The Twelve Days of Christmas- Illustrator Study

We all know the story of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Normally, the story is told in a song. It goes on and on about what a suitor is giving to his maiden on each of the twelve days before Christmas. We hear this song over and over again as the Christmas holiday approaches. It seems to be a favorite of just about everyone. Jan Brett makes the song come alive in her book, The Twelve Days of Christmas. It goes through each of the twelve days and illustrates exactly what the suitor says he is going to bring his maiden in the song. Not only does the reader get the joy of singing along, but they also are able to see the love story unfold as the gifts are presented. People do not normally read too much into to the words when they are singing the song. It is amazing to actually see the amount of gifts that are bought during these twelve days. I think that this book would be fantastic for children because they may not know what some of the things that are being sung about are. I know that when I was growing up I did not know what a partridge was. Seeing the illustrations in this book would allow the song to come to life for anyone who is reading it.

The Mitten- Illustrator Study

The Mitten is a story that I have loved ever since I was a small child. It used to be one of my very favorite books that my mother would read to me. A lot of this had to do with the fact that I loved the illustrations in the book. It is a story about a boy named Nicki who loses his mitten in the snow. The animals of the forest find the mitten and they wander in one by one. The best part of the story is the borders that Jan Brett is so famous for. The border of this story is Nicki wandering through the woods with no idea that he has even lost his mitten. It is almost as if there are two stories in one because we can watch Nicki and watch as the animals pile into the mitten. The illustrations make the pages look as though they are pictures taken of actual animals. They are so detailed that just looking at them makes you instantly feel that you are feeling the change in temperature from the cold winter air to the inside of the warm mitten.

Christmas Trolls- Illustrator Study

Christmas Trolls is the story of a girl named Treva. Treva loves Christmas. She wants everything about the holiday to be perfect. She spends time finding the perfect tree, the perfect decorations, and the perfect presents. Treva is busy getting ready for Christmas when she begins to realize that things are going missing. She soon see the little creatures that have been stealing from her. She follows them into a forest and finds that they are two trolls. She soon finds out that these trolls have not experience the joys that Christmas brings because they do not understand the holiday. The pictures in this story are amazing. They are so realistic that you feel as though you are in the forest experiencing exactly what Treva is. Each of the pictures also has a Christmas border outlining the page. The borders are just as intricate as the pictures themselves. Having such great illustrations makes this story even more enjoyable than what it would have been if it had been drawn by someone else.

Oh, the Places You'll Go- Author Study

Oh, the Places You'll Go is the Dr. Seuss book that is used by the most diverse ages of people. It is a story of the various experiences that people will have in life. It talks about how you will experience good times, and you will experience bad times. There will be times where you feel that you have everything figured out, and there will be times that you feel lost and lonely. There will be times that you know exactly which way to go, and there will be times when you feel you have went the completely wrong way. The story ends by saying that no matter what, there will always be a mountain for you to move in the end. You just have to persevere to move that mountain that is waiting for you. This is a book about success. It is a book that shows that everyone is going to experience some trials and tribulations throughout their life. This is a good book for young kids because it is a great message and it is written in a rhyme. It is an even better book for an adult because they are able to read more in to it to get the true meaning. I never had realized how true everything in this book really is. Oh, the Place You'll Go will be a book that I will read dozens of more times throughout my life. It is an inspirational story that remind the readers that failure is okay, because, in the end, you will always ultimately succeed if you work hard enough.

The Cat in the Hat- Author Study

The Cat in the Hat is another one of Dr. Seuss' famous books. It is the story of a mischievous cat who comes to the house of two children. The children are bored so they count on the cat to entertain them. Little did they know, the cat in the hat is about to get them in a world of trouble. He invites creatures into their house that end up destroying everything. It is total chaos and the children realize that they are going to be in huge trouble if everything does not get cleaned up before their parents arrive home. They are forced to tell the cat in the hat that everything needs to be cleaned out and the house needs to be put in the same order that is was when he arrived. Luckily, the children get everything back to normal just as their mother is pulling in the driveway. This story also contains a lot of rhyming, which makes it ideal for young readers. Not only do they enjoy hearing rhyming, it makes it easier for them to remember the story. This story shows kids that sometimes being bored is better than getting yourself in to trouble. Those two children will probably think twice before complaining about having nothing to do.

Green Eggs and Ham- Author Study

Green Eggs and Ham is one of the most popular Dr. Seuss books that has been written. Almost everyone has heard the story of Green Eggs and Ham at some point in their life. The story starts off with Sam-I-Am asking someone if they like green eggs and ham. They respond by saying that they do not like green eggs and ham. The story goes on with Sam-I-Am asking if they would eat green eggs in ham in all different situations. The person continuously responds by saying that they would not eat green eggs and ham anywhere because they do not like them. In the end, the person tries the green eggs and ham and loves them. He says that he would eat them in any situation and thanks Sam-I-Am. This is one of the best books for a beginning reader to have. The book is so repetitive that it can easily be memorized, but also gets young children used to seeing the same words over and over so they can get familiar with them. The story also contains a good message about not saying that you do not like something before you try it. Young children can be very picky eaters and reading something like this may encourage them to try new things and then decide whether or not they like them.

Selvakumar Knew Better- Nonfiction: Biography

Selvakumar Knew Better is the heartwarming story of how a dog saves a little boy's life during the tsunami of 2004. Selvakumar knew that something was right before anyone else knew what was going on. The Ramakrishnan family was going about their daily business when a rumbling noise filled their village. Papa climbed on the roof to see what was going on and spotted a giant wall of water in the distance. He shouted for the family to run. Unfortunately, Dinakaran misunderstood his father and ran into the house to hide. Selvakumar went to coax Dinakara out of the house. He eventually got him to flee by nudging and dragging him by his collar. Selvakumar guided Dinakaran all the way to the top of the hill where his family was waiting for him on higher ground. If it had not been for Selvakumar, Dinakaran would have lost his life along with the many others who were tragically killed in the tsunami. The fact that this is a true story makes it even more touching. This combines the historical information of a past event with a story about the courageous efforts of man's best friend. This is just one of the many stories that people have from this tragic day.

