Mr. Popper's Penguins: Chapter Book # 4

Author: Richard and Florence Atwater
Title: Mr. Popper's Penquins
Illustrator: Robert Lawson
Readability Score: 3.9
Theme: the responsibility of leadership
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Primary and secondary characters:
Awards: Newbery Honor Book
Publishing Company: Librarian Connection
Date of Publication: 1979
ISBN: 9780316058421
Summary: This book is about a man named Mr. Popper who works in Stillwater. He paints houses there and once the painting season is over, he settles in for the winter. His selection is based on travel books and he has dreams of going to Antarctica one day. He wants to visit the south pole. However, one day he receives a package that was sent over from Antarctica from an Admiral. To his suprise it is a penquin that is in the box and Mr. Popper has to deal with the penquin's commotions in his home and city. They are photographed when they are taking a walk one day and the picture gains the attention from the national press. Another day, Mr. Popper receives another box in the mail that contains another penguin. In order to keep the penguins happy, he must do what they ask of him. In a freezing cellar, which was built for the penguins, the newest addition begins to hatch eggs. Before Mr. Popper's realizes, he has many penguins living in his home. He begins to teach them performance acts and before they know it, they are traveling and showing off their talents.

This book is a humorous book on the life of penguins. Students can take on this reading for a fun activity or in a group with their friends to discuss how happy Mr. Popper is to have the penguins in his life. They can discuss characteristics of the penguins in the book and compare them to their less exaggarrated forms in real life.

Kisses from Katie-Chapter Book # 3

Author: Katie Davis with Beth Clark
Title: Kisses from Katie
Illustrator: N/A
Readability Score: Grades 6 and up
Theme: giving up a comfortable life for a life God has planned
Genre: Non-fiction
Sub genre: Biography
Primary and secondary characters: Katie Davis is the primary character and the secondary characters are her parents, the children of Uganda, the people of Uganda
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Howard Books
Date of Publication: 2011
ISBN: 978-1-4516-1206-6
Summary: This book is about how a nineteen year old girl visits Uganda for the first time. She is the narrator of the book as she tells us how she fell in love with the country and most importantly, its people. She comes back to the United States, where she lived a comfortable life of driving a nice car, being Homecoming Queen, had her future planned out, and had a great family and boyfriend. She makes the decision after she graduates to move there for a year and do mission work. Her parents were struggling with the idea of her moving there without them or anyone she knew and even could possibly be faced with danger at some point. Her mother agrees to go with her for a couple of weeks when Katie is given the opportunity to be a teacher at a village there. She goes and she never comes back as her heart is faced with leading many children to a better education and to the Lord. Katie also takes on the role of being a caretaker for many of these children as they have been declared abandoned.

This book takes students on a journey to another side of the world. They can see the life of a person from Uganda and how they live. They can see how Katie Davis spends her days teaching and taking care of her adopted children. This can be a fun read for students to do independently or in a group setting. When studying parts of the world, Uganda can be seen throughout the text and its descriptions.

The Secret Life of Bees-Chapter Book # 2

Author: Sue Monk Kidd
Title: The Secret Life of Bees
Illustrator: N/A
Readability Score: 7.2
Theme: the power of female community
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Historical
Primary and secondary characters: Lily is the primary character and the secondary characters are her nanny, her father (T-Ray), August Boatright, Rosaleen Daise, Deborah Fontanel, Zachary Taylor, June Boatright, Mary Boatright
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Viking Penguin
Date of Publication: 2003
ISBN: 9780142001745
Summary: This book is about a young girl, named Lily, who is fourteen years old. She experiences many trials in her life. Her mother is killed in an accidental gun shooting, where Lily is blamed for the death by her father. He is abusive to Lily and hateful. This book is set in the 1960s and takes the audience into a perspective on what it is like to be African American in the south during that time. Lily and her nanny, who is African American, decide to run away from home and head to the south. There she is welcomed into the home of the Boatrights as they teach her how to keep bees and help her work through her problems with her father. Throughout the book Lily experiences the grief of her mother's death and how her father blames her. T-Ray discovers their location and he tries to take her back, but Lily is confused while the Boatrights' convince her that staying in the home in South Carolina is the best.

This book is another great book for a book club discussion. Students can see from a young girl's perspective on how bullying and abuse can affect them. They may be able to relate to Lily's character and see that in the end, she is able to resolve feelings towards her mother and father. Student's can discuss themes and main topics throughout the book in depth. It also can provide a historical point of view for readers to see how times were in the 1960s for African Americans.

Charlotte's Web-Chapter Book # 1

Author: E.B. White
Title: Charlotte's Web
Illustrator: Garth Williams
Readability Score: 4.9
Theme: true friendship goes a long way
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Primary and secondary characters: Primary characters: Charlotte, Wilbur, Fern and secondary characters include: Fern's brother, Fern's parents, the animals on the farm
Awards: Newbery Award Winner
Publishing Company: HarperCollins
Date of Publication: 1952
ISBN: 9780064400558
Summary: This book is about a little pig named Wilbur who was born a runt into the Arable's farm. Mr. Arable makes the decision to kill Wilbur because he will never amount to anything because he is so small. Fern is shocked that he would do such a thing, so she agrees to take care of him and help him grow up with the permission of her parents. Fern falls in love with Wilbur as they develop a friendship on the farm. However, a time comes when Wilbur is big enough to be moved to a new home on Fern's uncle's farm. She visits him a lot, but she is also growing older so she has more priorities. Wilbur tries to make friends with the other animals on the farm, yet he is still considered to be the "little pig" in his ways of thinking about life and with Fern. Wilbur's most important friend he makes is Charlotte, who is the spider that lives in the doorway above him. When Wilbur hears of the farm's plans to make him a Thanksgiving dinner, he creates a plan with Charlotte to save him. Together they come up with creative ways to help Wilbur remain on the farm with his friends. Their friendship is the most significant part of the book as Charlotte, a loyal friend, helps to save Wilbur's life.

This book is a classic and it contains many elements of friendship, loyalty, and accomplishing your dreams. Students can begin in book clubs discussing the characters qualities, how friendship plays a part in the book, and also discuss the themes of what they think the book contains. Students can also see that even though Wilbur was born a runt and he, "would never amount to anything", that he defied everyone's odds and was a great character in the end who accomplished a lot.

Let's Talk About Race-Picture Book # 26

Author: Julius Lester
Title: Let's Talk About Race
Illustrator: Karen Barbour
Readability Score: 4.5
Theme: race is just a part of us, but it doesn't define us
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Diversity
Primary and secondary characters: none in particular
Awards: Newbery Award Winner
Publishing Company: Kulius Lester
Date of Publication: 2009
ISBN: 9780060285968
Summary: This book is about introducing race to the audience. The writer tells his own story that will engage children about him. He talks about his hobbies, foods he likes to eat, and then he adds in that he is black. Throughout the story he writes questions that students can answer. This creates the discussions and thought processes about who the reader is as a person. It also talks about how judgement and prejudices seem as if we are comparing ourselves to other people and viewing ourselves as better. He writes deep sentences such as,"Beneath everyone's skin are the same hard bones." He says to view ourselves without skin and we would all be the same. The main question he asks us is if race is just a portion of our stories, then why do we or people in general think it is so important?

