Charlotte's Web

Charlotte's Web is a book I have always known about, and even seen the movie, but never actually sat down a read. I was glad that I had finally found the opportunity to read it all the way through. We all know the tale in this book so I won't waste words with a summary.

I think that this is a book that should be in my library with multiple copies for my students. I think that this is one of those books that should be read by all students because it has stood the test of time and is still a great piece of literature.

I would use this book in many ways int he classroom. I could use it as a bookclub book in grades 4&5 or as a read aloud book in grades 3&4. I think that the story of friendship would be a great conversation starter and could have the students do some critical thinking of their own friendships and the types of friends they are. 

This book would also be a great book to use to teach reading strategies since the text is difficult enough to use inferencing but the story line is still relatable enough to teach a student how to connect to a text. There are also a lot of lesson plans available for use online that would give new teachers like myself a starting place for some great ideas.

Rosa

Rosa is an award winning book by Nikki Giovanni about the life of Rosa Parks. The book tells her story and that 1955 bus boycott that was started after her arrest for not moving to the back of the bus.

The illustrations in this book are absolutely beautiful and remind me of the artwork of Frida Khalo. I think that just by itself the artwork could be used in an art lesson.

I would use this book as a read aloud during a civil rights unit or during Black History Month as a way of personalizing such a big event for children. I would use it to teach empathy in a situation and for moral development. I think this book can be used to ask questions like, "How would you feel?, or "What would you have done?" I think that these questions asked in conjunction with this book could elicit some great discussion and critical thinking in the classroom. 

The book could also be used with a government unit on a lesson involving the Supreme Court. I have recently taught this lesson and I found that the students had difficulty trying to figure out what types of cases the Supreme Court hears. I think that reading this book and connecting it to the types of cases the Supreme Court hears can give the students a better understanding of the content.

Even just used on its own this is a great book for students from grades 3-6. It tells a great story about a positive role model.

The Boy's Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up You

The Boy's Body Book: Everything You Need to Know for Growing Up YOU is a great book for boys in the 5th grade to early middle school years. The book covers everything that a boy needs to know about his changing body and how to deal with the issues that arise. It also covers topics like changes at home and changes in feelings and friends.

This book is an easy to read guide that would be a great read for any boy going through life changes. It is a great book to have in a classroom library for all male students to read. It gives great tips and advice that female teachers (or moms) may not be able to advise their boys about. It is a great resource to refer to with those sometimes awkward topics that a teacher knows needs to be addressed but is unsure of how to do it. This is a book I will not only have in my classroom but also in my home for my two boys.

I think that around the time the 5th grade students have the health video it would be a great book to have the boys in your class read to support their learning. I would not use it in a bookclub because I think that the boys might be a bit embarrassed to talk about some of the topics (i.e. smelly armpits and changing feelings towards friends that are girls). 

This is also another book that I would recommend to parents of boys for a summer reading list (between 5th and 6th grade).

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key

Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key is a book about a young boy who struggles with Attention Deficit Disorder. The book is written from the perspective of Joey and the struggles he faces dealing with his disorder. His father left him and his mother when he was young and his alcoholic followed the father leaving Joey in the care of his grandmother who treats Joey less than great.

The book is a great read aloud book for students in the 5th grade. In my classroom we just finished reading it and the students responded well to the story. I think that it offers the students a behind the scenes look at a disability that is very difficult to explain. I think it gives the students an insight to what their peers that struggle with this disability are faced with.

I would also like to have this book in my classroom library for my students faced with the struggles of having ADD/ADHD. I think that it is a great book for them to read so that they have an understanding that they are not alone in this struggle.

I would also recommend this book to parents with students that have ADD/ADHD. I think that it can provide parents with an insight to what is happening with their children.

The book can also be used as a bookclub book where students can read one book in the series of four. I think that it could spark some great discussion among peers about disabilities and how they should treat someone with a disability. It can also help in teaching acceptance and tolerance for peers with disabilities.

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH was a great surprise for me to find. I remember this movie from when I was a small child and never knew that it was also a book. Reading it instantly took me back to my childhood and I was completely engrossed. I was thrilled to see this as a book that I could introduce into my classroom. 

The story is about a field mouse named Mrs. Frisby who has to move her family to their summer home because the Farmer is going to plow the field early. The problem is her son Timothy has pneumonia and cannot be moved. Mrs. Frisby has do do extraordinary things to help her family and save her son. 

I really like this book and think that it would be a great book to read-aloud to a class. I think that it could spark a great discussion or a creative writing assignment about how the students would move their families if faced with a problem similar to the book. I think that the story is highly engaging and would also work great as a book club. 

