to life on the farm. Sarah also quickly adjusted to life on the farm. She loved to pick wild flowers, play with the farm animals, lay out in the long meadow grass, sing songs, and teach Caleb and Anna new things like how to swim. Anna, Caleb, and Papa really enjoyed having Sarah around. The children, though, feared that Sarah would not stay after the month that she promised she would stay. Sarah loved the farm, but she talked often about how she missed the sea and everything that went along with it.

One day after visiting with the neighbor's wife, Maggie, Sarah decided that she wanted Jacob, the father, to teacher her how to ride a horse and drive the wagon. Before they could get to the lesson, though, a squall of a storm quickly hit the farm. Sarah, Jacob, Anna, and Caleb all had to work together to get the animals inside of the barn. They all spent the night in the barn together. Sarah told them that squalls came upon the sea as well.

The next day Jacob taught Sarah how to drive a wagon, and the next day Sarah left early in the morning to go into town. Caleb and Anna were so worried that Sarah was going to miss home so badly that she would not return from her trip to town. Much to their joy and excitement, though, Sarah came back that night with a little piece of the sea, three colored pencils in the colors of the sea. That way she could include the sea in her drawings. Sarah told the family that she did miss her home badly, but she knew that she would miss them even more. They ate dinner that night with plans of the upcoming wedding of Papa and Sarah on their minds and songs to sing in the future in their hearts.

Recommended Readers:

This book would be good for both boys and girls because it talks about things that interest both boys and girls. I think that this book would be especially good for children who have recently lost a mother or father. It shows them that they, though they will never forget their loved one, they can still learn to love again.

Possible Problems:

The one problem that I saw with this book is the illustration of the outdated view of the roles of men and women. As I continued to read on, though, I realized that Sarah helps break that stereotype and shows the family that both men and women are capable of sharing the same work load. That's not really an issue in this book, but the other thing that might be a problem is that the book is a little bit unrealistic. Sarah comes to the family, and they easily and whole-heartedly fall in love with her. There is not really much of a conflict in this book.

Reaction:

I liked this book so much more than I remember liking it when I was in 4^th grade and read it. For some reason, I remember it being a boring book, but I didn't think it was boring at all this time when I read it. I think that it is a very cute story about a family who learn to open their hearts again after losing their mother. I also really love Sarah's character. She is strong, nurturing, a little stubborn, and fun-loving.

Title: "Goosebumps: Ghost Camp" by: R.L. Stine

Publisher: Scholastic, 1996

Reading Level: 4.3

Genre: Science Fiction

Pages: 118

Summary:

When Alex and Harry's parents waited to sign them up for summer camp until the middle of summer, the only camp they could get into was called Camp Spirit Moon. The brothers were not at camp long before they realized that things were not as they seemed at camp. The first night they were at the camp, all of the campers had a big campfire where Uncle Marv told the two ghost stories that were supposedly tales about the camp. The first one was about a group of campers who hiked deep into the woods. They hadn't settled down very long before they realized that they were atop a huge monster who promptly ate all of the campers. The second story was about a camp not unlike Camp Spirit Moon. The campers were having a campfire and telling ghost stories when a huge black fog covered the camp, and all of the campers disappeared. After the story was told, a huge fog covered the campfire, and the next thing Alex and Harry knew, they were all alone. It turned out, though, that all of the campers were just playing a trick on the boys, and they were all hiding back at the cabins.

Alex and Harry didn't believe in ghosts, so they tried not to worry too much about the ghost stories. Still there were many things that happened at Camp Spirit Moon that they just couldn't explain using logic. Campers could experience traumatic injuries like reaching their hands in the hot fire, poking forks in their necks, or jabbing tent stakes into their feet without bleeding or showing any signs of pain. There were also the unexplained blue slimy puddles on the ground, the campers who Harry saw levitate above their beds, and the soccer player whose head fell off that were really hard for Harry and Alex to explain.

While hiking in the woods, Lucy, one of Harry's friends, pled with him to help her. She told Harry that all of the ghost stories were not fiction but a reality to the campers. They were all indeed ghosts, and she wanted to possess Harry's body in order to escape the camp. Harry used all of his strength to resist her and was able to flee from the ghost. He ran into Alex's bunk and dragged him away from the camp. They ran and ran and landed right on the top of the monster's stomach. By chanting over and over, though, that they didn't believe in the monster, he eventually disappeared. Their relief was short lived, however, because they found themselves in the middle of all of the ghost campers who insisted on inhabiting their human bodies. The ghosts ended up fighting about who would go into the bodies, and the fighting made them disappear. That left Harry and Alex alone in the woods. Harry told Alex that the plan was to go to the highway and find their way to a payphone to call their parents. Alex's reply was not in his own voice; it was in the voice of his friend, Elvis, who had inhabited his body.

Recommended Readers:

This is definitely a book geared towards little boy readers. I would caution teachers and parents to make sure that if they let their boys read this book that the boy is fully aware of the content of the book.

Possible Problems:

There are quite a few problems with this book. The first problem is that it is a very scary book for young readers. I got scared, and I am an adult. The content of the book is also a problem. There is really no point to the book other than to scare children. The final problem is that it talks about the idea of being possessed by a spirit. That is not a subject that is really suitable for young readers. It is not a wholesome topic at all. It is something that I have a hard time understanding, and I don't feel children should be exposed to.

Reaction:

I honestly hated reading this book. I think that it is an awful book, and I did not feel good while I was reading it at all. It was scary and twisted and pointless. I think that I am going to have to go read something uplifted to get rid of the bad feeling that I have after reading this story.

Title: "Jim Thorpe's Bright Path" by: Joseph Bruchac

Publisher: Library of Congress Publishing, 2004

Reading Level: 5.2

Genre: Non-Fiction: biography

Pages: 31

Summary:

In May of 1887, a Pottowatomie woman gave birth to twins, Charles and James Thorpe. The boys were quick learners who gained much knowledge about the woods near their home from their dad, Pa Thorpe. Jim Thorpe was much faster than his brother Charles, but he always waited for his brother and encouraged him to run faster. When the boys were six, the law mandated them to go to a boarding school. These schools were not like the schools that the white children attended. They only taught the children to be maids or laborers. The whole aim of the school was to erase any signs of the Indian heritage in the children. Still, Pa Thorpe wanted his boys to attend because he knew how valuable an education would be to them.

In school, Charlie was for advanced than Jim and encouraged Jim to do better and keep trying. Jim hated school because it kept him cooped up inside the whole day, and he had to wear an uncomfortable uniform and listen to grumpy teachers. Sickness hit the boarding school, and Charlie died from pneumonia. Jim felt like a piece of him died to. He wanted to quit school, but his dad encouraged him to keep trying.

Jim went to a new boarding school after the death of his brother. He ended up running away to help his dad who had been shot in a hunting accident. His dad was ok, but Jim never returned to school again. Jim's mom died shortly thereafter from an unexpected illness.

Jim was then recruited to attend Carlisle Indian School in Pennsylvania. He thought that he was going there to learn about electricity, but he soon found out that he was going to learn more about sports at the university. His dad encouraged him to pursue that opportunity, but died shortly after Jim was accepted to the school. Jim knew that, even though he was all alone, he had to work to live the legacy that his family members had set for him.

Jim grew in stature at the school and was soon placed on the track team after breaking the school record in the high jump. What Jim really wanted to do, though, was try out for the football team. The coach hesitated to let him play because he didn't want Jim to get hurt and jeopardize his chances on the track team. Jim was too good, though, for the coach to hold him back. While on the football team, Jim realized that his goal in life was going to be to run his fastest and try his hardest to reach the finish line.

Recommended Readers:

This book would be good for students who are interested in football, track, or native American heritage. It would also be good for anyone who needs a little encouragement to go live their dreams.

Possible Problems:

This book does use the word "Indian" which has become politically incorrect and might offend some readers.

Reaction:

I didn't know anything about Jim Thorpe, but after reading this book, I want to find out more about him. He seems like an amazing person who overcame great odds. The pictures are beautiful. I love how the book focused more on the journey that Jim took to reach his fame more than what he is actually famous for.

Title: "As Good as Anybody" by Richard Michelson, illustrated by : Raul Colon

Publisher: Random House, 2008

Reading Level: Could not Find

Genre: Non Fiction, Biography

Pages: 36

Summary:

When Martin Luther King Jr. was a young boy, he got angry because he could not swim in a pool because it was for white children only. He talked to his dad about how unfair it was, and his dad, a Christian minister, told him to hold his head up because in the next life, everybody will live together peacefully no matter the color of their skin. Martin's mother told him that he was just as good as anybody and that he shouldn't ever let anybody tell him otherwise. When Martin grew up, he followed in his father's footsteps and became a minister. He began to tell his congregation that it was time to take action against the injustice that existed in the world. He staged a bus boycott that lasted for a year before the Supreme Court changed the law and allowed any person to sit wherever on the bus he or she wished. Then Martin began going all over the country to speak out for equal rights. Many people, including members of the Ku Klux Klan, hated Martin and tried to inflict pain upon him. He called for all of God's children to join his march.

Abraham Joshua Heschel's, a Jewish rabbi from Poland, followed that call from Martin. Abraham also grew up with a religious leader as a father. Abraham's father was also a Jewish rabbi who taught his family to care for the poor no matter how little money they had themselves. His father also told him that he was as good as anybody. While Abraham was studying in Berlin at a university, Adolph Hitler came into power and forced Abraham back to Poland. Abraham decided to go to America to teach people in that country. He went all over America speaking out for equal rights. He received much of the same persecution that Martin Luther King Jr. did. On March 21, 1965, Abraham joined with Martin on his march in Selma, Alabama. Martin, a black Christian, and Abraham, a white Jew, joined hands together in front of the crowd symbolizing the unity of the human race. Together they walked, arm in arm, for the cause that they believed so strongly about.

Recommended Readers:

I think that it would be good for every American child to read this brief life history of two very influential people in the history of our country. I think that every child needs to know at least the basics about the work that Martin Luther King did for our country.

Possible Problems:

I think that the format of the book is probably the biggest problem about the book. The way that it goes from one biography to another might be a little bit confusing for some children. It almost makes it sound like Abraham heard Martin's call for action while he was in Poland during WWII, which would not make sense at all.

Reaction:

I love this book for the fact that the author took the complicated life histories of two great men and condensed them in such a way that they fit nicely into a little picture book. I learned a lot from reading this book which is the whole point of reading an informational book. The pictures in this book are very intriguing to me. I don't know what medium the illustrator used, but it makes it look like it was drawn using the finger prints of these men.

Title: "Punished" by David Lubar

Publisher: Darby Creek Publishers, 2006

Reading Level: 4.3

Genre: Humor/ Fantasy

Pages: 93

Summary:

Going to the library after school is the last thing that Logan Quester wants to do, but his friend, Benedict, wants to get a jump-start on his report for class. In pursuit of the perfect references for their books, the boys end up playing tag. Logan ended up running into the adult in charge of the adult section of the library. The man told Logan that he needed to be punished for playing in the library. Logan was relieved, though, because all the man did was blow some dust from a book onto him. The boys left the library without doing any research at all.

It wasn't until Logan was at home that he realized something terrible was wrong. Try as he might, the only things that would come out of his mouth were puns, a joke that is made from playing on a word's other meaning. He told his mother that dinner smelled "stew-pendous", and he asked his dad if there was a lot "mower" to do in the yard. Trouble really started, though, when he spoke in puns in class. His teacher did not find it funny at all, and sent Logan to the principal's office. Soon Logan realized that the librarian had indeed "punished" him.

Logan went to the library after school and asked the librarian, Robert Wordsworth, how he could stop his "pun"ishment. Wordsworth told him that he would have to take the camera and find seven examples of oxymorons, words that sound like contradictions. Logan wasn't sure if he would be able to come up with that many examples, but he knew that he would have to work quick to find enough in his 24 hour deadline. By the next day he had found jumbo shrimp, plastic glasses, red-hot chili, a light shade, straight hooks, old news, and a student teacher. The camera he was given would only take pictures of true oxymorons, so Logan knew whether or not he had really found one.

Logan's next quest was to find 7 anagrams, words whose letters can be scrambled to make a new word, and put them in a little cloth bag. Benedict had helped him with the last task, but he was told that he could not be helped with this test. Logan was able to find rat art, a petal plate, a cat act, a cheap peach, a Argentine tangerine, a tater treat, and a shore horse. This time Logan's indication of whether he got a true anagram or not was if the item would go into the bag as if being pulled by a magnetic force.

Logan's final test was to find 7 palindromes, a word or series of words spelled the same forwards and backwards. Once he found a palindrome, Logan was to put a rubber band around it. If the rubber band turned from brown to yellow, he would know that it was a true palindrome. Logan found a pot top, his mom, his dad, his sister, a level, a racecar, and Bob, the librarian. With his tasks complete, Logan was free of speaking in puns. He still spoke in puns occasionally, though, because he though they were punny.

Recommended Readers:

I think this is great for readers of all ages and backgrounds. It is funny and helps students gain an awareness of words and word play. It helps students to see that writing and using language does not have to boring. It can really be fun.

Possible Problems:

Some of the jokes might go over children's heads, but that can easily be remedied by making this book a read aloud book.

Reaction:

I love playing with and manipulating words, so I found this book really fun. I loved that the idea of word play was used throughout the entire book not just in Logan's quests. Even the names of the characters were a form of word play. At the beginning where Logan is speaking strictly in words, I was just dying of laughter. I was reading it in the library, and it was all that I could do not to laugh out loud. I really think that I could use this book in one of my future classrooms to teach the concepts of puns, anagrams, and palindromes in a way that would be fun and not so serious.

Title: "How to Eat Fried Worms" by Thomas Rockwell

Publisher: Bantam Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc. 1973

Reading Level:

Genre: Humor/ Realistic Fiction

Pages: 115

Summary:

The trouble all started when Tom wouldn't eat the salmon casserole that his mother made for him. Tom's friends told him that they would have eaten at least one bit; there wasn't anything that they wouldn't eat just one bite of. Billy said that he would even eat one bite of mud if it meant that he didn't have to be sent to his room after dinner. Alan told Billy that he didn't think Billy would eat one bite of a worm. Billy assured Alan that he could eat a worm. The boys turned that into a bet. The rules of the bet were set by both boys. Billy was required to eat 15 worms in 15 days. He could fix them up any way that he liked, but Alan and the other boy, Joe, got to pick the worms. If Billy completed the task in the 15 days, Alan was going to pay him $50. Billy really wanted that money to buy a motorized bike from a boy who was moving away to college.

The four boys met the next day in the deserted horse barn. Billy had lemons, ketchup, mustard, and everything else he could think of on a crate to help the worm taste better. The worm the boys picked was a really long night crawler they had found in a pile of manure. They never thought that he could do it, but Billy was determined to win the bet and choked the ketchup bathed worm. After he ate the worm, Billy jumped up and started celebrating by making loud bird noises. Alan and Joe started to get nervous that they were going to lose the bet.

As the days went on, Billy ate his worms. Alan and Joe did everything they could think of to get Billy to lose the bet. They glued two long worms together, told Billy about the horror stories they heard about people eating worms, told Billy's mom about the bet, stuffed him full of food and brought him home almost too late to eat the worm, and wrote a fake letter from Billy's physician saying how dangerous eating worms was. No matter the attempt, Billy was able to eat his worms. Because the boys had informed Billy's mother about the bet, Billy's whole family began to be a part of the bet. Billy's mom found creative ways to cook the worms. One time she sautéed it in oil, and another time, she made it into a Whizbang worm delight. Billy even got into the action and tried turning his worm into a peanut butter and worm sandwich.

The bet took a toll on the four boys' friendship, though. The boys were always fighting. Alan felt like all he did was worry about the stupid bet. At one point, the four boys even got into a fist fight over the bet. It was pretty bad.

