Oh The Places You'll Go! - Illustrator Study

Oh, the Places You'll Go!, is one of the very classic books by Dr.Seuss. While it is often used at high school graduations, it makes me think more of my sorority. Often, when new members are brought into my sorority, they are given this book by their big sister. In either place, this book is used to inspire. The pictures in this book were generally very vibrant and colorful. Overall, the pictures did a great job of agreeing with the mood of the story. I would have this book in my classroom library. I believe that this is a great book to use to motivate students who may not think they can accomplish a task. It is upbeat and I loved the rhyme schemes.

Make Way for Ducklings - Caldecott Winner

I wasn't sure if I would like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey because it is so old, but I was wrong. This book was very cute! It was about a mother duck and a father duck deciding where would be the best place to raise their family of ducklings. The first place they find is not safe at all! After that, they find a nice little island. The mother duck teaches the ducklings to swim and fend for themselves a little, then she takes them into Boston to go meet the daddy duck. The crossing guard helps them cross the street and everyone keeps them safe. I liked the idea of the city working together to keep the mommy duck and her ducklings safe. I like making sure ducks are safe! While I'm not sure how I would use this as a lesson in my classroom, I would like to keep it as part of my classroom library.

Joan of Arc - Nonfiction: Biography

I originally chose Joan of Arc, by Diane Stanley, because I enjoy hearing about Joan of Arc. I enjoy the French history associated with her and I believe that learning about women in history is important for students. However, I failed to look at the inside before I chose this book. The large amounts of text about so many different people and places in France made me realize that this book was for older students than I had first thought. Nonetheless, I believe Joan of Arc is an interesting and important character in history and I would use this book, or at least one like it, in my classroom. I especially enjoyed reading about when she was in Chinon and other places where I have visited. I feel that I could add life to this story if I was teaching it to my students. I even have modern pictures of some of the places where Joan of Arc spent her time!

Don't Forget Your Etiquette - Specialized Poetry Collection

Don't Forget Your Etiquette: The Essential Guide to Misbehavior, by David Greenberg, was an extremely funny poetry collection on manners (or a lack of manners...). This book contained a variety of poems about burping, sitting, speaking to adults, school, and life in general. My favorite was the one saying you should agree with anything adults say, no matter what. This included adults saying that the earth was flat. At the end, the poems were shown to be impolite, but they were funny along the way. If I used this in the classroom, it would be in a very young primary classroom to talk about manners and the lack of manners in these poems. However, I thought the poems were cute and funny and I picked up this book and read all the way through it the moment I read the title.

Dear Papa - Historical Fiction

I remembered loving Dear Papa, by Anne Ylvisaker as a child, but I had not read it in a very long time. However, when I picked up this book and re-read it, I instantly remembered. This book is written in letter-format (which I love!). It is about a young girl, Isabelle, whose father has died. When her class learns to write letters, she decides to write to her father, her Papa. She soon starts writing him every day. It is like her way of journaling her life, but occasionally she even mails the letters to her father's sister. When Isabelle is sent to live with her uncle and aunt, she is especially thankful that she can write to her Papa. She hates being away and can't wait for her Mama to come take her back.

This book was everything I remembered it to be and I'm glad I got the chance to read it again. It is written as though a nine-year-old were writing it. I would use this book in my classroom. Though the letter-writing format is not always the best, it is written from the heart from a young girl to her papa.

Uptown - Coretta Scott King Award

It is easy to see why Uptown, by Bryan Collier won the Coretta Scott King illustrator award. The pictures in this book told the story as well as, or maybe even better than, the words. In this story, a young boy told about his uptown home. It was a great way to describe inner city life in a way that younger students could understand. I was already hooked on the first page where he compared the Metro-North train to a caterpillar. I thought that was a cute and inventive way to describe the world as he sees it.

This book could be a good way to start students talking about where they live and how they see the world around them. How would they describe it to someone who had never been there? I would love to use this book in my primary classroom or maybe even in an older elementary classroom. The pictures and the words worked together extremely well to tell this boy's story about his uptown home.

Fallen Angels - Coretta Scott King Author Award

Fallen Angels, by Walter Dean Myers was a rather long book about a young American boy, Perry, in the Vietnam war. He doesn't really know what he's getting himself into when he volunteers to join the service, but he learns a lot through his hardships along the way. He learns that the black troops, such as his own, are given tasks far more dangerous than the other troops. Though parts of this book were interesting, I was not overall a big fan of it. I felt as shaken as one of the characters, Richie, when he shot an enemy soldier at point blank. I could not imagine being at war! This book made me think a lot about those who do choose to enlist and fight in wars. They don't all know what they're getting in to and it would be an experience that would change a person's life as it did to the characters in this book.

The Giver - Modern Fantasy

The Giver, by Lois Lowry, is an intriguing story of a young boy in a seemingly Utopian society. When people get old they are put into a home for the old; at a certain point, they are "released." Children are placed in homes by the people in charge of the society. Every family gets two children. Everything is arranged for the people of the society. When they turn 12, everyone in the society is given their job so they can start training. Young Jonas, the main character, is given the job of "the receiver." He goes to the old receiver to get all the memories of the past that nobody else in the society has, such as fire, snow, even war. Everything has been so controlled in this environment that nobody else knows about these things.

I loved this book! Though there are some heavy issues in this book, I believe that if discussed properly, this book would be appropriate for a middle school classroom. The writing was excellent and at times I felt as though I were actually a part of the story. I see why this won the Newberry award!

