Final Blog Reflection

Looking back over all of the posts I have done in this blog throughout the semester, I feel a sense of accomplishment. I feel that I know a lot more about children's literature than I did before I took this class and read all of these books, and I think having to blog about what we read made me read the book differently and think more about how I felt about the book.
Being asked to consider whether or not I would use each book I read in my classroom and to critique each book in a blog entry made me a more careful and critical reader. Even though it was sometimes hard to adequately express why I thought a certain book was amazing (or just mediocre) I think it is valuable to always be thinking about what makes certain literature 'good' for children and what I think readers will be able to take away from a book.
Although I did not put as much effort as I would have liked to into every post I feel I was able to gain a better sense of what kind of teacher I want to be through thinking about and explaining which books I think are important enough for my classroom and why.
Because of this class I have become (re) hooked on children's literature. I am currently reading Karen Hesse's novel Stowaway for fun because I enjoyed Out of the Dust so much. After a few weeks of this semester I began to understand how I was able to read a novel nearly every day in elementary school... children's books are so good! Not only are many of them very easy to get into, they also teach readers a lot about pretty much whatever you want to know about... which in my case is anything as long as it's told in an interesting way.

The Fat Can Sat on the Mat by Nurit Karlin

This is an illustrated poem for younger elementary students. It tells the story of a conflict between a cat and a rat that happens while the master of the house, a witch, is away.
The main purpose of this book is to teach simple rhymes and plays on words through pictures and easy to read words. I think children would enjoy this book because of how it sounds when it is read aloud (all the rhyming words make it almost song-like). I would probably keep this book in the classroom but not bother reading aloud to the whole class because although it is somewhat entertaining I don't think it that's special.

I'll Teach My Dog 100 Words by Michael Frith

The text in this book is a long poem with illustrations. It is about a boy imagining what would happen if he taught his dog 100 words. As the dog learns more and more words his fame grows and so does his owners.

This is a good book for early elementary readers. The dog doing things dogs don't normally like painting or driving would probably delight young children while at the same time helping them learn about different actions and what they look like. The dog learns words about colors, times of day, different occupation, etc. This would be a good book to help broaden young children's vocabularies through a catchy poem.

Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse

This is an amazing book about a young girl, Billie Jo, growing up in America during the Dust Bowl of the 1930's. Billie Jo experiences unbelievable hardship and trauma for any person to go through, let alone of a girl of her age. The main event in the book is probably when her mother dies and she must learn to forgive herself and everyone around her for the way hardship touches peoples lives and changes them. Both Billie Jo and her father eventually learn to live again and not give up.

This book is written through a series of poems Billie Jo writes in her diary about her day to day life. Hesse is a master of conveying a lot of emotion through few words. Billie Jo is characterized so well you feel as though you know her, her personality reflects the way people had to react to the dust storms after having their hopes repeatedly dashed. She is very matter of fact but you can feel her dissapointment when things go horrible wrong again and again.

I would definitely use this book in class to help teach about the Dust Bowl and it's impact on people affected by it.

The Lorax by Doctor Seuss

This, like all the books Doctor Seuss wrote for children, is an illustrated rhyme. This is one of Doctor Seuss's most famous books because how cleverly he incorporates themes of environmental degradation into a seemingly simple children's book. The book tells the story of a beautiful paradise, full of wonderful plants and animals. One day a man called the Onceler shows up and begins harvesting the lands key resource, the Truffala Trees. As a result of this the animals are forced to move away and the paradise is eventually destroyed through pollution caused by the Truffala tree factory that converts the trees into a useless thing called a Sneed.

Doctor Seuss is a master of saying a lot and invoking emotion through simple phrases. This book is packed with lessons about things like conservation, empathy, needs vs. wants, etc. I would definitely use this book in my classroom. This book would be great for introducing young readers to environmental issues because it is a easily understandable microcosm of current issues of things like resource management.

The Shut Eye Train by Eugene Fields

This is one of my favorite illustrated poetry books for children. This is because I grew up listening to my dad read me these poems. Most of the poems in this collection are about dreams. The content of the poems will greatly appeal to most children because they are written for children... the poems are about not just good dreams (sugar plum trees, mermaids, etc.) but also nightmares and overactive night time imaginations.

The book is also illustrated with beautiful, enticing colored pencil drawings. I remember getting the book out many times just to look at the pictures of the sugar plum tree and candy raining down on waiting children. I would recommend this book as a bedside read in order to get children excited about the dreams that await them...it certainly worked for me.

Song and Dance man by Karen Ackerman

This Cadecott Medal winner tells the story of a grandpa who used to be a vaudeville song and dance performer. Now instead of performing onstage he performs for his grandchildren in his attic while they wait for dinner. The story is told through the eyes of the three grandchildren. This story is touching because it conveys the splendor of the grandfather's years as a performer. His passion for performing as well as the delight he still brings his audience. The way the grandfather's performance is written about and drawn makes you feel as though you are actually watching him perform. This is a very well written and illustrated story and I would definitely keep it in my classroom.

If America Were a Village by David J. Smith

This is a great book for helping children (and adults) gain a better understanding of America and its people. The book is full of statistics about things like populations, energy use, income, housing, etc. The author symbolizes America's 304 million people by having 1 person represent 3 million people and framing statistics that way. For example instead of saying that there are 250 million Christians in America the book says that out of the village of 100 people 82 of them are Christian. Breaking down statistics in this way makes the information much more easy to process and remember. I would definitely keep this book in my classroom and use it for different units to help students gain a better understanding of what statistics represent.

The Magical Garden of Claude Monet by Laurence Anholt

This is a story about a little girl who spends an afternoon with Claude Monet in the garden where he made many of his famous impressionist paintings. The little girl is based on a real girl who was the daughter of one of Monet's painter friends.
This book would be good to keep in the classroom because it will teach learners about Monet's life and contains several of his paintings. The plot of the story is somewhat cheesy, especially when the flower the little girl loses in Monet's garden in the country shows up outside of her apartment in Paris. Overall I think young readers would enjoy this story and potentially gain an understanding of impressionism through reading it.

