Erin's Children's Literature Page

"Off We Go To Mexico!: An Adventure in the Sun"

2008-11-05T16:14:00.003-05:00

Off We Go To Mexico!: An Adventure in the Sun
Written by: Laurie Krebs
Illustrated by: Christopher Corr
Published by: Barefoot Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2006
ISBN: 1-905236-40-9
Genre(s): Picture Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grades 1 & 4

Summary: This book is actually a song with lots of Spanish vocabulary words for students to practice in it. This song chronicles a family’s vacation in Mexico and their dealing with the culture and traditions of the Hispanic people. It talks about the food, the festivals and the history of Mexico and at the end of the book it talks about facts about Mexico, celebratory times in the country, and gives readers a brief history of the country.

Response: I like that this book could be used for both younger and older readers because younger students would appreciate the song and older students to greatly benefit from the vocabulary.

The illustrations in this book however, are not the best I have seen. Children would probably appreciate them, but they are very cartoon-like and bright. The depictions of scenery are unrealistic in that there are hot pink; plants, and teal, lime green, and black cacti. Also, the animals in the zoo are also very unrealistic. They’re very jumbled together and fenced in in small enclosures.

Teaching Connections: A first grade teacher could read this book to her classroom and as she was reading the children could act out the action on each page such as swimming, eating at a festival, climbing the pyramids, shopping at local markets and dancing to a mariachi band.

A fourth grade teacher could use this book with her class by reading it and having three weeks of Spanish vocabulary words for her students to be tested on. The first list would come from the first half of the book, the second from the second half of the book and the third from the Spanish phrases located in the back of the book.

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities students learn about Hispanic traditions and gain vocabulary knowledge.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.teachingtrends.co.uk/acatalog/LIT1905236395.jpg.

"Sweet Dreams: How Animals Sleep"

2008-11-05T16:08:00.002-05:00

Sweet Dreams: How Animals Sleep
Written by: Kimiko Khaikawa
Photographs by: Various
Published by: Henry Holt and Company in NY in 1999
ISBN: 0-8050-5890-7
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Kindergarten
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book is about sleeping animals. Each double-page spread has huge letters to tell the name of the animal and slightly smaller letters to tell an interesting fact about the way they sleep. It talks about orangutans, sharks, sloths, hippos, flamingos and humans just to name a few. One of the most interesting parts of this book is the chart at the end detailing the average number of hours a day each of these animals sleeps.

Response: I love that this book is so simple for young children, yet it inspires many questions. I also really like the amazing photographs in this work and the information in the back of the book about each animal.

The photographs in this book are actually of these animals sleeping some of which are incredibly adorable!

Teaching Connections: This book could easily be used in a kindergarten classroom. The teacher could read this book to her students and then ask her students the following questions the book suggests.

Where do you like to sleep?
What your favorite sleeping position?
Do you take naps during the day?
How many hours do you usually sleep at a time?
What kinds of sounds do you think you make while you sleep?
What is the funniest thing about the way you sleep?

What Students Learn: From this book and these questions students learn about how several common animals sleep and are able to compare that to the way they sleep.

Image Retrieved From: http://paclbooks.pbwiki.com/f/dreams.jpg.

In My Family / En Mi Familia"

2008-11-05T16:04:00.005-05:00

In My Family / En Mi Familia
Written and illustrated by: Carmen Lomas Garza
Published by: Children’s Book Press in San Francisco, California in 1996
ISBN: 0-89239-138-3
Genre(s): Picture Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a book that a Hispanic author wrote about her experiences growing up in Texas. This book focuses on the foods and celebrations present in Hispanic families—the empanadas, the birthday piñatas, the decoration of Easter eggs, etc. It not only tells of the traditional things that Hispanics do and believe, but also of things that only the author’s family did. For example, the author’s mother often had to evaporate the water out of her father’s ear by briefly igniting a newspaper and placing it in a cone shape in his ear because he often got water trapped in it when swimming due to an accident in World War II.

Response: I like that this book because it not only teaches readers about traditional Hispanic traditions, but it also gives readers and insight into the life of an actual Hispanic person, which makes the book seem more real to children.

The illustrations in this work are single-page spreads of Hispanic persons. On the opposite pages with the text in both English and Spanish, there are always one or two cropped images from the corresponding picture to create a better flow. The illustrator used many bright colors in her drawings and many colors traditionally associated with the Texas, Arizona, New Mexico (southwestern) area of the country—terra cotta colors.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book in her second grade classroom to teach her students about Hispanic heritage. She could read this to them and have them tell about things that their families do that is specific just to them and things that Americans do that are specific just to us, etc. Then, students could see the differences in nationalities and families.

What Students Learn: From this book and this discussion/activity students learn about Hispanic heritage and perhaps a little about their own heritage as well.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.delsolbooks.com/jpg/inmyfamily2b.jpg.

"The Hare and the Tortoise: and Other Fables of La Fontaine"

2008-11-05T16:02:00.004-05:00

The Hare and the Tortoise: and Other Fables of La Fontaine
Written by: Ranjit Bolt
Illustrated by: Giselle Potter
Published by: Barefoot Books in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2006
ISBN: 1-905236-54-9
Genre(s): Picture Book, Traditional Literature
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grades 1 & 4

Summary: This book is a collection of fables for children that teach them about morals they should learn. There are traditional ones such as “The Tortoise and the Hare” and newer fables such as “The Heron,” The Miller’s Donkey,” and “The Wolf and the Watchdog.” Each fable has its own great message, such as patience, not being vain, not judging others, working hard, and other values to which children should be exposed. This collection of fables should be present in every classroom as it provides a look into an element of literature that children need as well as good values that can even help teachers in classroom management.

Response: I really like that this book incorporates not only traditional fables, but also many new ones, which I had not heard. I think fables are very important for children because they teach them a lesson and yet they are not explicit in their morals, so children do not feel as though they are being preached to about rules by the teacher, but are more suddenly building their knowledge of right and wrong and how to be a good person.

The illustrations in this work are rather good. They are not as superbly detailed as some other illustrators’ works, but they are rather realistic and what the animals and people in the illustrations are. Each illustration in this book is a double-page spread and each has a beautifully-colored background in a soothing color for the illustrations related to the fable on those pages.

Teaching Connections: This book would be great to read sections of to first graders. There is always a moral in a fable, so the students could learn a lot from hearing these stories. Then, the students could work in groups to think of a moral that they might want to write about and work in conjunction with a fourth grade class, who would help them write their stories. Then, the first graders could illustrate them.

This book could also be read to a fourth grade class to introduce them to fables, since that is something about which they must learn in that grade. Then, the students, having heard the plethora of stories in this book, could be charged with writing their own fable and also helping the first graders with theirs.

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities children learn morals, about fables, increase their writing skills, and area able to work with one another and with those of varying ages throughout their school.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.ape2zebra.com/images/thumbs/barefoot/Hare_Tortoise_lg_cvr.gif.

"Milo's Hat Trick"

2008-11-05T16:00:00.002-05:00

Milo’s Hat Trick
Written and illustrated by: Jon Agee
Published by: Michael Di Capua Books in NY in 2001
ISBN: 0-7868-0902-7
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book is about a magician who is having trouble with his magic hat trick. He meets a bear who shows him how to jump into his hat by pretending his bones are made of rubber. On a subway one morning Milo misplaces his hat, and the bear, after being tired of remaining in the hat so long, jumps out and scares people. Eventually he returns the hat to Milo and helps him with his show, but when it becomes time for the bear to hibernate he can no longer help the magician, therefore, Milo takes what he has learned from the bear and begins jumping in and out of his own hat.

Response: I love that this is once again quirky work from Mr. Agee. One never really knows what to expect from him, but a very interesting story. I love the twist at the end when the magician starts to actually become a part of his own magic act.

The illustrations in this book are classic Agee. Drawn with what appears to be crayon and colored with marker. These illustrations are full of background detail and muted colors, and the majority of the illustrations are single-page spreads.

Teaching Connections: This book would be good to read to a kindergarten class. They would enjoy the magician part of the story and the twist at the end. The teacher could ask her class, after reading the book, what there is to learn from this work. They could have a subsequent discussion about how we can learn from one another and help one another.

What Students Learn: From this book and subsequent discussion students learn about the importance of helping each other.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.loganberrybooks.com/specials-nikita-milo.jpg.

"Uncle Monarch and the Day of the Dead"

2008-11-05T15:59:00.002-05:00

Uncle Monarch and the Day of the Dead
Written by: Judy Goldman
Illustrated by: René King Moreo
Published by: Boyds Mills Press in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 2008
ISBN: 978-1-59078-425-9
Genre(s): Picture Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book tells of a young girl’s experience with the day of the dead, one of the celebrations of her people. Her uncle teaches her about the importance of Monarch butterflies to their people. It is the belief that many Hispanics that the souls of the deceased who come back to visit for the Day of the Dead live in those butterflies. As the family is preparing for The Day of The Dead celebration by decorating their homes, their alters, and making a path for the deceased to return the young girl’s uncle is becoming more and more sick and passes away just before the holiday. The celebration is very difficult for the girl because she misses her uncle greatly, but the next day when she sees a Monarch butterfly on the flowers on his grave she is reminded of what he taught her about them and she begins to feel some better because she knows she will see him again.

Response: This book has both a very sweet and very sad storyline. I really liked how the butterfly was the symbol of the uncle throughout the book and how it helped the girl through her sadness.

The illustrations in this book are mostly double-page spreads of vibrant colors typical to works dealing with Hispanic topics. The illustrator using many lines in each illustration and each work appears to be slightly smeared which gives the illustrations much texture.

Teaching Connections: This book can be read to a second grade class to teach them about the Hispanic holiday The Day of the Dead. After reading this book the teacher could begin a lesson on Monarch butterflies and teach the children about them so this book could be incorporated into a science lesson as well.

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities students will learn about the Hispanic holiday The Day of the Dead as well as Monarch butterflies.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.boydsmillspress.com/coverimages/medium/978-1-59078-425-9.jpg.

"It's a Hummingbird's Life"

2008-11-05T15:55:00.004-05:00

It’s a Hummingbird’s Life
Written and illustrated by: Irene Kelly
Published by: Holiday House in NY in 2003
ISBN: 0-8234-1658-5
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book chronicles the life of the Ruby-Throated Hummingbird throughout the four seasons. It tells about their mating and nesting habits in the spring and how the young birds grow into adulthood. In the summer sections readers learn about how much these birds must eat each day (eight times their body weight). In the section on fall we learn about hummingbirds’ trip to Mexico for the winter, in which season they rest and become rejuvenated for their long trip back to the United States in the spring.

Response: I became really excited about this book when I realized how much I could learn from it. I learned that the size of a Hummingbird’s nest is only as big as half a ping pong ball, their eggs, which weigh less than one-half of a gram each take about fifteen to twenty days to hatch, and that the newborns feed every three minutes! I also learned that the mother hummingbird must eat 2,000 insects each day in order to feed her children. Furthermore, I also learned that Hummingbirds could fly upside down and are very much like helicopters in that they can lift themselves straight into the air.

The illustrations in this book were more cartoon-like than I typically care for, but at the same time they were interesting watercolor representations on double-paged spreads of these creatures. Nearly every page, in addition to the main illustration and text, also had a separate curved section of interesting information and subsequent illustrations keeping the readers’ interest very high.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book in her second grade classroom. She could read this book to her class and then they could do activities such as making their own hummingbird nest making replicas of flowers that hummingbirds like, planting flowers outside their classroom, and putting Hummingbird feeders outside so the students to view the hummingbirds during the spring.

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities students learn many interesting facts about hummingbirds; they also get the opportunity to see them in their natural habitats.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.sfbotanicalgarden.org/graphics/library/storytime/hummingbird.jpg.

"Foods of Greece"

2008-11-05T15:51:00.004-05:00

Foods of Greece
Written by: Barbara Sheen
Photographs by: Various
Published by: Kidhaven Press in Detroit, Michigan in 2006
ISBN: 0-7377-3033-1
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book begins with a short introduction to Greece and a unique map that tells of the types of foods readily available to the Greeks, such as much seafood. It then talks about the importance of olives and the varieties and olive oil. The next section of this book discusses the favorite foods of many Greeks and teaches readers what those foods are. Throughout this work, there are many recipes of other Greek foods talked about within and at the end there is a metric conversion chart, a glossary of important terms, and a list of books and websites for students to further their knowledge about Greece and Greek foods.

Response: I love that this book goes into so much detail about the foods of Greece, telling some of their history and giving some general information about the foods. I also love the way the book intermingles the recipes into the text.

The photographs in this book are of varying sizes and are of real Grecians buying, selling, cooking, and cultivating these foods as well as of the foods themselves. They give a real-world application of the information in the book to readers.

Teaching Connections: With this book a second grade teacher could read it to her class in a unit about foods around the world and other countries. She could make some of the foods in this book with her students and possibly take them to a Greek restaurant for them to experience the “flavors of Greece” from those who know how to best cook Greek food. The teacher could also have her students create Venn Diagram to compare Greek and “American” foods, etc.

What Students Learn: From this book and this activity, students learn about Greek food and a little about Greek culture.

Image Retrieved From: http://contentcafe.btol.com/Jacket/Jacket.aspx?SysID=buymusic&CustID=bt0109&Key=0737730331&Type=L&Return=1.

"Mi School / Mi Escuela"

2008-11-05T15:49:00.003-05:00

My School/Mi Escuela
Written by: Ginger Foglesong Guy
Illustrated by: Viví Escrivá
Published by: Harper Festival in NY in 2006
ISBN: 0-06-079101-2
Genre(s): Picture Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Kindergarten
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book contains a few of the most common words young students will use in English and Spanish. Some of those words include schools, teacher, alphabet, ball, slide, ouch and friends. Along with these words are pictures of children around these things or dong these activities. These illustrations show much multi-cultural influence.

Response: I think that because this book only includes common beginning language students would use in both languages it helps in their introduction to the secondary language, whether that is English or Spanish. I also really liked how multicultural the children are in this book because it is a more realistic depiction of schools today.

Each illustration in this work is a double page spread of slightly muted vibrant colors. The illustrator has created much texture in each of her works. It appears that at least one of her mediums is watercolor and another, perhaps, is colored pencil.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with her kindergarten class. She could go to these objects or activity centers and provide visuals in their school for that which she reads. She could later label the classroom in both English and Spanish to aid both her English Language learners and those who speak English as their first language. The children could also practice these words in both languages when the teacher pairs ELL students with others.

What Students Learn: From this book and activity students learn about common words they will use and their names in both English and Spanish. By her labeling objects in the classroom, although her students cannot likely read those works, she is increasing her students’ beginning consonant knowledge.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.harpercollinschildrens.com/harperchildrens/harperchildrensimages/isbn/large/8/9780060791018.jpg.

"Animals Eating: How Animals Chomp, Chew, Slurp, and Swallow"

2008-11-05T15:47:00.001-05:00

Animals Eating: How Animals Chop, Chew, Slurp and Swallow
Written by: Pamela Hickman
Illustrated by: Pat Stevens
Published by: Kids Can Press in Tonawanda, NY in 2001
ISBN: 1-55074-577-8
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: 4
Activity Level: 2

Summary: This book deals with several animals and how they eat. It talks about their tongues, their mouths, and their huge teeth. It also provides readers with interesting facts about each animal related to eating. Readers learn things such as how many stomachs cows have and how snakes’ jaws work from this book, along with much other interesting information about animals.

Response: One great thing about this book is that it introduces children to several animals they may not have been aware such as lampreys, pikas and baleens. Furthermore, this book also gives such great information about these animals to the readers. It also does things such as compare human teeth to those of animals, such as horses. I also really liked the activities throughout this book, such as the “tongue trapper,” which is a model of a frog’s tongue, the one that helps children see how a gizzard helps birds grind the seeds they eat, and the “straws and sponges” activity that helps children see how different insects feed on liquids.

The illustrations in this book are rather remarkable. Many of the pictures are double-page spreads of the animals and are greatly detailed to show much texture. Others of the illustration are smaller drawings of other animals discussed within the work. All of these illustrations are beautifully colored with somewhat muted tones.

Teaching Connections: This book would be great to use with second graders in teaching them about different animals. The teacher could read this book to them and talk about each of these animals. She could then assign each student in her classroom to one animal and have that child bring in a representation of that animal that he or she created. The creature would have the aspects of that animal that were discussed in the story visible. The teacher would also do an activity with Venn Diagrams about comparing and contrasting some of the animals in the book, either with the whole class, or by having the children separate into groups.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn about many animals and their feeding habits and can even compare ways that animals eat to themselves.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.acornnaturalists.com/store/images/ProdImages/B-14426.jpg.

"Cooking the Indian Way"

2008-11-05T15:46:00.000-05:00

Cooking the Indian Way
Written by: Vijay Madavan
Photographs by: Robert L. & Diane Wolfe
Published by: Lerner Publications Company in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1985
ISBN: 0-8225-0911-3
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a book that details about Indian cooking. It tells a little about the country, provides an introduction about the people of India, and what types of foods are associated with the country. Then, the book teaches readers about common spices used in Indian cooking and how Indians access those spices (whether they are readily available at supermarkets or must be grown at home, etc.) The book then defines several utensils and cooking terms and then proceeds to give several recipes of common Indian cooking.

Response: I really enjoyed how this book gave a good, but succinct introduction to country and culture of India before jumping right into their foods, because it provides readers with the background knowledge on which to base the remaining information about the country’s food.

The photographs in this book serve to show readers how Indians cook and how some of their traditional dishes look. Some of the photographs are full single-page spreads of food dishes and others are simply smaller pictures to represent what they author writes about the country.

Teaching Connections: To use this book in a classroom, a teacher could implement it into her second grade classroom by reading it to her students as part of a larger unit about world foods. To extend their lesson at the end or he book, the teacher could make an Indian recipe with her students and at the end of the unit, the students could vote on which type of restaurant they wanted to visit on a field trip. (The teacher cols also use this book and her unit on cuisine in an even larger unit on nations of the world).

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students learn about Indian cooking and a little about the country itself.

"It Doesn't Have to Be This Way"

2008-11-05T15:43:00.002-05:00

It Doesn’t Have to Be This Way
Written by: Luis J. Rodríguez
Illustrated by: Daniel Galvez
Published by: Children’s Book Press in San Francisco, California in 1999
ISBN: 0-89239-161-8
Genre: Picture Book, Realisitc Fiction (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 5
Activity Level: Grade 5

Summary: This book is written by a Hispanic man who was involved with a gang when he was younger. In the story this young boy learns from current gang members about how to dress and act and is about to be initiated, when his cousin comes to once again try to coax him into remaining out of the gang. At that point, the gang’s rivals appear and the young boy’s cousin is shot. She lives, but the situation puts the boy’s life into perspective for him and instead of joining he gang, he decides to ask his uncle to teach him about fixing cars.

Response: This story is about learning to make decisions in one’s own life and how to say no to getting involved in the wrong situations. I think that this book teaches an important lesson for upper elementary students.

The illustrations in this book are very details. There are both single- and double-page spreads of vibrant colors within this work and, although the outer lines of most of the illustrations are slightly smeared, the illustrators makes such clear differences in each character’s expressions, etc, that readers feel as though they could pick these people out of a crowd as if they had seen them in a photograph.

Teaching Connections: This book could only be used in an upper elementary classroom. Its contents are far too complex for younger students. However, a fifth grade teacher could read this book to her class and have an open discussion about making choices and saying no. This lesson surrounding this book would fit well with the DARE units they participate in the fifth grade.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn how and why to resist gang life.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bilingualbooks.com/mas_assets/thumb/625.jpg.

"The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau"

2008-11-05T15:41:00.001-05:00

The Incredible Painting of Felix Clousseau
Written and illustrated by: Jon Agee
Published by: Farrar, Straus, & Giroux in NY in 1988
ISBN: 0-374-33633-4
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grade 1

Summary: This book is about a painter whose creations came to life. Live ducks walked out from his paintings, waterfalls fell from them, volcanoes erupted out as well. There was always a creation of chaos when one of his paintings was in the room and Clousseau became very famous. But, then, a cannon shot out of one of his paintings and the town became infuriated and sent him to jail. All of his paintings were taken, except for one in the King’s Palace f a guard dog. This painting helped the police catch a thief and save the King’s crown, making Clousseau a hero. He was subsequently released…”and returned to his painting” (p. 29)…into his painting!

Response: Again, this is another great work by Agee. This is one of his first books, so the style is a little different and the illustrations are more grim, but the quirkiness is still present. I love the way that you could read the last page (noted above in the summary) to student and they would think the painter went back to painting instead of him going back into his painting, which the illustration shows!

As I stated above, the illustrations in this book are a little more grim than Agee normally uses, but I believe that some of that could be attributed to the fact that this book was set long ago in an art museum, so his very muted tones depict that setting.

Teaching Connections: This book would be great for younger children, perhaps first graders. A teacher could read this book to her class and ask them prediction questions about what could be happening next in the story because nearly every page in this book leaves readers wanting to know more.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn to predict text.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bankstreetbooks.com/images/bankstreet/0374435820b.jpg.

"Las Posadas: A Hispanic Christmas Celebration"

2008-11-05T15:28:00.007-05:00

Las Posadas: A Hispanic Christmas Celebration
Written by: Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith
Photographs by: Lawrence Migdale
Published by: Holiday House in NY in 1999
ISBN: 0-8234-1449-3
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 1

Summary: This book is about the Spanish holiday of Las Posadas. It tells the story of a young girl and her family and they ways in which they celebrate the holiday and the ways it is traditionally celebrated. This book also intertwines the history into its story, which helps readers learn all the more about this special celebration. It talks about the traditional church services held surrounding the holiday and about the foods traditionally made for the celebration. It also includes the music and lyrics for the song of Las Posadas and a glossary of important terms to know.

Response: One thing that I especially like about this book is that it deals with the holiday is two ways: by showing readers about one family’s celebration and by expanding that view to the totality of Hispanics who celebrate Las Posadas. In this way the book is both general and specific and it makes the story of Las Posadas seem more real.

The photographs in this book are of difference aspects of the celebration—the food, the family decorating, the family’s church, etc. This also makes the holiday seem more real to readers.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with her first grade class on a unit about Christmas celebrations of those of all faiths around the world. She could read this book to her class and maybe make the cookies with the class as well, so everyone could have that experience. To conclude the lesson on Las Posadas, she could use this scholastic lesson plan and extend the activity with another book about the topic and a creative representation of poinsettias.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn all about the Hispanic holiday of Las Posadas and tap into their creativity in creating their poinsettias.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.whippersnapperbooks.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?page=WSB/PROD/PosadasCelebration.

"It's Moving Day"

2008-11-05T15:24:00.003-05:00

It’s Moving Day
Written by: Pamela Hickman
Illustrated by: Geraldo Valério
Published by: Kids Can Press, Ltd. In Tonawanda, NY in 2008
ISBN: 978-1-55453-074-8
Genre(s): Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a book about animal habitats and when certain animals move throughout the year. It talks about the woodchuck, the cottontail rabbit, the yellow-spotted salamander, the raccoon, the red fox, the Eastern milk snake, the Eastern chipmunk, and the striped skunk. Each animal that is discussed has a reason for moving, such as their home being destroyed by a storm, or them getting too big for the house, etc. This book is a great introduction to animal habitats.

Response: I like that this book would so easily fit into a second grade classroom discussing animal habitats. It almost seems as though the author intended for that to be the case!

The illustrations in this work are brightly colored with blended colors and very flowing shapes. The animals are realistic in their colors, but not always in their sizes relative to other things. However, this could be a very good thing for young children because perspective with them is not always as important as recognizing these animals and understanding their habitats. There are not great details in the illustrations, either, but they are very child-like, therefore, the children will be very appreciative of viewing this work. All of the illustrations in this work, with the exception of the first one, are double-page spreads.

Teaching Connections: A second grade teacher could read this work to her students to begin a lesson on animal habitats. After reading this book, the she should read the information in the back of the book about each animal in the book and then assign small groups of students to create the habitats in which each of these eight these animals live, using common household items.

What Students Learn: From this book and activity, students learn about the habitats of several common animals, which is a part of the NC second grade curriculum.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.canlitforkids.com/SpringK56_2007_08/MovingDay.jpg.