The Lorax - Illustrator Study

I loved The Lorax by Dr. Seuss! This is the second book I read by Dr.Seuss for my illustrator study. This is the story of the once-ler and the lorax. The once-ler came to this beautiful land with the Truffula treas and the brown Bar-ba-loots and the Swomee-Swans and the Humming-Fish. Everyone is happy, but then the once-ler cuts down a tree to make a thneed. The lorax comes out of a tree and warns him not to cut out the trees, but the once-ler doesn't listen. Soon it's too late; the once-ler has cut down all the trees and has smogged up all the air. The brown Bar-ba-loots, the Swomee-Swans, and the Humming-Fish have all gone away because it is no longer a nice place to live.

This book sends a great message about the environment to children. The end says that "UNLESS someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not." He tells the boy he was telling the story to that he should plant a Truffula seed and grow more Truffula trees. I would love to use this book as a fun way to teach my students about the environment. As for the illustrations, this book used strong illustrations to show the intensity of the pollution that occurred when the once-ler cut down all the trees and built his factory.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish - Illustrator Study

One fish two fish red fish blue fish, by Dr. Seuss, is the first book I read for our illustrator study. The story is complete nonsense. Every two pages is a different set of rhymes, usually about some goofy made-up animal. I loved it! It could be a really fun way to teach students about rhyming. Many of the words were made up but it was descriptive enough so that one could easily tell what they meant. I would read this to my students if we were talking about rhymes. Everyone loves Dr. Seuss!!

As for the illustrations in this book, from what I remember they seem to be similar to the illustrations in other Dr.Seuss books. This seems fairly obvious to me being as the same mad illustrated them, but I believe some of the cartoons are actually the same from book to book.

Click, Clack, Moo: Cows That Type - Required Reading

Click, Clack Moo: Cows That Type, by Doreen Cronin is about a group of cows on a farm. One day, they find the farmer's old typewriter. They decided to write to the farmer asking for electric blankets because the farm is cold at night. They refuse to give milk and the hens refuse to give eggs until the farmer gives them electric blankets. Finally, the farmer sends duck with a compromise; the cows will get electric blankets if they give the typewriter to duck so he can bring it back to the farmer. All is well with the cows, but the typewriter never leave the hands of the ducks... they want a diving board!

I loved this book! I read it to the five-year-old girl I babysit and she enjoyed it too. She liked the repetitive "click, clack, moo! Click, clack, moo!" However, she had some trouble with the final "Clickety Clack moo!" I would read this with kindergartners or maybe first graders but probably not older than that. This book could be a way to start a discussion about letter writing. I believe it would be a hit in a primary classroom.

Daddy's Roommate - Banned or Challenged Book

Daddy's Roommate was written and illustrated by Michael Willhoite. This is the book my group chose to do our banned/challenged book study on. This book tells the story of a young boy whose parents are divorced. His dad has a new "roommate." Throughout this book, the boy's mother is explaining things that his daddy and daddy's roommate like to do together. They do such things as cook together, watch TV together, and even fight together, but they always make up. At the end of the book, his mom explains that "Daddy and Frank are gay" and that "Being gay is just one more kind of love." This book has large, colorful pictures along with one sentence on each page. It is clearly intended for young children around kindergarten or first grade.

I felt that this book could be good. It was a very direct book that discussed this boy's family. I would use this book as a discussion about different types of families. I do not think it is necessary to discuss whether one should or should not be gay/lesbian, but I do think it is necessary for students to understand that while some people have one parent or divorced parents, some people have gay/lesbian parents. With the exception of the page where it said that the boys daddy and Frank sleep together, I thought this would be a good reference for a discussion on this type of family. The sleeping together part I had a problem with because most books about heterosexual parents don't even mention/show them sleeping together, so why was it necessary here? Other than that, I thought that this book was informative and told enough while seeming to keep the focus on what they do as a family.

The Ugly Duckling - Traditional Literature

I almost forgot how much I loved the story of The Ugly Duckling, by Hans Christian Anderson, until I re-read this favorite classic. This particular version was illustrated by Robert Van Nutt. In this story, a duckling was the last of his brothers and sisters to hatch. When he was born, his mother defended him but all the other animals called him ugly. All his life, he gets made fun of and ends up with VERY low self-esteem. Even the hen and the cat and the dogs won't treat him as an equal; they all look down on him. No matter what he does, the poor duckling seems never to fit in. In the end, he decides to join the swans because he would rather be pecked to death by them then live more of his life in mental anguish. It turns out, however, that he is a SWAN! He is the most beautiful swan of all, even the swans agree!
I love this story! It is a great story about self-esteem. This duckling had very low self-esteem throughout his whole life, but he needn't have. Students should learn from this book that things are not always as they appear. At first, this "duckling" appeared ugly and a misfit, but later, we learn that he is a beautiful swan. I would love to read this book again and would definitely have a version of this story in my classroom.

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair - Required Reading

I enjoyed Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Dam Affair, by Patricia Polacco, but not as much as I enjoyed her other books. This book was about a town who watched TV all the time. They didn't read books. In fact, books were used to fix potholes, leaky roofs, and, most importantly, the Triple Creek Dam. Eli's Aunt Chip stays in bed all the time and doesn't even own a television set. One day, she starts to teach Eli how to read. He hadn't even known that books were for reading! When he knows how to read, all the other kids want to know how. One day, he reaches to grab Moby Dick out of a wall of books and realizes that he just took a chunk out of the dam! All of the books fly everywhere and it is a mess! Everyone's televisions stop working and they are mad. Eventually, all the kids say they will teach their parents and grandparents to read. The town rebuilds the library and Aunt Chip is the librarian!

