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.