Wumbers

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld

This is a story told through words and numbers. For example, as the dog tells you on the cover "It's words cre8ed with numbers!" The entire book is told this way, and it proves to be very interesting. With all the new technology and texting, words are being created through numbers regularly. I liked the book because it showed just how you could create words with numbers. However, there were pages that I had a lot of trouble reading. I really had to read the majority of it out loud to make sense of what the words were. There wasn't really a story line, but it was a really fun book all the same!

A Penguin Story

By Antoinette Portis

Edna the penguin knows the three colors she sees every day, white, black, and blue. But she just knows there has to be something else. Edna thinks and thinks, and finally sets out on a journey to find something else. Finally, she comes across something big and a color she hasn't seen before. She runs back and gets the rest of her friends. They are greeted by scientists wearing "something else." She is so excited and happy to have found something new. When they leave, she sets out once again in search of something else.

I really enjoyed this book. It has the main character as a very curious young penguin. Most children are very curious by nature but might not go on a journey just to find something they are not familiar with. This book has a lot of dialogue which really adds to the story. I thought it was a great book for wintertime!

Journey

By Aaron Becker

A young girl feels ignored by her family because they all seem to be busy. She goes to her room and lays down on her bed. She spots a red crayon on the floor. Instead of coloring on paper, she draws a door on the wall of her room, and it opens. She steps through the door and is brought to a whole new world. She maneuvers through it with the help of her red crayon and even makes a few friends.

Journey is a wordless picture book. I found the illustrations to be extremely detailed and beautiful. Something I loved about the illustrations was the difference in the colors between when she was home, and when she stepped through the door. It was dark and had tones of brown, black, and white in the beginning. The only thing that stands out are her red toys. After she steps through the door, she is suddenly in a colorful forest with deep greens and blues. It was a very cute little story that I think kids would enjoy!

Yo! Yes?

By Chris Raschka

This is another punctuation book that I loved. It uses simple phrases like, "yo" "yes" "oh" "you," etc. to show how those phrases differ with different punctuation after them. Two boys meet on the street and become friends. But first they go through a series of questions, answers, and exclamations, all using very short phrases. The first boy says, "Yo!" and the second answers with, "yes?" It's fun to see the same word, used in different ways because of the punctuation used at the end.

I think this would be another great book for writers workshop. I would love to read it aloud and let students hear the how the way you say the word or phrase bases off what the punctuation is. The same word on different pages means different things because the punctuation mark is different. I think this would help students learn to read their writing aloud and make sure they are punctuation correctly.

Exclamation Mark

By Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Illustrated By Tom Litchtenheld

In a line of periods, the exclamation mark never feels like he fits in. He always stands out, no matter how hard he tries to be like the rest. He even tries to run away. Until he meets question mark, who asks him so many questions, he can't help but scream, "STOP!" And for the first time, he realizes why he's different. He shouts out so many exclamations of happiness and runs off to show his friends what he can do.

This is a cute little book about the different punctuation marks. It's focused on the exclamation mark which is a great topic for young writers. A lot of writers could use this book more than they do already, and some need to use it less frequently. It would be a great book to add to a writing class. In addition, I love the style of the book. The background of the pages are the traditional lined paper that beginning writers use. It has the two thick lines and the one dashed line in the middle and the whole page looks like notebook paper. All of the text in the book, no matter where it is on the page, falls on one of those lines. I thought it would be really interesting to show students because it's something they're familiar with. I would love to use this in my writing workshop!

Prince Puggly of Spud and the Kingdom of Spiff

By Robert Paul Weston

The Kingdom of Spiff is the most stylish Kingdom in the land, except for their princess. She prefers to dress in pajamas and spend all day long reading. On the other hand, the Kingdom of Spud is very unfashionable. They wear the most tacky clothes and they like it that way. But their king prefers to be stylish, and feels as though he doesn't fit in. He deserts them one day. The people are devastated, and need to find a new ruler. They search high and low all over Spud for the one who dresses the most like a resident of Spud would. Prince Puggly is chosen and from there, a story of acceptance and some interesting fashion choices begins.

This novel is told completely in verse. It is told in stanzas with an AB rhyming pattern. Not only does it have this interesting format, but the text features are also very engaging. There are certain words, such as names, places, and exciting nouns and verbs that are written in a different font. For example, all the different Kingdoms have their own font, and every time that kingdom is mentioned, it is said in its font. The word "party" is also given a font. The text is very engaging and fun to read. The story has a lot of humor and of course a great message of acceptance. I think this would be a fun read aloud in my classroom.

Kate and the Beanstalk

By Mary Pope Osborne

Instead of following Jack up the beanstalk, this story introduces a new character for us to follow. Kate and her mother live alone and are on the verge of starvation. Kate trades their cow for magic beans, just like Jack. Her mother throws them out the window and scolds Kate for not getting money for their cow. Overnight, the magic beans grow a large beanstalk. Out of curiosity, Kate climbs up the beanstalk where she is met by an old woman. The old woman tells of a knight and his family who used to live in the palace at the top of the beanstalk. But giant stole from them and took their home. The old woman tells Kate that to help them, she must steal back those possessions that belonged to the knight. Kate is happy to help and does as she is told.

This story was a wonderful one to read. It tells us a different story than Jack's but one that is just as engaging and interesting. I thought this would be a good one to have in the classroom. There are so many ways to put a spin on fairy tales, and changing the main character is one of them. I would love to do a unit on fractured fairy tales in my classroom to show my students all the different, creative ways you can write.