As I said, I did not enjoy this as much as I enjoyed Patricia Polacco's other books. I found it interesting, though, that the pictures of many of the children were the same as the children in her other books. When I read her other book, I felt as though I was really part of the story. I felt as if I were in a real story that could actually have happened. Though this book made a good point about the importance of reading, I did not feel nearly as connected to the story as I did in The Butterfly or Pink and Say or even Chicken Sunday. Of the four books by this author, this is the one I would be least likely to have in my classroom. I feel that there are other books that better get across the message of the importance of reading.

The Princess and the Pea / La Princesa y el Guisante - Traditional Literature

The Princess and the Pea / La Princesa y el Guisante, by Francesc Boada, was basically the traditional story of The Princess and the Pea, only not nearly as strong of a story. In this story, the prince is looking for a princess so he mounts his horse and travels the world looking for a princess to marry. He finds lots of princess but says there is always something wrong and he is never sure she is a true princess. One night, there is a terrible thunder storm and a princess arrived at the castle. In order to make sure she was a true princess, the queen put a pea on the bed under 20 feather mattresses and 20 wool mattresses. In the morning, the princess said she had slept poorly because of the lump in the mattress. Because of this, the queen knew she was a real princess and the prince married her.

I thought that this was an extremely basic version of the princess and the pea. I was not as interested in it as I usually am. I like this story but it was not the one I remembered hearing as a child. I had a problem with one of the pictures in the book as well. The princess is sitting in the garden once they find out she is a true princess and she is not wearing a top. Though her breasts are covered by her hair and necklaces, I still feel that this would not be appropriate for the classroom. I would have this story in my classroom but I would not choose this particular version.

Anne Frank: Life in Hiding - Nonfiction: Biography

Anne Frank: Life in Hiding, by Johanna Hurwitz was the classic tale of the life of Anne Frank during the time of the second world war in Holland. Though I generally enjoy reading about Anne Frank, this book did not interest me. I felt that it was very long and rather dry. The information in this book was good and might be useful if I were doing research on her. However, as reading for the story, this book did not impress me.

I would not be likely to have this book in my classroom. I would rather have a book told from either first person perspective or in the form of a picture book. While I used to be very interested in biographies (I read them every chance I got), I found that I no longer feel this way.

Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go - Predictable Patterned Language Book

Oh, A-Hunting We Will Go, by John Langstaff, was an EXTREMELY patterned and predictable book! Every two pages were exactly "Oh, a-hunting we will go, A-hunting we will go; We'll catch a ________ And put him in a ___________, And then we'll let him go!" While I thought this may be good for preschool aged children and maybe kindergarten, I did not feel that it would be good for children older than that because it was TOO repetitive.

While I enjoyed most of the rhymes, some of them seemed strange for such young children, such as putting the lamb in a "pram" or having an armadillo and a brontosaurus. I would most likely not have understood without explanation what a pram was at that age.

What I did enjoy about this book, however, was the pictures. They were well done and looked like they had been colored in with a colored pencil. They were fairly simple and I felt that they illustrated well what was happening in the story. I laughed when the lamb in the pram had a French flag in the picture though I realize that probably would not make many preschoolers think. Overall I don't think I would use this book in my classroom unless I was in a preschool or using it for the song in the back which I would also most likely use in a preschool.

Araminta's Paint Box - Historical Fiction

Araminta's Paint Box, by Karen Ackerman is the story of a family in 1847 who migrates west from Boston to California because the dad is a doctor. On the way, they stop to see the doctor's brother in Pennsylvania. The doctor's brother gives the doctor's daughter, Araminta, a beautiful paint box. However, along the way the wagon wheel breaks and many things fall out. A family helps them but nobody puts the paint box back in the wagon! Eventually the son finds the paint box, then the dad uses it as a tool box... The paint box keeps traveling from person to person until it finally finds it's way to a gold digger in California who gets bitten by a snake. When he sees the doctor, he offers to pay him in gold but all the doctor wants is the box he keeps the gold in so he can make his daughter, Araminta, a paint box like the one she lost.

I thought this book was cute and sweet. It also told students about the types of people who would have been traveling across the United States at the time of the California Gold rush. It told about a variety of people and events in a variety of settings, while still keeping with the solid storyline. This book was easy to follow and would be a good story if talking about westward migration in the United States as a way to discuss what type of people were going west. I think that students would enjoy this book. I know I did!

Max's Dragon Shirt - Modern Fantasy (Primary)

I wasn't so sure that Max's Dragon Shirt, by Rosemary Wells, was considered a fantasy book. However, Professor Onuora said that a book with talking animals was considered fantasy and this was about talking rabbits. Max needs a new pair of pants, so his sister takes him to the mall and their mother gives them five dollars. Max would rather have a dragon shirt, but they only have money for the pants. On the way, his sister stops and tries on dresses. Max ends up getting lost, finding a dragon shirt, and getting ice cream all over it! He needs to buy the dragon shirt and goes home with no pants.

