Thirteen Reasons Why book and tv series.

This is the new cover based on the actors of the tv series. I loved these actors! They did an awesome job on a tough subject and yes there is some very graphic scenes that I was crying my eyes out over. Heck I was crying on almost every episode and generally I don't like stories or movies that make me cry but this really resonated with me.

Here is the original book cover and nope still not read it but I am now that I have seen tv show.



both images from amazon!

Module 15 Censorship

Book Cover:



Book Summary:
In the Central Park Zoo two male penguins Roy and Silo hang out together and act like a penguin couple. They even try to hatch their own rock but nothing happens. So the zookeeper puts an egg from another penguin couple in their nest to hatch. The two penguins take care of the egg until it hatches and the zookeeper names the penguin Tango. This was based on a true story.
APA Reference of Book:

Richardson, J., Parnell, P., & Cole, H. (2015). And Tango makes three. New York: Little Simon.

Impressions:
I loved the illustrations with the cute penguins. I can see maybe why people have trouble with this story because it is about two MALE penguins acting like a couple. However I don't think most young kids would focus on this and if they do I think they realize any one can be a family. At the end it talks about why the zookeeper put the egg with them (another penguin couple couldn't care for two eggs so it would die) and I think that this compassion for the penguin egg and the way they tried to save it was ingenious.  Overall a good story about families.

Professional Review:
PreS-Gr 3-- This tale based on a true story about a charming penguin family living in New York City's Central Park Zoo will capture the hearts of penguin lovers everywhere. Roy and Silo, two male penguins, are "a little bit different." They cuddle and share a nest like the other penguin couples, and when all the others start hatching eggs, they want to be parents, too. Determined and hopeful, they bring an egg-shaped rock back to their nest and proceed to start caring for it. They have little luck, until a watchful zookeeper decides they deserve a chance at having their own family and gives them an egg in need of nurturing. The dedicated and enthusiastic fathers do a great job of hatching their funny and adorable daughter, and the three can still be seen at the zoo today. Done in soft watercolors, the illustrations set the tone for this uplifting story, and readers will find it hard to resist the penguins' comical expressions. The well-designed pages perfectly marry words and pictures, allowing readers to savor each illustration. An author's note provides more information about Roy, Silo, Tango, and other chinstrap penguins. This joyful story about the meaning of family is a must for any library.

By Julie Roach, Watertown Free Public Library, MA
Roach, J., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). And Tango  makes three. School Library Journal, 51(7), 81.

Library Uses: 
I think I would use this book in a censorship lesson and talk about why they think people would ban this book. Do they think the book should be banned?

My Rating: ****

Module 14 Poetry and Story Collections

Book Cover:



Book Summary:
Poems about the origami creatures a little boy makes in the book and what he does with them after he makes them.
APA Reference of Book:

George, K. O., & Stringer, L. (2005). Fold me a poem. Orlando: Harcourt.

Impressions:
Very simple poems about the origami creatures the boy makes. The pictures are pretty and bright using different perspectives on different pages. Despite being simple text the poems are great and spark the imagination. It feels like the little boy is talking to the origami animals or the reader. I wish that it had how to make the origami animals in the book at the back! It does give you some suggestions for what books to read to learn more.

Professional Review:
K-Gr 2-- George's 32 brief poems focus on a boy as he folds a series of origami animals and imagines their thoughts and possible activities. Some of the selections exhibit a creative spark, while others tend to take their meaning from the illustrations, which are the real strength of the presentation. The vividly colored acrylics depict the boy actively engaged in play with his creations, and the details that Stringer provides infuse the verses with both energy and humor. Her illustrator's note offers insight into her own efforts to master the art of origami. No patterns or instructions are included, although a useful bibliography is appended to guide those wishing to learn the craft themselves.
~~~~~~~~
By Grace Oliff, Ann Blanche Smith School, Hillsdale, NJ
Oliff, G., Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., & Raben, D. (2005). Fold Me a Poem. School Library Journal, 51(3), 193

Library Uses:
You could include this as a read aloud for different poems. Also as an extension you can have students try and fold basic animals.

My Rating: ***

Module 13 Graphic Novels and Series Books

Book Cover:



Book Summary:
During the Great Depression Jack and his family are having problems. Jack's sister is sick, he is getting picked on, his dad is upset with him, and there has not been any rain. Jack does battle with a rain monster in the barn (did it really happen or is it dust dementia?) and finally it rains.

APA Reference of Book:

Phelan, M. (2011). The storm in the barn. Somerville, Mass: Candlewick.

Impressions:
The washed out watercolors of brown, black, grey, orange, and very rarely red help you envision that you are in the past. There is very little text which also gets across the sparseness of the times. Despite that you can follow what is going on. The battle between good and evil is a little dark so I wouldn't recommend this for younger readers. I really liked how this really captured the despaire and feelings of this time in history.

Professional Review:
Gr 5-7--It is 1937 in Kansas, during the Dust Bowl, and 11-year-old Jack can barely remember a world with plentiful water and crops. Unable to help his father with a harvest that isn't there, and bullied by the other boys his age, he feels like a useless baby. Stories offer a refuge, and there are multiple stories in this work. Jack's mother tells about the time when the land was a fertile "paradise." Jack's invalid sister, Dorothy, is readingThe Wizard of Oz, gaining inspiration from the adventures of another Kansan of the same name. Jack's friend comforts him with folktales about a brave man named Jack who masters nature, battling the King of the West Wind, the King of Blizzards, and the King of the Northeast Winds. In the end, Phelan turns the Dust Bowl into another one of Ernie's "Jack" tales when the real Jack encounters the Storm King in an abandoned barn and finds out that he has been holding back the rain. The boy must then gather the strength to determine his own narrative, as well as his parched town's future. Children can read this as a work of historical fiction, a piece of folklore, a scary story, a graphic novel, or all four. Written with simple, direct language, it's an almost wordless book: the illustrations' shadowy grays and blurry lines eloquently depict the haze of the dust. A complex but accessible and fascinating book.
~~~~~~~~

By Lisa Goldstein, Brooklyn Public Library, NY
Goldstein, L. (2009). The Storm in the Barn. School Library Journal, 55(9), 190.