"The Lighthouse Keeper's Daughter"

2008-11-05T15:21:00.003-05:00

The Lighthouse Keeper’s Daughter
Written by: Arielle North Olson
Illustrated by: Elaine Wentworth
Published by: Little, Brown, and Company in Boston, Massachusetts in 1987
ISBN: 0-316-65053-6
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grades 1, 4

Summary: This book is based on true stories about a young girl tending a lighthouse while her father was kept at sea by treacherous storms and about gardens swept to sea by storms along Maine’s coast. This story is about a young girl who, knowing her father would do the same for other sailors, kept the light in the lighthouse burning for weeks while her father was kept out at sea due to a huge snowstorm. (The girl’s mother was too terrified of heights to climb the tower, so she did as her father had instructed her and persevered through even her own illness to do what was best for the sailors.)

Response: This was a good book about perseverance and families dealing with struggles. It was set in an era long-ago, which is not exactly was I was hoping for from this book. The story was good, but left me slightly annoyed at the mother for not trying to conquer her fear of heights when her daughter was working though an illness to help the sailors and maybe help her father get back home safely. Nonetheless, the ability of a young child to take on so much responsibility and do great things is a story that children need to hear.

Like the sadness in the story, the illustrations portrayed the gloom of the situation and the terrifying aspect of the story on the small island. Most of the illustrations were single-page spreads that flowed like water onto the next page, which also helped with the flow of the story.

Teaching Connections: A first grade teacher could read this book to her students and then have a discussion with them about the good qualities the book showed about the daughter. (Generosity, Selflessness, Courage, etc.) Then, they could also discuss why lighthouses are important and what their jobs are. Finally, students could visit this lighthouse website and learn more.

Fourth graders could also do this lesson while learning about NC lighthouses, but in their lesson, they would also research a NC lighthouse, create a replica, and present information on that lighthouse to the class. Research might begin at the NC Beaches website.

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities, children learn about generosity, selflessness, courage, and perseverance. They also learn about the importance of lighthouses and fourth graders taking part in this lesson learn about lighthouses in their area.

Image Retrieved From: http://artfulparent.files.wordpress.com/2008/05/the-lighthouse-keepers-daughter.jpg.

"One More Sheep"

2008-11-05T15:19:00.001-05:00

One More Sheep
Written by: Mij Kelly
Illustrated by: Russell Ayto
Published by: Peachtree Publishers in Atlanta, GA in 2006
ISBN: 1-56145-387-1
Genre: Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book is about a man who brings his sheep home with him one night so that they did not get too cold outside or being eaten by wolves. He gave them all wool (irony) socks and hats and tucked them snugly into bed. But, when he tried to count all of his sheep, he fell asleep because that is what apparently happens to people when they count sheep. All are resting well that night until there is a knock on the door and Sam almost lets in a wolf dressed as a sheep because he believes he forgot to bring one of his sheep indoors. The sheep quickly shut the door to keep him from making that mistake, but have to find a way for him to realize that all ten of his sheep are inside without him falling to sleep counting them, so they decide to put on a show for him. Once Sam realizes that all of his sheep are with him, he almost lets the wolf in again when he tries to determine who or what could be outside his house dressed as a sheep! In the end, they all go back to bed, and, though mush excitement has occurred this night, Sam has not trouble going to sleep—he just begins to count his sheep—1,...2,…...3,………..4………………ZZZZZ.

Response: I think this book is absolutely adorable. It has the good sheep and the bad wolf and a humorous story—all of which young children would appreciate. Plus, it incorporates math into the book, which gives teachers a perfect reason for reading this book in their classrooms!

The illustrations in this book are very cute. They are a combination of single-, double-, and split-page spreads. (Sometimes the illustrator segments the pages into fractions and has multiple illustrations on a set of pages.) One page, where the sheep are putting on a show, even folds out, creating even more interest for readers. The colors are fairly dark and muted because this book takes place at night, so there are many shades of purples and blacks as well as yellows and reds.

Teaching Connections: This book could be used in a kindergarten classroom as part of a math lesson. The teacher could read this book to her students and on the pages where the main character counts sheep, she could point to each sheep and have the class count how many there are. From there, the teacher could begin her math lesson about the numbers from one to ten.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn about the numbers one through ten and about rhyming words, as this book has a very distinct rhythm when read aloud.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.thechildrenbookshop.com/bookshop/images/703-1.jpg.

"Rapunzel"

2008-11-05T15:14:00.003-05:00

Rapunzel
Retold and illustrated by: Paul O. Zelinsky, hand lettering by John Stevens
Published by: Dutton Children’s Books in NY in 1997
ISBN: 0-525-45607-4
Genre(s): Picture Book, Traditional Literature

Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grades 2, 4
Award: Caldecott Award Winner in 1998

Summary: This book is a retelling of the story of Rapunzel. While pregnant, Rapunzel’s mother feels she will die if she does not eat of the rapunzel in the sorceress’ garden which she can see from a window in her home. Therefore, her husband goes to pick some for her, but comes into contact with the sorceress while in her garden and, due to his immense love for his wife, he agrees that, in exchange for the rapunzel, (and the life of his wife), he will give her their child once it is born. Upon that time, the sorceress appears to take the child, whom she names Rapunzel. She treats her well, but when she is twelve years old, the sorceress locks Rapunzel in a high tower and she is the only one who climbs her hair to see her. Eventually, a young prince comes buy and falls in love after hearing Rapunzel singing to the birds and, after watching what the sorceress did to get to the top of the tower, he climbs up to see Rapunzel. He proposes and they marry and spend many evenings together. One day the Rapunzel mentions to the sorceress that her dress is fitting too tightly and the sorceress realizes what has happened, cuts Rapunzel’s hair, and banishes her and she gives birth to her twins, alone. When the prince comes to visit that night, he finds the sorceress in the tower and not Rapunzel (he was able to climb up the tower because she let down the hair she had cut) and the sorceress says what has happened and he falls, astonished, to the ground and loses his eyesight. While he is walking through the woods, he hears Rapunzel’s singing again and when her tears of joy at seeing him again meet his eyes, his sight is restored and they walk to the nearest city, which happens to be the place over which he is prince, and live happily ever after.

Response: I really enjoyed reading this book. It was an interesting take on the traditional tale of Rapunzel. This author shaped his version of the tale from the Grimm’s two original versions as well as a few older versions with similar content. (The author’s note about the history of this story gives a plethora of information about the story’s origin as well as some ways it has changed through history.)

One of the main reasons I picked up this book, I must say, was because of the gorgeous illustrations! (This book won the 1998 Caldecott Medal, and for good reason!) The paintings in this book are absolutely fantastic! Included in the illustrations are single- and double-page spreads, column pictures, and one and a half pages spreads. They are done in such remarkable detail that one has to look very closely in some of them to see the hidden animals and to distinguish that these illustrations are not photographs. Mr. Zelinsky’s illustrations are reminiscent of the Italian Renaissance period and are wonderful representations of this artistic period.

Teaching Connections: This book could be read to a second grade class after the teacher reads a more traditional version of the tale and the students could work on Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast those stories (and illustrations).

A fourth grade teacher could use this book in her classroom in several ways. She could read it and implement the vocabulary, discussion questions, and extension activities outlined in this lesson plan on teacher vision, which is great.

She could also read a more traditional version of this tale to her class before reading this one and have the students pass the books around the classroom while writing a response about the similarities and differences in the folk/fairy tales so that they could practice their writing skills.

She could also use this book in a lesson about folk/fairy tales, which is in the NC fourth grade curriculum. After learning about these tales and hearing several, the students could be placed into groups where they have to create their own tale, write a script, and act it out in front of the class. (This would be in a month-long unit about folk and fairy tales.)

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities, students learn about the history of folk and fairy tales, gain an increased vocabulary, learn to compare and contrast and otherwise analyze text, and increase their writing and communication skills.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.valdosta.edu/~vllindqu/rapunzel.gif.

David Gets in Trouble / David no se mete en líos

2008-11-05T15:02:00.003-05:00

David Gets in Trouble… (Spanish version also available = David no se mete en líos)
Written and illustrated by: David Shannon (Spanish version translated by: Teresa Mlawer)
Published by: The Blue Sky Press / Scholastic in NY in 2002 (Spanish version published by: Everest / Scholastic in 2002
ISBN: 0-439-05022-7 (Spanish version ISBN: 84-241-8661-3)
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Kindergarten
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is a book about a little boy who always gets into trouble. Each page is filled with excuse he uses such as “I didn’t mean to” (p. 3) “My dog ate my homework,” (p. 11), and “I couldn’t help it” (p. 12) when he forgets to do something or does something incorrectly. He is always full of excuses and always says it was not his fault to whatever occurred. But then, when he lays down at night he says “Yes! It was me! I’m sorry” (p. 26-29). He repents of what he has done in the end and apologizes for the trouble he caused during the day.

Response: I love that David is such a typical little boy; those in a classroom would be able to easily relate to him! They would understand him and the moral of the story too, which is what the teachers want from reading this book.

The illustrations in this book are typical David Shannon. They are adorable and childlike, yet with great depth and color-blending that is apparent in all of his double- and one single-page spreads that rapidly more the story along.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could read this book to her kindergarten class when the students seem to be forgetting common courtesies and need to be reminded to be kind to one another. The teacher could prompt the student with a text talk style question on many of these pages by asking what David just did, since the story is highly correlated with the pictures and the words just tell us what David said, but not about what he did.

A teacher could also pair this book with its Spanish counterpart and use that book with her class as well if she has several Hispanic students in her class. It would be great because everything is exactly alike except for the words!

What Students Learn: From this book students learn that being a typical boy is alright and your parents will love you no matter what, but it is better to take responsibility for your actions and say that you are sorry when you do something wrong.

Images Retrieved From: http://www.carverlib.org/kids/kidsimages/davidgetsintrouble.gif. AND http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PGEFAP9JL._SL160_.jpg.

"Terrific"

2008-11-05T14:58:00.003-05:00

Terrific
Written and illustrated by: Jon Agee
Published by: Hyperion in NY in 2005
ISBN: 0-7868-5184-8
Genre(s): Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grades 2 & 4
Award: The California Book Award

Summary: This book is about a man with a lot of sarcasm who sees the world in a very pessimistic manner. For example, he wins a trip to Bermuda, but dreads the sunburn, he is not rescued when his ship sinks and believes he will be eaten by sharks and when he makes it to a deserted island is afraid he will be eaten by cannibals, but no one else is there except a parrot who tells him there is nothing to eat or drink except pomegranates and pomegranate juice, to which this man, Eugene, sarcastically replies, “Terrific,” because he greatly dislikes pomegranates. The parrot teaches him how to build a boat so they can be rescued, about which Eugene complains much. Eventually they are rescued by the parrot’s owners who are fishermen and when they leave Eugene safely at the dock in Bermuda, he realizes that instead of going home with the fishermen, the parrot has chosen to remain with him, to which he, unsarcasitally replies is “Terrific!”

Response: I like that this is another one of Jon Agee’s sarcastic works of literature with a double meaning. I think it introduces students to those double-meanings of things in our world that they should know about.

I do always enjoy Mr. Agee’s comedic illustrations be them single- or double-page spreads in muted tones. He always places just enough detail into his illustrations t make them interesting, but to not overpower the story and he always has huge signs on his storefronts that dictate where his characters are (in this case, Bermuda.)

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book to introduce her second grade students to sarcasm. They will be exposed to it in their lives and this is a way to let them know about it in a way that will not offend anyone. The subsequent discussion about this book will allow students to talk about the moral of this story, which is that things might look bleak sometimes, but one’s luck will change and it is just better to be a positive person because Eugene would have had an even better time on his trip if he would have been. Although it turned out well in the end, he could have had more fun with the parrot and his time with the fisherman if he would have taken what life through at him with a grain of salt.

A fourth grade teacher could read this book to her class and then have them write a story about why Eugene might have had such a pessimistic view on life and/or about how the remainder of his trip went and what happened to the parrot and him. They could also write another sarcastic story with a one-word title.

What Students Learn: From this book and the discussion and activities children learn about sarcasm, which can be important because they need to know what to be offended by and what no to be offended by and often young children are not aware of the difference. They also gain thinking and creative writing skills in these activities.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.commonwealthclub.org/features/caBookAwards/75/images/06-06bookawards-agee.jpg.

"Medio Pollito / Half-Chicken"

2008-11-05T14:54:00.002-05:00

Medio Pollito / Half-Chicken
Written by: Alma Flor Ada
Illustrated by: Kim Howard
Published by: Delacorte Press in NY in 1995
ISBN: 0-385-32044-2
Genre(s): Picture Book, Traditional Literature (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grades 2 & 4

Summary: This is a book about a chicken born with “only one wing, one leg, one eye, and half as many feathers as the other chicks” (p. 6). The other animals, who, through gossip, quickly found out about him, began to call him “Half-Chicken.” When he overheard the swallows saying that “Not even at the court of the viceroy in Mexico City is there anyone so unique,” (p. 10) he decided to find out for himself. He set out for the City and along the way, he helped a stream by removing some branches from blocking it, a small fire continue burning by fanning it with his wing, and the wind become detangled from some bushes, and after each good deed, the stream, the fire, and the wind asked him to say, but he repeated that he was on his way to see the viceroy and could not remain with them (thus, the repetitive nature of this story.) When he arrives at the viceroy’s residence, someone tells him to go in the back way through the kitchen and the cook throws him in the pot of stew. Since he was so nice to the water, it spills over the pot and since he was so nice to the fire, it goes out so it does not burn him, and because he was so kind to the wind, it carries him home that night. And the moral of the story is: we all have our special gifts, being unique is good, and we should be kind to those around us. Also, the author writes this tale about weather vanes having one leg and turning the way their “friend” the wind blows.

Response: I love that this is a dual language book because it can be understood by the two main groups of students in one’s classroom—English- and Spanish-speaking, which is very important. Reading this book in the way I detailed below ensures that both these groups understand and are engaged in the lesson.

All of the illustrations in this book are double-page spreads of vibrant colors. They look as though they have been painted and then the illustrator used a tool to scratch off some of the color, which gives the work a very interesting texture.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could read this book to her second grade class in Spanish and then ask them what they think happened on each page. Then, she could read each page in English and see if they were correct. Then, she could tell students about folk tales and the class could discuss the main idea behind this story—helping one another and accepting our uniqueness.

In a fourth grade classroom a teacher could read each page in Spanish, ask her students what they think happened, and then read the page on English. Then, she could teach about folktales, have children explore this website and then have them write a story that explains why something is the way that it is.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities children increase their bilingual skills and folk tales. They also learn a little about Mexico, about helping one another and being unique, and gain better writing skills.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.randomhouse.com/images/dyn/cover/?source=9780440413608&height=300&maxwidth=170.

"Planets Around the Sun"

2008-11-05T14:51:00.002-05:00

Planets Around the Sun
Written by: Seymour Simon
Photographs by: Various
Published by: Sea Star Books in NY in 2002
ISBN: 1-58717-145-7
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book begins by talking about that which students know—Earth. Then, it broadens to let them know that we are one of nine (now eight) planets that revolve around the sun. It gives a brief synopsis of each planet in our solar system detailing about the size of the planets, the materials that make them, etc. Furthermore, this book also tells readers about asteroids and leaves them wondering if there are other planets like Earth out there that circle other stars. (There is a fact chart in the back of this book that shows each planet’s size relative to the others and gives statistics on each one such as its distance from the sun, orbital period, diameter, the length of its days, the average temperature, the number of moons it has, and whether it has rings.)

Response: I love how, even though this is a book for first graders, Seymour Simon is able to pact so much information into one text! I think this book will intrigue children because of its actual photographs of the planets and its amazing information.

As with all of Seymour Simon’s books, the photographs within are amazing! They are all spectacularly colored single- and double-page spread, both distance and close-up, of the planets in our solar system. In addition, they are all set on black backgrounds, which makes their vibrant colors leap off the page!

Teaching Connections: With second graders, a teacher could have her class pass this book around the room and everyone who volunteered to read could read a page or two. After the book has been read, the teacher could teach about the latest knowledge of Pluto not being a planet and then place students into eight groups. Each group would be charged with making a model of one of the planets described in the book out of materials in the classroom or those that they bring in. they would have to confer with one another so that they ensure the sizes of their planets are similar in proportion to that which they are supposed to be.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn about the planets in our solar system and gain read-aloud and teamwork skills.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.highwaygold.com/books/subjects/children-s-books/educational/curriculum-supplements/science-nature-how-it-works/general/see-more-readers-planets-around-the-sun-level-1-1587171465.html.

"Three Little Cajun Pigs"

2008-11-05T14:48:00.002-05:00

Three Little Cajun Pigs
Written by: Mike Artell
Illustrated by: Jim Harris
Published by: Dial Books for Young Readers in NY in 2006
ISBN: 0-8037-2815-8
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grades 2 & 4

Summary: This is a spoof on the story of The Three Little Pigs. In this story all of the pigs are Cajun form Southern Louisiana and are fighting off an alligator instead of a wolf. Like in the traditional story of The Three Little Pigs, one builds a house out of straw, one builds a house out of wood, and one builds his house from bricks. The gator knocks down the first two pig’s houses with his tail and when he cannot do so with the third pig’s house he tries to go down the chimney, but gets burned by their roux, a traditional Cajun food. This story is hilarious, both in the words and illustrations, but readers should be aware that it is not written in proper English, when one reads this book the Cajun dialect comes out no matter what—and that makes it all the more hilarious. (This book does provide a glossary for the French words, several pronunciations, and a couple of terms students need to know to understand the text.)

Response: I really love this book. It was definitely one that I could not read silently; I actually sat down and read aloud—to myself. I could not imagine this being a silent reading book for children because if they can read it without saying the words aloud, they will start laughing out loud, so there is really no way to read this book silently!

The illustrations in this book are muted blues, pinks, greens, browns, and reds. They are highly detailed, which makes readers need to look at them longer in order to not miss anything. This is the type of book that you have to go back and view the illustrations several times before you have seen everything because each time you look at them you will see something new!

Teaching Connections: I think that a second grade teacher could use this book with her class. She could read the traditional version of The Three Little Pigs to the class and then this one. Then her class could make a Venn Diagram about the similarities and differences between these two works.

It would be great for a teacher to read to her fourth grade class because the boys, especially, would LOVE it and at that age they can handle having a later discussion about language. It would be important for them to recognize the differences in dialects at this age because on the writing test they have to write in proper English and it might help them remember that there is a reason for writing and speaking in that way and to not make careless errors on their test that are not proper English. (Although, this would not be a good book to expose them to directly before the test.)

I think if a teacher were to use this book in her classroom, she would need to explain that people from Louisiana do not necessarily talk like this and, although this book is funny because of the wording, we should move past that and see that though their dialect is not proper English, it is correct to them and we each have our own way of speaking that sounds funny to others. She may even want to read other books with the Appalachian Mountain dialect, the Southern dialect, the Northern dialect, etc so that her students become familiar with these differences and notice that, although these stories are funny and are not written in proper English, the rules of that dialect are in place in these stories. This book would be a great way to begin students talking about why we use proper English in school and how that might be different from what we have heard or what we use elsewhere (it sounds more professional and it links us all together to have a standard system).

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities student learn about different dialects and learn to compare and contrast stories.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.buy.com.edgesuite.net/prod/three-little-cajun-pigs/q/loc/106/35199247.html.

"Mercury"

2008-11-05T14:46:00.000-05:00

Mercury
Written by: Larry Dane Brimner
Photographs/Illustrations by: Various
Published by: Children’s Press in NY in 1998
ISBN: 0-516-20619-2
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a book about the planet in the solar system closest to the sun, Mercury. The book is written very simply for younger readers to provide them with information about this planet. It details the distance the planet is from the dun, its day (1,408 hours), Copernicus’ charting of Mercury’s year length, the old and new ideas about Mercury, and the possibly future missions to the planet. This book provides a wonderful introduction for students to Mercury as well as places to find out more information, and has a listing of important words for students to know.

Response: I really like how this book puts very complex information into a narrative that very young students can understand. I love that the book teaches about the history of the planet, the differences between it an Earth (in terms of days it takes to orbit the sun, etc.), and what NASA may be planning in the future.

The photographs in this book are great. I love how there are actual pictures of the planet from the Mariner 10 mission. I think young students will really appreciate these views of another planet and will be ready to indulge in the literature! I also love the pictures of the telescopes and other equipment in this book because I think children will be amazed by the technology, even in the world they live in!

Not all of the illustrations are photographs, some are drawings, such as that of Copernicus and those in the history section, however, they are strikingly detailed.

Teaching Connections: To use this book, a second grade teacher could read an introductory book about the solar system to her class to give them some background knowledge about it. The, she could put students into seven groups and give each group a planet book to read and study (obviously excluding Pluto, now not considered a planet, and Earth, because they should already know much about it). Each group will take turns reading sections of the books in the same series as this book and will then make note of the most important points about that planet that they learned. They will then make a short presentation to the class about the planet.

(Note: Since this book was published in 1998, the photograph at the beginning of this work of the entire solar system includes Pluto as a planet, so the teacher might want to make note of that before the students become confused.)

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students learn about the planets in our solar system, gain group work skills, have practice reading aloud, and increase their note-taking and presenting abilities.

"Subtraction Action"

2008-11-05T14:40:00.003-05:00

Subtraction Action
Written and illustrated by: Loreen Leedy
Published by: Holiday House in NY in 2000
ISBN: 0-8234-1454-X
Genre: Picture Book, Informational Text, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Grade 1

Summary: This is a book about learning to subtract. It chronicles the time in school during the school fair when children will be working with money and eating (subtracting) food, etc. Loreen Leedy does an excellent job relating math to the real lives of student in this work, which is wonderful! This book is divided into chapters that deal with subtracting cookies and muffins, calculating time on the obstacle course, a magician making things disappear, etc. This is a really adorable book for students learning the basics of subtraction that makes the subject more fun, interesting, and, hopefully, easier for students.

Response: Loreen Leedy is rapidly becoming one of my favorite authors for children. This book is so adorable for little children because is related math to things happening in their school and makes the math problems seem real, so the students feel they need math (and they do) to solve these number problems in their daily lives. That real world connection, especially for young students who are likely to become easily frustrated, is very important in encouraging them!

The illustrations in this book are in muted tones in mixed single- and double-page spreads. All of the characters are cartoon-like animals that first graders would likely really appreciate.

Teaching Connections: A first grade teacher could read this book to her students after they have been introduced to the concept of subtraction for a few weeks. By that time they will know enough that the teacher can read this book to them, have a small dry erase board close to where she is sitting to write the problems in the book on, and have them subtract correctly when she places the problems on that board and asks the students to help her solve them.

This could also be a book that children take home with them to read and could be helpful to those struggling with subtraction.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students are able to learn about the beginning concept of subtraction.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.jmeacham.com/math/number.operations.htm.

"Projects About the Plains Indians"

2008-11-05T14:38:00.002-05:00

Projects About the Plains Indians
Written by: Marian Broida
Illustrated by: Rodica Prato
Published by: Marshall Cavendish Corporation in Tarrytown, NY in 2004
ISBN: 0-7614-1601-3
Genre: Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grades 2 & 4

Summary: This is a great book about Plains Indians. It has information about Cheyenne, Lakota, and Hidatsa Native Americans. There is not an actual storyline to this book, but there is information about how each group live(s/d), what their homes were like, and what some of their rituals were like. This book even includes projects to do with students regarding each group of Native Americans. It also has boldface words within the text that are defined in the back of the book where there is also a Metric conversion chart for readers.

Response: I really like how this book teaches children that not all Native Americans lived in tipis and not all of them were primitive nomadic people. I also really appreciated how it taught about more in-depth aspects of their lives, like how they gathered food and what they ate, etc.

The illustrations in this text are paintings as well as actual photographs of Natives. The pictures add an element of reality to the book that I believe is important for children to recognize. One picture shows a Native American riding on a horse in the dress we traditionally think of when we think of these people, but it also shows the rest of the Natives in the picture sitting around their tipi in slacks, button-up shirts, and hats, just like whites. This can help students understand that not all Native Americans wear headdresses and animal skins for clothing (even though this picture was likely taken after the Natives had become more accepting of whites and their culture, it can still show that our stereotypes are not correct).

Teaching Connections: This book is already set for ways to incorporate it into the classroom. It comes full of project ideas such as building tipis, matching parts of a buffalo with the way a Native would use them, a moccasin game, model of a travois that students can build, learning how to grow a sunflower (science incorporation), making a felt pouch, and numerous other activities that will aid student learning about the traditions of the native American culture.

A teacher could use this book with her second grade class. On the first day of the lesson should could have a discussion with her class about what they know about Native Americans and write that on chart paper at the front of the classroom. She could then spend one day discussing each of the tribes in this book by reading about each one to her class and then having them complete one or more of the coordinating activities. On the fourth day of the week, she could have a discussion about what her students knew before about Native Americans and what they have learned through the lesson. On the final day of the week, students could review all that they learned about Native Americans.