26 Fairmount Avenue- Nonfiction: Biography

26 Fairmount Avenue is the biography of Tomie dePaola. The story takes place in 1938 when little Tomie is about to start Kindergarten. He is anxiously awaiting his move to 26 Fairmount Avenue. This is where his family is building their new home that they will be moving in to as soon as it is completed. Unfortunately, things do not go quite as planned. They endure a fire, a flood, and a hurricane all to make the house take longer to be built. He also begins Kindergarten and goes to see Snow White for the first time. Even though Tomie can't wait to move in to his new house, he finds himself having to leave everything he has always known when it comes time to move. He is about to start a whole new adventure in a new place. I think that this story does a good job of showing children how times were different a long time ago. They are able to see things from the perspective of a child around their same age. It also is a good story for children who are experiencing a move. They can see how Tomie makes it through his transition to his new home okay, so they may not find it so frightening.

An Island Grows- Nonfiction: Informational

An Island Grows is an informational book about the creation of the land that we live on. It is made up of rhyming couplets that explain step-by-step the formation of islands. The book starts off by showing a volcano erupting under water. It explains how the hot magma hardens on the bottom of the ocean and keeps building up. Eventually, the hardened debris builds up so high that it breaks through the surface of the water. This is when the island is formed. Small plants begin to grow on the island and animals come. Eventually, this island is found by people and they begin to settle on it. This is how the land we live on has been created over time. I think that this book would be great for young children. It gives them a good idea of how land came about, without going into anything that would be too confusing to them. The pictures in the book are phenomenal for giving visual representations of the different steps. I think that kids would also like the book because of its rhyming patterns. If older children wanted to learn more in depth about this, there is an informational page included at the end that tells about the formation of land.

Oh, No! Where Are My Pants?- Poetry Anthology

Oh, No! Where Are My Pants? is a poetry anthology about people who are dealing with terrible days. This book is so easy to relate to because everyone has had a day when they feel that nothing is going right. That is the entire basis for each of these poems. Some of them are humorous and some of them are quite sad, but they all are situations that can really take place. I would love to have my own copy of this book. I think that it would cheer me up if I were ever having a bad day. Reading some of the poems allows you to think, "Well, I guess things could be worse...". I would use the funny poems to cheer me up and the more heartfelt poems as something to relate to. Either way, I think that this book is great for any age group. I think that children would enjoy its humor and older kids would like the fact that it is something that they can relate to. This also shows the different ways poems can be written. Something like this is vital in getting kids and adults both interested in poetry. A lot of people have preconceived notions about poetry that are entirely false. I think that this book would help to get ride of some of these.

Junie B. Jones and the Supid Smelly Bus- Series Study

Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus is a story that all children should hear on the first day of school. This is when Junie B.'s kindergarten adventure begins. The book is about her first day of school. We all remember just how frightening that huge yellow school bus can be when we are not used to riding it every day. Junie B. has to face these fears. She gets on the bus to find that the kids are not nearly as nice as she had hoped. Some save seats for other kids and some say mean things. Junie B. decides that she does not like this bus at all. School does not prove to be so bad. She meets some of the other students in her class who are a little bit nicer than the kids on the bus. Unfortunately, the end of the day comes around and it's time to get back on that dreaded bus. Only this time Junie B. decides that she isn't going to ride the bus. She waits at the end of the line and hides in the classroom after the other students leave. She finds the supply closet, where she fits perfectly on one of the shelves. Junie B. stays in here concealed for quite some time. When she finally decides to come out and is found, she hears how people have been searching for her. That night, her mother calls one of her new friends from class and arranges for her and Junie B. to sit together on the bus the next day. This can show students that the bus really is not that scary. They may have thought that they were the only ones afraid of it, but it is actually a common fear that young children may have. The bus rides are only scary if you let them be.

Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying- Series Study

It has been impossible for me to decide which of the Junie B. Jones books are my favorite. They all have such great messages and humorous plots that I don't think I could ever get sick of them. In Junie B. Jones and Some Sneaky Peeky Spying, Junie B. finds herself getting in trouble for constantly spying on people. Her mother tells her that she is no longer allowed to spy after she scares her grandfather. Being such a good spier, this is incredibly hard for Junie B. One day when Junie B. and her mother are shopping at the grocery store, she sees her teacher walk in the door. Too bad her teacher does not see her. This gives Junie B. the opportunity to do what she loves best- spy on her. After all, it's only once in a lifetime that you see your teacher outside of school. Unfortunately, Junie B. witnesses her teacher eat one of the store's grapes. Then she sees her kiss a strange man. This is all too much for Junie B. to handle. She can't look at her teacher the next day and ends up spilling all of her secrets to the principal. Of course, Junie B. is in trouble for spying once more, but at least she gets a good explanation from her teacher about the events that she witnessed. This is a hilarious story that seems so realistic. It's amazing how well Barbara Park can relate to a 5 year old's way of thinking. Hearing Junie B.'s reactions to different scenarios never fail to make me smile.

Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal- Series Study

Junie B. Jones Is a Party Animal is one of the many books that are included in the Junie B. Jones series. These books are the tales of a young girl named Junie B. Jones. They are written from her perspective and are very witty. This book deals with Junie B. and her first sleepover at her friend Lucille's house. Lucille lives in a mansion and has very nice things. This is not something that Junie B. is used to. She finds herself spilling food and destroying prized possessions. Everything seems great about Lucille's house at first, but Junie B. soon finds that she has to be careful with everything that she says and does. Suddenly, this sleepover isn't quite as great as she had thought it was going to be. When Junie B. arrives home, she realizes that her house isn't so bad after all. At least at home she has plastic cups. I had never read a Junie B. Jones book before we decided to use them for our series study. I could not be happier with this choice. These books are great for adults and for children. Junie B. is so funny and makes everything into a great adventure. This book teaches kids the importance of appreciating their own family and belongings. Although someone else's life may seem perfect, it might not be as great as they had first imagined.