I generally think this series is cute but I didn't see the point in this book. He misbehaved and wandered off from where his sister was and ended up getting exactly what he wanted. I would not have this particular book in my classroom. However, having read other "Max and Ruby" books, I would probably keep other books from this series in a primary classroom.

Lightning - Nonfiction: Informational

Lightning, by Seymour Simon, was a very interesting and informative book. Every two pages were about one third filled with words and two thirds filled with a picture of lightning. I learned a lot about the different kinds of lightning, where lightning is most common (Tuscan, AZ and in Florida), and how lightning is formed. I would recommend this book to my students. I think they could learn a lot from it and it could make for a great science lesson!

'Twas the Night B'fore Christmas: An African-American Version - Single Poem Picture Book

'Twas the Night B'fore Christmas: An African-American Version was retold and illustrated by Melodye Rosales. It was basically the same as the classic tale of 'Twas the Night Before Christmas, but with a few language changes. The voice was changed to be that of a southern African-American girl, and some vocabulary was changed such as the line where she says "Like tobacco leaves whipped by a hurricane fly,". While I understood the cultural significance of the language changes, I did not feel that this would be a good book in general to have in my classroom. It had a lot of slang such as "an' " instead of "and" and "wit'" instead of "with". These are already grammatical issues that need to be corrected in students, why supply them with a book that will support their incorrect language? If this book was used in class, it should be as a cultural reference with note of the language used in it.

Oh, no! Where Are My Pants? - Poetry Anthology

OH, NO! Where Are My Pants? and Other Disasters: Poems contains many poems, all written by different authors. They were about problems a child would face such as dreaming about not wearing pants, finding a worm in an apple, getting stuck at the top of the Ferris wheel, or having a friend move away. Though I thought they were cute, some of them were difficult to find the rhyme. However, I would pick and choose rhymes from this to read to my students if we were talking about poetry. My favorite was "First Day", by Susan Hart Lindquist. It is about two friends who get put in two different classrooms for the first day of school. It brought me back to elementary school and being so anxious to see who my teacher was and who was in my class. I feel that students could relate to that.

Amazon ABC - ABC or Counting Picture Book

Amazon ABC, by Kathy Darling with pictures by Tara Darling included some strange animals! Some of them included hoatzin, tapir, and egret. I realize that the point is that these animals are from the rain forest, but some of these animals' names were also hard to pronounce. I thought that it would be a good book for students learning about the rain forest or about different animals, but not for students trying to learn their ABCs. The back of the book had some information about the rainforest and then about each animal mentioned. It was a cute book but I probably wouldn't have it in my classroom unless I was doing a unit on the rainforest.

How Big Were the Dinosaurs? - Nonfiction: Informational

How Big Were the Dinosaurs?, by Bernard Most, was a great book! This book was written in a child-friendly way that compared the dinosaurs size to objects that the students would be familiar with such as a basketball court or a hen. This made it much easier to picture how big they would be. It also told a fact or two about the dinosaur such as if it was a meat-eater or a plant-eater or a nickname for it. There was a pronunciation guide which proved to be very helpful. Dinosaur names can be hard! I would use this book in my classroom, especially with very young students. I learned a lot and the colorful pictures helped me to understand.

The Wolf's Chicken Stew - General Storybook

The Wolf's Chicken Stew, by Keiko Kasza, is about a wolf who LOVES to eat! He is always either eating or thinking about eating. When he gets a craving for chicken stew, however, he decides he needs to fatten his chicken up a bit first. So he sends lots of goodies for several nights to Mrs. Chicken's house to fatten her up. When he goes to see how nice and fat she must be now so he can make his stew, he is surprised by her baby chicks thanking "Uncle Wolf" for the goodies. They tell him what a wonderful cook he is and he thinks about making more goods for them.

I thought this was a cute story, though not one of my favorites. Until the very last page or two I felt like I had already read this book, though I'm sure I haven't. I think that this would be a cute read-aloud for young children because it has some repetition but not for the entire book. It is short but it gets a story across. I would keep this in my classroom, though it would not be one of the first books I chose.

Color Farm - Concept Book

While I thought that Color Farm by Lois Ehlert was cute, it was not at all what I thought it was going to be. When I went to the library looking for a concept book, this was what the librarian showed me. I assumed from the title that it would be a book on colors. This was, however, another lesson to me not to judge a book by it's cover. This book alternated pages telling shapes and names of animals (made from the shapes). It was neat because all of the shapes were actually cut out of the pages, but I didn't like the format. I didn't think it was always obvious that the animal was as labeled and I thought it a bit strange that the shape on the left side of the page had nothing to do with the farm animal on the right side. I would not have this book in my classroom. There are many better books to teach shapes and animals, and there are DEFINITELY better books to teach color.

Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth - Series Study

I can easily see why this series has made it to 27 books and counting, some of which go on to tell about Junie B.'s first grade experience. Junie B. is consistently animated and constantly getting into some sort of trouble. In this book, Junie B. Jones and Her Big Fat Mouth, she doesn't know what to dress up as for job day at school because she doesn't know what she wants to be when she grows up. She says on the bus that she wants to be someone who paints and carries keys and helps people, only she doesn't know a job like that. When she gets home from school, her parents are too busy taking care of Ollie, her new baby brother, to help her decide on a job. When she helps find Ollie's pacifier and wash off the germs, she finally decides what she's going to be for job day! A janitor! Because the janitor paints the trash cans, and he carries around keys to unlock the bathrooms, and he saved her from the dangerous life savers on the ground! Only she doesn't get the response she had hoped for from her class...

