Final Reflection

Wow! I can't believe this semester is already coming to an end. Looking back to the beginning I can see how much I've grown this semester. If you had asked me at the beginning of this semester if I was excited about the idea of creating a blog, I'd have said no. But after blogging for an entire semester I am amazed that I've never had to do this before. Not only did I read tons of books over the semester, but blogging allowed me to hear the thoughts of my peers and other people. I was able to receive comments that agreed with my thoughts, and ones that disagreed. Both of which were really helpful. In addition to receiving comments this blog allowed me to check out the books my peers were reading, which allowed me to understand the gist of books I didn't event read. This was a great tool, and I feel that my knowledge and personal library of children's literature has expanded greatly.
In addition to the blogs I love our classroom discussions. They have all been wonderful, and helped me truly understand that the role of a teacher is to be someone who both teaches and learns. I also love how the topics discussed are ones that aim at accepting all the students in the classroom, and making sure they feel comfortable in the classroom. I also loved the discussions that talked about the messages that are sent through our language and what we say. Such as, "Bring this home to your mom and dad", or How TV week is a classist, and how to address other difficult topics that may come up in the classroom and school setting.
In addition to great discussions I can honestly say that our class projects have all been extremely useful, and I can see using some of these projects as resources in my future classroom. The glogs and text sets are ones that I will definitely incorporate in my classroom. I also have a much better understanding of the various genres, and that it is important to cover a varitey of books in the classroom.
I have really enjoyed this class a lot, and I think one of the most important things I've learned this semester is that reading is reading, whether it's a comic book, manga, newspaper article, goofy chapter book, or a magazine. If students are reading that's what is important!

"Button Up!" By: Alice Schertle

Button Up! is a fun book of poems. The poems all rhyme which gives them a fun rhythm, and makes it a quick read! In addition to a little rhythm the poems are all told from the perspective of an inanimate object. For example, some poems are told by shoelaces while others are told by a pair of new shoes. One of my favorite poems in this book is called, Hand-Me-Down Sweatshirt.
The illustrations in this book are very colorful. The illustration size and placement varies for each of the poems. For example, one of the poems has many little illustrations that are interspersed between the various stanzas. On other pages the illustration takes up the whole page. The illustrations were done with watercolors. In addition to the fun illustrations I really liked how the titles were displayed. Every title has the inanimate object bolded in color. So if the poem is told by a swimsuit, then the word swimsuit is bolded in color in the title. The end pages even fit the fun colorful theme of this book with purple butterflies on blue fading to yellow paper.
I thought this book was very cute. It is definitely geared to a younger audience. Kids from kindergarten to 2nd grade would really enjoy this book. Although the poems in this book are geared to a younger audience I could see using a few of these poems to show how poetry can be written from various perspectives. I'm not sure that older students would enjoy this book being in the classroom library all year round, but I think during a poetry unit it would b a good book to have in the classroom library.

"Don't Read This Book, Whatever You Do!" By: Kalli Dakos

How could I not read a book titled, Don't Read this Book, Whatever You Do! I loved this book! It's a really cute book filled with poems all about school. The poems focus on the various aspects of school. Some of the poems are multiple voice poems that are written with students' voices and a teacher voice. Other poems are stories about things that happen at school. For example, one is about a kid who fell asleep during the school play. Others focus on the thoughts and feelings students have related to school.
I really enjoyed the poems in this book, and I think many students would find these poems funny and relatable. In addition to fun poems the illustrations are very cute. The book is printed in black and white, so the illustrations look pencil drawn. On some pages the illustrations frame the text while on other pages the illustrations are larger and go along with the story.
I can definitely see students enjoying this book! I would definitely put it in my classroom library for students to read, but some of the poems are so funny that I might have to read a few aloud to the class. I think this book would be a great addition to my future classroom!