When Billy was down to the fifteenth worm, Alan and Joe picked out a really good one. To Billy it tasted like beans, and he had not trouble at all eating the worm. Alan was almost crying as he had to admit defeat. He told Billy that he would bring him the money the next day. As he was walking away, Billy realized that the boys had tricked him again. They fed him beans in the shape of a worm to make him think that he was really eating a worm. Billy decided to eat another worm, and as he was lifting the second bite into his mouth, he was knocked over by Alan. The boys drug Billy over to the tool closet and locked him into it. Alan decided that this idea still wouldn't work because other people could hear Billy's cries for help, so they decided to put Billy into the cistern. Before they could, though, Billy's dad found the boys and told them to let Billy out. Alan and Joe were not the only ones to get in trouble; Billy's dad sent him to his room before he could eat the worm. Tom and his little brother found a way to get the worm to Billy. He was able to eat it, win the bet, and buy the motorbike.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a good book for boys who are at the stage where potty humor is really funny to them, but their moms won't let them read it. This book has about the same humor as a book with potty humor, but it doesn't talk about potty terms.

Possible Problems:

The whole plot of this book is based on bets, lies, and cheating. It also has some jokes that are based on adult humor. Some parents might not like their children reading it for those reasons and also for the basic reason that it is really gross, and most parents don't want their children eating crawling things from the garden.

Reaction:

I liked the idea behind this book, but I think that it was a little long. Obviously, it is only 100 pages, but the author wrote about every single one of the worms that Billy ate. It got a little bit boring after a while.

Title: "A Year Down Yonder" by Richard Peck

Publisher: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers, 2000

Reading Level: 4.9

Genre: Humor

Pages: 130

Summary:

The depression hit the city of Chicago, and it took its toll on the Dowdel family. After Mary Alice's father lost his job, they were forced to move into a light housekeeping room. It only had enough room for two people, though, so that meant that Mary Alice was forced to move to a small town in Illinois to live with her crazy, gun-wielding, take-me-as-I-am grandma. Mary Alice and her brother, Joey, often spent their summers with their grandma. Now with Joey off planting trees in the west for the government, Mary Alice had to go by herself, and she was not thrilled about it. Her grandmother was a little rough around the edges and somewhat of an outcast in her community. Her house was old, and it did not have all of the conveniences that Mary Alice was used to.

From the moment Mary Alice stepped off of the train, she received no special privileges from her grandmother. She was immediately enrolled in school, and received no warm welcome from the students in school either. She ended up ticking off Mildred Burdick, the meanest girl in school, and her grandma had to save her from being eaten by the monster of a girl. The other girls, except for Ina-Rae, were not very fond of Mary Alice either. After only the first day away from home, she wished that she could be back in Chicago.

Soon enough, though, Mary Alice settles in to life in the country. She becomes her grandmother's right-hand woman. Every time there is an event in town like the Halloween party or a DAR function, Grandma whips up some of her favorite treats, and Mary Alice is right by her side to help her. Grandma isn't just a great cook, though. She does all sorts of things like paint rooms, catch foxes in the winter, fix things around the house, make things with what little resources she had, and foil the plans of pranksters. Mary Alice comes to admire her grandmother.

The year eventually comes to a close, and Mary Alice decides that she doesn't really want to leave her grandma after all. Her dad got a job, and her mother wanted her back to live with them. Mary Alice had grown quite fond of the little town she had just spent the last year in. She began to love the people with all their quirks and small-town secrets. She also began to love a boy in her class, Royce McNabb. The place she dreaded going to now became the place she did not want to leave. She did leave, though, to be with her parents. Years later she came back and was married to Royce in the living room of her Grandma's house.

Recommended Readers:

I would recommend this story to almost any child. It is not too difficult of a read, and it gives a good sense of what people had to go through during the depression. I think it would be good for children to see just how little people lived with back in those days and to see that they were still happy.

Possible Problems:

This book is classified as a humor book, but I think that much of the humor would be lost to children. I think that some of the humor, in the beginning, even went over my head. Also, there are a couple of passages that talk about provocative topics like having children out of wedlock (Mildred Burdick) and painting women in the nude. It doesn't go in to detail about either incident, but it is still present in the book.

Reaction:

I didn't like this book at first. It was kind of hard to get in to, but the more I read, the more I liked it. My favorite part about this book is how the author helps to develop the characters of grandma Dowdel and Mary Alice. In the beginning, they are both kind of opposite in every sense of the word, but as the book progresses, we realize that they really are not that different. I loved to see how the harsh, unaffectionate grandmother becomes one of Mary Alice's closest friends. It shows that we shouldn't be so quick to judge a person by their outward mannerisms.

Title: "The Great Gilly Hopkins" by Katherine Paterson

Publisher: HarperCollins Publisher, 1978

Reading Level: 6.3

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Pages: 178

Summary:

Galadriel Hopkins is one of Miss Ellis's toughest clients as a social worker. She cannot seem to place Gilly in a home that can put up with her obstinate behavior. Gilly has been in the home of three foster families in less than three years. This time Gilly ends up with Maime Trotter, a pleasantly plump widow, and William Earnest (commonly called W.E), a shy, introverted foster child. Gilly thinks it will be easy to break this new foster family and gain the power that she had in her last foster family. She sees this new placement as one more hurdle on her way to get back with her mom, the beautiful Courtney Rutherford Hopkins, who she knows is just waiting to get her back.

Gilly starts school shortly after arriving with Trotter. She is placed in the room of a black woman, and much to her dismay, discovers that she is behind her peers academically. From the moment she set foot on the new school, Gilly made her presence known. She said disrespectful words to the teacher and the principal and beat up six boys at recess. Her plan is to quickly catch up with her peers in class, and then abruptly stop progressing to drive the teachers wild. At school, Gilly meets a girl by the name of Agnes, who Gilly does not like but thinks could be useful in some future plot.

Agnes does come in handy as a watchman as Gilly broke into the neighbor, Mr. Randolph's, house. She had found some money behind one of his many books earlier that week and went back to steal the rest of the money. Gilly took Mr. Randolph's money and money she stole from Trotter's purse and ran away to the bus stop. Courtney had sent her a postcard earlier with a return address, so Gilly thought that she would ride the bus to see her mom. She had also written Coutney a letter explaining how awful it was living with Trotter and a retarded boy. The man at the bus station turned her in, though, and Trotter had to go pick her up from the police station.

Upon hearing about Gilly's escapades, Miss Ellis approached Trotter to tell her that she would be placing Gilly in a new home. Trotter refused to let her go with Miss Ellis because she was not going to give Gilly up. Trotter did make Gilly work off the money she had stolen by doing chores around the house. One of those chores was helping WE with his reading.

The week of Thanksgiving found all of the people in the Trotter household sick, except for Gilly. She became the caregiver for Trotter, W.E. and Mr. Randolph. She was helping all three of them the best that she could. During the chaos that came from caring for three sick people, a woman came to the door. She was Courtney's mother, Gilly's grandmother, and she came to see her granddaughter who she just recently found out existed. Courtney had called her after getting Gilly's letter about how terrible things were. Gilly's grandmother agreed with the things that Gilly had written in her letter and ended up taking Gilly to live with her permanently in her house. Gilly was really upset because she realized that she really loved Trotter, Mr. Randolph, and W.E. and did not want to leave them. There was nothing that any of them could do. Gilly's mother eventually flies out to see her, but Gilly soon realizes that she only came because her mother paid her. In her pursuit of finding a mom who never really wanted her when she was born or now that she is grown, Gilly pushed away the best family that she could have asked for.

Recommended Readers:

This book has some pretty mature topics in it, so it would be better suited for older children. I would recommend this book to any child who comes from a broken home because it would give that child someone to relate to.

Possible Problems:

Because this book is realistic fiction it shows how hardened children in "the system" really can become. As a result, the language that comes out of Gilly's mouth is very crude and vulgar. Also it deals with many issues like racism and abandonment that might be difficult for children to understand. Parents would definitely need to preview this book before letting their children read it.

Reaction:

Because I grew up in such a stable home, I love to read books about what my life could have been like without that stability. Even though she is really feisty, I fell in love with Gilly and all of her quirks. It was good for me to see that I will probably teach children like GIlly who bring more baggage to the table than a South West jet plane. The ending left me a little dumbfounded. I couldn't believe it was the end, but it wouldn't really fit the story any other way. I like happy endings, but this ending, although not exactly happy, made me think.

Title: "The Story of Ruby Bridges" by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford

Publisher: Scholastic, 1995

Reading Level: 5.4

Genre: Nonfiction Biography

Pages: 28

Summary:

Ruby Bridges and her family lived in a small town in Mississippi during the Civil Rights movement in the United States. Ruby's dad lost his job picking crops in the field when machines began taking the place of farmhands. Because her dad was out of work, the Bridges had to move to New Orleans where their dad began work as a janitor and their mom worked cleaning floors at a bank after the children were asleep.

Even though it was against the law to keep separate schools for black children and white children, most schools were still segregated. In a trial in 1960, the judge ruled that black girls would attend McDonogh 19 at the same time that Ruby attended Frantz Elementary School, both of which were white only schools. Ruby's parents were really proud of the courage that their daughter had, and the family all prayed very hard for Ruby's success in this new event in the country's history.

The mobs outside of Ruby's new school were so great that she had to be escorted to school by the federal marshals after the city and state officers refused to help her. Hundreds of angry parents and city members carried signs and shouted mean things to Ruby as she went into the school. When she got into the school, she was the only student Mrs. Henry's class because all of the parents in the school refused to let their children attend a school with a colored child. Mrs. Henry admired Ruby's courage and patience as she endured the same persecution day after day. She often asked Ruby if she was scared, but Ruby always told her she was doing fine.

One morning Mrs. Henry saw Ruby stop in front of the mob in the front of the school and begin talking to the people. Whatever she said seemed to make the mob really angry and the marshals encouraged Ruby to go into the school. When she got into her classroom, Mrs. Henry asked her what she was saying to the mob. Ruby told her that she was not talking to the people in the mob; she was praying for them. Every day on her way to school, Ruby stopped and prayed that God would forgive the people for the hurtful things they were doing for her, but that morning she had forgotten. So she stopped and said her prayer right before the mob.

In the afterward to the story, the author explains that Ruby remained the only person in the school until, finally, two white boys joined her. Their parents decided that the only people they were hurting by keeping their sons out of school were their sons. It wasn't fair to rob their sons of an education. Soon others joined them as well. Ruby went on to graduate high school and is now a successful business woman who has started her own foundation to help increase parental involvement in schools.

Recommended Readers:

Even though segregated schools have not existed for fifty years, prejudices still remain. I believe this would be a good book for anyone to read to help them understand how harmful prejudices are. It also illustrates that a person is a person no matter the color of his or her skin. That is a truth that every child needs to be exposed to.

Possible Problems:

I don't see any problems that would arise from this book. Some people might not like how the people in the mob acted, but it is an accurate portrayal of how they really did act.

Reaction:

I have always loved books about history, especially about individuals in history. I especially like this book. Because it is so short, I was able to quickly understand the important events in Ruby's life. I think that this book did a particularly good job of portraying the human side of Ruby Bridges, the historical figure. I was really touched by the story of Ruby praying for those who literally hated her. It made me want to be more accepting of those around me who do not always treat me fairly. She is a remarkable person.

Title: "Children Just Like Me: A Unique Celebration of Children around the World" by Barnabas and Anabel Kindersley

Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc. 1995

Reading Level:

Genre: Non-fiction/ reference

Pages: 80

Summary:

Children Like Me is a portrayal of children all over the world, in all different walks of life. The foreword written by the Goodwill Ambassador of UNICEF, Harry Belafonte, explains very nicely what the point of this book is. It is written to help children see the differences of the children in other parts of the world, but more importantly, to see the similarities that make us all the same. The book is broken up into regions of the world. First is the Americas. Second is Europe. Next comes Africa, and then Asia. Finally, we visit Southeast Asia and Australasia. Before each region section, the book gives a brief description of the area, and then it highlights children from different places in that area. Each of the children spotlights include a description of the child, the area where the child is from, the child's family, what the child likes to do, the language spoken in that country, what the parents do to support the family, what type of home the child lives in, different foods eaten in that area, and other details about the child or where the child is from. Each spotlight also includes at least one quote from the child about what his or her life is like. By setting up the book this way, it really illustrates for the reader the similarities that are seen in children, no matter where they live or what their family income is.

Recommended Readers:

The intended audience for this book is obvious; all children are encouraged to read this book. It is very fun and interactive for the student. A student can spend as much or as little time reading the book.

Possible Problems:

The only problem that I could possibly conceive of would be that the United States has five children highlighted whereas other countries only have one

Reaction:

I am pretty sure that many of my teachers have had this book in their elementary school classrooms. I wish that I had picked it up back then because it is really fun. It is really easy to get lost in the abundance of information that is within the book. It is very interesting and informative. I love the pictures and reading about what steps the authors took to portray the children in the most accurate and intriguing way.

Title: "Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast" by: Robin McKinley

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublisher, 1978

Reading Level: Could not Find

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 247

Summary:

There once lived a wealthy ship merchant who had three daughters: Grace, Hope, and Honour. Nobody called Honour by her given name, but referred to her instead by Beauty. She despised the nickname because compared to her graceful, elegant, and beautiful sisters, she was awkward and not beautiful. The family lived a very comfortable, wealthy life in the city. The oldest daughter, Grace, was soon to marry one of her father's ship captains after his return trip from one of the ship's journeys. Tragedy struck, however, and the father's fleet of ships got lost in harbor, and the family had to sell everything to make up for the loss. They ended up moving to the country with Hope's boyfriend, Gervain. The family had to quickly get accustomed to the life in the country. They no longer had servants to help them with the chores around the house and had to learn how to do things for themselves. Hope and Grace settled in nicely to the household chores like cooking and cleaning the floors, and Beauty began doing the more manual chores like cutting wood and helping in the stables. Beauty discovered that the life in the country fit her quite nicely.

When word came that one of the father's missing ships was located and someone wanted to buy it, he made the long journey back to the city to check on his business. The next time the family saw the father, he staggered into the home looking ten years older and baring a tale that was next to unbelievable. On his way back from the city, he and his horse got caught in a snow storm. They couldn't see where they were going. They happened upon a castle and, though he saw no one there, he was met with a warm meal and warm bed to sleep in. On his way out of the castle, he picked a rose for his daughter, Beauty. As he was picking it, though, a beast dressed in man's clothing found him and asked what nerve he had taking a rose after all the beast had done for him. In order to spare his life, the beast told him he had a month to bring his daughter to the castle to live with the beast. If the father did not bring his daughter, he would be killed by the beast. The father told the story to Beauty, and she willing agreed to go to the castle even though she had no idea what lay in store for her.

Beauty found the castle to be magical. Food appeared for her to eat out of nowhere, and her clothes were laid out for her to put on. She found the Beast not to be as scary and inhumane as she though, but actually to be kind and loving towards her. He told Beauty that the only reason he wanted her to come to the castle was because he had been in that castle for 200 years by himself, and he was lonely. He wanted someone to keep him company. Beauty also found, though, that he also wanted to marry her, and he would ask her to marry him every night. Every night she would refuse his offer.

Although Beauty missed her family terribly, she began to get accustomed to life in the castle. She got into a routine where she would wake up, put on the clothes that were laid out for her by her invisible maids in waiting, eat breakfast, take a walk around the castle grounds with her horse Greatheart, go back to the castle and read for hours, eat dinner with the Beast's company, and then read some more until bed. As the days went on, Beauty began to spend more and more time with the Beast. She became quite fond of the Beast and looked forward to their time together.