For a fourth grade classroom, the teacher could read about one group of Native Americans each day and have the students do the activities in the book, much as they second graders would do (except that the activities chosen could be the more difficult ones for fourth graders). This should take three days. On the fourth day of the week, the teacher could show her students the Disney movie “Pocahontas” and they could have a discussion about what is correctly and incorrectly portrayed in this movie regarding Native Americans. On the fifth day of the week, students will make presentations about the other group of Natives (besides the three in the book) that they chose to study at the beginning of the week in groups.

What Students Learn: From this book and these activities students can learn about the real (not the stereotyped) Native American culture and learn through hands-on activities about certain aspects of their lives.

Image Retrieved From: http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/prod_images/688/35217688.jpg.

"¡Marimba!"

2008-11-05T14:34:00.004-05:00

¡Marimba!
Written by: Pat Mora
Illustrated by: Doug Cushman
Published by: Clarion Books in NY in 2006
ISBN: 978-0-618-19453-7 / 0-618-19453-3
Genre(s): Picture Book, Concept (Alphabet) Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book is about a monkey who lulls two zookeepers to sleep by singing and then leads a party in the zoo. It links every letter of our alphabet to an animal in the zoo. (For the letters “U” and “X,” the authors uses the fantastical animal the unicorn and the musical instrument the xylophone, respectively.) Although certain words are in Spanish in this book, the non-animal-naming words are in English, much to the advantage of the many teachers who do not speak Spanish. Each animal that the book lists is the Spanish cognate of an animal’s name (illustrated on that page) in English. The animals partake in several activities that are a part of the Hispanic culture such as: dancing la bamba and la marimba, eating enchiladas and flan, making piñatas, etc. Each page in this work rhymes with the next, so it flows very well and has a rather sing-songy appeal to it, with which younger children will absolutely be able to identify and enjoy. This book not only detail animals students are already familiar with, but also introduces them to ones they may not be aware of at all, such as manatees, nutrias, ocelots, quetzals, vicuñas, wapitis, yaks, and zebus/cebúes.

The illustrations in this work are very well-done. They are nearly all double-page spreads of vibrant colors of remarkable likenesses of the creatures they depict. Very few of the pages contain white backgrounds, most, instead, contain tera-cotta looking colors, which are, again, akin to the Hispanic nature of this book.

Teaching Connections:

Critical Thinking Questions:

1. Why do you think the money lulls the zookeepers to sleep once each year?

a. Possible answer: He does this so that all of the animals in the zoo can have their annual party!

2. There is a great deal of personification within this book. Some examples of this are when the sloths salsa, the otters make piñatas, gorillas play their guitars, coyotes conga, etc. Does anyone know what that word means? Can you break it down into its root word? Do you hear the word person in it? So, it must have something to do with people. Does anyone now have a guess about what this word could mean?

a. Possible answer: This term means animals acting like humans. The animals take on human characteristics.

3. Outside of what we just read about in this book, explain how some of these animals get along in the wild.

a. Possible answer: These animals are not really friends in real life because the koalas and orangutans would likely be enemies, jaguars would eat birds if they could catch them, lions would prey on llamas, and otters and ocelots would also not be friends.

4. So, if the animals really would not get along in the wild, but they are personified (made to have the actions of people), then what can we as humans learn from this book?

a. Possible answer: We can learn that we all need to be friends with one another and try to get along as best we can and be accepting of others.

Activity:

A teacher could use this book in a second grade classroom. It is an alphabet book, but it is also a book of Spanish and English words and likely contains words that kindergarteners and first graders would not know. A good activity to do with these students regarding this book would be to read this book to them, ask them the above critical thinking questions, and then teach them about English and Spanish cognates. (The teacher can get some information regarding this from the author’s note in the back of the book.) The teacher could have pictures of all of these animals with their Spanish and English names on them in plastic bags for each of her students and give them the opportunity to look at the words and animals and see the difference between the words, if any, in both languages. Then, they could, as a class, read each word in each language and practice their pronunciation skills.

Once students are familiar with these words, perhaps the teacher could project this book on the board with a document scanner/projector and the class could read it together.

What Students Learn: Although these words are cognates and the majority of them are spelled very similarly in both languages, this activity would be very beneficial because it can help students see slight differences and learn pronunciation in both languages. From this book, the critical thinking questions, and the subsequent activity, students learn about animals that represent all twenty-six letters of our alphabet, the definition of personification, gain a lesson in accepting others, learn a little about the Hispanic culture (because many of the activities in which the animals participate are of that culture), cognates, and how to pronounce several words in Spanish.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.metrolibrary.org/graphics/spotlight/hispanicamerican/2007/easyfiction/marimba.gif

"Clatter Bash!: A Day of the Dead Celebration"

2008-11-05T14:30:00.003-05:00

Clatter Bash!: A Day of the Dead Celebration
Written and illustrated by: Richard Keep
Published by Peach Tree Publishers in Atlanta, GA in 2004
ISBN: 1-56145-322-6
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text, Song Book (Multicultural Work)
Reading Level: Kindergarten (with the exception of the information at the end)
Activity Level: Grade 1

Summary: This is a book about the Day of the Dead Celebration celebrated in the Hispanic Culture. The bulk of this book contains many nonsense words and the story is guided by the illustrations instead of the opposite being true. There are many onomatopoeia words in his book as well, which makes this work wonderful for using with musical instruments. In the back of the book, there is a fairly detailed explanation about what the book was about and also an explanation of the holiday The Day of the Dead. It explains the holiday in terms that children can understand and goes somewhat in death into the celebrations and beliefs in the Hispanic culture about the passing on of friends and family. It talks about the flowers, herbs, and foods the markets carry for the feasts on this holiday as well as the sweet bread (pan de muertos—bread of the dead), that is made each year during the time of this celebration, and the toys and masks made for this as well. This work also relates to its readers the traditions of this holiday such as cleaning the tombstones of loved ones and then having picnics in the graveyards. It enlightens children to the idea that, though we miss our loved ones greatly when they pass, that we do not always need to be said or afraid, but that we can instead celebrate that they have moved on to a better place.

The illustrations in this work are very creative. The illustrator used cut-paper montages, acrylic and watercolor paints, and makers as well as pens to create these visuals. Because the words are not telling of the story, the illustrations have to guide the readers through the ideas and rituals surrounding this holiday. There are skeletons are every double-page spread dressed in strange costumes of vibrant colors since skeletons are a huge par to this holiday celebration. They are dancing and eating, playing music, talking with one another, and truly enjoying themselves in the illustrations meant to lighten the mood of the passing of loved ones, as the holiday does.

Teaching Connections:

Critical Thinking Questions:

The critical thinking questions should be asked of the students after the final page of the book (containing actual information on the Day of the Dead celebration) has been addressed.

1. What similarities and differences do you see between feelings about the deceased in our culture versus that of the Hispanic culture?

a. Possible answer: In our culture we mourn greatly for the departed and place flowers on their graves to show we miss them, which is somewhat similar to the actions of the Hispanics. However, we do not set up alters in our homes for the deceased, nor do we have a specific holiday to commemorate the passing of our friends and relatives. We do not celebrate the “moving into a better life/place” as the Hispanic culture does. Death is much more serious in our culture than it is in theirs.

2. Describe how you think you would feel or how members of your family would react to “celebrating” death as the Hispanics do.

a. Possible answer: I think that my family would frown upon this practice because they would think that we were not respecting those who had passed on. Even though we tend to believe that our family members go on to a better place, we would not feel comfortable celebrating because it would be hard for us to understand that we are not celebrating the fact that they have go on, but the fact that they are in a place of no more pain.

3. Explain why, although this celebration is very different from anything we have in our culture, we should be accepting of it.

a. Possible answer: I think that we should be accepting of this expression surrounding the dead because there is really nothing wrong with it; I am sure that Hispanics miss their loved ones, as they should, but they just have a better outlook on one’s passing than us. We need to except everyone and embrace their different beliefs because we want others to do that for us.

Activity:

I think that this book could be used in a first grade classroom. The teacher could read the first sentence about what the Day of the Dead is, which is located in the back of the book, to her students and then read the book to them. Then she could take them to the music room or have some instruments in her classroom and hand out instruments to her students. Then, she could read this book again after assigning each student a word to listen for in the story. When the student hears that word he or she will play his or her instrument for a few seconds and then the teacher will continue reading. She will have this book projected on the screen in the front of the classroom and will instruct the students to all play their instruments when the words are not italicized. (She will likely have to explain what italicized means, finger-point read to the students, and they will likely have to practice several times before the students are able to do this correctly.)

When the students finish with the story and playing their instruments, the teacher should instruct them to gather around her and listen to her while she reads about the Day of the Dead from the back of the book.

What Students Learn: From this book, the critical thinking questions, and the activity, students learn about musical instruments, rhythm, and much about the Day of the Dead. They also gain comparison and contrasting skills and are able to reflect upon their culture’s beliefs versus that of others.

Image Retrieved From: http://peachtree-online.com/images/ProductImages/Books/1561453226.jpg

"Duck on a Bike"

2008-09-21T13:35:00.003-04:00

Duck on a Bike

Written and illustrated by: David Shannon

Published by: The Blue Sky Press in NY in 2002

ISBN: 0-439-05023-5

Genre: Picture Book

Reading Level: Grade 2

Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book is about a duck who gets the crazy idea that he can ride the bike that the boy who lives on the farm left his bike and decides to try to ride it. He does very well and passes all of his farm animal friends—the cow, the sheep, the dog, the cat, the horse, the chicken, the goat, the pigs, and the mouse. Each of them thinks the duck is crazy, but then a vast number of children come to visit the boy and they leave their bikes outside. Then, the other animals decide that if the duck can ride, why can they not. So, all the animals try and succeed at riding the bikes and have a wonderful time! The very last illustration in this book is of the duck looking very inquisitively at the farm tractor. I wonder what he could be thinking…

Response: This book is so cute! I think that the idea is very intelligent on the author’s part and that the book still maintains a message of perseverance for its readers. As the duck goes around to all of his friends to show them what he can do, many of them think he is crazy and go on about their business, but my favorite response to his riding is from the goat.—“Then Duck rode past Goat. ‘Hello, Goat,’ said Duck. ‘M-a-a-a,’ said Goat. But what he thought was, ‘I’d like to eat that bike!’” (p. 14)!

As always with David Shannon’s books, the illustrations are remarkable! He plays such careful attention to detail that there are even ants in the garbage can the goat is eating from. He takes care to smear his colors and use different shades to blend them to make his illustrations look more realistic. Each illustration, except the last one of the tractor, is a beautiful double-page spread of vibrantly-colored artwork.

Teaching Connections: I think this book could definitely be used in a kindergarten classroom. On each page, the students could listen while the teacher read the book and they could make the sound of the animal on that page to keep them very interactive with the story. Then, once the teacher got to pages 22-23, she could stop and ask them what they think will happen next, since there is no text on that page and just an illustration. Then, she would continue reading to the end of the story and show the students the final page the “the end” page where the duck is looking inquisitively at the farm’s tractor and ask what they think might happen next. She could also use this book to help students separate fact from fiction in that they should be able to understand that this is certainly a fiction story because farm animals cannot ride bikes.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity, students are able to recall animal sounds, learn to predict text, and also learn to differentiate between fact and fiction. Students can also learn that they need to try new things even if they sound impossible.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.reddicklibrary.org/images/loripicks/duckbike.jpg

"Just the Two of Us"

2008-09-21T13:27:00.003-04:00

Just the Two of Us
Written by: Will Smith

Illustrated by Kadir Nelson

Published by: Scholastic Press in NY in 2001

ISBN: 0-439-08792-9

Genre: Picture Book

Reading Level: Grade 2

Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a book about the love of a father for his son. Before the story begins, Will Smith provides readers with some background information about his life and gives us a context for this story. He tells readers that he always wanted to build a castle in the sky and his parents gave him a piece of paper and a pencil and said “let’s draw the plans” and he tells his son that. The part about “castle sin the sky” is references throughout the book. When the book begins, the father is frightened about how to be a good father because he is so young, but then realizes that things will be alright due to his immense love for his child, even when his marriage does not work. He gives his son advice for his life about girls, not fighting others, talking with God, and reminds him that he will always love his son. This book is written as a rhyming poem and significant words on each pager are in bold in a larger font than the rest of the words, so that they make a statement along with the illustrations.

Response: After reading this book I think that every father should purchase this text for his child(ren). This is one of those books that you read and when you come to the end, you close the cover very slowly and all you can say is WOW! Wow to the always outstanding illustrations of Kadir Nelson, wow to the words of the poem (also a song) by Will Smith, wow to the love of a father for his son and wow to the fact that someone constantly in the limelight, like Will Smith can actually be a person of substance unlike so many in his line of employment.

One cannot possible respond to a book illustrated by Mr. Nelson without commenting on his extraordinary illustrations! All I can say is when you read this book to children in a classroom, do not show them the illustrations before you read or while you are reading the text because even an adult would not focus on the words. The detail the he puts into his illustrations in remarkable. His backgrounds in some of them in this book are a little lacking, in my opinion, but the faces, the stature of the characters, and the attention to detail the Kadir Nelson provides in his illustrations is amazing. There is not an illustration in this book that I love as much as the one in Moses, but Kadir Nelson did not disappoint his fans by these illustrations by any means.

Teaching Connections: This book could be used in a second grade class to talk about families. The teacher could have had the students working on a project where they are creating their family trees and then she could read this book to them about fathers and how they feel about their children. She should be aware that some children are going to pose and opposition to that and make comments about their own fathers that will not represent them in a positive light. However, an ensuing discussion about this could help students recognize the differences in some families and that people are not always as this father seems to be. It could be a tricky lesson, but I believe it would be a greatly beneficial one for students.

Note: This book does reference God and prayers, so the teacher may need to point out that not everyone believes in Him or in the same way, but that this is a representation of this father’s beliefs.What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students can learn about one father’s love for his son and about how families are different and people are different.

Image Retrieved From: http://aalbc.com/willsamith_justthetwoofus.jpg.

"The Rain Came Down"

2008-09-21T13:16:00.004-04:00

The Rain Came Down

Written and illustrated by: David Shannon

Published by: The Blue Sky Press in NY in 2000

ISBN: 0-439-05021-9

Genre(s): Picture Book, Realistic Fiction

Reading Level: Grade 2

Activity Level: Grades K, 3 (Really, this book could be used for all elementary grade levels.)

Summary: This book details the occurrences in one town on a rainy day. At first the chickens go crazy and irritates the cat, which annoys the dog and the father yells at the dog, which awakens the baby and upsets the mother. Then, a policeman comes to see what is happening at the house and blocks traffic with his car. After that a lady in a cab becomes upset because she is afraid she will miss her plane and the truck driver in front of him becomes annoyed with the cab driver’s horn. The ice cream man turns up his music to drown (no pun intended) the noise and the hairdresser and barber begin to argue while the painter is climbing down, which causes him to his the barber in the head. Then the baker hits the pizza man with his umbrella, the little boy splashes the little girl with water, the grocery waiting on the delivery truck knocks the boxes from a shopper’s hand, which upsets his fruit basket (also, no pun intended). After that, the RAIN STOPS and everyone is gleeful again and helps one another. The story continues and chronicles the other delightful happenings of the day and shows how each character’s day was made better by another.

Response: I really enjoyed this story because it is very truthful as to what kinds of moods people often have when it rains and how everything seems more complex. However, it also shows how we really should all try to get along with one another, not matter our situation becaue we would all be happier.

I love David Shannon’s illustrations! He draws amazing faces that look, although sometimes stereotypically, like the characters in his book. The hairdresser is dressed like one would stereotypically think of one dressing and the cab driver is wearing his yellow taxi hat, etc. Nearly every page of this book is a double-page spread of beautiful illustrations with vibrant colors in amazing detail. The illustrations are vital to the book and the words are placed on a white background under all of the illustrations.

Teaching Connections: I think this book could be read to almost any grade level class. A teacher could read this to her first grade class if many of them were stuggling with a new math concept to help them realize that it is difficult, but that they will get it soon and everything will be better.

A third grade teacher could also read this to her class as an introduction to metaphors. She could ask them what they rain is a metaphor for and her class could have a discussion about that.

Really, I believe that this book could be read to any elementary school class, especially if something major has happened to affect the entire class or school, such as after 9/11 or if, as happened to a class in my elementary school, their teacher passed away. This book could serve as a way to lighten the tension and help students realize (maybe a week or so after this had happened, not directly after) that things will get better, just as the situation in the story did.

What Students Learn: From this book students learn that even though things might not be so wonderful right now, that they will get better soon. They learn that arguing, etc. is not beneficial to them and that what they really need to do is be patient and wait “for the rain to stop” so that times will get better.

From these activities students can learn the above lessons as well as about metaphors in their writing because this book serves as a great example of such.

Image Retrieved From: http://parentschoice.org/product_img/raincamedown.jpg

"This Little Piggy's Book of Manners"

2008-09-20T16:00:00.002-04:00

This Little Piggy’s Book of Manners
Written by: Kathryn Madeline Allen
Illustrated by: Nancy Wolff
Published by Henry Holt and Company in NY in 2003
ISBN: 0-8050-6769-8
Genre(s): Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This book talks all about manners. Although the main characters are pigs, they are personified and roller-blade, eat at the table, share their toys, have to wait in line to go to the bathroom, must clean their rooms, talk nicely to others, and go to bed on time. On one page one piggy will do as he is told or as he should and on the following page another little piggy will not follow the rules. One each page, the piggy’s friends respond to his actions either in a positive or negative way. This book teaches at the end that even though children sometimes forget their manners, people always react better when they remember to be polite.

Response: I enjoyed this book because it contained humor and seemed more interesting that other books about manners. It contained things that children might forget, such as eating with their mouths closed and sharing their toys.

The humor in this book was interesting. When the one little piggy remembers to eat with his mouth closed, his friend the rabbit says “I could watch that pig chew all day” (p. 5) and when the polite piggy compliments the wolf’s beautiful teeth the wolf thinks to himself “I guess I won’t eat him” (p.19)! These were subtle elements of humor, but were incorporated in a way that young children can appreciate.

I loved the illustrations in this book. They were definitely not muted colors and the illustrator utilized many different color combinations and several lines on each page to make the characters’ clothes and the backgrounds. She also used newspaper clipping with some paint over them to make certain parts of the animals’ bodies or clothing. This gave her illustrations a textured appearance.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with a Kindergarten class on the first day of school, or at least during the first week. She could read this book to her students and then ask them questions such as:

Why is it important for us to close our mouths when we eat?
Why should we share our toys?
Should the one little piggy have broken in line a the bathroom? Why not?
Is it important for us to clean up our toys after we are finished playing with them? Why?
Why should we speak kindly to others?

After this discussion, the teacher could then talk about the classroom rules and ask similar questions about why those are in place.

She could also use this book as a review of the rules after Christmas Break or anytime during the school year when the students seem to be forgetful of them.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students learn manners and about why they are important as well as about their classroom rules and their importance.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.holtzbrinckpublishers.com/images/Books/L/0805067698L.jpg

"Z Goes Home"

2008-09-17T09:25:00.003-04:00

Z Goes Home
Written and illustrated by: Jon Agee
Published by Michael Di Capua Books/Hyperion in NY in 2003
ISBN: 0-7868-1987-1
Genres: Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: There are only thirty words in this book, but somehow that is just enough to make it very interesting! This is a book that teaches letters of the alphabet to young readers. Before the title page, readers see the letter "Z" leaving its spot as the "Z" in Zoo and heading home. Then, the author tells us all about each thing that the letter passes on his way home. Each beginning letter of a word that begins with the letter on that page is represented on that page by being incorporated into the illustrations. For example, the letter "P" stands for Palm, so the letter "P" is made by having the illustrations show the tree's leaves bending to make the curved portion of the "P!"

Response: I feel that I should explain why there are thirty words in a book that teaches about the alphabet. The last four words in this book are "Hey everybody, I'm home!," which "Z" says to his roommates--the other 25 letters of the alphabet! The humor of that is what makes me love this book.

Since I read Nothing by Jon Agee, I have become very excited about his books. This one is no less cute than the previous work of his that I have read. The words, though very few, have the ability to not only help students with their beginning letter sounds, but also to greatly increase their vocabularies. Some of the great vocabulary words Agee uses are: gargoyle, labyrinth, and xeroxes.

I really love the illustrations in this work as much as the words. Agee's way of incorporating the beginning letter of each word into a picture of that word is so creative! His artwork is very expressive, yet not highly detailed and his colors are muted greens, browns, blues, reds, and greys.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with kindergartners. She could read it to them on a Monday and have the unusual words within as the vocabulary words for the week, which she would quiz the students on on Friday. (Great children's level definitions are located in the back of the book.)

She could also give each student a paper with a die-cut letter on it and have that student look through magazines, newspapers, and maybe online throughout the week to find things that start with that beginning letter sound. When the papers are due on Friday, she could hang them up while the students are taking their short quiz on their new vocabulary words and the students would then have a visual representation of the alphabet and words that begin with them in their classroom!

What Students Learn: Through listening to their teacher read this book and doing this activity, students learn a plethora of new words as well as much about beginning consonant sounds.

Image Retrieved From: http://toyportfolio.com/Images/zgoeshome.jpg

"Goldilocks and the Three Bears"

2008-09-16T18:42:00.005-04:00

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Retold and illustrated by: James Marshall

Published by Puffin Books in NY in 1988

ISBN: 0-14-056366-0

Genre: Picture Book

Awards: Caldecott Honor Book

Reading Level: Grade 1

Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This version of Goldilocks and the Three Bears is a retelling of the classic story. It is about this sweet girl, at least that is what some of the neighbors think, named Goldilocks who goes off to buy muffins at the request of her mother. However, she does not heed her mother’s warning not to go through the forest. While she is walking down the path through the woods, a family of bears is sitting in their house about to eat their breakfast porridge, but it is too hot, so they decide to go for a bike ride while it cools. While they are gone Goldilocks enters their house and tries the porridge herself, but Papa Bear’s is too hot, Mamma Bear’s is too cold, and Baby Bear’s is just right, so she eats all of it. Then she wonders around the house for a few moments and tries to find a suitable chair in which to sit, but has a similar problem as she had with the porridge as no chair sits just right and she breaks Baby Bear’s chair. She then proceeds to the bedrooms for a nap, but finds that the head of Papa Bear’s bed is too high, that of Mama Bear’s too low, and that of Baby Bear’s just right, so she falls asleep right before the bears return to find their house in a mess! When the bears discover Goldilocks, she awakens with a start and jumps out the window, never to be seen by the bears again!

Response: I really enjoyed this retelling of Goldilocks. I liked how this story talked about why Goldilocks was sent in the woods (it was a shortcut to get the muffins her mother sent her for) and that she actually jumped out the window at the end!

I also thought that the illustrations were creative. They were in muted tones, but told a story all their own. The shortcut through the woods was labeled with numerous signs waring Goldilocks and somehow Goldilocks seemed to miss all of the clues (many pictures on the wall) that she was in the bears' house. (She thought the family just had very furry cats!)

Teaching Connections: A teacher could do a text talk with her kindergarten class about this book. Below are the recommended questions for such an activity.

Teacher Comments and Questions:

Page 2: So, what is going on here? (Goldilocks’ mother told her not to take the shortcut through the forest because of the bears, but it sounds like she might not listen to her mother.)

Page 4: Charming means delightful or pleasing. So, what does it mean when the book says the bears’ house was charming? (That their house was delightful or pleasing in appearance.)

Page 7: Scalding means extremely hot. So, when the book says Papa Bear’s porridge was scalding, what does that mean? (That means that it was very hot.)

What has happened at the bears’ house so far? (They have tried to eat the porridge, but it was too hot, so they decided to go for a ride on their bikes until it cooled.)

Page 8: The book says “She walked right in without even bothering to knock.” What does this tell us about Goldilocks? (Goldilocks is not a very polite girl.)

Page 10: What did Goldilocks find out about each bowl of porridge? (That in the largest bowl porridge was too hot, that in the next bowl was too cold, but that in the smallest bowl was just right.)

Page 14: What is going on here? (Goldilocks is trying all the chairs in the house to find one that she likes, but one is too hard, one is too soft, and she is too big for the smallest chair and breaks it!)

Page 18: Now what has happened? (Goldilocks tried all of the beds until she found one that was just right for her and went to sleep.)