The Jolly Postman

By Janet and Alan Ahlberg

The Jolly Postman follows the postman of the fairy tale world for a day. Not only do we get to visit the characters we're familiar with, but we also get to read their mail. Golilocks writes a  letter to Baby Bear, and the giant gets a post card from Jack. Kids can flip each page and read every letter. And the letters aren't just written on the page, they are in envelops that can be opened! Kids can take the letters out of book, unfold them and read them as if they were actual letters.

I love this story because of how engaging it is. As a kid I always wanted to read the mail, and in this book, they get to. I think students would love this book. Of course because of the pieces the book has it would need to be kept in a special place, but I would really like the kids in my class to get the chance to read and enjoy this book.

The Frog Prince Continued

By Jon Scieszka

We all know the story of the Frog Prince. He befriends a beautiful princess, convinces her to kiss him, turns into a prince and the two live happily ever after. Few of us ever stop to think, well what happens after happily ever after? This story tells us that living happily ever after doesn't always end up how we think it would. The prince realizes his happily ever after isn't what he signed up for and runs away in search of witch to turn him back into a frog. Along the way he encounters many witches, but none are able to help him. He begins to wonder if he'll ever get his happily ever after.

This is another great story by Jon Scieszka. I've enjoyed reading his books, especially his fractured fairy tales. I really enjoy that this story makes students question what "happily ever after" really means. Fairy tales always begin with "once upon a time" and end with "and they lived happily ever after." Jon Scieszka gives students the chance to explore what happens after the fairy tale ends.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

By Jon Scieszka

You may think you know the whole story, but Al wants you to know what really happened. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is written by the Wolf, who tells the reader, he doesn't know where the whole Big Bad Wolf thing came from. He was simply trying to make a cake for his dear old granny's birthday, and ran out of sugar. It's not his fault that his neighbors were pigs and he happened to have a cold that day. It's also not his fault that his great sneezes happened to blow down their houses. I mean, who builds houses of straw and sticks anyway?

This story is one of my absolute favorites when it comes to fractured fairy tales. It's a huge hit with kids as well. It addresses a story we all know well (or as the Wolf would say, we think we know well) and shows us a new side. It tells us something we never would have expected and does it in a funny, enjoyable way. The Wolf has a sarcastic sense of humor that makes the story an enjoyable read aloud for any age!

Bubba the Cowboy Prince

By Helen Ketteman

Bubba the Cowboy Prince is a modern-day Cinderella story that takes place down in Texas. But instead of the beautiful Cinderella, we have Bubba the cowboy. Bubba lives on a ranch with his wicked step brothers and step daddy. He takes care of the cattle and does all the chores around the farm every day. One day Miz Lurleen, a wealthy girl who owns large ranch decides she wants a partner in her ranchin' and throws a ball.

This is a great twist on the classic Cinderella tale that kids will love. It contains not only a great story, but also some text elements of a different culture. The story takes place in Texas, and rightfully so, it needs to be read with a little southern twang.There are phrases such as "cuter than a cow's ear" that almost force you to read it like a southerner. I would love to have this in my classroom!

Zita The Space Girl

By Ben Hatke

Zita is walking home from school with a friend of her's when they come across a crater they have never seen before. In it is a small remote with a big red button in the middle. Zita taunts her friend and pushes the button. Immediately he is sucked into a vortex, and Zita is left alone. She knows she needs to go after him and nervously pushes the button again and jumps through the portal. She is transported to another planet with robots and creatures she has never seen before. She quickly realizes she is not in any place familiar and needs to save her friend from the robots that kidnapped him.

Zita The Space Girl is a graphic novel. It is very vivid and colorful which adds to the engagement of the students! At times I found it hard to follow, but overall it was a quick book to read with an interesting story line. Graphic novels are becoming very popular with elementary children. I would really like to have these in my classroom. They introduce new and different text features such as text boxes, dialogue bubbles, thought bubbles, and sounds. I think this would be fun to have in the classroom.

The Rooster Who Went to His Uncle's Wedding

By Alma Flor Ada

This story tells of a Rooster who wakes up early to go to his uncle's wedding. He shines his beak and heads out on his way. But he forgot to eat breakfast and begins to get very hungry. He sees a kernel of corn sitting in a puddle of mud. He debates weather or not to eat it, but his hunger wins out. He eats the kernel and gets his beak all muddy. He looks around for someone to help him. He continually asks everyone around him to help, and they refuse, until one friend is nice enough to help him.

This is another paperback plus book that contains other resources at the end of the story. It has a guide to different kinds of roosters, a song in English and in Spanish called Oh, The colors (De Colores), and the poem, Chanticleer by John Farrar. These are great little resources to use in the classroom. Not only for reading but to help teach features of informational texts. There is a table of contents and titles and subtitles throughout the book.

In the Cow's Backyard

By Alma Flor Ada

This is a short story of animal friends gathering in the Cow's backyard. As each new friend joins, the hammock grows more crowded. Eventually there is no more room, but the Ant tells the elephant as he has told everyone before, "Come join us! There's always room for one more friend. Please don't say you can't!" Mother elephant picks up the hammock and puts it on her back and carries around her friends. It's a cute little story about friendship!

The book as a whole is a paperback plus book. After the story In The Cow's Backyard, there is a poem called So Many Kinds of Animals by Mary Ann Hoberman, and a quiz on animals and what they do when it's hot outside. There is also a cute game for kids that relates to the story at the end of the book. This is a great little text that would be great to use in a lower level classroom!

Amelia and Eleanor Go For a Ride

By Pam Muñoz Ryan

This is a story of two great friends, Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. The story tells of one night when Amelia and her husband were invited to the White House for the night before Amelia was scheduled to talk to the Daughters of the American Revolution. During dinner Amelia was asked about flying and what the it looked like at night. Amelia told about it and then made a last minute decision to take her best friend on a flight. Before dessert, the two were boarding a plane. Amelia flew them to Baltimore and back to DC. They admired the lights from above and realized just how beautiful it was. When they returned to the White House, the two jumped into Eleanor's new car and sped down the road. 

