Book Twenty Four: Shades of Black

Shades of Black by Sandra L. Pinkney
Publisher: Scholastic Inc. (November 1, 2000)
Photographs by Myles C. Pinkney
DRA: 20-24

This is a collection of "I am" statements that really reflect the vast differences in black culture, and does a beautiful job of reflecting the differences in the people of their culture. The photographs that go along with the text is fantastic.

I loved this book, and I think I enjoyed it so much because it really reflects their culture. Often times it seems like people don't think of black people as being unique, and I would say that often times people stereotype their whole culture. This book challenges that, and makes you look into the unique faces of the children in that culture. The author also uses a lot of metaphors to go along with the "I am" statements. She does a beautiful job of incorporating verbs and adjectives into the text. She highlights the skin, eyes, and hair, and it really reflects their culture.The photographs were a huge addition to the story, and I thought they paired them very well. I felt like I knew the children shown by the end of the story, and you got a sense of their personalities.

I would use this book in my classroom with out a doubt. There is a lot to take from this story, and some of it is writing (verbs, adjectives, and metaphors). But, it also gives students who are not in that culture a different perspective in this beautiful book. It would be a nice transition into talking about stereotypes and prejudices we have.


Thanks for reading and have a great summer!

Gorms

Book Twenty Three: Out of the Ocean

Out of the Ocean by Debra Frasier
Publisher: Sandpiper (April 1, 2002)
Lexile: 690L


This is a story about a little girl who like her mother enjoys the ocean, and her mother says the ocean will give you what you ask for. The little girl often asks for tangible things like shells and treasure, but her mother asks for things we often take for granted like the sun. This is just a fabulous book to introduce the ocean, and the author does a really nice job of playing with your senses when experiencing the ocean from this story.


This was a story I really enjoyed because it reminded me of all the things we are blessed with, and also because I really enjoy the ocean. The setting of this story is the beach, and it fits so well with the story. The characters of the story are often secondary to the descriptions and illustrations in this story. The author incorporates some personification when she writes about the waves "sailing", and there is also a great deal of m-dashes used. I know I have preached about this is my other blogs, but I think it is such a cool thing to use in writing and isn't often taught. The author also incorporates lots of descriptive adjectives and verbs to paint a picture in your head. The illustrations/photographs are outstanding, and they are my favorite part to this story because you really feel like you are at the ocean. The author uses real life photographs to go a long with paintings in a really beautiful way. I could see students who have never been to the ocean really enjoying this because the author makes you feel like you are there (i felt the wind blow off the waves and the smell of the ocean when I was reading). The story really plays with your senses. 


I would use this book to introduce the ocean because I think often times, especially in the Midwest, students have never experienced the ocean. This book is a perfect way to introduce the ocean because it really makes you feel like you are there on the beach.


Thanks for reading!


Gorms

Book Twenty Two: Olivia

Olivia by Ian Falconer
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing/Atheneum; 1st ed edition (October 1, 2000)
Lexile: 270L


This is a story about a little pig named Olivia, and the text is all about a day in the life of Olivia. Olivia loves to do many things such as dress up, sing, and build sand castles. Through out the whole day Olivia sees things such as a dancer or a painting, and she decides that she can do that. So she paints her walls and dances (not to the pleasure of her mother).

This is one of my all time favorite books because it is so funny, and you actually feel like you are living a day inside this little pigs head. The plot is so simple, but it is what makes this such a great story. I think I also love that we all go through those days where we think the world revolves around us. The author also incorporates a lot of great verbs and adjectives to add to the emotion of the story. His descriptions are really what helps me get into the story. This story is also very believable, and I would have to say almost everyone has had a day like this. This is a story that students will relate to, and really enjoy. The illustrations are what makes this story because he does such a fabulous job of using color. He really adds a lot of humor and enjoyment to the story just by looking at the pictures.

I would use this book to teach about feelings and emotions because this book does such a fabulous job of connecting illustrations to text when talking about feelings and emotions. It is also an important thing to have conversations with students about, and that usually can lead into teaching about adjectives.


Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Twenty One: Toot and Puddle

Toot and Puddle by Holly Hobbie
Publisher:Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (September 7, 2010)
Lexile:320L


This story is about two best friend pigs, but one day one of them decides to see the world and his best friend did not want to go. So he travels the world sending postcards back to his friend. They both have very different experiences, and they both enjoy their time. But, as time goes on they begin to miss their friend, so they are very happy to come together at the end.


This was a very nice story, and I really enjoyed it. The plot was very well done, and I thought the character development was also well done. I really got a sense of who these pigs were, and how even though they are best-friends they still enjoy very different things. This story is full of personification, and the author really displays this when the pigs are talking or writing postcards. There is also quite a bit of alliteration such as, "presenting Puddle at Pocket Pond." I also found it very interesting that the author choose to use postcards as text, and I think this would be a great introduction to writing postcards. The illustrations were great, and they really added personality to the characters. They fit the story very well, and they reminded me a lot of the illustrations from Olivia by Ian Falconer.


