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.