Table of Contents

Newberry1. Wringer

2. Because of Winn-Dixie

3. One Crazy Summer

4. Maniac Magee

Biography1. Neil Armstrong

2. Diary of a young Girl

3.Young Abraham Lincoln

4. Young Martin Luther King Jr. “I Have a Dream”

Science Fiction1. Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9)

2. Alien Escape

3. The City of Ember

4. The Chocolate Touch

Mystery/Scary1. Mystery of the Flying Express

2. Four Scary Stories

3. Flunked

4. Mystery of the Stolen Diamond

Non-Fiction1. How Teddy Bears are Made

2. Living Free

3. How Many Ways Can You Catch A Fly?

4. WISH

Caldecott

1. The Funny Little Woman

2. My Friend Rabbit

3. What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?

4. MORE MORE MORE SAID THE BABY

Fairy Tales1. The Gingerbread Man

2. The Three Billy Goats Gruff

3. Goldilocks and the Three Bears

4. The Three Little Pigs

Adventure1. Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #1)

2. The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System

3. Cave of the Dark Wind

4. Mary-Kate and Ashley The Case of the Flapper Napper

Sports1. Hunter & Stripe and the Soccer Showdown

2. I am Jackie Robinson

3. It’s Hard to Dribble with Your Feet

4. There are No Figure Eights in Hockey

Fantasy1. The Velveteen Rabbit

2. Remus

3. Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

4.The BFG

Poetry1. My Man Blue

2. No One Knows Where Gobo Goes

3. A Light in the Attic

4. Every Thing On It

Graphic Novel1. A Wrinkle in Time

2. The Hobbit

3. To Kill a Mockingbird

4. Monsters

My Choice1. I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!

2. I Like Myself

Title: Wringer

Author/Illustrator: Jerry Spinelli

Publisher, copyright date: Harper Trophy/ June 1, 2004

# of pages: 240

Genre: Newberry

This book is about a young boy and where he is from it is a boy’s rite of passage to become a wringer at the one of ten. Palmer is dreading his upcoming birthday because he does not want to be a wringer. But he wants to fit in with the other boys his age but being a wringer is not what he wants to be. He is very uncomfortable with hurting animals and he just finds it to be so cruel and he is dreading it. Palmer is afraid of what is coming up and feels that sooner or later that he needs to stand up for what he believes in and it is not being a wringer. It is very hard for Palmer to see his friends become wringers because he is against it and most of the time when they do wring or hurt animals Palmers feels sick inside. Palmer must now decide how he will handle becoming a wringer. Will he stand up for what he believes in or will he go along with the belief of what a 10-year-old boy should be doing as a rite of passage?

I like this book because it shows the struggle Palmer is going through. Whether he should go through with wringing necks or whether he should stand up for what he really believes in. he has very good reasons for not wanting to be a wringer but are these good enough for his family to understand the way he feels. It is a rite of passage for a 10-year-old around that time to wring the bird for the family fest and that is something hard for a

young boy like Palmer to want to do. I would recommend this book for students who want to learn about a different rite to passage and how this has made an impact on the way Palmer views it. This would be good for students that are maybe 3rd to 6th grade and those who really want a new rite to passage type of story.

This would be an informative book in the classroom when the lesson is about different rites to passage, so they students are able to learn about other rites of passages. This book would also be good when there is a group discussion going on about what type of rites to passages do some of the students partake in within their family. This would also be an appropriate time for students to hear this story then reflect on what they have heard and then write their own thing that they go through in their family when they turn a certain age and what is really means.

Title: Because of Winn-Dixie

Author/Illustrator: Kate DiCamillo

Publisher, copyright date: Candlewick Press/ Aug. 6, 2001

# of pages: 182

Genre: Newberry

This story takes place in Florida where a girl named Opal goes into a supermarket named Winn-Dixie and she sees a dog that is very scruffy looking, and the dog is tearing up things in the store. So, Opal catches the scruffy dog and takes the dog home. She names the dog Winn-Dixie and that is because that is where she found the dog at the Winn-Dixie supermarket. Opal is a very special girl because she meets people who have had troubles or sorrow in their life and she accept them as they are. There a lady by the name of Miss Franny which is the librarian and she tells a lot of stories to Opal. There’s a girl named Amanda who lost her brother because he had drowned so Opal is very nice to her. Otis is the owner of a pet shop where Opal wants to work so she can buy a collar for Winn-Dixie and Otis killed a police officer in his younger days, but Opal does not hold that against him at all.

I like how Opal has a good sense about herself. She accepts people for who they are and not for what they did in life. Opal is a very kind hearted and loving little girl. Opal is all about helping others and being the best person, she can be. The message that a person can take away from this book is to be nice to people and do not treat them different because of what they have did in their life because everyone needs someone in their life. I would

recommend this book for dog lovers and to students that are 3rd to maybe 8th grade. I like how Opal say the shaggy dog and wanted to step in and take care of the dog because the dog did not seem to have an owner but really needed one.

I would use this book in a classroom by having the students read different parts of the book and then stopping before they get to the end and just make up their own ending to the book. This book can also be used to put on a play just for their classmates and after the play I would have the students give me a message that they either learned about or something that they took away from the play. This book can also be read in class and the students could do a worksheet along with the book like answering questions about the book or sketching out their favorite part in the book.

Title: One Crazy Summer

Author/Illustrator: Rita Williams-Garcia

Publisher, copyright date: Amistad 2012

# of pages: 224

Genre: Newberry

This book mainly takes place in Oakland, California where 3 young girls were sent to visit their long-distance mom. The girls face all kinds of situations from being on display for Caucasian girls go through a lot while trying to get to know their mom who refuses to have any interactions with them. Their mom sends them around California by themselves as she works on a secret like project in her kitchen. This book has a lot of twist and turns, and it bounces back and forth from Brooklyn to Oakland. It’s the views of Delphine, Vonetta, and Fern and it shows how they felt about everything. The plot of this book takes place when the Black Panther were in effect and going strong.

I liked the story was told from the perspective of the three young girls and it conveys how they felt from going from the dad and grandmothers care to being in the care of their mom who they had not seen since they were small. I would recommend this book to students, so they can see how they lived back then and how now is a little better and not so racist as it was way back then. This book has some deep situations that can be identified as dangerous but as the story goes on it turns out to be not so bad. I was so engaged in this book because every page I turned to have a situation or a problem that made me want to keep reading to see what was going to

happen next. It is full of suspense and it keeps the mind wondering what will happen on the next page. This is an enjoyable book to curl up and just read for fun. It also shows that when a person is put in a hard spot that it can be worked out with time and patience.

This book can be used as a chapter book to be read in class. It can also be used to do a book report or even be used in a book club. This book can also be used as an award-winning book assignment.

Title: Maniac Magee

Author/Illustrator: Jerry Spinelli

Publisher, copyright date: Little Brown and Company 1990

# of pages: 184

Genre: Newberry Award

The story takes place between the west and east side of Pennsylvania. Maniac Magee is an orphan at a young age. The west side is you’re the Caucasians live, and the east side is where the blacks live. Maniac meets a girl named Amanda how live on the east side with her mom, dad, and her twin siblings. Maniac goes through a lot of hard times. He has never had a place that he can call home since he has been an orphan and he is the type of kid that is basically good at everything he does. So, Maniac runs into a lot of other kids that want to hurt him like Mars Bar and his only real friend is Amanda Beale who is a black girl from the east side. Maniac tries to see the good and everyone, but they only try to miss with Maniac. Maniac was asked to Amanda house where he feels very comfortable and he ends up staying there for a bit.

I like that Maniac has the guts to be himself and to follow his heart. Maniac is the kind of friend I would love to have because he is thoughtful. Maniac has no fear of anything he comes in contact with whether it is an obstacle he must face or a person that treats him wrong. I like how is has the confidence to be himself and try anything and not have any fear. Maniac can basically go anywhere and make friends, but he is mostly faced with people who want to harm him. Maniac is the type of friend who would give anyone the shirt off of his back. He would

do anything for anyone who is in his life. He is very compassionate and loves helping others and expects nothing in return.

I can use this book to have the students sketch out what they think will happen next in the story before it is read to them. The students can also listen to the story and sketch out a scene in the book and share with the class. This book can also be used to see how two different sides act against each other and have a class discussion about it.

Title: Neil Armstrong

Author/Illustrator: Roberta Edwards/ Nancy Harrison/ Stephen Marchesi

Publisher, copyright date: Grosset & Dunlap/ Oct. 2, 2008

# of pages: 112

Genre: Biography

The illustrations in this book are in black and white and they have a great deal of detail. They almost look like they were sketched into the book by the way they look. There are sketches of the first seven astronauts that went up into space and the detail was nicely done and they look exactly like they do in real life. The illustrator is very skilled, and I can tell that he took a long time to sketch these pictures out.

The story of Neil Armstrong starts from when his childhood up to when he has just got back from landing on the moon. Neil was born in the 1930’s. in the book it talks about the birth of his three children which are Eric, Karen and Mark. Neil was married twice, and it also talks about the first time he boarded a plane and that’s where his love for thinks that soar through the sky started. It was horrible to read that one of his kids died before her fourth birthday and that was his daughter Karen. Neil’s first flight into space was in 1966 and it was on the Gemini 8. Neil had a fascination for wanting to make it to the moon and he later on leaves NASA in order to teach at a university in Ohio.

I like how this book basically laid out the life of Neil Armstrong and his accomplishments. I never knew he had a child that had actually died before she even had her fourth birthday. I bet he took that very hard. I like how he

was able to accomplish a lot of different things in his life. The biggest shocker to me is that he taught at a university in Ohio. He has a determination for wanting to go to the moon and he was not going to stop until he accomplished it and he did make it to the moon along with a couple other astronauts. I would recommend this book for students that want to learn more about Neil and the things that he accomplished and the life that he lived. So, this would be an informative book for students that are between elementary and middle school because it is easy to read, and it is also easy to comprehend.

This would be a good book to use in the classroom and it could be used by a student’s reading it and doing a book report on the life of Neil Armstrong. This book can also be used to answer a questionnaire that the teacher has put out for the students to answer. This would also be a time to have a discussion on what they students think that Neil would have done if he did not get a chance to go to the moon.

Title: Diary of a Young Girl

Author/Illustrator: Anne Frank

Publisher, copyright date: Random House Publishing Group/February 28, 1997

# of pages: 352

Genre: Biography

This book gives insight on part of her teenage years and some of the things she went through. Anne discusses the typical things that teenage girls think about which are the crushes on boys and the relationships she has with her friends. Anne also writes a lot about her feelings and the things that went on around her. Anne also writes about being lonely and the feeling of isolation. A lot of these entries where enter during the World War II. Anne was going through a lot during this time and she did not reach out to anyone and let them know how she was feeling. So, Anne diary was written around the time when the world was the most dangerous and out of control.