What is the big problem here? (The bears have just come home, but Goldilocks did not hear them, so she could be in trouble.)

Page 20: Scarcely means barely. So what does it mean when the book says that the bears could “scarcely believe their eyes”? (That they could barely believe what they saw.)

What happened when the bears returned? (They found the porridge that Goldilocks had tasted and discovered that she had eaten all of Baby Bear’s porridge.)

Page 23: Smithereens means all to pieces. So, what does the author mean when he writes that Baby Bear’s chair was broken to smithereens? (He means that is was broken all to pieces.)

Now what has happened? (The bears have found the chairs that Goldilocks sat it and Baby Bear finds out that she broke his chair.)

Page 27: Oh no! Now what has happened? (Baby Bear has found Goldilocks still asleep in his bed.)

What is the big problem here? (Goldilocks is not supposed to be in the bears’ house and now she could be in real danger!)

Page 29: Pause after the sentence “But before the bears could demand a proper explanation, Goldilocks was out of bed, out the window, and on her way home.” Then say: this page says that “Goldilocks’ eyes nearly popped out of her head.” What does this tell us? (This tells us that she was very surprised and scared that the bears were back and caught her taking a nap.) Now, continue reading the remainder of the book.

Follow-up Questions: What do you think that Goldilocks learned from her experience? (She learned that her mother was right about the bears in the woods and that she should be more careful next time and also listen to her mother.)

What do you think about what Goldilocks did? (I think that it was rude of her to go into the bears’ house without asking, eat their food, break their chair, and sleep in their bed!)

Vocabulary Lesson:

Charming: When we are first told about the bears’ house, the book says that it is charming. (Charming means delightful or pleasing.) Say charming.

Which is charming?

§ A cute cottage in the woods or an old rusty car? (The cute cottage)
§ A brand new puppy or having to take out the garbage? (The puppy)
§ Someone with good manners or someone without them? (Someone with good manners)

Scalding: When Papa Bear first tasted his soup, he said that it was scalding. (Scalding means extremely hot.) Say scalding.

§ Would you say that the sun is scalding or the moon is scalding? (The sun)
§ Would you say that a stove is could be scalding or a refrigerator could be scalding? (A stove)
§ Would you consider the temperature in July scalding or that in January? (July)

Scarcely: When the bears returned they could scarcely believe what they saw in their house. (Scarcely means barely or hardly). Say scarcely.

Let us talk more about this word.

Which would you be scarcely able to believe?

§ That an elephant was in your living room or that you would have fun on a field trip to the zoo? (The elephant)
§ That you were going to have pizza for lunch today or that you would have a fancy lunch with very expensive food and cloth napkins? (The fancy lunch)
§ That you will get a new puppy for your birthday or that you will probably have homework tonight? (The new puppy)

Smithereens: The book says that Baby Bear’s chair was broken to smithereens. (Smithereens means all to pieces.) Say Smithereens.

§ Would you say that a toy was broken to smithereens if it was cracked or if it was smashed on the floor? (Smashed.)

§ Would an egg be broken to smithereens if it was dropped from a ladder and had a mini parachute attached to it, or if it was dropped from an airplane without one? (If it was dropped from the airplane.)

Gobbled: The book says Goldilocks gobbled her porridge, so what does that mean? Gobbled means eating something very quickly. Say Gobbled.

Would you gobble a pizza or a bookbag (pizza)

Would you gobble a tree or a bowl of soup? (soup)

Would you gobble a piece of cake or a bike? (cake)

Vocabulary Review: charming, scalding, scarcely, smithereens, and gobbled:

§ Would a crocodile be charming? (No.)

§ Would you consider a room that was 110 degrees scalding, or one that was 20 degrees? (110 degrees)

§ If you were so surprised that you could barely believe something would it be very believable or scarcely believable? (Scarcely believable)

§ If you found something broken into many pieces would it be broken slightly or broken to smithereens? (Broken to smithereens)

Would you gobble a piece of pie or a guitar? (pie)

What Students Learn: From this book and the text talk, students will learn about the importance of listening to their parents and gain skills in constructing meaning from text.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.valdosta.edu/~tbhillia/goldilocks.jpg

"Nothing"

2008-09-15T18:58:00.007-04:00

Nothing

Written and Illustrated by Jon Agee

Published by Hyperion Books for Children in NY in 2007

ISBN: 978-078683694-9

Genre: Picture Book

Award: Publisher's Weekly Best Children's Book, 2007

Reading Level: Grade 1

Activity Level: Grades 2, 4

Summary: This is a book about a woman who becomes obsessed with buying nothing, until she realizes that there are some things that she needs. One day, almost at closing time, a shopkeeper sees a very wealthy woman coming toward his store, when he tells her he has nothing to sell, she asks him how much he wants for it. Although perplexed, he sells her nothing for $300, which is the amount she offers to pay him. The shopkeepers, including Otis, could not believe what had happened! The next day the woman returns to buy more of nothing, but Otis refuses to sell her nothing, so she goes elsewhere. All of the other shopkeepers are very willing to sell her nothing and the townspeople are so intrigued by what the woman is doing, they begin looking for nothing to buy as well. They are so eager to have nothing that they throw all of their old things away to make room for it. These things eventually end up in Otis’ store. However, things change when the woman, Suzie Gump, takes a bath, but has no towel to dry off with, so she goes in search of something. She then buys everything in Otis’s store. When another man comes into his store at closing time that day as asks what is for sale, Otis pushes him away because he does not want the “nothing” frenzy to return to the town!

Response: I really like the humor in this book. The entire story is just full of it--from the insane idea of buying nothing to Otis pushing the final shopper out the door to alleviate the return of the town frenzy.

The illustrations in this book are very good. They are not detailed, but show just enough detail to be interesting. Nearly all of them are double-page spreads filled with bright and muted colors. Instead of making characters look exactly as people would look with details, he uses various shapes to make noses and faces that make each character look different, but not overdone.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book in her second grade classroom. She could do the text talk lesson that I did. Here are the questions and answers for that lesson:

Teacher Comments and Questions:

Page 1: Antique means very old. So, what does it mean when it says that “Otis had just sold his last antique”? (That means that he had just sold his last very old item.)

Page 2: Baffled means surprised. So what does it mean when the book says that Otis was baffled when Suzie offered to buy “nothing?” (It means that he was surprised.)

What is going on in the story so far? (Suzie Gump has walked in Otis’ store at closing time and wanted to buy nothing from him, which is surprising to him.)

Page 3: Ridiculous means crazy or strange. So, what does it mean when it says that Otis thought buying nothing was ridiculous? (It means that he thought it was crazy.)

What did we just find out? (Suzie is excited about buying nothing because she has had many things, but she has never had nothing!)

Page 7: What is going on here? (Some other shopkeepers have just found out that Otis sold nothing to Suzie and she paid $300 for it. They were surprised because they had never heard of anyone buying nothing before and things like that “only happen in the movies.”)

Page 8: Now what is happening? (The other shopkeepers are very eager to sell “nothing” for money.)

Page 13: Frenzy means that there was a lot of commotion and chaos. So, what does it mean when the book says the town was in a frenzy? (It means that it was chaotic.)

What do we now know? (The whole town wants to and is buying nothing because Suzie finds it so appealing.)

Page 16: What did we just find out? (Everyone has thrown their old things away to make room for their new “nothing and everyone’s old “stuff” is now in Otis’ store.)

What is the big problem here? (The problem is that now everyone wants nothing, not something, so Otis will not be able to sell his things.)

Page 23: Oh, no! Now what has happened? (When Suzie wanted to get out of her bathtub, she realized that she did not even have a towel to dry off with, a bathrobe to put on, or a car to drive into town in, so she decided to walk to town.

Page 28: So, what is going on here? (Suzie just went to Otis’ shop and bought everything he had!)

Page 30: What just happened? (A customer walked into Otis’ store at closing time when he had nothing to sell and Otis pushed the customer out the door.)

Follow-Up Questions:

Why might Otis have pushed the gentleman who came into his store when it was empty back out the door? (He probably did this because he did not want another frenzy to begin in town again like the one that started because Suzie walked into his store when it was empty.)

Explain why you either agree or disagree with what the other shopkeepers did (trying their best to sell to Suzie when they learned she wanted to buy nothing). (I do not think what they did was right because they took Suzie’s money and gave her nothing. Even though that is what she wanted, they should have known it was the wrong thing to do, like Otis did.)

Why did all of the townspeople do what Suzie did? (Because she was rich and they thought that since she was rich, she might have seen an opportunity somewhere that they might miss if they did not do as she did.)

Vocabulary Lesson:

Antique:

The book said “Otis had just sold his last antique.” An antique is something that is very old. Say antique.

Which of the following are antiques?

§ A car from 1908 or a book bag you have had for one year? (The car.)
§ Your great-great grandmother’s earrings or the bike you got for your last birthday. (The earrings.)
§ Your new basketball or your great-grandmother’s necklace?

Baffled:

The book says Otis was baffled by Suzie Gump’s decision to buy nothing. Baffled means surprised. Say baffled.

§ What is the difference between being baffled and understanding? (Those words are antonyms; they mean the opposite of one another.)
§ What is the difference between being baffled and knowing information about something? (Those words are antonyms too!)
§ Is there a difference between being baffled and being confused? (No; those words are synonyms; they mean the same thing.)

Ridiculous:

The book said that Otis thought buying nothing was ridiculous. Ridiculous means crazy or strange. Say ridiculous.

§ What things, words, or situations do you think of when you think of something as being ridiculous? (I think of a cow on the roof of my house and the words crazy and strange.)

Frenzy:

The book said that the town was in a frenzy. Frenzy means there is a lot of commotion or chaos. Say frenzy.

§ Describe a time when you would see a frenzy. (You could see a frenzy of people if you go shopping the day after Thanksgiving.)

Vocabulary Review: antique, baffled, ridiculous, and frenzy
§ Which is an antique: The chair your grandfather was rocked in when he was little, or your ipod? (Chair)

§ Would you be baffled if I came to class with orange hair or if you had lunch in the cafeteria today? (Orange hair.)

§ Would you think it was ridiculous to put gas in a car or eat while standing on your head? (Eat while standing on your head.)

§ Do you think it would cause a frenzy if gas prices became $10.00 per gallon, or if the cafeteria began putting napkins on all the tables? (Gas prices.)

A teacher could also use this book with fourth graders. She could read it to them and then have each of them write their own similar "books" or just a few pages about the words "Something," "Everything," "Always," "Somewhere," etc.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities, students can increase their vocabularies, hone their comprehension skills, and gain a better understanding of similar words such as something, everything, etc.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.embracingthechild.com/bsnothing.jpg

"Frog Legs"

2008-09-15T17:52:00.009-04:00

Frog Legs
Written by: George Shannon
Illustrated by: Amit Trynan
Published by Greenwillow Books in NY in 2000
ISBN: 0-688-17047-1
Genres: Picture Book, Poetry, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is a book written in action verse. It is a collection of poetry that is fun and also teaches concepts such as the alphabet and numbers. Each page or two-page spread has a different poem that could be incorporated into a classroom setting. There is no specific theme, but the poems in this book range in topic from splashing through puddles, to Cancan dancing, to hopscotch, Trick or Treating, three-legged racing, and balancing. The poems use these things as topics for the verse and are all about getting children to be active while reading or hearing something read, by dancing and playing while reading or listening to these poems. All of the illustrations are of adorable frogs dancing and playing, so children would love this book!

Response: I really like how the poems in this work can teach children. Certainly, not all of them provide introductions to concepts, but those which do are remarkable! I love that when you read this book you can feel the meter, which is very important in working with children because they will be able to feel it too and that will make the poems very exciting to them as well.

The illustrations of frogs in this book are so cute! The illustrator used milar paper and acrylic paints to create very animated creatures. Their hands and feet are flying everywhere in the images. The illustrations are mostly single-page spreads, except in the case of a couple of the longer poems, which needed, and received, more illustration. The illustrator also alternates between white and colored backgrounds to keep reader interest and uses a multitude of muted colors to create this work.

Teaching Connections: This book would be great for a kindergarten classroom! A teacher could read a poem from this book and have materials present for students to act out the parts. The "Flair Dance," for example, is perfectly written to sound great as a narrator reads it while children do the dance, which is somewhat like what occurs in square dancing.

With the poem "May Pole," in which children wrap colorful ribbon around a pole, a teacher could have a straw for each student along with some tape and colored ribbon and they could each make their own may pole as the teacher reads the poem.

"Jumpabet" could be performed outside with children in groups with a jump rope. It would help them learn their alphabet and be physically active at the same time!

"Just Like Me" would allow students to move around and follow the leaders, just as the poem requests, while also doing the movements of birds, and moths, etc, that are in the poem.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities the students learn about poetry, their numbers, their alphabet, and are physically active in the jump rope and follow the leader portions of the activities.

Image Retrieved From: http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/prod_images/758/30563758.jpg

"Spicy Hot Colors/Colores Picantes"

2008-09-14T20:01:00.008-04:00

Spicy Hot Colors/Colores Picantes
Written by: Sherry Shahan
Illustrated by: Paula Barragán
Published by August House Little Folk in Little Rock, Arkansas in 2004
ISBN: 0-87483-741-3
Genre(s): Picture Book, Concept Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is a concept book that teaches colors in both English and Spanish as well as some about the customs of the Hispanic culture through the things that represent the colors. On each two-page spread one color is being taught and there is a two stanza poem about something that is that color. The author writes about the item of that color and then describes that object or custom. Sometimes the author even uses onomatopoeia words to describe. At the end of each poem the author writes, in big, bold capital letters, the color represented and its Spanish equivalent.

Response: I really like that this is a concept book that teaches many concepts! It not only helps students learn about their colors in English and Spanish, but also introduces them to poetry! I also like that this book, when comparing colors to things, makes those connections to things in the Hispanic culture, like iguanas, chili sauce, corn, castanets, and the day of the dead.

One thing that surprised me about this book was that the color brown, that I learned as café, is now called pardo, a word I have not ever heard. Even I was able to learn something from this book!

Because this is a concept book about colors, the illustrations in this book are very vibrant. They are very simple, yet very striking. In most cases the entire page, as the background for the illustrations, is covered in a deep shade of whatever color is represented in the words on that page. (In other cases, there are also complimentary colors present in the background to make the illustrations in the color being reviewed, stand out more.)

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with kindergartners to help them with their colors as well as to help introduce them to color words in Spanish. The teacher could get several musical instruments, or read this book to her students in the music room where she would then have access to those instruments, and then assign a student a sound and have that person choose an instrument to make the sound. When each child has at least one instrument to use to make a sound, the teacher should read the book again so that the students can help in the storytelling process by making the sounds described in the book.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity students learn color words in English and Spanish as well as a little about the concept of poetry, use of adjectives, and the customs of Hispanic cultures. They also learn about rhythm and musical instruments!

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bilingualbooks.com/mas_assets/thumb/883.jpg

" Metropolitan Cow"

2008-09-14T01:39:00.007-04:00

Metropolitan Cow
Written and illustrated by: Tim Egan
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company in NY in 1996
ISBN: 0-395-73096-1
Genre: Picture Book

Award: Parent's Choice Gold Award
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a book about a cow, who has just moved to the city, becoming friends with a pig who loves to roll around in the mud. The cow's parents tell him he is much too dignified to roll in the mud like the pig, but the young calf does not totally understand this. Even though the two families become somewhat at odds, they reunite and become friends after Bennet (the cow) runs away after being scolded for getting into the mud and his friends, Webster (The pig), helps find him. This is such a cute story for young readers and students in the lower elementary grades to jump into exploring commonalities and differences between their classmates and themselves.

Response: I really liked the story of this book. I think that having the story be about a cow and a pig was a good idea because it makes the book seem less explicit in its teaching methods. I think implicit ways of teaching students things works much better because it, in this case, is a lesson presented to them in story format, which they are much more likely to remember in the future.

The illustrations in this work are very different. Every illustration, except for the first and last ones, are 1.5 page spreads and then text is located on the white-space on the left side of the left page. The colors are very muted and most of the pigs and cows look alike, but their clothing distinguishes them. I think that these illustrations, though good, would be VERY confusing to a child. The cows and the pigs in this book are both pink and I would be afraid, even with the title of the book, that children would think all the characters were pigs, so I believed that part of the story's point was to get children to not rely on the pictures, which would have been a great idea, but, in reality, it was just the illustrator's choice of colors that makes the illustrations slightly confusing for readers.

Teaching Connections: This book could easily be used with a second grade class to teach about everyone's differences. After the teacher reads this book to her students, they will each be given a Bingo sheet/piece of paper that will have a commonality or dissimilarity between them an others on it. For example, one space might say same eye color and another might say different hobby. The teacher would go over each of the squares on the paper and then have students find others with either a similarity or difference, as the square says, between them and another person and then write that person's name in that square. The first person to get their whole card filled up (they would be playing full-card Bingo) would win a piece of candy or a homework pass, etc.

This book could also be used with this age group to greatly increase their vocabulary. This book could be read to them on a Monday and then the students could fill out their vocabulary sheet that day after the teacher talks about words such as: metropolitan, fortunate, prominent, socialites, and dignified. The teacher could have a review of these words each class day and then give the students a test or quiz on these words at the end of the week.

What Students Learn: From this book and this activity students learn to be accepting of one another despite everyone's differences and also gain much vocabulary. The activity would also help them get to know their peers at the beginning of the school year and would help increase their social skills.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.thebestkidsbooksite.com/reading/mbookpict/metrocow.jpg

"Front Porch Tales and North Country Whoppers"

2008-09-13T23:52:00.007-04:00

Front Porch Tales and North Country Whoppers
Written and illustrated by: Tomie dePaola
Published by: G. P. Putnam's sons in NY in 2007
ISBN: 978-0-399-24756-5
Genre: Picture Book, Traditional Literature
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grades 2, 4

Summary: This is a book that contains a collection of folk tales from several of the New England states. The work is divided into the seasons and contains several folk tales from each season in every section. These are tales that have happened to the author, or just ones that he had heard told. Several of the stories in the book begin with truths about the occurrences in the story. For example, the last story in the book is about the dividing line between Vermont and New Hampshire, so the story begins with some background information about the conflict so as to give readers a context for the story. This work gives an interesting representation of states in the area that could not have been accomplished were it not written in this style!

Response: I really like the idea behind this book. I think that it is a very good book for talking about the seasons and that it teaches its readers a little about the people of the New England states, their weather, and how they think. In terms of the somewhat strange vocabulary that is used in this book, I also appreciate the glossary in the back of the book!

The illustrations in this book are somewhat cartoon-like. Each person in the pictures has a very distinct face shape and most everyone has the same stature. The clothes and the settings are what changes throughout the book. Since the book is divided into seasonal sections, at the beginning of each new section, there is a full two-page spread of illustrations representing that season. Then, on the subsequent pages there are illustrations that surround the words to help illustrate the stories. Also, in each seasonal section, there is a "cartoon strip" detailing something humorous that happened or could happen in the New England states in that season.

Teaching Connections: With second graders a teacher could read a tale to her class and could project the book from a document scanner/projector (or make copies for her class if it does not violate copyright laws) and have them either call out spelling "mistakes" to her or circle and correct them on their own, so that they can learn about the differences in dialects and how to still attain meaning from print, even that which is different from the traditional.

With a fourth grade class this book could be used to introduce them to the concept of folk tales, which, in North Carolina, they are supposed to learn about during that year of school. The teacher could read several of these to her class each day and encourage her students to find these on their own as well. Each student could find a book or take notes on a story they hear from their family that qualifies as a folk tale, and recite and discuss this with his class.

What Students Learn: From this book and the provided lessons students can learn about folk tales, gain vocabulary while also gaining knowledge about regional dialects, as well as be able to determine what constitutes a folk tale.

Image Retrieved From: http://img2.libreriauniversitaria.it/BUS/300/754/9780399247545.jpg

"Go!"

2008-09-08T15:48:00.010-04:00

Go!
Written and illustrated by: Daniel Kirk
Published by Hyperion Books for Children in NY in 2001
ISBN: 0-7868-0305-3
Genres: Picture Book, Poetry, Song Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grades K, 2, and 4

Summary: This book is a collection of poems about everyday life. Some are about things children like, such as rollerblading; planes, trains, and automobiles; and skateboarding. Others are about the cars parents drive, polar bears and their skates, and long rides home from weekend vacations. Still others are classic songs like "I've Been Working on the Railroad!" There is also a CD with this book for sing-alongs.

Response: I like that this book is interactive from the beginning, since it has lots of songs and poems and comes with a CD. I also really like some of these creative poems/songs! Some of my favorite titles are: "Grandpa's Motorized Wheelchair," "My Old Man Drives a Minivan," "Mamma's Motorcycle," "Hippos on the Subway Train," and "Sammy's Bathtub Submarine." With titles such as those, how could you not want to pick up this book and read it to your class?

I found it interesting that the illustrations in this book seemed to make the words secondary in that the illustrations are really what capture the attention of readers much moreso than the words, simply because of their amazing detail and creative style. In the author/illustrator's note it says that he used oil and watercolor paints, pastels, charcoal, and colored pencils, as well as cut-paper and photo collage, and Sculpey clay! This illustrator really used his imagination on this book!

Teaching Connections: I can absolutely see this book being used in a Kindergarten classroom. A teacher could read one of the songs or poems to her students and then project the book, using a document scanner/projector, onto the board and finger-point read it again along with her class. Then, they could learn about sentence structure by discussing nouns, verbs, rhyming words, etc, and circling and underlining those words in the poem or song!

A second grade teacher could also play the CD for her class and get a set of these books and have her class finger-point read along with it.

I could also see this book being used in a fourth grade classroom. Some of the poems are too juvenile for fourth graders, but others are just cute and funny enough to be sufficient for their grade level, such as "Mamma's Motorcycle," "Skateboard Dream," and "My Old Man Drives a Minivan." The teacher could read these poems/songs as examples and/or have the children listen to them and then pick a topic in their lives that interests them such as rollerblading or traveling, and then have them write a rhyming poem about that.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities students learn about rhyming words, nouns, verbs, and the concept of song. They also gain better reading and writing skills.

Image Retrieved From: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51N848DAQDL._SL500_AA240_.jpg

"Turtle in the Sea"

2008-09-08T15:06:00.009-04:00

Turtle in the Sea
Written and illustrated by: Jim Arnosky
Published by G. P. Putnam's Sons in NY in 2002
ISBN: 0-399-22757-1
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 2
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book takes reader on the journey with a sea turtle. Readers learn about all of her trials and tribulations with sharks, fishermen's nets, boats, and waterspouts and her ability to survive despite these immense challenges. The story leaves us with her laying her eggs on the shore. Her babies eventually hatch and venture out to sea themselves to face the same trials their mother has.

Response: I have loved turtles since I was very little and even had a tarpin as a pet at one time, so this was a book I just had to read! I think turtles are just such remarkable creatures. I really like that this book shares the struggles of the turtle's life with its readers because I often think they are almost invincible because of their strong, protective shells. But, in reality, they have trials just like all other animals!

The illustrations in this book, also done by the author, make one feel as though she is in the water with the turtle. They are very colorful, as every illustration has yellow around the edges, so that is jumps off the page at the reader. Mr. Arnosky uses many pinks, purples, and blues to achieve illustrations that truly capture the audience's attention. Many of the illustrations are single-page spreads, but those which are double-page spreads are over-sized drawings of the sea turtle herself!

Teaching Connections: I think this would be a great book to read to second graders. After the teacher read this to her students, she could lead into a discussion about animals habitats and life cycles, about which students in North Carolina are supposed to learn in the second grade. This website can be of much assistance--click here. (Click on teachers, then sea turtle adventure.)

What Students Learn: From this book and subsequent activities students can learn all about sea turtles and their habitats and life cycles.

Image Retrieved From: http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51PR94Z06GL._SL500_BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-dp-500-arrow,TopRight,45,-64_OU01_AA240_SH20_.jpg

"Shake It, Morena!: and Other Folklore From Puerto Rico"

2008-09-08T14:42:00.009-04:00

Shake It, Morena!: and Other Folklore From Puerto Rico
Written by: Carmen T. Bernier-Grand
Illustrated by: Lulu Delacre
Published by The Millbrook Press in Brookfield, Connecticut in 2002
ISBN: 0-7613-1910-7
Genres: Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This book is a collection of folklore from Puerto Rico. It includes songs, riddles, stories, snacks, and math lessons in both English and Spanish. This collection is from the author's personal experiences as a child who grew up in Puerto Rico. Each page has a new idea for one of the aforementioned activities and suggestions for and/or information about the activity. In the back of the book there is even sheet music for several of the songs in the book, which the teacher could play on a keyboard or piano while the children sing along!