The Emperor's New Clothes- Traditional Literature

The Emperor's New Clothes is the original version of the story that The Principal's New Clothes was taken from. It is about an Emperor who is obsessed with having only the best clothes. He does not care about his country because he is too preoccupied with buying new clothes. Two people decide to trick him one day because they know about his infatuation. They claimed to be able to make the most beautiful clothes that are invisible to only people who are too stupid and incompetent to appreciate its quality. The emperor wanted so badly to have this amazing new clothing that he offered to pay a very large sum of money for it. While the scoundrels were pretending to work on the clothes, the emperor sent the wise old prime minister to check to see how the clothes were coming along. He could not see anything, but didn't dare tell the emperor that. When it came time for the emperor to see his new clothes, he realized something was terribly wrong. The clothes were invisible to him. There was no way that he could let anyone realize that he was stupid, so he played along like he could see the clothing. He decided to wear his new clothing to the parade. Nobody could see the clothing, but they oohed and awed anyways. It wasn't until a young child shouted that the emperor was naked that everyone realized they had been tricked. If they hadn't been so worried about what others thought of them they would have never been in this predicament to begin with. It's important for children to see that appearance isn't everything and being too focused on that alone can end up badly in the end.

Cinderella- Traditional Literature

It would be hard to find someone who is not familiar with the class story of Cinderella. Cinderella is the tale of a neglected young woman who is forced to cook and clean for her evil stepmother and stepsisters. When Cinderella is told that she is not allowed to attend the ball, her fairy godmother appears. She gets Cinderella ready and sends her off. Cinderella has a fantastic time and ends up falling in love with Prince Charming. She is forced to rush off at midnight, and ends up losing her glass slipper. Prince Charming finds it and spends the entire next day having girls try on the slipper to see who the woman he met the night before really was. Cinderella was locked up when he reached her house, but makes her way out and tries on the slipper. It is a perfect fit. The two spend the rest of their lives happily ever after. What makes this story so great is that it shows that money and appearance are not the most important things in life. Prince Charming sees Cinderella for who she really is and still chooses her over any other woman. Cinderella shows children that they can't give up. They need to work to overcome their hardships because they will eventually pay off in the end.

The Boy Who Cried Wolf- Traditional Literature

The Boy Who Cried Wolf is a story that I feel every child should read or have read to them. It is the story of a boy who is told to tend to his father's sheep. Unfortunately, the boy did not originally realize just how boring this job was going to be. He decides to that he needs to do something to entertain himself and remembers something that his father had previously told him. His father had warned him that he should cry, "WOLF!" if he were to see a wolf, and the townspeople would come running. The boy tried this and it worked like a charm. The townspeople frantically surrounded him and asked where the wolf was. He couldn't even speak he was laughing so hard. Naturally, everyone was furious with him. The next day the boy was just as bored as before. As much as he wanted to, he knew that he should not cry out again. Against his better judgement, the boy found himself crying, "WOLF!" once again. The townspeople came and were more furious than ever before when they found no wolf. They vowed to not trust the boy anymore. Unfortunately, a wolf was waiting close by and saw all of this. As soon as the wolf saw his chance, he went to attack the sheep. The boy cried out as loud as he could, but nobody came running. He had lost all of their trust. This story does a wonderful job of showing young children the importance of telling the truth. They need to see that people will not believe them if they are caught lying.

Three Billy Goats Gruff- Traditional Literature

The Three Billy Goats Gruff is a classic tale of trickery. Three billy goats decide one day that they think the grass on the other side of the bridge looks much tastier. The only problem is that a mean troll lives underneath the bridge that they have to cross in order to reach this wondrous grass. The youngest brother crosses first and the troll threatens to eat him. He informs the troll that his much bigger, tastier brother will soon be coming across the bride. The troll decides to wait. The next billy goat crosses the bridge and is also threatened by the troll. The billy goat says that the next brother to come will be the biggest and tastiest billy goat. The troll decides once more to wait for the next billy goat. The largest billy goat crosses the bridge and the troll threatens to eat him. He does not realize quite how large this billy goat really is. The billy goat charges after the troll and pushes him off the bridge. I have found that children love this story. It is fun for them to listen to because the reader can disguise his or her voice to sound like a troll and a scared billy goat. Children always seem to think it's great that the troll is ultimately tricked by the billy goats. I think it is good for them to see that the bully in the story is not the one who wins in the end.

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Damn Affair- Required Read

Aunt Chip and the Great Triple Creek Damn Affair is the humorous story of what happens when televisions basically take over a town. Everyone of Triple Creek is so obsessed with TVs that they no longer become interested in reading. All they do is spend every moment watching TV. The main character, Eli's, Aunt Chip is the only one in town that does not own a TV. Aunt Chip discovers that Eli doesn't even know what reading is and decides that she needs to take action. She teaches Eli to read, and Eli starts the other children with reading. Pretty soon, everyone in Triple Creek wants to read again. The problem with this is that they soon do not have books to read. All of the books had been stacked up and made into a dam once Triple Creek stopped reading. When the children go to pull a book from the dam, the dam busts and the water knocks out the television towers. Thankfully, this did not happen earlier because the people of Triple Creek would have been lost without TV. Now they at least have books to rely on. I enjoyed this story because it is an exaggerated version of what our society has come to. Obviously, children still know how to read, but far too many of them spend more time watching TV. This is a good book for young children to hear because they may be able to relate to it. It shows them that reading can be just as fun as watching TV, as long as they pick out the right books.

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type- Required Read

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type is a very enjoyable story for young children. Although it is geared for elementary school kids, I found myself laughing along with the story when I first read it. I had never even heard of it before this year, but Click, Clack, Moo is definitely a book that I will be using in my classroom if at all possible. Not only did I read it for my Children's Literature class, but my cooperating teacher also had it for me to read to the Kindergarten class that I am working with. The kids absolutley loved it. They enjoyed following along with the story and mooing when the cows did. Not only is it a fun book for them, it also can be used to teach older students about politics. In the story, it says that duck is the neutral party, so he brings the ultimatum from Farmer Brown to the cows. I think that the older students would find the story silly, but also humorous. It is always nice to take a break from a boring textbook and read something that you have not heard in awhile. The message of negotiating that Click, Clack, Moo sends can be important for any age level. Things are not always going to be exactly the way you want them, so it's important to agree on something that both people can live with.