I would also recommend this book to any students that likes the fantasy-animalia genre. I would also use this as an end of the year read-aloud with a movie prize at the end. The movie is school appropriate and not that long so it can be shown in one or two days. 

Holes

Holes by Louis Sachar is probably one of my new favorite books. I remembered the book from the movie but I enjoyed the book more. This is a great story about the Yelnats family and a long standing curse that had be set upon them. The main character of this story in Stanley who by fate gets sent to a youth detention camp that has the delinquents dig holes out in the desert. This is an intertwined story of how fate saves the Yelnats family through Stanley.

I think that this is a great book to have in the classroom. I think that this is a great book to use as a read-aloud in a 4th-5th grade classroom. I think that this book is engaging and can be used to teach multiple reading strategies to students. The book is not that long and the concepts are easy to connect. The story comes full circle by the end and would be a great book to discuss prediction and inferencing.

This book would also be great to use in a book club or as an independent reader book as well. I think that is enjoyable for both boys and girls and the movie could be used as a reward because it is appropriate for a school setting.

Ivy & Bean: Break the Fossil Record

Ivy & Bean: Break the Fossil Record is book 3 in the series. In this book Bean becomes obsessed with getting in the Guinness Book of World records after her teacher shows it to her. After several failed attempts at breaking a world record her friend Ivy tells her about a paleontologist she was reading about. Soon Ivy and Bean start digging for dinosaur bones and realize that they could in fact be the youngest paleontologist ever! Do Ivy and Bean find dinosaur bones? Do they get into the Guinness Book of World Records? You can be sure that a 4th or 5th grade girl will be totally engaged to find out.

I have been reading this book with a reading buddy who is also an ESOL student. This book is good for helping to introduce vocabulary and assess simple comprehension. The chapters are short and there are some pictures but the wording is clear and has lots of situations that a great for teaching inferencing. 

Aside from using this with an individual student I think that this book would be great to use in a girls book club in the classroom, primarily in the 3rd and 4th grades. I think that it would spark much discussion between the girls about breaking records, occupations (especially those not normally associated with women like paleontology), and friendship. I also like that the book is part of a series so it can always be used in an author study as well. 

 

A Smart Girl's Guide to Friendship Toubles

A Smart Girl's Guide to Friendship Troubles is a book by Patti Kelley Criswell for young girls dealing with those inevitable teenage friendship issues that come with getting older. This book touches on topics like navigating fights with friends, bullying, and the feeling of being left out. The book has great tips and interactive quizzes which I can remember loving as a young girl. It also has excerpts written from the perspective of a teenage girl about how she dealt with a specific issue.

I like the way this book is written. It is written more like notes in a notebook or a magazine and less like an actual chapter book. I also like that is gives examples of how "real" girls have dealt with a problem. I think that it gives a model of how young girls can navigate through some really sticky situations. 

In my classroom I would be able to use this book with the girls and create a book club where they can talk about these problems and maybe help each other as well. I have seen many girls in my 5th grade class that could benefit from a book like this. There are many social aspects in a school environment that are not taught directly in the classroom. I think that a book like this can be used to help bring those aspects to light to help young girls learn how to interact with peers appropriately. 

I would also like to have this book in my classroom library because although I am a teacher and a woman I only have boys at home. Many of the aspects of navigating through this developmental period have long been forgotten and since I do not deal with these issues as a mother the concepts and issues seem foreign to me. I think that a book like this can help me to help mentor the girls in my classroom.

Titanic Sinks!

Titanic Sinks! is a book by Barry Denenberg about the making and destruction of the famous ship the Titanic. The inside of the book looks as if it were an assembly of old newspaper clippings. The pages have a yellowish-brown tint that looks like an aged newspaper. Through out the book there are many different types of reading. The first part of the book is all of the newspaper clippings giving notice of important facts and information about the titanic. The second part is the journal entries of a newspaper correspondent S.F. Vanni. There is then an hour-by-hour breakdown of the sips final hours followed by recounts by the ships survivors. The end of the book is an interview with the captain of the Carpathia which is the ship that responded to the Titanic's S.O.S. call.

The book is filled with lots of old pictures of the ship and the people aboard. I think that it gives a unique snapshot of the Titanic from many different views all rolled into one book. While much of the information is fact the journal entries of S.F. Vanni are fiction with a fact base.

I think this book would be a great book to read to students if doing a unit on ships of even famous ships throughout history. The photos in this book give a great visual and view into the past. I think that the format of the book would be interesting to students. 

I also think it would be a great book to recommend to students that have an interest in history. When I was in about the 5th-6th grade I had a fascination with the Titanic and the mystery that surrounded it. Of course when I was that age scientist still had not uncovered as much information as they have now. I think it is a great book that will have students interested in history.