There Was an Old Monster by Rebecca, Adrian, and Ed Emberley

This is a short picture book written for early elementary readers. It is a spin on the classic There was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly poem. The monster keeps swallowing progressively larger animals in order to catch the tick it swallows in the first place.

This book would probably be entertaining for most young children. The best part about it are the illustrations, which are made from collaging different brightly colored pieces of construction paper.

Blueberies for Sal by Robert McCloskey

This is a somewhat inconsequential picture book written for early/middle elementary readers. Written in 1948 it tells the story of a young boy, Sal, who goes with his mother to pick blueberries. During their blueberry picking Sal gets switched with a young bear cub. Sal follows the mother bear and the bear cub follows Sal's mother. The mothers discover the mistake and pretty soon each finds her own baby.
This story was kind of drab... there was very little excitement in the story and the plot was not very interesting. The only thing I liked about it was the old pictures and the vinagey style of writing. I would probably not bother reading this story to children.

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

The story in this book is told through a series of poems written by a young boy (mid-elementary school). The boy writes about his reactions to different famous poems and writes some poems himself. This book does a great job showing how people's reactions to poetry can change the more they are immersed in it and begin to understand it. It also shows how not all poetry will affect all people but that sometimes you find a poem that really touches you.

The little boy who writes the poems in the book starts out disliking poetry and not understanding the point but gradually begins finding things he likes in poems and writing better poetry himself as a result. The boy is eventually able to express the loss he feels from the death of his dog as well as the happiness his dog brought him through poems. This story of what poetry does for this boy is a microcosm of what poetry does for humanity. I think this would be a great book to use when beginning a unit on poetry with younger kids. Many students seem to have a knee-jerk reaction of disliking poetry but this book can help them on the road to more of an understanding for why people write and read poetry.

The Year of Impossible Goodbyes by Sook Nyul Choi

This is an autobiography written for later elementary/junior high readers from the perspective of a child during and after World War Two. Sook Nyul Choi writes about her experiences as a Korean living in her country under Japanese occupation. It was interesting reading this story after reading So Far from the Bamboo Grove, which is written by a young Japanese girl. Both girls experienced unimaginable horrors and hardships yet were on opposite sides of a battle. Reading these two books together in a unit would help show that in war no side is completely innocent and everyone suffers.

It was interesting how my perspective shifted throughout the book... when I first started reading I was critical of how the author described the Japanese as harsh and was still more on the side of the Japanese. This changed the further I got into the story... both the Koreans and the Japanese were guilty of horrible atrocities and it seems the real war was between the victims who happened to be living in the wrong place and the governments and generals who were giving the orders.

Grasshopper on the Road by Arnold Lobel

This is a book by the same author/illustrator who made the Frog and Toad books. It is several chapters long and tells the story of a grasshopper, Grasshopper who sets out on a road to find adventure. Each chapter tells the story of Grasshopper interacting with different animals and insects along the way.
I really liked this story because there is a lot of wit and depth involved in each of Grasshopper's interactions with other characters. For example, in the first chapter Grasshopper meets a group of beetles who are members of a club dedicated to celebrating how great morning is. Grasshopper is welcomed into this club with enthusiasm after agreeing that morning is nice, until he mentions that he also likes afternoon and evening. The beetles immediately reject Grasshopper and leave him alone, because they think people who like the afternoon and evening are stupid.
I may be reading into this too much but I thought this story could teach readers something about human nature. I took this story to be an example of how similarities can bring people together and also that fanaticism can lead people to turn on others the minute they find they are in disagreement about something.
These subtle yet profound lessons make Lobel one of my favorite children's book writers.

Elmer by David McKee

This is a book written for lower-middle elementary students about an elephant named Elmer. Elmer is a multi-colored elephant living in a herd of grey elephants. Even though the other elephants love him Elmer feels self-conscious about his appearance and leaves the herd to make himself elephant-colored so he can fit in.

I really liked this story, mostly because the illustrations are very colorful and quirky. The story has a good lesson about self-acceptance and individuality... Elmer ends up inspiring the other elephants to decorate themselves to be more unique instead of needing to color himself gray in order to fit in.

Turtle Girl by Carole Crowe

This is a book about a little girl who has to deal with the death of her grandmother. The book begins with the girl and her grandmother helping defend the new nests made by sea turtles. Before the eggs hatch the grandmother dies and the little girl learns to face the idea of her grandmother's death by helping the baby turtles return to the ocean.
The best part about this book were the soft colored pencil illustrations. I found the story itself to be pretty cliché and cheesy. The author made up the story about the grandmother's death in order to add depth to the story line but because the book is so short and there is next to no character development the story feels hollow.

Crazy like a Fox by Loreen Leedy

This is a great book for teaching students about what a simile is. Every line in the story is a well-known simile and together they form a story line. I found this book very clever and funny, I did not realize how often we use similes and how funny a lot of them actually are.
The book opens with a definition of what a simile is and ends by suggesting that the reader try to create their own similes. This book could be used as part of a Language Arts lesson for teaching middle to upper elementary students about similes. It would be easy to follow this book with a short activity where students write their own similes and share them with the rest of the class.

Six Is So Much Less Than Seven by Ronald Himler

This is a short, simple story about an old man and his six cats. Each page contains a sentence telling what the old man and his cats do together each day and on the last page there is a picture of them visiting the grave of a recently deceased cat.
I would say the biggest merit of this book are the illustrations. They fill the pages and are made from colored pencil and watercolors. This book would probably interest kids who especially love cats or who have recently lost a pet.