This book is straight on when it talks about diversity. Race in general is a part of diversity and when students are in school they can learn about one another. Many have the same hobbies, likes of favorite food, sense of humor, and personality about them that makes it better to connect with other people. Race is just a part of who a person is and students can really understand that throughout this book and see it in a different light. I would do a book club talk about this book and see how students relate to one another in diverse group settings. Even students who grow up not thinking outside of the box of prejudices can see that this book means well and we can all benefit and learn from it.

Mia's Story-Picture Book # 25

Author: Michel Foreman
Title: Mia's Story: A Sketchbook of Hopes & Dreams
Illustrator: Michel Foreman
Readability Score 2
Theme: never giving up no matter where you come from
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Diversity
Primary and secondary characters: Mia is the primary and the secondary are her father and Poco
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Candlewick Press
Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 076363063-2
Summary: This book is about how the narrator meets Mia one day. The narrator telling the story writes that her bus had broken down and she was in Mia's village. They became friends and she wants to tell the audience about her story. Mia lives in Campamento, San Francisco, which is between the city and snowy mountains. There are no pretty gardens or trees, just a muddy track as a road. Mia's father travels into the city everyday to sell scrap. Mia's home, which she lives with her mother and father, is made of mostly odds and ends and bits of trash. The book also contains illustrations of Mia's tiny school, where the people of the village bake their bread, and also where they search for things in the nearby dump. The family has dreams of living in a house made of bricks. Mia is happy one day when her father brings home a puppy that she names Poco. She takes him everywhere until one day during winter he disappeared. She began to search for him everywhere, she eventually ends up high on the snowy mountains. One her journey back home, disappointed and sad, her horse suddenly stops and finds flowers. Mia is shocked that these beautiful flowers would grow in such cold, snowy conditions. She takes some home with her and plants them. Eventually they begin to spread and their seeds spread out. By spring there were flowers everywhere in her village. She began to go into the city to try to sell her flowers, alongside her father, who was selling scrap. Mia had so many customers that her father had to quit his job to help her.

This story held a powerful meaning of never giving up. Mia was from a lower SES even though she was given the opportunities for an education and work. This book gives the message for all students that it doesn't matter where you come from that you can still accomplish your goals and dreams. This book also shows the life of a girl from a low SES and some students may be able to relate to Mia. I would have the students discuss the book in a book club for more in depth understanding of its concepts. The issue of poverty is clearly stated and students can have a better understanding of this.

What's Wrong with Timmy? Picture Book # 24

Author: Maria Shriver
Title: What's Wrong with Timmy?
Illustrator: Sandra Speidel
Readability Score: 3.3
Theme: don't judge a book by its cover
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Diversity
Primary and secondary characters: Kate and Timmy are primary characters, secondary characters are Kate's mother and
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Special Scholastic Edition
Date of Publication: 1999
ISBN: 0-316-15548-9
Summary: This book is about a little girl named Kate. She is very curious about everything and she always asks her parents things that she finds interesting. One day she was at the park and she noticed a boy named Timmy who dressed like her brother and had brown hair like her, but he was different somehow. She asked her mom, "What's wrong with Timmy?" The audience finds out throughout the book that when Timmy was born his doctor said he would have disabilities and he wouldn't be able to do a lot of the things that the other kids do. Kate's mother told her that he was a lot like Kate. He loves his family, friends, goes to school, and has dreams about what he wants to be when he grows up. Kate also discusses her emotions on how she feels that he is different and how she is scared when he is around. Her mother tells her that in the beginning we're all uncomfortable with people who may look, talk, or act differently. Kate realizes that everyone is equal and everyone deserves a chance because they were all on the earth for a reason. When she approaches Timmy one day, she realizes that they have more in common than she thought and they become friends.

This book covers a lot about disabilities and how students can be comfortable with one another. Younger students may have a harder time trying to accept or be comfortable around other students with disabilities because they just don't know how to act or what to say. This book demonstrates that people with disabilities are just like people without disabilities and it's important to accept everyone. I would have the students free-write about emotions on topics such as their views on the importance of acceptance or judgement. This activity can help them see from the other person's point of view on how they would feel if someone were to hurt their feelings just because they were different. Students with disabilities can understand Timmy's point of view and see that he has goals and dreams in life too.

Hannah's Journal-Picture Book # 23

Author: Marissa Moss
Title: Hannah's Journal: The Story of an Immigrant Girl
Illustrator: Marissa Moss
Readability Score: 5.2
Theme: moving towards a better life for oneself
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Diversity
Primary and secondary characters: Hannah is the primary and the secondary characters are her family members
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Harcourt, Inc.
Date of Publication: 2000
ISBN: 0-15-202155-8
Summary: This book is told from Hannah's point of view. It is dated on her birthday which is, September 27, 1901, in Lithuania and is the first entry of her journal. She is ten years old and she is given the journal to write in by her father, Papashka. He knew how much she wanted to learn even though she can't go to school with her brothers. She can now learn Hebrew and Russian by the help of her older siblings. She has three older brothers, one younger brother, and two younger sisters. In her journal she writes about how she wants to go to school, but it is only for boys and her family cannot afford a tutor for her. She also receives the opportunity to go to America. She describes boarding a ship which is large enough to hold dozens of trains and people. By the end of the journal, Hannah writes that she loves America and she is beginning to start a life for herself. She is able to work and most importantly, go to school.

I think this book is a good resource to use in the classroom because it provides an insight into the life of an immigrant girl to America. Her family wanted a better life for her, as well as Hannah, and she was given the chance to learn and go to school. Students can see through her entries how times were back in the 1900s and how not everyone had the chance to do the same things. They also can see how the diversity of America became prevalent at the start of immigration. They can write their own entries in a journal as if they were first coming to America.

The Junkyard Wonders-Picture Book #22

Author: Patricia Polacco
Title: The Junkyard Wonders
Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Readability Score: Grade 2
Theme: being content with yourself and your abilities and working with others
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Diversity
Primary and secondary characters: The primary character is the narrator, who is telling the story and the secondary characters are the students in the classroom such as (Mrs. Peterson, Thom, Gibbie, etc.), her parents, Jody.
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Philomel Books
Date of Publication: 2010
ISBN: 978-0-399-25078-1
Summary: This book is about a young girl who begs her father to stay with him and her Gramma for the school year instead of going back to California with her mother. She really wants to start the school year fresh and meet new friends. She wants to be a part of new classes where nobody knows who she really is. She used to be in all the "dumb" classes at her old school. When she starts her first day she is shocked to see that everyone seems to be rude. She is placed in room 206, which is considered to be the "special class." She notices that everyone in the class is different and unique, but she immediately meets a boy next to her named Thom, who is rather tall for his age. As weeks go on she learns that everyone in this class is different from one another. One boy has Tourettes, there is a non-verbal girl, and Thom has a disease that makes him grow faster than his body can keep up with. The teacher calls their class "The Junkyard" because they are made up of different qualities, yet contain wonderful aspects about them. One day after a bully hurts the main character's feelings when he says that she is just a "retard" Jody has her back and stands up for her. Mrs. Peterson decides to take the class on a field trip to the junkyard because she said that they can find many wonders there out of what others consider to be junk. The class breaks up into groups to find the thing that stands out to them the most and her group chooses an old model airplane. As time passes, Jody becomes very sick and he passes away. The class mourns his loss and wants to remember him by finishing up the airplane and flying it to the moon! They finish it together and accomplish their goal for him. This book is based on a true story which is dedicated to Mrs. Peterson.