Through one of the Beast's magical tools, Beauty found that her sister Grace's fiancé actually had not been killed at sea. To Beauty's dismay, though, she saw that Grace was going to marry another man before her fiancé could find her. The Beast allowed her a month to go back and warn her sister. She went back home and enjoyed her time with her family. They had a really hard time believing Beauty's description of the kind, helpful Beast, and did not want her to return to his castle. On the night before she was to return to the castle, Beauty had a dream that the Beast died. She rushed off to save him as soon as she could. She had a hard time finding the castle, though, and didn't think she would make it in time. Eventually she made it to the castle and found the Beast hunched over in his chair. She begged him to wake up and not die. When the Beast did wake up, Beauty professed her love to him and told him she would marry him.

That profession of love broke the century-old spell that was placed on the Beast, and he returned to the man that he was before a witch had placed a spell on his family for being pious and prideful. In order for the spell to be broken, the Beast had to have a girl fall in love with him and promise to marry him or her own free will. Beauty saw the new form of the Beast and was ashamed because she didn't feel beautiful enough to marry such a handsome man. The Beast took her over to the mirror that she had not looked into since she came into the castle and realized that the gangly looking girl that she once new was replaced by a beautiful woman. In the time that she was at the castle, she grew in stature and in beauty. The Beast and Beauty were married in a double wedding with Beauty's sister Grace and her fiancé, Robbie. The family was once again reunited and lived happily ever after.

Recommended Readers:

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves fairy tales. It is a beautiful and intriguing twist on the classic tale. I would also recommend it to any children who are struggling with their appearance or being comfortable with who they are.

Possible Problems:

Some people might find this story kind of frightening because the beast is initially presented in a pretty scary way. The ending might be a little unrealistic because everything that has been building up for 250 pages all gets resolved in the matter of 3 or 4 pages.

Reaction:

I wasn't sure that I would like this book at first because the book started off a little bit slowly. As soon as the Beast was introduced to the story, though, it got really interesting, and I didn't want to put it down. I really liked the parallel between the Beast and Beauty and the insecurities that they both had. It really made me reflect on relationships and how important it is to be around and associate others. I loved to see how Beauty grew from being scared of the Beast to feeling sorry for him to loving him in the end. I love this twist on one of my favorite stories.

Title: "Love that Dog" by Sharon Creech

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishing, 2001

Reading Level: 4.9

Genre: Poetry

Pages: 86

Summary:

When Jack's teacher, Mrs. Stretchberry, reads them a poem in class and asks him to write his own poem, he doesn't think he should have to because he is a boy, and only girls write poetry. Besides, poems are just a bunch of words, cut into small chunks, and written on the paper. He begins to write poetry while having a discussion the whole time with his teacher. He writes his first poem about a blue car. He hesitates to let his teacher put the poem up on the board because he doesn't think that the other children will think that it really is a poem. Eventually, though, he lets his teacher hang it up on the wall, but only because his name was not on the poem.

Jack begins to experiment with his poetry. He is inspired by the different styles of different poets. He begins to write a poem about his dog. At first he just talks about how much fun he has with his dog Sky and how they came to find Sky. As the story progresses and so does his poetry, we begin to see that his dog was run over by a car when the two of them were playing outside. He initially did not want that poem put up the wall because he thought that it would make his classmates sad. Again he let her hang it up in the end though.

After having been read "Love that Boy" by Walter Dean Myers, Jack wrote a poem that was similar to Myer's poem called "Love that Dog". He got really worried that Mr. Walter Dean Myers would think that he was copying his work, so his teacher told Jack to put the words inspired by Walter Dean Myers on his poem. He did, and the teacher hung it up on the wall. Jack began to love Walter Dean Myer's poem. He decided to write Mr. Walter Dean Myers to come to his school. He got worried that the man would not receive the letter because Myers must get thousands of letters every week. Mr. Walter Dean Myers, though, did agree to come to Jack's school. Jack was even more excited about Myer's work and poetry in general after meeting his poetry idol. Jack wrote Mr. Myers a letter thanking him for his visit, and included one of his own poems, "Love that Dog."

Recommended Readers:

I would recommend this book to any child who is learning about poetry or interested in poetry. It would especially be good for little boys who are not sure of poetry themselves.

Possible Problems:

Because of the really loose form of the poem, it might be a little confusing for students to understand what poetry might be. They might think that all poetry is free-verse, which is also the case.

Reaction:

This is the second time I have read "Love that Dog". I really do like this story. I think that Jack is someone we can all relate to because we have all been confused by poetry. I love to see the progression that Jack makes and the different topics that he brings up in his poems. I would think that it would be a really good book to use in the classroom to get them excited about poetry.

Title: "Lincoln: A Photobiography" by: Russell Freedman

Publisher: Clarion Books, 1987

Reading Level: 6.5

Genre: Non Fiction: biography

Pages: 143

Summary:

Every person in the United States knows about Abraham Lincoln, the 16^th president of the United States, or at least they think they do. The familiar American legend is portrayed in a different light in this biography by Russell Freedman. There are many things in this book that give added dimension to President Lincoln. For instance, Abraham greeted people in the white house in his slippers, let his children run wild in the white house, was often heard arguing with his wife, had pretty bad depression, was a gawky-looking man, and hated the nickname Honest Abe.

Abraham Lincoln really did blossom from extremely humble roots. He was born February 12, 1809 in a small town in Kentucky. His dad was a farmer who grew the bulk of the family's food. The Lincoln's moved several times during Abraham's childhood in order for his dad to build the best farm possible for his family. Abraham and his sister, Sarah, attended school as often as their workload would permit. Shortly after moving to Indiana, Nancy Lincoln, Abraham's mother, passed away from the dreaded "milk sickness". Thomas Lincoln, Abraham's dad, waited a year and then went to Kentucky to find a wife and mother for his two children. He came back with Sarah Bush Johnston and her three children. Sarah quickly stepped in and fulfilled the roles of Abraham's mother. Abraham learned quickly how to work hard. He loved to learn and taught himself almost everything that he knew about reading and writing. When Lincoln was 18, his sister died while giving birth to her first child. At the age of 22, Lincoln left his home in search of his own adventures in life. He started off working at a friend's county store. Lincoln soon gained a reputation in his town for being good at swinging an axe and good at debating. After things at the store fell through, Lincoln tried his hand at politics and tried to run for the Illinois state legislature but did not get elected. He ran again in 1834 and was elected at that point. While the legislature was not in session, Lincoln trained himself to be a lawyer and started practicing law with his friend John Todd Stuart 3 years later.

Lincoln soon gained popularity as a lawyer. People would come from miles around to have his defend them in court. Lincoln was a good lawyer, but his backwoods countryman traits followed him to his practice. His office was always cluttered with stacks of paper, and he greeted people in his friendly, hick manner. It was because of his prestige as a lawyer that Abraham Lincoln met his wife, Mary Edwards. Mary's sister and brother-in-law were very influential, wealthy people who strongly disapproved of her courtship with Lincoln. They felt that she could do better than Lincoln. With their disapproval, Lincoln broke off the engagement and plunged into a serious bout of depression. It was a very dark time in his life. Fifteen months, later, though, the two met up again and were married that same day. They started off humbly, but soon after their first son, Robert, was born, Mary's father helped them to buy a house that they lived in for 17 years. In 1846, Lincoln was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He and his family moved to Washington, but Mary soon moved back to their home because she did not like it in Washington. After his term in the House, Lincoln moved back to his law practice.

While he was practicing law, Lincoln united with the effort of the wigs, a political party, to stop the spread of slavery. Lincoln was careful not to advocate for the abolishment of slaves, initially, because he knew that it would be a detrimental stand to him politically. He participated in many debates with Senator Stephen A. Douglas who was a proponent for popular sovereignty. The debates between Lincoln and Douglas gave Lincoln national recognition, so much so that he was nominated to be a possible candidate for the president of the United States. He did not feel fit to be the president, and as was customary back then, he did not campaign for himself. After a split in the democratic party arose, Lincoln was, in deed, voted as the 16^th president of the United States.

It was not Lincoln's goal in his presidency to free slaves, but the issue of slavery was part of his presidency from day one. Many southern states left the union was the "Black Republican" was put into office. On April 14, 1960, fort Sumter, a government fort in the south, was taken over by southern armies, and the Civil War officially began. Lincoln knew almost nothing about war and relied heavily on his commander in chief. Unfortunately, during the four-year span of the war, the northern state army went through about 4 different leaders. Each one felt qualified for the position but relied too heavily on Abraham Lincoln when all was said and done. With shaky leadership and an uncertain and cautious war strategy, the union experienced much defeat for the majority of the war. Lincoln received much criticism for how he handled the war.

In the midst of the terrible state of the union, Lincoln faced a terrible tragedy in his personal life. Lincoln's son, Willie, died of a childhood fever. Both Abraham and his wife plunged into terrible depression. A state that Mary never fully recovered of. Willie was the second of Lincoln's four sons to pass away in childhood.

Although Lincoln's intent of going to war was not to free the slaves, he soon decided that freeing the slaves was the only thing that would save the union. He waited until the north gained a victory and then signed his famous emancipation proclamation that freed all slaves. This allowed all black people to join in the war effort and fight. After signing his decree to free slaves, Lincoln's popularity dropped lower than ever.

The war waged on, taking the lives of hundreds of thousands of soldiers on both the union and the confederate side. The war also took a toll on Abraham Lincoln. He aged visibly in the four year span of the Civil War. He had a very rigorous schedule during the war that included reading about war tactics, meeting with people affected by the war, visiting the wounded in the war hospitals, and determining the fate of cowardly run away soldiers. He balanced his busy life by taking carriage rides with his wife along the country side. Eventually, on April 9 Generals Lee of the Southern army and General Grant of the Union army met and ended the war. The North was victorious, and slavery was ended.

The end of the war was not the end of Lincoln's story, however. He received death threats all the time by rebel southern men who wanted to sabotage the new state of the union. Lincoln knew he was in danger, but he didn't let it worry him. Five days after General Lee surrendered, Lincoln was shot in the box seat at Ford's theatre by actor John Wilkes Booth. Doctors tried to revive him, but he did not recover from his head wound. Lincoln's funeral was April 19, and on April 21, his body was taken to Illinois where he was buried.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a great book for anyone who is interested in the history of our nation. Not only does this book give the life history of our president, but it gives the facts of many pivotal moments in the nation's history. It would also be a good choice to anyone who is interested in learning more about slavery and how it was abolished.

Possible Problems:

This book might be a little bit alarming to people because it does not sugar coat any of the events of Abraham Lincoln's life. Some children might think of Abraham Lincoln as Honest Abe, the man who could do no wrong, but this book points out facts that might contradict that. The book portrays Abraham Lincoln as he really was, which might be hard for some to take in.

Reaction:

I found this book to be really interesting. I love biographies because I love to learn about people and how they became who they were. I learned so many things about Abraham Lincoln that I did not previously know. Even though the book pointed out the flaws in Abraham Lincoln, I feel like I have a greater appreciation and admiration for him as a person. Because I know that he was a regular man who arose to greatness, I admire him even more now. I feel like Freedman touched on all aspects of Abraham Lincoln's life and helped me as the reader understand him even more not only as the president of the United States, but as a person.

Title: "A Single Shard" by Linda Sue Park

Publisher: Dell Yearling Books, 2001

Reading Level: 6.8

Genre: Historical Fiction

Pages: 152

Summary:

On the outskirts of town, under a bridge, near the river in the potter's town of Ch'ulp'o lived two people who had humanity had forgotten. The older man went by the name of Crane-man, thus named because one of his legs was crippled from birth. The young boy went by Tree-ear, named after the mushroom that grew in wrinkled half-circles on dead or fallen tree trunks. Crane-man had lived under the bridge since his family all passed away and he could not get a job because of his disability. Tree-ear was brought to Crane-man by a monk after his parents has passed away from a fever. Crane-man and Tree-ear made a great pair and spent the majority of their day rummaging for food around town.

One day Tree-ear stopped to admire the work of the best potter in town, Min. One of Min's creations in particular caught his eye. It was a series of five pots laid seamlessly inside of each other. His curiosity got the best of him, and Tree-ear picked up the ceramic pot. Min came up behind him, and being startled, Tree-ear dropped the pot. Min was furious with the orphan beggar boy. Tree-ear told the man that he would work to pay for the pot. They made a deal that Tree-ear would work for nine days to pay his debt to the potter. Tree-ear was given the difficult tasks of pottery. He was sent up the hill with a handcart to chop down wood to stoke the fire in the kiln. Tree-ear was not used to the hard labor, and his hands got blistered from the ax. The next day was just as hard. At the end of the nine days, Tree-ear asked if he could stay on as Min's apprentice. Min did not like the idea at first but eventually agreed knowing that he was too old to be doing the hard labor.

Tree-ear soon became accustomed to the hard work of his job. He was thrilled when he discovered that, according to Korean tradition, masters of any type of servant had to provide a midday meal for their workers. Tree-ear soon determined to bring his own bowl for the kind wife of the potter to fill that way he could hide half of his meal and present Crane-man with the other half in the evening. Every time he came back to his bowl, though, the bowl was always completely full, so both Crane-man and Tree-ear were able to have a nice dinner. Tree-ear loved the fact that he always had a warm meal to eat, but he also enjoyed the satisfaction that he got from accomplishing the demands of his job. Min was a tough master who expected much from Tree-ear, and Tree-ear soon learned the tricks of the trade.

After working for Min about a year, news came to the town of Ch'ulp'o that the king was sending a servant to pick one of the potters to do commissioned work for the king. It was the dream of all of the potters to be able to work for the king; not only did the king pay more for the work than anybody else could, but it was a great honor to have the one's work displayed in the palace. All of the potters worked feverishly in the weeks leading up to the arrival of the king's emissary.

One night when Tree-ear was working late with Min, he happened upon another potter working in great secrecy. Tree-ear discovered that the potter, Kang, was making a pot in a totally new way using an inlay in the actual pot that he filled with red and white slip. Tree-ear wanted to tell Min about this new innovation, but after seeking the advice of Crane-man, he decided that before a man's idea was given shown to the public, it was considered a personal possession.

Kang's work was displayed for everyone to see when the emissary came to the town. Everyone, including the emissary, was impressed by the work of Kang. The emissary was also impressed by Min's work too. Emissary Kim told Kang that he would commission Kang's work for one year. The emissary told Min that he would love to display Min's work if Min could come up with a way to incorporate the inlay into his work. If Min could, he would have to take the piece to Songdo, the capital city of Korea. Min refused the offer kindly because he knew that he was far too old to make the journey. Later that day, Tree-ear approached Min's wife and asked her if she would ask Min if it would all right if he, Tree-ear made the journey. She agreed as long as he promised her he would return safely and call her Ajima, a form of Auntie.

In the months that followed, Min worked hard to complete his work. Tree-ear approached him one day to ask Min when he was going to teach Tree-ear how to throw pots. Min told Tree-ear that the skill of pottery was to be passed on from father to son, and since Min's son died, he would never pass on the skill to Tree-ear. Frustrated and mad, Tree-ear wanted to take back his offer to go to Songdo, but he knew he couldn't do that. As soon as the pots were ready, Tree-ear packed them carefully up in a basket made by Crane-man and set off with a little food made by Ajima and some coins given to him by Min.

The journey to Songdo went surprisingly well for Tree-ear. In every town that he passed through, a child would inevitably ask him about his journey and invite him home where he would receive a warm meal and rest under the eaves of the homes. Everything was going well until he passed through a city that Crane-man had told him about. He climbed to the top of the cliff where many women had jumped off in order to avoid captivity. While he was imagining that historical moment, he was met by two bandits. They fought to take his basket with what they thought was rice inside. The thieves were upset when they discovered that the basket held nothing more than two pieces of pottery. In anger, one of the robbers threw the pots off the cliff. Tree-ear was devastated. He felt like a complete failure. In one last desperate attempt to save the pot, he looked at the bottom of the cliff to see if, by some miracle, he could preserve the pot. The pots were broken, of course, but he found a good-size shard that had the inlay on it. He gathered what was left of his dignity and brought the shard to the palace to show the emissary. The emissary was surprised by the unorthodox presentation, but he wrote a letter that promised a life-time commission to Min.