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

This book is probably the most famous of the seven in the Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. A new film version of the book had pretty good success at the box office in 2005. This is the first of the Chronicles of Narnia that I ever read and I think it is what got me interested in the series. This book tells the story of how Lucy and her siblings first discover the world of Narnia through a portal in their wardrobe. The children eventually help the Narnians end the 100 year winter, a curse put upon them by the White Witch of Narnia.
I think this is a good book for children to read because it has lots of lessons and values for children to learn, for example the conflict between Edmund and his siblings when he deserts them for the White Witch and how he eventually realizes his mistake and comes round.
My main complaint with the book is the overt Christian symbolism... like when Aslan is put to death by the White Witch and then comes back from the dead. Stuff like this kind of falls flat with me because I am not religious and think all the symbolism can be overdramatic and tiresome.

The Last Battle by C.S. Lewis

This is the final book in the Chronicles of Narnia children's series by C.S. Lewis. In this book an ape, Shift, tricks his donkey friend Puzzle into wearing a lions skin and pretending to be Narnia's God, Aslan. Eventually after much damage is done under Shift's orders (Shift designates himself as Aslan's mouthpiece) the real Aslan returns to Narnia, passes judgement on all the animals, and ends the world.

This is my favorite of the books because I think it is the most fast-paced and I like the dynamic between the characters Shift and Puzzle. I think seeing how Shift continuously tricks Puzzle throughout the story as well as the other animals will make children a little more critical of other's claims. Teaching children to think for themselves and not blindly follow others is one of the most important things a teacher can do for their students. I also like how the afterlife is described in the book and how Aslan judges the animals. The animals must look at Aslan one at a time and if they are guilty and know it they will be afraid... their own guilt condemns them.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

This is the true story of a little girl, her sister, mother, and brother and their escape from Korea back to Japan at the end of World War Two. This story is written by Yoko Kawashima Watkins, who was the little girl whose eyes the story is told through. This story was very gripping, I finished it the day I started because I could not put it down. The horrors of war are told in a straightforward yet incredibly emotional way through the eyes of eleven year old Yoko. The strength of the three main characters: Yoko, her sister, and her mother as they travel towards freedom is inspiring and amazing. I would definitely have my class read this book if we were studying World War Two in order to give them an in-depth understanding of the War from a non-traditional perspective.

Glogster

The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

This is the third book in the Narnian Chronicles by C.S. Lewis. It is the story of a boy, Shasta, who is forced to choose between slavery or setting out for the unknown land, Narnia with a talking horse, Bree. Shasta of course chooses the latter and ends up having many adventures and making new friends along the way. Shasta eventually realizes that he is actually from Narnia all along and was stolen as an infant to prevent his fufilling a prophecy that he would save Narnia from grave danger in the future.
I read the Narnian Chronicles as a child and rereading this story was nostalgic and fun. There is a lot of subtle humor that I do not think I understood when I read it the first time. My main qualm with the book is that the Christian message can get really in-your-face and unless you are religious some of the parts involving Aslan can be a little cheesy.
For example:
"Who are you?" Asked Shasta.
"Myself" said the Voice, very deep and low so that the earth shook: and again "Myself," loud and clear and gay: and then the third time "Myself," whispered so softly you could hardly hear it, and yet it seemed to come from all round you as if the leaves rustled with it (page 176).
Parts like this occur a little too frequently and may seem overdone to a non-religious reader like me.
Overall this is a fun adventure story and the recurring characters and references to other events in previous books would probably draw readers in and keep them interested. I would keep this book in the classroom but not make it required reading.

A Raccoon's First Year by Dorcas MacClintock

This is a non-fiction book, written for mid-late elementary readers, about the first year of the life of an abandoned baby raccoon who is rescued and cared for by humans until she can return to the wild. All of the images in the book are real-life pictures taken throughout the year.
I would keep this book in my classroom because it contains a lot of information about raccoons- their diet, habits, demeanor, etc. Although raccoons are a common animal in many cities I realized after I read this book that I did not really know much about them. Understanding and learning more about your environment and the animals that inhabit the same places as you is always important... and the adorable pictures are sure to keep the students interested throughout the story.

Children of the Dust Bowl by Jerry Stanley

This is a non-fiction book written for upper elementary readers. In it is the story of the 'Okies' struggle during the Dust Bowl in the 1930's. Much of the book tells about the school the children (with the help of a man named Mr. Hart) build for themselves in California since they were not allowed to attend local schools.
I really enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to my students and perhaps even make it required reading during a unit on the Dust Bowl. The book is full of pictures, letters, and quotations from that time that help the reader better understand what it was like to be there.
The book teaches about how cruel people can be to each other when they feel threatened (exemplified in the way the Californians treat the Okies) and how dedicated people can be when they feel strongly about what they are doing. The story of the Weedpatch School is incredible and inspirational. Reading about how much the Okie children loved their school and how dedicated and involved they were with it may make students think about the role of school and education in their lives and feel grateful for their opportunities.

Angelina, Star of the Show by Katharine Holabird

This is a story from the popular Angelina Bellerina series of children's picture books. In this book Angelina is on a boat ride with her Grandparents, sailing to the town where there is a Dance Festival she will perform in. Angelina is so focused on practicing for her performance that she neglects the chores her grandparents give her on the boat and ends up causing trouble and ruining her costume.
This is a fun story to have in the classroom. The illustrations are elaborate and often fill up both pages. They also contain fun little details that add to the light-hearted feel of the story (for example, drying laundry blowing in the wind on a clothesline in the background). Angelina learns the lesson in this story that she should not neglect her duties and that her grandparents have an interesting heritage. I do not think that this story is so amazing that I would read it to my whole class but I would probably keep it in my classroom for students to read during free time.

Hot Hot Hot by Neal Layton

This is a picture book written for early-middle elementary readers. It tells the story of two wooly mammoths who hate the Summer. One Summer it is particularly warm and dry and the mammoths decide to cut their hair to keep cool. Other animals get hair cuts too and everyone is happy because they are finally comfortable... everyone except the human, whose hair does not grow back for the winter.