Library Uses:

My Rating:

Module 12 Biographies

Book Cover:



Book Summary:
From the time Albert was born he was odd and different. He was taken with math and found being with others hard but dealing with questions he had and answering them fascinating to him. His life story continues until his adulthood telling about how being different actually helped him with his science ideas. At the end there is an author note explaining a little bit more about his ideas.

APA Reference of Book:

Brown, D. (2014). Odd boy out: young Albert Einstein. Boston, MA: National Braille Press.

Impressions:
Pen drawn pictures with the muddy watercolors helps you think of that time period and when Albert starts to do good things the pictures brighten up a little bit. It kind of gives a dreary or sad feel to the story. I found that the author showed Einstein as a troubled boy and adult but didn't really talk a lot about his positives until the end. I think due to the time period he really was way ahead of his time and was criticized and not given credit due to his religion for a long time. I did like that it showed he persevered through his hardships and being different and didn't let that stop him for questioning and wondering to come up with the theory of relativity. The story was more tell than showing so may be a little dry for students.

Professional Review:

Gr 2-5-- This well-crafted picture-book biography focuses on Einstein's hard-to-classify brilliance, which led to awesome scientific discoveries, but all too often left him a misunderstood outsider. Brown describes his subject's loving, cultured parents who were frequently nonplussed by their son's behavior and temper. He found himself the "odd boy" at school, and as the only Jewish student, was sometimes taunted by other children. He puzzled his instructors as well; though clearly gifted in science, math, and music, he was an indifferent student in most subjects. Brown's pen-and-ink and watercolor illustrations, rendered in a palette of dusky mauve and earthy brown, portray a doubtful, somewhat unhappy-looking child, except for a picture in which he gazes fondly at a compass, a gift that astonishes him as he ponders its mysteries. In many scenes he is marginalized on the sidelines, set apart by color and shading. One dramatic spread features an adult Einstein pushing his child in a carriage, looking small against a backdrop that highlights some of the scientific puzzles that so engaged him. Through eloquent narrative and illustration, Brown offers a thoughtful introduction to an enigmatic man. This book will pique the interest of readers with little or no knowledge of Einstein.

Jones, T. E., Toth, L., Charnizon, M., Grabarek, D., Larkins, J., & Taniguchi, M. (2004). Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein (Book). School Library Journal, 50(10),  138-139.

Library Uses:
Good to use when talking about biographies and inventors. Most have heard of Einstein but don't know why he is important. Also good to read when talking about perseverance, not giving up, and being different.

My Rating: ***

Book Boys: The Book Boys Unleashed

I have this in my library so good first choice to play!

Meet the Book Boys!

Ok we all know how hard it is to get boys reading, well this sounds like an awesome video to show weekly to my class of mainly BOYS (14 boys 6 girls and used to be 16 and 6 lol)!!!

March Book Madness Update

I have been so busy I forgot to post who won the March Book Madness!! Well I predicted it would be something else but I got knocked out in my bracket so I then chose Gaston and Ivan to pair off and that is what happened!! And the winner is.....................................................


                                          

Oh and there is a sequel or spin off to this cute and funny book!!!!

Module 11 Informational Books

Book Cover:

Book Summary:
The author takes you through the life of a bear from Spring until Winter talking about the things the bear does and what it eats in short sentences and questions.

APA Reference of Book:

Sayre, A. P., & Jenkins, S. (2013). Eat like a bear. New York: Ed. Henry Holt and Company.

Impressions:
I love the torn paper collages that show the bear as the seasons pass. They are very realistic and add depth to the pictures. There is a lot of repetitive text to help younger readers follow as well as some upper grade vocabulary such as  gnaw, parsnip, and bison. While the non-fiction narrative is about a bear there really isn't a lot of facts in the story itself. At the end there is a two page fact sheet telling you all about grizzly bears. Overall I liked the book not for learning more about bears but as an enjoyable book for fun.

Professional Review:

PreS-Gr 3— Posing the question, "Can you eat like a bear?" this book follows a brown bear as it forages for food throughout the year. Emerging from hibernation in April, the animal sets out on its quest. Each month provides a different delicacy: crispy roots and a ground squirrel in July, juicy huckleberries in September, a stash of pinecones in October. All serve to fatten up the omnivorous creature as it prepares once again for hibernation. The short text is set in a clear, large font and that, coupled with the big, full-color, cut-and torn-paper collage illustrations, makes it a natural for sharing with a group. The mammals themselves are rendered by using handmade Mexican bark paper. Its rough nature gives them greater impact and dimension on the pages. The extensive end notes provide details about the diet of the brown bear, or _I_Ursus artos_i_, its threatened status, and current scientific studies. This additional information increases the usefulness of the title, making it a viable classroom and research tool. That, along with the beautiful art, makes this a first choice for most libraries

Sites, S. L. (2013). Eat Like a Bear. School Library Journal, 59(10), 1.

