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.

"Just A Dream" By: Chris Van Allsburg

Chris Van Allsburg's books sometimes send very important messages, and other times are written simply to entertain. The book "Just a Dream" is one of his books that has a very strong message to it. In this book a young boy Walter has no cares for the world around him. He throws his trash on the ground, chooses not to sort the garbage, and hopes for a future filled with robots and machines that make life easy. That night when he goes to sleep he travels to the future. In this future his neighborhood has become a dumpster for massive amounts of trash. His bed then travels to a tree, but two men begin to cut the tree down to make toothpicks out of it. He also goes to the Grand Canyon and Mt Everst. The Grand Canyon is filled with smog from factories so it is difficult to see the enormous canyon, and a hotel has been placed on Mt Everst. He travels to other places in this future, but from what he sees he doesn't like the way things have turned out. After his dream Walter realizes that planes and robots aren't all that important, but what is important is the environment around him. He sorts the trash, and picks up his litter from the day before. And that night he has a dream about a very different future than the one from the previous night, and he seems to realize that the world around him is important.
This book sends a great message. It shows the importance of taking care of the environment. It also gives the reader a peek into a future where the people didn't care about their environment. And that future wasn't one that appealed to Walter, and probably not to the reader. This book shows us that we need to take care of the environment, and appreciate nature and its natural beauty. I that the culture we live in today doesn't value the world around us enough, and hopefully this book will help kids and adults reading it realize that we need to take care and enjoy the earth before it's too late.
I think this is a great book with a powerful message. It would be neat to incorporate this book into a science lesson where we are planting something or learning about the envrionment. I can also see reading it to my calss on Earth Day, and then having a discussion about it. This book will definitely be a part of my future classroom library.

"Ben's Dream" By: Chris Van Allsburg

Ben's Dream is a cute little book. It's starts with Ben and Margaret biking home. They were supposed to play baseball with their friends, but it's about to rain so they decide to go home and study for their geography test instead. Ben falls asleep while reading his geography book. In his dream his house is floating on water. For the next 23 pages Ben's house floats past major landmarks, which are half submerged under water. Those pages contain pictures, but no text. When he passes the Sphinx he waves to someone. Then at the end of the story Ben is woken up by his friend Margaret knocking on the window telling him to go play baseball. As they ride their bikes we learn that Ben and Margaret had the same dream, and that Margaret was the person Ben waved to.
It's a cute story that takes something as simple as a dream, and puts a little mystery into it. What if the people you see in your dreams are also seeing you too? Because they saw each other does that mean that they were actually floating past landmarks instead of dreaming? I think that Chris Van Allsburg's books do a great job at getting readers thinking. I know that I thought about this book for a little after reading it. The story is simple, and so is the book's design. The book is green, and the cover is printed with the title written in gold. The dust jacket is simple too. The front is a framed picture of one of the landmarks Ben passes by, and below it is the title. On the back is another framed picture of Ben's house in the water. I think the simplicity of this book leaves the reader room for imagination, and to fill in the blanks. I enjoyed this book, and I think that kids from kindergarten to third grade would enjoy this story too.

Glogster

"The Stranger" By: Chris Van Allsburg

After reading some of Chris Van Allsburg's books I've realized that his stories are intriguing because they mix the real world with fantasy. He also adds some sort of twist that leaves the reader thinking after the book is finished. I thought this book, in particular, was really interesting. It's about a farmer, Mr. Bailey, who accidentally hits a man with his car. After knocking this stranger over he takes him back to his house. The man doesn't speak. This worries Mr. Bailey so he calls a doctor over to inspect the man, and the doctor claims the stranger has lost his memory. Although the stranger doesn't speak he stays with the family until the beginning of autumn. By this point the stranger has become a part of the family. The stranger is fascinated by nature, and seems to have a special connection with it. He can approach rabbits without them running away, and when he notices the leaves on the Bailey's farm haven't changed he blows on a leaf until it turns from green to orange.
I thought this book was interesting becuase as a reader I wanted to peg who this stranger was. I was curious if he an ordinary man, if he had magic powers, or if he was symbolic of mother nature. The book doesn't explain all the details about the stranger, those pieces are left for the reader to fill in. This is what I love about Chris Van Allsburg's books. He gives the reader something to think about. As much as I want to know all the answers at the end of this book it was up to my imagination to fill in the rest.
Like his other books Van Allsburg's illustrations are beautiful. These pictures are filled with color, and depict the changing seasons beautifully. The end pages are a burnt orange, which is interesting because the stranger changes the leaf from green to orange near the end of the book. There is also a die stamp of leaves on the front of the book. The stamp is a gold orange. The book incorporates the autumn leaves in many different ways.
This book puts a fun new twist to the changing seasons, and it would be a fun one to read as the seasons change from summer to autumn.

