George's Marvelous Medicine

George's Marvelous Medicine by Roald Dahl is about a young boy who is left home with his grandmother. The only responsibility the boy has is to give his grandmother her medicine at eleven o'clock. Before he has to give his grandmother her medicine George brings her tea. This is the turning point in the story. George's grandmother is very rude to him and calls him all sorts of names. She also scares him stiff. He decides that she needs a test of her own medicine so George takes everything he can find in the house, barn, and garage and boils it together to make a new medicine. At eleven George gives the medicine to his grandmother and something very interesting happens. George decides to give it to one of the farm animals and something marvelous happens to the chicken. When George's dad sees what has happened he is very excited and they make more medicine. However, it doesn't turn out the way they thought it would.
    I thought this was a very fun book. The vocabulary that is used brings the story to life and the humor makes the book very silly and enjoyable. I thought George and his grandmother were very interesting characters and they made the story come to life. This is the second book I have read by Roald Dahl and I think he is a great author. His books are great for students who may not be able to find something that interests them.
    This would be a great book to use as a read aloud in grades 3 and up. Students will find this book funny and it may get their scientific wheels turning. You could do many vocabulary lessons with all the great words in this book. Reading this book to students will get them excited about reading and may even motivate some students because these books interest them. This book could be read to students right before a science experiment where you have students create their own mixtures and see what the results are. This is a great book to have in a classroom library. There are many students who would enjoy reading this book.

Love That Dog

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech is a novel about a boy, his feelings toward poetry, and the relationship he has with his dog. This novel in written in poems, starting at the beginning of the school year and continues through the end of the school year. The boy informs his teacher that he doesn't like poetry and doesn't understand it. Throughout the school year they continue to read poetry and Jack even has to write some poetry. At first he is not pleased with his poetry and doesn't want anyone to know it is his. As the school year goes on Jack becomes more confident with his poetry skills and even finds a few poems he really likes. The book ends on a very exciting note for Jack and his entire class.
    I had heard about this book from other people in our cohort and other books that were written in verse so I decided that I needed to read it to see what it was all about. I really enjoyed this book. I loved seeing Jack's confidence and interest in poetry grow throughout the book. I thought it was great that he was so fond of his dog and found many inspirational ways to write about his dog. I thought the way this book was written was very fun and kept me intrigued.
    I think this would be a great read aloud book for any class third grade and above. I think this book could get students excited and interested in poetry. It is also something many of them will be able to relate to because the main character is a young boy (I am assuming between 8 and 12 years old) and doesn't like poetry because he hasn't been exposed to it much. This may be something they are going through and feeling. This book may boost their confidence a little because they can see Jack's growth throughout the book. This would also be a book I would have in my classroom library for my students to read on their own. The text is simple enough that students in the third grade and up will be able to read it on their own and understand it. Students could refer to this book when they are creating poems of their own and need a little help or inspiration.  

Karen's Two Families

Karen's Two Families by Ann M. Martin is a book in the Baby-Sitters series. In this book Karen is dealing with having two families. She has loved have two of everything but in this book she is having a hard time dealing with only seeing her father and being at the "big house" four days out of each month. Karen and her brother are very sad every time they have to leave the "big house" so they decide to take action and talk to their parents about spending equal time at each house.
    I thought this was a good book. I liked how it dealt with real life situations. I also liked how Karen handled the situation. She was very mature and patient when talking to her parents about what she wanted. I think these books are very real and will interest many girls who are going through the same situations. I also think this book gives children a good idea of how to deal with problems.
    I think this would be a great book to have in a classroom library, along with the rest of the books in this series. Girls who are interested in this series will have 49 different books to read that will keep them interested and motivated to read. The books in this series deal with real life situations that children can relate to and learn how to deal with. The reading level for this book is third grade but I think advanced readers in second grade would be able to read and enjoy these books. The content of the book is not too difficult to understand and much of the book is very straight forward. Readers will not have to do a lot of inferencing so this book would be great for struggling readers to read and improve their reading skills.  