The two friends obviously loved adventure. Ryan mentioned in her author's note that she briefly read about the night they went flying together. She researched it and learned that Amelia briefly flew the plane, but it was mostly flown by two of Eastern Air Transport's pilots, due to regulations. Eleanor got her student pilot license with Amelia's encouragement. She never learned to fly, but Amelia offered to teach her before she went missing. I thought this is a great story for historical fiction. I would love to use this in my classroom to spark my students' interest in historical fiction and in Amelia Earhart and Eleanor Roosevelt. They were two very strong women of history and I would love my students to learn more about them. 

Grandfather's Journey

By Allen Say

Grandfather's Journey follows a young man, his daughter, and her son in their journeys between Japan and California. The narrator is the grandson of the man we are first introduced to. His grandfather grew up in Japan and longed to see the world. When he grew older, he traveled by boat to the new world. He explored and explored the land, and came to California where he liked it the most. He returned to Japan, married a girl from his village and brought her and their daughter to California where his daughter grew up. But he became homesick and moved the family back to Japan. His daughter moved to the city and married and had a young boy who grew up to stories of his grandfather's travels. As he grew older, he traveled as well and felt he got to know his grandfather much better through his travels that his grandfather had once taken. My favorite line in the story was, "The funny thing is, the moment I am in one country, I am homesick for the other." I thought this was a wise statement from a man who has grown up in Japan and moved to America. He sees and loves the values that both countries have.

I loved this story. I think it would be wonderful to read to children who are learning about immigration. This is a fantastic true story of Allen Say's grandfather and his understanding of the two cultures he has experienced in his life. It would be very informative to young readers as well as enjoyable to read!

Too Many Tamales

By Gary Soto
Illustrated by Ed Martinez

Too Many Tamales is a story of a young girl named Maria. On Christmas Eve, Maria and her mother are kneading the dough to make tamales for the entire family. While Maria's mother answers the phone, Maria tries on her mother's ring which she had left on the counter. Before she realizes it, the ring is gone. Maria thinks it could be in one of the tamales they made, and recruits her cousins to help her eat them all in order to look for the ring.

This story is very endearing because of how much Maria loves her mother's ring. She and her cousins eat and eat and eat to find it! I really enjoyed seeing Christmas Eve from another point of view! The tamales sound delicious and I would love to have one. I think this would be a great story to teach about different traditions and heritages and how they celebrate holidays. I would love to use this story.

I Don't Want To Talk About It

By Jeanie Franz Ransom
Illustrated by Kathryn Kunz Finney

This story deals with a parents' divorce from the point of view of a young child. On every page, her parents try and talk to her, and tell her that whatever she is feeling, is okay. On every page, she wishes she was a different animal that would take her away from the situation. Such as an aligator that could eat up her parents and their bad news, or a fish whose tears can't be seen in the water. In the end, she begins to realize that her parents love her, and even though they'll be apart, she'll still see them, and do all the things she normally does.

I like this book because it addressed a topic that many kids struggle with. This would be helpful to have in the classroom as a resource or even to be used when talking about life changes. I don't think I would use it in my classroom as a whole class lesson without a topic in mind.

Esperanza Rising

By Pam Muños Ryan

Esperanza Rising is the story of a young girl forced to abandon her home in Mexico and immigrate to the United States. At the age of thirteen, Esperanza looses her father, her home and view on the world in just a few short days and is made to leave everything she has ever known behind her for the safety of her family. Esperanza arrives in California and is shocked at the conditions she will be living and working in. Having never lifted a finger, and had all the space in the world, she is shocked to see her living conditions and the work she will be expected to do. It is a hard adjustment to say the least. Esperanza goes through quite a transition in the year that we are privy to her life, and it is clear that she learns to put others before herself and the value of hard work. 

I thought this story is a great one to use in the classroom. It's not at a difficult level and would bring a lot of interesting discussion into the classroom. Not only could you talk about the immigration, but there is also a variety of other topics such as segregation, labor unions, and literary aspects such as internal struggles of a main character. I would love to use this in maybe a book club format to see what kinds of discussions my students would come up with!

At Daddy's on Saturdays

By Linda Walvoord Girard
Illustrated by Judith Friedman

At Daddy's on Saturdays is a story about a child whose parents get divorced. Katie is very upset when her father moves out. He explains to her that he has to leave because he and her mommy can't get along. He tells her that he'll be able to talk to her on the phone, and she can visit him. For the entire first week after her father left, Katie goes through different stages of grief. She constantly feels as though her daddy has gotten a divorce from her as well as from her mother. It is very hard for her to deal with. On Saturday, she visits her daddy at his apartment and spends a lot of time with him. She begins to feel better about the divorce, knowing that she wasn't going to loose her daddy.

This book is something I think I would keep for children who are going through a parents' divorce, but wouldn't share with the class. It would definitely be helpful for students who are struggling, but of course would be controversial to share with the entire class.

And Tango Makes Three

By Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrated by Henry Cole

This is a story of two penguins, Roy and Silo. Roy and Silo were two boy penguins that paired up during mating time. They did everything the other couples did, but one day noticed they couldn't have a baby penguin. They even tried hatching a rock by taking turns keeping it warm. The caretaker at the central park zoo decided to give them an egg of their own. Roy and Silo know exactly what to do and begin caring for it right away. Eventually the egg hatches and Tango is born. Tango is the first penguin to have two daddies in the central park zoo. The entire story is true. Roy and Silo became a couple and 1998 and had Tango in 2000.