"Falling Down the Page" Compiled By: Georgia Heard

The book, Falling Down the Page, is a really neat book of poems. It is a book full of list poems. There are many variations of the list poem, and this book highlights the various ways to create a list poem. A few of the poems even combine the list poem method with other methods, such as call and response and multiple voice. The poems in this book highlight lists that can be made from the things we see everyday and at school. I really liked this book because everyone can relate to it because the poems are created from things that happen in our daily lives.
In addition to a great collection of poems I really liked how this book was set up. It's a very narrow book, and rather than opening it up horizontally it opens vertically. I liked this little twist to the book format. Although the pages aren't very colorful the format of the poems are very neat. The titles twist in all different directions, and each poem seems to be formatted differently. Some poems even make you rotate the direction of the book! I really enjoyed reading this book of poems. I can see this book being very useful in my class, especially because it relates to everyday events and school. Some of these poems would make great read-a-louds before activities. For example, there is a show and tell poem in here which would be a fun one to read before introducing show and tell to the class.

"Looking Like Me" By: Walter Dean Myers

The book Looking Like Me is a really neat book. It's about this boy, Jeremy, who is figuring out who he is. With the help of friends, family, and people he knows he's able to see all the different things that make up who he is. The illustrations are collages, and the poems are on pieces of black paper with white ink. The pages are put together in such a way that the text is part of the illustrations. The illustrations are collages that combine pictures, colorful paper cut into the shapes of people, and colorful ink.
My favorite part of this book was the last page. At the end of the book the author and illustrator used the about the author and illustrator page to show how they came up with the book. It says, "We've looked in the mirror and what did we see? Two handsome dudes and a..." I liked this page because it showed pictures of them when they were young, and then the list of things that make up who they are. I thought this was a great page because I could see using this idea as an opener for writers notebooks. The students could write a poem about what they see when they look in the mirror. They can either use the literal meaning of what they see or they could write their poem about the person that they see when they look in the mirror. I think this is a great book, and I plan to use it in my future classroom.

"Jazz" By: Walter Dean Myers

The book, Jazz, is a great book! It starts off with an introduction about the history of jazz and its origins. Then it goes into a series of poems that are written to depict a certain style of jazz. They also tell about various jazz musicians, and about some of the history. The poems emphasize certain phrases or words by using a different font and highlighting them a different color. At the end of the book there is a jazz glossary, which explains what various jazz terms mean. And at the end of the book there is a timeline of important events. This book not only has a bunch of great poems, but it is full of information about jazz to help the reader better understand the rhythm of the poems.
In addition to a wonderful book the poems are laid out in a fun way, and the illustrations fit the colorful jazz theme. On some pages the poems are set normally while other pages the poem is tilted sideways, and other times the book needs to be held vertically to read the poem. The illustrations are very colorful, and made by placing black ink on acetate and then placing it over acrylic.
This book is definitely one that I'd like to incorporate into my future classroom. It'd bring both music and poetry together while incorporating some history in a neat way. I think it would be neat to split the class up into groups, and have them each present a poem. It would be fun for them to re-read the poem multiple times in order to decide how to perform it. In addition to reading the poem multiple times they would also listen to the jazz style in order to get an idea for the particular style of music that their poem is representing.

"Love That Dog" by: Sharon Creech

I thought the book Love That Dog was really cute book. It had a very simple plot, but the writing was what made it interesting. The book is written in short poems by a boy Jake. Jake is a student who is learning about poetry. At first he doesn't believe in himself as a writer so he refuses to let his teacher post his poems. He agrees to have his work posted in the classroom anonymously, and as the book goes on he gains confidence in his writing. Throughout the book we also get to hear his thoughts about other poems the teacher reads to the class. He really enjoys the work of a specific writer, Mr. Walter Dean Myers. Jake is encouraged by his teacher to write to him, asking if he can come to their school.
I thought this book was really cute, and I loved seeing the boy evolve as a writer. I also really liked how the book referred to poems by other authors. These poems are included at the end of the book, which was nice because I didn't know any of the poems before reading this book. What I really loved was how the author shows that poetry doesn't have to rhyme to be poetry, and she brings this topic up in the story too.
I think this would be a great book to read as a class because it a novel that is written in poetry. Exposing students to various types of books helps them become better readers and writers. I think by having students read this book they will gain a new understanding and appreciation for poetry. I also think it will encourage them to write in poetry more often because the book presents poetry in a very approachable manner. This book also encourages discussion about topics such as confidence and loss. Jake is able to write about his loss, and his confidence grows as he writes more poetry. I think that this was a really interesting book, and I can see reading it with a 3rd grade class and reading it with students as old as 6th grade.