Library Uses:  
For the younger grades you could use this to sequence months of the year as well as trying the art process of torn paper collages to make animals or other pictures. You could also focus on the illustrators of torn paper collages and do the art activity.

My Rating: ***

Module 10 Historical Fiction

Book Cover

Book Summary:
Tomas' family moves from Iowa to Texas to work in the fields. This story tells about how he went to the library and read books given to him by the librarian to read. He would get lost in the books and be able to take some home to read to his family because the librarian checked some out under her name. When it was time to leave he thanked her with some pan dulce and she gave him a new book and a love of reading to remember her by. Later on in life Tomas became a national education leader and professor but still remembered this librarian in Iowa.

APA Reference of Book:

Mora, P., & Colón, R. (1997). Tomas and the library lady. New York: A.A. Knopf.

Impressions:
WOW! This book was powerful in that it shows how just reading a book can transform your life. The librarian went out of her way to make the books accessible to Tomas by checking books out to him under her name and by giving him books that he was interested in. I also like how it shows the spanish/hispanic culture of story telling, food, and family. The pictures with their wood block printing also gave it a "old time" feel but also lent to the culture as well. Living in Texas this should be a staple in any classroom or library!

Professional Review:
Gr 2-4--Tomas Rivera, who at his death in 1984 was the Chancellor of the University of California at Riverside, grew up in a migrant family. Here, Mora tells the fictionalized story of one summer in his childhood during which his love of books and reading is fostered by a librarian in Iowa, who takes him under her wing while his family works the harvest. She introduces him to stories about dinosaurs, horses, and American Indians and allows him to take books home where he shares them with his parents, grandfather, and brother. When it is time for the family to return to Texas, she gives Tomas the greatest gift of all--a book of his own to keep. Colon's earthy sun-warmed colors, textured with swirling lines, add life to this biographical fragment and help portray Tomas's reading adventures in appealing ways. Stack this up with Sarah Stewart and David Small's The Library (Farrar, 1995) and Suzanne Williams and Steven Kellogg's Library Lil (Dial, 1997) to demonstrate the impact librarians can have on youngsters.

Elleman, B. (1997). Preschool to grade 4: Fiction. School Library Journal, 43(10), 105.

Library Uses:
Hmm. Not sure maybe to talk about someone who was important to their reading journey or just talk about what they remember about learning to read and books to now? Maybe favorite book? Or did someone ever recommend a book to you since the librarian gave him a book she thought he would like.

My Rating: I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars!

Module 9 Mystery

Book Cover

Book Summary:
In the land of nursery rhymes Little Boy Blue becomes a detective. One of his jobs is to find Little Miss Muffet. So he searches all over town meeting different nursery rhymes until he finds Miss Muffit who doesn't like curds and whey but wants to try porridge.....in the woods!

APA Reference of Book:

Metzger, S., & Arnold, T. (2011). Detective Blue [several different titles found for this book but used this since found on copyright page listed like this]. New York: Orchard Books.

Impressions:

This was a cute easy mystery for young readers who like Fly Guy (same illustrator). The bulgy eyes and bean shaped people are funny looking like in Fly Guy but still not too over the top. It is set up like a graphic novel or comic which is also a format kids love, but they don't tend to read mysteries. I think the graphic novel format will draw them in to reading a mystery. It gives you the basics to a mystery: someone missing or has something missing,  clues, and the solution. Since this story is so simple I would recommend it for kinder through third grade. I also liked the additional I spy aspect in the front to try and find all the different nursery rhymes in the book.

Professional Review:

PreS-Gr 2-- Nursery-rhyme characters take on new, but somewhat familiar, roles in this comic-book-style mystery featuring the dedicated flatfoot formerly known as Little Boy Blue. After a typical day starting with cleaning the dish and spoon and making sure Mary's lamb doesn't get into school, Detective Blue is approached by a panicked Jack Sprat reporting that Miss Muffet is missing. In panels full of funny details and spoken asides, the gumshoe interviews various denizens of the rhyme scene to track down his quarry. The mystery is solved when a spider reports that Miss Muffet hates curds and whey and went looking for some tasty porridge. Blue finds Miss Goldilocks Muffet fleeing the three bears' cottage, resulting in a celebratory and satisfying conclusion. Referencing more than 20 nursery rhymes, the madcap mystery will keep children--and adults--intrigued with tiny tips that point the detective and readers in the right direction. The bright, full-color art was created using pencil sketches and Photoshop. Arnold's typical scribbly and big-eyed characters are a perfect match for the "film joie de vivre" atmosphere (the book is rightly dedicated to Stan Freberg) and even older kids will be unable to resist revisiting favorite rhymes from their childhood. A good bet for most collections.
 

Loch-Wouters, M. (2011). Detective Blue. School Library Journal, 57(7), 72.

Library Uses:

I would definitely use this to start a genre introduction to mysteries. I would talk about what a mystery is and the parts that make it a mystery with small posters or graphic posted on board/chart while reading the book. After the book discuss the different parts of what makes a mystery and identify or match it to the story. You could also do a sequencing activity with having them arrange the different pictures or parts of the story.

My Rating:
My students loved this book and another by a different author called Who Pushed Humpty Dumpty? and other Notorius Nurse Tale Mysteries by David Levinthal. Both are good small introductions to mysteries without a lot of words or chapters. I liked it too despite it being so simple.