Tree-ear was so excited. He went directly to Min's house when he got back. Min was up cutting clay in the mountain when Tree-ear went to find him. Much to Tree-ear's surprise, Min did not appear excited at all to hear the news. Instead he motioned for Tree-ear to sit beside him. Min told Tree-ear that Crane-man had fallen from the bridge and was killed from the shock of the fall and the cold water of the river. Tree-ear was devastated and wished he had never gone on his journey. Ajima insisted that Tree-ear stay with them, but only if he allowed them to call him Hyung-pil, a form of what their son who passed away was called. Tree-ear became a part of their family and even began learning how to throw a pot under the watchful eye of Min.

Recommended Readers:

I think that this would be a great book for any reader because of the values that are found within the book. It would be especially good for students who come from broken homes or who have an interest in other cultures.

Possible Problems:

The only possible problem from this book is that, according to the author, it is not exactly historically accurate. During that time in Korea, people like Tree-ear and Crane-man would not have existed because of the cultures belief that relatives, however distant, should take care of their kin.

Reaction:

This book was a little bit slow, but I still loved it. I loved how Crane-man and Tree-ear showed that money can not buy happiness. They were living in the very meager of conditions, but they still found the simple pleasures of life to make them happy. I also loved the examples of self-less service that were shown in this book. Tree-ear could have eaten all of his meal, but he chose to share it with Crane-man. The potter's wife could have scolded Tree-ear for not eating everything that was prepared for him, but instead, she filled his bowl every day. The ultimate act of self-less service, though, was when Tree-ear embarked on a potentially dangerous and scary journey to serve a man who had openly admitted would never help him become a potter. This book has many great messages.

Picture Books: 2nd Block

2010-03-10T15:09:00.001-08:00

Optional Picture Books

Title: "Pretty Salma: A Little Red Riding Hood Story from Africa" by Niki Daly

Publisher: Clarion Books, 2007

Reading Level: Could not find

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 29

Summary:

Salma lives with her grandmother in Africa. One day her grandma asked her to go to the market to pick up some things for her. As Salma was leaving, her grandmother reminded her not to talk to strangers. Salma went to the market and picked up a watermelon, a rooster, a pink drink, and candy-striped straws. Because it was so hot outside, Salma decided to take the short way back to grandma's house through the bad part of time. As she was walking she sang the song that her grandmother always sings to her. It goes:

Oh, Salma, Pretty Salma.

Come kiss Granny,

Your darling old Granny, who love you soooooo!

A dog heard her singing that song, so he knew what her name was and that she was headed to her Granny's house. He offered to first carry her large basket. Then he asked to help her cool off her feet by wearing her sandals. Eventually he was wearing her wrap, her necklace, and her head scarf. When Salma asked for her things back, the dog told her that he wouldn't give them back to her and told her that if she didn't run along he would bite her in two. Salma ran to get her grandfather who was telling stories dressed in an African spider costume. They devised a plan to dress up in his costumes and bang on their drums so loudly that it would scare the dog away from her grandmother. Meanwhile, the dog was at her grandmother's. Granny believed it was Salma because the dog was dressed in all of Salma's clothes. Her granny eventually realized that Salma was really dog when she asked her to sing their song, and all the dog could do was howl. She was so frightened that she jumped into the boiling cauldron. Salma and Grandfather arrived just in time to scare the dog away and save Granny. Now every time Salma goes to the market, she does not talk to strangers like she was asked.

Recommended Readers:

I think that this would be a good book for every reader. It appeals to both girls because the main character is a girl and boys because there is action, mischief, and suspense. I would recommend this book to all children because it gives them exposure to a different culture, but it does it in a fun way.

Possible Problems:

Like the original fairy tale, this story is a little bit scary. Even though Granny is saved in the end, it still might scare some readers. Also, it is a little bit unrealistic that Granny would be able to walk away from sitting in a cauldron of boiling water without so much as a blister.

Reaction:

I really think that this book is fun. I have heard many versions of this classic fairy tale but never from an African point of view. I learned a few things about the African culture by simply reading this cute book. The pictures are simplistic but give a good sense of life in Africa.

Title: "When Sophie Gets Angry-Really, Really Angry" by Molly Bang

Publisher: Scholastic, 1992

Reading Level: 1.9

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 33

Summary:

When Sophie's mom insists that she share her gorilla toy with her sister, Sophie gets really, really angry. She kicks and screams, blows red steam, becomes a volcano ready to explode, and then Sophie runs. She runs and runs. Once she can run no more, she begins to cry. Sophie begins to look around and see the trees, ferns, and animals around her. As she begins to cool down, Sophie climbs a big tree. She looks around the world around her. She feels the breeze in her hair and watches the waves of the sea. Nature comforts her, and she feels ready to climb down the tree and go back home. Sophie is welcomed back home the minute she walks back inside. Her family is happy to see her, and everything is back to the way it used to be. Sophie used to be angry, but she isn't anymore.

Recommended Readers:

Because every child has felt angry or upset at one point or another, I would recommend this book for every young child. It teaches children that it is ok to feel angry or upset, but they need to find the appropriate way to express those feelings. It shows them that a great thing to do when we are upset is to take ourselves out of the situation.

Possible Problems:

I don't see any problems that would come from reading this book.

Reaction:

I have read many books about expressing our feelings appropriately, but I think that this is my favorite. It delivers the intended message, but it didn't come across as preachy or blatantly obvious to me. This book is the winner of the Caldecott Honor for illustration, and I would agree. The pictures help illustrate what a person is feeling inside when they get angry. On every page, Sophie has a faint outline of color around her. As her mood changes, the color of the outline changes. I find the illustrations fascinating.

Title: "One Monkey Too Many" by: Jackie French Koller, illustrated by: Lynn Munsinger

Publisher: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1999

Reading Level: 2.4

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 28

Summary:

This book shows a bunch of mischievous monkeys. In each case, the monkey are told how many monkeys an object is made for, and in each case, the monkeys try to fit one too many monkeys into the object. First, one monkey is told that a bike is perfect for just one monkey. When they add one too many, though, the two monkeys crash on the bike. Second, two monkey are told that a golf cart is perfect for two. When they add just one more, the cart crashes into the lake. Third, three monkeys are told that the canoe is perfect for three. As the monkeys like to do, they add one more monkey and crash down a waterfall. Fourth, the monkeys are told that the table at the restaurant will only fit four, but they fit five anyway. Food ends up flying, and it is a huge mess. Fifth, the bellhop tells the monkey that the hotel bed is perfect for five. When they add one too many monkeys in the bed, their tossing and turning ends up in a war. Finally, Jackie Koller, the author tells the monkeys that six is perfect for the book. When she is out for lunch, the monkeys add one more monkey, and one too many monkeys got into the book.

Recommended Readers:

This is definitely a book geared towards little children. It would be a good book for children who have mastered counting to ten and would like to see counting in a little different way.

Possible Problems:

The ending of the book might be a little bit confusing. The concept about a writer writing about writing might be a little too abstract for young readers.

Reaction:

I love stories about monkeys because their curiosity and mischievousness make for a comical read. I love the idea of the monkeys trying to push the limits just a little bit and seeing the results of that choice. The pictures are very fun and really capture the expressions of the monkeys as individuals.

Title: "The Princess and the Pizza" by Mary Jane and Herm Auch

Publisher: Holiday House, 2002

Reading Level: 3.8

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 31

Summary:

After her father gave up his throne to follow his dream of becoming a woodcarver, Princess Paulina was forced to live life as a commoner. She tried to do things like she used to in the castle, but it just didn't work in this new life. When news came that Queen Zelda was trying to find a bride for her son, Prince Drupert, Paulina saw it as her chance to get back to the life as of a princess. Paulina and twelve other princesses from around the land were put through a series of princess tests to prove to Queen Zelda who would be the best wife for her son. The first test was the pea under the mattress trick. "For Pete's Sake," said Paulina. She was surprised how simple this task would be. Simple or not, only Paulina and four other princesses made it, droopy-eyed and tired, to the next task. The second task was for the ladies to slip their feet into a glass slipper. "For Pete's sake," said Paulina. Hadn't they ever heard of sneakers? Silly as the test was, Paulina and two other princesses passed. One of the princesses had seven strange men follow her around all the time, and the other princess had an unusually long braid that tripped Paulina wherever they went. For the final task, the princesses had to take food from the table and prepare a delectable feast for Prince Drupert. Paulina was tripped by the long-haired princess, and by the time she got up, the only food left was some flour, yeast, water, three overripe tomatoes, and some stale cheese. Paulina did the best she could with her ingredients, but she thought her outcome hopeless. Her anxiety over the task increased as Zelda told her the losers of the competition would be beheaded. Paulina ended up presenting a flat dough concoction with tomato sauce and cheese and garlic on top. The prince loved it. When asked what she called the dish, Paulina said, "Oh for Pete's, uh…" So it became known as pizza. Queen Zelda offered her son to Paulina, but she refused because she didn't want Zelda as a mother-in-law. Paulina ended up opening her own pizza palace and was happy.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a good story for most children. It is a fun twist on common fairy tales.

Possible Problems:

I don't think that this story would have any real problems.

Reaction:

I loved the integration of so many fairy tales within this one story. It is clever and fun. It reminded me a little bit of the movie Shrek because it made fun of so many fairy tales. I also loved how the authors came up with the name for pizza in the end. I loved that the princess refused to marry the prince in the end because she decided that she wouldn't be happy with him.

Title: "MacMurtrey's Wall" by Marc Sutherland

Publisher: Harry N. Abrams, Inc,

Reading Level: Could not Find

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 26

Summary:

Long ago, there lived a giant of a man named MacMurtrey. He was the strongest, fastest, and tallest of them all, and he let everybody know that there were none as great as him. As strong and skillful as MacMurtrey was, though, he was still unhappy. He saw the birds and beasts upon the earth and saw that they were great. Because he wanted none greater than himself, he caught all of the animals and put them in cages. Then he saw how majestic the sea was and began building a wall to cage in the majesty of the sea. He thought that he would be happy as soon as he got the wall built. MacMurtrey worked and worked on the wall. He cut down so many trees and broke down so many of the mountains for his wall that the people of the land eventually decided they could not live there anymore. They boarded up all of their stuff and sailed away on the sea. MacMurtrey eventually finished making the wall, but a strong wind blew giant waves atop the wall. It didn't take long for the waves to beat the wall, and soon MacMurtrey's giant wall was smashed into pieces. Having used all of his strength to build the wall, all MacMurtrey could do was lay down in the snow and sleep. The wind also blew the people back to the land. They saw the giant of the man weak and asleep in the snow. They nursed him back to help. As soon as he was healthy again, they insisted that he help the people rebuild the land and help the people for the first time in his life. MacMurtrey helped the best that he could, and he realized that he was not the greatest of all. And that was ok with him because he was happy at last.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a great book to read to an entire class because it shows that each person may have different abilities, but each person's skills are important to make a community work properly.

Possible Problems:

This tall tale gives life to pretty much all of the characters including the sea and the sun. Because all of the characters are "alive", they all have eyes. Some of the pictures with all of the sets of eyes may be confusing for the students because it gets difficult to tell what object is what.

Reaction:

I thought that this book was really cute. The message that it is more important to be with friends than it is to be the best is a great message for all. I think that, even though they may be confusing to some, the illustrations in this book are beautiful. Each character and object is very defined and has so much detail.

Title: "Substitute Teacher Plans" by Doug Johnson, illustrated by: Tammy Smith

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company, 2002

Reading Level: 3.0

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 31

Summary:

Mrs. Huff's classroom of students are out of control. She decides that she can't take it anymore, so she plans a vacation day for herself. At home that night, she made two lists. One list had a schedule of things for the substitute teacher to do with her students, and the other paper was a list of all of the fun things she was going to do on her day off. She accidentally got the lists mixed up and placed her to-do list on her desk for the substitute teacher and kept the classroom agenda for herself. Mrs. Martin, the substitute teacher, thought the agenda was a little unusual, but she followed it to a tee. The class went to an amusement park and rode the roller coaster, went sky diving, and scuba diving, had lunch on top of the ski mountain and then skied down, built a gigantic sand castle, and then went to the circus. In the mean time, Mrs. Huff read a book from 9:15-10:30, wrote letters from 10:30-11:00, played Scrabble for spelling time from 1:00-11:30, had lunch and recess from 11:30-12:30, read a book aloud from 12:30-1:30, and then balanced her check book from 1:00-2:00. When she got back to class after her vacation, the principal asked her to explain what happened her in class the day before. Miss Huff wanted to take another vacation day, but her students decided that they missed her too much when she was gone. She along with her students and the principal made plans to go to acrobatic flight training the next day.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a good book to read, again, to a whole class of students. It is funny, and a whole class would be able to relate to the characters in the book.

Possible Problems:

I think the biggest problem with this book would be that students would like it so much they would want their own teacher to take a vacation, so they could go to amusement parks and to the zoo.

Reaction:

This is a very silly book. I chose it initially because the pictures are very intriguing. I can't tell if they are made out of clay or if they were done on the computer. Either way, though, they are really fun. I liked the idea of the lists being mixed up and seeing the adventures that both the teacher and the class got to go on because of the mix up.

Title: "Sir Cumference and All the King's Tens" by: Cindy Neuschwander, illustrated by: Wayne Geehan

Publisher: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2009

Reading Level: 4.2

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 32

Summary:

King Arthur's birthday is fast approaching, and Lady Di of Amater and her husband, Sir Cumference, decide to throw him a surprise party because he seems gloomy about his upcoming birthday. They plan a feast for all of the king's friends who they invited. The guest begin to arrive and pandemonium breaks out. There are so many people that Lady Di and Sir Cumference can't get a count for how many meals they will need to prepare for all of the guests. Sir Kell comes up with an idea that they could have all of the guests get into circles and count themselves then they could add up the number of all of the circles. They try that way, but it does not work because the numbers are too great to add. Sir Lionel Segment suggests that all of the guests line up and then they count them one at a time, but that takes too long. Sir Cumference combines the ideas and has the guests line up in lines of ten. Those lines of ten combine with nine other lines until there are one hundred people. Grouping the guests that way, the party planners discover that there are 987 people to feed for lunch. Right before lunch, though, a group of people from Lower Numberton show up. They are grouped the same way, which brings the grand total for the people eating lunch to be 1,012 guests.

More and more people keep arriving for the party, so the Lady Di keeps counting them in the same way. In order to keep the guests cool until the king arrives, they set up tents to hold the guests. One tent can hold 9 or fewer people. One can hold 90 or fewer people. One can hold 900 or fewer people, and the last one can hold 9000 or fewer people. By the time the king arrives, there are 9,999 guest awaiting him in the tents. They all came out from behind their tents and give him a birthday welcome. He is very pleased. They all eat dinner together and celebrate his birthday.

Recommended Readers:

This is a great book for children who are learning to add large numbers. It teaches not only great tips for grouping and rearranging numbers, but it shows children not to be afraid of big numbers.

Possible Problems:

The only problem that I can think of that would arise from this book is that it might end up confusing children more about numbers because the numbers that are being grouped are so large.

Reaction:

I think that this book is really fun. I love all of the play on words that are found within this book like Lady Di of Amater, Sir Kell, and the city of Addingmore. It seems to me that it would make math come alive for children.

Novels

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Title: Holes by: Louis Sachar

Publisher: Yearling, 1998

Reading Level: 5.2

Genre: Realistic Fiction

Pages: 233

Summary: Ever since Stanley Yelnats no-good-pig-stealin' grandpa did not keep up with his end of the deal with Madame Zeroni, the Yelnats family has been cursed with terrible luck. Stanly Yelnats is an overweight middle school boy who has no friends. One day, his bad luck lands him in front of a judge for being accused of stealing a pair of shoes that the famous baseball player, Sweet Feet, donated to the homeless shelter. Instead of sending him to jail, the judge sentenced Stanley to serve for 18 months at Camp Green Lake.