This book is also available through wegivebooks.com.

Wagon Train Adventure

Wagon Train Adventure is a graphic novel by John Kelly about the struggle of a girl named Sarah on her way along the California Trail in 1849. Sarah and her family were on the California trail and along the way she was almost killed by a stampede of buffalo, her father was killed, and she was attacked and helped by Indians.

I really liked this book. I have always been a big fan of comics and I am a firm believer in letting children read what interests them. This book combines both a good story and the comic book style. I think that letting reluctant readers read graphic novels may lead them to be more motivated to read.

In the classroom I would use this book along side a unit on the Oregon/California Trail. Both of those topics are discussed during the fourth grade year and this book would be a great read for that grade level. I think this book could be used in multiple ways. It can be used by an independent reader or as a read aloud in the classroom. 

Many topics about the dangerous trail are brought about in this book and it would be a great way to get students to start thinking about the dangers and hardships that young children faced during that time period. I also like that the story is told from the perspective of a girl but is a book that many would consider geared more toward boys. I think that because of this mixture it will do a good job at engaging both girls and boys int he classroom.

I think that this book would be great to start a lesson where the students could create their own comic strip with a creative writing story about what they would encounter on wither the Oregon or California Trail. This book is also available through wegivebooks.com.  

Eye Wonder: Rivers and Lakes

Eye Wonder: Rivers and Lakes is a great informational book about the different types of water on the planet. The book covers  topics like how water reaches the sea, what types of animals live in the water, what types of animals receive food from the water and wetlands. The book also discusses topics like dams, flooding, droughts, and pollution. There are many great facts in this text along with a glossary at the back of the book.

I think this book could be used when teaching a unit on water. It has great information that could be read aloud to the class or used in a research project independently by students. I really like that the books discusses topics like pollution a drought. I have not seen many books that discuss these topics but I think should be addressed when teaching about the Earth's water supply, especially a topic like pollution. 

The book has great real life photos that will also support any second language learners or children with special needs in the classroom. The text in the book is small but the language used would be appropriate for children in grades 3-5. 

I like that this book can also be read in sections that correlate to other topics, i.e. water habitats, preservation, or the water cycle. If you have access to the internet with projector or smartboard capabilities this book is also available through wegivebooks.org. This gives the capability of presenting the book to the whole class on a larger scale.

Full House: An Invitation to Fractions

Full House: An Invitation to Fractions is a great book by Dayle Ann Dodds. The book is about an inn keeper that wants to fill her inn for the night. As customers check-in the book uses fractions to describe how much of the inn is full. As each customer is introduced the book adds the fractions together. It has a fun rhyme that kids can follow along with.

I would not have thought of this book as one I would use in a fifth-grade classroom until I saw how another teacher utilized it. The class was having trouble grasping how to add fractions together. Before the lesson the teacher read this book aloud to the students and made it interactive. This was easy to do since it followed a repeating pattern through out. The teacher used it as a scaffolding tool to make the concept of adding fractions less complicated. To my surprise the class of fifth-graders were engaged and saying there parts in unison when they came.

This book is easy enough for younger students and could be used as a way to introduce fractions as well. I liked that the teacher used it as a way to get the students to engage in the activity of learning to add fractions. I too can see using the text in the same way. This book would also be easy enough that the class could revisit the story independently for extra support.

Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic

Distant Waves: A Novel of the Titanic is a part historical fiction part sci-fi/fantasy novel written by Suzanne Weyn. The story is set in the 19th century and centers around five sisters, Jane, Mimi, Amelie, Emma, and Blythe, and their mother, Maude, who is a medium. After the father/husband dies Maude is forced to find a way to support herself and her five daughters. She discovers that she can communicate with the dead. Though out the book Jane and her sisters travel to different parts of the world and meet many people. One person that is vital to the plot of the story is a scientist named Nikola Tesla, who is based on an real-life scientist. Through a series of events the sisters and Nikola end up on the Titanic and one of Nikola's inventions is said to be the cause of the iceberg hitting the ship. Nikola then claims he can save the sisters through a time machine. Does Nikola save the sisters? Does the time machine work?

I am personally a huge fantasy/sci-fi fan and enjoyed this book. Even though the book had some historical events tied into the book I think that it was more fantasy/sci-fi based. I was a little thrown of by the title as well. The book doesn't mention the Titanic until the book is over half done, I expected the setting to be the Titanic. 

For my classroom I am not sure that I would use this book. While I personally liked the book and I would allow my children to read it once they were age appropriate I don't think all parents would approve of the subject matter. I think that if I taught in high school I would feel comfortable recommending this book to students I don't think I would feel quite the same way if I taught middle school. I definitely don't think I would be able to use it in my classroom curriculum. This book is most suited for high school students.