This series is easy to read (R.L.: 1.9), and VERY funny! As I said before, it would be good to read aloud because it is so animated. I would recommend this to a student looking for a good book. Also, the series stays consistent in the language and characters don't change much which is good for beginning readers.

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business - Series Study

Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business by Barbara Park is the second book in the Junie B. series. In this book, Junie B. learns that she is going to have a new baby brother or sister. At first she's not so thrilled, but then she gets to spend the night at her Grandpa's house. Just her and Grandpa. They didn't even need a babysitter! He lets her wear her Grandma's hat and shoes and even eat pie for dinner! Then her Grandma comes home and says that Junie B. has a new little brother and he's "the cutest little monkey she ever saw". Junie then thinks that her new baby brother is actually a monkey, so she goes and tells that to all of her friends at school and they start giving her things so they can be the first to see him. However, when they give her their snack tickets, Junie B. gets caught and has to talk to Principal. He explains to her that her brother's not really a baby monkey, he's just a regular baby boy. He even calls her Grandmother! Finally, at the end of the story, Junie B. gets to meet her new baby (not monkey) brother.

I thought this was a cute story and that this whole series would be entertaining for young children, especially girls. This book was very similar to the first in the series, Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus. The language used by Junie B. was similar to the last book and still close to how some kindergartners would actually speak.

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus - Series Study

I started reading Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus, by Barbara Park, and immediately remembered why I loved these books as a kid. This is the first book in the series, but I was already addicted. It tells the story of Junie B.'s first day of kindergarten. She meets new friends and enemies such as that stupid Jim that she hates, she meets Mrs., her teacher, and she learns that she has to ride the bus and it's name is school bus, only she doesn't like the school bus. When her friend Lucille tells her that meanies on the bus are going to pour milk on her head, Junie B. decides to hide in the supply closet after school and get herself into a lot of trouble!

While I do love these stories, I think it is also important to note that Junie B.'s language skills are not always a good influence for young readers. She says things such as "Like when I do a somersault." as a full sentence. It would not be a good book for children who are learning about writing full sentences. I believe this would be a good read aloud. There are some pictures but not a lot, probably one every 2-4 pages. Junie B. is very expressive and I could see a lot of young girls loving this book. Actually, the 8-year-old I babysit at home loves this series!

Breakfast for Jack - Wordless Book

Breakfast for Jack is a very cute wordless book. When a little boy wakes up, his cat and dog are at his feet waiting to be petted and fed. Then he goes down for breakfast and the animals are both waiting at their food dishes. The boy feeds the cat and then goes to eat his own cereal. The dog, Jack, looks all over for his food and realizes the boy has forgotten to feed him. The boy realizes he hasn't feed Jack and gets up, opens his food can, and is about to feed him when his mom tells him he needs to go upstairs and get dressed. The family leaves for the day without feeding Jack! The dog is looking very sad but luckily the little boy remembers at the last minute and goes and puts the food in Jacks dish.

This book is a good start for children who cannot read yet to learn about plot, setting, and characters. Everything was clear, even without the words. I would not have this in my elementary classroom, but I would definitely recommend it for a preschool classroom.

The Gifts of Kwanzaa - Multicultural

I loved The Gifts of Kwanzaa, by Synthia Saint James. Personally, I didn't know much about Kwanzaa before reading this book, but I learned a lot through reading. It started out with an introduction about the history of Kwanzaa which lasted one page. After this, the book was a story told from the perspective of a child. It was good in that it gave pronunciation for all of the Swahili words and it explained what happened during a Kwanzaa celebration and why everything happened. I would keep this book in my classroom. I would be sure to use this if we were also talking about Christmas and/or Hanukkah because I believe that it is important to incorporate a variety of cultures in the classroom.

Food and Festivals: Mexico - Multicultural

Food and Festivals: Mexico, by Linda Illsley, was very informational and, I believe, well arranged. It started with a map showing Mexico's location in relation to the United States and giving a list of some foods grown in Mexico. Then it went on to talk more about the foods, where they are grown, what they are used for, and some beliefs about them such as that Mexicans used to believe that corn was a gift from the gods, but in 1492, wheat was replaced as the sacred food. After the section on foods, this book talked about Family Celebrations such as baptisms, birthdays, and weddings. It even gave recipes for popular foods during these celebrations. It went on to talk about other celebrations such as Easter, Day of the Dead, and Christmas. It continued to give the history, celebration, beliefs, and foods for each holiday. There were always pictures included which, I believe, would give students a much better grasp of the concept than the words alone.

I would have this book in my classroom, especially if I go home to teach. However, I would first have to make sure that all of the information is accurate. At home, the elementary school I went to is currently 49% Hispanic so I believe it would be good to educate the students about Mexican food, language, and culture. This book had a well-organized way of doing just that.

Freight Trains - Nonfiction: Informational

Freight Trains, by Peter Brady is an informational book about the different parts of freight trains and the function of each part. At the end, it also includes the different meanings of train whistles, how to make a train whistle, and definitions of some vocabulary words used in the book. This book has a lot of pictures and good, yet simple descriptions of each part of a freight train. It seems like it would be very easy for children to understand.

When I read this book, I thought back to when I interned in a kindergarten classroom. At library time, all the boys liked to get nonfiction informational books. I could easily imagine one of them choosing this book. While some of the words may be difficult for kindergartners or first graders to read, they were well-explained. I would consider having this book available for my students if they were primary grades.

Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch - Realistic Fiction

I read Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch, by Eileen Spinelli with pictures by Paul Yalowitz. This book was about Mr. Hatch who, everyday, goes to work at the shoelace factory, eats his cheese and mustard sandwich, buys a paper, buys a turkey wing for dinner, eats dinner, reads his paper, takes a shower, and goes to bed early so he can do it all over again the next day. On Valentine's Day, however, Mr. Hatch receives a large heart box full of candy with a note that says "Somebody Loves You". After that, Mr. Hatch wonders who loves him. He puts on a tie and walks around the neighborhood. He is friendly with everyone he meets. However, there is a twist at the end and the mailman learns that he has made a mistake and the box of candy was supposed to go to a different house. Mr. Hatch is sad and goes back to his old daily routine. The town is sad about this because they now love Mr. Hatch so they surprise him one Saturday and everyone is on his lawn to tell him they love him.
I liked this book a lot. I thought it was a sad book though. I felt sad for Mr. Hatch when the mailman told him that the Valentine wasn't for him. However, this sent a good message to children. When Mr. Hatch kept to himself all the time, nobody knew who he was, but when he was friendly and nice to everyone in town, they all learned about him and loved him and wanted to help him like he helped them.

Rules - Realistic Fiction

I absolutely loved Rules, by Cynthia Lord. I started reading this book because I heard it was about a girl and her autistic brother and Autism is something I'm very interested in. I hope to eventually get my masters so that I can work with Autism. However, this book was about much more than a girl and her autistic brother. Catherine, the main character, has a new neighbor who she hopes to befriend. However, she is so worried about looking good in front of other people, especially her new neighbor, that she tries to hide her brother from the world and she gives him "rules" to try and help him behave well in public. These "rules" are more of guidelines on how to act in public and understand others such as "sometimes people don't answer because they don't hear you. Other times it's because they don't want to hear you" and "if you don't have the words you need, borrow someone else's. If you need to borrow words, Arnold Lobel wrote some good ones." Her brother David uses (or tries to use) these rules, especially the second. Arnold Lobel wrote books where the characters were Frog and Toad, so often David's sentences include these characters such as when he apologizes to his sister saying "I'm sorry Frog".
Catherine also meets a boy, Jason at the clinic where David goes. Jason is in a wheelchair and he can't speak so he uses a book with words that he points to. Catherine makes Jason more words so he can express himself. She enjoys making words for Jason and spending time with him, but she isn't so confidant in public. She doesn't want people to know about Jason for fear they will look at him (or avoid looking at him) like they do to David. This book is about how she learns to understand that people are different and that different isn't' necessarily bad. She learns that it is not important what other people think and that she should stick up for her friends and always be herself.
This book really touched me and made me think of past experiences. One of my cousins has been diagnosed as Autistic and is also deaf and actually has a communication book like Jason has in Rules. However, he is so low-level functioning that he has trouble using the book. I think it would be interesting to understand what it's like to have to communicate in that way.

The Hare and the Tortoise - Traditional Literature

The Hare and the Tortoise, retold by Caroline Castle and illustrated by Peter Weevers was slightly different than the story I remembered hearing as a child. While it was the same storyline, this version had a lot of embellishments along the way. For instance, in this story the tortoise liked to read and was in the middle of writing a book, two pages per day. Hare liked to run and could not understand why tortoise liked reading, so he challenged him to a race. Everyone in town got ready for the race; there were tickets sold and there was even a concession stand! On the day of the big race, rabbit starts off so fast that he can't even see tortoise behind him. He decides to lay down on a grassy hill and soon, he falls asleep. He dreams that he is the fastest runner in all the land. When he finally awakes, tortoise is only a few steps from the finish line. Hare gets up and tries to run and beat him, but he was too late and cannot beat Tortoise. In the end, the moral of the story is "slow and steady wins the race".

I think that this story is worth having in my classroom. However, I do not think that I would have this copy. I felt that it was too long and I did not enjoy it very much. I think that a simpler version would have gotten the moral out more clearly.

The Butterfly - Author Study

Of the three books I read by Patricia Polacco, The Butterfly was definitely my favorite. This is a story of a young girl who wakes up one night when the Nazis are occupying Paris and sees another girl in her room. The other girl is frightened and flees out of the room. When she asks her mother about this other girl, her mother scolds her and tells her never to talk of this other girl again. The girl, Monique, and the mysterious girl in her room, Sevrine, become friends and Monique finds out that Sevrine and her family are Jewish and hiding in her basement. Throughout the story, Monique learns a lot about what the Nazis are doing to the Jewish people. Without giving away the whole story, I will say that Monique's friendship with Sevrine teaches her about hope and friendship.

I believe this would be an excellent book to have in my classroom, especially if we were discussing Anne Frank, the Nazis, or any World War II topic really. There is also a bit of French vocabulary such as papillon for butterfly and Maman for mother. Children could learn so much from this book without even realizing they are learning. The most amazing part was that this, along with Patricia Polacco's other stories, is true. This particular story is about Monique, her aunt.

Chicken Sunday - Author Study

Chicken Sunday is the second book I chose to read by Patricia Polacco. Though I did not enjoy this book nearly as much, the story was cute and I could see how it would teach good lessons to children about diversity. I would be more likely to keep Pink and Say in the classroom than this one.