Each boy at Camp Green Lake is supposed to dig one hole 5 feet wide and 5 feet deep every day. The boys are told that digging the holes are supposed to help them build character. Stanley soon realizes, though, that the boys are digging holes for another reason besides building character. They discover that they are digging holes to help the warden search for the missing treasure of Kissing Kate Barlow, a school teacher turned renegade when the town killed the love of her life because he was black. Any time a boy found something that looked like it was of value, they were supposed to bring it to the warden, and then that boy would get the day off.

One day while digging his hole, Zero, one of the boys in Stanley's group decided he had had enough of digging holes, so he ran away from the camp. No one chased after him because they figured he wouldn't survive without water, and the nearest water source to Camp Green Lake was hundreds of miles away. Because Zero was a ward of the state, the warden and the camp counselors didn't think anyone would come looking for him and destroyed all of his documents. Stanley knew he should go after him, so a few days after Zero took off, Stanley stole the camp truck and drove after him. Unfortunately, he drove it right into a hole and was forced to run away from the camp. It took him a while to find Zero, but eventually Stanley found Zero under the shade of broken boat. He had survived off of sploosh, jarred peaches that he found in the boat. Stanley and Zero decided to head towards the mountain and a precipice on top of the mountain that Stanley believed to be God's Thumb, the thing that saved his grandfather a hundred years earlier. They had no water and little to no energy, but they eventually made it to the mountain. Stanley had to carry Zero to God's Thumb because he was sick from eating the Sploosh. The boys found that God's Thumb had water and onions, lots and lots of onions. They stayed there drinking water and eating onions for about a week until they regained their strength.

Once they were strong enough, the boys went back to camp to try to dig up the hole where Stanley had found the lipstick tube of Kate Barlow. They found the treasure but were caught by the warden and the counselors before they could get the treasure out of the hole. The warden didn't shoot them, though, because they were covered by yellow-spotted lizards. The lizards didn't bite the boys because the onions they had been eating were a repellant to lizards. While they were still in the hole, Stanley's lawyer showed up and took custody of him and Zero. In the mean time, the attorney general took over the care of the camp. Stanley and Zero split the money from the treasure. Stanley bought his family a nice home, and Zero hired a detective to find his mother. They all lived happily ever after, except for the warden of course.

Recommended Readers: I really think that every person could benefit from reading this book. It tells a story about people from rough backgrounds figuring out how to get along with each other, and it shows that it is possible to get out of hard situations. Little boys would especially like this book because it is about playing the dirt and digging holes.

Possible Problems: This book talks about some events in history that some parents may not feel is appropriate for their children. It talks about a black man who is killed for kissing a white woman. Even though these things did happen in history, it might offend some readers. Also, there is some violence in the book.

Reactions: I love this book! There is so much in the book to think about that it never gets boring. The characters in the book are all really fun. I love how all of the different parts of the story of both Stanley, Stanley's great grandpa, and Kate Barlow all come together in the end. It is a book that you finish and just feel content.

Title: "Star Girl" by Jerry Spinelli

Publisher: Random House, Inc. 200

Grade Level: 6.1

Genre: Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Pages: 283

Summary: The students at Mica Area High School in Mica, Arizona can all pretty well be placed into a classification. There are the basketball players, the cheerleaders, the AV guys, etc. All of the students seem to respect the status quo. That is until Star Girl shows up. Star Girl enters high school after being homeschooled previously, and Mica High didn't know what hit them.

No one can seem to fit Star Girl into a mold. She definitely dances to the beat of her own drum. Every day she comes dressed in outrageous costumes. Before every class, she spreads a sheet over her desk and places a vase with a flower in it on top of her desk to make it seem homier. She plays the ukulele around the school and serenades people on their birthdays. Every day she carries her pet rat, cinnamon, with her to school.

At first the student body does not react warmly to Star Girl because she is so different from everybody else. Pretty soon, though, they became drawn to individuality. There was something about her that attracted people to her. People began dressing like Star Girl and playing the ukulele like her. Borders between the cliques in the school began to break. They made Star Girl a cheerleader on the squad, and her energy and enthusiasm brought a crowd to the games like MAHS had never seen before. She was so excited that it made the usually reserved and uninvolved student body of MAHS come out and support their team. She was so enthusiastic that she even cheered for the other team.

Slowly, though, the student body, led by Hillary Kimble, became weary of Star Girl. She said her own words to the Pledge of Allegience, showed up to a funeral of a person that she didn't know, and bought a bike for a boy who had just been in an bicycle accident and wouldn't be allowed to ride it for at least a year. These little well-intentioned gestures could be forgiven, but the students at MAHS could not forgive her for what happened at the Sun Valley game. As usual Star Girl was cheering for both teams. For the first time that season, the MAHS basketball team were losing. The first ray of hope for the electrons was when the star of the Sun Valley team, Ron Kovac, became injured. While all of the MAHS fans were overjoyed at this turn of fate, Star Girl was crouched on the floor, holding Ron's head. This was seen as an act of treason. The Electrons ended up losing the game and their shot at the state championship, and they blamed Star Girl.

While everyone else was shunning Star Girl, Leo Borlock, was falling in love with the unorthodox girl. They began to date, and Leo could not be happier. He began to see into the life of this enchanting girl. Star Girl took Leo with her on her adventures. They went to the enchanted place in the desert, made cards for people for various reasons, checked the newspapers for the fillers, watched people at the mall to discover what kind of person they were, dropped change on the ground for others to find, many other magical things. Leo started to think of Star Girl as a saint. Star Girl didn't understand why he thought that way; she was just being nice.

As happy as Leo was to be with Star Girl, he began to feel the effects of being shunned by his peers. He was asked by his wise friend, Archie, whose attention he wanted the most, Star Girl's or his peers at MAHS. One day Leo asked Star Girl why she couldn't just be normal. The next day, Star Girl disappeared and Susan appeared in her place. Unlike Star Girl, Susan tried her hardest to fit in. She tried to do "normal" things, and she became obsessed with how she looked, especially about what clothes she wore. Even though she did everything she could to fit in, it didn't seem to make a difference. Her peers still didn't seem to like her any better. Leo liked her that way, though, and was no longer embarrassed to be seen in public with her. He loved the knew Star Girl, but the students at MAHS still couldn't forgive her for what happened at the Sun Valley game.

Star Girl thought that would all change as soon as she won the Arizona state oratorical contest. She knew that she would win it, and when she did, there would be mobs of people lining up to congratulate her on her success. She did win the contest, but there were no mobs. No one seemed to care about her success. The next day she returned back to Star Girl. Leo asked her what made her change, and she said that it was just too difficult to be popular. She would rather just be herself. The relationship between Leo and Star Girl changed at that moment. He was again embarrassed to be seen with her in public. He loved her dearly, but he still couldn't rise above the stares and snickers of those around him. He ended up not even asking her to the Ocotillo Ball. She went by herself and led almost everyone at the dance in the Bunny Hop. They took the line all around the school. Some thought it would never end. When they came back, Hillary Kimble slapped Star Girl on the cheek because she said that Star Girl had ruined everything. Star Girl looked her right in the eye, kissed her on the cheek, and walked away. That was the last anyone ever saw of Star Girl.

Fifteen years after Star Girl left, Leo still thinks of her. He regrets not having the courage to be with her, but it is all in the past. Star Girl's memory still lives on in the town of Mica. The people of Mica will never be the same.

Recommended Readers: I feel very strongly that every person should read this book! The message of being yourself is a message that every child going into their teenage years should hear. I think that it would be a good read for both male and female writers because although the main character is a girl, it is told from the perspective of a boy. I also think that adults would benefit from reading this book as well.

Possible Problems: I think that some children might have a hard time reading this book because it does challenge nonconformity. Most children have grown up their whole lives trying to just fit in, so they might not really like Star Girl's character. The book definitely does challenge you to think differently than most people are used to.

Reactions: This book just made it onto my list of my top three favorite books. I absolutely loved it! I honestly did not want to put it down. Star Girl's character made me really think about who I am, and whose judgment it is that I really value, mine or others. Reading this book also made me want to be a better person and start remembering people's birthdays and dropping change on the ground every once in a while. This book shows that every person can make a difference. I hope that I will remember the lessons that Star Girl tries to teach as long as I live.

Non Fiction

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Title: Owen and Mzee Told by: Isabella Hatkoff, Craig Hatkoff, and Dr. Paula Kahumbu

Publisher: Scholastic, 2004

Reading Level: 4.7

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 30

Summary:

During the tsunami in the eastern Indian Ocean on December 26, 2004, a young hippopotamus was left stranded in the coral reef off the shore of Manidi, a city in Kenya. Villagers worked together to rescue the 600-pound 2-year old hippopotamus from the ocean. After much effort, they rescued the hippo who they named Owen. They transported Owen to Haller Park, an animal sanctuary in Mombasa, Kenya. Upon his arrival, Owen was introduced to Mzee, a 130 year old, unfriendly, tortoise. After a little warming up on the part of Mzee, the unlikely pair soon built a strong friendship. They can often been seen near each other, and Mzee has taught Owen many tips for survival. The unheard-of friendship has sparked the interest of many people. Today, visitors go to Haller Park to see Owen and Mzee.

Recommended Readers: I would recommend this book to anyone but especially those children who are interested in animals, other cultures, or the topic of friendship.

Possible Problems: I can't really think of any possible problems this book might present. It does have a lot of information within its pages, but I feel like it is written in a reader-friendly way. Even though it is nonfiction, it reads like a story.

Reaction: Usually when I think about nonfiction books about animals, it does not excite me, but this is a book I can get excited about. The story itself is remarkable. I feel like the story tellers did a great job of incorporating facts about these animals, the country of Kenya, and the tsunami in a way that is both interesting and easy to read. The pictures of the rescue of Owen and the friendship of Owen and Mzee are very memorable.

Title: "A Picture Book of Harriet Tubman" by David A. Adler

Publisher: Holiday House, 1992

Reading Level: 4.7

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 30

Summary:

This book depicts the story of Harriet Tubman, a "conductor" on the Underground Railroad. Harriet Tubman was born into slavery. From a young age, she realized that slavery was wrong and often disobeyed her owners. She was often whipped and beaten for her disobedience. One time, to avoid being whipped, she ran away and lived with the pigs and ate what they ate. She got so hungry that she went back to the house and whipped multiple times. The abolitionist movement was starting up during Harriet's time in slavery. One time, in an attempt to help a slave run away, Harriet was hit in the head with a metal weight and suffered many headaches and sleeping spells as a result.

Shortly after marrying John Tubman in 1844, Harriet began planning her escape from slavery. Harriet and others snuck away from the cabin during the middle of the night, heading north to freedom. They had to turn back, though, so Harriet decided to make the trip herself two nights later. Along the way, Harriet stayed at the homes of white people who believed that slavery was wrong. This trail of houses was known as the Underground Railroad. Harriet eventually made it to Pennsylvania, where she was a free woman.

She worked washing dishes in Pennsylvania. She used most of the money that she made washing dishes to help fund her trips back to the south to lead other slaves on the Underground Railroad. She would use music to alert other slaves of her arrival. Harriet became known as Moses because she led so many people to freedom.

In 1865, the Civil War ended and slavery was officially abolished. Harriet moved to New York and remarried a soldier in the northern army by the name of Nelson Davis. She began working with former slaves and helped with the suffrage movement in the United States. She died in 1913 and is still known today as the Moses of a great conductor of the Underground Railroad.

Recommended Readers:

I feel like this is a good read for every child because it teaches the importance of being a leader and taking action to right wrongs.

Possible Problems:

Because Harriet Tubman did so much in her lifetime, it is hard to capture her accomplishments in only 30 short pages. Some people might think that this book doesn't quite do her justice because it is so brief.

Reaction:

I have always loved the story of Harriet Tubman. I love the courage and bravery that she had and the proactive approach she took in her life. I do feel like this book didn't quite do her justice, but I think that it would at least expose students to her accomplishments and get them interested in finding out more about her.

Title: "Healthy for Life: Snowboarding" by Jim Fitzpatrick

Publisher: Cherry Lake Publishing, 2008

Reading Level: Age Range: 8-12

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 29

Summary :

As the title suggests, this book is all about snowboarding. It covers the popularity of snowboarding today, the history of snowboarding, the equipment used in snowboarding,t he safety precautions needed when snowboarding, and the physical benefits of snowboarding. It says that snowboarding is becoming one of the world's fastest-growing sports, but it hasn't always been popular. Many ski resorts banned snowboarders. The first snowboard was called a snurfer and was invented by Sherman Popper who attached two skis together. Now snowboards are innovative fiberglass boards which the book calls high-tech marvels. It is important for each snowboarder to choose their board wisely. Many beginning boarders want to pick a shorter board because it is easier to maneuver. Along with picking the right board, snowboarders need to pick the right boots and bindings. To be safe on the slopes, boarders should wear a helmet, goggles, wrist supports. Because falling down is inevitable for beginning snowboarders, it is important for them to realize how to properly fall with their arms tucked in to their sides. Although it may not look it, snowboarding is a very physically demanding sport. A snowboarder could burn up to 500 calories in one hour. Professionals and serious snowboarders train all year round to be in the optimum physical shape for snowboarding. With enough stamina and practice, anyone can become a snowboarder.

Recommended Readers:

Any child who is active and likes to try new things will love this book. I think that most boys would be drawn to it because of the content, but girls will like it as well because snowboarding is such a universal sport.

Possible Problems:

I don't see any problems that can come from this book. The content and pictures are appropriate.

Reaction:

I don't snowboard, but I really enjoyed learning about it. Jim Fitzpatrick wrote the information in this book in such a way that it is interesting and informative. I love the side information about the cost of snowboarding, fitness tips, and other fun facts. The pictures are beautiful.

Title: "Welcome to Chile" written by Karen Kwek

Publisher: Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2004

Reading Level: ages 7-10

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 48

Summary:

This book looks at all the different aspects of the country of Chile. Chile is a long, skinny country in South America. The land is broken up into three regions: the Andes mountain range, the central valley, and the coastal ranges. Because it is south of the equator, Chile's seasons are the opposite of ours here in North America. The native Chileans were ruled by the Spanish from the 1500s to 1810, where they declared their independence. From there the Chilean government underwent many changes. They have been a democracy, a socialist government, a dictatorship, and are now a democracy again. Now the people elect their head of state, or president. He then elects his own ministers, and together they serve for six years. The people of Chile are very family-oriented. It is one of the only countries where divorce is illegal. In 1973, many women had to work out of the home because of government issues, so today most households have both parents in the workforce. Chileans go to school from the ages of 6 to 14 in a primary school. They then move on to a secondary school where they study generals for two years, and then they choose a field in the natural sciences or vocational work to study for the remaining two years. Attendance at a university, public or private, is an option but not mandatory for Chileans. Chile is a predominately Catholic country, but Chileans are free to choose whatever religion they want. Chile is rich in the arts. They love music, theatre, and literature. The biggest sport in Chile is soccer but other sports and games are also played. In Chile, the biggest meal of the day is lunch which usually consists of a salad, a meat dish, and a vegetable.

Recommended Readers:

I think that every child could benefit from learning about another country. It's always good to expose children to other cultures, and I think that this is a fun book to do that with.

Possible Problems:

One problem with this book is that even though it was written fairly recently, some of the facts are already out of date like the current president.

Reaction:

I really enjoyed reading this book. It has a lot of information about the country in Chile, but it is written in a very reader-friendly way. I like that the pictures are both photographs and illustrations of different aspects of the country. I like that most of the pictures have children in them; it makes it easy for children to relate to.