A Long Way from Chicago- Required Read

A Long Way from Chicago is a humorous story that takes place during the Great Depression. Much to their dismay, Joey and Mary Alice are sent to visit their grandmother in her small town. They are from Chicago and fear that they will spend the summer being bored out of their minds. Much to their surprise, the summer is not at all what they expected. Grandma Dowdel is far from boring. They experience things that they never thought possible over the many summers that they spend at Grandma Dowdel's. Each year, they complain about having to go back. Grandma Dowdel puts them to work and they want to spend the summers at home with their friends. Despite these arguments, they still find themselves back at her house. The book tells of their summer adventures until Joey and Mary Alice are getting older and no longer go back to Grandma Dowdel's. Joey decides that he wants to enlist in World War 2. He writes to Grandma Dowdel to tell her that his train will be passing by her house sometime in the night as he is shipping out. He has not seen her in some time and she does not respond. When the train goes by, Joey sees her standing in the doorway waving. They never seemed to be that close, but it was obvious she cared for him all the same. I thought that this was a hilarious book. Some of the things that Grandma Dowdel said and did reminded me a lot of my crazy grandmother. Although, I am very close to her, unlike Joey and Mary Alice were to Grandma Dowdel. This was a very cute story that shows the love that family members have for one another. Although Grandma Dowdel was never the most compassionate person, it was obvious that she cared for her grandchildren and enjoyed the time that they were there to keep her company.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963- Required Read

I thought that The Watsons Go to Birmingham was a very well-written book. It showed exactly what African-Americans had to go through during that time period. The Watsons actually reminded me of my own family. We seem dysfunctional at times, but we all love each other and would do anything for one another. I think that is part of what made the book so effective. The reader is easily able to imagine what things would be like if they were put in that situation. The Watsons take a trip to Birmingham, Alabama to visit their grandma one winter. They are from Flint, Michigan, so Byron, Kenny, and Joey have not seen first-hand the discrimination issues of the south. While they are there, a church is bombed and quite a few African-Americans are hurt and killed. It is sad and scary to think that people can be hateful enough to kill innocent people because of their skin color. Young children that had simply wanted to attend Sunday School were killed for no reason. Having this book based off of true events allows the reader insight into what some of the families directly affected by the bombings had to experience. We are able to put ourselves in their shoes and realize what a truly horrible thing racism is.

The Trouble with Tuck- Realistic Fiction

The Trouble with Tuck is a realistic fiction story about a girl named Helen and her dog, Friar Tuck. I fell in love with this story the first time that I read it in elementary school. Since then, I cannot even count how many times that I have reread it. Helen is a young girl going through the awkward stage of her life. She is skinny and have red hair and a lot of freckles. She feels like she doesn't fit in with the other kids in school. Helen falls in love with Friar Tuck, Tuck for short, the moment she gets him. The two of them soon become best friends. They do absolutely everything together. Everything seems to be perfect until Tuck starts to act differently. He runs into things and doesn't seem to know where he is going. It is soon found out that Tuck is going blind. Helen is heartbroken. She doesn't want to lose her best friend or have him suffer in any way. She does her best to come up with a solution to help make his life as fulfilling as possible. Being a sucker for animal books, this story really touched me. I have always been very close to my dogs and I know how hard is has been for me to lose two of them over the years. Watching Tuck help Ellen get through her struggles in life reminded me a lot of myself. This story shows animals will love you the same, no matter what.

Number the Stars- Historical Fiction

Number the Stars is a historical fiction story based off of World War 2. It is set in Copenhagen, the home to Annemarie Johansen. Annemarie is ten years old when she realize that her classmate and neighbor, Ellen Rosen, is in a lot of danger. Ellen and her family are Jewish and need to leave Denmark. Annemarie's family knows that they have to help the Rosens. Annemarie's uncle arrives with a boat that will take the Rosens over to Sweden where they will be safe. The boat has a hidden bottom where the Rosens hide from the Nazis. Annemarie and her family show much courage throughout the book. They put themselves in danger to help others, even though they do not have to. Annemarie's sister ends up being killed during the resistance movement. All of this helps Annemarie to realize what a great thing her and her family have done. She wears Ellen's Star of David necklace to show her pride for having a friend that she could risk her life for. She doesn't know if she will ever see Ellen again, but she will wear the necklace until she is able to return it to her. This book was a very touching story of courage. It is amazing to think about the amounts of danger that people were willing to put themselves in to help save others. Although the Nazi's did such horrible things, the help that others were willing to offer showed the true compassion that humans can have for one another. Not all people can say that they would go to the extent of Annemarie's family in order to help someone they care about.

Toys Go Out- Modern Fantasy

Toys Go Out is a modern fantasy collection of stories told by three toys. There are six stories that make up the book. They are arranged in no certain order, but all deal with some of the problems that these three friends are faced with. There is Lumphy, StingRay, and Plastic. All three of the toys belong to the Little Girl. Each of the stories deals with the toys experiencing new things. Whether it be fear of a washing machine or fear of a dog, the toys overcome these obstacles together. In the end, they all come together for a grand birthday party for the Little Girl. These stories teach an important lesson about fear of new things. All of the toys are nervous because they are thrown into situations that they are not used to. Together, they overcome these fears and realize that the unknown is not all that bad after all. Not every new experience is going to have a negative outcome, so everything needs to be given a fair shot. It also shows how important it is not to spend a lot of time worrying about something, because it will probably end up being nowhere near as scary as you made it out to be in your head. The ultimate lesson of the story deals with jealousy. The toys all fear that that they are going to be replaced and that the Little Girl is going to love another toy more than them. As people, almost all of us also experience similar feelings at some point in our lives. We worry that someone new is going to take our spot and we will be forgotten about. It is important to never allow yourself to feel this way. This book shows that worry about things like this is not worth your time, because it should never happen.