This story is controversial because it has to do with families with gay parents. This is a difficult topic to broach in schools. However, it is a necessary one when talking about families. Families are made up of many different types of people. It is imperative that this is discussed, especially if children in the class come from families with gay parents. It's a great book, and is very well written. I personally loved the story and the personification of the penguins in the story.

Smoky Night

by Eve Bunting
Illustrated by David Diaz

This book brings a lot of controversial topics to the table. Daniel is a young boy living with his mother in an apartment. One night, there is a riot in the streets below them. People are screaming, and breaking into stores and stealing. Over and over things are stolen until finally it quiets down, and the crowd moves to another street. Hours later Daniel and his mother are awoken by a fire in their building. They're evacuated, but Daniel's cat, Jasmine, is missing. Daniel's neighbor Mrs. Kim is also missing her cat. Once at a nearby shelter, a fire fighter brings the two cats back and says they were found together. Daniel realizes that the two cats might not have gotten along previously because they didn't know each other, which prompts Daniel's mom to reach out to Mrs. Kim.

This story not only talks of riots, but also speaks a lot to racial stereotypes. Mrs. Kim is a chineese woman and Daniel and his mother are black. Mrs. Kim has a store down the street, but Daniel and his mother never shop there because it's better to buy from their "own people."This book is an interesting one because of how many controversial issues it addresses. At the end, Daniel's mother realizes that she has never reached out or tried to get to know Mrs. Kim due to her race, and Mrs. Kim realizes the same. The two decide to try and get to know each other and bridge the gap created by race. This book is told from the point of view of a child which makes it very powerful.

The illustrations are similar to that of King and King in that paper and other material are used, and than a picture is taken. The material used relates to the words on the page, and add a lot of texture. There are also pictures put in frames over the textured pieces. It adds a lot to the story and really sets the mood.

King and King

By Linda de Haan and Stern Nijland

King and King is a story about a prince who is forced to find a princess to marry. His mother explains that she is tired of ruling the kingdom and he must be married so that he may take over. Princess after princess is presented to the prince, but no one seems to fit. Then the last princess is announced with her brother as her escort, and the young prince falls in love. However, it's not with the princess.

This story addresses the topic of sexuality in a fairy tale form. The prince falls in love with another prince. They marry and are called "King and King" by their subjects. I like this story because it doesn't harp on the fact that prince falls in love with a boy instead of a girl. The two meet, fall in love, and get married just like they would if it had been a girl and a boy. The story is still just as happy, and just as much fun. It's showing kids that it's okay for two boys to be in love.

Another thing I love about this story are the illustrations. They are fantastic. They're all made with paper, and other craft supplies and then pictures were taken and words printed on top. There are newspaper clippings, cotton balls, felt, and tissue paper. It brings an element of texture to the pictures that I thought really added to the story. In addition, the words were printed in with the text. They flowed over the page, or were in a circle of the arch way. The way the illustrations and the text interacted really made a difference!

The Lightning Thief

By Rick Riordan

This is the first book in a four part series following Percy Jackson and his adventures with the Greek gods and goddesses that, surprisingly, are still around today. Percy has been to many schools, kicked out of each one because of his behavior issues. He is diagnosed as dyslexic and has ADHD. Trouble always seems to happen when he is around. Then one day Percy is faced with an unbelievable truth about himself. He is the son of a Greek god. He is taken to Camp Half-Blood and his entire confusing childhood is explained. However, when it becomes known to Percy that his father and another god are about to begin a war, he is given a quest. He is told to go and find the god who has stolen Zeus's master lightning bolt, and return it to Olympus before a war breaks out.

This book was incredibly hard to put down. The story line is very engaging. I think this is great for elementary and middle school children. I believe Greek mythology is covered in the sixth or seventh grade, and this would be a great book to have kids reading at the time of that unit. It is told from Percy's point of view, so we get to hear everything going on, as well as what's happening inside his head. The humor, dialogue and adventure are sure ways to engage students in this book. I loved reading it and I hope to one day have the time to finish the series!

When I was Little

By Jamie Lee Curtis
Illustrated by Laura Cornell

This is a very enjoyable story about a four year old girl talking about when she was little. She tells of the differences in her appearance and her behavior from when she was little to now, as a four year old. She says things like, "When I was little, I spilled a lot. My mom said I was a handful. Now I'm helpful." The story ends with her explaining all of the things she didn't know about when she was little, like family, and dreams, but now she does.

This is a great story of growing up. To kids, it's very relateable, because they remember a time when they were little and how they've changed. I plan to use this in my unit. I am going to use it for the opening lesson on the concept of change. I love the idea of using this book to relate change, to kids!

Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall

By Sian Smith

These are actually four different books. However, they were all written by the same author as part of a series of informational texts. Each is a short little book that has features of informational text. There are subtitles, graphics, pictures, page numbers, a table of contents, a picture glossary, and an index. There is one sentence on each page about the season explaining what the weather is like, when the seasons falls, what we can see in that season, and so on.

I really liked these books and I plan on using them in my unit. They serve as a great introduction to the features of informational texts, and have sentences that are very easy to read. One of the best parts is that the text isn't the main focus of the books. The pictures explain so much that even students that can't quite read all of the text, will get a lot from the pictures! I really liked the way these are set up and I can't wait to use them in the classroom!

Seasons

By Heidi Goennel

This story is told from the point of view of a child. The child tells you that he likes each season because of what he gets to do. He goes through each season and tells you what the weather is like, and what he likes to do most in that season like fly kits, go trick or treating, eat ice cream and so on.