This book was so great in that it contained so many elements. The topic of bullying is an issue that stands out. Students with disabilities or students in general need to learn that just because another student is different that it doesn't call for judgement. Acceptance is the key and that's what this book really focuses on in Mrs. Peterson's class. Students can take their own field trip, search for things around the classroom, or even for things at home that stand out to them as a treasure. They can work in groups to find its significance or make it operate better. The concept of working together to defy differences is what they can overcome in this lesson. They can also spend some class time during the week working with special education students on projects, reading, or math.

Freedom Ship-Picture Book # 18

Author: Doreen Rappaport
Title: Freedom Ship
Illustrator: Curtis James
Readability Score: 3.5
Theme: overcoming slavery to freedom
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Informational
Primary and secondary characters:
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Hyperion Books For Children
Date of Publication: 2006
ISBN: 078680645-1
Summary: This story is being told in a narrative point of view. It can be observed by the text and illustrations that the primary characters are slaves. The narrator talks about how his great-great grandfather Samuel and his father were born into slavery during the civil war. Sam's dad was working in South Carolina when the North and South were at war. The date was set at May 13, 1862 when the great-great grandfather was just a young boy. From the ship where they are working on, they spot Union warships. If only they could get to them, they would be free. In the middle of the night, Sam is woken up by his mother, who tells him to be quiet. They have to be quiet or else if they are caught they could be whipped or thrown in jail. They eventually meet up with others who are planning on escaping on a boat. They are hoping to find freedom and they feel even more relieved when they finally met the men, which consists of Sam's dad. They are all together at the end when they say that they are free.

This book tells of an eyewitness account of escaping slavery to reach freedom. Students can see how slaves went through many trials to reach freedom, even though it was not always guaranteed for them and for their families. They can discuss what things mean in the book as far as symbolism and what the white flag means in the text. They can also make up their own symbols to use if they were in that situation or point out ones within the text.

The Butterfly-Picture Book # 16

Author: Patricia Polacco
Title: The Butterfly
Illustrator: Patricia Polacco
Readability Score: 4.1
Theme: compassion during a time of war
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: History
Primary and secondary characters: Monique and Sevrine are the primary characters and their parents, the Nazis, and Monsieur Marks are the secondary characters
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Philomel Books
Date of Publication: 2000
ISBN: 0-3999-23170-6
Summary: This book is about how the Nazis have taken over a small town French village. A young girl named Monique is the main character. One night she encounters a ghost that she finds sitting on the edge of her bed. She describes her as dark with having very sad eyes. Monique said that she felt a sense of fear for her. However, it turns out not to be a ghost after all, but a young girl named Sevrine. This girl has been hiding from the Nazis in Monique's basement, since the war was occurring. During this war the children were unsure if their education was even promised for the next day. The young children had to live in fear of the "tall boots" that took over their village, which represented the Nazi soldiers. Many nights passed before Monique saw her friend Sevrine. Meanwhile, her village was being bombarded with Nazis who were capturing and beating other people who were not like them. Monique discovered that Sevrine and her family, as well as others, had been living in the basement of their home in hiding since they were Jews. One day as Monique was picking flowers for her mother, she spotted a beautiful butterfly. She was amazed at its fluttering from flower to flower until several Nazi soldiers approached her and took the butterfly in their fist, killing it. She was horrified as she remembers how they treated her friend Monsieur Marks, who was beaten by them. Monique begins to bring Sevrine things from the outside world to show her, as she is still in hiding from the world. She brings her a butterfly and it represents Sevrine's freedom which she used to have and it also gives her hope for a future freedom. One night as they are playing, their neighbor spots them. They are fearful of being reported so it is no longer safe for them to stay there. They begin to escape to a safer location where the Nazis will not find them. A few weeks later Monique and her mother were planting in the garden when all of the sudden butterflies began to land on the flowers. People began to gather around and watch the beauty and Monique said it was a sign that Sevrine was safe with her family.

I would use this book in the classroom to talk about history and the time period that this occurred in with the Nazis. Students can compare and contrast the differences and what they had in common with this time period. They can also talk about the friendships and relationships that were made throughout the story and discuss what they would have done in Monique's situation.

Will Rogers-Picture Book # 19

Author: Debbie Dadey
Title: Will Rogers: Larger Than Life
Illustrator: Scott Goto
Readability Score: Grade 1
Theme: the accomplishments of a legend in an exaggerated form
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Biography/History
Primary and secondary characters: Will Rogers is the primary character
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Walker and Company
Date of Publication: 1999
ISBN:0-8027-8681-2
Summary: This book is obviously written in an exaggeration form as it talks about Will Rogers life. He was three years old when he began to take an interest in roping. He had many trials and ups and downs in his hobby. He often got into trouble for wanting to rope just about everything and everyone. The book takes us through his life, his education, and his working with a bull. He also took an interest in flying airplanes. He even took on the challenge of roping the earth in half, which is how the equator supposedly got its name.

This book is about the history of the famous William Penn Adair Rogers in an exaggerated form. At the end of the book, it actually has the truth to his life and his accomplishments. Students can do a compare and contrast to the actual facts and compare them to their exaggeration. There were many comparisons and metaphors used in the text to describe his actions and him. They could use those forms to talk about it and compare them as a class. This book can also be used to talk about the history of his life in a biographical form.

Mama, Where Are You From?-Picture Book # 17

Author: Marie Brady
Title: Mama, Where Are You From?
Illustrator: Chris K. Soentpiet
Readability Score: Pre-K-Grade 2
Theme: learning about the history of your family and how much society has changed
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Biography
Primary and secondary characters: The mother and her daughter are the primary characters
Awards: N/A
Publishing Company: Scholastic
Date of Publication: 2001
ISBN: 0-439-29144-5
Summary: This book is about a young girl who asks her mother where she is from. The mother begins to tell her how she grew up and what she did on a day to day basis. On Mondays she would wash clothes in the wringer dryer and hang them on the clothesline to dry. She also said she was from different types of beans that she cooked for an hour for her family. She talked about the different people that she would buy fish, ice, and ice cream from as well. The message that I received from this book was that things were very different during the time of when the mother was a young girl. She wants to tell her daughter how things were and about the things that who made her who she is today.

I like this book because it contains a lot of history in how things were "back in the day." Things such as hanging your laundry out to dry instead of using a dryer are what the reader should be aware of. Students can do a compare and contrast on the lifestyles of the two time periods and share them. It also shows how the mother was proud of where she came from, and students should feel the same way about their heritage or cultures as well.