Module 8: Science Fiction and Fantasy

Book Cover

Book Summary:

APA Reference of Book:
Campbell, C. M. (2013). The rise of renegade X. [Place of publication not identified]: Golden City Publishing.
Impressions:

Professional Review:

Gr 9 Up-Damien Locke lives in an alternate universe inhabited by superheroes, supervillains, and regular people. If you are a hero, a letter H appears on your thumb when you turn 16. If you are a villain, you get a V. On his 16th birthday, Damien gets an X. He is half hero, half villain, the product of a one-night stand between his mad-scientist supervillain mother and superhero father Crimson Flash, otherwise known as Gordon Tines. Gordon is certain that his son will become a full-fledged hero, but the teen is equally certain that he is going to end up a villain, and is counting on admission to Vilmore, the villain academy. While he tries to make life for his father and stepfamily unbearable, Damien's mom is hooking up with the head of Vilmore romantically as well as using her hypno-device to take over the city, and Damien is forced to choose sides. This scenario certainly works as a metaphor for the shades of gray teens have to deal with as they struggle to find their identity. The book is definitely for older teens, as there is a significant semi-explicit focus on Damien's messed-up love life as he tries to reconcile with his villain ex-girlfriend, Kat, while stringing along his new hero love interest, Sarah. This is the YA equivalent of a B movie.

Wadham, T. (2010). The Rise of Renegade X. School Library Journal, 56(7), 82.

Library Uses:

My Rating:

Children's Lit books I read before class

Here are some books that I had read before my Children's Lit class that I just could miss talking about again!!!


Module 2 Classic Picture and Chapter Books (only chapter here)

• Little Women and Little Men by Louisa May Alcott-I read these growing up and I loved them!!
• The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis- The whole series is a classic! My third or fourth grade teacher read the Magician's Apprentice to us and I read LWW to my third grade classes.

Module 3 Caldecott Medal

There are so many I am only going to mention my favorites!

• Smoky Night by Eve Bunting- Good story that some kids may have background knowledge about and the pictures are great
• Grandfather's Journey by Allen Say- Love this author's work about Asian American characters
• Tuesday by David Wiesner- Awesome wordless picture book!
• Hey Al by Arthur Yorinks- Loved the twist in this book and the parrot!
• Why Mosquitos Buzz in Peoples Ear retold by Verna Aardema- While the pictures may seem a little out dated they match the African story good. I read this growing up and I read it to my students still!

Module 4 Newbury Award

Again only my favorites!

• Holes by Louis Sachar- Read this after the movie but it was still great! Good book for boys.
• The Giver by Lois Lowry-One of my all time favorite fantasy reads.
• The Hero and the Crown by Robin Mckinley-Loved this author growing up. There are more in this series and she wrote THE best Beauty and the Beast retelling!
• The Grey King by Susan Cooper-This whole series was awesome!
• A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle-Loved this whole series and did a play for school growing up using one of the first video recorders and I was Meg. Sure wish I could get my hands on the video today!
• Island of the Blue Dolphin by Scott O'dell- Another of my all time favorites!

Module 5 Other Awards

Texas Bluebonnet

• Ten Rules You Absolutely Must Not Break to Survive the School Bus by John Grandits- This was soooo funny! A great book for writing.
• The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywait-Good book on point of view and to use with writing.
• Help Me, Mr. Mutt by Janet Stevens- This and the other one are both hysterical due to the back and forth between the dog and cat as well as the letters from other dogs.
• Cook-A-Doodle-Do by Janet Stevens-I use this book for reading and multiple meaning words. Sooo funny and the kids think so too!!

Module 6 Picture Books

• Click, Clack, Moo, Cows that Type; Duck for President; Diary of a Spider/Worm/Fly by Doreen Cronin- All are sooo good and can be use for multiple things!
• Julius, Baby of the World; Lillie's Purple Plastic Purse by Kevin Henkes-Any with his mice in it are great for character traits and feelings. Love them!
• Hooway for Wodney Wat; Tacky the Penguin by Helen Lester- Both good for talking about being different and both are funny.
• Pete the Cat by Eric Litwin- I love only the first two then they aren't as good. School Shoes best!
• Scaredy Squirrel (any) by Melanie Watt-OMG one of my favorite all time book characters heehee I even dressed up as him for Book Character day.
• Pigeon (any) and Knufflebunny by Mo Willems- Really any by him they are simple but cute!
• The True Story of the Three Little Pigs by Jon Scieszka- Good story for point of view and fairy tales being retold.
• A Bad Case of the Stripes by David Shannon- Love this story!
• Dear Mrs LaRue: Letters from Dog Obediance School (plus sequels) by Mark Teague- Funny story about an imprisoned pooch.
• Chester by Melanie Watt- Great book for writing and editing

Module 7 Realistic Fiction    I don't read a lot of this!

• Hatchet by Gary Paulsen- Thriller about being lost in wilderness. Even though he is by himself most of the book it was still not boring.

Module 8 Fantasy   I read a TON of this so lots of good ones!