Title: "Let's Talk about Death and Dying" by Pete Sanders

Publisher: Gloucester Press, 1990

Reading Level: Could not Find

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 31

Summary:

As the title suggests, this is an informative book that talks all about the process of dying and death. It teaches children that even though they may not be close to death, chances are they will feel the effects of death by the passing away of someone close to them. It explains the idea of death by first explaining what it means to be alive. We are alive when our heart pumps blood and we are breathing. When these things stop, then we are dead. This book explains the process of dying and different ways that death occurs such as from illness, disease, or accidents. Sometimes a person may be dying for a long time, and other times death comes suddenly. It then goes on to explain all of the things people feel when they experience the loss of a loved one. Some people get angry, some are sad, and some people pretend like it never happened. It is important for people to understand that grief is a perfectly natural part of death. Those who are affected by a death need time to cope with the loss. Children need to make sure that they express their feelings. It is ok to cry. Sometimes talking about the loss is one of the best ways to cope with it. Some adults, though, find it difficult to talk about. They end up telling children half-truths like the person just went to sleep. This causes children to be nervous about sleeping. When children experience the loss of a loved one, they should talk to their parents or friends about it.

Recommended Readers:

Because death is a part of our life here on earth, I think that it would be helpful for every child to read this book. Of course children who are mourning the loss of a loved one would benefit from reading this, but it would also be nice for children to read to prepare themselves to cope with death in the future.

Possible Problems:

I really don't see any problems that would come from this book other than children might be distracted by the low-quality of the photographs.

Reaction:

I did not like this book as much as I thought that I would. To me it seemed a little overkill. One of the reasons I may have thought this is because I am pretty familiar with the concept of death. I understand what it means to die, but many little children don't. This would be one of those books that I would read to children because I feel like it is an important concept for them to understand, not necessarily because I like the book.

Title: "Everybody Works" by Shelley Rotner and Ken Kreisler

Publisher: The Millbrook Press, 2003

Reading Level: Age Range: infants-preshcoolers

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 28

Summary:

This book explains all about what work is and who works. It shows that work is more than just going to a job, even though that is a big aspect of it. The book shows that work is helping others and shows pictures of doctors, firemen, and a mother reading to her child. Work can also be making things like clothing creating things like music and art work. The people who grow the food and the people who cook the food are also working. Some people deliver things like the mail or sell things like magazines for work. Those who build and fix things are also working. In the home, at the office, or outside are all different places that people work. Some people work for money, others to volunteer, and others still work for enjoyment. Children also work by helping their parents and doing their school work.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a great book to have children read before a career day or before they are asked to share what they want to do when they grow up. It is great for children to see the different options that are available for work.

Possible Problems:

I don't see any real problems that would arise from reading this book. It really shows every category of job available. The pictures seem to be pretty diverse. There are both males and females in all of the different roles. Also, the ethnicity of the people is divers, so it shows children that everybody really can pick whichever job they want. They are not limited by their background.

Reaction:

I think that this book is really fun. I have never really thought about all of the different areas that we work, so it was fun to see representations of all those different fields of work. I think that the pictures are beautiful, and I really like the layout of the book. It is very colorful and inviting.

Title: "10 Things You Need to Know About: Cliques" by Jen Jones

Publisher: Capstone Press, 2008

Reading Level: Could Not Find

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 32

Summary:

The transition to junior is a time of big changes. One of those changes is that, all of a sudden, not everyone is able to get along well with each other like in elementary school. Social groups, called cliques, soon form. This book talks about ten things that should be known about cliques. The first is that there are four types of major groups of cliques: the popular kids, the wannabe popular kids, the cliques of people with common interests, and the loners. The second thing is that cliques can be good because it gives people a sense of belonging, and bad because cliques eliminate a person's options for making friends. Number three, the formation of cliques brings labels that are placed on people. Fourth, cliques can be dangerous because there is usually a single leader who may not always make good decisions. Fifth, sometimes a person's talent will not be seen as accepted by the group, so people sometimes hide those talents instead of developing them. The sixth fact is that being in a clique one day does not guarantee that you will be in it the next day. Seventh, being popular does not mean being happy. Often those who are the most popular feel a lot of pressure to remain popular. Eighth, cliques are in existence even after high school. Cliques form in the workplace and in the neighborhood. The ninth tip is that there are things that can be done like saying "hi" to others and sticking up to bullies that will help break down the existence of cliques. The last fact is that a person doesn't have to be scared of standing alone. Sometimes the "drifter" that goes back and forth between groups has the most fun.

Recommended Readers: This book is targeted for girls who are transitioning from elementary school to junior high. I would recommend it for students as young as 4^th grade, though, because I feel like around that time is when cliques really begin to form.

Possible Problems: My biggest problem with the book was when they categorize the four types of cliques. I think that the author was trying to use the language of her audience by calling the groups popular, wannabes, and loners, but I think that she could have used different vocabulary. Children might begin calling others by those names if they haven't already heard them before.

Reaction: This is a book that I could picture myself reading and really enjoying in about the sixth grade. The layout makes it a really fun read, and I love that they included a clique quiz in the back. I remember loving those types of things in books.

Title: "Blue Banquet Biography: Chris Brown" by: Kathleen Tracy

Publisher: Mitchell Lane Publishers, 2008

Reading Level: Could Not Find

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 32

Summary:

Today Chris Brown is an R&B artist who plays to the cheers of sold out crowds. He hasn't always known the life of a famous celebrity, though. Christopher Maurice Brown grew up in the small Virginia town of Tappahannock. The population of 2,000 people is about the same number who lived there when it was first founded 1608. Chris always loved to sing and performed, but he did not know that he would be doing it professionally. His father happened to be talking to local production company at a gas station, and his career started from there. Chris went to New York and was introduced to Tina Davis, an executive at Def Jam records, who saw great potential in Chris. When Tina lost her job after Def Jam records' merger, she became Brown's manager. He signed with Jive Records, and his first single "Run It" climbed up the charts to number one where it stayed for five weeks. Chris Brown's song became the biggest debut song produced by a male vocalist ever. He worked to keep from being a one-hit wonder and began touring and producing albums. While on the road, Chris tries to balance his busy schedule. His goal is to be a role model for young children, so he puts his school work at a top priority. He wants to show kids that school really is cool. He also makes it a point to show boys how important it is to treat women. His father was abusive to his mother when he was growing up, so he has seen how damaging that type of attitude is. He loves the ladies and treats them as a perfect gentleman. Brown's talents are not limited to singing. He also dances and acts in tv series and in feature films; he is an all-around performer. Chris also finds time to serve others and perform at charity events. One day he hopes to make his own clothing line that will be fashionable but affordable, so children that grow up in the poverty that he did will be able to afford nice things. With all of his accomplishments, Chris still thinks of himself as a small town boy who grew up in a little town in Virginia. He hopes that his story will help everyone to see that you don't have to be from a big city to make it big.

Recommended Readers:

I think that this book would appeal to both boys and girls because Chris Brown, as an artist, appeals to both boys and girls. I think that most children will have heard about Chris Brown, and those who are really into his music or his style of music will be particularly interested in reading this book.

Possible Problems:

Chris Brown really is a good role model for students. Almost everything in this book is a positive example of the kind of character that he has. The only thing that I would be concerned about is that he says on page 19 that he hopes to be a sex symbol one day. I think that this would be a phrase that would concern a few parents.

Reaction:

I was really impressed with all of the information that was in this book. It goes into much more detail than I was expecting. Although it has a lot of information, it is not hard to read. Now that I have read all about Chris Brown, I want to go and listen to some of his songs. It made me a Chris Brown fan.

Title: "Wonderful Houses around the World" by Yoshio Komatsu

Publisher: Shelter Publications, 2004

Reading Level: Age Range: 5 to 12

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 42

Summary:

This book looks at different houses around the world. The first page shows a picture of the house and then the following page shows an illustrated look at the inside of the house, including the different rooms, who lives in the house, and some of the things people in that community do. The first house they look at is a white, moveable tent home in Mongolia. Most people in that area are animal herders, so it is important for them to be able to move their home with their work. The second type of house is circular community home in China. It looks like an apartment complex that is in a circle. All of the houses within the community face the ancestor worship table that is in the center of the circle. Houses in Indonesia have really pointy roofs because they believe that the gods live in the roof. A grass roof sits atop houses in India, and the clay wall exteriors keep the inside of the home cool. In Romania, the thatched-roofs have two raised areas for smoke to escape. These holes make the house look like it has eyes. In areas in both Tunisia and Spain, the houses are built underground. In Togo the houses are made entirely of mud that is painted with red paint. In Senegal, the center hut in the village has an upside down roof with a hole in the middle. This is to help catch and store rain water because the water, even in the well, is very salty. Finally, in Bolivia the houses are acorn-shaped edifices made of blocks made out of root-bound earth.

Recommended Readers:

Like many books about other cultures, I would recommend this book to every child. It gives a good perspective of the conditions that people in different countries live in. I also think that it would give a greater appreciation to children for the place that they live.

Possible Problems:

The picture of the family from Togo shows a picture of a boy without any clothes on. It was taken in a way that nothing is really showing, but some parents might not want their child to read the book because of it. It also talks about worshipping gods, chasing away evil spirits, and worshipping ancestors, which might something parents don't want their child to read about. I don't feel like it is a really big problem, though, because it is not promoted in the book; it is just shown as a way of life.

Reaction:

This book was really interesting to me. I love that it showed the families in the photographs and showed what role children in that culture have. I also love the illustrations that showed what the inside of the house looks like. I would have never thought about setting it up that way, but I am glad that the author this book did.

Title: "How to Draw Cartoon Symbols of the United States of America" by Curt and Kelley Visca

Publisher: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2004

Reading Level: Age Range: 5 to 10

Genre: Non Fiction

Pages: 24

Summary:

This is a step by step guide to drawing cartoon depictions of 8 symbols that are characteristic of the United States. Each page gives a full-page description of the symbols itself and a guide on how to draw it. Each picture has red lines to show where new lines are being added to the drawing. The first symbol in the book is the American flag. It explains that the design for the flag was adopted on June 14, 1777. The colors (red, white, and blue) stand for bravery, goodness, and justice. The next symbol is a bald eagle, which was chosen as our national bird in 1972 and represents freedom and power. Because hunters and pesticides killed them, there were only about 2500 bald eagles in the United States in the 1970s. That is why it is currently on our list of endangered species. Next up is the statue of liberty that stands 151 feet in the air on Liberty Island in New York. Her torch represents liberty. The tablet she holds represents independence and has July 4, 1776 written on it. Finally, the crown on her head has seven spikes which represent the seven continents of the earth. The Liberty Bell is the next symbol. It used to be used to call people together for special events like the reading of the Declaration of Independence. In 1846, a crack appeared on the bell, and it hasn't sounded since. George Washington is the next symbol in the book. He is known as the founding father of our country. He fought in both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War. In 1787 he was unanimously voted as the first president of the United States. Good old Uncle Sam is the sixth symbol. He is a character that was introduced in the War of 1812 to represent the American government. The pilgrims are also a symbol in this book. The pilgrims were the first group of settlers to come to the United States in 1620. The final symbol in this book is Mount Rushmore. It is a statue of some of the presidents of this country that is located in the black hills of South Dakota. The order of the presidents is: Washington, Jefferson, Roosevelt, and Lincoln.

Recommended Readers:

This would be a good choice for any child who likes to draw or doodle.

Possible Problems:

I don't see any problems that this book would present. It shows children how to draw while giving them a brief lesson on history.

Reaction:

I think that this is a really innovative book. The drawings that they teach are simple enough that everyone would be able to do it. I love the blend of art and history.

Fairy Tales

2010-02-02T20:48:00.001-08:00

The Brothers Grimm

Title(s): "Rapunzel"

"The Three Feathers"

"Gretel"

"Cinderella"

Publisher/ Website: All Family Resources, http://www.familymanagement.com/literacy/grimms/grimms-toc.html

Genre: Fairy Tales

Grade Level: 4.5

Summary:

There once lived a girl whose mother died. Her father remarried a wicked mother who moved into the girl's house with her too wicked daughters. They stepmother and stepdaughters quickly made Cinderella into the slave of the house. They made her do all of the cooking and would often dump Cinderella's peas and lentils into the fire where she would have to dig them out of the ashes. The only solace in the poor girl's life was the little tree that she would sit beneath and pray and weep. That tree housed special birds that would help Cinderella when she asked for it.

The king of the land threw a ball to find a wife for his son, the prince. All of the fair ladies of the land were invited, but Cinderella's stepmother would not let her go. With a little help from her special friends, Cinderella made it to the ball dressed in a beautiful gown. The prince instantly fell in love with her and insisted on dancing every dance with her. When it came time for Cinderella to leave, he did not want to leave. She ended up leaving rather hastily, and in the process, left her slipper on the floor.

The prince searched his whole kingdom to find the girl whose foot belonged in the slipper. Both of the step-sisters' feet were too big, so their mother told one to cut off her toes and the other to cut off her heal. They fooled the prince until Cinderella's bird friends told the prince that he had the wrong girl. He eventually found Cinderella whose foot fit perfectly into the slipper. They were wed and lived contently ever after. The step-sisters ended up getting their eyes plucked out in an attempt to get into the wedding.

Who Should Read This Tale:

I would only recommend this tale to someone who was a little more advanced than the average student and did not like the "happily ever after" fairy tales. I don't really anticipate many girls who would enjoy this tale, but I do think that many young boys would enjoy this side of the Cinderella story.

Possible Problems:

Because this is a Grimm fairy tale, it is a little bit graphic. I know that many parents would not want their children reading this because of the graphic details in the story. I think that this would be something that I would assign as an optional read rather than a required read just because some parents might not care for their child to be exposed to the violence that is in this fairy tale.

Reaction:

I found this side of the Cinderella story to be interesting. It definitely showed more about the desperation of the step-sisters than the original version. I am kind of a sucker for happy, predictable stories, so I think that the Disney version of Cinderella is more my style.

Joseph Jacobs

Title(s): "The Three Sillies"

"The Story of the Three Bears"

"The Three Heads of the Well"

"Mr. Miacca"

Publisher/ Website: Authorama: Public Domain Books, http://www.authorama.com/english-fairy-tales-1.html

Genre: Fairy Tale

Grade Level: 3.9

Summary:

Sometimes Tommy Grimes was a good boy but sometimes he was a bad boy. His mother told him not to be a bad boy and go around the corner or else Mr. Miacca would take him. When he didn't listen to her advice, Mr. Miacca did catch him and brought him back to his wife to cook him for dinner. While Mr. Miacca runs to fetch some spices, Tommy Grimes tricks Mrs. Miacca and escapes being dinner. He tries really hard to be good after that day, but the next time he slips up, he is again caught by Mr. Miacca. This time he tricks Mr. Miacca into thinking that the leg of the sofa is his own leg and again escapes from being dinner. He never again went around the corner to get caught by Mr. Miacca.

Who should read this tale:

The message or moral of this fairy tale would be a good one for every child to hear, so I would recommend it for every child.

Possible Problems

Even though Tommy doesn't really cut off his leg, it might be a little unsettling for some children to read about.

Reaction

This isn't my favorite of Jacob's fairy tales, but I really do like Jacob's fairy tales. They are not too gruesome, and the lessons taught in them are pretty easy to understand. I like how most of them end without a definite conclusion. It allows the reader to draw his or her own conclusions.

Charles Perrault

Title(s): "Little Red Riding Hood"

"Sleeping Beauty"

"Ricky of the Tuft"

"The Master Cat or Puss in Boots"

Publisher/Website: Classics Illustrated, www.classics-illustrated.com

Genre: Fairy Tales

Grade Level: 4.4

Summary:

Upon his death, a miller left one of his sons a cat. His son was really worried about it because he had nothing and supposed the cat would be good for nothing except to eat and wait to die himself. The cat asked the man if the man would give him a chance to prove himself of value to the man. The only thing the cat asked of the man was for the man to give him a pair of boots to walk in the forest with. The man consented.