Tuck Everlasting- Modern Fantasy

Tuck Everlasting is a well-known modern fantasy book. It is about a girl named Winnie who wants to be free from her family. Her whole life changes when she meets Jesse Tuck. Jesse, his brother, and his mother kidnap Winnie. She does not struggle or call for help because she is ready for an adventure. After Winnie stays with the Tucks for awhile, she begins to realize that they are different from everyone else that she has ever met. A stranger tries to take over Winnie's family's woods and finds the Tuck's home. He tries to take Winnie back to her family, but Jesse's mother hits him in the head with a gun. Winnie is taken back to her home and Jesse's mother is taken to jail. Winnie knows that she needs to do something to help the Tucks. Jesse wants her to drink from spring that will give her immortality when she turns seventeen. This would ensure that they could spend the rest of their lives together. Winnie pretends to be Jesse's mom in the jail cell one night so that she can escape. She is found there the next morning and punished by her family. Ultimately, Winnie chooses living a regular life over an immortal one. After listening to the Tucks' different points of view, it is clear that immortality is not as great as it first appears to be. Almost everyone seems to fear death so they do whatever they can to prolong their lives. We have made great medical advances over the years to help with this. People will do whatever they can to get as close to immortality as possible. While this may seem like a great idea at first, they do not consider the consequences. Living your life to its fullest seems to be a much better way to go than just putting things off because you know your life has no end.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble- General Storybook

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble a general storybook about a donkey named Sylvester Duncan who likes to collect pebbles. While collecting, Sylvester finds a magic pebble that allows the wishes he makes to come true. One day, Sylvester is frightened by a lion and wishes to be turned into a rock. His wish comes true, but it means that he no longer is able to hold the pebble to wish to be turned back into a donkey. Sylvester's family is very sad when he does not return and they cannot find him. They decide to have a picnic that just so happens to be the rock that is Sylvester. His father picks up the pebble and places it on the rock. Sylvester wishes himself back into a donkey and his family is ecstatic. He finds that he no longer has a use for the rock because him and his family have each other and that's all that they need. I thought that this was a very cute story. It has a great message that every child should be taught. Too many people of all ages are far more greedy than they ever should be. If they had a pebble like Sylvester's, they would use it to acquire ridiculous amounts of items. It is crucial to keep in mind how important family really is. We don't realize how much they mean to us until they are taken away. This is all the more reason to appreciate them while they are here. We do not want to have to live our lives with regrets.

Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too?- Predictable Patterned Language Book

Does a Kangaroo Have a Mother, Too? is a predictable patterned language book that goes through different animals asking if they have also have mothers. It is set up by asking the question "Does a kangaroo have a mother, too?". The question is answered by the kangaroo saying, "YES! A kangaroo has a mother. Just like me and you. But, does a lion have a mother, too?" The story goes on in this format until the end. It ends by asking if all mothers love their babies. The answer to this is yes, animal mothers love their babies, just as yours loves you! The pictures from this book are typical Eric Carle illustrations. They are beautifully drawn to represent all of the different animals that are being talked about. This is a fun book for very young children. It teachers them that not only do humans have mothers, but so do animals. It also has an important message at the end that all animal's mothers love them, just like the child's mother loves it. Since it is so repetitious, it would be good for a beginning reader to practice reading with. Once they know the pattern of the book, they can tell what is going to be said next based on the animal that is in the picture. It would be a fun story to recite as a group.

Breaking Through- Multicultural

Breaking Through portrays the story of Francisco Jimenez's harsh life. His family escapes from Mexico when he is four years old and they settle in the United States. Fransisco and his older brother, Roberto, start school. The family struggles to make ends meet, especially after Francisco's father's back starts to keep him from being able to work in the fields. Things start to look up when Roberto finds a job as a school janitor, but the family always worries in the back of their mind about getting sent back to Mexico. Their worst fears come true when Roberto is fourteen years old. He is in class when one of the la migra comes to get him. His entire family goes back to Mexico until they can get their paperwork to return to the United States. Since the family has very little money, they decide to only send Francisco and Roberto back to the United States to work until their father's back heals. The two boys struggle to support themselves and save enough money to send back to their family. They are eventually reunited, but not after having to put up with many tough times. This story shows the true strength that some children have to possess. Francisco has to worry about things that no boy that young should ever have to experience or be responsible for. I enjoyed this book because it was such a great story of courage. It shows that anyone really can do what they set their mind to. We take far too many things for granted and it is hard to realize this until we have seen things from a less fortunate person's perspective.

Heather Has Two Mommies- Banned or Challenged Book

Heather Has Two Mommies is the book that my group chose for our banned or challenged book. The title is pretty self-explanatory as to why the book is challenged. Heather is a young girl that is about to go to what seems to be a daycare. She has the same interests as any other child and acts the same as them. The thing that is different between Heather and everyone else is the fact that she does not have a father. Instead, Heather has two mothers. The book starts off talking about how Heather's moms were originally best friends. They found that they were in love and moved in together. They decide to start a family and use artificial insemination to have Heather. Heather does not realize that she is any different than anyone else until a book is read during daycare that talks about a father and his occupation. Heather realizes that she does not have a father, while many of the other students do. In the end, the children all realize that every family is different. Some have two mommies, some have two daddies, some have one parent, and some have four parents if two are step-parents. The book is obviously challenged because it can be argued whether or not young children should be taught about homosexuals. It also has a part where it takes about the doctor putting the sperm into one of the mother's vaginas. This does not seem like something that should be read to a young child. Overall, I think that the book has a very good message. It allows children to see that no two families are the same, but that does not make one family better than another.

Bad Boy: A Memoir- Multicultural

Bad Boy: A Memoir is the touching story of a young African-American boy's journey to adulthood. Walter Myers grew up in Harlem. Money was always an issue for his family and they never had much to spare. This memoir takes us on a trip through Walter's life. He was picked on at a young age because of a speech problem that he had, and is affected by this bullying from that point on. Walter got in many fights at school and had some other behavioral issues. A lot of these probably stemmed from the torture that he had previously endured from other students about his speech. He also is very close to his mother at the beginning of the story. All he wants to do is impress her. As the reader gets farther in to the book, they begin to realize that Walter and his mother are start to drift. This seems to be what happens to almost every child as they hit their teenage years. This book was very easy to relate to because Walter experiences much of the same things that almost every other child has to deal with at some point in their life. The only difference that Walter has is the fact that he also has to worry about financial situations and well as being discriminated against because of his race. Although Walter has some problems as he grows up, he ends up overcoming them and goes on to write this story about his life for others to be able to relate to. I like this book because it shows the readers how possible success truly is. They can see how Walter's perseverance paid off for him and know that the same can happen to them.

America is...- Single Poem Picture Book

America is... is a collection of poems that all come together to tell one story. It tells what America is, but each page is about a new topic. It starts off describing how America is the nation that stands for freedom and we all call home. The next page describes the fifteen states and the difference between some of them. It then goes on to talk about the American Flag and what the stars and stripes represent. I think that this was a very effective way of putting the story together. Even though it is a poem, it also contains quite a bit of factual information about America. I thought that it was a very heartwarming story and does a good job of representing our country. It also is not what people think of as a typical poem. It does not contain rhyming, which makes it a good way to introduce a new form of poetry to children. They should know that not all poems have to rhyme. I think that some of the poems that don't rhyme are actually better than ones that do because the writer is not left struggling to look for a word that rhymes, even though it may not be the best fit. I think that this should be a book that incorporated into any social studies class that is learning about our great homeland.