This story is about a young girl and her neighbors, Winston, Steward, and their grandmother, Eula Mae Walker. Though she points out that they are not the same religion, her mother let her go to the baptist church on Sundays with the Walker family. These Sundays are called chicken Sundays because they always have fried chicken after church. Eula Mae loves hats! Every Sunday after church they pass Mr. Kodinski's hat shop and Eula Mae admires the lovely Easter hat. The children decide to find a way to make money and buy her the hat as a surprise. At first they are afraid of Mr. Kodinski, but the young girl's mother helps them approach Mr. Kodinski and blend cultures.

Pink and Say - Author Study

I chose Patricia Polacco for my author study. The first one of her books that I chose to read was Pink and Say. This book follows two young boys who are about 15 years old, Pink and Say. Say is a young white boy fighting for the north in the Civil War. Pink is around the same age and also fighting for the north, but he is a slave. When Say is inured and lying hopeless on the ground, Pink finds him and brings him home to his mother, Moe Moe Bay. As Say heals, Pink decides they need to go back and fight in the war, yet Say is not so sure.

I enjoyed this book very much. Though this book was for my author study, I was equally impressed with the pictures as with the words. They were extremely realistic and made me feel as though I were a part of the story or as though the author was painting scenes while they happened. Some of the aspects of the story would be great as teaching tools. For example, Pink says to Say, "My mother and Kaylo, my father, jumped the broom on this very spot." Many children may not realize that is a reference to getting married in Pink's culture. With the many references to the Civil War, this could also be a great introduction (or fun reinforcement) to a Civil War unit. The aspect that I found most interesting about this story, however, is that it is a true story from the author's great-great-grandfather, Sheldon Curtis, or Say for short.

Ginger Pye - Newberry Award Winner 1952

I started reading Ginger Pye by Eleanor Estes with pretty high expectations. Everyone who had read the book before me told me what a good book it was and that I would love it. While I enjoyed reading this book, it was not one of my favorites. I thought that "Uncle Benny" was strange and often had trouble feeling as though the characters were real. Often I also thought that the book was getting long.
However, I could see how this could be a good book that many people would enjoy. The story line was cute and if some of the language was modernized I may have liked it more.

This story was about the Pye family, mainly Jerry and Rachel. Jerry buys a dog, Ginger Pye. This is going to be the smartest dog ever! Jerry says that his dog is going to be able to do tricks that no other dog can do! However, shortly after they buy their dog Ginger, they notice someone following them. All they can see of this person is their yellow hat. This person, their mother says, is an unsavory character, so they nickname the fellow "Unsavory". Unsavory is found to be following the Pyes on several occasions and eventually Ginger goes missing. The Pyes are on a search for their missing dog. Did Unsavory steal him?

While the plot was cute, I just had trouble getting into this book. I didn't have the desire I've had with prior books to keep reading. I see why in 1952 this book might have won the Newberry Award, but I feel that now it is rather outdated. The pictures were cute too but they were pretty widely spaced and not always very clear. If I had to rate this book on a scale of 1 to 5 I would give it a 3.

Cendrillon - Traditional Literature

Cendrillon, by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by Brian Pinkney, is a Caribbean twist on the classic tale of Cinderella. In this version, Cendrillon's godmother is in her life because she nursed baby Cendrillon when she was a baby and her mother was sick. The godmother was given one thing by her own mother who died, a mahogany wand which could turn one thing into another with just a few taps. She never had much use for this... until Cendrillon's stepmother mistreats her. She turns Cendrillon's washerwoman rags into a beautiful dress and accompanies her to a ball thrown by the prince. The rest of the story is basically the same as the tale we all know and love until the prince comes to Cendrillon's house with the slipper she lost at the dance. In the traditional story, Cinderella hears the prince trying the slipper on her stepsisters and comes out with the other slipper. In this version, however, Cendrillon's godmother is the one who coaxes her to reveal herself.

I loved this book! It had french words scattered throughout the book such as nannin' for godmother and blanchisseuse for washerwoman. There were just enough words to bring in the French culture well, but not enough to hinder a non-French speaker from reading the story. In the back, there was a "Glossary of French Creole Words and Phrases". Both the story and pictures give the impression of the French Creole way of life. This would be a good book for the classroom because it uses a story that children already know and understand to help them learn about another language and culture.

Cinderella - Traditional Literature

I read Cinderella, retold by Paul Galdone, for one of my traditional literature titles. This was interesting because right away I noticed a difference between this version of the story and Disney's version. In Disney's Cinderella, her father has died and that is when Cinderella's stepmother and stepsisters start to pick on her and make her do chores around the house and basically treat her as a maid. In this book, however, her father is still alive and simply ruled completely by his new wife. Also, one thing I thought was interesting was that in the book, when Cinderella tries on the glass slipper and pulls the matching shoe out of her pocket, the godmother returns and turns her back into the lovely princess she was at the ball. This part is not in the Disney movie.

However, I thought that overall, the differences were small. I love this fairytale and thought that Paul Galdone did a wonderful job with it. I liked the pictures in the book but sometimes felt there was almost too much going on in them. I would consider having this particular version of Cinderella in my classroom.