I like this book for my unit because it's a little different. All of the other books that I have read so far about seasons have been strictly about the weather. This story is about how the changing seasons bring new and fun activities for children to do! This book is set up a little different than the majority of the books I've read so far this semester. The illustrations are much darker in color, and it doesn't seem to follow one character. It sounds like one person telling the story, but the illustrations are of many different children partaking in the activity mentioned. I liked this aspect of the book because it shows that everyone can do these things!

What Makes the Seasons?

By Megan Montague Cash

This book talks about the changing seasons through poetry! Each pages talks about different facets of each season. At the end of the story, we're asked "But what controls the season's change? And what makes weather rearrange?" This part of the story goes into the tilt of the earth and the relationship between the earth and the sun. It tells the information in a simple and easy to understand way.

I am a huge fan of this book. The text moves on the page with the illustration sometimes acting almost as a label. For example, when talking about hibernation, the text explaining hibernation is underground in between sleeping animals. I also really enjoyed the rhyming poetry scheme that this story has. It makes it very engaging to students of a young age, and it is telling them a lot about how the seasons change in a way that will make them want to listen!

The Seasons of Arnold's Apple Tree

By Gail Gibbons

This book is about an apple tree, and a young boy's relation to it throughout the year. The book goes through each season explaining what the tree looks like, and telling the reader what Arnold does with his apple tree. In the spring he watched the flowers bud, in the summer he builds a tree house, in the fall he picks the apples and makes apple pie and apple cider with his parents, and in winter, he builds a fort around his tree house. The book ends when spring begins again signaling to the reader that the process will start all over again.

I am planning to use this book in my EE3 for my unit on change. One of the large topics I will be covering is the changing of the seasons. This is going to be the book I use in my first lesson about seasons. I like this book because it gives children something to relate the changing of the seasons to. Something we all notice very easily in the changing seasons is how the trees change. This is something they can watch throughout the year at school and at home!

I really liked the way this book was written. The illustrations have.very bright, vivid colors. The text is framed below the pictures in little boxes. When the season changes, the text telling you "it is spring" is framed at the top of the page. In some sections, there are also small boxes with more information on the science of what is happening with the tree. For example, in the spring section it tells us about the honeybee and the apple blossoms and how they interact. In fall, we are given a recipe for apple pie (and told to have and adult help us make it) and a box on how the apple cider press works. I love these elements that make the store more informative!

Bird Talk

By Lita Judge

This book has an almost poetic feel for some of the pages. The author mentions in the back cover that she always wanted to know what birds were saying. This book is completely about birds and what they're calls mean. Some birds boast things like, "I'm the strongest," or say things like "pick me!" The pages include all kids of different birds and and how they communicate. Penguins learn the sound of each others voices to communicate between family members. A flamingo peeps before it has even hatched!

I liked this book a lot. The pages were full of a lot of information, but were accompanied by very interesting text. The book is very wordy, but not to the point where I wouldn't introduce it in and early elementary classroom. It's also just full of really cool facts! I think the majority of the pieces of information in this text would be interesting to most kids. I've always wondered what makes birds communicate the way they do, and this book explains it all.

Forest Explorer

By Nic Bishop

This book has a really interesting take on nature! Every other page spread is a high quality picture of a scene you would normally see in a forest. There are some of the forest floor, or tree tops, or the forest at night. The next page spread is a full field journal that explains everything going on in the picture before, bolding the names of animals in the image. The field journal also explains each of the animals. It tells about them, and when and where you are most likely to find them.

The book is very heavy on text. In the field journals, the text takes up the entire two page spread. But the pictures are amazing. I would have this in a classroom of any age just for the pictures. Younger grades don't need to know that what they're looking at isn't just a caterpillar but a orange-striped oakworm caterpillar. It would be a great addition to the classroom when talking about any animals or insects in science.

A Seed is Sleepy

By Dianna Hutts Aston
Illustrated by Sylvia Long

This book is another informational book. It is much different than the others I have read so far. It combines information with creative writing which creates a very inviting poem about seeds and their life cycle. Page to page the book tells about another quality of a seed and explains the quality, gives information about the seed, and shows different kinds of seeds. It gives pictures around the outside of the poetry with labels so the reader knows which kind of seed they are looking at.

One thing I love about this book, is that it personifies the seed. "A seed is sleepy, A seed is secretive." It gives the seed human qualities which gives a very different perspective on the seeds. To me, a seed is a seed. But to Dianna Hutts Aston, a seed is sleepy and secretive, and intuitive. She looks at the way a seed develops and relates it to us. The text is also written in a beautiful cursive and it flows across the page. It invites the reader to keep going. It makes the reader feel the seed, and feel its many qualities. This would be a great book to use to teach plant life cycles.

Hurricanes!

By Gail Gibbons

This book is an informational text about hurricanes. It describes everything you could want to know about hurricanes from what they are and how they form, to the different categories and effects of each. The illustrations are extremely kid friendly and give an accurate representation of hurricanes. Some of the pictures even have labels that correspond to the text which ties it together very nicely! The book also gives really interesting information as far as the history of hurricanes go. I learned that the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Scale was created in 1972. It also talked about the names of hurricanes and how they're determined.

This is a great book to use during weather units. It even has a little checklist for what to do in the case of a hurricane. This would make kids feel so informed about hurricanes. I know I even learned so much from this book. I absolutely loved the illustrations. I think the way the captions and the labels work with the illustrations provides such an interesting, informational experience. I would love to use this book!

Just a Second

By Steve Jenkins

This book is an informational children's book. It's tagline reads: "A different way to look at time." That's exactly what is provided with this book. Each page is a list of things that happen within a unit of time, seconds, minutes, hours, weeks, months, and years. For example, in one second, a rattlesnake shakes its tail in warning 60 times. Jenkins also provides some of the history of the measurement of time with each page.