Almost Late to School- Specialized Poetry Collection

Almost Late to School is one of the cutest poetry books that I have ever read. It is ideal for classrooms of any age. It is very easy to relate to so many of the poems in this book because we have all been there at some point in our lives. It contains poems about some of the trials and tribulations that young children face while in school. These poems are all written in a humorous way. There is a poem about oral reports that could be read to a child before he or she was about ready to give their first oral report. It might ease their nerves to see how a boy similar to them struggled with the same feelings they may be experience, but made it through his oral report just fine. There is another poem about the first day of school. It is a little boy speaking about all of the wonderful things that he sees in the classroom and how much fun he is sure they all are. At the end of the poem, he says that it's too bad he can't stay and asks the teacher to call his mother. Everyone has had a day where they know how great school can be, but they just don't feel like being there at that time. These poems would all be great to integrate in a class because, not only are they very easy to relate to for children, but they also show them that poetry can be silly and fun to read. It is a way to get kids interested knowing more about poetry.

The Zebra-Riding Cowboy- Historical Fiction

The Zebra-Riding Cowboy is a historical fiction storybook based on the Old West. What is interesting about this book is that the words are actually the lyrics of a song that the cowboys used to sing. It is a folk song about a man who happens upon a pack of cowboys. They see that the man talks and looks as though he is educated. Therefore, they believe that he knows nothing about horses and decide to play a trick on him when he asks to borrow one. They give him the wildest horse that they have, named the Zebra Dunn. The stranger mounts the horse and the horse goes wild. Much to the surprise of the cowboys, Zebra Dunn is not able to throw him from the saddle. When the stranger is done riding Zebra Dunn, all of the cowboys are left in awe. The boss offers the stranger a spot on the ranch to help lasso the herd. He ends up fitting in perfectly with all of the other cowboys and is a valuable asset to their team. I found it very cool that this was actually a song that got turned into a book. It sends the message of not judging a book by its cover in a very fun and different way. Not only would young children get that moral message, but they would also be learning about the Old West and some of the songs that they sang back then. All of these components make this quite an effective book.

Drumbeat in our Feet- Nonfiction: Informational

Drumbeat in our Feet is a nonfictional informational book about African dance. It starts off having children from Brooklyn, Harlem, and the Bronx talking about how they are African dancers that are going to tell the stories of their ancestors. The book then goes on to describe the different components and traditions of African dancers. It is arranged so that there is an explanation on the left page, and the story is on the right page. This makes the book great for a variety of ages. It can be read to young children by just using the story, or to older children by using the more in-depth descriptions. It provides many interesting facts about African dance that most people would not know. A lot of African children do not know about the ways of their ancestors. This would be a book that they would be able to relate to because it tells how things used to be and still may be in their homeland. It is also great for teaching other children about different cultures. The end of the book provides real pictures of actual African dancers called the Batoto Yetu. It shows pictures of them and provides a description of their group. There is also a map in the back of the story that has all of the places that are mentioned in the book labeled. This allows the reader to see exactly where these foreign lands are located. The last page contains a pronunciation guide for all of the words that the reader may not know. This is especially helpful if one is going to be reading the story aloud. It is also good if a student is doing a presentation on the topics that the book entails.

Counting on Frank- Realistic Fiction

Counting on Frank is a great realistic fiction story that could even be used in a math classroom. Frank's father is always telling him that he has a brain so he should use it. That is exactly what Frank does. He turns almost every situation into a math problems. He calculates how much water it would take to fill the bathroom, how many feet a ball point pen would draw before it ran out of ink, and how many feet tall he would be if he put on every piece of clothing in his closet. Those are just a few examples of some of the crazy things that Frank comes up with throughout the story. He is curious just like any other young child. A lot of kids ask questions such as these, but don't actually take the time to figure out the answer. They seem preposterous, but everyone has wondered something of the sort at one point in their life. The end of the book even gives some math problems for the reader to figure out. This seems like a wonderful way to get children motivated to practice math. The story is so fun that they may want to figure them out so that they can be like Frank. They also would be great for a math class. The story could be read to the students and they could work in groups or as individuals to figure out the similiar problems that are offered. It would be a fun activity that would make the children feel that they can be just as smart as Frank.

I'm a Pill Bug- Nonfiction: Informational

I'm a Pill Bug is an informational children's story about pill bugs. I did not know what a pill bug was when I first got the story. I soon found out that pill bug is the correct name for what I have always know to be "rollie pollies". This story provides a lot of information these interesting creatures from a pill bug's perspective. I had no idea that they eat concrete and their shells after shedding them, are related to crabs and shrimp, or hibernated in the winter. I think that this would be a great book for a science experiment. At the end of the story, the pill bug tells how to keep one as a pet for awhile. This could be done in a classroom after the story is read. The students could go outside and collect some pill bugs to observe for a little while. I think that young students would have a lot of fun with seeing what the pill bugs would eat and how they would react to their new environment. I have a feeling that a lot of them would have had previous experiences with pill bugs, but not know most of the information that the book provides about them.

The Water Hole- Counting Picture Book

The Water Hole is a counting book for children. The only problem with this is that some of the words that it uses would not be understood by children who are just learning how to count. Some of the words that the books uses are "delectable", "wallowing", "floundering", "fiscal year", and "lumbering". It would take so long to try and explain these words to young children that it would take away from them being taught counting. This book would be more helpful for teaching older students about droughts and seasons. Each page shows the watering hole getting smaller because more and more animals are drinking out if and and there has been no rain. The drought gets so bad that all of the animals have to leave and the land dries up. In the end, the drought ends and the rain comes. All of the animals return to the water. This would also be a great story for teaching about different parts of the world. Every picture is from a different area and has a famous monument from that place in the background. The last page of the book explains what each of these pages represents. The places include: Africa, India, South America, Himalayas, North America, rivers and streams, China, Europe, Galapagos Islands, and Australia. I did not realize this as I was reading the book. After I read the last page and found this out, I went back through and studied the pictures a little bit more. Every picture has such great detail and hidden information. Graeme Base's stories definitely have more to them than what first meets the eye.