I would use this book to teach postcards because I think it is such a unique book because it uses them as text. I think this would be a great introduction to that topic. 




Thanks for reading!


Gorms

Book Twenty: Mouse's First Halloween

Mouse's First Halloween by Lauren Thompson
Publisher:Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (September 1, 2000)
Illustrations by Buket Erdogan
Ages: 4-8

This is a story about a mouse who is very scared when he goes out on Halloween, but discovers that things aren't always scary.He hears sounds and then he realizes that whatever is making that sound isn't always. He ends up getting a piece of candy and he is not afraid.

This was an interesting story, and I didn't enjoy it as much as the others. I think the reason why I didn't like it as much was because there wasn't really any plot, or setting for that matter. Also there was very little character development, so I think I would shy away from using this book with older students for sure. With that being said there are also some good things you can teach from this such as the author uses a lot of onomatopoeia when the sounds are being made like "plop!". This would be a good book to use to teach that. Also the author uses m-dashes very frequently, and I think m-dashes are hard to teach and are often not taught so this would be a nice resources. Their is also a lot of verbs that end in -ing, and they are in motion like the word they are describing. For example, tumbling would be written in a tumbling motion, and that is good for students to picture the word. The illustrations were pretty well done, and I think they would be very helpful for younger students to picture what the words mean.

I would use this book to teach onomatopoeia for sure, and I think I might even use it for younger students if they are working on the -ing ending because the illustrations and how the word is written would really help students understand the meaning of the word.

Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Nineteen: Strega Nona

Strega Nona by Tomie dePaola
Publisher: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing (August 31, 2010)
Lexile: 800L


This story is about a witch who can cure anything you need, and she even has a magic pasta pot. One day Big Anthony over hears her chanting a spell to the pot, and all of a sudden she has pasta. One day when Strega Nona is out Big Anthony decides to try the spell on the pot, and it works! Only one problem he did not know how to stop the pasta, so it kept coming and coming and coming. Until it filled the whole town, and as punishment Strega Nona made Big Anthony eat all the pasta. 


This is a very well written, and it is very entertaining. It is a pretty difficult read for younger students, and is written for mid to upper elementary. The plot is very unbelievable, but in a story like this it is often not realistic. This story was a fairy tale, and is used to teach a lesson, so the theme was very worthwhile. There is a lot of repetition within the spells, and the author also utilizes the m-dash very often in this text. The author does use foreshadowing when he shows Big Anthony listening to the spell, but not staying long enough to see how she stops the pot. I didn't necessarily feel like I was connected to the characters, and that is something I enjoy out of books. The illustrations are very well done, and add a humerus part to the story. I really enjoyed the part where Big Anthony was trying to stop the pasta, and he sits on it and tips it over but nothing works. 


I think the only time I would use this book is either to work on the -ing ending because it comes up very frequently, or when talking about fairy tales. 


Thanks for reading!


Gorms

Book Eighteen: Click Clack Moo

Click Clack Moo by Doreen Cronin
Publisher: Little Simon (October 4, 2011)
Illustrations by Betsy Lewin
Lexile: 160L


This is a story about a group of cows who decide to strike against giving milk to the farmer until he meets a list of their demands. The cows type a series of letters demanding that they get their needs met or they will go on strike. The farmer at first denies the request and says that he will not give in to their demands, but as time goes on he decides to compromise with the cows. 


This is a story that I really enjoyed because it made me laugh, and it has so many underlining themes that are important to talk to kids about. The characters are great in this book because I can really imagine what it is like to be a cow, and how they are serious about getting their demands. The language of the book flowed very well, and there was a large amount of repetition which is great for younger aged students. This story is also full of alliteration and personification. It's comical to see a cow hunched over a type writer a lot like a human would do. The author also uses foreshadowing to help students get an idea of what is to come in the story. Overall I thought it was a great book for younger students, and it is full of things you could teach and would be a very beneficial resource. This is also a good book to introduce the idea of unions and the idea of strike.


The illustrations are very well done in this story, and they really add to the comical part of the story. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw the cows all crowded around this little typewriter. They are well done and well reflective of what the text says. 


I would use this in my classroom to either talk about unions and/or strikes (for older students), or I would use it to work on alliteration, personification, and onomatopoeia. 




Thanks for reading!


Gorms

Book Seventeen: Kitten's First Full Moon

Kitten's First Full Moon by Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 7th edition (March 2, 2004)
Lexile: 360K


This is a story about a kitten who thinks the moon is a bowl of milk, so the kitten tries and tries to get the bowl of milk but can’t. Finally after a long night of trying to get the milk she is tired, wet, and hungry. When she gets home there is a bowl of milk waiting for her and she is happy. This is a unique book for Kevin Henkes because most of his books are about mice and this one is about a cat.