A Wrinkle in Time-Chapter Book # 5

Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Illustrator: N/A
Readability score: 5.8
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: family is worth fighting for
Primary and secondary characters: The primary character is Meg Murrary and the secondary characters are Charles, their father, Calvin, Mrs. Whatsit
Awards: Newbery Medal 1963
Publishing company: Random House Publishing Group
Date of publication: 1962
ISBN number: 9780440800545
Summary: This book is about a young girl named Meg Murray. She is having a hard time in her life as she is constantly teased about her appearance and also about her brother. People think that he is dumb, but they are just mean. Meg anxiously awaits for her father to return home, but he has been missing for a while. He is a physicist who experiments with 5th dimensions in time traveling. He went missing after he was experimenting. On a night that it was storming, it was setting the stage for foreshadowing. Meg's family was visited by a woman named Mrs. Whatsit. She was very smart and she wanted to take an adventure through space to find Meg's father. She wanted to take Meg, her brother, Charles, and their friend, Calvin. They would have to time travel and experience an evil force that was keeping their father a prisoner on a strange planet. This planet was considered to deal with conformity and personal freedom. This group takes an adventure to save their father and also save Charles as well. Meg is the one that saves Charles with her act of loving him. They are all reunited at the end of the book and all love one another.

This book represents an adventure that many students can create on their on. They can collaborate in groups on what they would do during their time travels. They can also decide their plans of action on what they would do to save Mr. Murray. On this planet of conformity they would need to decide if they would change it to personal freedom to make it better for others or if they would keep it the same. They can compare and contrast.

The Giver-Chapter Book # 6

Author: Lois Lowry
Title: The Giver
Illustrator: N/A
Readability score: 5.9
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: knowledge is power
Primary and secondary characters: Jonas and the Giver are the primary characters and the secondary characters are Jona's parents, Lily, Asher, Gabriel
Awards: Newbery
Publishing company: Laurel Leaf
Date of publication: 1993
ISBN number: 9780440237686
Summary: Jonas is the protagonist of this story as he approaches an important event in his life. He tells us of how the community is living at the time of the story. He also talks about the community and its ways. His family discuss their feelings everyday and talk about why they feel they way that they do. In this particular community, every December, the children move up to the next age group. Jona's parents also talk to him about how the Committee of Elders will choose a career for him. This particular group runs the community and makes the decisions. It is determined that his best choice would be the Nurturer because he is good at taking care of the children. This community is run by the government and it closely resembles a police state or a dictatorship. Their every move is controlled by the Elders and they can't remember what it was like before this time. By the end of the book, Jonas has decided to break many rules by escaping his position as the Nurturer. He takes Gabriel and they decide to head for a better life. Many people search for him, but they search less and less the farther and farther they disappear.

This book is an adventure as it takes the reader on a journey to see how other people live in a fantasy world. They can see how things would be with a government that controls everything. Students can talk in groups on what they would do in this situation and what positions they would be the best in.

The Last Airbender-Chapter Book # 8

Author: Dave Roman and Alison Wilgus
Title: The Last Airbender
Illustrator: John Chol
Readability score: 4th and up
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: working together for a better cause
Primary and secondary characters: Aang is the primary character and the secondary characters are the tribes
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: ABDO
Date of publication: 2010
ISBN number: 9781595828118
Summary: This book is the story of a war between four different nations. The Earth Kingdom, Air Nation, Water Tribes, and The Fire Nation. These nations have lived in harmony until the Fire Nation was determined to have dominance over the world. They took on a quest to overcome the other nations. The Air Nation was demolished and its survivors were just left on the planet to wander. The Earth Kingdon and the Water Tribes were going to be ruined. The Avatar has all of the elements of each tribe. He is the only one that can save the other tribes from being destroyed. It tells us in the story that the Avatar was missing for more than a century until two people come across Aang, who was frozen into a block of ice. Aang is the Avatar, who can be the saving grace for the tribes. He must be protected because he has the significant powers that save the planet. When the Fire Nation finds out that he is on a mission to save the others, they are on a mission of their own to stop him.

 This book can teach students about diversity. There were four groups in this book that were all different. They worked together to try and stop the Fire Kingdom. Students can learn to work together on activities with other students. Collaboration can be a key topic to focus on because working together was significant in this book, especially for the tribes.

Hatchet-Chapter Book # 7

Author: Gary Paulsen
Title: Hatchet
Illustrator: N/A
Readability score: 6.3
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: never give up even when life seems unsure
Primary and secondary characters: Brian is the primary character of the book and the pilot is the secondary character
Awards: Newbery 1988 winner
Publishing company: Scholastic
Date of publication: 1987
ISBN number: 9780439192866
Summary: This book is about a boy named Brian who is thirteen years old when his parents divorce. His father receives a job in Canada working in the fields and Brian travels to see him on a plane for the first time. His parents do not get along and Brian is having a hard time dealing with his parent's divorce. On the small aircraft, which contains the pilot and Brian, the pilot begins to have arm pains. He suddenly has a heart attack and dies. As the plane is descending down, Brian realizes that he must prevent it from crashing as must as possible. He spots water and aims for it. As the plane hits the water he passes out from the pain. Brian is the only one that survives the crash of the small plane and he is now stranded in the wilderness. He finds that he has to rely on what knowledge he does have and also the hatchet that his mother gave him. He finds that he must also come to terms with his parent's divorce in the process. During his survival, he faces many dangers of trying to stay alive. He deals with the pains of hunger, animal attacks, and even a tornado. He must search for food and Brian is rescued at the end of the book when he discovers a survival pack. He finds an emergency transmitter, which he determins was broken in the crash due to its lack of use. When an plane lands on the lake, the pilot says that the transmitter was in fact not broken and that there were people looking for him.

This book offers a lot to the table aside from adventure. It covers the topic of divorce, which many children often deal with in their families. Brian was faced with divorce with his parents and he came to terms with it when he was faced with the other situations and trials in his life. Students can know that with this book they can overcome trials in their lives with persistance and determination.

Aaaarrgghh, Spider! Picture Book # 13

Author: Lydia Monks
Title: Aaaarrgghh, Spider!
Illustrator: Lydia Monks
Readability score: Kindergarten and up
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: tolerance and misunderstanding can make you change your mind about certain issues
Primary and secondary characters: The spider is the primary character and the family are the secondary characters
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Houghton Miffiin Harcourt
Date of publication: 2007
ISBN number: 9780618737512
Summary: This book is about a spider who wants to be a family's pet. She does everything to make the family notice her and appreciate how well she would be as their pet. The family is scared of her and throw her outside. The spider keeps coming back and showing her good qualities. One day the spider gives up and goes to live in the backyard. She makes her web, which is beautiful. The family sees its beauty and welcome her in as the family pet. The spider is so thankful and she shows off her appreciation. She is glad that she is a part of the family, and she welcomes in her friends as well. The pet spider brings in her spider friends and the family is scared at the abundance of spiders.

This book demonstrates the significance of misunderstanding of certain situations or of people. Sometimes people are left out or not included because of their differences and it can be hurtful or disappointing to them. Students may feel this way or may hurt others without realizing it. This book can portray the emotions of including people in group activities or simply talking to a person who does not have the same qualities as you. The book can be tied in with an activity on a compare and contrast of family pets or a group discussion on what your family or a student would do in this situation.