The Grouchy Lady Bug- Concept Book

Anyone who has read an Eric Carle book knows what wonderful books they are. They always seem to have beautiful pictures and great messages to get across to children. A lot of his books are interactive stories that keep the readers engaged. The Grouchy Ladybug not only taught a lesson on sharing and being kind to others, but it also incorporated the concept of time. The grouchy ladybug flew along and came upon a new animal to challenge each hour. The story starts at 6 o'clock in the morning and ends at 6 o'clock at night. Each page also shows a picture of the sun's location at all of the hours. At the end of the story, the grouchy ladybug comes across a whale. She reaches different parts of the whale in fifteen minute increments. The only problem I had with this was that it seems to give the students a false sense of time. I would not think that it would take a ladybug fifteen minutes to fly from a whale's head to it's fin. And it certainly wouldn't take a ladybug 45 minutes to fly the length of a whale. I would not use this to teach time because I would be afraid it would confuse my students. They would either think ladybugs move as fast as snails or they would think that fifteen minutes is equivalent to about how long five minutes actually takes. It has a great moral lesson and is an extremely cute book, but doesn't do as wonderful of a job with the reality of time.

Frog Goes to Dinner- Wordless Book

Frog Goes to Dinner is a wordless storybook. When I first saw that we had to read a book of this type, I thought that I was going to find it boring and confusing. I didn't think it was possible to write a decent story without using any words. This book proved me wrong. It has such great illustrations that readers of any age would have no problem following along. A story of this nature gives the reader a plot to follow, but allows them to make up any dialouge to go along with it. You can tell how the characters are feeling by the expression on their faces, but what exactly they are saying is left up to the imagination. I think that this book would be great for any child that cannot yet read. It would show how well they can interpret the pictures. They are very entertaining, so the children should enjoy them.

The Principal's New Clothes- Traditional Literature

The Principal's New Clothes is a story that every child should get to experience. It is based off of the well-known fable, The Emperor's New Clothes. The Principal's New Clothes is about a principal who was always very well dressed. He had so many suits that he would sometimes change in the middle of the day to wear a new one. One day, two "tailors" come and offer to make him a special magical suit. They claim that it will only be able to be seen by those who are smart and good at their jobs. He decides to get it so that he will be able to see which of the students in his school are smart and which of the teachers are good at their jobs. The principal sends people to check on the suit while it is being made to see how it looks. Unfortunately, everyone who checks is not able to see it. They begin to worry that they are not smart or good at their jobs, so they lie to principal when he asks how it looks. They tell him it looks great and they hurry away. Soon, the principal goes to check for himself. Much to his horror, he is not able to see his new suits. He does not want anyone to think that he himself is not smart or good at his job so he decides to proudly wear one of these "suits" to the assembly the next day. Everyone tells the principal how good the suit looks, only none of them are able to see it. It is not until one of the kindergartners shouts that the principal is in his underwear that everyone realizes that they have been tricked and that the suit is not real. This story is very fun and easy for all students to relate to because it is in a school setting. It shows them the importance of not worrying what others think of you because it can backfire. It is a quick read and would be great for any elementary age group.

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets- Book to Movie Comparison

After reading every Harry Potter book, it is safe to say that there is not one that I did not enjoy. J.K. Rawling does a great job of coming up with new events in each story to write about. She has such a vivid imagination that she finds a way to make the stories almost seem life-like. Harry, Ron, and Hermione seem like regular kids that the reader can relate to. They go through much of the same problems that we do, only they also have supernatural ones added on as well. Harry Potter becomes a hero to us as we are reading the books because of all of his heroic acts. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets is one of my favorite Harry Potter books. I enjoy it more than the first because it spends less time explaining the background of Harry Potter because the reader already knows it. Therefore, there is more action in this book. Of course, Harry and Ron start the year off in the same manner that they spent much of the last one- in trouble. They don't make it through the barrier to get to the Hogwarts Express, so they take the Weasley family's flying car. They end up crashing it upon their arrival. The year continues to pose problems for them. Students start becoming petrified and rumors start to fly around that The Chamber of Secrets has been opened. Harry, Ron, and Hermione go on a quest to find out why this is happening and why their teachers will not discuss with them what The Chamber of Secrets is. The book is long, but can be read within a day. It is so suspenseful that I was not able to put it down until I was finished. I would not suggest starting any Harry Potter book if you do not have an entire day that will be interruption-free because you are not going to be able to pry your eyes away from the page.

Letters From Wolfie- Rebecca Caudill nominee 2008

Letters From Wolfie has quickly become one of my favorite books that I have ever read. I was a bit leery about reading it at the beginning because I knew it was based on events that happened during the Vietnam War. Not being a big fan of history, I was afraid that I would find this boring and a slow read. I could not have been more wrong. Mark is the main character in the story. His brother, Danny, leaves to go to war and Mark is left feeling inadequate in his family. Everyone is so proud of Danny for serving his country that Mark rarely gets attention. He finds out the the army is looking for German shepherd scout dogs to send over to Vietnam to help the soldiers. This would be his chance to be a hero just like his brother, so Mark decides to go for it and signs up his part German shepherd dog, Wolfie. He instantly regrets his decision as Wolfie departs. Wolfie has always been his best friend and they were inseparable. Being away from him is the hardest thing Mark has ever endured. He begins to send letters to Wolfie's trainer, in hopes that he will find out how things are going. The two write back and forth throughout Wolfie's adventure at war. Mark begins to grow more nervous as the war seems to be getting more dangerous. He hears warnings about how many dogs are dying and begins to fear more and more for Wolfie's safety. It would be wise to invest in a box of Kleenex and to have it handy when reading this book. It shows how brave one young little boy had to be to help his country in their time of need. You won't be able to put the book down as you wonder how Wolfie will ever make it through this awful journey.