This book is a little different compared to the other books Henkes has written because the main character isn't a mouse and it is also geared towards younger children. The plot is very different because it is not from the cats perspective, and you are just following along watching this cat make attempts to drink milk from the moon. It is also a story that is hard to get to know a character. From the text you can't really get to know the can on a personal level, but the pictures add to it a little by seeing all the cats attempts to get the moon. This book again has a lot of personification, and it also has a theme that is related to children. This theme has to do with wanting something so bad, and trying impatiently to get it, but the whole time you have what you want all along. This is a story that relates to everyone not just kids. In this story there is also a frequently used m-dash, and I think this would be a great text to introduce that. 


I am not sure if I would use this book with the others because it is so different, but I would definitely use it for the m-dash and also adjectives because they are very present in the text. 




Thanks for reading!


Gorms  

Book Sixteen: Wemberly Worried

Wemberly Worried by Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1 edition (April 27, 2010)
Lexile: 170L

This book is about a little mouse named Wemberly, who was always worrying. Sometimes she worried about not fitting in, and sometimes she worried about not standing out. She worries about school until she gets there and sees how much fun she is having. There is a little play on words at the end when her teacher says, “come back tomorrow!”, and she responds with, “don’t worry we will”. It is a good book to use to talk about the anxiety of trying to fit in, and the worries that go along with school. 

This is one of Henkes' newer books, and it is a very good one. The plot of the story is very believable, and like his previous books, they relate to kids. The character Wemberly really changes throughout the book, and she goes from a little girl who is worried all the time, to her own person. I often times forget that we as humans try to change ourselves to be who other people want us to be. I think that Wemberly goes through this because she doesn't want to stand out, but she also doesn't want to be just like everyone else. The illustrations go very well with the text and probably even adds to the story. Like almost all of his books there is a strong presence of personification. I do have to say that I don't think the characters change that much from what I see, but Laura had mentioned that he uses different colored mice in his stories. Again after what Annie said today in class about different cultures not understanding personification I don't think I would use this book in every classroom. This story also incorporates a lot of alliteration and has lines like, "Wemberly, who was worrying." This book could be used to teach that part of reading and writing. 

Like my previous posts I think I would use this in a series, but I think I would use this book to talk about alliteration, and how it is used in reading and writing.  

Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Fifteen: JULIUS, the Baby of the World

Julius, the Baby of the World by Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (September 21, 1995)
Lexile: 460L

This is a story about a young mouse who is used to be the only child in the family, but when her parents have another baby she is jealous and often times says she hates him. She tries everything she can to get rid of him, but nothing works. She finally comes to realize how much she loves him when one of her cousins insults him. She sticks up for her brother. This is a great book for young students who are dealing with new siblings.

I also enjoyed this book very much (I think you can see a trend), and again I thought it was both written and illustrated very well. The plot was very believable because often times this is a very concerning behavior that students have after the parents have a baby. I remember my parents telling me that the first time my older sister ever saw me she slapped me, so this really is a very frequent situation and feeling for students. This book really shows how the characters develop, and she sticks up for her brother at the end. The characters develop pretty well throughout the story. Like the previous books this book has a lot of personification and describing words, but it also has a lot of repetition. For example the word "stayed" is repeated frequently, and there are also repeated lines throughout the book. Because repetition is very important, and also because of the theme of the story I would use this story in an early elementary classroom. 

 Like the other books I think I would use this story in a unit to pair with the other Henkes stories because they are so related. They all are full of adjectives, adverbs, and verbs. They also almost all deal with real life struggles that students face. 

Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Fourteen: Chester's Way

Chester's Way by Kevin Henkes 
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; Pap/Cas edition (September 22, 1997)
Readability Lexile: 570

This is a story about two best friends named Chester and Wilson. They do everything together, but when a new girl Lilly moves in they are scared of her and they think she's weird. But, one day she helps them when some bullies are picking on them, and they discover that she's a lot like them and they all become best friends. This book really focuses on relaying the message to get to know someone before you make judgments.




This was another well done book by Henkes. It is truly amazing that his simple stories can be so well written and illustrated. You really got to know all the characters in this story, and you could see them grow throughout. The plot was very believable, and I think it relates to a lot of students. The language in the story sounded very natural, and it fit the characters very well because you really got a sense of them being elementary aged kids. The illustrations are authentic, but very similar to Henkes' other work. Again this book has a ton of personification in it and it is also full of adjectives and adverbs. This like many of his other pieces reflects students who are faced with a problem. I truly believe that text is a great way to understand problems. It would be really easy to transition into talking about being new and the feelings that go with that, accepting everyone, not judging people before you know them, and being that friend to the new person. All these issues occur in elementary, and they all should be addressed. This is just a nice easy way to do it. 


This book could be used for early elementary, and I also think it could be used in the middle elementary. If I was going to use this story in a lesson; I would focus on adjectives again and also feelings again. These books would be great for a feelings unit that focuses on adjectives describing how we feel, and verbs describing how we deal with our feelings. 