I like reading this book because I was able to see how Anne felt during her teenage years and the types that she battled with. She was basically a little depressed and she did not talk to anyone about it. Instead she wrote all her feeling in her diary and it was good she was able to get how she thought out instead of keeping it bottled up and that can be the worst thing to do. I would recommend this book for older elementary to middle school and it would be an informative book to read because it give the aspect of how a young girl felt during the time a lot of chaos was going on with the war.

I would use this book in the classroom so that the students could she how a young girl was able to bounce back during a time where a war was going on and she felt so alone. I would also use this book to get the students thinking about how they could have a diary and write about what is going on in their own lives, so they are able to release some of their built-up frustration if they have any. I could also use this book in the classroom when we start to talk about biography and what they really are and how they are made.

Title: Young Abraham Lincoln

Author/Illustrator: Andrew Woods/Pat Schories

Publisher, copyright date: Troll Communications

# of pages: 32

Genre: Biography

The illustration are bright and vivid, and it has a lot of detail to the pictures in the book. All the people among other things in the book look real and if it was up close and personal I would really be able to tell the realness of the people in the pictures.

This book tells about Abraham Lincoln and how he was the sixteenth president of the United States. It goes on to talk about his life like where he was born and the year it was. It also talks about that he had a sister and no bothers. Abe lived on a farm in the woods as a child with his sister and his parents. He also had to help out a lot on the farm and it was hard work at time. It also talks about the ups and downs of his like. For instance, when he was only 9 years old his mother died. Tenth presidents of the United States.

I would recommend this book to someone that wants to know more about Abe Lincoln and how he came to become the sixteenth presidents of the United States. I like this because it gives some background to who Abe Lincoln is and some of the thing that he went through as a child. I like that I learned things about Abe Lincoln that I never knew like he was a lawyer and that he worked as a carpenter to. The information is this book is true because it talks about the life of Abe and the things he did from childhood up into his adult life.

I could have the students do a time line of the events that happened in Abe life from beginning to end and then have them check it to see if they are right. I could also have the students do an art project and they could make an Abe Lincoln hat along with a beard and they can talk as if they were Abe Lincoln. I could also have the students pick word that describe Abe and the kind of person he is.

Title: Young Martin Luther King, Jr.: "I Have a Dream"

Author/Illustrator: Joanne Mattern/ Allan Eitzen

Publisher, copyright date: Turtleback Books /October 29,1998

# of pages: 32

Genre: Biography

The illustrations in the book look as if they were painted in. the pictures look like watercolors were used in order to make them. As I look at the picture that have a lot of people painted into them the faces of the people are very faint and some of them do not even gave a face. Although color is used the colors look hued and a little dull. Also, all the people that are in the book have the same expression on their face.

Martin Luther King Jr. was a black man who helped other black gain the rights that only white people had back then. He was born in Atlanta, Georgia and his family called him ML for short. He spent a lot of his time in church where he was called Reverend King because he led a congregation where also sat and listen to his father preach when he was little. ML learned at an early age that the color of his skin made a big difference and he didn’t know why. So, his mom sat him down one day and explained it to him. ML witnessed firsthand a lot of the injustice toward blacks and he really wanted to make a difference. He later on as an adult started to stand up and try to be heard and he later came up with the I Have a Dream speech that he gave in Washington D.C.

I like how the book goes from when ML was a child to when he was an adult. It tells about all the things that he has encountered and how he dealt with those issues. I also like how his mom sat him and explained to him how white people are and why they are that way. He had to explain it to him so that he would have a better understanding of the world around him. ML life as a child impacted his life as an adult because he wanted to help his people get rights and be able to survive in a world that did not want them around. What kept me engaged is that he was not to give up on helping his people no matter what it took. I would recommend this book for elementary students because it is easy to read, and it tells about who ML really was and what he did for his people.

I would use this book in the classroom all year round but also during black history month. I would also use this book to help students understand how a certain race of people really it had hard coming up and with time and patience ML made a difference for them. I could also have the students in the class write their own I Have a Dream Speech and we could post them around the room.

Title: Dolphins at Daybreak (Magic Tree House #9)

Author/Illustrator: Mary Pope Osborn/Salvatore Murdocca

Publisher, copyright date: Random House for Young Readers 2010

# of pages: 67

Genre: Science Fiction

The drawings are clean straight lines throughout the book. There are not many pictures throughout the book but there are some. The pictures are real, and children will be able to identify with the characters in the book because of the realism feel of the book. The illustrations are in black and white with some gray in it. This is not a so-called picture book at all. It has some drawings throughout the book.

Annie and Jack are siblings have a magic tree that they are to be transported to various places by an enchantress by the name of Morgan la Fey. So, they are transported to the shore where they enter a submarine and they go underwater and they are face with a few challenges like a shark coming after them and a huge octopus. Annie and Jack think the octopus is after them, but he is just a little curious of what the submarine truly is.

I like that this book has a lot of information about the ocean life and some of the life forms that live in the ocean. I would recommend this book for 2nd to 4th graders to read. I believe around this age they would find it more interesting to read. I like how the illustrator put pictures in the book where needed and does not overdo it at all. The author made learning about the ocean easy to understand and informative. I believe when information is put into a book that is fun to read it makes learning a little easier to retain.

I would use this book in the classroom to do a project about ocean life where the students would write about what they have learned from the book. I could have the students do a poster board on a selected animal and do some research on what they animal is and the fun facts that they found out as they were doing their research. The class can also read this book when the lesson of the week is directed on marine life.

Title: Alien Escape

Author/Illustrator: Geronimo Stilton/ Giuseppe Facciotto and Daniele Verzini

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc./2013

# of pages: 128

Genre: Science Fiction

The illustrator had a lot of detail to the pictures in the book. The pictures are bright, and they look as though they belong in a comic book. The illustrations in the book do not just stop at pictures throughout the book, there are illustrations in the text part of the book. There are words that pop out and are enhanced to show some effect. The illustrations look very realistic and some even look as a person could step into them because of the way the pictures look. There is bold and bright color throughout the text also.

Geronimo is the captain of the Mouse Star 1 spaceship. Geronimo travels through the cosmos and he has visited other planets. While he is on these other planets he encounters wild and crazy like aliens. There is something wrong with Geronimo’s spaceship it is at risk of exploding and Geronimo must figure out how to fix this before he is without a spaceship. He must find a rare element that will allow him to replace the engines battery. Geronimo has run into some aliens that claim that they can fix his spaceship and he is a little optimistic about whether they can fix his spaceship or not. He also has other thoughts going through his head like are the aliens actually friendly or are they up to no good. The only issue Geronimo runs into is that the rare elements he needs is pink and, but it is supposed to be blue.

I like how this book will have the reader on the edge of their seat because Geronimo is trying to figure out how to get his spaceship fix the best way he knows how. I would recommend this book because of the bright and bold pictures and text. Between the text and pictures, it will draw the reader in and the reader will not want to put the book down until they have read the whole book. The thing that kept me engaged is I wanted to know what was going to happen between Geronimo and the aliens. I like that the book has not only have bright and colorful pictures, but the text was very colorful, and this would be an enjoyable book for elementary students up to middle school students. The creativity of the way this book was put together was amazing and I call tell it took some time in order to get this book right like the writer and illustrator wanted because it shows.

A clever way to use this book would be to put on a play and give parts out to the students and have them act them out. I could also have the students write their ending to the story and share their ending with their classmates. I can also have a group discussion of what the students would do or think if they were to come in contact with an alien.

Title: The City of Ember

Author/Illustrator: June DuPrauea

Publisher, copyright date: Yearling Book/ May 2003

# of pages: 270

Genre: Science Fiction

There is a group known as The Builders and they consist of architects, scientist and also some doctors. They are the ones who would build the city of Ember and this was basically a subterranean city. This subterranean city has a variety of supplies that would last up to 200 years and these supplies is for the inhabitants to survive off of. There was a locked box that that had been handed to the first mayor and this locked box would be handed down to each mayor one after the other. The box made it to the 7th mayor and before he could hand it down to the next one he had died. Then approximately 241 years later the city’s supplies were in grave need and it had been almost depleted.

I like that there was sort of a mystery of what was actually in the box that was handed down form mayor to mayor. I was kind of caught off guard when the 7th mayor had tried to get into the box several times, but he had died before he had succeeded with the opening of the box and the box became sort of a mystery because it did not get handed over to the 8th mayor because of the lack of knowledge of the box was unknown. I kind of looked like the box had a curse on it and that’s why the 7th mayor died, that is what it seems like. I would recommend this book to a student that loves a good book that takes you on a journey and has a lot of suspense. This book is a long book, but it is worth reading because it gives the reader a sort of mystery, especially about what was in the box that was passed from one mayor to another one.

I would use this book as a mystery book because of all the twist and turn and surprises that arise throughout the story. I would give the students a questionnaire to be completed a couple chapters at a time and I would also have them draw what they are thinking about a particular chapter after they have read it. I can also use this book when we talk about science fiction books in the class and I would ask the students what they find in each science fiction type of book. Is there something that stands out in the science fiction books.

Title: The Chocolate Touch

Author/Illustrator: Patrick Skene Catling/Margot Apple

Publisher, copyright date: Harper Collins/May 23, 2006

# of pages: 128

Genre: Science Fiction

The illustrations are in black and white as if they were sketched right into the book. The illustrations are very realistic and the people in this book also look realistic and this illustrator took his time at putting these pictures carefully in the book so as you read the illustrations match the pictures from page to page. The illustrations are nicely done and detailed from sketch to sketch.

John Midas is a chocoholic he only wants candy and he refuses to eat anything that is healthy. His parents along with their doctor is really worried about him. So, one day John finds a coin with his initial on it and sometime after finding the coin he comes upon a candy shop that he has never seen before. He goes into the candy shop and they tell him he can pick any candy box that he wants with that one coin. He finally picks his box of candy and when he gets home he opens it up to find one piece of chocolate. He eats that one piece of chocolate and after that everything that touches his lips from there on turns into to chocolate even the toothpaste and he eats the whole tube.

What keeps me engaged in this story is when I read that everything that touches John’s lips turn into chocolate which is a good fix for him and a way to get him to eat healthy foods. I like this book because I was sort of like that when I was young. I to like sweets more than the things that were healthy for me. I would recommend this book for elementary to high school students because it is a book that makes you laugh and it has a way of wanting the reader to read more because of the type of book this is. This book made me want to keep reading

until I had reached the end because of the content in this book. The fact that everything starts to turn into chocolate is something as a kid I would look forward to and if that could happen a lot of children would love that.