"Year of Impossible Goodbyes" By: Sook Nyul Choi

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes was a great book to read, especially after reading So Far From the Bamboo Grove. It told the story from the perspective of a Korean girl living in North Korea during WWII. As a Korean during this time period Sookan and her family had to follow very strict rules, and were constantly under the orders and watch of the Japanese soldiers. Sookan's family ran a sock factory that was closely watched by the Japanese soldiers. They had to make socks for the Japanese army otherwise they were seriously punished for not helping the Japanese war effort. Sookan and Inchun, her younger brother, made it a long time without having to go to the Japanese schools. During the last year of the war they were ordered to attend the school. At school the students had to hail, sing songs, and recite lines all praising the Japanese. The students had to speak Japanese, and were scolded and beaten if they spoke Korean. Even after the war the Koreans weren't free. Even though the Japanese moved out of the towns after the war, The Russians moved in, and forced them to join the communist "Mother Russia". The Russians were very strict, and killed those who tried to flea to South Korea. But with help from a family friend, Kisa, Sookan, Inchun, and their mother had help fleaing North Korea, but not everything went as planned.
I thought this book was really interesting. And after reading it I have a much better understanding about the relationships between Japan and Korea. I was never aware that Japan had so much power over Korea. I also have a better understanding of WWII because I know that the Jews weren't the only group who suffered from this war.
In addition to being a very resourceful book I thought it was very well written. Sookan's writing is easy to read, and her story is very interresting. When I first picked this book up I hadn't really thought about its title. After finishing this book its clear that no other title would fit this book quitte right. The book is told from Sookan's perspective when she was a child. This makes the book very interesting because the events are explained based only on the knowledge she had at the time. For example, when the sock ladies were taken away by the Japanese soldiers Sookan didn't know where they were sent. In the book it was clear to Sookan's mother and Aunt that the sock ladies were being taken to a much worse job than the sock factory. While this information was very obvious to the adults, Sookan was left in the dark. These parts of the book help the reader understand that Sookan was just a child going through the chaos of war.
I thought this was a really interesting book, and I love the idea of pairing it with So Far From the Bamboo Grove. These two books make a great combo because there are multiple sides to every story.

"The Days of Summer" By: Eve Bunting

The Days of Summer is a very heavy book that is packed with topics such as divorce, time, and the end of certain things. It is about two girls who learn that their grandparents are getting a divorce. The girls feel the sadness of the divorce, and they can also see it on their parents' faces. The girls visit their grandma, and make plans to visit their grandpa the following week. It takes time, but the girls come to realize that although their grandparents are getting divorced it doesn't mean that their grandma or grandpa love them any less.
I wasn't expecting this book to be so heavy, and straight forward. One of the quotes in this book that struck me the most was when Nora is on the phone with her grandpa, and she explains her understanding of why her grandparents got divorced. She says "'It has to do with weeks and months and years passing' I said. 'And doing things for the last time. And not wasting what's left'". Nora's words are filled with understanding. Although her words relate to her grandparents' divorce they also relate to the end of her summer. Nora's words are very wise, and would be good advice for many things in life. People shouldn't spend their lives letting the days drag by, they should surround themselves by the people and things they like so that the days don't drag by. And for those people who are surrounded by the things they love they should take a second to appreciate what they have because before you know it, it will be over, just like summer.
In addition to being amazed by the deep content of this book I was also really intrigued by the illustrations. They looked painted, but at the same time very real. After reading the title page I learned that the illustrations were created through photoshop. This was a really neat way to illustrate the book because the images are so real, and at the same time so distant.
I thought this was a really interesting book, and I can see it being a part of my classroom library. I can also see reading it as a class, and talking about all the messages in this book.

