"Sweet Dreams: How Animals Sleep"

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.

"It's a Hummingbird's Life"

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"

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.

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

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"

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.

"Las Posadas: A Hispanic Christmas Celebration"

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.

"Planets Around the Sun"

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.

"Mercury"

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"

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"

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.

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

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

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

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?"

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"

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"

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

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

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"

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"

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

"Who's Who in My Family?"

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"

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!

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