After this the students have read a couple of chapters I would ask them to predict what they think that will happen next and the story and why. I can also use this book in the classroom to see what the student’s comprehension of this book is and how much they understand. I can also use the book to further the discussion of how chocolate is made, and I could even go as far as trying to make a batch of chocolate for the students to taste and I could even send the recipe home with the students.

Title: Mystery of the Flying Express

Author/Illustrator: Franklin Dixon/George Wilson

Publisher, copyright date: Grosset & Dunlup 1941

# of pages: 192

Genre: Mystery

The illustrations in the book like a lot of another book is in black and white. The picture in this book have a lot of details and I can tell it took some time com9ing up with these pictures. The people that are sketched in the book have a real look to them. They are very life like.

The two main characters are Joe and Frank Hardy. There is a hydrofoil that the boys are supposed to be guarding comes up stolen. On their journey of getting the hydrofoil back they face a lot of obstacles while they are trying to get the hydrofoil back. The criminals in this book mimic the zodiac. The boys become kidnapped and when they are kidnapped they are taken to the place where the hydrofoil is being held.

I would recommend this book for 3rd graders and up. I like how this book takes the reader on a journey to find the hydrofoil. I also like even as kids they try to find out how to get the hydrofoil back all on their own. The Hardy’s stick together no matter what and that is a good sibling team that will not give up and they are there for each other. I like that they have each other’s back. I also love that this book holds my attention and I did not want to put it down at all.

I would use this book in my classroom because it is very good mystery. I would also use this in my classroom and I would have the students make up a different ending and I would have them read it to their classmates. I

would use this as a read aloud and read a couple of chapters a day and students do a different activity with it each time it is read to them in class.

Title: Four Scary Stories

Author/Illustrator: Tony Johnston/Tomie de Paola

Publisher, copyright date: G.P. Putnam’s Sons

# of pages: 30

Genre: Scary

The illustrations are funny looking the way they are made. The imp had pink horns with a spiked tail, the goblin had a nose that was longer than his face and this upside-down smile and the scallywag funny look to him. Some of the objects in the pictures were realistic but the reader know that they are only made up characters meaning they are not real.

The imp and goblin and scalawag all get together in a dark and somewhat scary place. They want to tell the scariest kind of stories that they can possibly think of and it is about them being scared of a human child and the things that happened to them. The imp was so scared of the human boy that he tossed himself out of a window in order to get away from the human boy. The goblin ran into the same human boy and he ran off yelling help and he found a hole and he crammed himself into in order to get away from the boy. The scalawag was also scared of the boy. They will later find out what they were scared of was a harmless human boy and all he really wanted to do was play.

Some of the illustration throw me off a bit because it did not add up with the story and the others were okay. I would recommend this book for students who like to read about things that are like monsters, but they have different names to them like an imp, goblin and a scalawag. I like had the book has lots of details and how they were scared of a harmless boy who just wanted to play. I like how the ending turns out because at the beginning of the stories I did not even think that it would end in a happy way at all. This book would also be for an older elementary student or a reader

who is ahead of their reading level. The picture I like the most is when the imp, the goblin and the scalawag were all in the dark and their eyes show that they are really scared.

I would have the students in the classroom write their own scary story and read it to their classmates and we would vote on how story actually scared them. I would also have the students talk about one thing that scares them and why. I could also have the students in the class make a drawing of something scary and their classmates would guess what it is. Just for fun they could also see how many words they can make out of the word Halloween and this would be geared toward their phonics.

Title: Flunked

Author/Illustrator: Jen Calonita

Publisher, copyright date: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky

# of pages: 263

Genre: Mystery

This book is about a Fairy Tale Reform School(FTRS) for kids who the parents think they are going down the wrong path like stealing and doing other things that should not be doing. A 12-year-old girl named Gilly was shipped off to the reform school. Just so happen the reform school is being ran by Cinderella’s wicked stepmother. Gilly steals to feed her family and now that she is at the Fairy Tale Reform School her only thought is how her family will survive now. Another character that is at the Fairy Tale Reform School is the big bad wolf from little red riding hood. Even though Gilly is at FTRS she still is finding a way to get into trouble but this time she has someone that she is getting in to trouble with. Gilly has been reprimanded one to many times while she has been at FTRS and she is supposed to be trying to change herself to be a better person so that she may return back home but that is to easy she rather does bad things because she is used to doing things of that sort.

I like how this book has characters that are recognizable form other story and that this book is about turning evil and delinquent kids in to good heroes so to speak. I would recommend this book for children that love to read fairy tales because this book shows that the evil characters can be reformed in a school that is just for that purpose alone. the thing about this book that kept me engaged and wanting to read more is that the school is ran by Cinderella’s stepmother and I thought for sure that she was running a school of evil, but it is the opposite,

she is trying to get these kids’ lives turned around so that they are known for good and not evil. The real surprising thing to me is as evil as Cinderella’s stepmother was to her that she would actually want to help out troubled kids instead of taking advantage of their troubled ways.

One way to use this book in the classroom is to show how even kids with behavioral issues can be seen as good again with a little help from someone who wants to make a difference. I can also use this book to have students add a fairy tales character to the story and write about them and have them read it to their classmates. This book can also be used doing the fairy tales lesson plan where they read a variety of books and then we as a group discuss the similarities and the differences within these books.

Title: Mystery of the Stolen Diamonds

Author/Illustrator: David A. Adler,/Susanna Natti

Publisher, copyright date: Puffin Books/August 1, 2004

# of pages: 58

Genre: Mystery

The illustrations in this book are in black and white there is no color at all added to the illustrations. They look as if they were drawn in. there is a lot of detail into the pictures in this book. The pictures are bold and vivid. The illustrator took his time when making these illustrations.

This book is about a girl named Cam that has a good memory. So, one day as she was in the mall with her friend Eric she heard a lot of noise coming from the jewelry store and come to find out that they were robbed, and a diamond was missing. Just before the police arrived Cam saw a young couple leave and a man with a mustache and she was wondering could one of them be the thief. The police were able to catch up with the man with the mustache and he was the only one they spoke to, but the owners of the jewelry shop said that he was not the one, so he was let go. Cam loves to solve mystery, and this is one that she wanted to solve. So, Cam did end up following the man with the mustache and she was amazed with what she was about to find out.

The part I liked is when in the story it talked about Cam having a photographic memory and how she was able to recall anything she has seen without and problem. I like that Cam does not waste any time when it comes to solving a mystery. Her and her friend Eric is on the case and they will try to solve the mystery of the stolen diamond. What kept me engaged is when Cam took it upon herself to find out who had stolen the diamond and

she was not scared at all. I would recommend this book for children that like mystery because while they are reading this book it will take them on an adventure as Cam tries to find out who really stole the diamond. This book can also be recommended for elementary children to middle school children.

I would use this story by have the students read a couple of chapters at a time and after they have read the assigned chapters they would have either a word sheet or a discussion with another student about what they have read. I can also use this book to set a mystery in class and see if the students are able to solve it with the clues that they are given. I could also have them compare this mystery book with other mystery books they have read.

Title: How Teddy Bears are Made

Author/Illustrator: Ann Morris/ Ken Heyman

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic/ Oct. 1, 1994

# of pages: 28

Genre: Non-fiction

This books picture looks as if they were taking with a camera because the pictures are realistically done. There is a lot of color used in the pictures. The illustrations are bright and vivid. The book was well put together with the photos depicting exactly what was going on in the book. It has a good look to it and a nice flow to it. The photos are very detailed in the way that they make and put the teddy bears together.

This book is centered around the tour of an actual teddy bear factory and the three children in this book find out how teddy bears start out and the process that they go through when they are being made. Somethings are done by a machine but the majority of it is done by hand. That means that someone is sewing and putting the teddy bears together. While the children go through the factory they learn about how teddy bears are made and some of it they had no idea about and they all own their own teddy bears and it was quite exciting going through the teddy bear factory because they have now learned how their teddy bears were made.

I like how the children were able to go through a real teddy bear factory and find out how their bears were actually made. I would recommend this book for children that are curious of how a teddy bear is made and the process they go through before they are shipped off to stores and other places around the world. I think that the

photographer did a great job with the pictures throughout the book. I also would recommend this book because there are children that will never get the opportunity to tour a teddy bear factory and the closest thing they have to that is to read through this book. I also like how the picture are real and a child could identify with the children in the book and that they can picture themselves touring a teddy bear factory like the kids in the book.

I would use this book in the classroom, so the students could have an idea of how a teddy bear is made and the process that it goes through. I would also have the students do some research on some of the places the bears are shipped and do a short report on that. I could also use this book as a reading tool and I would then have the students then go online and see if they can find another way that teddy bears are made and do a compare and contrast diagram.

Title: Living Free

Author/Illustrator: Joy Adamson

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Book/ Oct. 1, 1961

# of pages: 159

Genre: Non-fiction

The illustrations in this book is realistic like the illustrator was actually near the lions taking photos. The pictures are in grayscale with no color at all. The pictures are very detail, it’s almost like you can reach out and touch these lions. That is how real the pictures look. The pictures catch every detail, I like how the look of the lion moves. It’s just like being there in person looking at the lions as they live their life as free as can be.

This book is about a lioness named Elsa. She was taking from the wildlife and put into a preserve and George and Joy watched over here until she was grown, and she was moved back into a natural wild habitat and she later found a mate and had cubs. The birth of Elsa’s cubs in this book goes through the first year of their life as they grow up into lions. So, the story talks about what the cubs go through along with their mom Elsa. Elsa and her cubs have been in some dangerous situation where Elsa has become wounded and hurt because she tried to protect her young and George and Joy have always kept a watch over Elsa and her cubs but from a distance.

I like how Elsa watches over her young and it is the same that humans do for their children. So, I can identify with a lot of what Elsa goes through and how she is always there for her cubs because that is the same way humans and other species are. I would recommend this book to students who want to gain the insight of how a

mother lioness cares for her cubs and the obstacles she goes through in order to make she that they survive in such a wildlife. I also think that George and Joy kept an eye are Elsa because they wanted to make sure that she is surviving and thriving in the wild and they also wanted to see if she had a mate. Taking animals from their natural habitat to a man-made facility can sometime set them back when they are put back into the wild but for Elsa she did really good with picking up and moving on to find a mate and to also have cubs.

I can use this book in the classroom when talking about wildlife and I could have the students read and then write down what they think of the book and I would give them a series of questions that would need to be answered. I would also use this book to put on a play and it would almost be a little similar to the lion king. I would also use this book in the classroom, so the students could have a little insight on how a lioness lives and the struggles that come along with being in the wildlife.

Title: How Many Ways Can You Catch A Fly?

Author/Illustrator: Steve Jenkins/Robin Page

Publisher, copyright date: HMH Books for Young Readers 2008

# of pages: 32

Genre: Nonfiction

The illustrations of this book look like a collage and they look lively. The animals in the book have a textured look to them and it caught my attention. The collage of the animals like the chameleon is awesome looking. The colors are multicolored for some of the animals and the details in the book are very graphic.