Thanks for reading!


Gorms

Book Thirteen: Owen

Owen by Kevin Henkes 
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (September 15, 1993)

Readability Lexile: 370L


This is a story about a young mouse who doesn’t want to give up his favorite blanket, but as school approaches his parents try everything to get him to give it up. Nothing works until Owen’s mother comes up with a great idea to turn the blanket into a handkerchief. Then Owen can take his blanket with him where ever he goes. 


This was a book that I really enjoyed because Kevin Henkes does such an outstanding job with his stories. This was a story that brings up an important issue that students face. It is often times for anyone to let go of something important to them, especially when it is a sense of security. The author uses many different adjectives, adverbs, and verbs in his writing. It is very enjoyable to read, and to go along with the writing the illustrations are outstanding in relation to the story. As in many of Kevin Henkes' books there is a lot of personification because the main characters are usually animals. The plot can really relate to many students, and any kid that is forced to give up something they love. Owen really struggles to give up his blanket, but he seems to grow towards the end of the book and accepts a compromise. I didn't quite understand where the neighbor lady fit in, but that was minor. I was just thinking about how difficult the concept of personification is to students who are from other cultures, and that would play a big part in if I used this book. 


In a lesson I would use this book to teach about feelings and/or adjectives because they are staples of Henkes' work. This would be an easy book to access and use in the classroom because I think a lot of students can relate to Owen. 




Thanks for reading!


Gorms 

Book Twelve: The Bat Boy and His Violin

The Bat Boy and His Violin
By Gavin Curtis and Illustrations by E.B. Lewis
Publisher: Scholastic, New York (1998)

Readability Lexile: 700L

This story is about the son of a Negro Baseball League Manager named Reginald, and he prefers to play the violin instead of play baseball. His fathers team the Dukes are not very good, and he decides to make his violin playing son the bat boy. The first game the team is losing until Reginald starts to play the violin. All of a sudden the team starts a long winning streak. It is a story about a father loving his son for who he is, and accepts the fact that he will not be just like him.

I loved this book! I thought everything from the text to the illustrations were outstanding. The plot was really well thought of for this historical fiction story. You really start to get to know all the characters (not just the main one). They fit very well in this time period because it was right after Jackie Robinson switched baseball leagues. I think on of my favorite parts of the book was how the characters were portrayed. I felt that they were very realistically represented, and they were not stereotyped in anyway. It would be very easy to make this book stereotypical, but the author and illustrator do a fabulous job of representing that culture well.This story really shows that a parent will love you for who you are. You really start to see the growth in the father throughout the book, and he starts to accept his sons gift more and more.  This book is for upper elementary because of the language and themes. You would have to pre-teach some of the vocabulary, but it would be worth it. Some of the themes are accepting people for who they are, civil rights era, power of music, etc..

I would use this book when talking about accepting people for who they are and the gifts they have. I think this would be a great alley way to talking about accepting people (which is not always an easy thing to talk about). It is an important thing to talk about especially in elementary because not everyone is going to be a great athlete or singer, but we need to have those talks about people being individuals and accepting everyone for who they are.



Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Eleven: Little Brother Moose

Little Brother Moose
by James Kasperson and Illustrations by Karlyn Holman
Publisher: DAWN Publications Nevada City, CA (1995)

This story follows a young moose how wonders his way out of the forest and into a northern city. He is very confused and distraught. He struggles to hear the voice of nature to direct him back to where he came from because of the loud noise of the city. He is lost and confused until one day he sees a flock of geese and he gets a sense of home. He follows the geese all the way back to his home.

I thought this was a really great story. This plot is very believable because often times animals up north wander into towns for many reasons. I thought the character (Moss the moose) was great, and you could really see him grow from being a confused young moose into a more adult like moose who trusts his senses. This setting was great, and it really reminded me of being up north in Ely, Minnesota, and it really fit the book well. There is a lot of personification used in this book, like when he references the river laughing or talking to him. There was some alliteration like, "Spoke through the seasons, shouted". I think this is  a good book to talk about new experiences and how they can be fun and exciting, but they can also be dangerous. The senses are brought up a few times, and how he uses them in the wilderness. This would be a good book to use to talk about listening to your instincts because he has to use them to get back, and that sometimes we as humans need to listen to our instincts to stay safe. Amazon says this book is for younger elementary, and I would agree with middle elementary because there is some difficult verbs and vocabulary. The pictures were really well done in this book, and added a lot to the story because it made me feel like I was in the town/city with the moose.

I would use this book to teach about adjectives and the senses. Both are shown in this book, and often times they are shown together. You could focus on a sense each day, and describe adjectives that go along with those senses.

Book Ten: Jack's Garden

Jacks Garden by Henry Cole
Publisher: Green Willow Books, New York (2005)
DRA: 16

This is a cumulative story that starts with a boy planting a garden, and then each page builds on the next. From the soil that the plants are planted to the bugs in the garden. It shows how things grow in a garden, and how gardens tie us together with nature.