This is a fun story but I probably would not read it to my class. This is because I don't think this story contains an important lesson or has particularly beautiful illustrations. The last page lists facts about the last ice age, but seems sort of out of place since the story was not realistic at all and does not contain any representation of these facts in the story.

Theodore and the Talking Mushroom by Leo Lionni

This is a picture book written for lower-elementary readers. It is the story of a mouse, Theodore, who discovers a blue mushroom that can talk. All the mushroom can say is 'Quirp'. Theodore decides to tell his friends that only he can understand the mushroom and that it is saying mice should be venerated above all other animals. Theodore does this because he is tired of being teased by his friends for not having any special abilities.
The best part of this book are the illustrations. They are all collages made from lots of different papers with a variety of textures and colors. I also liked how simple yet quirky this story was. It is unique- there is no resolution or happy ending, Theodore is exposed as a fraud and is chased off by his friends, who he never sees again. Even though this story is simple I think it has a message and is actually pretty realistic at its core. People who lie (especially about having super natural powers) to get people to follow them or do things for them usually end up in a bad spot when they are exposed... no 'fairy tale ending' for Theodore.

The Cat with the Yellow Star by Susan Goldman Rubin

This is the true story of a young girl, Ela Weissberger, and the time she spent in Terezin concentration camp during World War II. It is written for upper elementary students.
This book is very well researched, with lots of photographs of the people and places in the story at that time as well as interesting drawings done by Ela and other girls while at the camp. Ela's story is inspirational and helps children understand how humans can still blossom in the worst conditions.
Ela and her friends are allowed to perform an opera, Brundibar, in the concentration camp. Singing and acting helps the children forget their problems and they actually have fun and build life-long friendships during the three years they spend in the camp. The musical becomes a symbol for their struggle and eventual triumph over the Nazi's and imprisonment. I would recommend this story for students to read when they study the Holocaust in order to see how strong children can be and what really matters in life.

Smoky Night by Eve Bunting

This book tells the story of a riot and fire through the eyes of a young boy. It is written for middle-elementary readers and mostly consists of the boy watching a riot on the streets below through his apartment window and asking his mother questions about it.
The main merit of this book besides the beautiful, unique illustrations is the way it shows how people are brought together through tragedy. Both the boy and his chinese neighbor's cats are lost in the fire, and both experience the fear of losing them as well as joy when they are found and safe. Because of the tragic experience of a local riot and a fire in their apartment building the boy and his mother make a new friend in the Chinese woman, who until previously they had viewed as too different from themselves to talk to.
Some may consider this book controversial because it contains references to riots and race-based prejudice, but considering that the main message in the story is one of acceptance and it is not by any means overly violent or crude, I think reading it in the classroom would be appropriate and for the benefit of the students.

The Misfits by James Howe

This is a novel written for upper elementary-junior high aged readers. This novel tells the story of a group of seventh graders who decide to form their own political party, the Freedom Party, and run for student council in their middle school's elections. The story is told through the eyes of Bobby, an overweight and frequently teased yet highly intelligent 12 year old. He and his friends, who are all social outcasts in one way or another, decide to run for student council because of their lack of representation in the two existing parties (Democrats and Republicans). They end up changing their name to the No-Name Party in order to accommodate a rule stating that in order to create a third party the party must prove that they have an agenda not represented in the other party's platforms.
This is a very well written book that should be read by all late-elementary students. The themes covered in the book- discrimination, coming of age, oppression, teasing, etc. are well developed and unfold in a suspenseful and clever way. Humor is used effectively in this book, making me laugh out loud many times throughout the story. The events in the book are meaningful without being overly sentimental or unrealistic. For example, even though Bobby pours his heart out in front of the whole school in an epic election speech and everyone loves, the No-Name Party does not win the election.
This book is considered controversial by some mostly because one of the main characters, Joe, is gay and the book contains themes about discrimination based on sexual orientation. I think the book confronting this theme makes it even more important for students to read. This kind of discrimination is probably the strongest and most apparent in junior high school, and reading this book may help students better understand and even relate to people who are different from them and help reduce bigotry.

Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti

This is the story of a young girl living in Germany during World War II. It is written for mid-elementary readers. This is a good story for children to read because it shows a child taking great personal risk by doing the right thing and helping others. Rose Blanche, the main character of the story, risks her life to take food to starving Jewish people in a concentration camp outside of her city.

Innocenti uses symbolism well in the book. For example, Rose Blanche, along with being the name of the main character was the name of a group of antiwar Germans who were all killed during the war. This symbolism is continued when Rose is shot by German soldiers at the end of the story because it is foggy and "the soldiers see the enemy everywhere."

Faithful Elephants by Yukio Tsuchiya

This is a story, written for mid-elementary readers, about the impact World War II had on zoo animals and their keepers. It is beautifully illustrated and unique because the story is tells is not what first comes to mind when most people think of World War II. The deaths of the innocent animals by starvation and the powerful impact this had on the zookeepers shows the devastation war causes from a new perspective.
Some may consider this book controversial because of the clear anti-war message, but I would disagree with sheltering children from this story. Even if some do not agree with the zookeeper's conclusion that all war should be stopped, the events that lead to the zookeeper feeling this way are good and clear and reading this book will help children understand why some people feel so strongly about war.

Nappy Hair by Carolivia Herron

This is a book written for mid-elementary readers. It is a story written as if a dialogue was going on between the teller (the old uncle of the main character of the story) and the group of people he is telling it to (his and the main character's family). The story he tells is about the girls 'nappy' hair, about how it is the nappiest hair in the world. The main purpose of the story is probably to make black girls and boys feel proud of their hair, the way they talk, their heritage, etc. Although this is a positive mission, parts of the story are considered controversial by some people. For example, there is a page that shows the little girl, who is the main character, giving a speech at school. The text of the story says "She's the only one in her school knows how to talk right. A rose among thorns. Them old hardheads think they can talk English. But this chiletalks the king's English." Although this page is probably intended to bring attention to how some black children are made to feel inferior because of the way they speak English, some would say that the author is practicing reverse racism by calling the presumably white classmates and teachers "thorns" and "hardheads".
Although this book has parts that may make some readers uncomfortable or angry, I would not ban it in my classroom and may even have students read it in order to then have a group discussion about why the book is considered controversial. A controversial book, unless uneccessarily crude, violent, vulgar, etc. provides a good opportunity for class discussions about what makes people uncomfortable or angry and helps students better understand other's perspectives on different issues.