The cat, called Puss, first went into the forest and caught a rabbit in his little drawstring bag. He then went into the king of the land and presented the rabbit to the king, saying that it was from his master the marquis of Carabas. The king was much pleased and appreciated the gesture from the cat's master. Puss continued to catch things and bring them unto the king.

One day the king took his daughter along the river bank. The cat told his master to go to the river and bathe in it. His master did. When the king drove by the man, the cat explained to him that his master was drowning in the river after having been robbed. The king allowed the man to ride with him in his carriage. All along the ride in the carriage, Puss set it us so the kind would think that the cat's master was indeed the great marquis of Carabas. He had a bunch of peasants tell the king the field they were working in belonged to the marquis of Carabas. He also had harvesters tell the king that the field they were harvesting belonged to the marquis of Carabas. Eventually, Puss tricked an ogre into turning into a mouse, so the cat could eat it. The cat then told the king that the castle once owned by the ogre belonged to the marquis of Carabas. The king was really impressed and offered his daughter to the man. They were wed, and Puss became a figure of great importance.

Who Should Read This Tale:

I think that little boys especially would like to read this tale. It deals with action and clever maneuvers. I would also recommend this tale to parents who are not too fond of or a little bored with traditional fairy tales.

Possible Problems:

The whole reason that the man in the story got rich and got the girl is because of the deceitful actions of the cat. It may not be seen as a wholesome read for young children because of the underlying message that you can get anything you want as long as you tell people what they want to know. Another possible problem is that all of Perrault's fairy tales have a written moral at the end. Some children might not like this because the moral given might not have been what they got out of the tale.

Reaction:

I, personally, thought that this story was really funny. I don't know if that was what it was intended to be, but I thought it was funny. I was interested in continuing my reading because I wanted to know what Puss would do next to trick the king. It also gave me new understanding of the character, Pussinboots, on Shrek.

Peter Asbjornsen and Jorgen Moe

Title(s): "The Old Dame and Her Hen"

"The Two Step Sisters"

"The Three Princesses of Whiteland"

"The Three Billy Goats Gruff"

Publisher/ Website: SurLaLune Fairy Tales, www.surlalunefairytales.com

Genre: Fairy Tales

Grade Level: 4.1

Summary: There was lived a fisherman who, one day, could catch no fish. A head bobbed out of the water and promised the man that he would catch fish aplenty if, in exchange, he would give what was under his wife's girdle to the bobbing head. He agreed but shortly found that his wife was expecting a child. The man was very upset and pled his case before the king. The king told him to bring his child to the king, and he would raise the child. As soon as the boy was born, the king took him to the castle and raised him.

One day, the boy asked the king if he could go fishing. On his fishing trip, he got carried away to the land called Whiteland. There he met a man who told him that he would meet three princesses standing in the earth up to their necks. The man told him to ignore the first two princesses and speak only to the third princess. He did what the man asked and talked to the third princess. She asked him to go to the castle for three nights. Each night he met a different troll, one with three heads, one with six heads, and one with nine heads. The trolls whipped him every night. When they were done whipping him, he rubbed himself with the ointment in the room and then slew the troll. Each time he defeated a troll, the princesses began to rise out of the earth a little bit more. By the time he defeated the last troll, the princesses were freed from the earth. The third princess wed the man and became his queen.

The man got very homesick while in Whiteland and begged his wife to let him go back to visit his family. She agreed if he would promise to only listen to his father and not his mother. Before he left, she gave him a ring that granted him two wishes. He first wished to be home. He didn't listen to his wife though, and his second wish brought her to him. She could get back to Whiteland, but he could not.

The man was so sad to be away from his wife that he set out to find her. He asked the lord of the beasts, the brother of the Lord of the beasts, the birds, and the fishes where to find Whiteland. Finally an old pike knew where to find Whiteland. After discovering the location of Whiteland, the lord of the beasts told the king to ask the three bickering men on the moor for their hat, boots, and cloak. When he put them on, he became invisible and was able to travel to Whiteland where he found his queen right before she was about to marry another. He threw out the other prince and was again with his beautiful queen.

Recommended Readers: This fairy tale is a little bit more difficult to understand than other fairy tales, so it would probably be better suited for older readers.

Possible Problems: The biggest problem with this fairy tale is, in my opinion, the beginning of the tale. It states that the king saves him from going with the man from the water, but it doesn't really explain how that would save him from the man or how him living with the king would be any better than living with the man from the water. Either way, he is not living with his parents.

Reaction: I was honestly a little confused with this fairy tale. The explanation of how he got back to Whiteland was really confusing. I thought there were a lot of steps involved in every process that he went through. I like when things are a little simpler.

Hans Christian Andersen

Title(s): "The Emperor's New Suit"

"The Tinder Box"

"Little Mermaid"

"The Red Shoes"

Publisher/ Website: A Collection of the World's Fairy Tales, www.fairytalescollection.com

Genre: Fairy Tales

Grade Level: 4.8

Summary: Deep beneath the sea lived the sea king and his six beautiful daughters. They lived in his castle with his mother. Each of the mermaids longed to go up to the surface of the water. Their grandmother told them that they could each go up to the surface on their fifteenth birthday. The youngest daughter most wanted to go up to the top, but she had to wait the longest. One by one all of the sea king's daughters got to go up to the surface. They would all come back down with stories about what it is like. They all agreed, though, that they liked it better at the bottom of the ocean.

Eventually the youngest mermaid turned fifteen and was able to go to the top of the ocean. She loved the sights of that she saw on the surface. While she was up there, she came up a large ship with a prince aboard. The people on the ship were celebrating his birthday. Unfortunately the ship was caught in a storm, and the prince fell overboard. The little mermaid plunged in the water to save him. Once she caught him, she brought him to shore. When he woke up, he was frightened to see her and did not realize that it was her that had saved him.

The little mermaid went back down to the ocean quite unhappy. She talked to her grandmother and told her that she wished she could be human. Her grandmother explained that humans lived for a much shorter time. Mermaids usually lived for about three hundred years, and then their bodies just became one with the ocean foam. Although humans did not live as long, they have a soul that lives forever. The little mermaid wanted so badly to be a human and live forever.

Determined to make her dream a reality, the little mermaid went to see if the sea witch could help her. The sea witch agreed but told her that she would end up being miserable. In exchange for the elixir that would make the little mermaid be able to have legs, the sea witch pulled out the little mermaids tongue so that she, the sea witch, could have the prettiest voice in all of the land. The little mermaid also had to give up seeing her family members again. The sea witch told her that every step she took on her new legs would feel like she was stepping on sharp knives. If the little mermaid did not get the prince to fall madly in love with her, she would never be able to become immortal and would melt into the foam of the sea.

Even with all of those stipulations, the mermaid still decided to live a life as a human. Once as a human, she found the prince. He asked her what her name was, but she could not answer him for she had not tongue with which to speak. There was still something intriguing about her, though, so the prince took her to his castle. He quickly began to fall in love with her. Soon, though, his parents sent him to another land to meet princess who they hoped he would take for wife. When he met the princess, he thought it was her that had saved him from the storm. He told the little mermaid how happy he was to be reunited with his true love and thanked her for all of her help. She was sad for two reasons. First, she was sad at the thought of losing him, and secondly, she knew that because he was to wed another she would have to die.

On the day of the wedding, the little mermaid's sisters came to see her. In exchange for their hair, the sea witch had told them how the little mermaid could save herself. They told the little mermaid that if she were to plunge a dagger into the heart of the prince, she would be saved. The little mermaid could not do it, though, and threw herself off of the ship. Instead of becoming sea foam, she became one with the daughters of the air. As a daughter of the air, she will be able to become immortal in three hundred years of probation.

Recommended Readers: I think that students who really like the stories of mythology would really enjoy reading this fairy tale. Also any student who is interested in the things of the sea would like reading this tale.

Possible Problems: This tale is a little more graphic than most fairy tales. It talks about stuff like cutting someone's tongue out, plunging a dagger in someone's heart, and feeling the pain of being cut by knives every time the mermaid takes a step. Also, this fairy tale talks about life after death and says that every human being becomes immortal after this life. People who do not believe in that type of thing would not to want to read it.

Reaction: This is definitely a different tale than the little mermaid that I am used to. I definitely like the Disney version of the Little Mermaid better, but I didn't hate this tale. It did get a little confusing in parts because I didn't really know which character Andersen was referring to. All in all, though, it was a really good story.

Picture Books

2010-01-23T13:08:00.001-08:00

Title: Annie Was Warned by: Jarrett J. Krosoczka

Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, 2003

Reading Level: 1.4

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 29

Summary: On Halloween Night, a little girl named Annie decided to go up to the old Montgomery mansion. All of her family members tell her not to go because the mansion is haunted. Their warnings, though, didn't scare her because she was, after all, born on Halloween. All along the way to the mansion she thought that she saw the things that her family had warned her about, but they ended up just being everyday objects. As she got up to the mansion, there were signs all the way up to the stairs warning her not to go into the mansion. As she opened the door, her family and friends were waiting behind the door to throw her a surprise birthday party.

Recommended Readers: Any reader would probably enjoy this book, but I think curious children would especially love to read this book. Any child who sometimes does things they are not supposed to do because they just can't help but find questions to their answers would really enjoy this book.

Possible Problems: Parents might not like this book because on the first page the main character sneaks out of her house after being told not to go to the mansion.

Reaction: I thought that this book was very clever. I think that it would easily keep the attention of a child because the reader wants to know what is going to happen when Annie gets to the mansion. The illustrations are beautiful, and it is just a good book overall.

Title: Love You Forever by: Robert Munsch

Publisher: Firefly Books, 1986

Reading Level: ages 4-8

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 31

Summary: This is a story that follows a boy as he grows from an infant in his mother's arms to a grown man with a child of his own. No matter how old the boy is, his mom always sneaks into his bedroom at night, picks him up, and rocks him back and forth. While she rocks him, she tells him that she will love him forever and like him for always. When the mother grows old, the son picks her up in his arms and repeats the same words that his mother recited to him for years. After leaving his mother's house, he picks up his own daughter, repeats those same words, and the cycle of love continues.

Recommended Readers: I believe that every child and ever adult should read this book. It's message about unconditional love is a priceless one that every person can benefit from.

Possible Problems: I don't see any problems that might arise from this book. It is a timeless story about love and growing up.

Reaction: I love and have always loved this story. I love how the pictures portray perfectly the different stages that we go through as human beings. I feel like it is really easy to relate to both the child and the mother. Every time I read this book, I get those words that she says to her stuck in my head, and I can't help but think about how much I am loved. I can't wait to read this story to a child of my own someday.

Title: You Are Special by Max Lucado

Publisher: Crossway Book, 1993

Reading Level: 4.1

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 26

Summary: The Wemmicks are wooden puppets that live in village together. The Wemmicks have a tradition of giving stickers to one another. If a Wemmick does something wonderful, is incredibly talents, or especially good looking, then that Wemmick receives a star sticker. On the other hand, if a Wemmick does something embarrassing, says something funny, or looks kind of funny, that Wemmick receives a dot. Puncinello is a Wemmick who, try as he might, can't seem to avoid getting dots. He is always doing embarrassing things, and sometimes he will get dots simply because he has so many dots. One day Puncinello met another Wemmick, Lucia, who was unlike any other Wemmick he had ever met because she had neither stars nor dots. When someone tried to give her a sticker, it just fell right off of her. Puncinello asked Lucia why the stickers didn't stick to her. She told him to go see Eli, their maker. Puncinello did. Eli helped him to see that it doesn't matter what other people think of him. Eli told Puncinello that he need only trust in the love of Eli, and that would be enough. As soon as Puncinello determined to trust his make, a dot fell off.

Recommended Readers: Any child who particularly struggles with his or her self-esteem or who could just use a reassuring reminder that what other people think doesn't matter is urged to read this book.

Possible Problems: There are definite religious references in this book. Eli is a symbol for God, and the Wemmicks represent us. Some parents might not care for their children to read a book that is based off of the character of God.

Reaction: I never read this book when I was a child, but I wish that I had. It would have been nice to have read such a strong book that is intended to help children with self esteem. Not only does it have an amazing message, it is a beautiful book. The pictures look so realistic. The characters are all really easy to relate to.

Title: How I Became a Pirate by Melinda Long and David Shannon

Publisher: Harcourt Inc,

Reading Level: 2.3

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 31 pages

Summary: One day while at the beach with his family, Jeremy Jacobs is invited onto a Captain Braid Beard's pirate ship. He agrees and quickly becomes accustomed to the life of a pirate. He thinks that it is great that pirates don't have a bed time and don't have to eat food they don't like. He feels like he could really get used to the life of a pirate, until he realizes that pirates also don't get tucked in or have anyone to run to if a storm should arise. He decides that the life of a pirate might not be so great after all and decides to live his life instead. The ways of the pirate aren't completely lost with him, though, because he lets the pirates bury their treasure in his back yard.

Recommended Readers: This is definitely a book for little boys. It has everything that little boys would enjoy: action, adventure, and an absence of manners.

Possible Problems: The content of this book might not be what every parent wants their child to read. The biggest problem I see with this book, though, is that one of the pictures might be a cause for alarm for some parents. It shows the boy snuggled up right next to the pirate. It made me do a double take because it just doesn't look exactly right.

Reaction: I don't normally like to read books about pirates, but I didn't mind this book too much. It wasn't my favorite, but I think that it is a very fun book. The pictures, minus the one slightly sketchy picture, are all beautiful and really fun. This book received the Caldecott for its illustrations, and it is apparent why. I think that this would be a fun book to read to a little boy.

Title: A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon

Publisher: Scholastic, 2004

Reading Level: 3.5

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 31

Summary: Camilla Cream loves lima beans, but she won't eat them because she is worried about what her friends will think. She also worries about what they will think about what she wears. On the first day of school, Camilla tried on 42 different outfits. While trying on one of her outfits, she discovered that she was completely covered in stripes. The doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong with her, but they soon found out that she would change colors and patterns depending on what other people said to her. If they mentioned polka dots, a whole batch of purple polka dots would soon appear all over her body. She soon became the spectacle of the town. Everyone wanted to see the amazing changing girl. Doctors and specialists, neighbors and friends all tried to give Camilla advice about how to get rid of her condition. After things got completely out of control and Camilla melted into her house, a quiet old lady came by and offered Camilla some lima beans. Once she ate them, Camilla came back to normal. She was never worried about what others thought about her choices again.

Recommended Readers: I think that this is a good book for everyone. It has fun pictures and a great message for all to hear. Children who are particularly worried about what others think about them would especially benefit from reading this book.

Possible Problems: Some of the pictures towards the end of the book might be a little bit scary for younger children. They are also a little bit hard to understand because not many little children know what a virus looks like.

Reaction: I really enjoy reading this book. I think that it is really easy to relate to Camilla because every person at one time or another had worried about what other people think about them. I think that children especially would be able to relate to her character. The pictures are really inventive, and it is fun for me to see how Camilla will change next.

Title: Sherman Crunchley by Laura Numeroff and Nate Evans

Publisher: Dutton Children's Books, 2003

Reading Level: 3.3

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 30

Summary: Sherman Crunchley is a deputy who can not say no to anybody. He is constantly getting stuck with the bad jobs and letting people get away with things because he can't seem to tell anyone no. With his dad's retirement quickly approaching, Sherman tries everything he can think of to tell his dad he doesn't want to take his place when his dad retires. He tries self-help books and even hypnotism to help him learn how to say no. When that doesn't work, he decides to use his passion, decorating hats, to tell his dad. Sherman makes hats for each of the guests at his dad's retirement party and puts a couple letters of the "I don't want to be chief" on each of the hats.
Sherman's dad ends up laughing because he was only retiring because he thought that Sherman wanted to take his place. His dad doesn't retire, and Sherman is able to quite being a deputy and open up a hat shop of his own.

Recommended Readers: This book would be great for any child who likes police things or animals. It would also be good for children who struggle, as Sherman does, with disappointing others.