I thought this was an interesting book because I have never read anything like it. I enjoyed how everything flowed together at the end. I think this would be a great piece of literature in a gardening unit or even a nature unit. The plot is very simple, and the setting never changes because it is set in Jack's garden. There also is no character development, so I had no idea who Jack was. The story shows how we connect to all things in nature through the growing process. It is a book about cause and effect (because this happened, now this is happening). Scholastic says this book is for pre-school to second grade, but I don't think I would use it earlier then kindergarten and even that might be soon because their are many concepts of print. Also, it might be hard for younger students to understand that each page is connected. I do think that the repetition of the story is great, and because of that I might use it. There is a lot of vocabulary in this story from gardening tools to types of birds, so you could use this book for many units. I would recommend this book for specific units and in a read aloud. 

I would use this book in a unit about gardens or nature, but I think I might focus on verbs and specifically ones with -ed endings. These endings are frequent and they are repeated. These could be used on a word wall or in a word sort.

Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Nine: The Hunger Games

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic Inc., New York (2008)
Genre: Adventure

Readability Lexile: 810L

This is a story about a girl named Katniss who is in the farthest district from the capital city. The land she lives on is what used to be known as North America, and the further you get away from the capital the poorer it gets. She provides food for her family by hunting in the forbidden woods. The government has an annual event each year which is known as the Hunger Games, and this is a game of survival. The point of the game is to kill all the other opponents and survive until the end and live a life of luxury. Katniss must throw her name into the competition after her sisters name is pulled from the lottery. She will have to use her charm and hunting skills to some how survive and return to her family.

This is a story I really enjoyed, and I would have to say that it is one of my favorite books. With that being said it seems a little grotesque that the story is about kids killing other kids. I loved the flow of the book and it always kept you guessing. The character development was well done because you really got to know Katniss, and for me often times in the book I felt like I was her. It felt like I could feel what she felt. This is a sign of a good author in my opinion, but then on the other side of that there were parts that kind of disturbed me and I am in college so sometimes I can see how this would be way to disturbing for some students. The language in this book can be hard to understand at times, and that's why I think it would be better as a middle school read. Also, from a social development standpoint I think it would be hard to read this book in elementary because it is also a love story, and most elementary students aren't ready for that type of literature.The one thing I love about this book is its strong themes in comparison to today's world. I would love to use this book in a middle school classroom to talk about serious issues like war, homelessness, killing, violence, glory, etc...

If I used this book in my classroom it would focus on the social justice issues because this book represents many issues that we have in this culture. It would be a nice transition from the book to these issues. I liked how in class we made connections between the book and reality, and it was amazing to me how many things connected between the two.

Book Eight: The Book Thief

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf, New York (2005)
Illustrator: Trudy White

Readability Lexile: 730L

This is a story about a young girl in Germany during WWII. This is a story told from the "Grim-reaper's"  point of view and it is about how a young girl named Liesel Meminger and how she finds a love for words. She is put in a foster family after her brother dies, and at his funeral she finds a book. This book sets off her love and desire to read. She goes to extreme and risky measures to get books, and even though she has such a strong love for words, she can't help but hate them at the same time.

This was a story I really enjoyed because it was a WWII book set in Germany, but it was about a little girl who was not Jewish. This is very unique and is not often seen. The story seems very real to me because this could have very well happened. It is interesting though that the author decided to use this "death" as the narrator because he made death a real person (sort of). One of my favorite parts of this story is watching Liesel grow up. She goes from a starving little girl who could not read, too a girl who writes her own book and lives for reading. She also seems to develop her own personal views on the war and Hitler. She really grows to despise him, and it isn't because someone told her to think that.I think one of the messages the author was trying to get across was the power of words. He used both ends of the extremes because on one hand you have Hitler who became to power through his speaking and persuasion, and then you got Liesel who develops a love to read and it really is what she was living for. It was evident to me that this was a very well written piece of historical-fiction because the author did a lot of research (shows the bibliography at the back). It adds a very nice historical aspect to the story. According to Scholastic.com this book is for 4th grade reading, and just based on the themes and language in the story I could not see myself using this book until late 5th grade or even 6th grade because of the social development in older students can understand this book much easier. Also, cognitively this is a tough book to read, and because of that I think it would be more suited for adolescent students.

There were some illustrations in the book, and I really thought the were important because they made the book feel real. They looked like they were drawn by Liesel or Max, and I think that added something to the story for me.

I would use this book over a very long unit, but if I was going to choose one thing to focus on for a mini lesson I would choose to teach about loss. I think this book is a good avenue to bring up touchy subjects like loss. We all have felt the effects of loss, and I think it is one of the hardest things to talk about, but also one of the mist important.

Thanks for reading!