This book has a lot of challenges that the animals face along with their unique ways for solving their problems. In the book the animals are showed digging holes and there is also a question that ask how many ways you can dig a hole and it comes right before the animals dig the holes. There are other challenges that come up in the book like catching flies, snaring fish, hatching eggs, using leaves, and eating clams. This book is basically highlighting the features of different animals and the thing they are able to do.

I would recommend this book to those who either like or love animals because it tells the reader in detail about some of the animals can actually do. I also like the way the animals were made with a textured look and they look so real. I really do like this book because it is about animals and it has a flow to it as it is being read. The colors of the different animals and how the illustrator draws them kept me engaged because I wanted to see what the animal on the next page looked like.

I would do a mini lesson in class about the food chain and how the animals must eat other living things in order to survive. I would also have a discussion with the class about what some animals eat in order to survive and what would happen if they did not eat other living things. I could also have the students draw the cycle of the animal’s food chain, then they will present their drawing to the class and discuss it.

Title: Wish

Author/Illustrator: Barbara O’Connor

Publisher, copyright date: Farrar, Straus/August 30, 2016

# of pages: 240

Genre: Non-fiction

Charlie does not feel like she is wanted when she is sent away to live with two strangers by the name of Bertha and Gus. She is sent away because her dad went to jail and ever since he has been gone all her mom do is stay in the bed all day. So, she was taking form her mom by the social worker. But Bertha and Gus were delighted to have Charlie there and as time went on Charlie got comfortable with Bertha and Gus and she felt that they really did love her by the way they treated her. Charlie makes a fiend and his name is Howard and he is a class geek and he walks with a limp. So, one day they were out together, and Howard helped Charlie catch a stray dog and she named the dog Wishbone. Charlie just learned that her mama wants her to come back home and Charlie kind of questions where her home is. She is clearly hurt from what went on before she was taking form her parents place.

What keep me engaged in this book is when I read that Charlie dad was sent to jail and her mom has been in bed all day since that day made me want to know what else would go on in this book, so I wanted to keep reading. I would recommend this book for students who love to read non-fiction books because this is a really an eye opener. I like how no matter what happen to Charlie she kind of kept her spirits up and was hard

sometimes, but she begins to feel good when I living situation becomes stable and she got used to staying with Bertha and Gus. I think when she found the stray dog it made her a little happier than she had been since she was taking away from her mom. She handles being taking away from her mom better than I think I would have and she gave Bertha and Gus problems at first, but they were still nice to Charlie no matter what she did.

I would use this book in the classroom to show that sometime when bad things happen that a good outcome can happen and just because you live with people that are not your biological parents that they can still treat you good if you give them a chance too. I can also use this book for vocabulary and I can have the students find words that they are unfamiliar with as they read through this book and have a vocab list and I would also have them write down what they think the word means then have them find the actual definition of the words. I can also have the students read up to the parent when her mom stays in bed all day and have them predict what they think is going to happen next in this story.

Title: The Funny Little Woman

Author/Illustrator: Arlene Mosel/ Blair Lent

Publisher, copyright date: Puffin Books/ Feb. 14, 1993

# of pages: 40

Genre: Caldecott

The pictures in this book have a Japanese look to them and the only bright colors that are being used are orange and yellow. Some of the colors like a little rusty and dull. There are some black and white drawings in the book. There is a good look to the book and it is like a fantasy book with monster in it. There are very fine details in the pictures and it looks like a lot of thought and imagination was put into drawing these pictures in the book.

This book is about a little Japanese woman how a habit of laughing at everything no matter what it was. It all started when the little woman was in her kitchen cooking and a dumpling rolled off the table and into a little hole. The little woman really wanted that dumpling, so she tried to retrieve it out of the hole and the hole got bigger and the little woman fall through the hole. That how her journey started. It almost seems that the little woman was going crazy over just a dumpling she went from person to person asking about this dumpling. The little woman ran into all types of people, things and even monsters as the story went on. Through the whole process of trying to find this single dumpling the little woman continued to laugh on and on. After some time had went by the wicked Oni kidnapped her and she had to cook for the wicked Oni.

I would recommend this book for children that want to use their vivid imagination and be taking on a journey from a kitchen through a hole to another world and see what awaits them on the other side of the hole. Books that take young children on a journey are very good books because it gives them a way to get away from what is going on in their daily life. I like the look of the illustrations and how it was so detailed and well done. I think this book is funny and humorous because no matter what the little woman is going through she continues to laugh and not let her situation get her down at all. The part that keep me engaged is that the book is a suspenseful book and no matter if I wanted to put it down I couldn’t because I wanted to know what was going to happen on the next page.

I would use this book to put on a play and I would give parts out to the students and let them act them out for their classmates and might even have them act it out for another class depending on if they really get into character while doing the play for classmates. I could also use this book in the classroom because it has a lot to do with determination and I would do a lesson on that and talk to the students and let them know what determination is and why it is a good thing to have when they have their mind set on something and that they should go after it if it is important to them. I would also have the students read this book and others like it and have them come up with their own version to the end of the story and I would have them share it with their classmates.

Title: My Friend Rabbit

Author/Illustrator: Eric Rohmann

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 2002

# of pages: 32

Genre: Caldecott

Illustrations are bright and vivid and held my attention. The animals look very realistic. I really like how the pictures were drawn especially when rabbit is trying to pull the elephant he has sweat coming from his face. The expressions are the animal’s faces are shown and you can tell how they are feeling by the expression that are being made. The way rabbit is drawn it shows that rabbit is very strong and that he can pick up any animal no matter the size of it like a bear, an alligator and even a hippopotamus.

The main plot is outside in the opening and rabbit is trying to help his friend who is a mouse get his plane out of a tree that it is stuck in. the book talks about how rabbit finds trouble in many different ways. Rabbits main focus is to help out his friend rabbit, so he aids other animals, so they can help mouse get to his plane in the tree. So, one by one rabbit carried other animals and stacked his friends on top of one another in order to make a pyramid so that they could be tall enough to get the plane out of the tree. It shows how rabbit is determined to help his friend no matter what. Rabbit comes up with a plan on how to get the plane and eventually he succeeds in the end. But the animals were all mad at him when they all fell down trying to get the plane. But rabbit had good intensions and he was trying to help his friend mouse.

I personally like this book because rabbit is a good friend and he means well. Rabbit will do anything he has to do to help out a friend this book is bright, and rabbit thinks out of the box and he has a very unique way of getting the plane. If there were more friends in the world instead of enemies maybe the world would be a little better than it is. The book seems to show how friends should help one another even if they may run into a bit of trouble. Rabbit is determined to do all he can do to help his friend mouse. I can think of several uses for a book like this. The fact that there were not that many words I kind of had to make up what I thought was going to happen next. I would recommend this book because it gives the reader a chance to predict what they think will happen next.

This book can be used to show how rabbit tries hard and is determined to help mouse. It will show students that friends come in different shapes and sizes and that a real friend will go above and beyond to help another friend. I can use the book to just go from page to page that does not have any words and make up their own story. The book could also be researched for why it became a Caldecott award winner book.

Title: What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?

Author/Illustrator: Steve Jenkins/Robin Page

Publisher, copyright date: Houghton Mifflin Company 2003

# of pages: 32

Genre: Caldecott

The illustrations are very detailed, and they look as if a child could run their fingertips across it. So, the pictures have a textured effect to them. You can clearly look at the different animals and tell what they are. It almost looks like a touch and feel book. I can tell a lot of time was put into making the animals because of the bold details and realistic look of the animals. The illustrations are put in categories by noses, ears, tails, feet, eyes and mouths. So, when you look at these categories a person can compare them against other animals in the categories. Bright and vivid colors are used with a bit of hue that brings the picture to life. A child could really identify these animals without hesitation. The illustrations really pop right out the book.

The main plot is centered around what the animals have in common and the different ways they use their nose, mouth, tail, and ears. It highlights how similar and different they all are all at the same time. The animals are talked about in order to highlight what they can do and the part they do that ability with. For example, the book talks about their body parts like their noses, ears, tails, eyes, mouths and their feet. These animals are able to do different things that set them apart from the other animals.

I like this book because the realistic look of the pictures and the book is easy to read and keep up with. The categories in the book show what these animals have in common with one another and the things they can do with either the nose, tail, mouths or other parts on the animal’s bodies. There was no rhyming in the book, but it still has a nice pace to it all that is needed is for the reader to add the sound effects of some of the animals. Some of the pictures in the book I have never seen before but if I was to see it again I would remember because of all of the details used. I like that this book pulls out each animal’s ability. This is the type of book I would read myself or even to younger children between the ages of 4 to 8 years old. I also like how at the back of the book each animal has a paragraph about where they can be found, their ability and details of their body and what makes the animals different from other animals. I also like how each category has an interactive page where the reader is able to guess what part actually belongs to the animals and the way it would be used.

I would use the book to show students the difference in animals even though the animals may have some of the same features. I would also use this book to have students do a compare and contrast of the animals. The students can read up on an animal and present it to their classmates.

Title: MORE MORE MORE SAID THE BABY

Author/Illustrator: Vera Williams

Publisher, copyright date: HarperCollins Children’s 1990

# of pages: 28

Genre: Caldecott

The letters in the book look like they are hand painted with assorted colors and the illustrations contain vibrant colors. There are borders around each page and each story has the same border and edge colors, but they switch off between the design and the two border colors change position.

The book contains three different stories that describe the relationship between Little Guy and his father; Little Pumpkin and grandma; and Little Bird and her mother. Little Guy’s father catches the baby and swings him around. They laugh and play. Little Pumpkin’s grandmother catches the baby and they hold nose to nose. They hug and play. Little Bird is sleeping and her mother rocks her in different ways and gives her kisses. The babies want more, more, more.

I recommend this book because it shows how a bond in these three different stories are unbreakable and it also shows the love they have for each other. Showing compassion and love for someone goes a long way. I like how Little Guy, Little Pumpkin, and Little Bird have that special bond with their family members. I also like how they are want more of their family member attention because it is fun, and they are loving what is going on at the time. I like the setup up of the book and it shows that fun can be had with the people you love.

One of the activities that can be done in the classroom is a discussion about the book and talk about if the students can identify with some of the thing that went on in the book. We can also discuss the roles of parents and grandparents and how they feel when they are around. I could also have the students act out what went on in the book with their own baby doll and then ask them how that made them feel and was it fun for them.

Title: The Gingerbread Man

Author/Illustrator: Violet Findley/ Hector Borlasca

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 2006

# of pages: 16

Genre: Fairy Tales

There are a lot of curves, lines in the pictures and the colors are fun to look at with the different patterns that are used throughout the book. The color scheme is appealing and will catch the readers eye. There are a lot of patterns in this book that I noticed when I opened it up.