• The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate De Camillo-Sooo love this book and almost cried when reading it.
• Graceling by Kristin Cashore (all in series)- This book is one of my favorites! I didn't care for the last one as much and the first I think is the best. So groundbreaking during a time when Twilight like books were everywhere! It was a breath of fresh air.
• Eragon by Chris  Paolini- I loved the first but I never got around to the rest. Could be due to the size of the book. And while I liked it I did feel it was too drawn out.
• Shiver; Linger by Maggie Steifvater- I liked them but similar to other books that were published at that time.
• Enclave by Ann Aguirre-This author publishes adult fantasy and her first for young adults I thought was better than her adult books. It is series.
• The House of Scorpion by Nancy Farmer- This book was awesome about cloning and the drug trade. I think there was sequel written not too long ago.
• Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix- This is a series and I read them when they first came out. I stopped about book 5 because they weren't as good. I liked the first one best.
• The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness-This book blew my mind about how the whole society worked. I never read the next ones because I think I read a blog and didn't like where it was going. But the first one is great.
• Maximum Ride the Angel Experiment by James Patterson- This author is primarily an adult author but wrote these for young adults. The first ones are the best and the later ones start focusing on environmental stuff. They just made a movie about the first one and for the most part it was good (the acting could have been better but it wasn't bad for a low budget movie).
• Life as We Knew It; The Dead and Gone by Susan Beth Pffeffer-Both really good apocalyptic/end of world books before the big trend. The books are set in same world but from different parts of country and timeline. I think there is at least one more in this series.
• Divergent by Veronica Roth-It was good but nothing groundbreaking.
• Bones of Faerie by Janni Lee Simner- Really good with a different spin on the fairy tale. She just put out a sequel.

Module 4 Newbery Award

Book Cover:

Book Summary:

A boy and his mom get on a bus to go to a soup kitchen on Sunday. As they ride the bus the boy listens to music that the people on the bus make.

APA Reference of Book:

Peña, M. D., & Robinson, C. (2015). Last stop on Market Street. New York, NY: G.P. Putnam's Sons Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

The pictures are very simple and use primary colors to show the bus as it takes the boy and his mom to Market Street. I found the story cute with simple sentences and you don't know until the end why they are taking the bus. As you get to the soup kitchen you realize that the boy and his mom volunteer their time. I liked that this showed how ordinary people can help others in small ways.

Professional Review:

CJ and his nana depart church and make it to the bus stop just in time to avoid an oncoming rain shower. They board the bus, and while CJ is full of questions and complaints (why don't they have a car? why must they make this trip every week? and so forth), Nana's resolute responses articulate the glories of their rich, vibrant life in the city, as presented by the bus' passengers and passages. A tattooed man checks his cell phone. An older woman keeps butterflies in a jar. A musician tunes and plays his guitar. At last the pair arrive at the titular destination and proceed to the soup kitchen where, upon recognizing friendly faces, CJ is glad they came to help. Robinson's bright, simple, multicultural figures, with their rounded heads, boxy bodies, and friendly expressions, contrast nicely with de la Peñas lyrical language, establishing a unique tone that reflects both CJ's wonder and his nanas wisdom. The celebratory warmth is irresistible, offering a picture of community that resonates with harmony and diversity. -Thom Barthelmess

Barthelmess, T. (2015). Last stop on market street. The Booklist, 111(11), 46. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/1651244372?accountid=7113

Library Uses:
Like CJ does in the book have the students listen to music with their eyes closed. Then listen again and have them draw or color a picture while the music plays. Discuss how the music helped you draw.

My Rating: ***

March Book Madness 2017

Every year for the past 5 years (I think) I have done this at my school. I post the middle grade and picture books on the wall with the brackets and I have my students pick who they think they will win. I invite the rest of the school to participate but most never do, oh well at least I am exposing them to some great book choices!  This years theme is new classics and I see a lot of last years books on here.

We spent the morning watching read alouds on YouTube or reading the books of all but 4 of them for picture book category, I am not posting middle grade due to being so busy and don't have time to post or read most of these (college and my hectic work schedule). Some I had never heard of but I really liked! Below is the link if you would like to participate.

March Book Madness

 Here are some of the books and my reactions. Last Stop on Market Street and Journey were also ones but see my reviews for my Childrens' Lit class.

The Adventures of Beekle an Unimaginary Friend by Dan Santat
Loved the pictures and the story of being different and being lonely until you find someone that likes you for who you are.

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Brody
Rosie loved to build things but everyone laughed at her inventions so she stopped making things. Her Great Aunt Rose wanted to fly so she built a contraption but it failed. Her Great Aunt showed her not to give up because of mistakes or problems. Love the rhyming text and the cheese whiz machines were funny. My students loved this book!

Snappsy the Alligator by Julia Falatko
This I had never read before but it reminded me of Piggie and Elephant with the simple drawings and the word captions. The alligator is talking to the narrator who keeps trying to say that he wants to eat everyone but he doesn't. At the end the narrator (who is a chicken) shows up at the party. My students loved this book and so did I!!

Wolfie the Bunny by Amy Dykman
Wolfie is born into a rabbit family and the little rabbit sister keeps saying that he will eat them. But instead she saves herself and him from a bear that tries to eat them. Simple text and pictures it was cute. 

Gaston by Kelly DiPuccio
Gaston is born to a family of poodles with three poodle sisters and is taught how to be a poodle. He can't do it right and one day they go to park and meet a family of bulldog brothers with a sister poodle. They switch but realize even though they are the right dog breed that they don't belong with that family so they switch back. Cute story about being different. The kids thought is was cute and I laughed a lot.

My Teacher is a Monster by Peter Brown
This was very funny because sometimes I hear that I am a mean teacher at my school but my students after having me realize that I am just strict. The teacher is mean to the boy but when they meet at the park his view of the teacher changes and so does she! I laughed and the students liked it.

Trombone Shorty by Troy Trombone Shorty Andrews
I had never heard of this book before but the pictures were stunning and the story was easy to follow and not boring as some biographies can be. The pictures at the end of what Shorty really looked like during this story were great! The students liked this book a lot. 