I could see kids pouring over this book during reading time. It holds so many interesting things that kids can learn about. I don't think we realize much about the speed in which things happen in nature. The amount of times a bird flaps its' wings, or a bat sends high pitched calls. The story also includes lengths of travel in a certain amount of time for animals and for planes. Obviously being an informational book, it doesn't read like a story, but it introduces measurements of time in an increasing interval. You have a few pages of seconds, then minutes, then hours, and so on. It has a logical sequence ending with some of the world's oldest living animals. It also includes a lifespan timeline and a history of time and timekeeping timeline as well. It proves to be very informational, but it is presented in a fun and exciting way. I would love to have this in my library for students to read. I think it would also be a great one to pull out during time units in math!

Seedfolks

By Paul Fleischman

Seedfolks is a great story about immigration, fitting in, and making an unusual place feel like home. It is told in multiple points of view, and not a single one is repeated. It's the story of people from all over becoming family, and an empty lot becoming a garden. It's a great way to show that you can grow something out of nothing. 

This book is a great story to use in the classroom. It's not a very long book, and has a very simple story line to follow. It would be great for beginning chapter books. I personally read this book in the seventh grade during our immigration unit in social studies. I think this is a great story to use alongside of immigration. It would be a great book to use as a read aloud as well as a book club book. What I thought was so interesting was that the book is told from so many different perspectives. Not one of them is ever repeated, but the characters appear in each others' tales, sometimes with names and sometimes without. But based on the previous testimonies, you know who is who by the end of the book regardless of the fact that we've only heard from them once. By the end of the story, a picture is forming of who is who in the garden. We get to know what each character plants and why. Some plant things from their home countries, this could launch an interesting discussion of culture in the classroom! I very much enjoyed the book, and I see many ways it could be used in the classroom. 

The Dark

By Lemony Snicket
Illustrated by Jon Klassen

This is the story of a boy who is afraid of the dark. But the dark lives with Laszlo. Most of the time, the dark spent its time in the basement. But at night, the dark would come out, all around Laszlo's house. One night, Laszlo's night light went out, and the dark visited him in his bedroom. The dark leads Laszlo all the way to the basement, where he finds a new light bulb for his night light. There is a great passage towards the end of the story that explains that there is no reason to be afraid of the dark. The dark is there because without a roof, rain would fall on your bed, and with a window, you couldn't see outside, and so on.

I would love to use this book in the classroom. Especially for children who are afraid of the dark! This is a great story to show them that there is nothing to be scared of. Laszlo never has trouble with the dark again, and if students know there is nothing to be afraid of, they won't either.

The Tunnel

By Anthony Browne

This story beings with a brother and sister who are very different and do not get along. One day, their mother is fed up with their fighting and bickering and sends them outside to play together. The brother and sister go to a waste ground. The boy is frustrated because he doesn't want to spend time with his sister. Before long, he finds a tunnel and tells his sister to follow him through it. She was scared so instead she waited for him to come out. When he does not, she follows him through the tunnel and through a scary forest.

The illustration in this story are beautiful! It reminded me of Into the Forest because the trees in the forest the sister walks through are very similar. They show wolves and other scary things. Anthony Browne does a fantastic job with his realistic illustrations that make the forest in this story come alive!

Piggybook

By Anthony Browne

This story is an interesting one for a children's book. It begins with a father and two sons who live in a nice house, with a nice garden, and have a nice car in the nice garage. However, the tone quickly changes when they begin talking about mom. Mrs. Piggott constantly does all the chores and is talked down to. One day, she decides to leave. She leaves a note that says "You are pigs." The father and sons are forced to fend for themselves, and they don't do a very good job. The illustrations add another layer of tone to this story. The pictures of the father and sons are bright, happy, and colorful. Those of Mrs. Piggott are dark and dreary. You never see her face, and she is never in an illustration with her family. We don't see Mrs. Piggott in color, or in the same frame as her family until she returns and they beg her forgiveness.

I thought this was an interesting topic for a children's book. I wouldn't have normally expected it. During the time when Mrs. Piggott leaves, her family become illustrated as pigs. I think this part of the story will have children laughing!

Willy the Dreamer

By Anthony Browne

This story is about a little monkey who is a big dreamer. We see that Willy dreams all sorts of things from being a famous actor to flying! The language is simple, but the illustrations bring the story to life. Many of the illustrations seem to be based in famous paintings, changing them to fit Willy's dream. Not only are the illustrations different, but they are also very elaborate!

I would love to see this book used in lower elementary classrooms. The language is simple enough, but the pictures suggest so much more. Students would see that there is so much they could do, if they dream it. In the back of the book, Anthony Browne says this book is his very own day dream book. It would be fun for students to have a "day dream" book too. It would be about all that they are, and all they want to be.

Voices in The Park

By Anthony Browne

This story is extremely interesting! It begins with a woman talking about her dog and her son to the park. You get an idea that she is very well to do because when they arrive at the park, she gets very frustrated by another dog bothering her dog. She describes the other dog as a "scruffy mongrel." She then goes on to realize that her son is missing and finds him talking to "a very rough looking child." They immediately go home. Then, the story begins again, but, it's from a different point of view. The story repeats a total of four times, each time from another point a view. We hear from her son, the "rough looking child" and the child's father. It's a great story to show how people view things differently. It's always interesting to think of something from another point of view!