The story takes place in an old woman’s kitchen. The old woman thought about cooking a gingerbread man and she actually did. So, when she put the gingerbread man in the oven to cook. She then opened the oven door and the gingerbread man jumped up off the plate and started to run and the old woman tried to catch him, but she was a little bit too slow. Next the dog tried to catch the gingerbread man and he was not fast enough to catch the gingerbread man. Then the cow tried to catch the gingerbread man and he also did not succeed because he was to slow.

I like how the gingerbread man teases the old woman, the dog, the cow and the others of how they are slow, and they cannot catch him, but he eventually the gingerbread man gets caught. I wish the book had a rhyming to it. I also like how on each page there were patterns and it caught my attention and I just knew when I turn to the next page that there would be more patterns. I would recommend this book for young students that would want

a simple short book to read just for fun. I like the expressions on the gingerbread man’s face as he teases the others and I also like how the gingerbread man looks. I can also tell how the others feel by their expressions on their face.

I would love to do a funny activity that would require a die that the kids would roll, and each number of dots would represent a different part of the gingerbread man and after they finish it we would share it with the other classmates. We can also do a count and color math sheet where the students would count the number of fingers, dots, hairs and other things on the gingerbread man and match it the number it corresponds with.

Title: The Three Billy Goats Gruff

Author/Illustrator: Violet Findley/ Patrick Girouard

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 2006

# of pages: 16

Genre: Fairy Tales

The illustrations in the book are bright and the pictures have a realistic look as fair as the green grass and the bridge. The illustrations look like they are easily sketched but they are not. The illustrations have a detail look to them and time was put into making this illustrations for the book.

The plot of this story takes place on a bridge that the three Billy goats want to pass in order to eat the sweet green grass on the other side of the bridge. But the only thing stopping them is the troll that lives under the bridge. The troll does not want them to pass and all. So, the three Billy goats play a trick on the troll by telling him that the next goat is much bigger than they are, and he believes them. The last goat could not play the same trick, so he tried something else in order to get by on the bridge.

I like this book because the goats used their head when they thought of ways they could get by on the bridge. I like this book because it shows that thinking outside of the box actually works. The book was very inviting, and it can easily be read with voices put to it. I would recommend this book for kids that are from preschool to maybe 2nd grade. I like that this book has some realistic and unrealistic characters in it.

I could use this book in the classroom to put on a play with the students and give some of the student’s parts to act out and have the rest of the students as their audience. I could also have the students write a different ending to the book and read it to their classmates, this way they will be using their imagination and can let it run wild. I could also have the students write a whole new story with different animals and a whole different plot and they can put it in their writing journal as an entry.

Title: Goldilocks and Three Bears

Author/Illustrator: Violet Findley/ Jannie Ho

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 2006

# of pages: 16

Genre: Fairy Tales

The illustrations in this book are vivid and bright. Each bear is giving a piece of clothing. The Mama Bear is giving a cute little pink sweater with a flower on it. Papa Bear has a nice little blue vest with a blue hat to match it and the Baby Bear has a bright red scarf around the neck. The illustrations of the piece of clothing each bear was giving lets you kind of know the role of the bears.

The story takes place in a forest where the bears lived in a house. The bears went for a walk and they were coming back after the walk to eat their porridge. But upon their arrival back to the house they noticed that somethings were just not right. When they got in their noticed that their porridge was messed with and they also noticed that their chairs where sat in and once they got to the bedroom they noticed that their beds were laid and someone like Goldilocks was still in Baby Bears bed.

I recommend this because it could come in handy for young readers that need a small book to get them started with their reading and it will not make them afraid of reading because it is a small book. I like how each bear has a piece of clothing that lets the reader know who they are as far as the characters go. I also like how it does

not go overboard with the clothing for the bears. A book such as this one has an easy feel to it and the student that will read this will be at ease while learning a fairy tale.

I could use book in the classroom to have the students retell the story by using a flannel board and putting the things that happen in the book in order for beginning to end, I would have them do this after the story was read in order to see how much of the story they can recall. I would also have a class discussion about the things that went on in the book and I would open up the floor to the students to ask questions and to also comment on someone else’s question. For younger students I would have cut outs of the three bears and the things in the story that belong to them and I would have the students sit down and put the things that belong to the bears next to them and I would assess them to see it they have gotten the concept of what belongs to each bear.

Title: The Three Little Pigs

Author/Illustrator: Violet Findley/Keiko Motoyama

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 2006

# of pages: 16

Genre: Fairy Tales

The drawings in this book bright and very entertaining and catches a child’s eye with the details of the big bad wolf huffing and puffing. The expressions on the pigs faces lets the reader know that they are scared because they do not look happy at all. Towards the end of the story the way the pigs are smiling lets the reader know that they are happy now.

This story takes place with the three little pigs building their houses and along come the big bad wolf. When the big bad wolf comes along he decides that he wants to blow down their houses in a plot to get to them and eat them. But he just is not quick enough to catch the pigs. So, the big bad wolf tries over and over by going from one house to the next and the first two house he succeeded in blowing them down. He was not so lucky with the last house because the pig had built it with bricks.

I would recommend this book for young students so that it helps them with reading and it is also a small book, so they do not have to get discouraged about reading it. I like this book because the big bad wolf failed in eating any of the pigs. I like that the expressions on the pigs tells whether they are scared or happy. I can tell they were scared when the big bad wolf was trying to blow their house down.

I can have the students do an activity where it talks about the different traits of the characters in the book and before this is done we will have done a lesson in class that talks about traits. I can also have the students in the class write their own version of the three little pigs in their journal and everything in their version must be original and their own idea. I could also give the students the three pigs and their houses to cut out and to match them with their house that they built.

Title: Lions at Lunchtime (Magic Tree House #1)

Author/Illustrator: Mary Pope Osborn

Publisher, copyright date: Random House Children’s Books 1998

# of pages: 96

Genre: Adventure

The illustrations are mostly in black and white. The drawings are clean straight lines throughout the book. There are not many pictures throughout the book but there are some. The pictures are real, and children will be able to identify with the characters in the book because of the realism feel of the book.

Jack and Annie are coming home from the grocery store when a little creature leads them to the magic tree house. Morgan le Fay is there at the magic tree house and she is an enchantress that ends up sending them to Africa through the magic tree house. Annie and Jack are amazed by how the plains of Africa are. However, things get interesting when Annie decides that she wants to help the wildebeest that look scared cross the river, but they faced many challenges like hyenas and lions. They do have fun when the elephants spray them with their trunks.

This is a great short chapter book. Within this book it shows how Annie and Jack are able to work together in order to get through it all. Annie and Jack make a good team. I like how they go through this magical tree house and end up in a whole new place. That would be so awesome if that was really able to be done in the real world. But this is a good book that can take the mind out on an adventure. I would like to be able to go on adventures

especially in a place like Africa and see all the amazing things that they have there. I would recommend this book to males and females because of the connections that can be made with the characters. I would also recommend this book to anyone in elementary to middle school and up because it is a short and easy read.

This can be used to simply read for fun in the classroom. I would like to use this for a read aloud to the students and each week we would do a different activity centered around the book. Also, a book report would be also something the students could do. Maybe make a model of something that they have found interesting in the book like one of the characters or animals.

Title: The Magic School Bus Lost in the Solar System

Author/Illustrator: Joanna Cole/Bruce Degen

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Press 1992

# of pages: 40

Genre: Adventure

The illustrations in the book are bright and very detailed. It really can catch the eye of the reader and draw them into the book. By looking at the pictures alone you can almost tell the whole story. The solar system is amazingly drawn, and the stars and space have a real look to them. The realistic look of the bus and the kids on it is also detailed.

In this book Ms. Frizzle and her class learn about the solar system in the classroom and find out that their field trip isn’t going to happen since the planetarium is closed. Ms. Frizzle once again decides to take her students on another wacky field trip to explore the solar system up close transforming the school bus into a rocket. The bus flies to the moon where they explore gravity, the sun, Mercury, Venus, and Mars. They discover the asteroids that make up the asteroid belt where the bus gets hit by an asteroid, which causes the bus to malfunction. Ms. Frizzle tries to fix the bus, but then is stranded and separated from the students. Janet looks through the Ms. Frizzle’s lesson and notes to read the information that the students need to know as they fly through the remaining planets. She then finds the instructions for autopilot, so they can go back and rescue Ms. Frizzle. They then return to Earth and tell everyone about their trip.

I like how the author has made learning about the solar system and the things into fun. It shows that learning can be insightful and fun all at the same time. I also like how the book was well thought out and how the information in it is valuable and easy to understand all at the same time. There were a lot of things I did not even know, so that shows at any age you can still learn new and exciting things. The teacher in the book which is Ms. Frizzle does a wonderful job of informing her students about the solar system. I would recommend this book to students that want to learn more about the solar system and how it works.

This book can be used for a project on the solar system and they could make a model or do a presentation on the solar system. A book report can also be done on the solar system. A solar rap can also be made up about the planets and how they orbit around the sun.

Title: Cave of the Dark Wind

Author/Illustrator: Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson/ Greg Call

Publisher, copyright date: Hyperion Books/July 17, 2007

# of pages: 166

Genre: Adventure

The illustrations in this book are gray and white as if they were sketched right into the book. The illustrations are of skulls, ships and pirates. The illustrations are very detail and some of them stand out from others like the sketch of the skull so detailed. The sketches are realistic and a little scary by the way some of the sketches look. The illustrator took his time when making these illustrations.

This book is about a group of lost boys and some of their friends get bored one day, so they go out and start to explore when they came upon a very dark cave and the lost boys wanted to go in, but their friend is trying to warn them that going into the cave would be dangerous, but they ignore them. Their friend Shining Peral and her sister Scallop start to tell the lost boys that the cave has a creature that is known as the Goat Taker is in the inside and that they should not enter the cave at all. But the boys ignored the idea of anything being in the cave, so they entered the cave anyway. So, the girls go on to tell stories of other creatures in the cave and the girls also talk about some haunted treasure that might be in the cave.

I would recommend this book for those who like to go on an adventure while reading a book and also those who like surprises. What kept me engaged with this book is that it has suspense and the picture that was painted in

my head as I read through the book. This also a good book for children that like to read about pirates and treasure. The story about there being a goat taker and also a treasure in the cave sounded like there would be pirates in this story and I was right. It was Captain Hook and his crew. I like that the lost boys were looking for something to but necessarily get in trouble. They just wanted to do something so that they would not be bored anymore. I also like that they are trying to find out the mystery behind the Cave of the Dark Wind as the story goes on.