"The Sweetest Fig" By: Chris Van Allsburg

The story The Sweetest Fig screams the lesson 'what goes around comes around'. It is about a dentist, Bibot, who is greedy, selfish, and mean to those around him. He is especially mean to his dog, Marcel. He takes an old lady's tooth out, but finds out that she cannot pay him. Instead of paying the dentist with money she gives him two figs, and promises that if he eats these figs they will make his dreams come true. Bibot takes the figs, but refuses to give the old lady pain medicine because she didn't pay money. That night he eats one of the figs, and sure enough the next day his dream has come true. Realizing the power of the figs, Bibot saves the last fig for a dream that he has created, which is to be the richest man. Unfortunately for Bibot his dream takes an interesting turn.
I love the message this book sends because it just goes to show you should treat others the way you want to be treated. Bibot treated the old lady and his dog Marcel like they were scum. By the end of the book the tables have turned, and Bibot recieves the same poor treatment that he had shown everyone else.
In addition to a great message the book's pictures again fit the story perfectly. The pictures had the same textured background they did in the book The Widow's Broom, but this time they're in color. When the setting was inside Bibot's house the colors were bright to show the extremely tidy house he kept.
Chris Van Allsburg has a wonderful imagination, and I think that his stories are ones that get readers hooked. They also spark the imagination, and I think that this book in addition to some of his other books would be great resources, not only for reading but to inspire writing.

"The Wretched Stone" By: Chris Van Allsburg

The Wretched Stone was an interesting book, and I never expected it to take the turn that it did. The story is told through the captain's daily logs. The crew is enjoying the journey by entertaining each other with stories, jokes, and music. Eventually they spot an island, and although it isn't in the captain's charts they go explore the island because they are in need of food and water. The island is a strange place, and the only thing the crew finds is a large glowing rock. They bring the rock onto the boat, and it has a strange effect on the members of the crew.
The message in this book is subtle, but still very important. It wasn't until I really thought about the story that I understood the author's message. The glowing rock the crew finds symbolizes television. The crew becomes absorbed by the rock, and over time is turned into brainless apes who only stare at the rock. After a terrible ship wreck the stone loses its light. The captain decides to read to the crew and play violin. Over time the sailors return to their normal selves. It is only when we turn off the TV, and focus on other activities, such as reading and music, that we act like humans instead of lifeless TV watchers.
Unlike the other Chris Van Allsburg book I read this one has colorful illustrations. The pictures span across the pages, and only the left page contains a small box with text. Although the book doesn't say what the illustrations are made with they seem to be a mix of color pencil and pastel. I thought this book was interesting, and I can see adding it to my classroom library.

"The Widow's Broom" by: Chris Van Allsburg

The book The Widow's Broom is an eerie and interesting book. I was completely absorbed by this story until the very end. Its constant mystery and suspense made this a quick read. It's about a witch's broom that falls out of the sky because it lost its power of flight. Unlike most brooms that are set aside to rest this old broom finds a new home with a widow. The broom still contains some magic because it sweeps and does other chores all by itself, but the real problem is when the neighbors find out about it.
The book's illustrations only add to the creepy tone of this story. The pictures are sepia tone with a textured background. The images paired with the text give the perfect details to let the reader's imagination run wild. I think this was a very interesting book, and kids who love mysteries will enjoy this book.

Reflection for Reading and Responding to Children's Literature

Reading and Responding to Children's Literature is a great course, and it has helped me explore various types of literature. Without this course my knowledge of the variety of books and uses for these books would be very limited. I never knew the impact that children's literature has on writing. In my reading and language arts methods I have learned that books can be used to get students writing, and can help prompt a writing piece. The more students read the better they become at writing. Reading various types of books exposes students to the various types of writing. In reading and responding to children's literature we explored the various genres. I had never thought that children's literature could be incorporated into the other subjects in school, but after the genre study I can't see myself limiting literature to a single subject. For example, using children's literature, whether in book form or on an interactive computer game, can help make a social studies lesson more interesting. It helps the students get involved with the material. I also never thought that literature wasn't just in a book, but can be found on the web. Until this course I hadn't thought much about incorporating technology as a media for students to read and interact with. This course has helped me explore the various opportunities that children's literature offers.
I think that one of the discussions that changed my view of children's literature was the one where we defined what a child was. In this discussion the class defined children as carefree, innocent, energetic, sponges, curious, fun, sweet, and the list goes on. After creating this list we realized that we had put children in a box. But in actuality children are like adults. There are various types of kids who have different interests. While some children might like fairy tales others might like thrilling mysteries. As a teacher we have to know and understand the various types of books out there to help spark each individual student's interest in reading. This class helped me explore various types of books, and understand the importance of continuing to explore children's literature in the future.
Another thing I found interesting was the discussion about controversial books. I thought the class discussion about controversial books was particularly interesting because there was a variety of opinions about which books could be read in the classroom. I think that some books were understandably controversial because their content didn't have an important meaning or a use in the classroom. While other books, although considered controversial, contain content that help spark important class discussions.
Overall I think this is a wonderful class, and it has helped expand my knowledge of children's literature.