Possible Problems: The plot of this book doesn't have any real depth to it. It gets its message across, but it is done in such an obvious way that it might be seen as too straight forward of preachy. Also the end is not very realistic. Children might have a hard time relating to the story because it ends so perfectly for Sherman.

Reaction: This is definitely not my favorite book. I found it a little bit boring and hard to stay focused on. I also found it hard to relate to the main character because his problem was a little overdramatized. The pictures, though, are beautiful and creative.

Title: Curious George Rides a Bike by H.A. Rey

Publisher: Scholastic, 1952

Reading Level: 2.9

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 45

Summary: In honor of Geroge's third year with the man in the yellow hat, he is given a brand new blue bicycle. He loves his new bike and learns new tricks on it. George decides to use his bicycle to help a boy with his paper route, but gets distracted and makes paper boats instead. While he is floating the paper boats in the water, he rides right into a rock and bends his front tire. He figures out that he can ride with the front tire in the air all the way home. While doing that, the leader of the traveling animal show sees George and invites him to be in their show. Before he can make it to the show, he gets into trouble and has to sit on the bench instead. One of the baby bears from the show escapes his cage and gets stuck in the cage, so George climbs up the tree and saves the day.

Recommended Readers: I think that Curious George books would keep the interest of almost any child. George always has some new sort of adventure to go on, and he always ends up getting himself into trouble. I think that makes him a character that most children could easily relate to.

Possible Problems: The biggest problem that I see with this book is the illustrations. They are drawn with very minimal detail, and they are almost entirely void of color. Although the content of the book is good, some children might have a hard time looking past the pictures.

Reaction: I loved Curious George as a child, and I still love him now. He is a really cute character that I just can't help but love. I don't remember ever reading this particular series, but I love it just the same. I loved to see where he started out at the beginning of the story and where he ended up at the end of the story.

Title: If You Give a Pig a Pancake by Laura Numeroff

Publisher: HarpersCollinsPublishers, 1998

Reading Level: 2.8

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 30

Summary: This book is in the same series as If You Give a Mouse a Cookie and If You Give a Moose a Muffin. It tells a story of a girl who invited a pig to have a pancake with her. Once the pig was eating the pancake, she wanted some syrup with it. The syrup got her all sticky, so she wanted to take a bath. Each thing she wanted reminded the pig of something else that she wanted, and the little girl is left to keep up with all the wishes of the pig. In the end, the pig is painting and gets sticky which reminds her of the maple syrup, which reminds her of the pancakes.

Recommended Readers: This book is great for young children who are learning about cause and effect or who are learning about making inferences while reading. The child can guess what the pig will want next.

Possible Problems: I don't see any problems that would be associated with this book. It is a clean and cute story.

Reaction: I personally get exhausted after reading this book. It makes me tired to watch the pig go from one activity to the next. Other than that, I think this story is really funny and really cute.

Title: The Car Washing Street by Denise Lewis Patrick

Publisher: Scholastic, 1993

Reading Level: 3.5

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 30

Summary: Saturday morning means it is time to wash the cars on the urban street that Matthew lives on. Matthew's family does not own a car, but he still likes to go outside and be a part of the festivities. All of Matthew's neighbors come out and wash their car in their own way. The car washing inevitably ends in a big street-long water fight, with everyone using hoses, sponges, and even the fire hydrant to get each other wet. Once the water fight is over, everyone gets an icy from one of the local vendors and sits around the stoop talking.

Recommended Readers: I think that this book has something for every young reader. The characters represent a wide variety of cultural backgrounds and economic level, so I think that every reader could find a character to relate to.

Possible Problems: Because this book represents people from different cultural backgrounds, there is a risk of people seeing stereotype in the characters. I didn't see any stereotypes in this book, but somebody might find one. The other problem with this book is that it has no conflict or central problem to speak of. That might make it a little boring for young readers.

Reaction: The story line of this book isn't exactly the most exciting one I have ever read, but there is still something intriguing about a book that shows people of all ethnicities working together. The ending with everyone sitting on Matthew's stoop shooting the breeze like one big happy family is a little overdone, but I am a sucker for happy endings, so I liked it.

Title:
Fancy Nancy: Bonjour Butterfly by Jane O'Connor

Publisher: HarpersCollinsPublishers, 2008

Reading Level: 2.5

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 30

Summary: Nancy is a little girl who likes to do everything fancy. She always dresses in the beautiful clothes with ample accessories, and she uses big, fancy words to describe what she is doing and what she is feeling. Nancy's friend, Bree, is having a butterfly-themed birthday party, and Fancy Nancy is so excited to go because she loves butterflies. When she finds out that she has to go to her grandparents' party, instead of the birthday party, Nancy is furious. She lets everyone know how upset she is and complains the whole way to the city. Once she gets to the city and plays enjoys the luxuries of the hotel and has fun at her grandparents' party, though, she realizes that it isn't so bad. Nancy excitement is complete, though, when her parents take her on a surprise trip to the zoo where she gets to go to the butterfly house. Surrounded by beautiful butterflies, Nancy decides that she is no longer upset about having to go to the city.

Recommended Readers: This book is definitely recommended for little girls who love everything girly. It would also be good for girls who need to be reminded that it is ok to be fancy sometimes. This book could be used for a whole class of children to explore how playing around with big words can be fun.

Possible Problems: The biggest problem with this book is that little boys would not even consider reading it on their own because it is just dripping with the color pink. The content, though appropriate, isn't something that would interest boys.

Reaction: I have never read a Fancy Nancy book before, but I wish that I had. I must be all girl at heart because I absolutely love this book! I also really like to play around with words, and I think it is so fun to read about a character who likes to do the same. As fitting with the book, all of the pictures have a lot of detail and style.

Title: Froggy Gets Dressed by Jonathan London

Publisher: Penguin Books, 1993

Reading Level: 1.5

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 28

Summary: In the middle of his winter hibernation, Froggy wakes up and wants to play in the snow. His parents are still sleeping, so he has to get dressed all by himself. He puts on his clothes, and then his mom reminds him that he forgot to put on his pants. Froggy goes back inside, takes off all of his layers, and tries again. The next time he forgets his coat, then his thermal underwear. By the time he gets all of his clothes on, he is so exhausted that he just goes back to bed.

Recommended Readers: This book is perfect for children who are in the independent stage of life. Those children who insist on doing everything themselves would really enjoy to see Froggy try to do things all by himself.

Possible Problems: The only real problem that I see with this book is that some children might get embarrassed that the word "underwear" is written in such large letters in the middle of the page, but I think, chances are, most children would love that part.

Reactions: I love the Froggy books. He is such a funny character. This is a book that is really fun to read out loud to children because it makes it easy to make different voices for the characters. The pictures do a really good job of helping people understand Froggy's emotions.

Title: Jingle Bells, Homework Smells by Diane de Groat

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublishers, 2000

Reading Level: 1.9

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 28

Summary: Christmas vacation is quickly approaching, and Gilbert has no patience for school, especially for homework. When his teacher assigns his class to draw a picture of their favorite character from a book over the weekend, Gilbert puts off doing it and focuses, instead, on doing seasonal things like decorating the Christmas tree. Monday morning rolls around, and Gilbert discovers that he didn't do his homework. He tries talking his mom into letting him stay home from school, but it doesn't work. He and another boy who never does his homework, build a snowman to represent the character in their favorite book. His teacher decides to give each boy half a smiley face sticker because it took two of them to do the work, but she tells him he will get the other half if he does the assignment over that night. That is exactly what Gilbert does.

Recommended Readers: I can't imagine a child who would not be drawn to this title because most children don't like homework. I think it would be especially fun to read to an entire class the week before Christmas break when everyone is getting antsy for the upcoming holiday.

Possible Problems: There are a couple of problems that I found with this book. The first problem is that it is a book about Christmas. Because it is not all students celebrate the holiday, it might not be a good choice to promote in the schools. The other problem is that the message of the book, whether the author intended it or not, is that you can get the same results from procrastinating as if you do your work when it is really due.

Reactions: Based on the title, I was expecting this book to be really funny, but that is not really the case. I think that it is a cute story, though. The pictures do a great job of helping the reader feel the same emotions that Gilbert is feeling.

Title: Dimity Dumpty: The Story of Humpty's Little Sister by Bob Graham

Publisher: Candlewick Press, 2006

Reading Level: 3.1

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 39

Summary: We all know the story of Humpty Dumpty who sat on a wall. This story takes that great nursery rhyme and looks at it from the perspective of Humpty's sister, Dimity. In this story, the Dumpty family is part of a traveling circus. Humpty and his parents are acrobats who take center stage, but Dimity doesn't participate because she doesn't like to be in the spotlight. She would rather just play her flute in the quiet of the hills. One day, Humpty, who is a little bit of a rascal, is spray painting his name on a wall and accidentally slips and falls. Everyone who passes Humpty doesn't stop to help him because he is only an egg. So it is up to Dimity to save the day. She uses her flute as a splint for her brother's broken leg and rushes to the big top of the circus tent, where she had to stand in the spotlight and let everyone know that her brother needed help. Because of Dimity's great courage, her brother was saved. She never went into the spotlight again but was glad to do it to help her brother.

Recommended Readers: I think that this book would be great for readers who loved nursery rhymes but are a little old to be reading them. It would also be good for students who have always wondered why Humpty Dumpty is famous for doing nothing but falling off of a wall.

Possible Problems: This story might make some people upset because it makes Humpty Dumpty look like a bad egg. Some readers might prefer to just see Humpty the way that they have always pictured him.

Reactions: I really enjoyed reading this. I love when authors take traditional tales and make a whole new story out of it. I love how this story incorporates all of the aspects of the nursery rhyme and puts them into a clever story. The pictures are very detailed and help us see the different aspects of the character's personalities.

Title: The Berenstain Bears and the Blame Game by Stan and Jan Berenstain

Publisher: Random House publishers, 1997

Reading Level: 4.2

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 31

Summary: Mama Bear has about had it with Brother and Sister Bear's constant arguing. Every time something goes wrong in the Bear Family tree house, a hurricane of blame erupts from the mouths of Brother and Sister Bear. Papa Bear steps in before Mama Bear goes crazy and helps his children see that simply working together to take care of the problem is a much more effective way of dealing with the problem than blaming each other. They work together and discover that it doesn't matter whose fault it is.

Recommended Readers: I recommend this book to any child who has a sibling. Almost every child I know who has siblings has had countless fights with those siblings and would benefit from reading this story.

Possible Problems: The Berenstain Bears books show definite stereotypes in the family roles. Papa Bear is the provider and Mama Bear stays home and cares for the children. Sister Bear wears a girly pink outfit, and Brother Bear wears the typical boy outfit, jeans and t-shirt. This book probably would not be considered politically correct in our day.

Reactions: I have always loved these books. I grew up reading them. Even though the ending is pretty cliché, I still think it is a good book. The message might seem a little overdone, but I think that it is a good message for little children to hear.

Title: Diary of a Spider by Doreen Cronin

Publisher: HarperCollinsPublisher, 2005

Reading Level: 2.4

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 32

Summary: This sequel to the book Diary of a Worm explains the day to day events in the life of a young spider. He keeps a diary of all the things that happen to him and the things he learns throughout the day. His grandpa teaches him all of the things that are necessary to thrive as a spider. He learns that spiders used to be at war with flies, but they are now friends. At school, he learns things like what to do if you hear a vacuum and how to catch the wind just right in order to fly. The life of a spider is pretty exciting. There is much to do and many adventures to be had.

Recommended Readers: Because this book is all about insects and the gross things that they do, I feel like it is more geared towards little boys. Girls who are interesting in keeping journals or making scrap books would also like to read this book.

Possible Problems: I honestly don't see any problems that might come as a result of reading this book. It is cute and gives little facts about the life of a spider.

Reactions: I think that this book is really cool. It does a great job of showing life from the perspective of a spider. I love the voice of the story and how it is so easy to read but interesting. The pictures are phenomenal. The way that Harry Bliss, the illustrator, decided to set up the pictures is very unique and extremely interesting to look at.

Title: The Eleventh Hour by: Graeme Base

Publisher: Abrams Books, 1993

Reading Level:

Genre: Picture Books

Pages: 30 (without the secret helps at the end)

Summary: Horace, the elephant, is turning 11 and decides to invite his friends to a birthday party to celebrate this momentous occasion. He invites eleven of his friends and makes a cooks a grand feast. When his friends arrive in their various costumes, Horace shows them the feast that he made for the party. They are all amazed at his feast. He tells them, though, that they have to wait until 11:00 to eat the feast. Until that time, they play party games like a sack race, snakes and ladders, poker, pool, tennis, and musical chairs. Finally the time comes to go to the banquet hall and eat the feast. Once they arrive there, though, they realize that someone has stolen the entire feast. Each animal then gives the reasons why he or she could not have possibly stolen all of that food. Horace does not despair and goes into the kitchen and whipped up some healthy sandwiches and brought out the cake that he had saved in the kitchen. In the meantime, the reader is left to use all of the many clues that are woven into the book to figure out which of the animals stole the feast. The book has an insider story with a page by page look at all of the clues in the book that show that Kilroy, the mouse, really did steal the food.

Recommended Readers: This book would be great for children who love to figure things out and solve problems. Any child who is really detail-oriented would like this book. Also children who are a little hyper-active would enjoy this book because there is so much going on and so much to look at. They would not get bored.

Possible Problems: The hidden clues in this book might be a little bit difficult for a really young reader to understand. It might also be a little bit difficult for readers to keep track of the characters because there are so many of them. It is hard to remember not only the names of the characters but also which character did what. It also may be hard for some children to focus on because there is SO much detail on every page.

Reaction: I absolutely love this book!!! I think that the layout of the book is ingenious. The way the author uses rhyme makes it flow easily. The pictures are brilliant in the detail and the clues that are woven into that detail. Above all of that, though, I love how interactive it is. Once the reader finishes the actual story, their work has only just begun. They have to figure out who stole the food and look back through the book to see the evidence that Kilroy really did steal the food. I think that it would be a great tool to use to show students the literacy techniques of inference and making connections. I would recommend this book to any reader, young or old.

Title: Heckedy Peg by Aubrey Wood

Publisher: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1987

Reading Level: 3.9

Genre: Picture Book

Pages: 30

Summary: A mother and her seven children, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, all live together in a small cottage. The children's mother goes to the market one day and allows each child one request for an item that they want her to pick up for them at the market. Before she leaves, she reminds the children not to open the door to strangers and not to play with fire. Soon a witch named Heckedy Peg knocks on the door of the children. They forget about their mother's rules and let the witch into their house. Heckedy Peg quickly turns them each into a different type of supper food and takes them back to her house to enjoy her meal. The mother returns to find her cottage empty. A crow tells her where she can find her children, so she goes to hunt for the witch. The mother is able to outsmart the witch and get into her house. Heckedy Peg tells the mother that she must correctly identify which food item each of her children is or else she won't turn them back. Using the items that she bought for her children at a market as a guide, the mother is able to correctly identify who each of her children is. Heckedy Peg turns the children back to normal, and the little family chase Heckedy Peg all the way to a little bridge where she jumps off and dies.

Recommended Readers: I think that every child would benefit from and enjoy reading this book. It is entertaining, has a good moral, and has beautiful pictures.

Possible Problems: Some of the pictures and content of this book might be scary for some children. Also it shows that the family causes the witch's death in the end, which might be a message that parents wouldn't want their children to read about.

Reaction: I didn't think that I would enjoy this book at first, but I ended up really enjoying it. The story is cute, and it was fun to be able to match the child up with the item they requested at the market. As much as I liked the story, though, it is the pictures that I fell in love with. The way the artist portrays light is beautiful. Every page just glimmers as if the light really is reflecting off of the page. Also, the children are given detail like I have not seen in any other book. Each of their pictures looks like a portrait.