Response: I really like how this book gives the opportunity to bring the Hispanic culture into the classroom in ways that students can actually learn from it within the curriculum! With nearly all of the book's activities there is an explanation about it that can give teachers and students more information about the culture of Puerto Rico.

The illustrations in this book are done in such a way that they do not disrupt the activities and games in the work, but where they can help explain the activity and show readers illustrations of people doing these activities. Most of the time these illustrations are not full pages of color, like in some books, but, rather, they are done on white backgrounds with vibrant colors just to keep the lessons interesting enough for the reader to want to turn the page.

Teaching Connections: I think this would be a great book to use with second graders because at that age they are interested many things, cultures includes, and they love to run and jump and be active, so these songs and games would be great for them. As the author suggests, the activities in this book can be implemented into the math, social studies, science, writing, reading, and physical education parts of the curriculum. A teacher could teach a little about culture in general and then, more specifically, about Puerto Rican culture. The latter of which could be done solely through her choosing of several of the activities to do with her students throughout the week. It might also be fun to find books like this from other cultures, if there are any, and use them as part of an entire cultural unit!

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities within, students learn about culture and, more specifically, the culture of Puerto Ricans and how their culture is similar and different from our own.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.childrensbookguild.org/images/delarce_shake.jpg

"Do I Have a Daddy?"

2008-09-08T14:11:00.012-04:00

Do I Have a Daddy?
Written by: Jeanne Warren Lindsay
Illustrated by: Jami Moffett
Published by Morning Glory Press in Buena Park, CA in 1991
ISBN: 1-885356-63-3
Genres: Picture Book, Informational Text, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is a book about a little boy whose friend tells him he does not have a daddy. He asks his mother if he does have one and she explains that he does have a daddy and that they were just too young when he was born to get married. The mother reiterates that the boy's father loved him very much and that it was not his fault that he had gone away. She also explains that if she gets married one day, that that man will be the little boy's father, but that right now it is important for him to play with his uncle and his grandfather .

Response: I think that perhaps having this book in the classroom could be somewhat controversial because there is a fine line between being a good teacher and overstepping one's boundaries. However, I think that it is very important for students to be exposed to lifestyles different from their own and to be exposed to a book that may discuss a situation similar to their own. I believe that it is the parents right and responsibility to teach their child about their family situation, but that exposure to this book is the right step in helping other children be excepting of their peers in school.

I love that in the back of the book there are notes for single parents about what is important to teach one's child about their family situations. It includes information for divorced parents, never-married parents, parents explaining the "totally absent father," the importance of being honest and stressing the positives, making sure the child is reassured, and knowing one's own feelings about the situation. It also gives information about how to know when is the right time to talk, why not to cover up the situation, what to do if the father returns, why male role models are important, and how to make the best use of this book.

The illustrations in this book are textured drawings with smeared colors. They are all single-page spreads and some are very detailed, even showing the lines on the grandfather's face. I love that the background of the illustration of the boy and his mother in the kitchen is the refrigerator with the child's drawings clipped to it! Little details sometimes make a big difference.

Teaching Connections: I think that this book could/should be read to a Kindergarten class. It should be the beginning of a lesson about different types of families. The teacher should research these common types of families such as: whole families, single-parent families, families of children being raised by grandparents, etc, and discuss some of these with the children and express that, although they are all different, they are all families and they are all great situations to be in because there is love in the family. The teacher should also emphasize acceptance of all types of families and remember to NEVER single a child out to talk about his or her family.
(Note: The teacher could also bring other books in this series into her classroom, either to read or just to have on a shelf in case a situation arises that she could use them.)

What Students Learn: From this book and the activity children will learn about different types of families and how to be accepting of each of them.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.morningglorypress.com/catalog/images/DoIHaveDaddy_4c.jpg

"Right Here on This Spot"

2008-09-08T09:34:00.008-04:00

Right Here on This Spot
Written by: Sharon Hart Addy
Illustrated by: John Clapp
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Company in Boston in 1999
ISBN:0-395-73091-0
Genres: Picture Book, Informational Text, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grade 3
Activity Level: Grades 1, 4

Summary: This book is about what has happened on a grandfather's farm in the past. It is about finding a Civil War soldier's lost button, a large bone from an extinct animal, and a Paleo-Indian's lost arrowhead. It provided readers with an interesting history about the time of these Native Americans and what the world was like when they lived there as well as some introductory information about the Civil War. It is about past times and the appreciation we should have of them.

Response: I really like that this book talks about the past and makes readers guess what has been found before it tells them directly. I think that it will increase the inquisitive nature of the students who hear or read this story as well as encourage them to share stories of what they have found in their backyards.

The illustrations in this book are very beautiful. Most of the double-page spreads have a white frame around the illustrations and white spaces on each side of the frame where the story is written and where there is usually another smaller black and white sketch of something related to the story. A lot of the illustrations are in dark colors that really express the the sadness of the loss of Indian traditions and soldiers in the Civil War. The illustrations closer to the end of the book are in brighter colors and are very detailed, especially the one on pages 21-22, which includes all of the things one might traditionally find in a grandmother's house. The hands on pages 23-24 are also drawn with amazing detail.

Teaching Connections: To use this book in a first grade classroom a teacher could read this book to her class and ask questions throughout to encourage her students' thinking skills. For example, when the book talks about the glacier melting, the teacher could ask what concept the author might be referring to (global warming), and when the story talks about a soldier losing a button, she could ask in what war the students think he might have fought in and help them with their answers by making note of some context clues, since, at that age, they may not know. She could also ask what animal the bone found in the story might have come from. (Note: the teacher will have to define what a mastodon is and should read the historical note to her class after she reads the book to them.)

To use this book with a fourth grade class, the teacher could read it to her students and then have them research this group of Native Americans or the Civil War and make a short presentation to the class about their findings.

What Students Learn: From this book and the subsequent activities students learn about the Paleo-Indians, the Civil War, and gain skills in story prediction.

Image Retrieved From:http://www.giantstepsbooks.com/images/picks/righthere_sm.jpg

"Verde dice adelante/Green Means Go"

2008-09-08T09:14:00.007-04:00

Verde dice adelante/Green Means Go
Written by: Susan Ring
Adapted Translations by: Gloria Ramos
Photographs by: Various
Published by Red Brick Learning in Bloomington, Minnesota in 2006
ISBN: 0-7368-6021-5
Genres: Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Kindergarten
Activity Level: Grades K and 1

Summary: This book introduces English as well as Spanish-speaking children to some of the rules of our country and our culture. It talks about traffic lights, the importance of bicycle and bus rules, and why they are they (in order to keep us safe). It does not go in-depth into the rules, but makes a case for their importance and provides the opportunity for teachers to teach these rules. It is a level A social studies book for young readers.

Response: I really wish this book would have gone more in-depth with some of the rules they say are important for us to have. I think maybe the book is supposed to be an introduction into the rules that the teacher would then teach (which is actually the activity I suggest below).

The photographs in this book are of actual children riding their bikes and getting on the bus as well as of trains and traffic lights, so it helps children see exactly what these things look like in real life so they can easily identify the stop signs and lights, etc.

Teaching Connections: This book could be used in a Kindergarten classroom to help introduce all the children to the rules. The teacher could read the story once in English and once in Spanish to her students and then go back, page by page, and ask the students if they know what the rules are for the situation. (She could also then move into discussing the classroom rules as well.)

This book could also be used with an ELL who is on a Kindergarten or first grade reading level. The teacher could work one-on-one with this child and have him read the book in his primary language and then in English. Then, she could ask the student about those rules.

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities children have the opportunity to learn or review safety rules related to school and traffic, learn some English or Spanish, and possibly learn some the classroom rules as well.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.reviewscout.com/images/Q/02409a800d9bc61f0e0ceadb59363704/0736860215.jpg

"My Truck is Stuck"

2008-09-07T17:09:00.007-04:00

My Truck is Stuck

Written by: Kevin Lewis

Illustrated by: Daniel Kirk

Published by Hyperion Books For Children in NY in 2002

ISBN: 0-7868-0534-X

Genres: Picture Book, Concept Book

Reading Level: Grade 1

Activity Level: Kindergarten

Summary: This is such a cute book about a truck driver's truck getting stuck in a pothole on the highway. Cars and trucks of various engine sizes attempt to help the stuck truck driver out of the hole in this story. Meanwhile, several prairie dogs "help" him by decreasing the load he is carrying (by taking the driver's bones from his truck). As each vehicles comes to help the driver, the book makes a point to count how many engines are then pulling the truck in order to help children increase their familiarity with the numbers 1-5.

Response: I love that this book takes special care to point out and have children count how many engines are pulling the truck. It will certainly help them learn their numbers from one to five. I also really like that the book is written as a rhyming, somewhat rhythmic, poem because I think that makes it more interesting to younger children.

The illustrations in this book are very vibrantly-colored textured works with a good deal of detail in each one. Each of them, except for the last one, is a double-page spread, which, along with the sing-songy words of the book, make the story go very quickly.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with Kindergartners to help them increase their knowledge of rhyming words, through having the story read to them, and learn about their numbers, one through five. She would have previously drawn and colored or printed pictures of each of the vehicles in this book before she reads it to her class. Then, she would give the vehicles to a student and have him or her put that picture on the board as she read the accompanying page. Each student with a vehicle would have to count the previous vehicles until the story is completed.

What Students Learn: From this book and the coordinating activity students learn about teamwork, rhyming words, and the numbers from one to five.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.linktoafrica.com/product_images/3_30987595.jpg

"The Rusty, Trusty Tractor

2008-09-07T16:36:00.009-04:00

The Rusty, Trusty Tractor
Written by: Joy Cowley
Illustrated by: Oliver Dunrea
Published by Boyds Mill Press, Inc. in Honesdale, Pennsylvania in 1999
ISBN: 1-56397-565-3

Genres: Picture Book, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 3-4
Activity Level: Grades 2 and 4

Summary: This is a story about a grandfather, his grandson, and his grandfather's tractor. A salesman comes to the grandfather's farm at the beginning of the book and wants Grandpappy to buy a new tractor from him because Mr. Hill (the salesman) does not believe that his will last through the growing season. Grandpappy goes to visit Mr. Hill's store, but is not interested in buying, so Mr. Hill says he will give Grandpappy one jelly doughnut for every acre his tractor plows that year. The tractor does well throughout the season and is able to pick up all the bales of hay before the rains come and Mr. Hill, though very surprised, brings Grandpappy his jelly doughnuts. In the end, Grandpappy's tractor even saves the day when it rescues Mr. Hill's car from the mud!

Response: I really like how Joy Cowley focuses her book more on the fact that new and shiny is not always better. It shows children that they should appreciate what they have. This book even gives reasons for Grandpappy not buying a new tractor such as, he does not need a radio because he whistles, he does not need heat or air conditioning because if the weather is too cold, Grandpappy puts on his coat and if it is too hot, he takes it off! Also, Grandpappy does not need a new fancy engine on his tractor because with his old one he can just fix it himself with wire!

The illustrations in this book are very realistic-looking and the expressions on Grandpappy's face are amazing! When I read about Grandpappy's expressions, the ones pictured in the book are exactly what I imagined would be on his face. The tractors and equipment are also very well drawn with much detail. (Boys would love this book.)

Teaching Connections: In a second grade classroom a teacher could read this book to them and then, as a class, create a chart on the board with very descriptive words that depicted each of the three characters in the book. This would greatly increase their imaginative use of adjectives.

With fourth graders, the teacher could read this book to them and then have them write a response to how Grandpappy felt about his tractor, either as a poem or just as Grandpappy thinking to himself.

What Students Learn: From this book children learn that new and shiny is not always better. Sometimes, what one has needs to be appreciated because it is valuable and useful. It may not be the top of the line, or even beautiful, but children and adults should not negate things that work just because of that. Children also begin to learn about various pieces of farm equipment from this book.

From the activities, children can learn adjectives and increase their creative writing abilities, in second and fourth grades, respectively.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.boydsmillspress.com/coverimages/large/978-1-56397-565-3.jpg

"el verano"

2008-09-06T20:44:00.007-04:00

el verano
Written by: Carme Solé Vendrell
Illustrated by: Josep MaParramón
Published by Parramón Ediciones, S.A. in Barcelona, España in 1986
ISBN: 0-8120-3647-6
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Grade 1

Summary: This book, written entirely in Spanish, details about the summer. It includes very simple sentences about things that occur in summer. For example, it deals with the people vacationing, the red sun at night, children playing at the beach, etc. The book shows children and their families relaxing together in their boats and enjoying their time off work.

Response: I think this is a very cute book for beginning readers. I also like that the sentences continue from page to page because it makes readers feel as though they are reading faster, since they spend less time looking at the illustrations, because they want to finish a sentence so they do not lose the ability to comprehend the story. This can give them much self-confidence that most beginning readers tend to lack.

The illustrations in the book are probably watercolor and are done in slightly muted tones, but are still very colorful. The illustrator does not put as much emphasis on details some do because he wants the reader to finish this book quickly as well, in order to gain confidence, and not become distracted by the illustrations.

Teaching Connections: A teacher could use this book with a first grade ELL student who is trying to learn English. She could have him read a page and then ask him to translate certain words, such as "colores," "frutos," "tiendas," etc, in order to gradually enhance the students' skills. She could also have the student tell her about the differences he or she has noticed in the summers in America versus those where the child is from, if he or she has been here long enough to answer those questions.

What Students Learn: From this book and this activity, students learn Spanish words for occurrences in the Summer and ELL, when prompted, can learn English words and attempt to increase their skills in English.

"Ask Me"

2008-09-06T20:05:00.007-04:00

Ask Me
Written by: Antje Damm
Translated by: Doris Orgel
Photogographers:Various
Published by: Roaring Book Press in Brookfield, Connecticuit in 2002
ISBN: 0-7613-1845-3
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Grades 1-4

Summary: This book's purpose is to start conversations between parents and children. Within its 221 pages, every other page lists a question that could begin one of these conversations and the other pages are pictures related to those questions, mostly of children. Some of my favorite of these conversation starters are:

What have you taught someone? (p. 196)
Which animals scare you? (p. 152)
What have you brought back from a trip? (p. 126)
What will you save for your own child? (p. 22)
What story do they tell about you as a baby? (p. 32)

Response: I really liked this idea of these conversation starters for parents and children. It is not that I believe that parents and children do not discuss things, but I think the questions in this book are wonderful in that they help make relationships between parents and children even stronger, as the author hopes they will. This book puts parents and children on the same level because it asks these questions in ways children can understand and yet in ways both parents and children can both relate to.

I love that the illustrations and pictures in this book are of children doing their daily activities and colorful drawings that children have created. It makes children want to read this book as much as parents should want to!

Teaching Connections: Altogether this book is specifically targeted toward parents and children, I think it could certainly be used in the classroom. A teacher could have this book in her classroom and choose a different child each day to read a question. Then, the students could have a chance to write and/or draw about their experiences after the teacher has told them about hers related to the daily topic/question. I think that this is a great way to make children more comfortable with their teachers because they have things in common.

This activity could be implemented in a first grade classroom, where children would draw a picture and write a sentence in response to the questions; in a second grade classroom, where children would be required to draw a picture and write a paragraph in response; or in the upper elementary grades where students would not draw a picture, but instead, would write increasingly long passages about their experiences and possibly share them with the class. This would be an especially great warm-up activity for the day in fourth grade classrooms, since fourth graders have the writing test to prepare themselves for.

What Students Learn: From this book, the conversations that are sure to ensue, and the activity, children will learn more about the people in their lives and life in general. The will also gain the ability to express their thoughts well and better writing skills.

"Chickens May NOT Cross the Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws"

2008-09-05T15:52:00.010-04:00

Chickens May NOT Cross the Road and Other Crazy (But True) Laws
Written by: Kathi Linz
Illustrated by: Tony Griego
Published by: Houghton Mifflin Company in NY in 2002

ISBN: 0-618-11257-X
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grades 2, 3, and 4

Summary: This is a book that not only lists several crazy laws, past and present, but also a book which details much about our legal system. After every few pages of strange laws, the author writes about such things as why we have such laws, why we have laws at all, who wrote the oldest set of known laws, United States Citizens' rights, the different branches of our government, and how laws are passed. The author addresses each of these questions individually in enough detail appropriate to the grade level of students who would be reading this book. The book's purpose is not only to make students laugh, but also to make hem ponder the laws we currently have and think about their world in a new way.

Response: My first reaction upon completing my reading of this book was to be grateful that North Carolina is NOT in this book! Yay for us!

Although there are several humorous laws in this book, my absolute favorite is "Barbers can't eat onions between seven in the morning and seven in the evening (Waterloo, Nebraska)" (p. 26). I can just imagine someone complaining about his barber's smelly breath while he was shaving his beard to the police, who, in turn, put this law on the books. I have always found it interesting, when thinking about some of the crazy laws we sometimes stumble upon, what must have happened in order for that law to have been put in place. For example, did someone actually tie and alligator to a fire hydrant and someone else become upset? Or, did a person really ride a horse so ugly that another person was offended?

I love that this book does not just superficially list these strange laws and provide no context or further information for the reader, but instead makes a case for the importance of laws, perhaps besides those in the book, and details about the judicial system of the United States.

The illustrations in this book are all very colorful one-page spreads that are fairly humorous (to match the laws they depict). This adds a child-like quality to this book that combines humor with a good amount of useful information for children.

Teaching Connections: This book could be used for students in second, third, and fourth grades. In second grade, a teacher could read the laws in this book to her class and have a discussion about the questions the author tries to answer about laws in the book. Then, students could be placed into groups, choose a law from this book, and write a short story together about what might have occurred in order for such a law to be passed.

In the third grade, a teacher could do the same as for the second grade, but the students could write their stories about the laws individually.

(Note: In both cases the teacher would need to be certain to reiterate how important laws are, even though some of them are silly. Hopefully, the children's stories might help them also realize this point because they should be written in a way that details why that particular law was important at a specific time.)

I think this book would also be a great one to read to children when teaching about the legal system in the fourth grade. The humorous laws and illustrations in this book would really get the students interested in learning about laws. A teacher could read this to her students as the beginning of her lessons about the country's and state's laws. Perhaps she could read all of the crazy laws and then ask students the questions the author tries to answer in the book, and then go back through and read her answers to the class. Then, she could begin teaching about the legal system beginning with reading pages 28 and 29.

What Students Learn: By reading this book and having a follow-up lesson about the laws, students will learn that laws do become dated sometimes, but they are there to protect us. The will also come to know how laws are enacted!

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bookcloseouts.com/images/large/isbn978061/9780618112579-l.jpg

"A Family From Germany"

2008-09-05T15:16:00.010-04:00

A Family From Germany
Written by: Sonja Peters
Photographs by: Peter Ginter
Published by Steck-Vaughn Company in Austin, TX in 1998
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text
ISBN: 0-8172-4905-2
Reading Level: Grade 4
Activity Level: Grades 2, 4, and 5

Summary: This book teaches readers all about Germany through the story of the life of one young family. Readers learn about the more simple life of Germans, where having as many things as some American families do, seems excessive. (The first picture in this book is of the entire family and everything they own sitting in their driveway!) By reading this book children are introduced to the statistics of Germany, some history of the country, the family's home and lifestyle, common foods in Germany, work, school, and some leisure activities in which the family participates.

Response: I think this is a great book for children who are beginning to learn research skills. There is much information placed in this one text about this specific country. That information is learned through reading about the family and reading the highlighted inserts on many of the pages.

The photographs in this book show much about German life, such as how Germans dress, what family homes and schools look like, and how families relax there. These photographs of real people make readers feel as though they are actually in Germany, viewing these scenes for themselves, so it make the story seem more real to the students.

Teaching Connections: For second graders, the teacher could get another book in this series and divide both books into sections so that she had enough for a small lesson for each day of the week and read to her class the same information about the two countries the books discuss, each day. Then, the class could practice their skills with Venn Diagrams to compare and contrast the two countries.

In a fourth or fifth grade classroom, the teacher could assign this book along with the other 10 books in this "Families Around the World" Series to a group of students. (Each of the 11 groups would receive one book about one country, or the teacher could divide the class into 5 or 6 groups and give each group 2 books.) Each group would then be asked to choose the most important and interesting facts within the text and make a short presentation to the rest of the class about the country they studied.

To make this activity appropriate for each grade level, I would increase the number of sources that needed (from 2 in the fourth grade to 3 in the fifth, with the books in this series as the beginning point) to be read before a group could present (and also increase the amount of time each group had to present from 6 minutes to 9 minutes).

What Students Learn: From this series of book and these activity students will learn about countries around the world and common customs, food, and family lifestyles about which they may not have previous known.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bedfordfallsusa.com/store/images/0817249052_large.JPG

"White Owl, Barn Owl"

2008-09-05T14:20:00.011-04:00

White Owl, Barn Owl
Written by: Nicola Davies
Illustrated by: Michael Foreman
Published by Candlewick Press in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 2007

ISBN: 978-0-7636-3364-6
Genre(s): Picture Book, Informational Text, Realistic Fiction
Reading Level: Grades 3-4
Activity Level: Grade 2

Summary: This is a really great book about a grandfather and his grandson who bond throughout the process of building a nest box for a white (barn) owl and awaiting the owl's arrival. It takes place in winter and is a book in which the reader learns about these owls along with the boy in the story. Throughout the story, the grandfather teaches the boy about patience and many aspects of the owl's life, including its hunting for food and calls. This book is not only a story about a grandfather and his grandson, but is also a book that teaches about real barn owls. Every other page in this book has some factual information about barn owls for the reader. These elements of the book are incorporated into the work in a different and smaller font than the story so that readers can easily distinguish between them.

Response: One thing that I love about this book is that within the story there are tidbits of information (in a different font than the story) that prove to children that what is occurring in the story really is true. For example, at the end of the book the little boy asks his grandfather if owls will always nest in their nest box to which the older gentleman replies "'You know,...I think they might'" (p. 22) and on the same page, the author tells readers that barn owls do nest in the same sites for many years.

The illustrations in this work are very pretty. The majority of them are only single-page spreads of blue and white tones (to really make the scenes look as though they are taking place in winter). Since the illustrations are only on one page, there are normally smaller ones on the adjoining page in sepia tones that also have some connection to the story. For example, when the author writes about the boy and his grandfather first seeing the owl, the owl is the main illustration on one page and the boy and his grandfather watching are a smaller illustration in darker tones on the adjoining page. This makes readers feel more like they are in the story!

Another great thing about this book is the index in the back for readers to quickly find what parts of the story are on what page. Also, there is a note in the back of the book that gives even more information about making a real nest box!

Teaching Connections: I think this book could be read to a second grade class as a lesson on this specific animal. The teacher could read it on a Monday and then have activities for the students related to the book for the rest of the week. On that same day the teacher could make a list of words that the students could define on a quiz on Friday, from this book. Those words could be: frosty, pellet, perch, predator, prey, and talons. (The teacher will also need to define the words tussocky and vole for the students, but they should not be in charge of learning those words at their age). Each day of the week, these words would be reviewed as a class to help the students study.

On Tuesday, the students could work in groups to make their own barn owl out of paper. (Download this template and print Barn Owl Mobil 1 and 2 for each child. Even though this is a mobile template, it should work just fine.)

On Wednesday, the students could work in their same groups to create their own owl finger puppet that will fit in the nest box they will begin creating on the same day (from a template that the teacher will draw herself that looks like the box in the book and will be of appropriate size for their owl finger puppets). And, on Thursday the students would finish making their next boxes. On Friday the students would take their quiz and then someone from the Carolina Raptor Center would visit their classroom and teach them a little more about owls. The students will love this!

What Students Learn: From this book and the activities, students will learn about patience, owl habitats, feeding patterns, baby owls, how to create a nest box, several new words, and gain a new appreciation for owls!

Image Retrieved From: http://blaine.org/jules/white%20owl,%20barn%20owl.jpg

"Down By the Station"

2008-09-01T14:14:00.007-04:00

Down By the Station

Written and illustrated by: Will Hillenbrand

Published by Harcourt Brance & Company in Orlando, FL in 1999

ISBN: 0-15-201804-2

Genre: Picture Book

Reading Level: Grade 1

Activity Level: Grades K, 1

Summary: This book is about a engine driver picking up many of the baby animals throughout the zoo and taking them on their way to the children's zoo. The children come to the zoo later that day on their field trip. This book introduces readers to many baby animals and is written as a song. The song accumulates new onomatopoeia words with the addition of each new animal on the train and eventually says "See the engine driver pull his little lever...Puff, puff, Toot, toot, Thrump, thrump, Peep, peep, Grump, grump, Mew, mew, Flip, flop, Bump, bump, Off we go!" (p. 28). Each of the words in the previous sentence is a collection of all the sounds the train makes and that each of the baby animals makes as each climbs onto the train.