Flipped

Flipped is a young adult book written by Wendelin Van Draanen. This book is written from both the view point of a girl, Julianna (Juli), and a boy, Bryce. The story starts out with Bryce describing how from the moment he and his family moved into the neighborhood Juli, "barged and shoved and wedged her way into [his life]," (Van Draanen, p. 1). During the first parts of the book Juli obsesses over Bryce following him every where. Bryce, however, hates that she will not leave him alone and tries everything to get rid of her. During middle school is when the story gets "flipped". Juli over hears Bryce's friend talking badly about her and when Bryce laughs at the comments Juli is furious. She then starts to hate Bryce much the way he hated her before. What Juli doesn't know is that Bryce was actually furious with his friend but was afraid to say something at the risk of losing the friend. After that the story has the main characters flip so that Bryce is now chasing Juli. Do they become friends or even a couple? The story has a very sweet ending that I thought was age appropriate.

I thought that this book was a well written book that would be an age appropriate book for grades 6 and up, even though the book is recommended for grades 5 and up. I think that book gives a great insight to how different the thinking is between boys and girls and how that changes with age. I think that the book would be a great addition to my classroom library that would probably target girls more than boys but I could see boys enjoying the book as well. I do not see using the book as part of my curriculum because I think that some parents might feel differently about introducing a book about a teenage romance into the mainstream classroom. I would recommend it to the girls in my classroom because I think that the insights into how boys feel, think, and act can be valuable to girls who are trying to figure out the opposite sex during those awkward middle school years and vice-versa. I also think that it has a very thoughtful ending that both boys and girls could learn compassion from.

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town

When Zachary Beaver Came to Town is an award winning chapter books for grades 5 and up by Kimberly Willis Holt. The book is set in the Vietnam era Texas. The book has the main character, Toby, and his best friend, Cal, dealing with Cal's older brother, who joins the Army, dying in the war. Toby also has to deal with an absentee mother who has fled to Nashville to pursue her singing career. On top all of this Toby and Cal befriend a boy they met in a sideshow who is "The Fattest Boy Ever". 

When reading this book I thought that it would be a great book to add to my classroom library. I don't think that I would use this book in my curriculum because I don't think that it would reach the interest level of many students. As an adult reader I liked it but it is not something that I would have wanted to read as a fifth-grade student. I think that it would be a great book to use on a list of required reading where the students could chose but not in a way where all students would have to read it. I think that it has great topics like the Vietnam War and what people had to deal with when a loved one was lost in the war which is something I think that this generation of students doesn't quite understand like the older generations. I think that it could spark a discussion between me and the students who read it about that era in American history.   

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw is the third book in the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series. In this book Greg Heffley deals with his father, Frank Heffley, trying to "toughen up" his son. Though Greg tries to convince his dad he doesn't need to toughen up, he tries to no avail. Greg's dad threatens to send him to military school. Does Greg get shipped out? Read and find out.

I do love this series. I think that many children can relate to how Greg Heffley feels as a new middle schooler and as he progresses through the experience. I also think that many children can relate to being the middle child in a family and the trouble that comes from being older but not quite old enough. I think that this book would be a great addition to my classroom for students to read at an independent level from the third-grade up to fifth-grade. 

I could see using this book with the others in the series to do an author study or book clubs in my classroom. I could also see using this book to spark a creative writing session where the students write journal of their own about their school year experience much like Greg Heffley does in this series. I think that having the students journal about their school year can help them to process much of the difficulties and triumphs they experience. I also think that as the students get older they will have something that they can reflect on that will remind them of that experience. They can use the book as a guide of topics that they can write about from siblings and parents to friends and relationships. I think that students, especially boys, will be more interested in writing a journal using this book as a reference.

Unlikely Friendships

Unlikely Friendships is not a typical book you would see in a classroom, more like a coffee table at a friends house. However, I used this book with my reading buddy that loves animals and aspires to be a veterinarian. Now that I have used the book I have been made aware of all the ways a teacher can use it in the classroom.

The book is filled with 46 stories about different animals that found friendship in each other. The tales of friendship range from a lion, a tiger, and a bear to a snake and a hamster (which would be more thought of as dinner not a friendship). The stories and the photos in this book are sure to capture children and adults alike.