I would love to use this in my classroom. I think it would require some discussion before hand. I personally got a little confused the first time I read it. But it would be a great idea to take this story, talk about multiple perspectives, and then read it a few times. I also think it would be a great activity to do a little bit of reader's theater with this book to bring it to life in the classroom. You could perform the book each of the four ways and get all of the children in the class involved!

The Higher Power of Lucky

By Susan Patron
Winner of the 2007 Newberry Medal

Lucky is a ten year old girl living in the desert of California. Lucky is not your typical ten year old. She is living with her father's first wife because her mother died when she was eight and her father never wanted a kid. Brigitte is from France, and flew into California the day after Lucky's mom died to take care of her. It was supposed to be a temporary arrangement, but they have been living together in Hard Pan for two years and Lucky is constantly worried that Brigitte is going to leave her to go back to France. When Luck finds some hard evidence that Brigitte is leaving, she is forced to take drastic measures to show Brigitte how much she needs her.

I thought this book was very interesting. It definitely lived up to the theme of realistic fiction. I had never heard of realistic fiction being a genre which made me interested in what this book would hold. What I read was the story of a confused ten year old who feels slightly neglected by her family and constantly worried about losing her Guardian. These are real fears for children of in foster care. I like that this book gives those fears a voice. Children in that situation will really relate to Lucky's struggle, and her search to find her higher power. I'd love to see this used in a classroom discussion. It would be a great book for talking about emotions that you don't always read about.

You Can't Take a Balloon Into The Metropolitan Museum

By Jacqueline Preiss Weitzman and Robin Preiss Glasser

This story, like the other wordless stories I have read, is another adventure. A little girl and her grandmother are going to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the girl is told by the guard at the door that she can't bring her balloon into the museum. He ties it on a railing so she can get it on the way out. Within a few minutes of her going inside, the balloon is untied by a bird and the bird begins to fly away. The guard chases the bird, recruiting many friends along the way to retrieve the balloon. At the end of the story there are thirteen people, one elephant, and three dogs assisting the guard in his quest for the balloon. Luckily at the end, the balloon is caught and rightfully returned to the little girl on her way out of the museum.

Throughout the book there are a few things that I noticed. On each page, the only people in color are the little girl, her grandmother, the guard, and whoever is following him or will be joining the ever growing balloon group. The balloon starts at the Met, goes to Central Park, the Zoo, the Plaza, and the Metropolitan Opera House. On each page, the balloon gets further away and more people join the group including a zoo keeper, a dog walker, a figure skating team, a couple getting married in the plaza, a porter, three members of the opera, one member of the orchestra, and elephant and a mime. As well as playing with color, the members of the team also recreate eighteen famous paintings and sculptures on their quest to get the balloon back. The details in this book are amazing and really add to the story! Students would love this book because of the humor, adventure, and getting to see the real works of art next to the recreations. It would be a great addition to the classroom!

Sector 7

By David Wiesner
Caldecott Honor Book

This story starts before we even see the title page with a boy drawing fish on the fogged up window of a school bus. The school bus takes the children to the Empire State Building on a field trip. They are taken up to the observatory to look over the city. However, the fog is so dense that it's hard to see. The clouds are all around the Empire State Building. In one cloud we begin to see a face as he steals our main character's hat, gloves and scarf. The cloud and the boy become friends, and the boy rides with the could to the Sector 7 Could Dispatch Center. The inside is much like a train station with clouds coming and going where they're told by the workers. The workers tell the clouds in the assignment center, how large and what shape they should be. Instead, the boy draws his own drawings of different kinds of fish for the clouds to be. The workers see the shapes of the clouds and get very upset. The boy is sent back to Manhattan where he is reunited with his classmates. However, for the rest of that day, all the clouds are of his design.

This story had some of the most beautiful pictures. The magnificence of the outside of the Cloud Dispatch Center reminded me of the Polar Express. It's big, and very impressive. The story encourages such creativity that I would love to see it used in an elementary classroom. It would remind kids to always use their creativity no matter what anyone tells you.

The Hero of Little Street

By Gregory Rogers

This books is another wordless book by Gregory Rogers. The main character is the same boy from The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard. This time, the story beings in Trafalgar Square where the little boy is playing by himself. He gets hit in the head with a soccer ball and kicks it into one of the fountains to the dismay of the boys who had been playing with it. They chase him around the square and he hides in the line to get into the National Gallery. Once inside he beings looking around. We see portraits and statues, including a portrait of Shakespeare who is mysteriously holding a soccer ball. While he walks through the museum, a dog in a portrait catches his eye. The dog comes out of the painting and licks his head. The boy and the dog run through the museum together and go through another portrait ending up in a woman's house in Holland. She give them gifts and shows them outside where they roam the streets of Delft, Holland, ending up in a butcher shop with a very angry butcher. The butcher ends up in a canal and the boy and the dog return to the National Gallery. The dog says goodbye to his new friend and jumps back into his painting. The little boy walks out of the museum and back into Trafalgar Square.

This story was beautiful. It showed some of the amazing architect and canals of Holland that were lovely. Like the book before it, this story has some wonderful historical merit and would be a great addition to any class studying history!

The Boy, The Bear, The Baron, The Bard

By Gregory Rogers

This wordless picture book takes place in two completely different times. It begins with a boy who is playing with his soccer ball and accedentially kicks it through a window. The boy goes to retrieve it and finds himself in an old theater. After playing around with the set, the boy finds a room of costumes. He tries many on before settling on an outfit from the Elizabethan era. He walks onto the stage only to be transported to the stage of the Globe Theater in London during the Elizabethan era! Due to the shock of the audience, a very grumpy Shakespeare comes out from backstage and chases the boy through London. In the process the boy sets free a bear, a baron and meets the Queen of England. When the Bard, Shakespeare finds the boy again, he rushes back to the Globe, runs back stage and is back in the old theater, though missing his cloak.