Response: I choose to read this book because I remember this song from when I was little and I absolutely loved/love trains! Therefore, this was one children's book I could not pass without reading. I love the song element to this book because I think it makes it so much more fun to read and can really make children excited about literature!

I also like the illustrations in this book. I think that they are wonderful for young children since the colors definitely catch the eye and nearly every one is a double-page spread, which really moves the action along in the story. I love that at the far right of each illustration, the readers are given a hint as to where they are going to travel next in the zoo.

Teaching Connections: With kindergartners and first graders this would be a great book for the teacher to read to them to begin the day and get them excited about spending time at school.

Since this book's illustrations give hints as to where the train will travel next, it would be a good, to increase the children's thinking skills, to ask them what animal they think they will see next and see how many students pick up on this element of the book!

As a lesson, the teacher could have them choose an animal out of this book each day of the week she reads it and they could write, as a class, a story about what that animal saw that day when they children came to the zoo and what the animal might have been thinking, etc.

What Students Learn: From the book and activities, children have the opportunity to learn all kinds of things about different animals, especially from the story that they right, because anything they do not know, they must work together to search for and discover as a class. They also learn much about onomatopoeia words, even if they are yet to learn what they are called!

Image Retrieved From: http://www.storyplace.org/preschool/activities/bookcovers/downbythestation.jpg

"Who's Who in My Family?"

2008-09-01T13:37:00.008-04:00

Who's Who in My Family?
Written and illustrated by: Loreen Leedy
Published by Holiday House in NY in 1995
ISBN:0-82341151-6
Genre: Picture Book, Informational Text
Reading Level: Grade 1
Activity Level: Grades K, 1, and 2

Summary: This book is set in a classroom where children are making their family trees. The teacher asks one student to share her family tree and tell about her family. Through this readers learn about aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and great-grandparents. Then, through a series of questions asked by the teacher and the other students, readers also learn about adoptions, step-parents, step-children, half-siblings, second cousins, and first cousins once removed!

Response: I believe that this book is great for teaching children more about their own families and about differences in families. I love that it is set in a classroom environment because I feel that it makes it a perfect segway into the children creating their own family trees, once they have learned from the information in the book.

The illustrations in this work are absolutely adorable! The children in the classroom are all animals--cats, frogs, raccoons, rabbits, and skunks and the teacher is a fox. This adds an element to the book that makes it more useful for teachers of younger students.

Many of the illustrations are only single-page spreads and some of the pages have multiple illustrations per page in order to incorporate everything the book teaches.

Teaching Connections: In a kindergarten class I would read this entire book to my class and then tell them that they were going to begin making their family trees. As another example outside of the book, I would draw mine on the board as they were working on theirs and would re-read the page about parents, then grandparents, etc. again as they were working to remind them about these family members. For this age group, I would not have them go beyond their grandparents and, maybe, aunts and uncles in their family trees so as not to make the assignment too difficult for them. Initially, the students would just make the tree and branches and then, after they talked with their parents, they would finish drawing each person and perhaps share their tree with a small group of students.

With first graders I would have them do a family tree and include their great-grandparents and also have them draw a picture of each person in their family. I would also have this group of students share the family trees with a small group of students.

With second graders I might ask them to include a couple, but certainly not all, of their second cousins, and/or their first cousins once removed, in order to make it a little more difficult than for the kindergartners and first graders. I would have them present their family trees to the entire class.

What Students Learn: From this book and activities students are able to learn about their own families and about how everyone's family is very different.

"Babies on the Go"

2008-09-01T12:56:00.007-04:00

Babies on the Go

Written by: Linda Ashman

Illustrated by: Jane Dyer

Published by Harcourt, Inc. in NY in 2003

ISBN: 0-15-201894-8

Genre: Picture Book, Informational Text

Reading Level: Kindergarten

Activity Level: Grades K, 2

Summary: This book takes readers along the journey with twenty animals and human babies and details how each one begins to grown before walking. this book teaches about bats, lions, deer, giraffes, beavers, etc. It talks about how some animals live in their mom's pouches before venturing out on their own, how some immediately stand and walk, and how some ride on their parents backs. It then compares that to human babies who ride in strollers until they are able to walk.

Response: This book is great for introducing children to many unique and interesting animals. It can give them knowledge about how humans and some animals are alike and different and how animal parents are as loving to their children as human parents. Each page tells of a different animal in 5-10 words with each line rhyming with the next.

I love that this book does not use just the basic animals like elephants and deer that children would already know, but also introduces them to knew animals such as the anteater, beaver, sloth, and opossum, that young children may not know much about at this age. This work also provides a listing of the names of each of these animals along with their pictures in the back of the book for reference.

The illustrations in this work are very beautiful. Each single-page spread is filled with beautiful details such as the polka dots on the dad's socks who is pushing the baby in the stroller, the fur on the koalas, and the feathers on the swan.

Teaching Connections: This book, along with an early introduction to Venn Diagrams about similarities and differences between this animals, created during a class discussion after the students and teacher read this book together with the use of a document scanner, can help Kindergartners meet science objective 1.01 Observe and describe the similarities and differences among animals including: Structure. Growth. Changes. Movement.

This book could also help second graders meet science competency objective 1.01 Describe the life cycle of animals including: Birth. Developing into an adult. Reproducing. Aging and death. After the students easily read this book to themselves, the teacher can put students into groups and have each group choose one of the animals in this book to further research. They will look in children's encyclopedias and use other resources, with the help of the teacher, to discover about how their animal is born, develops, and reproduces. They will present this material and any other interesting facts they found about their animal, using the notes they made, to the class in order to meet this objective.

What Students Learn: With this book and the activities children can learn about several of the similarities and differences between animals and between animals and humans. They will also begin to learn about good research skills and about gathering information, making presentations, and much about the development and lives of common animals. In addition, students also learn about rhyming phrases from this book!

Image Retrieved From: http://ak.buy.com/db_assets/large_images/620/203092620.jpg

"John Pig's Halloween"

2008-09-01T10:57:00.008-04:00

John Pig's Halloween

Written by: Jan L. Waldron

Illustrated by: David McPhail

Published by Dutton Children's Books in NY in 1998

ISBN: 0-525-45941-3

Genre: Picture Book

Reading Level: Grade 2

Activity Level: Grades K, 1, and 3

Summary: This is a book about several pigs getting ready for Halloween and this one pig, named John, who was too afraid, decided to stay inside. Then, he heard a sound at the door and opened it to find a yellow stripped cat and a witch at his door. They begin cooking a molasses-and-spice pumpkin pie and many more trick-or-treaters come to join the fun and partake of the delicious baked goods. His friends come back and feel badly for John, who they mistakenly think has been lonely all night and find him ready to offer them many Halloween treats. He went to bed that night less afraid and more excited about his new friends.

Response: One thing I especially enjoyed about this book was that each line rhymed with the next throughout the book. It makes the book easier to read and more interesting to listen to.

I believe the illustrations in this book are watercolor and are in somewhat muted colors since it is set on Halloween night. The costumes of these creatures are very creative and adorable! Each illustration is a single-page spread, except for those during the party. The double-page spreads incorporate so much of the actions of the cooking process and dancing, enthusiastic characters having fun at the party.

Teaching Connections: This book could be read to a group of Kindergartners or first graders and could lead into a discussion about rhyming in writing. The class could choose another holiday and then write a rhyming poem about it as a class. To begin this activity, students could think of popular foods for that holiday, family traditions, and others of their favorite aspects of the day. After making a list of these things, the poem could be written incorporating as many of these aspects as possible. (Kindergarten English/Language Arts objective 1.02 Develop phonemic awareness and knowledge of alphabetic principle: demonstrate understanding that spoken language is a sequence of identifiable speech sounds. demonstrate understanding that the sequence of letters in the written word represents the sequence of sounds in the spoken word.
demonstrate understanding of the sounds of letters and understanding that words begin and end alike (onsets and rimes)) (First grade English/Language Arts objective 1.01 Develop phonemic awareness and demonstrate knowledge of alphabetic principle: count syllables in a word.
blend the phonemes of one-syllable words. segment the phonemes of one-syllable words.
change the beginning, middle, and ending sounds to produce new words.create and state a series of rhyming words that may include consonant blends (e.g., flag, brag).)

This book could also be used as a health lesson. The teacher could use it to discuss how holidays like Halloween can be bad for our teeth due to sugary candies and bad for our health also because of all of the sweets. She could caution children to be mindful of how much they eat during this time of the year. After talking about eating candy, the teacher could also demonstrate the proper teeth-brushing technique. (Kindergarten Health Objectives 2.02 Demonstrate proper technique for brushing teeth and summarize reasons for not sharing a toothbrush,4.03 Identify foods and beverages that are healthy choices for teeth and bones, and4.05 Demonstrate the ability to select a healthy breakfast and lunch with a variety of whole grains, vegetables, fruits, and low fat dairy products.)

Also, this book could be the springboard from which the teacher begins talking about things that help students meet first grade health objectives 4.02 Identify a variety of foods that are healthy choices in each of the food groups, 4.03 Summarize the benefits of eating a variety of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and low fat dairy products, and 4.04 Identify foods and beverages high in added sugar and generate examples of appealing healthy alternatives.

The class could also discuss Halloween, and year-round, safety such as not opening the door for strangers and not taking food from people your parents do not approve of. (Kindergarten health objective 3.03 Demonstrate protective behaviors to use when approached by strangers.)

Another health lesson that could be incorporated through this book is about friends and how important they are. They help support us and be less lonely; they encourage our self-confidence and make life more fun. The pig, for example, was much less lonely after he had a get-together with his friends.

For third graders, teachers could incorporate the baking in the book into a math lesson around Halloween. She could ask her students what types of things they might bake on this holiday and they could create a recipe for some of these things and discuss proportions and fractions related to measurements in the kitchen. (Third grade math objective 1.05 Use area or region models and set models of fractions to explore part-whole relationships. Represent fractions concretely and symbolically (halves, fourths, thirds, sixths, eighths). Compare and order fractions (halves, fourths, thirds, sixths, eighths) using models and benchmark numbers (zero, one-half, one); describe comparisons. Model and describe common equivalents, especially relationships among halves, fourths, and eighths, and thirds and sixths. Understand that the fractional relationships that occur between zero and one also occur between every two consecutive whole numbers.
Understand and use mixed numbers and their equivalent fraction forms.)

What Students Learn: From this book children can learn a lot about rhyming words and sharing with one another. They can learn from these activities a lot about health and interactions with one another and with strangers!

Image Retrieved From: http://www.bookpage.com/9810bp/images/kids.johnpigshalloween.jpg

"Mary Had a Little Lamb"

2008-09-01T10:29:00.012-04:00

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Written by: Mary Ann Hoberman

Illustrated by: Nadine Bernard Westcott

Published by Little, Brown, and Company in NY in 2003

ISBN: 0-316-60687-1

Genre(s): Picture Book, Song Book

Reading Level: Kindergarten

Ages: Grades K, 1 (This book is targeted to Kindergartners, but could most likely be read by first graders due to the repetition and their familiarity with the tune.)

Summary: This book begins with the familiar song "Mary Had a Little Lamb." However, the story does not end there. This book continues where most people believe the song ends and details what actually happened when Mary took her lamb to school! During the day the children play with him on the playground, try to teach him how to write his name, count, and say his abc's. In the end the teacher comes to love the little lamb and changes the school rules so that Mary can then bring her lamb to school with her.

Response: This book is so cute for younger children because they would absolutely love singing along with it, especially since they are familiar with the tune. They would love the humorous idea of actually bringing a lamb into a school!

The illustrations are so wonderful in this work. The illustrator shows readers Mary bathing her lamb, playing with her pet in the house, and taking a nap with him after she reads him "Little Bo Peep." Many of the watercolor pictures in this book are double-page spreads of only slightly muted tones, which would keep the interest of young readers and listeners.

Teaching Connections: I believe that this book would be a great way to start the day in a Kindergarten or first grade classroom. For Kindergartners, they have been used to singing these adorable songs all their life, so being able to incorporate that into their daily routine at school would be great. It would be a good way to relax them first thing in the morning when they may be very stressed about coming to school. After reading this book to students, it would also be a great time to introduce them to why we have rules and what the classroom rules are.

The back of this book has other teaching suggestions for this book. Some of these suggestions include doing a math lesson about how much Mary has to spend on her lamb for each of the products she needs to buy, having students draw pictures of Mary and her lamb doing other everyday activities not discussed in the book, making up a few extra verses to this song as an English lesson, identifying rhyming words, and making new and special rules for the lamb at school. Each of these ideas could easily be implemented into a Kindergarten or first grade classroom and are great ideas for implementing this book into other areas of the curriculum such as math.

What Students Learn: From the activities associated with this book, children can learn about the importance of rules, the concept of addition in adding product prices, about rhyming words, and writing sentences.

Image Retrieved From: http://www.hachettebookgroupusa.com/_images/ISBNCovers/Covers_Large/9780316606875_154X233.jpg

"Let's Talk About It: Extraordinary Friends"

2008-09-01T09:54:00.011-04:00

Let's Talk About It: Extraordinary Friends

Written by: Fred Rogers

Photographs by: Jim Judkis

ISBN: 0-698-11861-8

Genre: Informational Text

Reading Level: Grade 1

Activity Level: Grades K, 1, and 2 (This book could be read to Kindergartners and first graders, but second graders could read this for themselves.)

Summary: This book is about exceptional children and how to interact with them. It teaches children that it is alright to be frightened about something they do not know about, but that it is important to ask questions about that thing and learn about those around us. It also teaches that everyone is unique and special whether one has a disability or not, that we should be excepting of everyone, and that everyone needs love, acceptance, and friends, no matter their situation. This book's intent is to help children who are not accustomed to those different from them be able to accept others' differences and learn how to handle situations in which people from other backgrounds are present.

Response: I have loved the teachings of Fred Rogers since I watched "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood" as a child. I have always thought that he knew the best way to explain things so that all children could understand him and he always gave the best advice and really seemed to understand children from all walks of life. For that reason, I absolutely had to read this book.

Fred Rogers writes this book in very simple language that children can understand and taps into the emotions of all children in unique situations such as fear, inquisitiveness, and concern for others. He is able to address all of these feelings, teach children that these feelings are acceptable, and encourage them to talk with children with exceptionalities in order to relieve their fears, learn from others, and ease their concern.

The photographs in this work are great in that they really show the situations described in the text--how children can be frightened by seeing someone in a wheel chair, but how they can learn from the situation, etc. It makes this book really come to life for the reader and seem more real.

Teaching Connections: With Kindergartners a teacher could read this book to them at the beginning of the school year to help them adjust to meeting all kinds of new people at school. Even if there were not others in the class with exceptionalities, it would encourage them to talk and interact with their fellow students even if they are nervous about meeting people.

With first graders a teacher may read this book at the beginning of the year with them as well, but would definitely use it if a student with an exceptionality joined the class in order to encourage students to not be frightened and to, instead, interact with this individual and learn from him or her.

In second grade this book could be used in either of the aforementioned ways, or as an independent accelerated reader book for these students.

For second graders this work could also be used as a segway into a lesson where the students could interview others in the class and present another student to the class with the many things that are unique about that individual. This activity would help everyone get to know one another at the beginning of the school year.

What Children Learn: Children can learn that everyone is unique and special in their own way, with or without exceptionalities. They can learn from this work to be excepting of others' differences and compassionate toward one another. (Kindergarten health objective
3.02 Conclude and acknowledge that each person is unique and special and first grade health objective 3.04 Conclude that different people have different abilities and summarize the
benefits of diversity.)

Image retrieved from: http://www.educationworld.com/a_books/images/bie136_friends.jpg

"Near One Cattail"

2008-08-31T14:09:00.010-04:00

Near One Cattail

Written by: Anthony D. Fredericks

Illustrated by: Jennifer DiRubbio

Published by Dawn Publications in Nevada City, California in 2005

ISBN: 1-58469-071-2

Genre: Informational Text

Reading Level: Grade 4

Activity Level: Grades 2, 4

Summary: This is an accumulating story. It is somewhat like the song "The Twelve Days of Christmas" in that when you get to the end of the book, you are reading everything you have read before.

In this work there exists a preface about the wetlands and field notes about all of the creatures in the back of the book. Each time a new creature or element of this place is introduced to the reader, its name is in bold print so that it makes a striking impression on the reader and separates itself from the other creatures previously described in the work.

The final page of this book says "Here's a medley of critters who swim, soar or crawl in this sog-soggy home that protects one and all. It's a marvelous place to cherish and preserve" (p. 24), thus, sending a conservation message to all the children who read this work!

Response: I really like the accumulating nature of this book because it is both informative, as repetition is akin to studying the wetlands in this book, and great for intermediate readers. Once an unsure readers has mastered one line of this work, he or she has really mastered several lines of print since they are often repeated, which can give the reader a great sense of accomplishment!

The illustrations in this book are absolutely amazing! Each one is a beautiful two-page spread in, probably, acrylic paints. The colors are strikingly beautiful and the illustrations make one feel as though she is in the wetlands with the girl in the book. They make you want to reach out and touch the creatures the author writes of!

Teaching Connections: For younger children, they may need help with some of the larger words in this book, so it would be best to have the teacher read this to them and the follow the reading with a discussion about the animals and their habitats (2nd grade NC curriculum).

For older students, such as fourth graders, this could be a book for them to read in order to begin their research on the wetlands or for their teacher to read to them to being a unit on such places and on conservation. The teacher could also read this book to her class and then separate them into groups and assign each group to research one of the animals in the story for that lesson.

What Students Learn: Students learn about wetlands, conservation, and many interesting creatures from this book and the activities discussed above.

Image retrieved from: http://www.thereadingwarehouse.com/thumb.php?src=products/158/9781584690702.jpg&wmax=187&hmax=187

"Where Is the Cake?"

2008-08-31T13:37:00.012-04:00

Where Is the Cake?
Written by: N/A
Illustrated by: T.T. King
Published by: Abrams Books for Young Readers in NY in 2004
ISBN: 978-0-8109-1798-9
Genre: Picture Book
Reading Level: N/A
Ages: Grades K-4 (This book is definitely targeted more toward younger children--Kindergarten--, but could definitely be used for older students as well. Please see "Teaching Connections" below.)

Summary: This book is a complete work of solely illustrations; it is comprised of no words at all. Basically, there are a couple of people who have a cake sitting in their backyard on day while they are working and two creatures come up and take it from them. Throughout the book the rightful owners of the cake chase the thieves through the town until the cake is eventually tossed, accidentally, into the lake. Luckily, a frog retrieves it, the thieves are reprimanded, and the cake is shared with the remainder of the townspeople.

Response: I really love this book. It is so very simple, yet I feel that there is a lot a teacher could do with it.

The illustrations are wonderful and fairly humorous as only lady even bashes the thieves over the head with her pocketbook. (Make no mistake, that page is meant to be humor as well and the book is still suitable for young children.) I believe that the illustrations are watercolor and the illustrator used muted tones for his backgrounds, but more vibrant ones for his characters.

Teaching Connections: I would use this book in any K-4 classroom, but change the method I used it slightly to fit the age group. For each group I would put the book on a document scanner/projector and project the pictures onto the screen in the front of the classroom so everyone could see it. For the younger children I would have them create the storyline of the book and I would write what they suggested on the board or overhead. Then, I would make copies of it and bind it for the class as the story we created together so that they could each have their own books. Then, perhaps they could draw their own illustrations as well, since the pictures in the actual book are copyrighted. For Kindergartners, first, and second graders I would maybe only go through a couple of pages per day with them, but with the older children I would project the images on the front of the classroom, or maybe have enough copies of the book for it to be a station in my class, and have each student create his or her own story from the illustrations. I would encourage them to share their stories with the class so that we could learn how each person interprets things differently.

What Students Learn: From this book and lesson students learn right from wrong, sharing, and how to write a story (grammar, punctuation, how narratives and illustrations are linked).

Becoming Naomi León--A story of the importance of heritage

2008-04-28T08:41:00.008-04:00

Becoming Naomi León
Written by: Pam Muños Ryan
Cover Illustrations by: Marijka Kostiw
Published by Scholastic, Inc. in NY in 2004
Genre: Realistic Fiction (Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades 3-5

Summary: In this book a young girl named Naomi lived with her crippled brother and great-grandmother in an Airstream trailer they call "Baby Beluga." Naomi struggles with the lack of knowledge she has of her heritage. She knows barely anything about her Mexican father and does not remember her mother at the time the novel begins. After a visit from her mother, who took the children from their father when they were very young and basically gave them to her grandmother to raise, Naomi learns that she is very content to live with her great-grandmother. Naomi's mother "Skyla" is not what one would call a good mother. She only decides that she wants to take Naomi with her so that she can babysit for her boyfriend Clive, who has a younger daughter. She does not want to care for her crippled son at all! In the end, Naomi learns who she is through an impromptu visit to Mexico to find her father. She finally finds her voice, both literally and figuratively.

Response: One thing I really liked about this book were the lists Naomi always made. I have to make lists all the time so that I remember to do things, but I sometimes make lists, just like Naomi, to have a keepsake of memories. I particularly like Naomi's "List of Splendid Words." I think this resonates with me perhaps because I always make a word list when I read of words that I find interesting, etc.

I also like the cultural integration in this book. Nothing is ever very explicit, which is great for young readers, so they will not feel as though they are being taught. Many times throughout the book the author will have the characters speak Spanish and then repeat themselves in English so the audience understands what the characters are saying. English-speakers can learn several Spanish words, just by reading the book. They can also learn about many Mexican customs, such as making "cranberry sauce with jalapeño peppers" (91), the juice in Mexico that "tasted like a punch but with cinnamon" (148), the many types of foods they eat and drinks they drink, such as "quesillo[s],...mole,...[and] piña coco" (157), Señora de la Soledad, whom sailors and fishermen "ask..for assistance. She s part of Oxaca" (225), the piñatas that they children break and then run through the streets collecting the "peanuts, small oranges, and sugarcane that spilled from their clay tummies" (186), Las Posadas, the night when neighbors go "walking through the streets, knocking on doors and pretending to look for shelter, just like Mary and Joseph did in Bethlehem (176), and La Noche de los Rábanos, where people gather together to make all kinds of creations out of radishes for competition. These cultural elements and traditions are typical of the Mexican people, so the author's interpretation is authentic.

I feel that Pam Muños Ryan does have a personal connection to and presents an insider's perspective of the Mexican culture. Upon viewing her website I discovered that she grew up in California, so she was exposed to many traditions of Mexican-Americans during her childhood; thus, she would know much about their culture and be able to reflect on that in her novels. she also has a very mixed-racial heritage, being Mexican, Spanish, Italian, Basque, and American, so she is very culturally aware and brings her knowledge into her books. This is one element that makes her work very authentic, which is one characteristic of good multicultural literature.

This work does deal minutely with the stereotype that all Mexicans are doing badly in their country and want to migrate to America. This work absolutely dispels that because of Naomi's father, Santiago. One of the reasons his family was split apart was because he wanted to remain in Mexico. He says "Much of my money comes from my carvings, which are only sold in Oaxaca. My work, it is here" (223). He makes his living fishing and needs the Mexican coast on which to do that as well. Not everyone is poor in Mexico as the stereotype might suggest. It also shows that Mexicans are very family-oriented, often living in large extended families. Mexicans have a culture that is very unique to them and where they live, etc, but even among those differences, one can still find many similarities to our own culture, the importance of family, as stated above, the importance of traditions, such as Las Posadas, and the importance of heritage. Sometimes Americans perceive Mexicans in a negative light often because we cannot see past the language barrier and the fact that many of them come to America. In reality, they probably want to understand us as much as we wish we could understand them and they come here to work because they need to support their families, something we should admire. Although Santiago was not keen on leaving his life in Mexico, it seemed as though he would do that to be with his family, but at the end of the novel, he remains in his own country, but at least he will now have a connection to his children and will see them occationally.

This work also proves to be an excellent multicultural work because the setting ans characters are real and they would be interesting to many readers. It also deals with the difficult topic of Naomi and Owen's situation and allows readers to view the situation from many perspectives--the children's, Gram's, Skyla and Clive's, and the judge's.