Aside from using this book on an individual basis with children I also thought it would be a great read-aloud book for the whole classroom. Many of the tales are so beautiful and inspiring. I think that the stories could be read aloud for many different reasons and purposes. One idea I had was that I could introduce the book by reading a story. On the next days I thought I could introduce just the title and have the children use their critical thinking to write about how they think that animals met and why they became friends. I think that it could get older children thinking about friendships and why they are are so important. I also think that the book shows many different types of tolerance so it could be used when teaching students about being tolerant. I think that this book would be appropriate for independent reading at the middle school level but the concepts would be appropriate for children down to third-grade.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightening Thief is the first in a series of five books by Rick Riordan. The book is about a boy named Percy Jackson who is a demigod, his mother is a human and his father is Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea. Percy grows up unaware that he is so special until he is forced into reality when someone has stolen Zeus' lightening bolt. Zeus claims that only the son of one of the "Big Three", Zeus, Poseidon, and Hades, have the power to do so. Since it was Zeus who had something stolen and Hades is an unlikely suspect all attention is turned to Poseidon's son Percy, who has no idea his father is the god of the sea. This information has been hidden from him for his protection since it is rare that one of the "Big Three" has a child on Earth. When Percy's mother and protector find out he is in danger they bring him to Camp Half-blood for demigod training. On their way to the camp they are attacked by a Minotaur, sent by Hades in an attempt to get Zeus' lightening bolt, and Percy's mother is taken. Percy eventually sets out on a quest with his protector, Grover, and the daughter of Athena, Annabeth. Does Percy and his friends save his mother, find the lightening bolt and prevent a war between the gods?

This book was excellent. I watched the movie first and was happy with how much better the book was. The book went into so much more detail. When I was young I had an obsession with Greek mythology and I would have loved if a book like this was available for me to read. I think it would have definitely sparked my interest. I think that his book along with the others in the series would be a great book to have in the classroom library available to students. I think that students with an interest in mythology and/or fantasy adventure would love this read.

I also think that this book would be a good book club book to assign my students. With the choices between the series children could read any one they want or have an ongoing series book club where they read the whole series over the year.

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian

The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian is  the second book of seven in the Chronicles of Narnia series. Of the series of books three of the books, including this one, have been made into major motion pictures. In this book the children, Peter, Susan, Edmond and Lucy are sent back to Narnia to aid Prince Caspian in retaking the throne. Prince Caspian's uncle, King Miraz, killed his brother, Prince Caspian's father, in an attempt to rule. Prince Caspian was allowed to remain aire to the throne until King Miraz's wife had a son. Once King Miraz has a son to continue the blood line he orders Prince Caspian dead. After he escapes he uses Susan's horn to call their aid to his side and yet another great adventure and battle are under way.

There are slight differences in the text and the movie which is expected when a great book is adapted into a movie; however, I do think that the motion picture was closely related to book. While I am always hesitant when hearing a book was made into a movie I think that in this case it gave new life to an old series. The original books were published in the early to mid- 1950's and I think that the movies have introduced this series to a whole new generation to some really great adventure books.

When using this series in my classroom I thought that it would be a great series to use in an author study for the class. I would have children sign-up to read the different books in the series and then have a groups divided so that each group would have one student that read a different book in the series. I think that it would provide a chance to see the similarities/differences in the style between the books and the development of characters throughout the series.

There are a couple of things I would be concerned with in using these books in a classroom setting. One is that when they were written C.S. Lewis wrote them with some biblical references. I would send a letter home to parents to let them know I would be using this book as part of the curriculum to try and avoid any problems. Also the language used in these books is a bit old fashioned. Much of the vocabulary and/or terminology is out dated and may be hard for the students to understand, especially any children where English was their second language. I do not think that it would be bad enough that I would not utilize book. I remember reading the first book as a child and I think that this book is just as good as the first.   

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs is another creative twist on a classic tale by Jon Scieszka. The story is told from the view of the Big Bad Wolf who's real name is Alexander T. Wolf. The story follows the same story line of the original tale but with some very interesting twists. Why was Alexander T. Wolf at the pigs house? How did he get the name the Big Bad Wolf? All of these question are answered in the most creative of way in this ALA notable book.

I think that this book is a great variation of the 3 Little Pigs tale. I think that the story line is familiar to children so it could be used in many different ways in the classroom. One way I thought of was using it with the original tale to show different point's of view through the main character. How the 3 Little Pigs remember the tale and how Alexander T. Wolf remembered it were completely different.

I also think that it could be used with other books from the same author as an author study in the classroom. Many of Jon Scieszka's books have classic story with a twist and would be interesting for children to look at the similarities. 

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales

The Stinky Cheese Man and Other Fairly Stupid Tales is an original book on some classic tales. This book takes tales like, "The Gingerbread Man", "The Princess and the Pea" and "The Ugly Duckling" and makes them into tales that are sarcastic and funny.

I was introduced to this book by a friend and instantly fell in love. I think this is a great book for those naught little boys in our lives that would rather sing "Jingle Bells, Batman Smells" than the original. I think that this book taps into a little boys imagination of what he is really thinking when he hears the original tale. I think that the book also shows some creative writing by taking classic tales and making them into something new.