"Rose Blanche" By: Roberto Innocenti

I thought the book Rose Blanche was really interesting. It's about a young girl living in Germany during WWII. She doesn't fully understand what is going on around her, but she notices some changes in her town. She notices all of the soldiers and their tanks. She also notices a boy get thrown back into a truck one day while walking home. Curious, she decides to follow the truck, and she finds a concentration camp just outside her town. The people at the camp ask her for the bread she is holding. She hands it over and notices how skinny the people behind the fence are. Rose continues to return to the camp day after day, and each day she brings as much bread as she can. Time passes, and then one day people are fleeing her town, and she notices that there are other soldiers in town with different uniforms. Unaware of the environment around her Rose goes to the camp, and is accidentally shot.
This is a very sad book. It is loaded with war and death. But the war is seen through a child's eyes, and I think that is a very interesting and important aspect of this book. Because it is told through the eyes of a child the reader only knows as much as the child does about the war, which in Rose's case is limited. I thought this book was very interesting; especially after reading the inside cover. The title of this book is Rose Blanche, which is also the name of the little girl. The author chose this name because Rose Blanche was a group of young German citizens protesting the war. They chose to face the facts rather than ignore what was going on, and because of this they were killed. The little girl's character relates directly to the meaning of her name, which I thought was a really neat way to indirectly incorporate some history into the book. Although I thought this book was really interesting I was also somewhat disappointed with the perspective this book was told from. In my Children's Literature class we discussed how there are very few books that tell the story through the victim's eyes. I think that there are so many books about WWII that are about German people helping the Jews, and unfortunately very few about the Jew's struggle.
I can understand why this book is considered controversial because it deals with some very deep topics. But I also think that if presented in the right way this book can give students some insight into WWII. I wouldn't have this book in the classroom library for students to read whenever they wanted to, but I could see reading it aloud to the class if we were discussing WWII.

"Walter the Farting Dog" By: William Kotzwinkle and Glenn Murray

I thought this book was hysterical. It's about two kids who bring a dog home from the pound. The dog, Walter, smells horrible so they give him a bath when they get home, but the stench doesn't go away. The family figures out that Walter has a farting problem, and that he smells so bad because he is constantly farting. They try everything to get rid of his farts, but nothing seems to work. The kids don't seem to mind Walter's farting, but the parents get fed up with all his farts and plan to send him to the pound. But something happens that night that makes the parents change their mind about Walter.
I enjoyed this book, and thought that the story was entertaining, sweet, and humorous. I understand that this book is considered controversial because it's about farting, but everyone does it so I have a hard time understanding the controversy. This books also has a sweet message about loving things the way they are. In this case the family learns to love their dog even though he farts all of the time. I definitely think that little kids will love this book. When kids are around the ages of 4-6 they think farting and burping and all other bodily functions are amusing and funny, so they will get a kick out of this book.
In addition to being funny I thought the illustrations for this book were very interesting. They are very colorful, and seem to be done with some sort of computer animation. They're very cool pictures to look at because they seem to be a mix of animation and collage. This is also an entertaining book because on almost every page of the book there is a little spider, and it's fun to try and find the spider. I could see adding this book to my classroom library because reading should be enjoyable, and I think that students will have a great time reading this book.