I love the similes in this work! They create such vivid images in my mind about what hey author is describing. For example, Naomi says that Spanish words "felt like marbles moving around in [her] mouth" (35), Gram's crying was so upsetting that her "insides wobbled as if [she were] standing on a three-story roof looking down" (39), when she was frightened in the trailer park on night, she recalls having "a troublesome feeling tipto[ing] after [her] like a lurking shadow" (87). Naomi also says that the one aspect of her life that was "as clear as a vinegar-shined window" (137) was that her place was with Owen and Gram. Furthermore, about the lion she created out of a radish for the competition, she says that its mane was "like a majestic sunshine" (202). Reading these words I can imagine all of these images and the comparisons the author makes; her attention to detail is wonderful!

I think Naomi's lack of speaking loudly and Owen's tape fetish are these children's means of security. If Naomi speaks where no one can here her, it seems as though she is not in the other person's presence, which is symbolic of her heritage not really being a part of her. However, when she learns of her father and her "Mexican side," she can then feel confident in herself and speech assuredly. Similarly, Owen's obsession with tape is like a young child's security blanket. Without it he likely could not function. There is no explanation of why tape resonates with him, but it certainly gives him the confidence that Naomi's heritage gives her.

Teaching Connections: I think the lists that Naomi makes are very interesting. A teacher could have her students create similar lists of their own over a two-week period perhaps as a creative writing activity.

A teacher could also have students write a story about their culture and discuss things that they might need to explain to someone from Mexico, or another country, if they were to come here. They could also interview an ELL student and discover what insight that person might have on this assignment regarding what they or their parents found unusual when they moved here.

Another assignment could be for the students to look at the questions in the back of the book answered by the author and, before reading her responses, predict her answers to these questions.

One could also have her students write an essay about the importance of heritage to a person's life and incorporate examples from this book and their own lives as well.

(Image retrieved from http://a1055.g.akamai.net/f/1055/1401/5h/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/13100000/13101487.JPG on 28 April 2008)

A Response to Reading a Poetry Anthology

2008-04-19T18:09:00.007-04:00

The Frogs Wore Red Suspenders

Written by: Jack Prelutsky

Illustrated by: Petra Mathers

Published by Scholastic, Inc. in 2002 in NY

Genre: Poetry

Ages: Grades K-3

I think poetry anthologies are great ways to be introduced to an author's work. Anthologies are also very good for works of poetry since many types of poetry are very short, one can have a completion of many poems all in one place!

I believe that his work is mostly written in nonsense verse because of its largely humorous quality. Although this is Jack Prelutsky's writing style, students can still learn from his work. He often sites places throughout the United States as the settings of his poems, which would make for a great introduction to a place for students to research. In this particular antholgy, he has one poem entitled "There Was a Tiny Baker" where he uses the word sarsaparilla. It is highly unlikely that any student would know what this is, so it is a good poem to peak their curiosity and have them look up this word. (Sarsaparilla is a carbonated drink flavored by a root of the same name.)

Mr. Prelutsky uses rhyme to his advantage in his poetry. The majority of the poems in this anthology have four lines per stanza. He varies his rhyming pattern greatly; Sometimes his poems' first lines rhyme with the third and the second lines rhyme with the fourth, sometimes only the second and fourth lines rhyme, and occasionally the first and second lines of his poems will rhyme and the third and fourth lines will as well. This rhyme and the author's use of specific words make each of his poems absolutely fit to sing. The rhythm is something that one could tap his foot or beat a drum to; it is very obvious to the reader.

There really was not much alliteration that I found in his poetry except the repeted "p's" in "Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete, which can be found below. Similarly, Mr. Prelutsky does not use onomatopoeia, at least not in this anthology or use the form of the words in the poem itself to emphasize his words. However, he uses imagery to make readers feel as thought they are a part of the action in the poem. One of my favorite poems form this work, "I Went to the Store," which can be found below, is one such poem.

I could not choose only one poem as my favorite, so here are three that I really enjoyed.

"Baby in a High Chair" (46-47)

Baby in a high chair,

baby in a bib,

baby in a stroller,

baby in a crib.

Baby with the giggles,

baby with a smile,

such a lovely baby,

happy all the while.

(I think one reason I like this poem is the repetition at the beginning of each line. I also think the corresponding illustration by Petra Mathers is adorable!)

"I Went to the Store" (28-29)

I went to the store

for a pear and a plum.

The fruit was all gone,

so they sold me a drum.

I asked them for butter,

they offered me glue.

I tried to buy bread,

but they sold me a shoe.

They sold me a lamp

when I tried to buy cheese.

Instead of potatoes,

I wound up with keys.

They didn't have milk,

so they sold me an oar--

I'll never go back to that store anymore.

(I love this poem because even without the humorous picture of the man trying to carry all of these things, including a lampshade on his head, one can picture him and even imagine his frustration, just by the language of the poem!)

"Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete" (18-19)

Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete,

on a bright Atlanta street,

call in voices loud and clear,

"Peanuts! Get your peanuts here!"

"Peanut cookies, peanut cakes,

peanut butter, peanut shakes,

peanut ices, peanut pies,

peanut sauce, and peanut fries!"

All day long they gaily sell

peanuts still inside the shell,

peanuts salty, peanuts sweet--

Peanut Peg and Peanut Pete.

(This poem is perfect for me because I love peanut butter and anything made out of any type of nut, so if I ever found this peanut stand, I would have to buy at least one of everything! This poem makes me hungry and everything sounds so delicious!)

(Image retrieved from http://www.harperchildrens.com/coverimages/medium/0688167195.jpg on 19 April 2008)

The Tiger Rising

2008-04-19T16:59:00.005-04:00

The Tiger Rising
Written by: Kate DiCamillo
Cover illustration by: Chris Sheban
Published by Scholastic, Inc. in 2001 in NY
Genre: Realistic Fiction
Age: Grades 3-5

Summary: A very lonely boy named Rob, and his father move to a motel far from their former home after the boy's mother dies from cancer. Rob's father is so grief-stricken after his wife's death that he tells his son not to cry about it and not to even mention her name. Rob struggles greatly with this task his father had set for him because he needs to grieve, but he "had a way of not thinking about things. He imagined himself as a suitcase that was too full, like the one he had packed when they left Jacksonville after the funeral. He made all his feelings go inside the suitcase; he stuffed them in tight and then sat on the suitcase and locked it shut" (3). One day, after moving to a new town and trying to get used to the boys always teasing him on the bus ride to school, Rob meets a new girl named Sistine after the Sistine Chapel. They become great friends and they help one another. Sistine helps Rob share his emotions and Rob, in turn, helps her discover that she has to rescue herself. With the combined help of a tiger owned by the hotel's owner and the story of a pet bird, this story deals with grief, sadness, and proves to have wonderful metaphors for life.

Response: The most impressive thing I noticed about this book was the metaphor of the tiger and the huge amount of imagery Kate DiCamilo brings to her writing. Just like in Because of Winn-Dixie, the author's idea behind the story is so much more than just finding a tiger in the woods.

One of the best examples of imagery in this book is in the above quote about the suitcase of emotions.

One of the first things readers learn about Rob is that he has this mysterious rash on both of his legs. His legs always seemed to itch at mysterious times: when he thought of setting the tiger free, when he talked to the owner about feeding the tiger, and right after he and Sistine have a fight about him not wanting to set the tiger free. Willie May, a cleaning lady at the motel, says that Rob "is keeping all that sadness down low, in [his] legs. [He's] not letting it get up to [his] heart, where it belongs. [He needs] to let that sadness rise on up" (37). Letting the sadness "rise on up" is like letting the tiger out of its cage and setting it free. One is the metaphor for the other.

Also, sunshine and rain are metaphors for the feelings Rob has in this book. He recalls "On the day of his mother's funeral it had been so sunshiny that it hurt his eyes. And after the funeral, he and his father had to stand outside in the hot, bright light an shake everybody's hand" (32). Earlier that day Rob had been crying and his father made him stop. The sunshine is a metaphor for the last time he showed emotion. It seems to rain every day throughout the book (and Rob does not ever cry during these times) until his father shoots the loose tiger. At this point Rob "opened his suitcase" (107) of emotion and lashed out at his father for not allowing him to grieve properly for his mother. Both father and son then grieve for the first time for their loss since the day of the funeral. The tiger of sadness is dead and the suitcase of emotions is now wide open for both of them.

Teaching Connections: The back of this book provides a multitude of literature circle questions for students keyed to multiple levels of Bloom's Taxonomy. One of my favorite questions from this collection is "When Rob looks at his father's hands, he calls them "complicated hands." What does he mean by this? Do you think most parent's hands are complicated? Explain." I believe that a class could have a very long discussion with just this one question. There is so much detail that could be incorporated in the answer!

I also think the following questions would be appropriate to ask students throughout, or following their reading of The Tiger Rising.

Do you think the suitcase was an appropriate metaphor for Rob's emotions? What other metaphors would have been appropriate here?
Why is holding in one's emotions a bad thing to do?
Was the reaction of the bus driver to the boys teasing Rob the correct response to the situation? What should he have done?
What is the significance of the name Sistine?
Why were the characters Rob and Sistine become such great friends?
What does Willie May mean when she says "Who don't know something in a cage" (64)?

(Image retrieved from http://www.bocalibrary.org/tweens/images/book_covers/dicamillo_tigerrising.JPG on 19 April 2008)

Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve

2008-04-19T15:49:00.005-04:00

Haunted Castle on Hallows Eve

Written by: Mary Pope Osborne

Illustrated by: Sal Murdocca

Published by: Random House Children's Books in 2003 in NY

Genre: Fantasy

Age: Grades 2-3

Summary: In this book Jack and Annie receive another letter from Merlin. This time he wants them to go back to Camelot and restore order to an old castle. In this adventure they take a sorcerer, named Teddy, who is Morgan's apprentice, along for the journey. Together the three of children discover a "haunted" castle and discover that the Diamond of Destiny was stolen form this family, which turned them into ghosts. Jack, Annie, and Teddy's mission to restore order requires that they visit the Raven King, a boy whose wish to turn into a raven failed and turned him into half boy, half raven. Jack, Annie, and Teddy all become ravens and fly to meet him. Unfortunately Teddy is captured and Jack loses the diamond! In the end, order is restored to the castle, but you will have to read to discover how!

Response: One thing that I was somewhat disappointed in with this novel was that it lacked the information in bold print that I found so useful as a history connection in Carnival at Candlelight. That work provided a great deal of insight into the land of Venice, Italy and I expected this book to provide lost of information about All Hallows Eve. However, I was pleased to find that the author's note a the back of the book did connect this story with the author's study of stories from Ireland, Scotland, England, and Wales. Fr example, she says that the Raven King's right-hand "man," Rok, was inspired by Roc from The Arabian Nights and that the children turning into animals was inspired by tales from Ireland and Wales. She also says that the people of the British Isles have "an awe and respect for sacred stones" (112), so that, along with a special stolen in Scotland called the "Stone of Destiny" gave her the idea for the "diamond of Destiny."

After re-reading Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone last week, reading this book made me wonder why Haunted Castle on Hallos' Eve was not challenged just as fervently as the Harry Potter series. In this work Teddy says "'My father was a sorcerer...And my mother was wood sprite from the Otherworld'" (17), "'Annie talks to birds and animals in her own language'" (21), there are floating bones, a spinning wheel and chess pieces that seem to move on their own, and invisible people. Although I do not particularly agree with banning/challenging books, it would make sense to me if parents questioned this book, perhaps even more than the Harry Potter series, because it is geared toward a younger and much more impressionable audience and yet has many similar elements as J.K. Rowling's books.

One of my favorite scenes of comedy in this work is when the children first arrive at the castle doors and Teddy is fervently trying to conjure a spell that will open the doors, while Jack and Annie wait. After a moment, Jack says "Are you sure they're even locked?" to which Annie replies "Let's see" and opens the doors! I just loved that!

There is a lot of onomatopoeia in this story, particularly after the children become ravens. Ms. Osborn writes that they spoke in raven, so she makes a point to write much of the dialogue, while they remain ravens, in both languages. I can just imagine reading this part of the book out loud to a class and how hard it would be to read "'GRA-QUORK!' she croaked. That's okay! [that they were all turned into ravens] This is fun! 'QUORK?' Jack squeaked. Fun? 'GRO-JAH!' croaked Annie. 'KAH-SPREE!' Come on, Jack! Let's fly!" without laughing!

Teaching Connections: This work could be read during the week leading up to Halloween when students' minds are already on spooky stories, etc. (This book is not scary at all, so that would not be an issue to take into account with younger children.) I think that reading this book during that time of year would be wonderful because the teacher could teach students about the history of All Hallows Eve and the evolution of the holiday.

Another way to use this book in the classroom is to use something that the author stated in her note at the end of the book to create anactivity for students. Mary Pope Osborne gets much of her inspiration for her writings through her research of history. In the author's note she says that "Creating something new from something old allows us to link hands with people of the past" (113). It would be a great idea for students to find something old around their house and make something completely new out of it! They could even write a short synopsis about how they transformed this item. Their imaginations are the only limits to this assignment!

(Image retrieved from http://a1055.g.akamai.net/f/1055/1401/5h/images.barnesandnoble.com/images/13390000/13392148.JPG on 19 April 2008)

Among the Hidden

2008-04-17T15:40:00.005-04:00

Among the Hidden
Written by: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Cover illustrations by: Cliff Nielsen
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in 1998 in NY
Genre: Science Fiction
Ages: Grades 4-8* (see Teaching Connections)

Summary: This work is set in the future in an undisclosed formerly democratic nation that has become a totalitarian regime. While the democracy was in power, famine struck and riots ensued. Finally, the government was overthrown because people were so "hungry" for a change in politics because of their literal hunger. They gave in to anyone who seemed he could help--no matter how radical the solution. One man said he would create a land with "law and order and food for all" (135) and he came into power. His solution was to restrict nearly everything and have total power residing in the government. The most restricted element of this society was children--third children. If a family had a third child that child was not to be seen or heard from--ever! The government said there just was not enough food to go around, so the population had to be decreased dramatically and rapidly. Shadow child, or third child, is rarely, if ever, allowed outside, is never allowed near windows, no one except the immediate family is to know he is alive, and the house must always look as though no third child exists, even during the day when the entire neighborhood is at work. One day, after six months of feeling as a prisoner inside his house, Luke catches a glimpse of a girl in a window next door in a house that already has two children, both boys. After he is sure of what he sees, he sneaks into her house and begins to form a great friendship with this other third child. Luke becomes very interested in what she knows about the Population Police whose job it is to "get rid of" third children. Jen is planning a rally in Washington for third children and Luke has to make the decision whether to go or remain in hiding. Deciding to meet Jen and his subsequent decision whether to go to the rally with her are two decisions that will change both their lives forever.

Response: This book actually frightened me. It really made me think about things that could happen if countries allow radicals to take over. I think the most frightening part about this book is when readers think about history and the insane people who have been able to gain control over entire countries, like Hitler and Stalin, for example. They absolutely controlled everything their people did and were capable, and showed that through their actions, of mass hatred and genocide and were successful in carrying out their horrific plans. When one reviews the history of the world we live in, this story does not seem so far-fetched. In fact, it seems plausible. China already frowns upon second children and female children in their nation. Certainly, their restrictions are not this vast, but who can say they will not come to that in the future? I believe this book does delve deeply into what can happen and how rapidly it can occur when people become frightened and do not take into consideration the people who run their government. Some countries have experienced that kind of take-over, so all nations should be careful of this and America should watch other countries, as well as our own, to ensure that they/we do not fall victim to such governmental actions.

Some aspects of the book that really make one think:

Luke new his family was only trying to protect him with their hiding him and everything related to his being a part of their family, but still he longed to not be a shadow child. He always wondered “What if a family with just one kid moved in behind them, and he sneaked into their house and pretended to be their second child?”(32). He knew it would never happen, but nonetheless he wondered how different his life might have been if he were not “among the hidden.” He was never able to attend school since he was a shadow child, but his younger years were spent in the house with his mother, a homemaker. He learned a lot from her and, although he was not allowed to do certain things his brothers were, everything was not terrible until his father had to see the woods behind their house to the government so that it could become a development. After that Luke was not allowed out of his house, or even into the kitchen, having to sit on the stair to eat, not being allowed to sit at the table with his family, so that non of the neighbors would be suspicious.

He was so alone because of his situation that one day he felt things were safe in the neighborhood and knew the shades were down in the house, so he took up cooking and cleaning. “Why, he could do this every day. He’d never considered housework or cooking particularly thrilling before…but it was better than nothing (39). This teenager is so secluded from everything that something most of us cannot stand—housework—is something he now finds enjoyable. This proves just how horrible his life is being a shadow child. No normal teenager would likely ever consider this exciting, but this shadow child does.

Meeting Jen was a turning point in Luke’s life. She knew that being among the living was not the same thing as being among the hidden, but she was still very different from him. She uses the computer, goes shopping at the mall with her mom (disguised as the mother’s niece with a fake ID card) and does all kinds of things that Luke has never been able to do. When they meet and Jen tells him of her plot to march to Washington and gain rights for all shadow children. Luke wants to go, but is too afraid. His choice not to attend is bittersweet, since Jen is shot, along with 40 other children, at their rally. “And we couldn’t even bury her in the family plot. Couldn’t take a bereavement day off work. Couldn’t tell anyone why we’re going around with red eyes and aching hearts. No—we just had to pretend we were the same family of four we’d always been” (128). This is the epitome of sadness because the family never gets any time to grieve for their daughter. The reaction to this situation shows the government’s cruelty and inhumanity.

This author forgets nothing when it comes to her descriptions and explanations of what this situation would be like. Her attention to detail is almost too frightening because it is seems so very real! Her careful attention to detail is amazing because she always makes sure to include how Luke feels and why he feels that way. Her descriptions are so vivid that readers automatically feel as though they are Luke and are experiencing his terrible situation too.

One of the best symbolic examples of Margaret Peterson Haddix's attention to detail is her description of what Luke knows will happen when someone knocks on the door during supper one night. On this night Luke “knew without watching that Mother would take his plate from the table and hide it in a cupboard, would slide his chair back into the corner so it looked like an unneeded spare. In three seconds shoe would hide all evidence that Luke existed, just in time to step to the door and offer a weary smile to the fertilizer salesman or the Government inspector or whomever else had come to interrupt their supper” (5).

Another reason this book is so very powerful is because Luke longs for the things that we take for granted. He cannot go outside, look out a window, walk down the street, drive a car, date, go to school, have friends outside his family, see other people, etc. This book really makes readers re-examine how special even the minute aspects of his/her life really are.

Teaching Connections: *The asterisk on the age-appropriateness of this work is because I think this story definitely has the potential to frighten younger children. By the 4th grade they should be able to handle this topic, but teachers should be aware that the writer of this book really does make readers think about this situation as well as gives them great insight into Luke's emotions.

The following are several questions that a teacher could ask her students to help them think about this novel.

Why would someone write this?
In what country do you think this book is set?
Do you think this is happening right now is some country somewhere in the world?
Do you think this could ever happen here? Why or why not?
Jen tells Luke that “‘The Government’s been trying to force everyone…to become vegetarians…something about vegetables being more efficient…farmers have to use a lot more land to produce one pound of meat than to produce a pound of—what’s it called?—soybeans’” (80) and that “the Government began rationing food, only allowing people to have 1,500 calories a day” (92). What effect might these actions have on the health of the population? Would restricting calories and having people watch their diets and become vegetarians make them healthier and, thus, live longer? If this is true, is the government not increasing lifespan and, thus, making things worse for shadow children by increasing the lifespan of those alive, which makes the population need even fewer children to be born?
What is another way that Jen could have gotten help for shadow children such as herself without rallying in Washington? Would this other way have been less dangerous? What do you think the outcome would be for this action? Do you believe the government would have responded differently?
Would you have taken the fake ID, as Luke did, or tried to remain with your family?
So you think that the Governmental program was a scam and there was not ever a scarcity of food? If yes, why would the government do this?
So you think that certain governments follow an unspoken moral code, yet others do not?
What do you think is in Luke’s future?
(The teacher could make all of these questions a writing assignment, or discuss them all in class and have only the last one be a writing assignment due the day following the class discussion of the book.)

(Image retrieved from http://www.inlyschool.net/summer_reading/BookImages1-5/Bridging-Fluent/AmongtheHidden.jpg on 17 April 2008).

My Mirror of Erised

2008-04-12T16:25:00.021-04:00

My mirror of Erised would show the things in these pictures. Church and Christianity are a large part of my life, so I placed images regarding that in the center of my image. I really want the importance of Christ in my life to be shown through what I do. In no particular order around the center image are pictures of graduation, teaching, family, and travel. Graduation is very important to me right now. I am so very excited to complete my bachelors degree and perhaps continue my education further in the field of teaching. I am so excited about becoming a teacher and cannot wait to have a classroom of my own in which I can help make a difference in the lives of my students and help prepare them for the world. My family has always and will always be very important to me. Traveling is something that has always been a passion of mine. I hope to one day see many of the famous sites of the world including the place in one of the pictures--Venice, Italy.

(Images retrieved from Microsft Office clipart on13 April 2008)

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

2008-04-12T15:57:00.003-04:00

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Written by: J.K. Rowling

Cover and beginning chapter illustrations by: Mary Grandpré

Published by Scholastic Inc. in 1997 in NY

Genre: Fantasy

Age: Grades 4-6

Awards: Winner of the 1997 National Book Award (UK), Winner of the 1997 Gold Metal Smarties Prize, A New York Public Library Book of the Year, Winner of the 1998 Parenting Book of the Year, Publisher's Weekly Best Book of 1998, Booklist Editor's Choice, etc.

Summary: In this work, Harry Potter, a boy who has lived with his aunt and uncle since his parents died, receives the great opportunity to leave a house where he is unloved an unwanted in order to go to school at Hogwarts and follow in his parent's footsteps. At Hogwarts he is finally with others of his kind and is free to explore this new world. He finds out he is naturally talented at the most popular sport Quidditch and that he is finally popular for the first time in his life! Harry even takes part in the extremely dangerous quest to rid the world of the most powerful warlock of dark magic--"You-Know-Who" (Voldemort). This thrilling novel takes readers on a detailed journey with Harry as he experiences things he never thought possible.

Response: I read this book with my banned books class last Spring and was initially skeptical because of all the controversy surrounding the book and because this genre is not traditionally something I am interested in. However, upon beginning this work, I was amazed at how enthralled I became with it. This book is truly a "page-turner." The details J.K Rowling puts in her novel make readers feel that they truly are experiencing this journey with Harry. For example, her description of the wand shop is very detailed. She says "The last shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B. C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window. A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as they stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that Hagrid sat on to wait. Harry felt strangely as though he had entered a very strict library...[Harry] looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling...The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic" (82). In just those few sentences, J. K. Rowling uses the following adjectives: narrow, shabby, peeling, faded, dusty, tinkling, tiny, empty, spindly, strict, narrow, piled, neatly, secret, and a few others to describe the atmosphere in the show. These words really bring the reader into the work. She also uses great adjectives to describe the food at Hogwarts. Of this she says they had "A hundred fat, roast turkeys; mountains of roast and boiled potatoes, platters of chipolatas, tureens of buttered pears, silver boast of thick, rich gravy and cranberry sauce--and stacks of wizard crackers every few feet along the table" (203). Can you not just see the elaborate table spread and taste the food?

This work of high fantasy embodies a struggle between good and evil. Harry is the good and Voldemort is the evil. There is a constant struggle between these two, particularly at the end of the book, where they each try to retrieve the sorcerer's stone. Voldemort wants it for greedy reasons so that he can become immortal, but Harry just wants this important stone to not get into the wrong hands. Because Harry wants the stone for good, not to use it, he is able to win against Voldemort.

This work reveals truths about our own society in that it does show that relationship between good and evil. Certainly the vast differences between these two aspects of our society are not always as explicitly defined as they are in this novel, but they most certainly exist in our society and although this is a work of fiction, it reveals commonalities between this fictitious world and our own. Harry embodies he qualities traditionally associates with the traditional hero in works of high fantasy. He is like the "everyman," who is initially reluctant to take on dangerous tasks, but his morals win him over to do what is best for society. This work also reveals the truth that sometimes if we try too hard to find an answer for something, we miss the most obvious clues that are right in front of us. for example, the mirror of Erised is the mirror of desire, just spelled backwards. Similarly, the inscription on the mirror, which says "Erised stra ehru oyt ube cafru oyt on wohsi" (207), to be decoded only needs to be reversed and the letters spaced differently so that it then says I show not your face, but your heart's desire.