Hiroshima, No Pika by Toshi Maruki

This is a book written for middle-upper elementary readers about the atomic bomb being dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. Some consider this book too controversial for children because of the horrific discriptions and images in the story. Although the story certainly is uncomfortable and disturbing, it is the truth about a real event that happened through the eyes of a young girl. It is not excessively grim, it is simply a story of what this girl saw.
A great thing about this book is that it is incredibly powerful without being overly sentimental. The simple retelling of events and the hauntingly beautiful illustrations are so effective that the reader can not only infer the intense feelings of the characters but actually feel some of them themselves. The story being told through the eyes of a child is especially powerful because of the innocent non-judgemental power of her perspective.
It is very important that students read and discuss this book and other books like it. Although the story is disturbing and may strongly affect readers it is important that students understand that things like this can and do happen. Being able to feel the horrible power of the the consequences of using weapons like the atomic bomb is necessary for people to understand why they must stop this from happening in the future.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This book, written for upper-elementary readers and middle school students, is one of the best I've read in awhile. It is the story of a young boy, Jonas, growing up in a seemingly utopian community. Gradually throughout the story things about the community are revealed that make the reader feel uncomfortable and question whether this community is ideal after all. Jonas is selected to become the next Receiver of Memory, a very honorable and rare profession. For his training Jonas begins to visit with the old Receiver of Memory daily and receive memories from him so that he can bear the burden of painful and powerful memories for his community so they don't have to suffer. Jonas' life is enriched by the memories that are forbidden to the rest of his community and he discovers that his seemingly utopian life is actually relatively empty and full of dark secrets.
This is probably the first dystopian novel that most children will read. It is a great introduction and not having experienced this genre before will make the twists-like when Jonas learns what it means to be 'released' especially powerful. Readers will learn to appreciate their own experiences and realize how important they are when they see how lacking Jonas' life is without them. This story helps readers understand the importance of negative emotions as well as positive and see how all feelings enrich their lives. This book gives insight into what makes life meaningful and why in an accessible way- I would definitely recommend reading and discussing it either for reading groups or as a language arts assignment.

The Princess and the Pizza by Mary Jane and Herm Auch

This is a fractured fairytale for middle-upper elementary readers. It is the story of a princess who is living as a peasant because her father, the king, decided he wanted to try his hand at wood-cutting. The princess dislikes her new lifestyle and jumps at the opportunity when she finds out that the local prince is looking for a wife. She is surprised to discover that she has a lot of competition for this job as well as an unsympathetic queen conducting the contests between the suitors.
Students will like this story because it is a twist on a classic fairy tale story. Instead of rejoicing when she wins the competition the princess decides to open a pizza place. She is more excited about her own accomplishment of inventing pizza for the cooking competition than she is about getting to marry the prince. The references to other fairy tales throughout the story-like when the competitors must sleep on a stack of mattresses with a pea at the bottom to see whether they are real princesses- will entertain and amuse readers.

Yours Truly, Goldilocks by Leslie Tryon

This is a fractured fairytale for middle elementary readers. The story is told through pictures and letters written by Goldilocks, the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding hood, Peter Rabbit, and the two villains, the wolves. This is a fun story because it will introduce readers to a new way to tell stories (through letters and illustrations). Fractured fairy tales are usually well-liked by children because they are familiar yet different and usually funny, and this book is no exception.
Another merit of the book is that the illustrations are detailed and do a great job developing the characters and telling the story. The main event in the story, when the party-goers are attacked by the wolves on their way home from the Three Pigs party, is told through two pictures and further explained in later letters. This is a clever way of using pictures to tell a story as well as getting readers to really look at what is happening in the pictures in order to understand what is going on.

Madeline in London by Ludwig Bemelmans

This is one of the classic Madeline stories. In this book, which is intended for early-middle elementary readers, Madeline, her friends, and Ms. Clavel travel to London to visit their friend Pepito, who is sick because he misses them so much. The rest of the book is made up of their adventures travelling around London and seeing the sights and the people.

What I liked most about this book are the illustrations. They are very colorful and I like the heavy black lines that outline the figures. I also like that the story is told in rhyme. A flaw with this book is that the story kind of jumps all over the place and can be hard to follow at times- there are events in the story that are never resolved and on the next page something entirely different is started. This may confuse readers who are used to a more linear, straighforward progression in storytelling. Despite being inconsistent at times I would recommend having this book in the classroom for students to read in their free time.

Water Power by Christine Petersen

This is a non-fiction book for middle to upper elementary readers about water power. The book explains how rivers are created and how their power is harnessed through damns. The book also talks about ocean water and how the tides work. New technologies that collect power from ocean waves are explained.

This is a good book for students to read because water power will probably be something that students will encounter in their lifetime. It is important that they understand at least the basics of how water power works and how water contains energy at an early age because as the book explains fossil fuels are running out and alternative energy sources like water power are going to be crucial in the future.

Parakeets by Kathryn Steven, s

This is a non-fiction book for early-middle elementary readers about how to care for their parakeet(s). I would recommend it for a child to read before he or she gets a parakeet for a pet in their household. The book contains basic information about parakeets, such as what they like to eat, how you should hold them, how long they live, what will scare them, etc. It is not a complete parakeet care book, as the author clarifies in the introduction. Rather, it is a book to help young readers on their way to understanding and eventually in time being able to care for their new pet.
This is an interesting read for any young person or beginning reader interesting in parakeets. There are lots of colorful pictures and a glossary defining words from the text that some readers may have trouble with.