"The Misfits" By: James Howe

I absolutely loved this book! I am truly amazed as to why this book is even controversial. If anything I think The Misfits sends a great message to all of its readers. It is about a boy, Bobby Goodspeed, and his friends in Paintbrush Falls Middle School. Bobby and his friends are the misfits, the kids who get teased, the ones who stand out. When describing his friends Bobby explains how each of them are his friends because they don't seem to be accepted by any of the other students. When student elections come around Bobby's ambitious friend Addie tries to organize a third party that will give the minority students a voice. Unfortunately their first attempt at creating a third party is denied, and all Addie's hopes seem to be crushed. But when Bobby begins to realize who he is and who he wants to be, there is no stopping him. He begins to let his voice be heard, and that is when the No-Name Party is created.
I think this is a great book, and 4th grade students all the way to 7th grade students would like this story. It is relatable so students in middle school can relate to some of the changes and experiences that occur during that age. It also addresses the problem of bullying. This book takes the bullying problem and makes it personal. Everyone at some point in their life has been called a name, and some kids are called names more than others. This book teaches students about the effects that name calling has, and how it can ruin people. The No-Name Party's slogan is "Sitcks and stones may break our bones, but name will break our spirit". I think this slogan sums up the painful effects bullying can have. And this problem so often goes unaddressed or is delt with in the wrong way. I think this would be a great book to either read as a read-aloud or as a class because it has a lot to offer about bullying and accepting people for who they are. I plan to make my classroom a safe environment for my students, and I think reading this book would address how people should be treated in a memorable way rather than creating a boring list of rules.
This book has an interesting cover. It is a picture of a jean jacket with campaign buttons all over it. The jean jacket is a wonderful cover because I could see, Skeezie, one of Bobby's friends wearing a jean jacket with a white t-shirt. I also love how the names are crossed out on campaign pins all over the jacket. I think this cover is simple, but makes enough of a statement about the book to get people interested. I think this is a wonderful book, and everyone should read it because no matter what age you are this book will teach you something about life.

"Way Home" By: Libby Hathorn

The book Way Home is about a boy Shane who finds a cat on his way home. When he first finds this cat it growls and spits at him, but he pets it until it calms down. He puts the cat in his coat to take it home. On Shane's way home he and the cat encounter obstacles such as a mean gang of boys and a fierce dog. Eventually the boy gets the cat to his home, and the reader finds out how much the boy and the cat are alike.
I think this book is put together wonderfully. A tear separates the text from the illustrations. I think this is an interesting theme throughout the book because the tear is part of the cover and the pages, but when the cat and Shane are home there is no tear between the text and illustration. The text is also printed in white on a black background. I think that a black background was a perfect choice because it fits the nighttime setting of this book.
I have a hard time understanding why this book is so controversial. It clearly focuses on a darker side of life, but I think that it finds light in a very dark place. Both the boy and the cat start off alone, but they find each other and become friends. I know that the fact that the boy is homeless may be a difficult thing for some people to grasp because it isn't the sugar coated story. But I think it's important for kids to understand that everyone has different homes, and what one person considers home might not be the same as another person. I definitely wouldn't read this book to young students, but I think that 3rd graders would be able to handle this story. I think that this is an important story for students to read, but it would need to be presented in the right context. I think it would be neat to read this book to my classroom, and then figure out a class community service project. This way students can understand that people live in various situations, but there are many services and organizations that help people in need.

"The Stupids Die" By: Harry Allard

The book, The Stupids Die, is not one of my favorite books. It's about a family with the last name Stupid, and this family does very goofy things. The idea of people doing goofy things reminded me of the Amelia Bedelia series, but unlike the Amelia Bedelia books this one doesn't use a variety of language. It also pokes fun at the character's intelligence. The author chose to not only poke fun at the family name, but to make the family members stupid. Although it points out that the family has fun, I don't think this is an appropriate book for a class. I think that the author could have made this book humorous without making it inappropriate. I think this book only enforces the use of the word stupid, which is ironic because kids are so often told not to use that word. I would relate this book to the brainless trashy movies that we all seem to find hysterical. I think that the only time I could see using this book was if someone in my family wanted to read it. I don't think this book has any place in the classroom, but I know that some kids will enjoy reading it.
The setup of this book is very simple. The cover is a yellow cloth cover with the picture of a kid on it, and below that it says kid. All of the illustrations are done in blue, red, yellow, and green. The illustrations reflect the simplicity of the family they represent. Although I am not a huge fan of this book it is somewhat humorous. Everyone has different tastes, so I know that there will be many kids out there who want to read this book.