I don't think that this is a book I would read to my entire class because I don't think it appeals to a wide range of interests. I would definitely keep this book in my classroom library for all my "naughty" little boys to read when they are feeling mischievous. 

The Adventures of Polo

The Adventures of Polo is a wordless book by Regis Faller. The book is set up much like a comic book would be with full pictures on some pages and several on others. The book reminds me of looking at a story board for a movie. This is one book in a series of wordless books with Polo as the main character.

The book starts out with a dog, whom I assume is Polo, in his home which is a big tree in the middle of a body of water. Next to his house is what looks like a tightrope that he starts walking on. He travels through the pages using different methods like clouds, fishing line and an umbrella. On his travels he runs into others and usually waves in a friendly manner.

I like this book because I could use it in my classroom for a creative writing lesson. I could break up sections of the book and have students write what they think is happening. We could eventually make our own Polo book with the stories from the class. I also like the simplicity of the illustrations because the students could try and recreate them for a class book as well.

Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery

Geronimo and the Gold Medal Mystery is a cute book in a series of about a mouse, Geronimo Stilton, and his adventures being a publisher of The Rodent's Gazette in New Mouse City. This is book #33 in a series of 51 books. This book does not technically have an author because the original creator, Elisabetta Dami, created the pseudonym Geronimo Stilton to publish the books. This series was published by Scholastic starting in 2004.

In this book Geronimo is begged by his sister to cover the upcoming Olympic games in Athens, which he is not thrilled about. While on the plane to Athens Geronimo runs into an old friend trying to solve an Olympic mystery. Geronimo's friend convinces him to help and they are off. Do they solve the mystery? you will have to read and find out.

The book has great illustrations and has some words in the text illustrated as well. The best part of the book is the historical facts on the modern Olympics and some important athletes that have competed over the years. I think that this book would be a fun story to read to students when learning about historical facts on the Olympics. 

The Goosebumps Series

The Goosebumps series of books written by R.L. Stine was and still is one of my all time favorite series of transitional chapter books. The first of the series was "Welcome to Dead House" and has been followed by 61 classic Goosebumps books. R.L. Stine released a 2000 series and most recently a "Welcome to Horror Land" series. Each book is unique and tells a very different story that will chill you to the bone.

I like these books because it can give students a way to discover different genres of writing. The style of writing in these books borders on scary/mystery. I think that for children who like to discover the different types of writing and/or like these types of books will love that they are a part of a teachers library.

While I think these books are suitable for young children I think that teachers should still warn students that they are scary and if a child doesn't like that then they may not be ready to read these books. For the students who are ready I think that they would be a great book to have as an author study or book club.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret is a wonderful and imaginative book by Brian Selznick. The book has received the 2008 Caldecott Medal and has been made into an award winning movie by Martin Scorsese. The book takes place in a 1930's Paris train station. Hugo Cabret is an orphan boy who lives in the walls of the train station. Hugo starts out as his uncles apprentice, who keeps the clocks at the train station, until his uncle goes missing. After his uncle goes missing Hugo continues his uncles job and tends to the clocks in the train station. Hugo spends most of his time trying to fix an automaton that his father was working on before he died. Hugo tries to fix the automaton by stealing parts to fix it. One day he is caught by a to store owner in the train station and the owner takes Hugo's notebook, that has his fathers instructions on how to fix it, as punishment. This leads to a friendship with the toy store owners goddaughter, Isabelle. Isabelle holds the "key" to fixing Hugo's fathers automaton. Do they find out who created the automaton and why? This is a must read to find out. 

Nearly a third of the book is pencil drawn pictures. This chapter book is a cross between picture book and chapter book and I think is a great way to transition young readers. I think that this story can be used as a read aloud in sections or as a classroom book students can read independently. The format and the wording are not to complicated for young readers and the pictures aid in telling the story. 

I think that this book could be used as a way to have a creative writing session. Because it is unknown who made the automaton and why you could have the students write their own story about what they think will happen when the automaton is fixed. 

I think that the book is engaging and will keep student readers on their toes and eager to find out what happens. When the movie is released I think it could be a treat for the kids to view and make comparisons between the two.

Blue Chicken

Blue Chicken is a cute little book about a painting and a chicken in that painting who just wants to help paint the barn. The chicken gets into the blue paint and spills it all over the painting turning the other animals blue! And they are mad. Can this little helpful chicken fix things?

I think that is a creative book that has great watercolor artwork. I think that this book would be great to read to children in class and talk about mistakes. In the book [SPOILER] the chicken is able to fix the problem and I think that a teacher could use this to spark discussion about problem solving.