Gorms

Book Seven: The Invention of Hugo Cabret

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick


Publisher: Scholastic Press; First Edition edition (January 30, 2007)

Lexile: 820L


This story is about an orphan who is living in the walls of a train station in Paris, France. He is doing everything he can to survive on his own. He steals to survive and also complete the last project his father was working on, but when he gets caught by a toy store owner his life is completely changed. This sets off a series of intertwined events that sets off a very exciting mystery.




This was a very unique piece of literature because I often times was making up my own story because of the long stretches of pictures. I think this is a very important part especially for struggling readers because this will not only help their reading but also their writing. I also think it is a very well written piece with a lot of description. I found the plot very intriguing because it was so interactive. Like I stated before I felt like I was often times authoring the story to. It was a very well developed plot, and by the way everything came together I could tell that it took a lot of planning and it really turned out well in the end. The setting was really interesting because it was in the thirties at a train station in Paris, France, and I don't think anyone reading this story knows what that scene was like. So I thought he did a really nice job of developing that part of the story. The character was outstanding because I not only got a great sense of who Hugo was, but also the other main characters in the story. Which to me is a sign of a great writer. It is always a very important part to the story that all the characters are developed. 


The illustrations in this story were FABULOUS, and I really thought they added a totally different meaning to the story. I often times felt that I was making up my own story, and it made me much more interested in the story. I think this is a great tool for struggling readers and writers. 


I would use this book to move into the critical topic of loss because everyone is affected by loss, and I thought this book would be a go transition into this topic. 


I think that anyone can enjoy it, but I think I would use it for the ages between 9-12. But I also think I would use this book for struggling readers in older grades. 




Thanks for reading y'all!




Gorms

Book Six: Home of the BRAVE

Home of the BRAVE by Katherine Applegate


Publisher: Square Fish; First Edition edition (December 23, 2008)


Genre: Realistic Fiction 


Grade Level Equivalent: 4.3

Kek is a refugee from Africa, and he finds himself starting a new life in a foreign  land known as Minnesota. He was sent there to live with his aunt and cousin after his father and brother die, and he loses his mother in the refuge camp. He longs to be back home in Africa because he feels that he will never be fully accepted into the community. He finds comfort in a small farm with one cow that reminds him of home. The story takes you through his journey in his first year in Minnesota, and one that leads him to find a new sense of home.

This was a very well written piece of literature because it had a lot of strong parts to it. To start the story is written in poetry, and this is a wonderful addition to this story. The story digs into important issues like how refugees feel, and I think this is important especially in Minneapolis where we have an increased population of refugees. It is also very well written because any one of the poems inside of the story could be taken out and used as an individual poem. The plot of the story is well done because it moves very well throughout the story, and it is very descriptive. I think this shows up a lot when the author describes the settings of the two very different places. The author did a fabulous job on character development because I really got a sense of who Kek was, and when I was writing the poem about his life it really took meaning into my own life. The setting was fabulous because I really got a sense of where he was, and it give you a insight into the drastic difference in setting he experienced.

This book is a great book to use for critical thinking because it digs into deeper issues that need to be discussed, so I think I would use it to talk about things like new students, feeling left out, and even refugees and what they need to feel welcomed. I think all these issues are not easy to talk about, but when talked about in context to the story I think that it would make it much easier. Becuase this story is pretty intense I would probably use this book in my classroom if I was teaching between 6th-9th grade, but I would use it all the way up to 12th.


Thanks for reading y'all!


Gorms

Book Five: White Socks Only

White Socks Only By Evelyn Coleman
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Company (January 1, 1996)
Age: 9-12


The story is about a young African American girl who loves to hear stories from her grandma. Her favorite of the stories is the one about her grandma sneaking off into town when she was the young girls age. Her grandmothers story begins with her sneaking off to town one sizzling hot day, and she gets thirsty so she finds a drinking fountain near by. The only problem is the fountain has a "whites only" sign on it, but she thought she was fine after she took off her black shoes and stepped up onto the stool with her white socks. This begins a series of events regarding our countries (especially in Mississippi) prejudice and racist past.

This is a very strong piece of literature, and it is rich in important/meaningful lessons kids need to be discussing. I found this story very interesting and I could see myself reading this in the classroom. The conflict of the story begins when she takes a drink from a "whites only" water fountain, and a large white man throws her off the stool and says he is going to whip her. This was a very intense part of the story. After you see other African Americans stand up for the young girl and take a drink out of the fountain also. Even though this story is fiction I find it very realistic to the time period. It was acts like this that eventually led to civil rights. The author did a fabulous job with the plot because it was a very realistic plot, and it flowed really nicely together. I also thought the story within a story was a very good idea because the African American culture has a strong background in story telling, so her grandma passing this lesson/story down to her granddaughter is very realistic. The characterization throughout the story was good. You really get a sense of who this young girl is, but I have to say she is the only truly developed character. The only slight exceptions would be the chicken man and the large white man, but you don't really get to know them on a personal level like you do with the little girl. The setting of the story was perfect because that was Mississippi back in the 50's and 60's.