"Uncle What-Is-IT is coming to visit!!" By: Michael Willhoite

The picture book Uncle What-Is-It is Coming to Visit is about a brother and sister who find out that their uncle Brett is coming to visit. When talking to their mom they learn that Uncle Brett is gay. The two don't know what gay means, but before they can ask their mom she gets distracted by something burning in the kitchen. They two kids stumble across a pair of air-head teenage boys who explain what gay means by using common stereotypes. The two kids get frightened into thinking their uncle is going to be dressed in women's clothes or wear chains and leather. But when they meet Uncle Brett they are relieved to find that he is just like any other person. They learn that Uncle Brett shares the common interests, such as playing catch and hating brussel sprouts. During his stay they kids ask Uncle Brett about being gay, and they learn that it means that he likes men instead of women. They also learn that some gay men dress up as women or wear lots of leather and chains, and that is okay too.
I know this book is a controversial picture book, but I think it has an interesting story and lesson. I think this book is important because it deals with the common experience of misconceptions about another person. I know that many students will be able to relate to the experience of judging someone before they meet them, and then realizing that what they had been told or thought before isn't necessarily true once they meet the person. In this book the kids judge their uncle based on stereotypes, and then realize that he's a really great guy. I think this is a great book because it shows that stereotypes are not a reliable way to categorize people. I think that the overall message of this book is wonderful, and I think that kids should learn that there are all different types of people.

"The Giver" By: Lois Lowry

I read The Giver when I was in 7th grade. I only vaguely remember some parts from this book, but reading this book again was interesting because I would remember little clips of class conversations and parts that stood out to me the first time. I think this book is fascinating. It's told through the eyes of an 11 year-old boy, Jonas. Jonas is a great narrator because as the reader we get to learn about this very odd futuristic community that he lives in, while at the same time get to hear his thoughts and feelings.
I think that this was a great book to read when I was in 7th grade, and depending on the students I think that 6th graders would really enjoy this book. I love that this book forces the reader to reflect on the world around us. As flawed as our world is, I think this book helps us appreciate what we have. Every time I read this book I am bothered by the blandness of Jonas's community. I think this book helps its readers realize that for all the bad things in our world there are so many wonderful things, and to fully appreciate the good you have to experience the bad. At first this was a tough concept to grasp because as a 7th grader all good seems like a wonderful idea. But this book shows us that what one person thinks is good isn't necessarily good for all.
Reading this book a second time I'm able to catch things that I missed when I was younger. For example, the cover never really made sense to me when I was in 7th grade but I now understand that the old man on the cover is the giver. The picture of the giver on the cover is black and white representing the people's colorless community. But next to the giver's picture is an almost torn looking picture of a colorful forest. The colorful forest represents the ideas of change and the colorful memories that have been forgotten. But as displayed on the cover these ideas and memories are just being uncovered.
I think this is a great book, and I would recommend reading it. It's interesting even the second time around!

"Land of the Blindfolded" By: Tsukuba Sakura

The Land of the Blindfolded was the first manga that I have ever read. Manga's are the Japanese style of comic books. There were a few things that I needed to get used to when reading a manga. The first was that it reads from left to right, and the second is that the boxes in mangas are sometimes different shapes and sizes. Because of the various types of boxes it took me a while to get used to this reading style. I would sometimes read the page out of order, but by the end of the story I had no problem reading the book.
This specific manga is about a girl in high school, Kanade, who can see the future. Contact with other people will induce her random glimpses of the future. At first it's hard for Kanade to deal with seeing the future because she can't always stop the events from happening. While Kanade can see the future, Arou, a boy in her grade can see a person's past. Like Kanade, Arou's glimpses happen when he makes contact with another person or even an object. But unlike Kanade, Arou sees glimpses of the past all the time. Arou and Kanade become friends, and their friendship allows them to talk with someone about their visions, which can sometimes be a lot to handle.
I thought this manga was interesting, and I can see why some students might really enjoy reading these books. I would definitely recommend this manga to older students, such as fifth and sixth graders. I think that this manga is geared more towards a girl audience, but I think that boys might also enjoy this story.

"Abuela" By: Arthur Dorros

The book Abuela is a very cute book. It is about a grandmother and her granddaughter and their crazy adventures, both real and imaginary. This book is neat because it includes both Spanish and English words. Even though it includes words from two languages it isn't difficult to understand what is happening in the story because it is repeated in the other language. For example, people in the book say 'buenos dias' and then after that it says 'good morning'. I think this book would be really helpful to use with Spanish speaking ESL students. This book would help them because they could read the words in their primary language, and then see them in English. In addition to being helpful to ESL students I think that little kids would enjoy this book. Kids enjoy learning Spanish words from the "Dora the Explorer" show so they would most likely enjoy learning some Spanish through a colorful picture book.
This book has beautiful illustrations, which were done by Elisa Kleven. The colorful pictures highlight the little girl's fun imagination. The illustrations are really neat because they are made using various mediums such as, watercolor, pastels, and cut paper. I think this was a very cute book, and I could see kindergarteners and first graders really enjoying it.