I also think that the book could be used to show how to use different shading in painting. The blue shades used can be pointed out and a teacher can point out the technique and model it. The drawing of the animals is also really cute and I think it would be a hit for children in kindergarten through second grade.

                                                    

You Are a LION! And Other Fun Yoga Poses

You Are a LION! And Other Fun Yoga Poses is a great little book that introduces easy yoga poses in a literary way. The book give children the chance to do yoga poses that are named after animals like lions, frogs, butterflies and more. It is written like a story and I think that it would be fun for young children in kindergarten through first grade.

I think this book would be a fantastic way to introduce literacy into content areas like PE. I think that this book could be used by a PE teacher to have the kids stretch or by a classroom teacher who would like to incorporate movement into her classroom. I think that the yoga move would be fun for children as well as a way to relax them.

Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes/ Los Perros Magicos de los Volcanoes

The book Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes/ Los Perros Magicos de los Volcanoes is an English/Spanish book about the cadejos, a protective animal of the people who lived in a village at the base of the volcanoes. The cadejos are an El Salvadorian folkloric animal. The story is about how they protect the people in the village at the base of the volcano. The magical animals are said to be the great, great grandchildren of the volcanoes. In the story there is a man, Don Tonio, and his 13 brothers who do not like the cadejos because they feel that the cadejos make the people lazy, when really they take care of the people. Don Tonio and his 13 brothers called in lead soldiers to go and hunt the cadejos. The soldiers go into the mountain and.....

This story is printed in both English and Spanish and is a great way to include diversity into the classroom. I think that it could be used when teaching students about American tall-tales and incorporating folklore from other countries. I think that it contrasts well will American folklore and can also be used in a creative writing piece for students. 

The artwork in this book is also interesting and culturally diverse. I think this is a great book and would love to have this as a part of my classroom library.

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food?

How Do Dinosaurs Eat Their Food? is another in the How Do Dinosaurs.... series. This book goes over eating and manners with the same familiar language as the other books in the series. I think that it is a great addition to the series and can be useful for the familiarity for young children.

I think that his book can be used in a kindergarten or first grade classroom when talking about manners in the lunch room. Many students come in not knowing how to behave in public eating places and this book can spark much discussion about proper manners. I think that this text gives great bad and good behavior examples that can help make the distinction for young children on what they should and should not be doing.

I really do like how the children characters in this book and the others are all represented by dinosaurs and the parents are all still represented by humans. I thin that a lot of young children like to make-believe that they are something other than actual children and this feeds into that type of imaginitive play while teaching good human behaviors.

Can I Have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please!?

Can I have a Stegosaurus, Mom? Can I? Please!? is a book about a little boy who begs and pleads with his mom for a stegosaurus. He gives his mom reasons as to why he needs one, like protection from scary monsters, a trick-or-treat  buddy and so he won't have to eat his vegetables. He gives all these reasons because he found a gigantic eggs in the forest and has been sitting on it waiting for it to hatch. By the end of the story the egg hatches AND....... it's not a stegosaurus! What will he be begging for instead?

I think that this is a cute book for kids with very imaginitive children language. I think that it will be relatable to children because when they want something they can come up with some of the best reasons as to why and this book captures that.

I think that this book could be used as an introduction to a creative writing unit. Through the whole book every page starts with "Can I have a stegosaurus, mom? Can I? PLEASE!? If I had a stegosaurus, mom..." (Grambling, NP). You could read the story and then have the children use the beginning part to come up with their own reason as to why they would need a stegosaurus. You could also let them choose what to put ask for instead of a stegosaurus. 

The drawing in the book are also very cool. They are very soft pencil drawings with muted colors. The illustrations give the effect like you are dreaming.

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur

I Dreamt I Was a Dinosaur is a book by Stella Blackstone. The book is about a little boy who has a dream about being a dinosaur and all his dinosaur friends. The book uses all of the scientific names of the dinosaurs in child friendly writing.

My favorite part of this whole book is the illustrations. The entire books illustrations are made out of felt, stitching, beads, sequins and bits of decorative lace and/or edging. It reminds me of a blanket that a grandmother has stitched for a grandchild. I think that it is a very unique way of illustration and one that I have not seen before. I think that it would be a great introduction to an art lesson involving felt or could be used as an interactive play board in a classroom.

The other reason I really like this book is because of the simple text. The story is short so it would not take up a lot of time but in the back is some informational text that would great if doing a unit on dinosaurs. It would give a nice introduction to the dinosaurs through the story and then great facts about each in the back. It is visually and mentally appealing.

Won't You Be My Kissaroo?