Mountain Town-Picture Book # 11

 

Author: Bonnie and Arthur Geisert
Title: Mountain Town
Illustrator: Bonnie and Arthur Giesert
Readability score: Kindergarten and up
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: the lifestyle of a mountain town and its history
Primary and secondary characters:
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Houghton Mifflin Company
Date of publication: 2000
ISBN number:3-3006-01095-7361
Summary: This story talks about the year in a mountain town. The illustrations show how the people of the town live in each season and how it affects their lives. The people of the city work and play and operate businesses in a mountain town. The first page of the book gives some background information on the town. During the 19th century many rushed to the Rocky Mountains in hopes of finding gold and silver. Many towns were established in this process. Many mines were created in search for these treasures and many people stayed in these towns to make a life for themselves.

I would use this book in class to discuss the history of how a few of the mountain towns in the west were established. The gold rush was a big time in history and students can create drawings or do a writing activity on their opinion of what it was like back then. Students can also learn the geography and landscapes of mountains and the towns that are a part of them by seeing how they operate in this text. They can also see how the people and activities change as the seasons change in the town. They can draw a picture of their own mountain town or write about a town and its daily activities or the people that live there.

Ten Little Sisters-Picture Book # 9

Author: Virginia Rackley, Delores Hart, Rhita Brniak, Mark Hickmott, Irma Swierk Allen, Pauline Ariel, Phyllis Ferguson, Vera Barber, Audrey Alford, Doris Wenzel
Title: Ten Little Sisters: A True Story
Illustrator: Lana Hill
Readability score: 2.4
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: a families bond can overcome anything
Primary and secondary characters: Virginia Rackley, Delores Hart, Rhita Brniak, Mark Hickmott, Irma Swierk Allen, Pauline Ariel, Phyllis Ferguson, Vera Barber, Audrey Alford, Doris Wenzel are the primary characters, the secondary characters are the two brothers Carl and Jessie Dale, and parents
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Mayhaven Publishing
Date of publication: 2002
ISBN number: 187804438-9
Summary: This picture book was a true story about ten sisters who grew up together with their two brothers. They lived in a teeny-tiny house near their grand parents and a pig shed. The story talks about the things that the sisters did growing up together. They slept together, played together, fished with their dad, and even went through some downfalls like Bede hurting her leg climbing her Grandma's peach tree. The two brothers went off to the navy and the sisters missed them a lot. The book doesn't mention how or why they were separated, but one day they were taken to a courthouse and they never returned to their house. Each one of the sisters was taken to a new place to live, a few of them were given new names, and one of them went to live with their Grandma. They didn't see each other for a long time until a few of the sisters found each other later on in life. They eventually all found one another and they have a reunion once a year with all of their children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

This book can be read to students for a better grieving process for the loss of a family member or the separation from a loved one. Many students experience the situations of a family member being deployed or perhaps being separated from them for a time period. This book can be a support in displaying that family can be reunited again and that siblings can stick together or always stay in touch. It shows how big their family had become and many students can relate to that

Wolf!-Picture Book # 8

 

Author: Becky Bloom

Title: Wolf!

Illustrator: Pascal Biet
Readability score: 3.5
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: struggling readers can improve if they practice and work at their reading
Primary and secondary characters: The wolf is the primary character and the secondary characters are the cow, duck, and pig.
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Orchard Books
Date of publication: 1999
ISBN number: 0-531-30155-9
Summary: This book was about a wolf who ventured onto a farm one day. He came across a duck, pig, and a cow who were reading. They were not at all scared away by the fact that he was a scary wolf, they just kept reading their books. The wolf wanted to become educated like them, so he started going to school. He kept going back to the farm to read to the animals, but they told him to keep working hard at his reading. The wolf started to check out books from the public library and he even bought his first book. He started learning more and reading more. The animals were soon impressed with his reading that they invited him to read with them across the country to everyone. The wolf was proud of himself for working so hard at reading and he even made new friends.

I think this book is good to use in the classroom to show that reading is a learning process and even if there are students that struggle they can practice to become better. Those who may have difficulties with reading can know that they aren't alone and that it takes practice to become a better reader. Even encouraging help from your friends can make the process easier in the reading. The book showed that friendship can go a long way when friends are by your side and help you when you are struggling with something.

Antarctic Antics-Poetry Book # 3

Author: Judy Sierra
Title: Antarctic Antics: A Book of Penguin Poems
Illustrator: Jose Aruge & Ariane Dewey
Readability score: 3.5
Genre: Poetry
Sub genre: N/A
Theme: learning about the lives of penguins while seeing it in poetry form
Primary and secondary characters: penguins
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Gulliver Books
Date of publication: 1998
ISBN number: 0-15-201006-8
Summary: This poetry book contains different outlooks on the life of a penguin while laying it out in poetry form. The different types of poems contain a penguin's song when a baby hatches, regurgitating a meal for dinner, a baby looking for its mother, and a penguin's first swim.

This book is an excellent way to display a visual on penguin's lives. I would use this in the classroom in a unit on poetry and I would ask the students to do a writing activity. They could choose their favorite animal to write a poem on or they could write another poem on the penguins. This poetry book can create a lot of possibilities for the classroom as far as learning about different animals, writing about their ideas, sharing them with the class and how poetry can create the creativity that goes along with it.

Guyku-Poetry Book # 4

Author: Bob Raczka
Title: Guyku: A Year of Haiku for Boys
Illustrator: Peter H. Reynolds
Readability Score: Grade 2
Genre: Poetry
Sub genre: N/A
Theme: the layout of a Haiku and writing an activity for a season in its format
Primary and secondary characters: the author of the Haiku
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of publication: 2010
ISBN number: 978-0-547-24003-9
Summary: This book contains a Haiku for days of each seasons. Each Haiku is geared for the genre of boys and it starts off with the season of spring and activities that boys do in that season. As each season goes on, it talks about how the weather changes and how the activities change along with it.

I would use this book in the classroom for a unit on Haikus. I could incorporate it with the different seasons of the year and the activities that coincide with them. I would also ask the students to discuss or write about any activities that they do in the different seasons. They could write their own Haiku for the classroom.

Black Potatoes-Chapter Book # 11

Author: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Title: Black Potatoes
Illustrator: Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Readability Score: 7.9
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: General
Theme: always have hope
Primary and secondary characters:
Awards: Orbis Pictis Award
Publishing company: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Date of publication: 2001
ISBN number: 978-1455858910
Summary: In the year of 1845 a horrible disaster, known as the Irish potato famine, struck Ireland overnight. This event attacked the potato crops, in which the potatoes turned black and destroyed the main source of food for almost 6 million people. This attack continued for about 5 years over and over again. This on-going tragedy was known as the Great Irish Potato Famine. The results from this were the deaths about about 1 million people from starvation and diseases. About 2 million people had to flee from Ireland. This book tells the story of all the people who had to search for fields for harvested vegetables and things to eat. They had to walk for miles to find work that was only for a slight wage for survival. Landlords were cruel to them in the process as these families tried to find new homes as well. Some people committed crimes just to be sent to jail, where they would have a meal to eat and a roof over their heads. Children and other people suffered from diseases and starvation as well as the loss of family members and friends. The book also remembers those Irish people who never gave up on the opportunity to start over or on their hope, which they never lost.