You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown

You Can't Eat Your Chicken Pox, Amber Brown by Paula Danziger is from a series of books about a third grade girl. In the book I read from the series Amber Brown has just finished her third grade year and is going to spend two weeks out of her summer in London and Paris, one week with her aunt and the other with her dad. Amber is very excited for both because she has never been out of the country and she hasn't seen her dad since her parents got separated. Unfortunately her plans change when she gets the chicken pox. Will Amber be able to enjoy her vacation and spend time with her father?
    I thought this was a very fun book. I love Amber Brown's character and honesty. She is very vocal about the way she is feeling and I like that about her. Her honesty also makes the books more intersting and unique. I haven't read other books in this series but I am guessing that her being so detailed about what she is thinking and feeling is something that happens in all the books.
    This book would be great for third grade students. The content of the book and level is suited for third grade students and older students as well. This book would be a fun one to use as a read aloud. There are many things in the book that students can relate to and the humor that Amber Brown has will make students laugh. These books would interest girls more than boys because the main character is a girl. This is a great book to interest unmotivated students to read. These are books that I will definitely have in my classroom library. Students will be able to relate to the things that Amber Brown is going through and will motivate them to read more if they like the series.

Eats, Shoots and Leaves

Eats, Shoots and Leaves by Lynne Truss and Bonnie Timmons is a very short book with only one sentence on each page. The sentences are silly and show you how the context of the sentence is changed by jut the placement of a comma. One sentence will have a comma in once place and then the same sentence will be written on the next page with the comma in a different place. The two sentences are totally different and all because of the placement of a comma.
    I loved this book. It is a great teaching tool to use when students are learning about commas and showing them how important their proper placement is to the meaning of the sentence. This is a book that could be used as a read aloud with great discussion about comma placement. It would also be  a great book to have laying around your classroom for students to refer to when they are writing.
    I would not use this book with students younger than third grade because younger students may not developmentally ready for this kind of thinking and may have trouble understanding the difference between the sentences.  This book would be great to use with ESL students because it is so simple yet teaches a great concept and the pictures help illustrate what the author wants to convey through each sentence. I just really enjoyed this book and think it would be a great way to incorporate literature into multiple subjects. This book could be a great introduction into a lesson where students are required to create their own sentences where the placement of the comma changes the meaning of the sentence.

Girl of Kosovo

Girl of Kosovo by Alice Mead is about the life of an eleven year old Albanian living in Serbia during the late 1990s. During this time the Serbians are persecuting Albanians in their country because they think they are terrorists. The young girl faces many trials and ends up losing many people she loves from Serbian attacks on their village. One night her life is changed forever. Her family wakes up to bombs exploding near their house and gun fire. Her family quickly gets their shoes on and tries to run away from the attacks. Unfortunately they do not leave in time and a bomb explodes leaving three of her family members dead and her leg severely damaged. Zana (little girl) now must face Serbian hospitals by herself along with the death of her family. Her best friend is Serbian and this war against their two countries has caused a great void between the two girls. Will Zana be able to recover from the loss of her family and her damaged leg? Will she be able to mend the friendship with her Serbian friend?
    I thought this was a very sad but interesting book. I have heard about the Albanian war against the Serbians from people who lived it so I read this book to gain more perspective on the issue. It was a very insightful book into the lives of people from a different country that are being persecuted. As I was reading this book I thought about the history of the United States and how poorly we treated African Americans. It was not nearly to the extreme as in the book but the situations are very similar. It broke my heart to see how cruel human beings can be to each other.
    This book was a little graphic so I wouldn't recommend it to children younger than fifth grade. The text is easy to read but the content and issues in the book are not for really young children. I am still unsure as to whether or not I would use this book as a read aloud because of the content of the book but it is one that I would have in my classroom library. I would also make a point of telling my students about the book in case it may be something to motivate one of my readers to read because it is something they are interested in. If I were to use this book as a read aloud I would make sure to talk to my students about how cruel humans can be to each and what the effect it has on the whole world. I would incorporate some of the history of the U.S. into our discussions about people being treated poorly. I would then connect it to the students' lives today with bullying. I think making students aware of the devastation we can cause to each other by our cruel acts will make children think a little differently before they act.  