The illustrations were very well down. They went with the story very well, and allowed you to put a face to the little girl and community. The pictures added a realistic touch to the story. Without the illustrations I feel that the story would be lacking a little bit of power. I would use this book in my classroom to discuss the issues African Americans faced in the civil rights era. It would be a nice transition into a history unit about that time period.

This is a story for anyone, but I would say it was written for grades 3rd-6th because there are a lot of strong critical topics to discuss. This could be tough with any younger children.


Thanks for reading y'all!

Gorms

Book Four: The London Eye Mystery

The London EYE Mystery by Siobhan Dowd
Publisher: Yearling; Reprint edition (May 26, 2009)
Genre: Mystery
Reading Level: Ages 9-12

The London Eye Mystery is an adventure seen through the eyes of an autistic 12 year old named Ted. Ted is one of two children (he also has an older sister Kat). The story starts when Ted's cousin comes to visit his family in London before his cousin (Salim) and his mother (Gloria) move to NYC. Ted's cousin Salim decides that he would like to see the London Eye before he left, so Ted's family along with Salim and Golria take a visit to the Eye. When their parents go to get coffee; Salim accepts a ticket from a suspicious man to ride the eye alone. When the eye comes back down Salim is no where to be found. This is the start to the adventurous mystery that Ted and Kat attempt to solve. Ted and Kat struggle to get their voices heard by the adults, and must go behind their parents backs to solve the mystery.

This was a very strong piece of writing. The story could really relate to a lot of different types of students and I think that is very important. There are so many possibilities on the different types of students you could reach with this book. The story presented through the eyes of an autistic boy really got me think about the amazing process of the brain, but also the struggles students have who have autistic siblings.  This story could reach students who are dealing with this, or students who are struggling to hear their voices heard by adults, coping with loss of a relative, and even students who struggle to get along with their families. The plot was very well developed, and the author does a great job of giving you periodic hints to help you form your own theory. This process makes the text very engaging, and really helps you interact with the text. When I was reading it I was trying as hard as I could before the end (which I did ). That was a sign of a great author, when she was leaving subtle hints that at the time seem insignificant but then stick with you throughout the story. These small but significant details together help you figure out what happened, and it gives you a sense of purpose while reading. The character development was exceptional, a lot like book three the author really did a fabulous job of putting me in the story. You really get to know Ted and his family throughout their various interactions with each other. I think an important part of the story is the idea that kids need their voices to be heard by adults, and often times what they have to say is very important. This is important to me because as a pre-service teacher it will be important for me to listen and learn from my students.

If I was using this book in my classroom I would definitely use this as an alley way to talk about writing a mystery story. I would also have the students start the writing process of their own mystery stories. I think it is important to read a type of genre before attempting to write a story within that type of style.

This book was fabulous I really enjoyed it. I would recommend this story to almost anyone, but I would for sure use this book if their were students dealing with issues that are addressed in this book The age level it is for is 9-12.

Thanks for reading y'all!

Gorms

Book Three: Until They Bring The Streetcars Back

Until They Bring The Streetcars Back by Stanley Gordon West
Publisher: Lexington-Marshall Publishing; 1st edition (January 5, 1997)
Genre: Teen
Readability: 4th to 6th grade

This was a book about the adventure of a high school senior Cal Grant in the fifties. Cal grew up in Saint Paul Minnesota in the post world war two. One prank in study hall puts Cal right in the face of the painful reality of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse when he meets Gretchen Lutterman. Throughout the book Cal struggles to balance his attempt for his fathers approval, friends, sports, and attempts to rescue Gretchen from her miserable reality.

I thought this was a very high quality text that I personally enjoyed very much. It is a book that can relate to so many different people. The story was very well developed. I often times started to picture myself as Cal (sign of a good writer in my opinion), and I started to live the story. As a pre-service teacher often times when I read a book I think, how can I relate this to my students? This is important in high quality literature because students find a love for reading when they can relate to the plot and characters. This story could relate to so many different people. This could relate to students who are trying to find their place in school, have up and down home lives, are being abused, struggle with parent approval, and pretty much student living in the metro can relate to the setting of the story. The one knock I would have on it is that it isn't very multi-cultural, so having a group of African American, Asian, or Hispanic students read this aren't going to relate to it as well as Caucasian students. The plot of the story was very strong and well developed. There were many times when I was on the edge of my seat excited about what is going to happen next. I thought he tied in many different parts of the plot together such as Cal's home life, school, sports, friends, and time he spent trying to help Gretchen. The character development in the story was superb, and I really got a sense that I was in the story. Like I stated before there were times when I thought I was actually in Cal's position and I was trying to figure out what I was going to do next. I really got a sense of being comfortable with the characters and it seemed like I knew all of them on a personal level. This to me is a sign of a great writer.  The themes of the book were strong, but I also feel they can send a bad message. Throughout the book Cal tries to do the right thing by getting Gretchen out of her house, and often times he goes to inappropriate measures to accomplish this.  I would have a serious conversation with my students about the power of reporting instances like Gretchen's, and how not informing adults will only hurt the student more.