"Rapunzel" By: Paul O. Zelinsky

This book tells the story of Rapunzel, the classic fairytale that many of us grew up hearing in school, from parents, or other books. Most children's books that tell the story of Rapunzel leave out some of the darker details of the fairy tale. This book includes many of the details of the original fairy tale, but still keeping it appropriate for children. This is also an interesting version of the fairy tale because at the end of the story there are a few pages that describe the history of the story Rapunzel. It also talks about the various versions of the story Rapunzel. For example, one of the tales was, Petrosinella, which tells a tale like Rapunzel but instead the wife steals parsley from the witch's garden.
In addition to the interesting story of Rapunzel the illustrations in this book are very intricate and fun to look at. Even the end pages of this book are detailed pictures of the land in which the characters live. This book was arranged very well. Even the ISBN on the back of the book has an old paper background that fits the setting of the story. There are also many images of the rapunzel flowers throughout the story.
I think this book is very interesting and I can definitely see using it in my future classroom. I would probably use this when discussing the different versions of fairy tales. I think that this would be a great version to use because it isn't as sugar coated as other Rapunzel stories.

"You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown" By: Paula Danzinger

You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown is a really cute book! It is a quick read, and good beginner chapter book. I think that both third and fourth graders would enjoy this quick read. Amber Brown has just finished her third grade year, and she is going on a trip to London with her Aunt Pam, and then to visit her dad in France. Amber's parents are going through a divorce, and her dad has just moved to France for his new job. Throughout the book Amber talks about the difficult time she is having with her parents' divorce, and how she wants them to get back together. In addition to her parents' divorce Amber's best friend, Justin, has moved away. To add to Amber's luck, she gets the chicken pox while in London.
This book is a great book, and it is written through the eyes of Amber Brown. Her thoughts and comments throughout the book will make you laugh. She is a sweet kid who loves disgusting things, like vomit and scabs. There are pictures throughout the book, and she also includes the letters she receives and writes to her friends and family.
I would recommend this book to my students because it is a fun read. There is an Amber Brown series, so if they like this book they will probably like the other Amber Brown books. I really enjoyed reading this book, and I think that many kids will also enjoy Amber's goofy stories.

"Cinderella Skeleton" By: Robert D. San Souci

Cinderella Skeleton is an interesting book with a creepy twist to the classic Cinderella story. It tells the story of a Cinderella Skeleton who lives in a mausoleum in the graveyard with her stepsisters and stepmother. The entire story rhymes, but some lines don't always rhyme with the one that follows so there isn't a flowing rhythm to the text.
Although the text was sometimes a bumpy read the illustrations were really neat! The illustrations are very detailed, and contain lots of made up creatures. They are filled with detail, and make the story very fun to follow. These illustrations were done in pencil, and watercolors. The illustration on the title page has a dead leaf covered in cobwebs, and then the last page has a blooming dandelion on it which is symbolic of Cinderella Skeleton's journey.
I thought this book was entertaining. I would read it to my class if I was doing a unit on the various versions of classic fairytales.

"Owl Moon" By: Jane Yolen

Owl Moon is a very cute book about a tradition called owling. After having gone owling with his two sons it's now the little girls turn to go owling with her dad. This book has great details! It's told from the little girl's perspective. She describes all the sights, sounds, and feelings of being out in the cold night owling.
The illustrations also help the reader feel like they are outide in the cold winter night too. The illustrations are done by John Schoenherr. The illustrations start on the title page where there is a picture of the little girl opening the door to the dark cold night. The various details of this book are all tied together well, even the end pages go nicely with the theme of the book. They are a navy blue which is the dark color of the winter night.
I really liked this book, and could see using in my classroom for a mini-lesson during writing workshop. I would read it to 1st graders, and I would also read it to 5th graders. We would then either have a mini-lesson on setting or about using details in our writing. I hope to add this book to my classroom library in the future!

"Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-This-World Moon Pie Adventure" By:Tony DiTerlizzi

I really enjoyed reading Jimmy Zangwow's Out-of-This-World Moon Pie Adventure. It was a really creative book, and the story is very cute. Jimmy wanted his favorite snack, moon pie and milk, but his mom wouldn't let him have any because it would ruin his appetite for dinner. Jimmy went outside to go work on his secret invention in the backyard when it took off, and flew to the moon to get moon pies. He has all sorts of adventures while in space.
The pictures in this book are really neat, and I love all the made up creatures. There are also a lot of cute little details on the title page and the acknowledgements page. I also thought it was really neat how the illustrations on earth are different than those in space. When Jimmy is on earth the illustrations have a white boarder, but when he's in space the illustration takes up the entire page.
I loved this book, and it sends the wonderful message to "never abandon imagination". I could also see reading this book before having my students jump into creative writing. I plan to add this book to my classroom library someday!