I would use this book all a literary tool as far as the students reading it and then writing a different ending to the story. I could also have the students compare and contrast this book with other adventure books that they have read before. Lastly this book can be turned into a play because of the nature of it having pirates involved in the book.

Title: The Case of the Flapper 'Napper (The New Adventures of Mary-Kate & Ashley, No. 21) Author/Illustrator: Judy Katschke

Publisher, copyright date: Harper Entertainment/ January 1, 2001

# of pages: 96

Genre: Adventure

Mary-Kate and Ashley go to visit her great grandmother who is a mystery writer. The twins are at a 1920’s dance when a commotion was heard nearby. The girls went to see what the commotion was all about and that’s when they find out that Flapper the cat is missing, and the twins dog was blamed and now Mary-Kate and Ashley have to prove that their dog Clue had nothing to do with the disappearance of Flapper the. Now the twins are on the case so that they can clear their dog of being blamed for Flapper’s disappearance. So, there’s a mystery to be solved and Mary-Kate and Ashley just want to make sure that here dog Clue is not left responsible for what happened to Flapper.

What kept me engaged is that Mary-Kate and Ashley are trying to clear their dog Clue of being framed for Flapper the cat. I wanted to continue to read this book to see who actually has catnapped Flapper and what the reason that they did catnap Flapper. The suspense in this book is so thick that it is hard to see through in order to see what is going on. I also like how the writer told a little at a time in order to get the reader to keep reading. I would recommend this book for those who love mysteries and also for those who are in elementary to maybe

middle school. This book is also a good book just to read. This is not anything that I did not like about this book at all. It is very straight forward and easy to follow along with and the mystery is one that will keep the reader engaged.

I can use this book in the class by having a couple of the students be Mary-Kate and Ashley and have them reenact what actually went on in the story and to ask them as we go along if they would change anything. I can also use this book to explore some of the vocabulary that is used during the mystery and how they relate to what is going on. I can also have the students write their own mystery stories and share with their classmates.

Title: Hunter & Stripe and the Soccer Showdown

Author/Illustrator: Laura Elliott/Lynn Munsinger

Publisher, copyright date: Weekly Reader Corporation 2005

# of pages: 32

Genre: Sports

The illustrations in the book are very detailed and the realistic look of the raccoons are believable if they did not have clothes on. There are a lot of colors along with patterns. The expressions on the raccoons faces tells that they are enjoying the soccer game.

The story is about two friends who are Hunter and Stripe and they love doing everything together. They learn how to read together. Anything that one did the other one would also do. The both were on two different soccer teams and they cheered each other on when they would score but one day that came to a holt. Because the next day they had to play each other, and Stripe put it out there that Hunter should not get mad if Stripe’s team beats Hunter’s team.

I like the moral of the story which is just because one loses and the other one wins that they should not throw it in the loser’s face but support each other and just play soccer and have fun. I also like how they realize how winning is not that important and that it is all about having fun. I also like at the end that they put all the soccer stuff aside and they remain friend because that is what is really important. I would recommend this book to show that even though they lose, they should go out and play the game and just have fun. Because there will be

time in life where they will have to go up against a friend in something and that they should not let that ruin the friendship at all.

I would have the students play a game like kick ball and I would explain to them that it is being played for fun and no one should take it serious or tease anyone for not winning because we are doing just for fun. I would also have a class discussion about the things we say that can hurt our classmates feeling and ask them to put themselves in someone’s shoes and how would they feel if this was being done to them. I would do a lesson on how to be a good sport and support your fellow classmates whether they are a winner are a loser and to give them encouragement.

Title: I am Jackie Robinson

Author/Illustrator: Brad Meltzer/Christopher Eliopoulos

Publisher, copyright date: Dial Books 2015

# of pages: 40

Genre: Sports

This book has a great deal of color and the realistic look of the people that are drawn in it. The drawings look like the illustrator took his time putting them together. The illustrations are fun to look at and by looking at the pictures alone you can kind of retell the story without looking at the words.

This is a book about the life of Jackie Robinson and the things he had to overcome to become one of the first and greatest black men to play sports in history. This story was written from the viewpoint of him as a small child and tells his story of accomplishment. Despite all the odds that were against him. He never let any of the hurdles he can in contact with stop him from achieving his goals. Where he grew up was segregated and it was hard to grow up in times like that. But Jackie Robinson was able to overcome that era and succeed.

I really like this book it inspires a person to never let anything stop them from achieving whatever their goals are in life. In the book it talks about a white girl who yelled an obscene name at Jackie and when he yelled it back to here he was stoned by the little girl dad and it just shows what kind of racist things went on when he was little. I like how the view was Jackie Robinson’s and not the view of someone else so that means these are his true feeling and things that happened to him in his life.

I would use this book as a read aloud for either 3rd or 4th grade. I could ask students to pull out the facts of Jackie Robinson's life from the book to create a timeline of the things that happened in his life. Also, in the month of February, I could include it in a unit about Black History Month.

Title: It’s Hard to Dribble with Your Feet

Author/Illustrator: Val Priebe/ Jorge Horacio Santillan

Publisher, copyright date:

# of pages: 56

Genre: Sports

The illustrations are bright and very colorful. The pictures are like realistic as if they were taking with real kids in them. The illustrator did a great job with making the pictures match the text. The pictures of the kids playing soccer look so realistic. There is a lot of detail in these pictures. The pictures in this book look real as if the reader was standing there in the middle of it all. The multicolor of the pictures is very appealing to the readers eye.

Carmen loves to play basketball and she wants to take a chance at playing soccer. She finds out that soccer does not come as easy as basketball did. So, one day Carmen heard a group of girls talking about her and she felt even worse than she did before. She is trying to figure out why dribbling with her feet is so hard because dribbling with her hands came to easy to her. So, as she tries to play soccer she keeps losing control of the soccer ball and she is not as confident and good at soccer as she would like to be. So, Carmen has to work a little harder in order to become better at soccer. She is determined to be good at soccer.

The brightness of the pictures caught my eye because they matched up with the text. I could almost just look at the pictures and tell a story. I would really recommend this book for children that love sports and I would also

recommend this for children in elementary to middle school. I also liked that this book gives a child a chance to see that not everybody is good at everything and sometimes it takes practice and hard work to get good at something new. The part that kept me engaged is when I was left wondering if Carmen would get better at soccer or would she let that defeat her and give up on trying to get better at soccer. It has a lesson to be learned in this book and I hope that the reader will get the message and keep trying to get better at whatever is holding them back.

I would use this book to teach the students a lesson that even though they may not be good at something it is important to continue to keep trying until you have gotten better at it whether it’s a subject at school, a sport or even cooking something. Just continue to try to get better. I would also use this in the classroom and have the students write how they would feel if they were not good at something and someone was talking about them and have them read it to the class. I can also use this reading and have the students in the class to talk about when they were faced with something that they were not good at and the things they did to fix that.

Title: There Are No Figure Eights in Hockey

Author/Illustrator: Chris Kreie/ Jorge Horacio Santillan

Publisher, copyright date:

# of pages: 49

Genre: Sports

The multicolor of the pictures is very appealing to the readers eye. There is a lot of detail in these pictures. The pictures in this book look real as if the reader was standing there in the middle of it all. The illustrations are bright and very colorful. The pictures are like realistic as if they were taking with real kids in them. The illustrator did a great job with making the pictures match the text. the pictures of the kids playing hockey seem realistic.

This book is about a boy named Josh who was a figure skater and he wanted to give it a try at a new sport. When he was doing figure skating he had won a gold medal and it came so easy to him he thought the next sport he did would come easy also. So, Josh decided to challenge himself by deciding to give hockey a try. But he soon realizes that hockey has no figure eights in it and he realized that hockey is not as easy as he thought it would be. But with some practice and dedication he decided he would try his best to get the hang of playing hockey. It was just another challenge he had to faced and he was up for the challenge.

There is a message in this and it is when trying at something new a person has to keep at it and dedicate themselves to it or it would just be a waste. Josh was up for the challenge and he never once thought about

giving up with is a good thing. The colorful pictures throughout the book really caught my eye and the contents of the story had me engaged with the book. I would recommend this book for elementary students and maybe even middle school students. This is also good book for those who have a love for sports. As I was reading this book I had wondered if Josh would think he made a mistake and would quit playing hockey, but he kept at the new sport which is good. There was a lesson to be learned and it is just because two things are similar it does not mean that you will be as equally as good as the other.

I can use this book to teach a lesson that teaches students to never give up and to continue to work at what you want to do no matter how hard it is. I can also use this book for students to do a report on the story would go if Josh did give up on playing hockey. I can also use this book in the classroom to learn more about hockey and the types of things that go on during hockey.

Title: The Velveteen Rabbit

Author/Illustrator: Margery Williams Bianco/ William Nicholson

Publisher, copyright date: Avon Books/ April 1, 1987

# of pages: 40

Genre: Fantasy

The few illustrations that are in the book look as if they were painted and the illustrator used a great deal of detail and they are mostly two toned with orange and yellow to yellow green and that makes the picture stand out even more. Some of the illustrations have other bright colors within them and the fairy flower is the illustration that stands out the most and it’s a picture of a flower with a fairy standing in the middle of it. It seems so real and it catches the readers eye more than any other illustration in this book.

The main character in this book is the Velveteen rabbit and it is just a stuffed rabbit made form velveteen that was giving to a young boy for Christmas. The velveteen is hoping to become real someday but in order for that to happen he has to have the love of a child that would make him become real. It takes for the young boy to lose a toy and his nana to put the velveteen rabbit on the boy’s arms as he sleeps. From that night the velveteen rabbit becomes the boys favorite toy. As time passes the boys does everything with his stuff rabbit and the rabbit begins to show some wear and tear because the young boy takes the rabbit everywhere no matter what the rabbit is always with the boy. Sometime into the story the young boy becomes ill with scarlet fever and again the rabbit is still there. Eventually the velveteen rabbit becomes real and a fairy helped him because he was so

real to the young boy the fairy really bring the velveteen rabbit to life. The velveteen rabbit did go back and visit the young boy and the young boy seen that the rabbit resembled the velveteen rabbit he had.

I like the book because it gives a couple of pictures when needed throughout the book and also, I like that the whole feel of the book of how the velveteen become real because of the young boy and how the rabbit went back after he became real to visit the boy. It kind of reminds me of the story Pinocchio how he becomes a real boy. But their story plots are different. I would recommend this book for older elementary students because they will be able to grasp the concept of the velveteen rabbit and how he became real and see that it had to deal with the love of a young boy. This book delivers a message of true love and how it is real.

I can have the students in the class make their interpretation of the velveteen rabbit with watercolors and display them for others to see. This book can also be used to put on a play for other students and the students can take turns speaking so no one is left out. I can also have a class discussion of the type of things that the students would want to make real that they have and what would they do if that actually happened.