Life as we Knew it - Rebecca Caudill Nominee

I know I shouldn't judge a book by it's cover, but even looking at the description of Life as we Knew it, by Susan Beth Pfeffer, I did not expect to like this book. Life as we Knew it is about what happens to a family, a town, and even to some extent the world, when an asteroid hits the moon sending it closer to the Earth than ever before. The main character, sixteen-year-old Miranda, lives in a small town with her mom and two brothers, one in college and one who is around 10 years old. After the asteroid hits the moon the world loses power, volcanoes start to erupt worldwide, and tsunamis take over the east coast. Next, the sun dims, cold sets in early, then freezing cold and blizzards. This book kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing was excellent and made me feel as if I were part of the story. I read this book almost all in one sitting. Once I had finished, I actually was concerned to go outside because the story had seemed so real!

I thought this was going to be more of a science-fiction book (which I suppose it was), but the journal-style writing made it appealing to a wider audience, even someone who doesn't usually care for this particular genre. One of the most interesting aspects of the book, I believe, was how Miranda's relationship with her family changed and how the rest of the family's relationships changed with each other as well. I would definitely recommend this book. However, it could scare some children so I would be more likely to put it in a middle school classroom than an elementary classroom.

Tuck Everlasting - Book-to-Movie

I listened to Tuck Everlasting, by Natalie Babbitt on audiotape read by Melissa Hughes. I enjoyed listening to it rather than reading because since the reader knew what was happening, she was able to put much more correct inflection in her voice. I felt as though I got a lot closer to the characters in the story than I might have otherwise. Actually, this was a story in which it was very easy for me to feel close with the characters. Winnie was a very innocent young girl who simply wanted to see things and make a difference in the world. Though I was not quite so sheltered as a child, I felt I could relate to her yearning to make a difference. It was interesting to me that I could easily relate to the Tucks. Though they were each over 100 years old, they seemed as real as anyone. They were wise, yet still had an innocence about them. Jesse's attraction to Winnie added even more to the realness of the Tucks and helped me relate to characters with whom I had seemingly nothing in common.

One idea that struck me while reading especially the second half of this book was the idea of teaching children about death. I felt that this book helped even me at 20 understand a little better the idea of death and dying. Though it shows that yes, death can be sad, it is a necessary part of life so that new people and things may live. I would definitely include this book in my classroom library.

Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry - Newberry Winner 1977

I remember reading Roll of Thunder, Hear my Cry by Mildred D. Taylor when I was in Elementary School and loving it, so I had high expectations when starting to read it again. When I started reading, however, I had a lot of trouble getting into the story. I felt like it was taking a long time for the characters to develop enough for me to feel any connection to them.

It was interesting to me to hear about how these black children in Mississippi were being treated by the whites and what they felt about that. Cassie is the only girl of the four Logan siblings and she especially does not understand the way the blacks are treated. She does not understand why she has to call one of the white girls who is mistreating her "Miz Lillian Jean" or why she has to apologize for simply being on the sidewalk the white family intends to walk on. Then there's the Logan children's friend T.J. who tends to get in trouble but doesn't seem to know how to take blame. He still has a lot more growing up to do than the Logan children and wants to become friends with the white children. Throughout this book, the children learn even more of the truth about how they are seen by the white families and what the white families feel they should do about this including lynchings and burnings.

Though this book started out very slow for me, by the time I was done reading I found that I felt a strong connection to the characters. I enjoyed the contrast between Cassie's very naive personality and her older brother Stacey's more mature outlook on life. I can definitely see why this book won the Newberry Award and it is a book I would be sure to have in my classroom library.

Grandfather's Journey - Caldecott Illustrator Award

Grandfather's Journey, by Allen Say is the winner of the Caldecott Award because of its illustrations. This book shows beautiful sunsets, flowing rivers, and endless fields. Though I felt the people in the pictures were rather lifeless, I absolutely loved the scenery. Especially in the picture of the sunset on the ocean, I felt like I could step into the picture and become part of the story. As for the storyline, I didn't entirely understand the point until I read the second-to-last page. Though I couldn't relate to the rest of it, that page caught my attention. The narrator said that whenever he is in one country (America or Japan) he is homesick for the other. I felt that I could relate to that. After spending even a few months in a Paris last semester, I feel that I can appreciate the feeling he had. While I was excited to be in Paris and to be experiencing new things, I missed my friends and family at home as well as the routine that I had developed here. However, though I am excited to be back, there are times when I wish more than anything that I could go back there. One day I will. I think that this could be a good book for students who have moved. It can show them that though they will miss their home, they will also come to see where they are now as a home and they will always keep a special place in their heart for where they grew up.

The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963 - Required Reading

I read The Watsons Go to Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis just after reading A Long Way From Chicago. I thought that there was no chance for this new book to be as good as the last one I had read, but I was wrong. I very much enjoyed The Watsons go to Birmingham-1963. I was already laughing on page two when the main character Kenny refers to his older brother as an "official juvenile delinquent" because he is now thirteen years old. As it turns out, his brother was indeed a delinquent. It was nice to see, however, that his brother really was looking out for him.

I was surprised during this book because I thought a lot of the story would be about the Watson family's trip to Birmingham. While this did take up 5-6 chapters, the Watson family did not really even leave their home in Flint, Michigan until the tail end of chapter 9. Instead, the author spent the first 9 chapters telling about the lives of each family member, including Kenny's flashbacks. In the end though, this book was less about the Watsons actually going to Birmingham, and more about them being a family and caring for each other which I thought was especially evident in the very end (which I won't give away...). I would definitely recommend this book to my students to read.