Pink is for Blobfish: Discovering the World's Perfectly Pink Animals
This was an upper grade read probably for fourth or fifth grade. The kids thought the pictures were gross or cool. I had not heard of most of these animals.

Module 7 Realistic Fiction

Book Cover:




Book Summary:
Melinda is ostracized at school when she calls the cops at a party. But we really don't know why the cops are called until later in the books. Melinda starts to not speak and we come to find out that Melinda was raped and her behavior was her way of trying to deal with it.

APA Reference of Book:

Anderson, L. H. (1999). Speak (1st ed.). New York, NY: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Impressions:

I really identified with Melinda in this book. I pretty much loved school but sat in class and didn't participate or speak up and I just didn't get the whole hoopla about high school. I was bullied a lot in high school because I was quiet, always reading,  not good looking, wore funky clothes, and I wore glasses. Now as an adult I ask myself why didn't I ever say anything or do something about it. But I realize I was too scared and we didn't talk about things like that then.  So I totally got why Melinda was afraid even though I was not ever raped or even put into a situation close to this. The writing was authentic to me and I could see teens acting or speaking this way (or at least when I was a teen lol). One of the best realistic fiction books I have read (I don't tend to read a lot of this genre for teens I read more fantasy). I would recommend that all teens read this and discuss the issues in this book even though it is a tough topic and the tone in the book at times was dark or depressing.

Professional Review:

Gr. 8-12. Having broken up an end-of summer party by calling the police, high school freshman Melinda Sordino begins the school year as a social outcast. She's the only person who knows the real reason behind her call she was raped at the party by Andy Evans, a popular senior at her school. Slowly, with the help of an eccentric and understanding art teacher. she begins to recover from the trauma, only to find Andy threatening her again. Melinda's voice is distinct unusual, and very real as she recounts her past and present experiences in bitterly ironic, occasionally even amusing vignettes. In her YA fiction debut, Anderson perfectly captures the harsh conformity of high-school cliques and one teen's struggle to find acceptance from her peers. Melinda's sarcastic wit, honesty, and courage make her a memorable character whose ultimate triumph will inspire and empower readers.

Carton, D. (1999). Speak. The Booklist, 96(2), 247. Retrieved from https://libproxy.library.unt.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/235408112?accountid=7113

Library Uses:
This would be after the class has read the book. Read poems “Alone,” “I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings,” and “Still I Rise.” by Maya Angelou who Melinda refers to in the story. Discuss why would Anderson use Maya Angelou as someone who Melinda finds comfort or strength in. Find parts in the poems that may have spoken to Melinda or that Melinda may have liked and discuss why.

My Rating: *****

Module 5 Coretta Scott King Award

Book Cover:




Book Summary:

Rashad a black teen goes into a store to get chips and a white lady trips on him when he bends over to get his phone. The store clerk and cop believe he is stealing and the cop beats up Rashad and sends him to the hospital for a weeks. A white boy Quinn sees what happens and knows the cop as a family friend. As Rashad heals in the hospital and his family deal with what happened, the community becomes divided about what really happened. Quinn also comes to deal with what he saw and how he should respond. The school becomes a hotbed of activity for what happened and a movement and protest to support Rashad forms as the book closes.

APA Reference of Book:
Reynolds, J., & Kiely, B. (2015). All American boys. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Impressions:

Wow. This was a very gritty book about something that is still happening today. I liked the intro and ending with the zooming in and out and showing the big picture.  I really thought that this was a very good telling from both view points, the black teen and the white teen. Reynolds really did go to the root of the problem with even if you stay neutral you are part of the problem. He showed how at first Quinn had no problem but as the story progressed how he started thinking about it and how his view of this person he knew changed based on what he saw that day and what had happened in previous memories of Quinn's.  It also showed how Rashad didnt want to get more involved but started to see that he didn't need to hide or be afraid to vlice his opinion about what happened.  I thought it was interesting that Reynolds didn't have a trail take place. It made the focus on the two boys and how everyone was impacted rather than what may have happened in a trial which I think was a smart move.


Professional Review:

Two teenage boys, one black (Rashad) and one white (Quinn), are inextricably linked when Quinn witnesses Rashad being savagely beaten with little or no provocation by a policeman who has served as Quinn’s de facto big brother since his father was killed in Afghanistan—and whose younger brother is one of Quinn’s best friends. Can Quinn simply walk away from this apparent atrocity and pretend he hasn’t seen what he has seen? And what of Rashad? Hospitalized with internal bleeding, all he wants is to be left alone so he can focus on his art. The challenge for both boys becomes more intense when the case becomes a cause célèbre dividing first their school and then the entire community. The basketball team becomes a microcosm of split loyalties and angry disputes that come to a head when a protest march powerfully demonstrates the importance of action in the face of injustice. With Reynolds writing Rashad’s first-person narrative and Kiely writing Quinn’s, this hard-edged, ripped-from-the-headlines book is more than a problem novel; it’s a carefully plotted, psychologically acute, character-driven work of fiction that dramatizes an all-too-frequent occurrence. Police brutality and race relations in America are issues that demand debate and discussion, which this superb book powerfully enables.  — Michael Cart

Cart, M. (2015, September 15). Review . Booklist.

Library Uses: 
I am not sure how I would use this in the library. Possibly to talk about what you would do if it was your friend, what side would you take? Would you speak up and go to the protest or would you just go along with what the coach or the mom was saying and only worry about you and the team?

My Rating: ****

Module 6: Picture Books

Book Cover:







Book Summary:
This book is told through pictures of a girl who finds a red item (crayon? marker?) and draws things in the picture to make something happen which makes something else happen until finally at the end she helps a bird escape a cage who ends up helping her.