Title: Uncle Remus

Author/Illustrator: Marion Palmer/ Bob Grant

Publisher, copyright date: Walt Disney Production/ Sept. 1, 1946

# of pages: 26

Genre: Fantasy

The illustrator uses orange, tan and brown a lot throughout the book. The pictures are very detailed and have a lot of emphasis to them. The illustrator also used a swoosh in order to get the reader to notice that the animal in the story is running fast and also when the bear is swatting at the bees. On the title page it has the swoosh look to it and it shows the rabbit was jumping. The look of the pictures in the book sort of look old and you can tell that these pictures were done some time ago.

Brer Rabbit is full of trick and he have ways about himself that he can talk himself out of trouble and he does that a lot throughout the story. He is always playing tricks on Brer Bear and Brer Fox and he works his way out of trouble and he even uses reverse psychology on Brer Bear and Brer Fox just so that would do what he actually wanted them to do and once again he escape from being cooked. Brer Rabbit is full of surprises and he will go through any length in order to make sure that he escapes with not even a hair on his head harmed. Brer Rabbit is a wild and funny character that is always in trouble. So even when Brer Fox and Brer Bear thought they were a step ahead Brer Rabbit always has a plan no matter what the situation is.

It was a little hard with some of the spelling of the words it felt like I was quoting Shakespeare because of the way the words are in the story. But overall it was an interesting and funny story and I would recommend this book for students who like the fantasy aspect of a book. I would also recommend this book for a student that is in the third grade and higher because of the content in the book. I also like how the rabbit was a trickster and he really did not take too much serious at all. I think that the moral to this story would be no matter how hard something seems if you put your mind to it that a way can be figure out of how to get out of the situation. Sometimes thinking out of the box and putting serious thought into a situation can help you come up with a solution and Brer Rabbit tried reversed psychology on the Brer Fox and Brer Bear and it actually worked.

I can use this book in the classroom by using this book to do a small play in the room where a couple of students get a part and they read them out loud to their other classmates and they put some realism behind the characters and bring them to life. I can also use this book during the time we are reading books about fantasy and the students will be able to compare a couple different fantasy books and she what makes them different from the other book they have already read. This book can also be used for the purpose of the students writing their own short fantasy story and they will be able to read their story to their classmates.

Title: Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride

Author/Illustrator: Kate DiCamillo/ Chris Van Dusen

Publisher, copyright date: Candlewick Press/ May 9, 2006

# of pages: 80

Genre: Fantasy

The illustrations in this book is bright and very colorful. The details are exceptional, and the pictures are so realistic. The way some of the people in the book look is a little a hilarious. It looks like bright pastels were used for the illustrations throughout this book. The pictures in this book stands out and there is great detail to the pictures throughout the book.

In this book a pig named Mercy loves to ride with Mr. Watson's and his wife. But Mercy loves to jump into the driver’s seat and it takes a lot of bribing him in order to get him out of the driver’s seat. Mercy the pig loves to ride in the car and he also loves the feeling of the air whizzing past his ears. Mercy loved to feel the sun on his snout as he went for a ride in Mr. and Mrs. Watson’s convertible. So, one day Mercy hooped behind the wheel of Mr. Watson’s pink convertible and when Mercy pulled off he did not know Baby was in the back seat and as Percy pulls off in the car he rides right past a police officer and the police officer tries to get Percy to pull over because after all pigs do not drive cars.

I like this book because it kind of takes the reader for a ride in a pink convertible as the pig gets to do what he has always wanted to do which is be in the driver’s seat. I would recommend this book for elementary kids that are at least 6 years old and up. It is very funny, and it takes the mind on a bit of a journey. I also like that the pig is very determined to do what he wants to do, and he lets no one stand in his way. I would love to read other books like this one because it comes off as being humorous and it gets the imagination going in so many ways.

I can write emotions on a piece of toast made from construction paper and have the students in the class pick from a pile and have them act the emotions and have their classmates guess what emotion that they are showing. I would also have the students in the class what a different ending to the story and share their ending with the other classmates. I could also have the students in the class act as though they were animals then turn back into their human form but still have some animal characteristics.

Title: The BFG

Author/Illustrator: Ronald Dahl/Quentin Blake

Publisher, copyright date: Puffin Books

# of pages: 195

Genre: Fantasy

The book has no bright colors it is done in black, white and gray. It has sort of a dreary look to it. It also has a lot of lines as if they were quick sketches. It also has some detail but does not go into a lot of detail. The drawings are like some of the ones that would be found in cartoons and newspaper comics that are quick and easy with little detail.

This is a good fantasy book. It is basically about a 10 years old girl named Sofia is up at night during the witching hour when she is supposed to be sleep but she is having a tough time sleeping. She suddenly spots a huge figure walking toward her and she gets frightened. The BFG snatches Sofia up and puts her into the bag where he keeps the dreams that he gathers. He gathers this dreams up at night as he goes into the bedrooms of children. He wants to keep Sofia because he is in fear of being found out about. He is afraid if someone finds out about the BFG that the humans will try to hurt him.

This book can take the reader on a journey. The BFG is really a good giant and I like that he had his own kind of language. Sofia and the BFG came together to stop the evil giants from trying to eat the human beans. The story is enjoyable, and I would recommend for young children to curl up and read this book. This book reminds

me of a couple other books I have read before. This would be a terrific book if a reader wanted to get lost in a book for a moment.

This could be used in the classroom to put on a small play that a couple of classmates can team up together and read the parts of the characters in the book. I would also have this book in the classroom library so that other students are able to just pick it up and read it when they are asked to find a fantasy book. I could also have the students in the class do a drawing of the giant and we could hang them up around the room or even display them outside the classroom for others to see.

Title: My Man Blue

Author/Illustrator: Nikki Grimes/Jerome Lagarrigue

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 1999

# of pages: 32

Genre: Poetry

The illustrations look as if they were made on a canvas with an edgy look to the pictures. The colors are not bright at all they are more like browns, dark reds and a lot of other dark colors. The pictures are very realistic, especially the ones of the people throughout the book. The illustrations look like walking through a downtown area at night with a little bit of lighting. The colors in these illustrations make the book come to life and it looks so real.

This book takes place in a neighborhood where Blue comes in contact with a lot of different people. He has lost a son to the mean cold streets and he refuses to lose another one. So, he must do whatever is needed in order to make sure that his second son does not come victim to the streets. He wants to be a stand-up guy that can be depended on and needed. So, Blue give his son some life lessons that he can learn from and also some beneficial tools that will help his son along in life.

I like the feel of this book it seems dark but in all reality is really is not dark. I like how Blue stepped up to make sure that his second son does not become victim of the streets. Blue is a stand-up kind of guy and he will do what is necessary for his son to make it out like he did. It’s great that a man like Blue can be so determined

to do the right thing by his son. If there were more men that are there for their son maybe it would make a big difference in the world. Goo fathers are needed in the world and they could be good role models for their sons. The streets can be real cold and having someone that will stand by your side and be there when you fall is always needed. I like that Blue teaches his son some things like boxing and basketball with each other.

A book like this can be used in the classroom to show that men are and can be real good role models. I would also use this book for when a lesson on poetry comes up because it will show that not all poetry has a rhyming sequence to it. I would also like to use this book and make copies of just the pictures and have the students in the class come up with their own story to the book and put the stories all together and read them aloud.

Title: No One Knows Where Gobo Goes

Author/Illustrator: Mark Saltzman/Peter Elwell

Publisher, copyright date: Henry Holt and Company 1984

# of pages: 32

Genre: Poetry

The pictures have a dull type of look to them with a lot of bright yellow and orange colors. The pictures in the book are kind of weirdly made and funny looking and it caught my eye right away. The characters in the book look like some of the characters form the Muppets. The caves and tunnels they are going through in the book look like they are nothing but ice.

The book is about Wembley Fraggle and it takes place as he explores the world behind someone named Gobo who is said to be one of the greatest explorers in Fraggle Rock. As Wembley follows Gobo form place to place he tries to keep up and see what Gobo is actually up to. But Gobo is a very secretive Fraggle and he rather lead them on an exploration than tell them where they are going. He like the element of surprise.

This book did not catch my eye as far as the words go. It just had a dull kind of feel to it. If I was reading this to younger children I could probably only read a couple pages at a time because the children would disengage because this book does not have a thrill to it. But as the reader I would give it a thrill by putting a lot of expression behind it as I read it. I would more likely like to look at the pictures and make up my own story that

I think would be more fun. But as I got to the middle and the end of the book it started to get better. Wembley likes the fact of going on an exploration behind Gobo.

I could use the book in the classroom by having the students read about exploration that has taken place. The students could also just look at the pictures in the book and make a story from the pictures alone. I could also have the students add about 5 more pages to the book and make it a story of their own and then they can read it to their classmates.

Title: A Light in the Attic

Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Publisher, copyright date: HarperCollins Children’s Book 2002

# of pages: 176

Genre: Poetry

This book has all black and white drawings that are put funny looking and a little hilarious. The illustrations are kind of wacky looking and they are abstract and just good to look at.

In this book of poems includes characters like a baby sitter that thinks her job as a baby sitter is to sit on babies. Then there’s a boy that even wishes that if he were to die one day that all his toys would break so that no one else could play with them. There are several poems that are in this book that will send the mind on a journey with the wording of these poems. There really is no main story but is just a collage of poems.

Every time I read it, every time I love it just a little more. Many of the poems are my favorite and the humor behind them. I really liked A Light in the Attic, and its odd style and cheerful little illustrations. He was a genius, but not an evil one. Just a hilarious one. This is a very simple book that I think everyone should read this book and get a feel for what I am talking about. I would recommend this book for young children all the way up to adults.

I would use this book in the classroom to show students that poetry comes in a variety of ways some are serious, funny and obscured. I would also put this in the classroom library so during poetry week the students in the classroom can look through the book and find a poem that catches their attention. I would also use this book to give students a sense of different types of poems and have the students write their own poem and read them to their classmates.

Title: Every Thing On It

Author/Illustrator: Shel Silverstein

Publisher, copyright date: HarperCollins 2011

# of pages: 208

Genre: Poetry

The illustrations in this book are all in black and white. The drawings are unexpected and funny with an odd look to them. It shows the creativity Shel Silverstein used to create these pictures. The drawings are abstract and fun to look at. Some of the pictures go with the poems in an odd way.

There really is no plot to the poems at all. They are just a collection of poems that Shel Silverstein has put into a book all together. The plot can be said to be in Shel Silverstein’s mind because these are where they all come from. These poems are unexpected, and sometimes a little weird.

It is a very good poetry book, and I have a love for poetry. I did think that the stories where cute and funny and I thought the last one was sad it was called “WHEN I AM GONE”. I think Shel Silverstein did a great job with the poems and drawings. I've been a fan of Shel Silverstein and have read several of his books such as the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up! His books are so funny and creative. I think young children would find the humor in his work and want to read more of his books just for fun.