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats

This is a classic children's book by Ezra Jack Keats. It won the Caldecott Medal and is Keats first book, written in 1962. It is a perfect story for young beginning readers, kindergarten through second grade. The story in the book is very simple, a boy named Peter's day playing outside in the snow is chronicled. The simplicity and openness of the storytelling and illustrations reflect the way a young child experiences the discoveries made on a snowy day. The beautiful collage illustrations capture the various textures snow can take on and greatly enhance the gentle feel of the story.

Why the Sun and Moon live in the sky by Niki Daly

This is a retelling of an ancient fable explaining why the sun and the moon live in the sky instead of on earth. It is written for early elementary students. The story begins with the sun and the moon living happily together in their house on earth. During his wanderings the sun begins to visit the sea and becomes infatuated with her. He invites her to his house and the sun and the moon ended up being driven into the sky because the sea floods their house. This is an interesting fable that teaches readers the dangers of infatuation. The only thing I didn't like about this story are the illustrations, which seem very new-agey and lack expression. Besides this I think kids would enjoy reading this book.

Dogzilla by Dav Pilkey

This is a fun book for beginning readers by the creator of the popular Captain Underpants series. Dav Pilkey's unique combination of real pictures and drawings do a great job adding humor and wit to this story. Using photos of his pets, Pilkey tells the story of the monster Dogzilla terrorizing Mousopolis on the day of their annual barbeque.

I would recommend this book because it will entertain young readers and help them see that books can be very funny. The story is full of clever little puns and jokes and will almost certainly be a hit with kids.

Charlie at the Zoo by Marcus Pfister

This is the story of a duckling named Charlie who decides to spend a morning exploring on his own and ends up going to the zoo. While at the zoo Charlie visits several animals and the reader is provided with various facts about the animals diet, origins, life-span, etc.
This book has features that should make it more interesting than it is if they were better fitted together. The cut-out pages and interesting animal facts would be much more effective if they were better ingrained in the story. I felt like this book is more like two seperate books, one is a 'kiddie' story about a curious duckling, and the other is a book about animal facts. The way the information about the animals is just plopped into the rest of the story would probably make reading it boring for kids. Charlie does not interact with the animals at all and this makes the story disjointed and not very interesting.

Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss

This is a classic book by Dr. Seuss. Although it is written for beginner/intermediate readers, the story is something readers of all ages can relate to.
This book is commonly given at graduation or other 'sending-off' ceremonies. This is because it is about a person going out into the world and making discoveries about how the world works and what life on your own is like. It is a very clever, interesting book because it alludes to things that older readers know about and have experienced themselves in a very general yet at the same time meaningful way. For example, when Seuss warns about getting caught in the 'waiting place', he writes: "waiting for the fish to bite, or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night." Dr. Seuss is able to address heavy life issues like loneliness, confusion, deperation, fear, etc. in a way that both children and adults can relate to. This is a great book because each time you read it you can understand more and more because of your own life experiences.

Fruits Basket 2 by Natsuki Takaya

This is the second book in the Japanese manga series 'Fruit Basket'. It is the story of a young girl, Tohru, who goes to live with a family known as the Sohma clan when her parents die. The clan has a secret though- each of the family members is possessed by an animal of the Chinese Zodiac and will turn into this animal when hugged by a member of the opposite sex.

This book is pretty much what I would consider fluff, reading it was kind of like watching an episode of Sailor Moon. The plot and character interactions were pretty predictable (and ridiculous) and the humor is definitely intended for a preteen audience.

This would be a good book for students who need to spend more of their free time reading... it is easy to get into and fairly entertaining. I think preteens would enjoy it because there are themes of crushes, romance, personality clashes, drama, etc... things they can probably relate to at that age.

Dr. Seuss by Jill C. Wheeler

This is a biography about the children's book writer and illustrator known as Dr. Seuss. It is written for upper elementary readers. What makes this book interesting is the story of Dr. Seuss himself... if his life's story wasn't so interesting pretty much no matter how it's told this book probably would not be worth reading.
One of the problems with this book is that there are not many illustrations and the pictures that there are are of things like men in suits who were somehow involved in Dr. Seuss' life sitting at their desks. There is not one picture of an illustration made by Dr. Seuss or of any of his books. This seems strange... it does not do justice to an artist or writer to write a biography of their life (especially for children) but not include a single picture or word produced by them. The text can by somewhat dull and there is not a good flow from event to event in Suess' life.

The Sign of the Beaver by Elizabeth George Speare

This is the story of a young settler boy, Matt, who is left to guard his family's cabin while his dad goes to get his Mom and sister from their old house. While waiting for his family, Matt's life is saved by two Indians after he tries to steal honey from a bee's nest. Matt ends up with the task of teaching the grandson of the cheif, a boy about his age, to read. At first this boy, Attean, is unwilling to learn from Matt and they mutually dislike each other, but eventually trust and understanding builds between the two and they become friends.

This is a great story, it is easy to see why it won the Newbery Honor. Matt's story of getting to know Attean is cleverly echoed by the story of Robinson Crusoe, the book he is teaching Attean to read from. The twist is that instead of Robinson Crusoe teaching the savage, Attean is the one teaching Matt. Both Matt and the reader learn to develop respect for Attean and the ways of his people... a very important lesson is learned when Matt realizes he has always been brought up to see Indians as ignorant but perhaps he is the one who should be learning from them after all. Another great thing about this book is that it is meaningful and emotional without being unrealistic. There is plenty of misfortune and mistrust in the story... which makes it much more gratifying when Matt and Attean finally do become friends.

There was an old lady who swallowed a fly Illustrated by Pam Adams

This short book for beginning readers illustrates the well-known tale of the old lady who swallows a fly. After swallowing the fly the lady must keep swallowing progressively larger and larger animals to get rid of the previous animals. Eventually the old lady swallows a horse and ends up 'dead, of course.'