It's Like This, Cat- Newbery Winner 1964

It's Like This, Cat is the heart-warming story of a boy named Dave's adventure through adolescence and how he begins to understand more about life with his best friend, Cat, by his side. Dave gets Cat from his "crazy cat-woman" friend, Kate. He goes to visit her after Cat followed her home and falls in love with the handsome tomcat. Dave takes Cat home and they become best pals. The only person who tries to get between them is Dave's father. Dave does not get along with his father. Everything that his father expects of him, Dave is not. This causes much tension in their home. Inevitably, when Dave brings Cat home, his father is not pleased. The arguments continue throughout the book as Dave gets into trouble with the law, meets a girl, and tries to help a friend. Even when Dave feels he has nobody to turn to, Cat is always there to comfort him. As Dave gets to experience more parts of life and compares his family to others less fortunate, he begins to realize that things could always be a lot worse. The more he focuses on this, the more he sees that his father is not as horrible of a person as he always thought. This story does a great job of depicting the struggles between teenagers and their parents as they are growing up. It would be perfect for any teen to read. They may even realize that their parents are just trying to do their best to protect them and help them grow into disciplined individuals.

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie- Literature Based Lesson Plan Book

If You Give A Mouse A Cookie is a well-known favorite for young readers. There are endless activities that teachers can choose from that relate to the story. Its repetitive writing is very fun for any child and the items are ridiculous for a mouse to inquire about. I have always enjoyed the book because of its humor. The mouse keeps the boy running around all day because he is never pleased. The illustrations are what really makes this story wonderful. They show the boy's depleting energy as the day goes on and he grows exhausted from servicing the mouse. If You Give A Mouse A Cookie has a great message for children. Besides teaching them about cause and effect, it also teaches them about how it is important to be grateful for what you have. The mouse is not happy with just having a cookie, so he continues to ask for more and more. Children can see how hard it is on others when they do not appreciate what they are given. This story is a good way to show them that they should take the time to realize how fortunate they are to have what they do.

Clementine- Monarch Nominee 2009

I thoroughly enjoyed reading Clementine. These are the types of books that I would have loved to have read as a child when i was just beginning to read chapter books on my own. I even think I would have enjoyed them if my parents had read them to me. Even as a nineteen year old, I found myself chuckling at the humor throughout the story. It was a very easy read as well because it was so entertaining. I felt like a child all over again, waiting in anticipation to hear the end of the story. I know the book isn't very long, but I did end up reading it in one sitting because I became so engrossed. There is humor in the book that young children will pick up on, but there is also humor in there that becomes even more funny when you realize what it would be like to actually come across a child like Clementine. Being an elementary education major, I found myself imagining what it would be like to have Clementine as a student. I think it would also be interesting to read this book again in a few years when I have a class of my own to see if I have any students that remind me of the characters in the story.

My Mama Needs Me- 1984 Coretta Scott King illustrator winner

My Mama Needs Me would not be a book that I would recommend to others to read. It wasn't a bad book for a one-time read, but it's not something that I would want to read any more than that. It also is not one of the top books that I have read in awhile, which would be why I would not recommend it to others. It wasn't that I disliked the book; it just was not one of my favorites. This is a cute book for portraying how children always want to be of help to their parents, but it doesn't really have a point other than that. I can relate to the book because I know that I would do whatever I could to help my mother with my younger sister after she was born. Jason is no different that any other child who wants take over the duties of caring for a younger sibling. I think that children would be able to relate to him, but they would not find the book interesting or funny because there is nothing out of the ordinary that happens. I just do not feel that this book would be able to hold their attention. It would be something they would have to read as they got older because they might be able to relate to it better thinking back to when they were younger.

The Friendship- 1988 Coretta Scott King author winner

I thought The Friendship was an excellent book. I had never heard of it before, but am very glad that I chose to read it. It had beautiful pictures that really brought the story to life as well as a very strong message. The Friendship showed the importance of standing up for what you believe in and staying true to the people you care about as well as yourself. It broke my heart to see Mr. Tom Bee betrayed by the man whose life he had saved various times. Mr. Tom Bee shows the readers the importance of not following the crowd. He knows that he deserves to be treated fairly and that he has earned the respect of these men, and refuses to lower himself to their level. This is a very important lesson for young children to learn because they will soon be pressured to follow the crowd. Unfortunately, John Wallace chose to follow the crowd and let down the person who used to be his best friend. The reader sees what an impact these actions can have on another person's life and how badly someone can be hurt by someone they thought they could trust. Hopefully, this story would have enough of an impact on the reader to make them think twice about how their actions are going to affect others.

Maniac Magee- 1991 Newbery Winner

Maniac Magee is a book that I enjoy very much. When I chose it, I remembered that I had read it in school when I was younger, but had forgotten what it was about. It is important for children to read this book when they are around middle school age because they will soon be faced with new forms of diversity issues. Maniac Magee shows these kids how race should not make a difference in who you associate with. It has such a strong message that I enjoyed it more now than I had ever before. I think that it is very important to go back and reread the books that you had read as a child. As you get older, you start to appreciate the stories more and can relate to the issues that they express. I had never been faced with diversity before middle school because we were taught to be friends with everyone. All of this changes as you get older and start to develop your own identity and experience new things. Maniac Magee gave me a preview of racial issues before I ever saw them for myself. Of course, I never saw them to the degree that book the portrayed them, but that does not mean that they were not existant.

Fables- 1981 Caldecott Winner

Fables proved to be a very interesting read. It is a collection of short stories that each have their own message. Although the messages are great life-lessons to know, they are not anything that a child would be interested in. Many of them are too complex or worded in a way that kids would not understand. I think that this book might be okay for 4th or 5th graders if the teacher just picked a select few stories out of it to read to them. A couple of the stories contain valuable lessons for the students to know and state them in a way that they might be able to understand as long as the teacher discussed them with the students. I even found a few of the stories to be weird and make no sense, so the teacher needs to make sure that he or she is picky in choosing what stories to have the students read.

Jumanji- 1982 Caldecott Winner

I chose to read Jumanji because it reminded me of the many times that I watched the movie as a child. I vaguely recall having the book read to me back in grade school, but there is no way I could forget the many nights that the movie Jumanji would be on television and my sisters and I would watch it, completely engrossed. Presently, I enjoy the book more than the movie because I feel that the movie was a little bit drawn out. I think that the book got the point across in about 15 pages of text just as well as the movie did. I also really enjoyed the beautiful illustrations in the story. The pictures are incredibly realistic and would be great to show to a classroom of young children. I really enjoyed reading this book. It helped me to realize even more how books are important to read because they can actually prove be better than the movie, despite what most children will tell you.