This can be used for reading in the classroom just for fun. This can also be used to give students an idea of how they would want to write their own poem for a classroom assignment. Students can also use the book to think of ways they would put an abstract drawing along to go with their poem something like Shel Silverstein has done.

Title: A Wrinkle in Time

Author/Illustrator: Madeleine L’Engle

Publisher, copyright date: Farrer Straus Giroux/ November 7, 2017

# of pages: 218

Genre: Graphic Novel

Let’s go on an adventure with Meg and her younger brother Charles through time and space so they can rescue their father who is a gifted scientist. Because he is being held captive by an evil person and he is being held on another planet far away. Mrs. Whatsit just shows up at Meg and Charles while and was storming and very gloomy. Mrs. Whatsit has the power to be able to read minds and she has read Meg’s mind. Meg and Charles go through a lot just trying to figure out a way to bring their dad back home. At times it is often a little scary but with the guidance of others that are there to help them through that march on. During this transport to another planet Charles tries to fight the evil with his wits and he loses the battle with evil and he is now turned into a robot-like creature.

I really like how they go through a worm like hole in a quest to bring their dad back home. This is a good book to get the imagination up and going. I would also recommend this book for 4th grade up to 8th grade. This book has a lot of twist and turns and just when you thought it could get no better it does. I also like the determination that Meg and Charles have for trying to find their dad and get him back home safely. I also like how Mrs. W is there to help them overcome obstacle that are in their way in order to keep them from getting to their dad. But it

doesn’t work. The part that kept me involved was when Charles was trying to use his intelligence in order to outsmart evil and he did not succeed, and he was like a robot being controlled by the evil IT. I also like how Meg and Charles had to go to another time and space in order to save their dad from the clutches of the evil IT.

I would use this book when I start to talk about graphic novels in the class and I would explain to the students what a graphic novel is. I would also use this book to put on a play and I would have the students learn line and I would have other students setting up props like an outer space back drop. I can use this book for the purpose of the students writing their own ending to the book.

Title: Hobbit

Author/Illustrator: Paddy Kempshall

Publisher, copyright date: Mariner Books

# of pages: 48

Genre: Graphic Novel

The main character in this book is Bilbo Baggins. Bilbo is a hobbit and a hobbit is about have the size of a human and sort of chubby. This particular hobbit lived in a hole. Bilbo goes on an adventure with Gandalf who is an old wizard. Bilbo and Gandalf set off on their journey along with some dwarfs and the run into 3 very hungry trolls who capture everyone except for Gandalf. Gandalf tricked the trolls and they let Gandalf remain outside. Gandalf knew once the sun came up that the trolls would turn into stone. So once the sun was up the trolls turned into stone and Bilbo and the dwarfs escaped and they began to go through the trolls belonging and they took a couple of the magic swords that the trolls have, and they left.

I like how Bilboa was the center of the story and it told about the things that Bilbo had gotten into and the adventures he has went on and some were very scary for him at times, but he did not let his size slow him down from getting out there and getting into trouble and finding new adventures. I would recommend this book for those students that follow the series of Harry Potter books because this would draw them in because of some of the similarities these books share. I would also recommend this book because the reader is taking on a journey and while reading the book, the reader can visualize some of the things that happen in the book. The suspense

throughout the book kept me engaged because I wanted to see what would happen next because the more I read the better the book has gotten.

This is a good book to use a play when the students are able to act out the parts of the books and put on a show for some of their classmates. This book is also a good way to pull out new vocabulary words that are new to the students and I can have them write what they think the words mean then I can have them find the actual meaning of the new vocab words. I can also have the students write a short essay of what their understanding of the book the Hobbit and what they took away from the book.

Title: To Kill a Mockingbird

Author/Illustrator: Harper Lee

Publisher, copyright date: Arrow Books Ltd/June 24, 2010

# of pages: 281

Genre: Graphic Novel

The main character in this book is Jean Fitch and she is known to everybody by the name Scout. This book takes you on a journey from the trial of Tom Robinson who is a man that was accused and charge with try to rape a white woman by the name of Mayella Ewell. Tom is actually innocent, but the jury still convicts him because of his race. So, a lot of race and prejudice is involved within this book. There also a boy by the name of Boo Radley and he is judged off how he like to stay to himself when he is actually a good person. There is a lot of judgement that is being thrown around in this book. Scout also has an older brother and his name is Atticus and Scout’s father is a lawyer who took on Tom’s case. For instance, Mayella’s dad took it upon himself to seek revenge on Scout’s family. Mayella’s dad spit in Atticus face and anyone that had a hand in trying to help Tom had to answer to Mayella’s dad. He took his revenge out on them all just because they had a hand in trying to help Tom.

The message in this book is to not judge someone that you do not know and to also treat others as you would want to be treated. I like how the book bring the prejudice nature of the book to the reader’s attention and how it also shows that how it was back then, it is somewhat that way today but a little better but not by much. I would

recommend this book for students that would like to try to get to know how it was in Alabama between the whites and the blacks and to see that some of the things that happened back then are still going on till this day. The thing that kept me engaged is how the twist and turn of events that happened in this book just when I thought it could not get any better it did. It has a lot of surprises in this book. Scout is just a young girl who is witness to these things going on and I also like how her father treated people how he wanted to be treated and he was looked down on because of that.

I can have a group discussion with the students about their thoughts on To Kill a Mockingbird as far as some of the events that happen in the book like the trial of Tom and the incidents that happened after he was wrongly convicted. I can also have the students write a letter as if they were talking to Tom and have them write down what they would say to him about being wrongly accused. I can also have the students pay close attention to the use of the vocabulary in the book.

Title: Monster

Author/Illustrator: Guy Sims and Walter Dean Myers/ Dawud Anyabwile

Publisher, copyright date: Amistad & Harper Collins/

# of pages: 153

Genre: Graphic Novel

The illustrations in the book are in black and white with no color at all. They are very detailed and drawn out. The way the pictures are drawn you can the pain and trial and tribulations in the characters faces within the book. Some of the scenes in the story are shown as if this was a comic.

The basis of this story is about a boy named Steve Harmon who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he was accused of helping murder someone during a robbery that went wrong. While Steve awaits his trial, he begins to write a play to occupy his time. He is very unsure of what the outcome of the trial will be. Be he looks at it from the aspect of him being a black male from Harlem and the judicial system is made of whites that would love to see a black person take the fall for a crime even if they did not commit it. That is just the way the law system is set up where a black man has little to no chance of making it out without being tried because of the color of their skin.

I like how the illustrations in the book look as if this was a comic and it had a lot of things that was going on in the book like the trial of Steve which kind of pulled me in because he was at the wrong place at a time of a murder/robbery and now he is awaiting trial. I like how he uses his time wisely while he is locked up. He used

his time to write a play. I realized that black men in this book did not have much of a chance when it came to the judicial system whether they were innocent or guilty the verdict always came out to guilty which is not good in their case. I would recommend this book for older elementary to middle school students because they would better grasp the nature of this book and would be able to understand why things were the way they were in the book.

I can have the students write how they think the story should end and then have them read their ending to their classmates. I can also have the students look at the vocabulary in this book and jot down words that they did not know and then guess the meaning to the word and also look up the actual meaning to the word. I could also have a discussion with the class about the circumstance that happened in the book and how they would feel if they were in Steve Harmon’s shoes.

Title: I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More!

Author/Illustrator: Karen Beaumont/David Catrow

Publisher, copyright date: Scholastic Inc. 2005

# of pages: 32

Genre: Picture book

I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More has bright and bold colors that will catch the reader’s attention. The drawings are not straight line and neat which makes this book even better. This book also has a lot of detail and it has funny and live like pictures. The illustrations show a great deal of facial expressions between the mom and her son.

This story takes place in a house where a little boy loves to paint, and he paints everything in his mom’s house. The mom gets fed up, takes his paint and puts it away. He finds a way to get his paints back even though his mom took them. So, once he sneaks into his paint and he start to paint the various parts of his body. He is the happiest when he is painting. It makes him feel good and free. He does not care what his mom says, he will continue to paint no matter what. There is a lot of rhyming in the book also that will pull the reader and the audience into wanting to hear more of the story.

I like the colors in the book and how they are bright and an alluring. I like the rhyming in the book because it gives it a fun feel while reading the story. I would recommend this book because it is funny. It brings humor to the story with the rhyming and repetitiveness of the little boy when he continues to say” there ain’t no way that I ain’t gonna paint no more!”. I feel that he is very opinionated, and he is a little rebellious and wants to paint

because that’s what he loves to do, and he gets a joy of painting. I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More pulls the reader in the more you read, and it has good rhyming sequence. I like the determination of the little boy. He makes sure he is able to still paint no matter what road blocks are put in front of him. I also like that the pages were there is hardly any color on them and it just makes me want to get to the next page in order to see what will happen next.

I would use this book to begin with rhyming because it also has pictures that go along with the rhymes. I would also use this book for just to read for fun and I would ask the students questions about the book or even do an author study and get some other books together by the same author and do a book report or even a poster board about the author and some of the authors accomplishments.

Title: I Like Myself

Author/Illustrator: Karen Beaumont/ David Catrow

Publisher, copyright date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 2004

# of pages: 32

Genre: Picture Book

The illustrations are bright and a little odd the way the drawing looks. The oddness of the faces of the people are interesting. The illustrations in this book are odd and catches a reader’s eye from page to page. The pictures are funny, bold and vivid. The colors are dull and bold with a touch of detail. The illustrator seems to think outside of the box when it comes to the way the pictures are made and it makes the book fun to look at.

This story is about a little girl that has wild hair and she can care esteem and she likes what she likes. The only view that matters to her is her own. Her face has had a pig snout, a horn coming out of her nose and at her worst she likes herself and that is good to be such a young girl. She loves herself inside and out no matter what she looks like or what anyone says. She is basically sending out a good positive message which is to like who you are and enjoy being yourself.

I like how the message of good self-esteem is so vivid and bold and it is clear how children should feel about themselves. The way the pages were created to keep me engaged because they are fun to look at. I would recommend this book because it could help a student with low self-esteem and help rise up how they feel about themselves. I also like that no matter how the little girl looked she liked herself because she had good self-

esteem and she just like being herself no matter what anyone else thinks of her. The odd look of the pictures was quite funny, and I couldn’t wait to get to the next page. Even with a polka dotted mouth and spikes she still loves how she looks.

I would want to use this book to let students realize that they should only care about their own opinion of themselves and let no one change that at all. It is a good self-esteem book to have and to give students the courage to be themselves. I would also read this aloud to the students and ask them questions about what is going on in the story.