"Tico and the Golden Wings" By: Leo Lionni

The book Tico and the Golden Wings is an interesting book. It's about a bird, Tico, who doesn't have any wings. Although he doesn't have wings he is fortunate to have friends who fly and bring him food. One day Tico meets the wishingbird, and he wishes for a pair of golden wings. His friends are jealous of Tico's golden wings, and they don't talk to him. Tico helps the people around him by giving them his golden feathers for the things they need. Each time a golden feather is taken from his wings, and black feather grows in its spot. Eventually Tico has black wings like all of his friends, and they accept him again.
I enjoyed reading this book, but was really confused by the message it was trying to send its readers. But I think that the end of the book explains the message very well. At the end of the book when he is with his friends, and they all look alike he realizes that although he may look like his friends they are still all different because they have their "own memories, and his own invisible golden dreams". Unsure that I fully grasped the full message of this book I looked online to see what other people thought. I found a few different messages for this book. One was similar to mine, and it said "that we are all different and special no matter what color our wings are" (vintage childrens books my kids love) and another source believed that this book had many messages that deal with "acceptance, giving, sharing, and simply doing the right thing when called upon to do so" (good books for kids-review). After looking at the various meanings people got from this book I realized a few things. First off, I got one of the messages this book was trying to send. And secondly there are many more messages in this book than the one I found.
I think this would be a great book to read out loud to a class becasue each student would have a different take on what the author is trying to send to its readers. I also think that there would be a lot of differnt opinions on this book, and it has potential to start a good class discussion.

"Double Pink" By: Katie Feiffer

I picked this book up because it made me think of one of my friends. I have a friend who wears a lot of pink, and the pink title and cover of this book made me think of her, so I had to read it! This book is about a little girl who loves the color pink. When Madison was a baby her first words were pink, and from that moment on she wanted everything to be pink. She loved the color pink so much that the only things in her room were pink, and on her birthday she wished that everything was pink. She even painter herself pink once, and when she did her mom couldn't find her. Madison was in her room, but because everything was pink her mom couldn't see her, all she saw was pink. Being lost in all the pink made Madison realize that as much as she loved the color pink she missed the other colors.
This book is a cute book, and it has a good message. It shows its readers that too much of a good thing isn't always good. It takes Madison getting lost in all the pink in her room for her to realize that too much pink isn't fun. She realizes that she missed her other wonderful toys that weren't pink.
As you can only imagine the illustrations in this book are filled with the color pink. The illustrator used acrylic paint and ink to create the pictures. This looks neat because the details are drawn in black ink over the paint.
I thought this was a cute book, and I know that anyone who loves pink will love reading this book!

"The Graves Family" By: Patricia Polacco

The Graves Family is a goofy cute story about a very interesting family. This family lives in a house with giant spiders and an enormous venus fly trap. The house is painted blood red, and the inside is painted black. Despite the house's creepy appearance the Graves family is really nice! They have 5 kids, their oldest son, Heironymus, becomes friends with the neighbors, Seth and Sara. The three become great friends, and after a while of being friends Ronnie, short for Heironymus, brings his friends to his house. Although the house scared Seth and Sara, they still enjoyed being Ronnie's friend. Ronnie may have found people he fit in with, but his whole family hasn't been accepted by the town yet. It isn't until the Graves family wins a coveted prize that the town learns to accept the Graves family for who they are.
This story is very fun! I think the story's message is best explained through the author's dedication, "Those who march to a different drummer are in a magnificent band indeed!" This story has a great message about accepting people for who they are. It also encourages people to be themselves. The Graves family didn't try to be anything other than themselves, and although it took time, the towns people learned to love them for who they were.
Patricia Polacco's books always have fabulous illustrations! This book has great illustrations that make the Graves' creepy house come to life! The pages are filled with illustration, and even the ones that are filled with text have some border illustrations. I think this book would be a fun book to read as a class during Halloween time!