Won't You Be My Kissaroo? is a sweet little book about how love can make us feel. In the book it shows different animal parents giving kisses to their children and how those different kisses make a child feel. "A playful kiss will often squeak and make a POP! upon your cheek." (Ryder, NP)

I think that this is a good book for the artwork. The illustrations are done in watercolor and they all have this soft, sweet, glow about them. When you read the illustrations complement how the words make the reader feel.

While I love this book to read to my children I would probably not use it in the classroom for a read loud book. I would add this book to my classroom library for children to read independently but I'm not sure if the text level is appropriate for the level of the story. I think the story is appropriate for young children for about pre-school to first grade but the text is much higher.                                             

Pinky Dinky Doo: Where Are My Shoes?

Pinky Dinky Doo: Where Are My Shoes is part of a series including books like Pinky Dinky Doo: Polka Dot Pox and Pinky Dinky Doo: Think Pink! In this installment Pinky Dinky Doo makes up a story to tell her little brother Tyler. In her story she imagines she cannot find her shoes for school and has to wear baloney shoes with string bean laces or she will miss her bus. When she gets to school she realizes that all of her friends also could not find their shoes and had to use various types of food as well. Just when you think it could not get any better the principle comes over the loud speaker to say that there has been a mix-up in the kitchen and they are serving shoes for lunch! Can Pinky Dinky Doo come up with a solution for this? You will have to read and find out.

I have never read any of the Pinky Dinky Doo series and I was pleasantly surprised with this story. I think that is was imaginative while also being practical. Not practical in the sense of the story but of the way the book was sett up and the strategies it used to foster literacy. For some of the actions it used visuals to represent for the reader to understand which would be good for not only emergent readers but language learners as well. It also used a good strategy for comprehension and prediction as well. Twice in the story Pinky Dinky Doo gave A, B or C answers for what would happen next. Two of the answers were completely silly and one was the correct answer. The author gives the answer but it would be helpful for teachers to check for skills like comprehension and prediction.

There was also a spot in the book where a big word was used.The word was exasperated. On the next page there was her brother looking up the word in his "Book of Big Words". A little conversation box said, "X-AS-PER-AY-TED. It means upset." (Jinkins, 13). I thought that this was such a good strategy to help emergent readers learn big words in context without having to put the book down and look up a word or skipping over it.

I also liked at the end when the story was over Pinky Dinky Doo asked her brother which part was his favorite. When he couldn't answer she would ask questions about the story changing a minor detail to see is he understood the story. She was checking for comprehension. I think that this is a great thing to show children because reading comprehension is so important.

This would be a great book to use as a read aloud in the classroom and as a silent reader in the classroom. 

I Don't Want to Go to Bed!

I Don't Want to Go to Bed! is a book about a baby tiger that simply does not want to go to bed. One day her mother gets fed up with her not wanting to go to sleep and lets her stay up all night. As she goes in search for her friends she realizes that all of her friends are completing their night time routine or already fast asleep. When she realizes that she has no one to play with she becomes very scared. She meets an unexpected friend who finally returns her to her mother. I won't tell you what finally happens but I'm sure us mothers can guess.

I think that this text would be a great book for us to read to our children or for us teachers to read to our class. I think that it has a good message about doing things that are good for us, like sleeping, even when we don't want to.

I also like the pictures in this book. They are very cartoon like and I think that small children will enjoy looking at them. I also think that this is a good beginning book to have in the classroom library for emergent readers to start reading independently. 

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Where the Sidewalk Ends is another poetry book from Shel Silverstein that is one of my favorite books of all time. This collection of poems was published before Light in the Attic and in my opinion is just a little bit better.

The drawings in this book are exactly the same as Light in the Attic which would be a great thing to point out if doing an author study with the children. The set up and the font of the book is also the same. 

In this book are two of my favorite poems, "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" and "Sick". I think that both poems can be relatable to children on many different levels.

In "Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout Would Not Take the Garbage Out" a little girl who refuses to take out the garbage and eventually it reaches "From New York to the Golden Gate" (Silverstein, 71). By the end of the poem she agrees to take out the garbage and by then it is too late and "Poor Sarah met an awful fate," (Silverstein, 71). I think that this poem has such a relatable message that kids enjoy because it deals with doing chores around the house. Kids also love it because of the description of the garbage. When I read it to my kids I get laughter and things like "yuck" and "cool".

The second poem is "Sick". In "Sick" little Peggy Ann McKay is unable to get out of bed to go to school. In the poem she list every ailment she could possibly think of to get out of going to school. By the end of the poem the reader would think Peggy Ann McKay was on her death bed but, [SPOILER] "What's that? What's that you say? You say today is...Saturday? G'bye, I'm out to play!" (Silverstein, 59). I think that the kids can relate to this poem and so can parents.