APA Reference of Book:

Becker, A (2014). Journey. London: Walker Books.


Impressions: 
This reminded me a lot of Flotsam or Tuesday by Weisner and Harold and the Purple Crayon combined together.  While the pictures are good I didn't like them as much as Weisner's art. The pictures were not as clear or crisp which is probably deliberate because it looks a lot like a dream. I like the idea of the girl using the red drawing to advance the story and it worked for the most part.

Professional Review:

School Library Journal July 2013
Gr 1-4-In this auspicious debut picture book, a lonely girl escapes the boredom of a sepia-toned world by drawing a doorway to a magical realm. Harkening back to Crockett Johnson's Harold, this child uses a red crayon and a lot of imagination to venture across a Venice-like kingdom, fly among a fleet of steampunk airships, and take off on a magic carpet ride. When an act of compassion and bravery lands the heroine in a cage, it's her magic crayon and a bit of help from a new friend that save the day. This captivating wordless story has all the elements of a classic adventure: unknown lands, death-defying stunts, and a plucky lead. Finely detailed pen-and-ink line drawings combine with luminous washes of watercolor to create a rich and enchanting setting. Becker builds a sense of suspense by varying colorful full-page spreads with smaller vignettes that feature the girl and her red crayon surrounded by ample white space. The final page shows the youngster and her new friend riding a tandem bicycle pointing onward. Endpapers spotlight all manner of transportation: ships, trains, cars, and even space shuttles. The strong visual narrative makes this an appealing choice for a wide range of ages. By the turn of the last page, children will immediately begin imagining the next adventure.–Kiera Parrott, Darien Library, CT

Library Uses:
I would use this for writing a story or story telling. You could also have the students draw a picture and add their own own red drawn item and girl.  

My Rating: ***

Module 3 Flotsam

Book Cover

APA Reference of Book:

Weisner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York, NY: Clarion Books.

Book Summary:
Since this is a picture book the plot is determined by the readers. The front and end pages are beautifully illustrated to look like the beach or items found at a beach. A boy is at a beach and is exploring and finds a camera with film in it so he takes it to be developed. Strange things are in the pictures he found. At the end he takes a picture of himself and throws the camera back into the water.

Impressions:
The artwork is stunning and very realistic with bright colors to match the season and being at the beach. The story is wonderfully told through the pictures and including the wonder and surprise of of what the boys sees in the pictures. There are enough pictures to tell the story but there are enough gaps as well to develop your own spin on what exactly is going on and how the story ends. I will definitely have to keep this author on my to buy list!

Professional Review:
Two-time Caldecott winner Wiesner (Tuesday; The Three Pigs) crafts another wordless mystery, this one set on an ordinary beach and under an enchanted sea. A saucerlike fish's eye stares from the exact center of the dust jacket, and the fish's scarlet skin provides a knockout background color. First-timers might not notice what's reflected in its eye, but return visitors will: it's a boxy camera, drifting underwater with a school of slim green fish. In the opening panels, Wiesner pictures another close-up eye, this one belonging to a blond boy viewing a crab through a magnifying glass. Visual devices--binoculars and a microscope in a plastic bag--rest on a nearby beach towel, suggesting the boy's optical curiosity. After being tossed by a wave, the studious boy finds a barnacle-covered apparatus on the sand (evocatively labeled the "Melville Underwater Camera"). He removes its roll of film and, when he gets the results, readers see another close-up of his wide-open, astonished eye: the photos depict bizarre undersea scenes (nautilus shells with cutout windows, walking starfish-islands, octopi in their living room à la Tuesday's frogs). A lesser fantasist would end the story here, but Wiesner provides a further surprise that connects the curious boy with others like him. Masterfully altering the pace with panel sequences and full-bleed spreads, he fills every inch of the pages with intricate, imaginative watercolor details. New details swim into focus with every rereading of this immensely satisfying excursion. Ages 5-8. (Sept.)

Flotsam. (2006). Publishers Weekly, 253(29), 56-57

Library Uses: 
I would use this as a story telling example. I would give students a page and have them make up a story or even write it. You could also break up the pictures and have them decide what order they should go in for inference or sequencing.


My Rating: ****

Update from 9/5/2011 post

Ok since I haven't put up whether I read the books posted here is what I put on Goodreads:

Enclave: Loved it and want to read more! Gave it ****

All others I have not read yet. However I still have copies of some and since they may be on list for my UNT library class plan to read.  OMG this is soooo bad more than 6 years later. 


Books I still have copies and plan to read:

 

 

Module 2 The Snowy Day

Book Cover:

Book Summary:

APA Reference of Book:
Keats, E. J. (1962). The snowy day. New York: Viking Press.

Impressions:

Professional Review:
In this mood book, never static but sparkling with atmosphere in lovely water-color pictures, a small boy experiences the joys of a snowy day. The brief, vividly expressed text points out his new awareness of the sight and texture of snow (the crunch, crunch of his feet making tracks), the sound (the plop of snow smacked off a tree with a stick), and the fun of playing with snow — then his thinking and thinking about the outdoor adventures later in warm bathtub and bed, while more snowflakes fall. Perfect for a snowy day’s preschool story hour.