I think this is a good book to use when discussing history. The Irish Potato Famine was a huge event in history that affected millions of people. Students should be aware of the significant losses and sacrifices that these individuals went through to make better lives for them and for their families. Children would appreciate knowing that some of their ancestors went through these trials to make a better life in America and that it is a part of history. An activity can be tied in with this book after reading to entail asking students what they would do in this situation.

Rules-Chapter Book # 10

Author: Cynthia Lord
Title: Rules
Illustrator: N/A
Readability Score: 4.5
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic
Theme: finding acceptance in the least expected way
Primary and secondary characters: Cathrine is the primary character. The secondary characters are David, her parents, Jason, Jason's parents, and Kristi.
Awards: Newbery Honor Book, Schneider Family Book Award
Publishing company: Scholastic Inc.
Date of publication: 2006
ISBN number: 978-0-545-03640-5

Summary: This book is about a 12 year old girl who just seeks a normal life. Her younger brother is autistic and she feels like her life revolves around making sure that he is protected. She wants to be sure that nobody teases him or gets him into anything in which he doesn't understand. Her parents also spend their time with their lives or make sure that her brother, David, has the best life that he can have. Cathrine feels as if her life and her problems are not a priority. When her neighbor moves away, she is excited to hear that a new, younger neighbor that is her age is moving in next door. She hopes they can be the best of friends and that nothing will stand in the way of that. Not constantly watching David, not Ryan, the teasing boy that pretends to be David's friend, or her parents, who she feels like hold her back. One day she meets a boy named Jason at David's OT appointment. Jason is non-verbal and uses a wheelchair to get around and a communication board to speak to others. At first, Cathrine is unsure of their friendship, because she feels uncomfortable at the stares and whispers she receives from strangers. She speaks of her new friend Kristi to Jason and Jason of Kristi, but fails to mention his wheelchair or the fact that he can't speak. She is afraid she will be judged. Her friendship with Jason becomes the most important thing at the end of the book as we are left wondering what happened after Kristi discovers the truth about Jason.

I loved this book and I couldn't put it down. It's humor really touched on so many topics on so many levels. The topic that stands out to me is special eduation. This book can teach students just because a student has autism or is non-verbal that is doesn't mean that he or she isn't capable of living their life. Students need to realize the opportunities that are out there for other students who are like this. I like how it talks about the uses of OT and SLP in the book because many students work with those therapists in those situations. It also uses assistive technology devices such as communication boards and different types of wheelchairs. It also teaches on the theme of acceptance, which ties everything in at the end. Students should learn to accept one another from different races, backgrounds, special education needs, communication needs, and etc.

The Elephant Scientist-Chapter Book # 12

Author: Donna M. Jackson
Title: The Elephant Scientist
Illustrator: Timothy Rodwell
Readability Score: Grades 3-5
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Informational
Theme: an informational view on how elephants live
Primary and secondary characters:
Awards: Robert F. Sibert, American Library Association Notable Books for Children Award
Publishing company: Houghton Miffilin Harcourt Publishing Company
Date of publication: 2011
ISBN number: 0-547-05344-4
Summary: This picture book takes a look into what it would be like to study elephants in Africa. It follows Cailtin O'Connell on her journey as she studies the social life of elephants and their means of communication. She also works on ways to prevent them from ruining the local's crops. She also explains how elephants can communicate with one another by feeling the vibrations in the ground by using their feet and trunks. It takes us through the information that pertains to elephants in Africa in graphic pictures and environments.

This is a good, visual book on the lives on elephants and the sciences that revolve around them. The author discusses the communication, social lives, and way of life for the elephants as she studied them. She also provides a look at the environment and ways to protect it, while protecting the elephants. This would be a good book to jump into that relates to the study of Africa, its environment, and studying the elephants.

My Friend Rabbit-Picture Book # 6

Author: Eric Rohmann
Title: My Friend Rabbit
Illustrator: Eric Rohmann
Readability Score: Pre-K-Grade 1
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: to understand the difference between good and bad decisions and the meaning of friendship
Primary and secondary characters: The mouse and the rabbit are the primary characters.
Awards: Caldecott 2002
Publishing company: Roaring Brook Press
Date of publication: 2007
ISBN number: 0-7613-2420-8
Summary: This picture book relied on its illustrations to convey its message about friendship. It's about a rabbit and a mouse who are friends. The mouse always seems to get into some type of trouble with the rabbit is around. The rabbit always gets them out of trouble, but they find themselves back into some type of sticky situation. The mouse never gives up on their friendship, even though the rabbit sometimes makes bad decisions.


I would use this picture book to explain to students to distinguish between good and bad decisions. They can also gain an understanding of true friendship and see that even though people make mistakes, true friends are always there for each other. The book uses good illustrations to display the situations and students can distinguish what is happening in the story to understand between good and bad decisions.

Elijah of Buxton-Chapter Book # 9

 

Author: Christopher Paul Curtis

Title: Elijah of Buxton

Illustrator: Christopher Paul Curtis

Readability score: Grades3-5

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Historical
Theme: the issues of slavery and how he was lucky to escape it
Primary and secondary characters:
Awards: Coretta Scott King 2008, 2008 Newbery Medal, Booklist Top 10 Blackhistory for Youth
Publishing company: Scholastic Pres
Date of publication: 2007
ISBN number: 9780439023443

Summary: This is the story of a young boy who was born into freedom in Canada, which was the place of settlement for runaway slaves. Elijah is well known in his hometown as the boy that threw up on Frederick Douglass when he was a baby. A former slave, who is also a preacher, steals money from Elijah's friend, Mr. Leroy, who was saving money to buy his family out of slavery in the south. Elijah joins him on an adventurous and dangerous journey to America for the preacher who stole from them. Elijah discovers firsthand the scary life his parents escaped from, in which he will always be free, until he can find the courage to head back home.

This book is heart wrenching, while having its humorous moments, it takes a boy on a journey into how slavery was for his parents. This book will open student's eyes up to history and the period of slavery. It will also focus on issues such as theft, friendship, and travel. I would use this book with a history lesson on slavery from a young child's point of view.