"The Popcorn Book" By: Tomie de Paola

The Popcorn Book is a nonfiction book. By looking at the cover I would have expected it to be a realistic fiction book. This was a very interesting book. It talks about the history and other fact about popcorn. I never would have thought that popcorn had so much history to it. For example, did you know that out of the three main types of corn popcorn is the oldest. I would have thought that field corn, which is used to feed animals and sweet corn which is the type we eat would have been older than popcorn. I also wouldn't have guessed that the Indians discovered popcorn.
I thought this book was very interesting, and it had a cute little story of two brothers making popcorn to go along with all the facts. I also like how the text is incorporated into this book. The entire book is told through word bubble discussion. The facts are printed in a standard font, while the conversational words are written in a handwritten font. I enjoyed reading this book, and would recommend it to others, especially if you're curious about popcorn.

"You Are Special, Little One" By: Nancy Tafuri

This book is for young children, ages 2-5. It is a very sweet book. It goes through a lot of animals, and every animal baby asks "How am I special?". The animal's parents reply by telling the kid what makes them special. This book was very cute. I like how the author chose to show that each individual animal is special in its own way. The one thing I thought was interesting was that all the animals, and the child at the end of the story always have two parents.
The illustrations in this book were very good. The animals have lots of details and depicted very realistically. The illustrations were created with a mixture of watercolors and color pencils.
Overall I thought this was a cute book, and I could see reading it to little kids one day. I think it's a cute book that reminds us that everyone is different in their own special ways.

"All I See" By: Cynthia Rylant

The book All I See is a very cute story about a boy who befriends a painter. He is a very shy boy who finds entertainment in watching an artist during his free time in the summer. One day while the artist is buys taking a break, the boy paints him a picture. They communicate through the paintings until the artist convinces the boy to stay and paint with him. He teaches the boy what he knows, and they become friends.
The book focuses on painting so it fits that illustrations would be beautiful watercolor paintings. The end pages are a cream yellow that have a similar texture to watercolor paper. Another cute detail are the whale painting die stamps on the front cover.
Whales are important theme throughout this book. The artist, George, seems to only paint whales. When the boy asks him why he only paints whales, he replies that it's "All I See". The artist's easel is set up in front of a lake. Although there are no whales in the lake his imagination allows him to see more than what meets the eye.

"I Lost My Tooth in Africa" By: Penda Diakite

I lost my tooth in Africa is a cute book about family, and the different traditions of other cultures. It's about a family that travels from the US to Africa. They travel to Africa to visit the dad's family. Just as their trip begins the little girl finds out she has a loose tooth, and her dad tells her that if she loses her tooth in Africa she will get a chicken.
The book contains some of the many languages spoken in Mali. At the very back of the book there is a glossary of all the words that are in Bambara, the language the girl speaks when she's in Africa
. It also contains the author's Grandma N'na's goodnight song, and her Aunt Kadja's African Onion Sauce recipe. I really like how the author includes some of her family's culture at the end of the story.
The book shows the different lifestyles and ways of living in Africa through the various pictures. The illustrations were very neat. Each big picture page is surrounded by a boarder. The boarders contain little images that reflect what is going on in the larger picture. For example, when the little girl lost her tooth the boarder had teeth around it. The illustrations are also very colorful, and were created through ceramic tile.
This book really emphasizes the importance of family. It is also very cute because the author's father illustrated this book.

"Frindle" By: Adnrew Clements

The book Frindle was recommended to me by a good friend of mine. She raved about how much she enjoyed this book when she was younger. I remembered hearing about the book, but never got around to reading it. After finishing Frindle I now understand why my friend was so adamant that I read it. Frindle is a very cute book that inspires creativity and fun among its readers. It is also funny because the main character, Nick, is full of wonderful ideas but he hates homework. He is the king of distracting his teachers during class so that they forget about the homework they were about to assign. But Nick's new 5th grade teacher seems to know all the tricks of the trade, and instead of falling for his attempt to distract her he gets himself stuck with a little report on how words are created. Nick's report on words gets him thinking, and before he knows it he has created a new word!
This book has a very sweet message about teachers and how they work to inspire their students' ideas and work. It also shows the reader that with dedication and a good idea you never know what might happen!
This is a great book that both boys and girls would enjoy. I could see advanced 4th graders reading Frindle all the way to 6th graders. I definitely plan on adding this book to my classroom library!