"Something About Hensley's" By: Partricia Polacco

WOW! Something About Hensley's is a great book! It's about a general store owner, Mr. Soncrant. He owns the store Hensley's in the small town, Union City. It's not only that the store has everything you need, but the owner Old John Soncrant is the heart and soul of the store. One day he meets two girls, Kate and Molly. They are new in town, and Mr. Soncrant gives them a friendly welcome by giving them bags of candy. From then on the girls find Hensley's to be their regular hang out. They talk with Mr. Soncrant, and look at all the stuff in the store. He becomes friends with the girls, and comes to find out their mom is a single mother, and a college student. It isn't long before Mary, the girls' mom, becomes friends with Mr. Soncrant too. He helps them through their tough times, and even helps Mary start her own business, "All Fired Up!".
I loved this book because it has such a wonderful story. It's one of those books that just make you smile. Mr. Soncrant is a wonderful character who is makes everyone who read this book want to be a nice, friendly, giving, and whole hearted person. In addition to a beautiful story the illustrations in this book are fantastic! Every single page is filled with color. There are little boxes where the text is, but other than that the pages are filled with great illustrations. Even the end pages are illustrations. The end pages are illustrations of Mr. Soncrant helping other people in Union City. Patricia Polacco even illustrated herself on one of the end pages! I enjoyed reading this book so much, and I think that kids of all ages would enjoy this story!

"Stagestruck" By: Tomie DePaola

The book Stagestruck was a really cute book! I was expecting a predictable children's book, but the story didn't turn out like I thought it was going to. It's about a boy, Tommy, who really wants to be Peter Rabbit in his class play. He knows the story well, and would do a great job as Peter rabbit. But when the time comes for the teacher to choose parts Tommy is talking, and ends up getting Mopsy. Tommy is bummed about getting a part without lines, but he takes his dance teacher's advice from class and stays in character by reacting to Peter rabbit's actions on stage. The audience gets a kick out of Tommy's faces. After this performance Tommy realizes he's stagestruck!
I thought this was a cute book. I think it's important to enjoy what you do, and Tommy showed his love for acting in this story. Even though he didn't get the part he wanted he was able to make the best of it and he still got the audience's attention.
This book is a great book for little kids because it uses simple language, and it even explains certain words within the story. For example, when Tommy's dance teacher explains that they should react to what's on stage she explains that if something funny happens they should laugh and when something sad happens they should look sad. This book has an interesting story and set up. On each page the illustrations are framed, and some pages have multiple illustrations. The pages are colorful, and fun to look at. I think the cutest detail is the cover details. The front cover shows a stage with Tommy on it, and the back cover has the spotlights at the back of the auditorium. I think that kindergarteners, and first graders will really enjoy this book!

"Someone for Mr. sussman" By: Patricia Polacco

The book, Someone for Mr. Sussman, was really cute! By looking at the cover I would have never expected it to be about a matchmaker! Mrs. Zukin is a matchmaker. Her grandson son is the narrator of the story. He explains that his bubby, grandmoter, has made a lot of successful matches, but she can't seem to find the right person for Mr. Sussman. She likes Mr. Sussman, and tries to be just like the woman he wants. But everytime she tries to impress him he doesn't seem to notice. Finally she explains that she cannot help him anymore because he is too picky. He stops by Mrs. Zukin's house to say 'hi' after she has stopped being his matchmaker. It's then that he finally realizes who he wants to be with.
I thought this book was very entertaining, and it had great illustrations. The pages were all very colorful, and the illustrations were made with pencils and markers. I also really liked the way this book is set up. Its title page is in the back of the book under a small picture. In addition to that, I also think the dedication of the book is sweet. Mrs. Zukin explains to her grandson at the beinning that "no pot is so crooked that there isn't a lid to fit it!". And by this she means that there is someone for everyone out there. I think that is a really cute idea, and the dedication is for all those crooked pots who have finally found a lid. I like how she tied the text of the book into her dedication. This book was really sweet, and I think that kids will enjoy this story.