Snowflake Bentley-Picture Book # 14

Author: Briggs Martin
Title: Snowflake Bentley
Illustrator: Mary Azarian
Readability score: Kindergarten-Grade 2
Genre: Non-Fiction
Sub genre: Biography
Theme: never give up on your passions in life
Primary and secondary characters: Willie Bentley is the primary character, the secondary characters are his parents, his brother (Charlie), neighbors, farmers, scientists
Awards: Caldecott
Publishing company: Houghton Mifflin Company Boston
Date of publication: 1998
ISBN number: 0-395-86162-4
Summary: This book discusses the life of the photographer and farmer, Wilson (Willie) Bentley. It begins during the time when he was a small boy and he had a fascination for snow. He was from Vermont and he was lucky enough to receive a lot of snow. He was home schooled and spent a lot of his time studying snowflakes and their shapes. When he was 17 his parents bought him an expensive camera and he began to photograph the snowflakes that he grew a passion for. He wrote about snow and published his pictures in magazines. He even gave speeches about snow to scholars who were far away. He soon became known as "the Snowflake Man." He always spent his money on his pictures, so he never became rich. He claims that there were treasures in the snow. When he was 66 years old his book was published that contained his best photographs. A month after the book was published, he took a six mile walk to take more photos. However, he became sick with pneumonia and died two weeks later. A museum and monument were built in honor of him, and he was given the name, Snowflake Bentley. This book is a tribute to him, his success, and his passion for snowflakes.

I think this book is a good read for students in the classroom. It depicts a historical person who shared a love for snowflakes and displayed it throughout art. The illustrations are vivid and show how important the snow was to Willie in this time. On the side of each page, the author writes a historical fact about Bentley. The facts contribute to his upbringing, his passion for snowflakes, and how he came to each phase in his life. This book can be included in a lesson about weather and learning about snow. Students can also learn about Willie in an art lesson and how he contributed to the world of photography. The book also portrays the theme of never giving up on your passion in life. He always loved the snow, above anything else, and he found a passion for learning everything about snowflakes. Despite being different from everyone else, he ran with his ideas and his creativity and it lead to a successful career.

My Pal, Victor/Mi Amigo, Victor-Picture Book # 21

Author: Diane Gonzales Bertrand
Title: My Pal Victor/Mi amigo, Victor
Illustrator: Robert L. Sweetland
Readability Score: Grade 4
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Diversity
Theme: true friendship is the most important thing
Primary and secondary characters: The primary characters are Victor and Dominic
Awards: N/A
Publishing company: Raven Tree Press
Date of publication: 2004
ISBN number: 10:0972019294
Summary: This story is about two young boys named Victor and Dominic who are best friends. They do everything together from telling stories and jokes to riding the biggest roller coasters and going swimming together. Victor also cheers on Dominic at his baseball games. They spend a lot of time together and and at the end of the story the audience is shown through illustrations that Victor is in a wheelchair. Dominic says that the most important thing about his friend is that he likes him just the way he is.

I really love this book because it is bilingual in Spanish and in English so it can be good for ELL students. It also can be for students from any type of class from general education to special education. Being a special education major, I was drawn to this book because it shows Victor using a wheelchair at the end of the story. Dominic did not use a wheelchair and he and Victor were the best of friends and did everything together. Victor told him that the most important thing about his friend was that he liked him just the way he was. Students can see the value of a true friendship, acceptance, and that even though others have different characteristics from each other, they can still be friends.

Rapunzel-Picture Book # 10

Author: Paul O. Zelinsky
Title: Rapunzel
Illustrator: Paul O. Zelinsky
Readability score: Third grade
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: to have selfish love for something can be disastrous
Primary and secondary characters: The primary character is Rapunzel. The secondary characters are Rapunzel's parents, the sorceress, the Prince's son, and their two children.
Awards: Caldecott
Publishing company: Dutton Children's Books, New York
Date of publication: 1997
ISBN number: 0-525-45607-4
Summary: Rapunzel is the story of a couple who becomes pregnant and the woman becomes obsessed with the rapunzel that is growing in the sorceress' garden next door. The wife sends her husband over to collect the rapunzel daily until the sorceress' catches him. She tells him he can take some, but she demands their unborn child in return. The husband, terrified, agrees to the deal and brings the wife the rapunzel. After the baby is born, the sorceress takes the baby and names her Rapunzel. She raises her and makes her grow her hair out long. She traps Rapunzel in a large tower and asks her to throw down her hair each time she wants to come and go. Rapunzel sings to the birds everyday, and one day a Prince's son hears her voice and falls in love. He sees how the sorceress comes and goes into the tower, so he decides to climb up her hair and see her. They eventually get married, but he must leave every night so that the sorceress does not spot him. However, she finds out when Rapunzel becomes pregnant and so she cuts off her hair and isolates Rapunzel out into the woods. The prince is tricked by the sorceress one day when he thinks that she has her hair down for him, but it is really a trick. She blinds him by causing him to fall, almost to his death. The prince wanders out into the forest, where he eventually comes across Rapunzel and their two children. She is so happy to see him that her tears of joy fall on his eyes and cause his sight to reappear. They live happily ever after after they return to his kingdom.

This is an award winning book that takes the story of Rapunzel back to it's original storyline. There are so many stories and even movies out there that depict the story as completely different. I have never read this version before. I would use this book as a fun type of reading for my students. Since it's a Caldecott winner, they could choose it off a list of other books to read for any programs that are in place. They could also choose it for an independent reading choice.

Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten-Poetry #1

Author: Joseph Slate
Title: Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten
Illustrator: Ashley Wolff
Readability Score: Kindergarten
Genre: Poetry
Sub genre: N/A
Theme: Students getting ready for their first day of kindergarten
Primary and secondary characters: The primary character is Miss Bindergarten, who is the kindergarten teacher. The secondary characters are all of her students, ranging from Adam the alligator, Jessie the jaguar, to Zach the zebra. The characters consist of animals and each letter of the alphabet represents an animal that coincides with that same letter.
Awards: N/A
Date of publication: 1996
Publishing company: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN number: 0-590-81931-3
Summary: This clever poem is a play on words with the alphabet and animals. As Miss Bindergarten, the kindergarten teacher, is getting ready for her first day of teaching her class, the poem runs through the alphabet. It begins with the letter A, and showing what Adam the alligator does to get ready for his first day of school. As each of the different animals has their own way of preparing for their first day, it shows us how each student can be different in how they prepare for school.

I liked this poem because it can be used for different things. The alphabet is obviously a good tool that was used in this poem because it was associated with different animals that made up the first letter of each animal. Children can gain an appreciation for learning the alphabet if they see their favorite animals or if they see something that a certain one does that is similiar to how they get ready for school as well. I also was reminded that each animal was different and that made me think of the classroom as a whole. The students are all going to be diverse and come from different backgrounds. They may have different ways of preparing for school or their first day, and this poem can be a good ice breaker on the first day of school perhaps.

John, Paul, George, & Ben-Picture Book # 15

 

Author: Lane Smith

Title: John, Paul, George, & Ben

Illustrator: These illustrations were hand drawn with pen-and-ink by Lane Smith. Then the textures were created by oil paint on a canvas and by handmade papers and pulp boards. Everything was combined on a 21st century Macintosh computer. The American Revolution: A Picture Source book, by John Grafton and Decorative Maps by Roderick Barron are also a part of the additional illustrations.

Readability Score: Grades 1-4

Genre: Fiction

Sub genre: Historical Fiction

Theme: Reading about the childhood of our founding fathers with a humorous twist on history

Primary and secondary characters: John Hancock, Paul Revere, George Washington, Ben Franklin, and Thomas Jefferson are all primary characters. Mr. Douglas is Thomas' teacher who is a secondary character.