"I Am the Mummy Heb-Nefert" By: Eve Bunting

I thought this book was really interesting. It is told from the perspective of the mummy Heb-Nefert. She begins with her life, and how she was once beautiful. She talks about how she became the wife of the pharaoh's brother, Ti. The story continues to talk about her life, but it then goes on to talk about the traditions of her burial, and how her life continues after her death.
I thought this was a really neat book. The story was interesting, and the illustrations were beautiful. The illustrations, which were done by David Christiana, are intricate and very beautiful. I also think that the color chosen for the end pages of this book is really interesting. The end pages are a stone gray color. I find this interesting because it almost seems like the end pages are the stone sarcophagus that contains the mummy.
I really enjoyed this book, and I think it would be a great book to use when learning about mummies and ancient Egypt. I would definitely find a way to incorporate this book into my lesson because it talks about the life of the person, and then the burial process. I think this book puts into perspective that mummies were once living people.

"The Memory Coat" By: Elvira Woodruff

The Memory Coat is a story about two cousins' journey to a better life. This book is very interesting and very informational. The author's note is neat because it gives the reader a little insight into the thought process of the writer. This book is based on actual events, but the characters are not real. The coat, which is a symbol throughout the book, caught the author's attention while she was visiting Ellis Island. At the beginning of the book the narrator brings up the poor condition of Grisha's tattered wool coat. Despite what all his family members think, he keeps the coat because it is lined with the wool from his mother's coat. Grisha, lives with his cousin, Rachel, because his parents died from an epidemic. As the family's luck starts to change, and their hopes for a better life start to come true the coat is described as special. I like how the coat seems to represent the family's journey, and the turn in their luck.
The book also neat illustrations. The illustrations were done by Michael Dooling. He used oil paints on canvas for the book's pictures. The canvas made some of the pictures look like they had texture to them which was neat becasue it gave more life to the image.
I really enjoyed this book because the story related to many things I've learned. Having been to Ellis Island it was neat to put an image to the place, and have some background knowledge about what Rachel and Grisha's expereince was like. It was also an interesting story because I remember learning about the pogroms, and hearing this story reminded me that many Jews had to make a similar journey to that of Rachel and Grisha's.

"Train to Somewhere" By: Eve Bunting

This historical fiction book takes place somewhere between the mid-1850s to the late 1920s. During this time orphans journeyed by train from New York to the Midwest in hopes of finding homes. It is about an orphan girl's journey to find a home.
I thought this book was really interesting especially because I didn't know that families were able to adopt orphans for free during this time. I also didn't know that the Children's Aid Society tried to find homes for these children by train. Unfortunately not all of the orphans found a better life from this train trip, but this book shows that many orphans found new homes and loving families. I thought this book was sweet and I liked its story.
The book also has beautiful illustrations, which are done by Ronald Himler. They are done with watercolor and gouache. Gouache is a type of paint where the pigment is suspended in water. The ratio of pigment to water in gouache is much greater than that in watercolors.

"Pink and Say" By: Patricia Polacco

Pink and Say is a really touching story. When I began reading this book I didn't expect it to be so full of emotion, but it tells the story of two boys of different color who befriend each other during the Civil War. It is a surprisingly intense story for a children's book, but also very interesting. This story was written so that Pinkus Aylee's memory would live on.
In addition to really enjoying this story the illustrations are very distinct. While I was reading this book I noticed that the illustrations seemed familiar. Once I finished Pink and Say I realized that I had also read Babushka's Doll. I think it's neat that the author illustrates her own books because then they can not only be recognized by the writing style, but also by the illustrations.

"Judy Moody Gets Famous!" By: Megan McDonald

For my series book, I read one of the Judy Moody novels. I have never read a Judy Moody book, but I thought this one had a very cute story! Even though Judy Moody is a series book, it had a page at the beginning of the book that introduced who's who. I think this is a very important thing because having never read a Judy Moody book it was nice to know who the characters were while I was reading. It's a very cute story about a girl, Judy, who wants to be famous after a girl in her class gets her name and picture in the newspaper. It seems as though everyone Judy knows has been famous in some way except for her.
In addition to a cute story there are also some cute little details to this book too. The die stamp on the front cover is a picture of Judy moody, and this little picture is seen through a cut in the dust jacket. The die stamps looks like it is part of the newspaper Judy is holding on the front cover. There are some full page illustrations throughout the book to show Judy's many attempts at becoming famous. This is a cute book, and I could see young girls enjoying the Judy Moody series.