Haviland, V. (1963, February). The Snowy Day. The Hornbook Magazine. Retrieved February 1, 2017, from http://www.hbook.com/1963/02/choosing-books/reviews/review-of-the-snowy-day/#_

Library Uses:


My Rating:

Module 1 Little Red Writing

Book Cover:





Book Summary: 
Little Red needs to write a story and she traveled around the school looking for ways to make her writing better. Some of the places she went included the gym for adding excitement, the library for descriptive words, and the supply closet to add longer sentences (without punctuation stops). Finally she gets to the Principal office where the Wolf 3000 pencil sharpener took Principal Granny's place. Little Red saved the Principal by blowing up the sharpener. She then wrote her own story based on what happened and read it to the class.

APA Reference of Book:
Holub, J., & Sweet, M. (2013). Little Red writing. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Impressions:
The front pages included things from the story like a conversation between characters and a newspaper from the school Little Red is at. The paper includes the copyright information on it. I really like when books use front and end pages to help tell the story and this was cute. I liked the bright cheery colors and illustrations that looked a little bit like a comic or graphic novel. There were different types of text structures and styles all through the book to help differentiate between story and talking of characters. Vocabulary was excellent throughout the book with words such as boogied, hingered, squirrely, and many more instead of weak words. The plot showed how Little Red wanted to write a great story and her problems going about doing it but set in the story of Little Red Riding Hood. So any age group could identify with it. Due to the busy pictures and high vocabulary I would think this could be independently read in second grade to fifth grade.

Professional Review:
Balanced gracefully on her point, Little Red is a courageous young pencil with a storytelling assignment from school. While the other young pencils choose to write about "Pencilvania" or themes based on their novelty erasers, Little Red decides to compose a heroic story. "Remember, it's OK to wander a little, but stick to your basic story path so you don't get lost," warns her teacher, Ms. 2. Holub (Zero the Hero) cleverly combines two elementary-school formulas--the fairy tale and the writing exercise--as she shares the basics of storytelling and grammar. When Little Red activates her narrative with verbs, she "cartwheel[s] right off the page and into… a deep, dark, descriptive forest" where words like "verdant" and "bosky" decorate leaves. Sweet (River of Words) illustrates in a flurry of colored pencil, watercolor, and collage. On yellowed, heavily doodled composition notepaper, she playfully mingles calligraphy, classroom settings, and images of Red defeating a sharp-toothed foe, the Wolf 3000 pencil sharpener. With style, humor, and solid writing advice, Holub and Sweet point out the latent creative potential within any desk drawer or supply cabinet. Ages 5--8. Author's agent: Liza Pulitzer Voges, Eden Street Literary. (Oct.)

Little Red Writing. (2013). Publishers Weekly, 260(36), 56-57

Library Uses:
There can be many uses for this story! You can focus on the one or several of the writing aspect in the story such as plot, word choice, or punctuation. I would focus on comparing fractured fairy tales. I would read this with another Little Red Riding hood story such as Ninja Red Riding Hood, Lon Popo, or Little Red Cowboy Hat and make a chart for main character, problem, solution, setting, and anything else the students notice. This could also be a springboard for the upper grades to write their own retelling.

My Rating: ****

Module 1 Winston the Book Wolf

Book Cover:

APA Reference of Book:
McGee, M., & Beck, I. (2006). Winston the book wolf. New York: Walker.

Book Summary:

Winston likes to eat words and isn't allowed into the library because he destroys it. Rosie (little red riding hood) shows him how to read. Once he learns he disguises himself as Granny and gets inside without any problems. He becomes the story lady and reads to the children without destroying the books or library.

Impressions:
The story was cute and included different fairy tale characters sprinkled through out the book. Text was used in mini boxs that were "bitten" and some curved around the pages. However the same font was used throughout even the bold and separated interesting words. The pictures were cartoony with a grainy or block printing look about them. While I liked the idea that Winston loved to eat words and learns to read,  I didn't like that he wasn't allowed in the library and had to trick them to get in. So I am torn about whether I liked it enough to use it again. I do think that it redeems itself a little bit when it talks about reading the books rather than eating them. It does have a few good words for vocabulary.

Professional Review:

Some wolves like to eat little pigs; some have a penchant for grannies, but Winston can't get enough of words. Banned from the library for literally devouring books (the paper-over-board book's cover has a bite-size die-cut hole), he's taken under the wing of Rosie, who just happens to sport a red-hooded sweatshirt. She tutors him in a more socially acceptable and personally fulfilling approach to savoring words. ""Winston caught on fast. He learned to eat words with his eyes, which is to say: Winston learned to read!"" With that mission accomplished, Rosie and Winston next conspire to get him back into the library-and with the help of some of Grandma's clothes and a natural flair for drag, Winston soon draws record crowds as the Story Lady. ""If anyone noticed the sharp, white teeth, no one complained,"" McGee says with a wink. The text may be wordy, but Beck's (Tom and the Island of Dinosaurs) illustrations exude a breezy, contemporary feel, from his delicate ink lines and washes of cheery color t

Winston the Book Wolf. (2006, August, 7). Publishers Weekly [Book Review]. Retrieved from http://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-8027-9569-4

Library Uses: 
For grades kinder through fifth grade readers I would have a display wall of words that are great words that Winston may have eaten that students have found in their books that they are reading. I would put out index cards and crayons or pencils for them to write the word on and their name. Then either they would post them or I would provide a box to put them in to have an adult or help put up.


My Rating:  ***

Library Degree

I am going back to school for my Masters in Library Science. One of my classes requires me to post reviews of books. Since I already had a book blog I revamped it with a pretty new look and updated some other tech stuff.

I hope to keep posting book reviews and other book related stuff after the class since I plan to be a Librarian and can use this site for my new library OR for getting a library job!

Stay tuned!