Awards: A New York Times Bestseller, A Blue Ribbon Book from the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, A New York Times Best Illustrated Book of the Year, and many other awards for its humor, summer children's pick, or book of the year

Date of publication: 2006

Publishing company: Hypertion Books for Children, New York

ISBN number: 978-0-7868-4893-5

Summary: This picture book is a humorous story about Hancock, Revere, Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson from the views of their supposed childhood. The humor in this book is that the characters relate to their actions or phrases that each is known for in history. Reading along the author takes each character back to their childhood's beginning to show how they became who they were later on from the arrival of the Redcoats to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The end of the book actually contains true and false statements that correlate with questions that Lane Smith asks the audience to set the record straight on the facts and what is not real. The cover and title are clearly a tribute to The Beatles, which caught my eye when I was searching for books.

I really liked this picture book because it takes historical figures that all students should be aware of and it takes us back to their childhood and what made them who they were. It's a humorous book that will have many students and teachers laughing at it's illustrations and it's phrasing. I would use this book in the classroom after a lesson on the founding fathers and their history about what made them historical. It's a good way to teach a lesson while having fun. It also contains a true/false section at the end, which can be a great way to quiz the students on actual facts or false events that may have happened. I also love how it's a tribute to The Beatles with it's clever title and first page!

Forest Singer-Picture Book # 7

Author: Sylvia Sikundar
Title: Forest Singer
Illustrations: Alison Astill
Readability Score: Kindergarten-Grade 2
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Realistic Fiction
Theme: Never give up on your dreams or goals in life
Primary and secondary characters: Mabuti is the primary character, Mabuti's grandmother, the children and the people of the Pygmy tribe, and the animals (doves, monkeys, birds) are secondary characters
Awards: N/A
Date of publication: 1999
Publishing company: Barefoot Books
ISBN number: 1-902283-60-0
Summary: This book is about a young boy named Mabuti and how he lives in a forest on the ancient slopes of the mountains in Africa. He is a Pygmy and this particular group loved to sing. However, Mabuti could not carry a tune and he was teased by the children. He went out into the forest to practice his singing, but even the monkeys thought he was a terrible singer. Mabuti never gave up singing and practicing and he continued to sing for the other animals, such as the doves. The doves loved his singing voice and encouraged him. He even began to imitate a leopard's growl, which was believable. One day he decided to sing again with the other children, but they continued to tease him. Mabuti decided to give them a teasing of their own. He climbed up in a tree and imitated the leopard's growl. He scared the children into thinking they were going to be eaten and he had them ask Mabuti to sing them a song. The children begged the leopard not to eat them and they asked Mabuti to sing a song. After he was finished Mabuti stopped pretending to be the leopard and the children all thanked him for singing his song. According to the children, it was Mabuti's beautiful singing voice that scared the leopard away. Everyone felt very proud of him and his ability to sing away the leopard.

I liked this book because the illustrations were very in depth into the heart of Uganda. It showed scenes from the jungle and how the Pygmy's lived. I'm not sure if I agree with teaching on how Mabuti ended his plan to get the other children to accept his voice. Although he never gave up on his dreams and abilities of being a singer, he was not honest with his grandmother or tribe at the end of the book. It it just assumed that the leopard was the actual one who convinced the children to have Mabuti sing. I did like the book and the main concept is to never give up on your dreams and goals and that's what I would focus on.

Stellaluna-Picture Book #12

Author: Janell Cannon
Title: Stellaluna
Illustrator: Janell Cannon
Readability score: Kindergarten-Grade 2
Genre: Fiction
Sub genre: Fantasy
Theme: Always be yourself
Primary and secondary characters: Stellaluna is the primary character. The secondary characters are Pip, Flitter, Flap, Mama Bat, Mama Bird, Bat one, Bat two
Awards: ABBY award, California Young Reader Medal, Keystone to Reading Book Awards, Reading Rainbow Feature award, and Southern California Council on Literature for Young People award
Date of publication: 1993
Publishing company: Harcourt, Inc.
ISBN number: 3-3006-01095-8575
Summary: A baby fruit bat is accidentally dropped by her mother. She tries her best to fit into a nest of other birds, where she is accepted, but she must adopt the qualities of her new family and try not to be the bat that she is. She has a hard time trying not to fly at night or hang upside down to sleep. One day she is separated from her bird family when she begins to start sleeping up as she has been taught. Stellaluna is finally reunited with her mother after the other bats discover the unique qualities about her that she adopted from her new family. They all wonder how the birds and the bats can be so different, yet have so much in common.

This picture book really demonstrated to me the importance of multiculturalism and other cultures. Children can see that just because they come from different backgrounds that they can share many of the same characteristics or qualities. I would use this book to talk about the difference between bats and birds as well and compare and contrast them.

In the Small, Small Pond-Poetry # 2

Author: Denise Fleming
Title: In the Small, Small Pond
Illustrator: Denise Fleming
Readability score: Kindergarten-Grade 2
Genre: Poetry
Sub genre: N/A
Theme: Animals changing as the seasons change
Primary and secondary characters: The characters in this book consist of different animals that you would find at a pond. These animals include tadpoles, geese, minnows, frogs, etc.
Awards: Caldecott Honor
Date of publication: 1993
Publishing company: Henry Holt & Company
ISBN number: 0-8050-2264-3
Summary: This poetry book starts off with the tadpoles and continues with the growth and changes of the different animals. It also talks about the seasons changing and how it effects the animals in the pond. It ends with the frog hibernating for the winter.

I would use this poetry book in the classroom to discuss a variety of topics. From how the seasons change to how animals follow the changes, children can learn about the different types of animals that reside in a pond. The illustrations are pictures of elaborate scenes from a pond and the animals that are associated with them. Students can have a good visual of the changes that take place and how animals grow, change, or hibernate.

Grandma's Purple Flowers-Picture Book #5

Author: Adjoa J. Burrowes
Title: Grandma's Purple Flowers
Illustrator: Adjoa J. Burrowes
Readability Score: Kindergarten-Grade 2
Genre: Non-fiction
Sub genre: Biography
Theme: remembrance in the loss of a loved one
Primary and secondary characters: The primary character is the narrator of the story and it's from her point of view. The secondary characters are the main character's mother and her grandma.
Awards: N/A
Date of publication: 2000
Publishing company: Lee & Low Books Inc.
ISBN number: 1-880000-73-3
Summary: This book is about a young girl who narrates her trips to her favorite place, her grandmother's house. On her way there, she picks up many flowers, including purple flowers, who are her grandmother's favorite. The narrator spends many days at her grandmother's baking, talking, and spending time with her. During the winter season however, her grandmother passes away. The narrator is very sad because she misses her. When spring arrives the purple flowers that she and her grandmother had planted began to sprout and the girl is reminded of her grandmother and knows that she is never alone.

This book represents the value of spending time with loved ones and with family. Young children can look up to members of their family and cherish the times they spend with them. This book touches on the loss of a loved and the difficult experiences that come with death. The purple flowers are represented as being the hope in times of suffering. It can also demonstrate that spending time with loved ones is important.