"The Big Bug Ball" By: Dee Lillegard

The Big Bug Ball is a cute book, but not one of my favorites. It is about a big dance that all the bugs go to. Everyone is excited, except for the sow bug, who is worried because she doesn't know how to dance. Everyone seems to be joining in the fun, but she decides to stay to the side and hide. The other bugs try to get her to join in the fun, but she refuses to until another sow bug reaches out to her and they have fun dancing. I liked how the story mentioned characteristics of the bugs. For example, when the sow bug hides she curls up into a little ball, and the cockroaches eat all the food, and the termites eat the wooden table. The entire story also rhymes, which adds a little rhythm to the story.
The book has really cute pictures of the various bugs. It also is set up really cute because everyday items are used for the dance floor. The dance floor is made out of cards and a dots box, and lightning bugs are at the tops of forks for the lights around the floor. In addition to the the pictures the end pages are super cute! The end pages are green with dance steps to different bug dances.
The one thing that really bothered me about this book was that the whole interaction between the male and female sow bugs wasn't even mentioned in the text. The reader had to use the pictures to see that the two met, and started dancing together. I think that his character should have been introduced through text rather than entirely through illustration. Other than that I thought this was a cute book. I can see younger kids, such as kindergarten and 1st graders really enjoying this book.

"JULIUS, The Baby of the World" By: Kevin Henkes

Hahaha...is my first reaction after reading this book. It's a really cute story about an older sister who has a new baby brother. While Julius is in his mother's belly Lilly is the nicest big sister. But when Julius is finally born things change, and Lilly is not a nice big sister. She is the queen of the world, and Julius doesn't seem to fit in her world. Her parents adore Julius and think he is wonderful and cute, and they try everything to get Lilly to agree. But she doesn't. It's not until Lilly's cousin, Garland, comes to Julius' birthday celebration that Lilly's mind is changed.
I know that I can definitely relate to this story! I am the oldest sister, and like Lilly I had a difficult time adjusting to having a younger sibling. Just like Lilly would ask her parents when her brother was going away; I would tell my mom that she didn't need to feed my younger sister. I think that this book is very cute, and many kids will be able to relate to it. Eventually Lilly learns to love her brother, but it takes some time.
I think this story would be great to read to kids who are going to become older siblings or have recently become older siblings. It shows that having a sibling can be a lot of fun once you accept that they aren't going anywhere. I also think kids will like this book because it has a lot of cute pictures. The mouse characters are adorable, and the pictures are very colorful. The book's pages are designed in a neat way. Some pages have one picture on them while others have multiple pictures. The text is above and below the various pictures, and on some pages the mice have some quotes along with their illustration. It is also cute because Lilly is on every page of the book, including the title and dedication pages (she really is queen of the world). I enjoyed reading this book, and definitely recommend it!

"So Far From the Bamboo Grove" By: Yoko Kawashima Watkins

The book So Far From the Bamboo Grove is about a Japanese girl, Yoko Kawashima, who lives in northern Korea during WWII. During the end of the war Korea was a very dangerous place for Japanese people because the Koreans were trying to take back control of their country. This book tells the story of how Yoko and her family try to escape Korea for Japan. One night, Yoko, her older sister, Ko, and her mom are warned by their friend, Corporal Matsumura, that they must flee Korea immediately otherwise they will be killed. The women take his word and flee their hometown, Nanam, for the city Seoul in South Korea. Unfortunately they cannot flee as an entire family because Yoko's father is working in Manchuria for the Japanese government, and Yoko's brother, Hideyo, is away for the week working at a factory for the Japanese army. The three of them flee for Seol with sacks packed with food, some money, and clothes. They leave a note for Hideyo, in hopes that they will eventually be reunited with him in Seol. Their journey shows the horrors of war, and also the power of family, friends, and love.
I thought this was a great book. The story is told through Yoko's eyes as a child, and seeing war through a child's eyes makes the story so much more real. It also gives the reader an insight into her thoughts, fears, and feelings.
In class we saw this book being taught to a fifth grade class. I hadn't finished the story at that point, and couldn't understand how fifth graders could handle this book. After finishing the story I think that fifth graders would have no problem reading this book, understanding it, and being able to handle the heavier parts of her journey. Yoko's journey isn't a pretty one and it talks about rape and death. Although both of these topics are very heavy topics I think that paired with class discussions the fifth graders will be able to handle the material. The book is also written in a way that shows Yoko's journey without being overly graphic. If I ever taught a fifth grade class I think that this story, paired with a book from the Korean perspective would work wonderfully. Students not only find these topics interesting, but the differing opinions of the two books would make great discussion topics. I thought this was a great book, and would definitely read it with my class.