One of the many themes in this work is the power of love. The most obvious example of this is shown in the love Harry’s mother has for him, which allows him to be protected from Voldemort. Another theme is bravery. Harry has to be brave in order to go to Hogwarts in the first pace because he has never even been exposed to that part of his life, so he must take a leap of faith in order to except the invitation. His fighting the troll when they knew they had locked Hermione in the room with him. "It was the last thing [Harry and Ron] wanted to do, but what choice did they have? Wheeling around, they sprinted back to the door and turned the key, fumbling in their panic. Harry pulled the door open and they ran inside" (175). It took much bravery for the boys to do that for their friend, which shows another of the themes of this work--loyalty. Hermione repaid the favor by telling the teacher that it was she who wanted to chase the troll so that Harry and Ron would not get into trouble again. Prejudices are also a large part of this book. Students are prejudiced toward Harry because he is supposed to be so wonderful of a wizard because he survived Voldemort's rath once before, yet he knows nothing of the wizard world. Regarding his aunt and uncle, they are prejudiced against him and make him sleep under the stairs, instead of one of their biological son's two bedrooms, because they want to suppress him. This is why they do not allow him to ask questions. They believe that the less they see or hear from him, that perhaps he will really disappear. Making decisions is yet another theme. Harry has to make the decision whether to disobey the teacher’s rules and fly in order to catch the Remembrall or to just let Malfoy destroy it. He also has to decide how to use his invisibility cloak. "The whole of Hogwarts was open to him in this cloak. Excitement flooded through him as he stood there in the dark silence. He could go anywhere in this, anywhere..." "Where should he go?...The Restricted Section of the library. He'd be able to read as long as he liked..." (205). Determination is yet another theme of this book. Hagrid says that if Harry's determined, he will go to Hogwarts. "If he wants ter go, a great Muggle like you won't stop him...Stop Lily an James Potter's son from goin' ter Hogwarts! Yer mad. His name's been down ever since he was born" (58). Harry also shows his determination in wanting to know about the mirror of Erised, even though he knows he was not supposed to go into the room where the mirror was housed. Rebellion and rule-breaking are also prominent themes in this work. Harry breaks the rules by using his invisibility cloak to go to the library late at night, by going into the forbidden hallway, and by flying on his broom and recovering the Remembrall from Malfoy. Success of the letters finally reaching Harry to let him know he has been excepted into Hogwarts sports the theme of success as does Harry's finding platform 9 3/4 and his winning over Voldemort. Desires are one of the most prominent themes of this work. When Harry looks into the mirror of Erised he sees his real family, which is his deepest desire. However, when Ron looks at the mirror he only sees himself and his wining a trophy. Harry wants to escape the reality of his life and find what can no longer be. Harry's support system is lacking at home, but Ron's is not; thus, Harry needs to have that need for love be met in his life before anything else can be a desire of his heart. Dumbledore says that his greatest desire is for socks, something he never gets. In some ways it is selfish, but it is a practical desire. Voldemort's deepest desire is to know what Harry really saw in the mirror, so when he looks into the mirror, he finds out that Harry lied to him to protect the stone. Voldemort wants to use the stone so that he will be able to reek havoc on the world for eternity and so drinking the unicorn blood preserves his life long enough for him to get to the tone.

Some of my favorite passages in this book:
1) The entire scene with the sorting hat. I just love his song! (Please refer to pages 117-118).
2) "There are some things you can't share without ending up liking each other, and knocking out a twelve-foot mountain troll is one of them" (179). The humor is this quote is so funny, but the passage is true, certain common experiences do truly bring people closer together.
3) "Hagrid, you live in a wooden house" (233). I love Hermoine's honesty and blatant information given in this statement. I love that the girl is the one in this situation with the most reasoning abilities. She really tries to help Hagrid see that his owning a fire-breathing dragon is just not a good idea in his case.

The elements of fantasy in this work: the cat reading a map, an owl in daylight, mysterious letters, a winking snake, a door opening through brink walls (twice), another world existing, a talking hat, flying broomsticks, "bludgers" that fly and try to knock people off their broomsticks while they play Quidditch, trolls, invisibility cloaks, screaming books, metal turning into gold, the Elixir of immortality, dragons, spells, centaurs, unicorns, flying keys, enchanted chessboards, Voldemort's possession of Quirrel's body, and a mirror that sees one's deepest desires.

When this work was first published, there was much controversy about the witchcraft in the book. This was one of the reasons that I was hesitant to read this work at first, since I do not believe that wizardry and witchcraft are the right ways paths to follow in one's life. However, the since I currently hold regarding this book is that 1) it was not intended to promote witchcraft, 2) good beats evil in the book, 3) if J.K Rowling intended the book to be controversial, placing witchcraft in it was certainly a way to get her name out and for the books to become very famous very quickly (who does not want to read a book that stirs that much controversy?), 4) likely if the author would have been a man, the conflict over the book would have been less, 5) J.K. Rowling just has an amazing imagination and knows what elements will intrigue her audience.

Teaching Connections: The teaching connections I have relate to two of the quotes I mentioned above as my favorite from the book. The first idea I have is to have students look at the few songs in the book, especially the one of the sorting hat and have them talk about what tune they sung that to in their minds when they were reading or if they sung it at all. It might be interesting to keep a tally of this on the board and then do a math lesson with the results. The teacher could also bring in different types of music and have students sing the song(s) to the tunes of popular songs to see how that changes the experience.

Another idea is to have students read the passage I selected as another of my favorites form the book about certain experiences that people share that make them really connect with others. The class could have a discussion about this.

Yet another teaching connection would be to do just as we did and have students write, draw, photograph, etc. what they would see if they looked into the mirror of Erised.

Other Harry Potter lesson plans.

Image retrieved from http://www.fantasticfiction.co.uk/images/n1/n5584.jpg on 12 April 2008)

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me

2008-04-07T15:09:00.009-04:00

I Am Latino: The Beauty in Me
Written by: Sandra L. Pinkney
Photographs by: Myles C. Pinkney
Published by Little, Brown, and Company in NY in 2007
Genre: Informational Text, Concept Book (language and senses) (Bilingual Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades K-2

Summary: This work is dedicated to celebrating Latinos. It deals with the language, music, the love of their families, and the rich foods that are part of their culture. The text and pictures alternate in that the first page will have a picture of a Latino child and read "I am Latino. Can you sense the beauty?" and the next page or so will detail an element of their culture, then readers see another Latino child with the same text as before and learn about another aspect of their culture until all of the aforementioned aspects are spoken of. This book introduces young children to simplistic elements of Latino culture in a format that will definitely grab their attention.

Response: This book does and excellent job at letting children know that no matter what their nationality, they are beautiful. I think that many times in our society we let our feelings about immigration affect our judgement of people before we get to know them and this book lets us see that Latinos are just like everyone else--beautiful. Although this children's book might not explicitly make that connection, I think that adults can learn that from this work.

The photographs in this work are excellent. I tend to enjoy more realistic art, especially in illustrations in picture books, so the photography in this book definitely suited my taste, as photographs are as realistic as illustrations can be! The colors in this book are vibrant. Each page has a new bright color on it, which will very likely intrigue younger students as will the many faces in the photographs. None of the pictures in this work are double-page spreads, but in many cases there are several pictures on each page and some of the pictures also have colorful borders to attract even more attention to them.

The text on the pages where students will learn about Latino culture have one large word an a few smaller ones. For example, on the family page, there is a large word--
See" and then the rest of the sentence is small--"the love in my family (mi familia)" (15). Then the book goes on to give adjectives for certain family members and even translates some of them into the Spanish words as well. This is the case for the entirety of the book.

Teaching Connections: Teachers could use this work to help ELL children become engaged in their reading because they would be learning about elements of their culture that they already know about, but would also be reading several English words. If their interest level is high, their reading ability might be improved.

Teachers could also use this book as a way to help ensure that Latino children are not excluded by others in the class. The teacher could read this allowed and help English-speaking students understand a little more about Latino culture. This would be especially helpful if the Latino students are shy and do not talk with their peers often.

This work could also be used as an introduction to a multicultural unit for younger children as it provided excellent information, but in a way that will not overwhelm younger students.

This book is also great for teaching adjectives. The teacher could read this work and then have students chose another culture that they might be interested in and then the teacher could bring in information about dances, families, language, and foods that are a part of that culture. Then the class could write a small book together about those elements of that particular culture and add in their own descriptive adjectives given by the students. The teacher could then make copies of the "book" the class wrote and have students illustrate the pages. Another idea is to take pictures of students in the classroom dressed like the people from that culture and doing those activities outlines in the book they helped write!

(Image retrieved from http://www.getcaughtreading.org/images/IAmLatino.jpg on 7 April 2008)

My Diary from Here to There: Mi diario de aquí hasta allá

2008-04-07T13:02:00.007-04:00

My Diary from Here to There: Mi diario de aquí hasta allá
Written by Amada Irma Pérez
Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez
Published by Children's Book Press/Editorial Libros Para Niños in San Francisco in 2002
Genre: Memoir (Bilingual Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades 3-5

Summary: This book takes a bilingual account of a girl writing in her diary after overhearing her parents discussing their impending move to America. Amada is very frightened about having to leave her home of Juárez, Mexico and journey to the unknown world of Los Angeles, California. Her five brothers are excited and seem very carefree about the entire thing, but she is very emotional about leaving her best friend Michi and her hometown and worries about not being able to speak Spanish in American or be able to learn English. Her father reassures her that he experienced the same thing when he was younger when his parents moved from America to Mexico and that she too possessed the strength to endure. The family left one night to go to Mexicali, Mexico so that the mother and children could stay with other family while the father went to find work in America and to get the family their green cards. It was a long wait and the boys caused much trouble, but eventually the letter came from Amada's father saying that he had their green cards and that he would meet them in Los Angeles. The entire family was elated to be reunited and Amada realized she did have the strength to survive. In the end, she wrote Michi and told her all about the experience.

Response: This work is actually a fictionalized account of the author's real story of coming to America. Furthermore, the author is currently a teacher in California who advocates "programs that "encourage multicultural understanding!"

I really enjoyed this book because I am interested in the Spanish language and I found myself reading the Spanish portions of the book more than the English ones and just using the English version to clarify words I might not have known. (This book even helped encourage my Spanish skills, so I know it would do the same for young children.)

The illustrations in this book are very well-done.

Maya Christina Gonzalez captures the very essence of the Mexican culture in her vibrate, highly colored paintings. She also depicts the face shapes and the hairstyles generally associated with the Mexican culture. Her illustrations are all double-page spreads that make the story flow just like the lines from her paintbrushes that are very notifiable in her paintings.

Teaching Connections: Since I felt encouraged by this work, I know students would because if they do not know a word, they do not have to ask a teacher or spend time looking it up in a dictionary because it is right there on the same or following page! It would absolutely help ELL students practice English and could even help advanced elementary English-speaking Spanish students to practice their Spanish.

A teaching idea for ELL students is to have them read this work and then write a short diary/journal entry of their own in English about their journey to America and their feelings about leaving home. They could also make a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting their feelings and attitudes toward moving with those outlined in a book.

Non-ELL students could write a diary/journal entry after reading this book about when they may have felt like Amada. For example, if they have moved, come to a new school, or have even just felt anxiety about some new experience they were dealing with like having a younger sibling, or going on a trip, etc.

(Image retrieved from http://www.mayagonzalez.com/graphics/books/diary.jpg on 7 April 2008)

A to Zen

2008-04-07T12:50:00.003-04:00

A to Zen
Written by Ruth Wells
Illustrated by Yoshi
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers in NY in 1992
Genre: Informational Text (Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades 3-5

Summary: This work is meant to immerse readers into the world of the Japanese. From the way the book is set up (to be read from back to front and right to left) to the plethora of information provides. this work is a fabulous representation of Japanese culture. The author outlines the Japanese alphabet "from A to Zen" and chooses a different Japanese custom or food to teach children about that begins with each letter. Readers are not only introduced to the Japanese alphabet and aspects of Japanese life, but they also have the opportunity to see illustration done in just the way that illustrations are done on traditional Japanese kimonos! The amount of information provided within this picture book is absolutely amazing!

Response: When I found this book, I was looking for something multicultural in general, but when I saw this book, I knew I absolutely had to read it. When I picked it up, I saw that the cover had three Japanese girls, who looked like they were walking to school on the front and above the picture it said "This book begins on the other side." I thought that was strange, but then I remembered that in Eastern countries, they read from the back to the front and from right to left, which this book also makes readers do! When I turned the book to the back cover, I discovered very beautiful cover art and began reading!

I learned so much from this book! Just in the "about this book" section I learned that the Japanese language has only 22 letter and has no sounds for L, Q, V, or X. It also only has five vowel sounds: a, e, i, o, and u, just like English. I also learned about Daruma dolls, on which one paints one eye when they set a goal and the other when they reach it, futons, which are a part of the Japanese tradition, the Peace Park created in Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped on the city in order to have a place to pray for lasting peace, ow to count to ten in Japanese, and so many other things about their culture!

The illustrator's technique was to paint with dyes on silk cloth, which is also the traditional way the Japanese dye their kimonos. Often in her illustrations there are horizontal lines where the fabric or the dye might have slight imperfections or the dye might have moved somewhat. I think these characteristics are remarkable intriguing and give much character to the work.

Teaching Connections: A great way to incorporate this book is to have each student in the class choose one work (A-Zen) in this book and research the topic further to give a presentation on that particular tradition. They can use the information n the book as a reference point to begin their research. If there are more than 22 students in a class, the teacher can assign other Japanese words from this book for them. For example, on the page discussing chanoyu, the author also mentions samurai warriors, so another student cold study the samurai.

This book could also be used in this project simply as background information for the teacher about these things and the students could have to research about these topics without this book as a source, which could increase the level of research they may have to do dramatically.

(Image retrieved from http://www.ditto.com/searchresults.aspx?ss=a+to+zen+yoshi&ap=3&mainToolbar=imageSelected&view=l on 19 April 2008)

Bio-Poem about Albert Einstein

2008-04-06T20:46:00.003-04:00

Albert

Curious, Jewish, sometimes angry, intelligent

Brother of Maja

Lover of math, science, puzzles

Who feels odd, insightful, that the world is full of wonder

Who finds happiness in his experiments

Who needs to discover the origin of aspects of his world

Who gives much of his time to ponderings

Who fears failure, social situations, losing his innate abilities

Who would like to see everyone care as much about his interests as he

Who enjoys deep contemplation

Who likes to wear whatever is close at hand when he goes out

Resident of Ulm, Germany and New Jersey, United States

Einstein

More about Albert Einstein (click on the links on the left)

Even more about Albert Einstein

Famous Albert Einstein quotes

(Image retrieved from http://www.dyslexiaassociation.ca/gallery/famous/AlbertEinstein.jpg on 6 April 2008)

Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein

2008-04-06T08:31:00.005-04:00

Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein
Written and Illustrated by Don Brown
Published by Houghton Mifflin in Massachusetts in 2004
Genre: Biography
Ages: Grades 3-5, 6-8

Summary: In this biography of Albert Einstein's life, Don Brown chronicles his journey from "odd boy out" to the Nobel Prize winning scientist. Readers travel with young Albert as he creates turmoil in his household due to his dislike of his baby sister to his discovery of things he enjoys, such as finding out how things work, to his realization that he is the "odd boy out." Albert does not like to play ball, is not excited about soldiers on parade, or the study of languages like the other boys. Because of this many students taunt him. Through his school career Albert does not pay much attention to his studies other than science or math and due to that, he cannot attend the college of his choice when he intends. Finally, Albert's curiosity leads him to the discovery of the theory of relativity, photons within light, the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies, the latter of which won him the Nobel Prize.

Response: I believe this book is definitely suited for upper elementary or even middle school students. I think reading it to a class would be a great way to introduce the theories, etc. that Einstein invented without getting into too much detail at once. I really like the background information that Don Brown puts in this book about Einstein's younger life because that information is usually left out of lessons on Einstein. Most students know about E=MC2, but few know of his childhood and other famous accomplishments.

This biography is a complete biography in that it does not tell about just one part of Einstein's life, it actually carries readers through from his childhood all the way to adulthood. One of my favorite quotes from this work is on page 17 and states that "'I believe that love [of a subject] is a better teacher than a sense of duty.'" I absolutely agree with Einstein on that point because I have always felt that I do better and learn more in classes that I am interested in than in those which I know I just have to take.

The illustrations in this work were also done by the author. He does both single and double-page spreads and uses pen, ink, watercolor, and digital technology to create his works. He uses a lot of yellows and greens in his illustrations and very muted colors that are not always distinct. My favorite illustration in this work is actually the only one in which he uses computer-generate pictures. On pages 25 and 26 he uses watercolor to depict Einstein pushing his child in a baby carriage and gazing into the dark sky filled with all kinds of beautiful computer images of science phenomena.

Teaching Connections: This work could be used in a classroom to help students who often feel left out and different feel more comfortable with themselves. The message of the story would be very powerful to them because Einstein too felt very different all through his childhood, but it did not hinder his ability to become a great man and accomplish many wonderful feats.

This book could also be used to begin a study on famous scientists, such as Albert Einstein.

It could also be used to aid a creative writing assignment for students in which, after hearing this story,they write a similar one about their lives. They will detail some information about their childhood and then write about the person they become as an adult. (The creativity is in the "future" part of their stories.)

(Image retrieved from http://syndetics.com/hw7.pl?client=crrlp&isbn=0618492984/LC.JPG on 6 April 2008.

Rosa

2008-04-05T20:26:00.005-04:00

Rosa
Written by: Nikki Giovanni
Illustrated by: Bryan Collier
Published by Scholastic, Inc. in NY in 2005
Genre: Biography (Multicultural Work)
Ages: Grades 3-5

Summary: This work details the story of Rosa Parks when she refused to give up her bus seat on day to white passengers. Upon getting on the bus, she realized that the black section was full, but that the neutral section had a few seats left, so she chose to sit there. The turmoil ensued when she was asked to move by the bus driver and refused. He threatened and did finally call the police and had Rosa arrested. A professor at Alabama State University herd of this and got together with some friends to make fliers telling black citizens to support Rosa by not riding the buses the next day. Rosa's strength and determination helped the Supreme Court rule that segregation was wrong.

Response: This work is a parcial biography in that it details only a portion of Rosa Park's life instead of delving into the details of her life overall. This work is also a picture book biography for young readers. The language used in it is fairly simple, so as to not be too difficult for the age for which it was intended.

The illustrator notes that he visited the setting of this work, Alabama, and noticed how hot it was in that location. He says that because of that many of his illustrations have yellow and dark hues to reflect that. His illustrating style in this work is a collaboration of collage and watercolor, which makes for very interesting illustrations. I found myself trying to determine which parts were watercolor and which were collage. Sometimes it was very easy to tell and other times it was much more difficult. These illustrations are double-page spreads. One of my favorite aspects of this book is the two pages that open when the people are walking to Washington. I certainly was not expecting that, but it shows a great progression in the text. I also really liked how the illustrator made use of the pages directly inside the book. HE put black and white illustrations of Rosa on the bus and the fliers the women made for her on these pages.

I think this work might be considered a fictionalized biography because it speaks of Rosa's thoughts during that day such as what she had planned to fix for supper that night and how men take up more room when they sit than women do. I doubt that Mrs. Parks would remember what she was thinking after the day she had. This element of looking closer into the life of Mrs. Parks, was a very interesting aspect of this work, however. It made hte readers feel a more close connection to Rosa.

Teaching Connections: I think perhaps the best ways to use this book in the classroom would be to either use it as the beginning of a lesson for black history month or to use it to have students do further research on people mentioned in the book. It might be interesting to have them research Jo Ann Robinson, for example.

(Image retrieved from http://www.lookingglassreview.com/assets/images/Rosa.jpg on 5 April 2008)

My Thoughts About Biographies and Informational Texts

2008-04-05T12:51:00.004-04:00

I really enjoy informational texts. I think even the children's versions of these works are very informative and they even give great information to adults as well as children. I think it is remarkable how much information can be put into a work made for children! I think that children also enjoy these works because the love to learn about new things and how things work, animals they are not familiar with, etc.

In my personal reading time outside of school I generally prefer to read fictional tales because they just seems more leisurely to me. However, in the past few years I have come to really love biographies and autobiographies of famous people in our country. In a class recently, I was assigned several non-fiction biographies about people such as Sitting Bull, Theodore Roosevelt, Aimme Semple McPherson, and Ronald Reagan and I must say that I have enjoyed these books, with the exception of the one about Sitting Bull, greatly!

I believe that biographies in general can be very helpful for research. I think that the information they provide can be much more helpful than simply reading about a person in an encyclopedia or other reference book because those who write biographies tend to spend much time compiling research about that particular person before writing their book. Oftentimes these authors even conduct interviews with these people and/or their close friends and family members in order to have a more personal connection to the person about which they write.

One of my favorite types of biographies are autobiographies because they provide even more "inside information" since the author is also the person being written about and no one knows the topic better than that person! Two autobiographies that I have read recently and really enjoyed were Robin McGraw: Inside My Heart and It's All About Him: Finding the Love of My Life, the former deals with the wife of Dr. Phil McGraw and details her life and the latter of which deals with the wife of a famous country music singer and her journey to find Jesus and keep Him a part of her life.

Biographies for younger readers are also great because they are much more succinct in their information, but give very interesting information geared toward their particular audience. They also give readers insight into the lives of many different types of people, which ensures that children receive a well-rounded education!

Birthdays Around the World

2008-04-04T18:33:00.009-04:00

Birthdays Around the World
Written by: Mary D. Lankford
Illustrated by: Karen Dugan
Published by Harper Collins Publishers in Hong Kong in 2002
Genre: Informational Text (Multicultural Work)
Ages: grades 3-5

Summary: This book takes readers around the world to seven foreign countries. It shows them many of the traditional birthday celebrations in countries such as Finland, Malaysia, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, The Philippines, and Sweden. This book not only tells of foods, games, and traditions people in these countries take part in on their birthdays, but also gives readers other interesting facts about birthdays. The back of the of the book has a page about birthday superstitions, birthday flowers, gemstones, and character traits, and also gives ideas about how to have an "around the world" birthday party.

Response: I learned many things from this book. First of all, Mary D. Lankford tells us that "Happy Birthday to You" was written by two women, Mildred J. and Patty Hill, about 100 years ago! I also learned that in The Netherlands children play a game called Koekhappen in which "children are blindfolded and attempt to eat soft cookies from a string," (page 16) which to me sounds a little cruel. A popular game in New Zealand is Pass the Parcel. In this game music is played and a package is passed around. When the music stops, whoever is holding it will unwrap a layer and find a small gift. This continues until the final gift is unwrapped. There was so much great information in this book, that a could not possibly mention all of the interesting facts I learned!

One of the good ideas I got for a birthday party was the "around the world birthday party" idea in the back of the book. The author suggests that the invitations be part of the theme and one theme they suggest is the ocean. Therefore, they suggest that the reader draw a fish pattern and trace it twice, then cut it out and decorate it with gills, etc., then glue only the edges of the fish together so that the fish is mostly hollow still. the next thing one should do is draw several smaller fish in different colors and put the location on one, the time one another, the date on one, and the event title on yet another. The invitation will be given to the invitees with the smaller fish in the larger fish's mouth!

The illustrations in this work were very good. Karen Dugan uses vibrant colors and makes her characters look as though they were real people just photographed. She uses lines to create depth in her illustrations and draws remarkable trees, especially in the Finland illustration. She does not forget to pay careful attention to her backgrounds so they look like settings within the country represented. Also, she takes great care in ensuring that the majority of the girls are wearing hair barrettes, necklaces, earrings or some form of accessory. No detail is too small for her!

Teacher Connections: This book would be wonderful to do a multicultural study with. A teacher could read this book to her class and have them get into seven groups and then choose which of these countries the group wanted to do a research project about.

A teacher could also read one page of this book to her class each day or week and then devote the rest of the day or week, respectively to a study of that particular country.

Or, one could combine these two ideas and have the students choose from these seven countries before knowing about the birthday celebrations and then the students could present on that country and the teacher could read to the class about that nation's particular birthday celebrations.

(Image retrieved from http://thesavvytraveller.com/agraphics/family_travel/for_kids/insights/people/celebrations/birthdays_around_the_world_125h.jpgon 4 April 2008)