I think this book would be a great way to start talking about hard topics such as abuse, friends/relationships, and parent problems. I think there is a lot of room for journal reflection and strong discussion about these tough issues, but I think it is something that we as teachers need to talk about and have our students think critically about.

Like I said before I really enjoyed this book, and I would recommend it to almost anyone, but I think in a classroom setting it is geared for 4th-7th graders because it is a lengthy text and has some strong themes that need discussing.

Thanks for reading y'all!

Gorms

A Bad Case of Stripes

A Bad Case of Stripes by David Shannon


Shannon, David. A bad case of stripes . Blue Sky: Blue Sky Press (March 1, 1998), 1998. Print.

Readability Lexile: 540L

Age: 4-8


This is a story about a girl who doesn't want to eat limabeans because she is to embarrassed that none of her other friends like them like she does. So, she doesn't eat them, but after that indecent she starts to change. She develops a terrible case of the stripes. Her parents call in all the doctors, specialists, and even experts they can find, but no one can figure out what is wrong with her. 

Once again I have to be honest and say that I did not read this book because I had it read to me by Sean Astin (starred in Goonies, Rudy, and Lord of the Rings). I thought this book was very well developed, and I think it meets many qualities of high quality literature.  I thought the story was very relate able to almost all kids. I think there are many times in all of our lives that we are embarrassed of ourselves (especially in the early years of school), and this often times changes who we are and how we feel about ourselves. I often found myself thinking about my elementary experience, and how I sometimes changed things about myself to fit in with people. This book does a great job through a fun and interesting plot to dig into the issue of personal identity and individualization.  This book would be a great alley way to transition into talking about a whole handful of issues students face every day. These could be anything from friends, individualization, respect, teasing, and self-esteem. The themes are very strong in this book and they become more and more evident as you read the book. Shannon does an excellent job of developing Camilla, and I think she is very relate-able to all children because every child goes through what Camilla is going through.

Shannon does a wonderful job of pairing the illustrations with the story. It really gives you a very entertaining image to go along with the wonderful story. If I was doing a mini-lesson on this story I think I would either focus on individualization. I think this book is a great alley way to talk about these difficult and critical topic.

The target audience is probably early elementary students, but like I was saying throughout this whole story I was relating myself to Camilla. I thoroughly enjoyed this story and I would recommend it to anyone.

Thanks for reading y'all!

Gorms

Book One: Harry the Dirty Dog

Zion, G., & Graham, M. B. (1956). Harry, the dirty dog, . New York: Harper.


Harry the Dirty Dog: Written by Gene Zion and Illustrated by Margaret Graham

Grade Level: K-2


Ages: 5-7


This is a story about a dog named Harry (who was white with black spots) who did not like receiving baths (which is understandable because who does?). Harry decides to hide the scrub brush and run away from home. He starts a day long adventure of activities around the city (most of which involved him getting dirty). 


To start I have to say I did not read this book. The reason I did not read this book was because I had it read to me by the lovely Betty White on http://www.storylineonline.net/.  This was a very interesting book that I enjoyed very much. I actually had to listen to it twice! This is a story that not only 5-7 year olds can enjoy, but a story that truly anyone can enjoy. With that being said, I do think the story is a little unbelievable, but I also think that kids could relate to this family and Harry. The plot seemed a little simple, but it also was a pretty interesting and satisfying. It was very entertaining when Harry was wondering around town getting into dirty activities. The conflict starts to build when Harry questions if his family actually thinks that he has run away. The characterization in the story is a little lacking because you only really get to know harry and we never really see harry grow through out the story. It would have been better if there was more development with the family because children can relate to the children in the family. The characters fit well into setting of the story, and the setting seemed to fit well because it was Harry's house/ bathtub and then the city. This story is definitely lacking a multicultural aspect from it, but back when it was written in 1956 I suppose there was not a large emphasis on it. I thought the theme was lacking a little bit because it didn't seem like there was a distinguished theme that the author wanted us to get from reading the story. Overall I think it's a good story for children to read because its entertaining, but I don't think I would use it in a read aloud because there are parts of the story not reached (multicultural, theme, etc...).


I thought the illustrations fit very nicely with the text. It gives you a very nice visual for you and the children. I don't know if I would use this for a mini-lesson, but if I did I think I would focus on the colors "black and white" because it is emphasized four or five times throughout the book, and I think it could be a good transition into talking about colors (specifically black and white).


I think anyone can enjoy this book (especially when read by Betty White!), but I would say from a teaching standpoint probably either kindergarten or first grade. Those are the students that will enjoy the book the most, and it leads easily into things they learn at that level. 




Thanks for reading!




Gorms