The highlight of this book is the illustrations. The old lady fills the entire page with bright colors and patterns. The book is also put together in a clever way so that there are cut outs that get larger and larger showing each of the animals inside the old lady. There are nice little details hidden in the old lady's outfit that would catch the eye of a perceptive young reader, for example the old lady's pockets are stuffed with candy. Overall this is a well-illustrated version of the classic children's poem.

The Travels of Ferdinand Magellan by Joanne Mattern

This is a biography for upper-elementary students that tells the story of the adventures of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Megellan in the early 1500's. Magellan's goal was to find a way to reach the Indies by sailing West instead of East. He and his crew ended up discovering a passage through South America connecting the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. This passage is now known as the Strait of Magellan.
One of the merits of this book is that it contains many maps showing the route Magellan took. The old drawings and etchings depicting Magellan and his ships also add to the story and give reader's good examples of different art forms over time. Another strength of the book is that it has real quotes from the people involved in Magellan's story. For example the starving sailor who writes "We ate biscuit that was no longer biscuit, but powder of biscuit swarming with worms" (page 30). Quotes like these throughout the story are more powerful than just a simple narraration of events and help reader's get a better idea of what it was really like to be there.

Davy Crockett: A Life on the Frontier by Stephen Krensky

This is a biography for middle-elementary readers (grade 3) that tells the story of Davy Crockett, an American frontiersman in the late 1700's. What makes this book especially interesting is the way Krensky incorporates tall tales about Crockett into the true story of Crockett's life. Each chapter opens with one of these fictional stories and is followed by an explanation of how this story came to be and the real story it was based on. This helps young readers understand how fantasy stories and tall tales come to exist. The book is illustrated with iconic pictures of Crockett which will probably appeal to readers... especially the illustrations depicting the tall tales, for example Crockett holding an asteroid by it's tale.

Helen Keller by David A. Adler

This is a biography for early elementary readers. In this book Adler tells the story of Helen Keller's life-from how she became deaf and blind at the age of 2 to how she eventually met the President of the United States and inspired people all around the world.
This book is good for beginning readers because the text is large and the words are simple yet Adler still tells Keller's story in a meaningful way. The watercolor illustrations help explain the story and add to the book's appeal. The positive and essential role of Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan shows how important teachers can be to their student's lives... a great lesson for young readers.

Abraham Lincoln by Ingri and Edgar d'Aulaire

This middle elementary level book tells the story of Abraham Lincoln, from infancy through the end of the Civil War. One of the main strengths of the book are definitely the illustrations, done with colored pencil. They are soft and pretty and help to express the story very well. Although they are beautifully done, however, some could be considered offensive (for example the portrayal of black slaves) to some people. Although the story is fun and interesting to read I feel that the authors (who wrote the book in 1940) spent too much time glorifying Abraham Lincoln instead of trying to portray him as a realistic human being.

Chicken Sunday by Patricia Polacco

This is the story of three children who want to buy an Easter bonnet for their poor nanny to show how much they love her. The children get the idea to ask the hat shopkeeper if they can do extra work around the store to earn the money to pay for the hat. Due to a misunderstanding, the children end up getting blamed by the shopkeeper for egging his store. To make it up to him, the children decorate eggs with wax and dye and give them to the shopkeeper as a peace offering. The children end up making enough money to buy the hat by selling their decorated eggs at the hat store.
This was a touching book, the emotion expressed by the characters (especially the nanny) is very intense yet also deep and believable. Knowing that this is a true story makes it more interesting as well. The book has good messages for young readers, like the importance of showing kindness to strangers. The shopkeeper is a Russian holocaust survivor who is still persecuted by many people in the neighborhood even though the war is over. By showing him kindness the children were able to break through his steely exterior and were treated very kindly by him in return.

Amelia Bedelia's Masterpiece by Herman Parish

This is the story of Amelia Bedelia's day at the art museum. Many adventures and misadventures ensue, and by the end of the story Amelia has captured an art theif, broken several busts, and helped a young boy becom a real artist. This story, like all stories about Amelia Bedelia, involves clever misunderstandings and turns of speech.
Although Amelia's misunderstandings can get old, young readers would probably find them funny and be able to relate to some of them. For example, Amelia finds the term 'priceless' confusing, thinking it means 'worthless'. I remember also being confused by that word when I was younger and also loving Amelia Bedelia books.
The story has a satisfying ending and several good messages. My favorite of the lessons taught in this book is when Amelia lets the art theif go free because he promises to be good, and later she receives an original painting done by him and a note thanking her for the second chance. This teaches readers to have faith in other people and not judge others too harshly because people can change if you believe in them.

Moon Boy by Barbara Brenner

This is a story for beginning readers (lower elementary). It is the story of a 'moon boy' who visits the narrorator's room at night and plays games with him.
One of the merits of this book is that the words are simple to read for beginning readers. There is lots of repetition of certain words and phrases, for example the sentence "the moon was a gold balloon." This story is also fairly imaginitive, the idea of a little moon beam that becomes a boy when it lands on the narrarator's windowsill would probably delight young readers. Although this book was sufficiently interesting it was not my favorite... it felt like nothing really happened in the story and the repetition got sort of annoying. I would still recommend it for beginning readers though because it is good practice.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig

This is the story of a young donkey, Sylvester, who loves to collect interesting pebbles. One day he discovers a shiny red pebble and soon realizes that the pebble has the power to grant any wish of the person holding it. Sylvester ends up wishing he was a rock to escape a hungry lion and becomes stuck like this because he is no longer holding the pebble. The rest of the story is devoted to Sylvester's parents searching for him and a happy ending.
This is a great book for young (early elementary) readers because of both the fun story and the beautiful illustrations. The colors used in the illustrations for flowers, clothing, trees, etc. are very visually appealing and the bright red of the mysterious magic pebble makes the reader spend awhile looking at the pictures instead of just rushing on to the next page. The story is full of suspense, like when Sylvester's parents are having a picnic on Sylvester's back (when he is a rock) without realizing that it's Sylvester. If young readers are anything like me they would be biting their nails dying for Sylvester's parents to realize how close they were to finding their son. Scenes of suspense like this as well as the beautiful pictures make this book a great choice for young readers.