This story is wonderful! The pictures are shown in many different forms. Originally it looks like a comic book with many different frames on a page. As we get to England, more of the pages are taken up by the landscape and the scenery. It also includes many historical references such as the Tower of London. The bear and the boy get into the Tower and free the Baron. To get out, they go through Traitor's Gate and escape in a boat onto the River Thames. It could be used in a class of any age due to it's story and historical value!

The Conductor

By Laetitia Devernay

This book is a wordless book. The cover shows a man atop what looks to me like a tree, holding a conductor's baton which is pointing towards what look like birds. The birds look to be flying away, and their feathers are simliar to the leaves on the trees on the cover. When the story starts, the man walks into the page and looks up at the "trees"which are much taller than him. I personally get the idea that these "trees" are dandelions and this man looks to be the size of Thumbelina in the movie. The conductor climbs up atop the highest dandelion, looks around, and raises his baton. And suddenly birds are leaving the "trees" the leaves becoming their wings. On some pages there are many different birds, and on others there are few of the same type. I could hear the music of spring in my head as I flipped the page based on which birds were on the page. It reminded me of when I would blow on a dandelion in spring and watch the seeds fly around me. As suddenly as it started, the composition ends, the birds return to the tree and the composer lets his baton fall, and takes his bow. As he climbs down the tree, he plants a new seed which is ready to bloom with the rest for the next time the conductor returns.

I think this would be a beautiful book to show children in the spring time. It would be great to make the connection between the seasons, pictures, and music. Day to day life is a composition, and this book excellently shows the composter of spring.

Princess Academy

By Shannon Hale
Newberry Honor Book

This story is a very unique twist on the classic princess fairy tale. The usual prince meeting the love of his life who is actually a peasant girl is not present in this story. Instead, our main character Miri lives atop Mount Eskel, a mountain far above the kingdom and not often thought of by the rest of the country. Whenever a prince is ready to marry in Danland, the name of our kingdom, the priests predict the location of the princess to be. This time around, Mount Eskel is chosen and an academy is set up to whip the rough mountain girls into shape. Miri along with the rest of the girls in her village are taken to the academy and are taught how to be princesses. In the process they learn about each other, valuable knowledge that would help their village, and about the rest of the kingdom. When bandits overtake the academy, Miri forces the girls to work together to save each other and their village.

This story was not at all what I expected! Once I really got into the story, it was quite difficult to put it down! I could easily see girls in upper elementary loving this book. It has a very powerful female role model who works hard and ends up making her entire town proud of her. I recently found there is a sequel to this story. It would be great to get upper elementary girls together to read the books and have book club! This would be a fantastic discussion book club book.

Moon Over Manifest

By Clare Vanderpool
Newberry Award Winner


This book begins with Abilene Tucker on a train. Exactly the place where she feels the most at home. Except one very important thing is missing. Her father Gideon Tucker has stayed behind. He told his daughter that the railroad tracks were not the place for a young lady, and sent her to live with someone he trusted. She was on the train headed for Manifest, Kansas, where her father grew up. Shady picks her up from the train station and welcomes her into his home. Abilene has heard stories about Manifest and her father's childhood. But it soon becomes clear that no one can tell her much about her father's boyhood. She heads on down the path to Perdition and meets an old "fortune teller" who helps her uncover stories from Manifest's rich past.

This story is a beautiful tale of a child figuring out who she is, and where she comes from. It would be a great example for a class about stories that are written in different times. Moon Over Manifest continually shifts from the past to the present to tell the story of Abilene and the town of Manifest. It takes place during both World War I and the Great Depression. These are two very important times in America's history, and you get to view them through the eyes of a small town in Kansas. It shows a lot about how people lived then, and how the war and the Great Depression effected a small country town. It's a great story and very well deserving of it's Newberry Award!

Rose Blanche

By Roberto Innocenti

This story gives the reader a unique view of World War II. The story is about a young girl who lives in Germany. She notices changes in her town as the war begins. She watches the soldiers come and go every day. Her mother tells her to be careful as she goes to school. One day she watches as a truck stops to repair is engine. A boy jumps from the back, a tries to run, but is stopped by the mayor. The boy is forced to return to the truck. Curious, Rose Blanche follows the truck all the way to a concentration camp. She has never seen anything like it and suddenly feels very cold and sad. She returns many times bringing the people in the camp food as the war continues. 

This would be an interesting book to use during study of World War II. It's unusual to see a book written about the Holocaust from the point of view of a German citizen. It's always a good idea to offer children different perspectives when studying a topic, and this book does just that!

Henry's Freedom Box

By Ellen Levine and Kadir Nelson

Henry's Freedom Box follows the life of a slave named Henry. He grew up not knowing his birthday or if he would be with his family the next day. When Henry's master dies, he is taken from his family and given to his master's son. He works for years. As he got older he met a woman named Nancy. After permission from their masters, they got married. But times weren't good for Nancy's master and she and their children were sold one day. Henry never sees his family again. Losing his family was the last straw for Henry and he couldn't bare to work another day for his master. He devises a plan with the help of his friend and a white Doctor to mail himself to Philadelphia, and to freedom.

This story is based on a true story of one of the most famous slaves of the Underground Railroad. Henry "Box" Brown, mailed himself to freedom. At the end of the story there is a paragraph about the real Henry that tells you about his life, and the history of the Underground Railroad. This story is one of many that can be used to help illustrate slavery to students in elementary schools. You start the story with Henry as a child which is helpful for children because they can relate to children much better than adults. I believe it would also answer the question many children have growing up, "can I mail myself?"