Animorphs: Visser by K.A. Applegate

This book is part of the Animorphs series. This series tells the story of a group of teenagers who have the power to morph into any animal whose DNA they acquire. They were given this special ability to fight off an evil alien race, the Yeerks, who are trying to capture earth and enslave humanity.
The series is intended for upper elementary school to junior high-aged readers. This particular book, Visser, was created by Applegate because, in her own words: "I wanted to address one of the big questions fans regularly pose: How did it all start?" This is not the first book that Applegate wrote for the series but it chronologically contains the first events that occured in the story's timeline.
Visser tells how the evil Yeerk sub-Visser discovered earth's existence and decided to travel to earth to see whether the human population would be sufficient for enslavement by the Yeerks. A discovery of such a people would mean great honor for the Yeerk responsible.
This story is a fun read for anyone who enjoys science fiction. The mentions of Z-space and speed of light time-travel are entertaining if not entirely accurate. Being a former reader of this series I know that the characters are developed very well throughout the series, and for any follower of the series this book would be an exciting read because it exposes secrets about one of the main villains in the series, Visser 1. Although this book is not incredibly well-written or chock-full of useful information it is a fun read and would be a good recommendation for preteens who are struggling to make the transition from television or videogames to more reading.

Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say

In this picture book, Allen Say tells the story of his grandfather's immigration to the United states from Japan. One of the biggest strengths of the book are the beautiful paintings Say uses to illustrate his grandfather's adventures. Another merit of the book is the way Say draws lines between his grandfather's life and his own. Both men grew up in Japan and moved to the United States at a young age. They both experienced nostalgia for their homeland and when they returned to Japan, both also missed their homes in America just as much as they had missed Japan. Because Say can relate to his grandfather's fond feelings for both America and Japan, he can say he truly knew his grandfather.

Frog and Toad Together by Arnold Lobel

This is a classic book for beginning readers. I grew up reading frog and toad and the loving nostalgia I feel for it affirms the book's potential value for new young readers. The book is divided into 5 separate adventures, each with it's own lesson. These lessons include friendship, courage, kindness, responsibility, etc. They are told in sometimes suspenseful, always heartwarming ways and the images that accompany the text are sure to delight and entertain children.
There is an added depth to the simplicity of the dialogue between frog and toad that give the stories timeless significance. For example, in one of the stories, Frog and Toad stand together in Toad's bedroom, looking into the mirror.
"We look brave," said Frog.
"Yes, but are we?" asked Toad.
This is a line I have memorized from when I first reread this book after buying it at a thrift store a couple of years ago. Lines like this highlight the differences between things like appearing a certain way and actually being that way, an important lesson children may learn from this book.

The Biggest, Most Beautiful Christmas Tree by Amye Rosenberg

This is the story of a group of forest animals who decide to decorate their tree so that Santa can find them on Christmas. This is one of my favorite Golden Books from when I was a child. I always loved to look at the colorful pictures of the forest animals decorating their tree. The mention of cookies, tea, hot cocoa, warm firesides, etc. make this a great holiday book for young readers. Although I have to laugh reading some of the cheesy lines in the story now ("the children's eyes sparkled with hope", for example) it is still a fun, creative story for young readers.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

This is an interesting, fun chapter book for a number of reasons. The main character, Charlie, is the perfect underdog who all children can relate to. Relating to Charlie is not hard because every child has experienced the dissapointment of not being a winner or not having something many other children have. Compared to the four other golden ticket winners, Charlie has nothing... but at the same time he has none of the negative personality traits that come from unlimited access to certain pleasures in life (food, wealth, television, free personal conduct).
The story moves quickly and uses suspense in a number of creative ways, from the build-up to Charlie finally unwrapping the winning candy bar to Mr. Wonka's playful yet semi-dire warnings about certain forbidden sections of his factory.
Willy Wonka's chocolate factory contains so many ideal rooms and wonders that any reader would be captivated just imagining them. Seeing the 'naughty' children get into sticky situations in clever ways that relate to their respective sins of overindulgence is entertaining and satisfying to the reader. The Oompa-Loompas provide clever songs, each containing a lesson, and Mr. Wonka is a well-developed yet highly unpredictable character, who's over-the-top enthusiasm and clever word-plays will be sure to keep readers laughing their way to the end of this wonderful book.

Dinosaur Hunter by Elaine Marie Alphin

This is the story of a Wyoming rancher boy, Ned, and his discovery of a Triceratops skeleton on his father's land. One of the merits of this story is that it shows readers that they can achieve their dreams even if they have to complete work that does not always interest them first. Ned's father tells him he cannot search for dinosaur fossils until he is through checking the fences, but while doing this Ned ends up discovering the skeleton and meeting a boy his age who has travelled to Ned's ranch with his father to look for fossils for museums. Another fun part of the story is when Ned tricks another dishonest fossil hunter by showing him cattle bones instead of the skeleton.
This story also teaches readers a little bit about the history of fossil hunting in the late 1800's. The dishonest fossil hunter is Mr. Reed, based on a real fossil hunter from that era.

The Hill of Fire by Thomas P. Lewis

The Hill of Fire tells the story of a mexican farmer who is dissatisfied with his routine-based small town life. One day while plowing the farmer accidentally strikes an underground volcano that eventually errupts and consumes his entire village. All the villagers are forced to relocate and rebuild their town and way of life.
What makes this book worthwhile is that it shows that even though an easy life can get monotonous it is still much better than a tumultuous life. At the end of the story when the village children beg the farmer to unearth another mountain of fire he replies no, "one hill of fire is enough for me".
Another merit of this story is that it is based on a real event, the eruption of Paricutin volcano in the 1940's.