A Long Way from Chicago

A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck is about a young brother and sister from Chicago who go to a small town in Illinois to visit their grandma. The story is set during the depression in the years 1929-1935 and 1942. During their visits each summer with Grandma the children find out that there is more to her than they think and she isn't your typical grandparent. On many occasions their grandma lies (stretches the truth) to get what she wants or to make people believe she is tougher than she it. The children witness their grandma tells lies about people that others look down on to make people respect them a little more. Her lying always turns into something good and gets the children even more interested in their kooky grandmother.
    I really enjoyed reading this book. There are so many great historical references and topics that open your eyes to life in the 1920s. I also loved Grandma and the things she did to keep life interesting. She was such a mysterious person and always kept you guessing. I thought the things she did to change peoples' perspectives about lower class people was a noble thing to do. She was true to herself and her friends. She also had very many dimensions that made her even more interesting.
    This book could be used for so many things in a classroom read aloud. You could do many research projects with the historical topics that are talked about in the book. There will also be many opportunities to talk about different things that they had in the 20s and 30s like a privy. You could also have a good conversation with students about morals and lying. This book could be used as a read aloud in fourth and fifth grade but the text in this book could be a little challenging for them to read on their own. Some of the words are challenging and the content may be a little confusing to those students who don't know much about the 20s and 30s. Advanced fifth graders and older would enjoy reading this book on their own. I would definitely have this book in my classroom library and use it as a read aloud. There is great historical information in this book that would make for great discussions and projects.

Pictures of Hollis Woods

Pictures of Hollis Woods by Patricia Reilly Giff is about a young girl in foster care. She was dropped off by her mother in the woods hours after she was born and has been running from every home she has ever lived in since. Her life is changed greatly when she moves in with the Regan family. Through drawing she is able to see her life and remember all the things that have happened to her. On her journey to find herself she also meets and rescues an elderly lady who Hollis bonds with immediately. This story is about a young girl finding herself and what she wants in life. She faces many trials that lead her to the place she wants to be the most.
    This book was very slow at first and hard for me to get into but after I got the feel for the format of the book I was hooked! The descriptions in the book about Hollis, her friends, and the places she draws gets you captivated and brings her world to life. I loved reading about the experiences Hollis went through and seeing her growth from those experiences. As a future educator it really opened my eyes to why some students act the way they do. Sometimes we need to step back and look at the life our students have had and let them know we care about them instead of ridiculing and punishing them. We need to embrace their strengths and find a way to let their talents shine through their school work.
    I think this would be a great book to use as a read aloud for third grade and up. The experiences and feelings in the story will prompt great discussions and get children thinking. This book will also open students' eyes to understand some of their peers a little more clearly. There are many great passages in the book that teachers can use to demonstrate visualizing to their students as a comprehension strategy and then have the students do on their own. Third graders and older students will be able to read this story on their own. The content and text is developmentally appropriate for those age levels and either gender will enjoy reading this book. I would definitely have this book in my classroom library and I would even make a special point to talk about it with my students to spark their interest in the book to read on their own if I was unable to use it as a read aloud.

Science Verse

Science Verse by Jon Scieszka is book of poems about different topics in science. A young boy is in science class when his teacher gives him a curse called the science verse. This curse causes the boy to hear everything about science in a poem style. The poems in the story are about just about every topic in science from evolution to the water cycle, the human body, dinosaurs, the food chain, scientific method and many more.
    This is the first book I have ever read in verse and I kind of liked it. I thought the way the poems were presented and written gave the story humor and made science topics kind of fun. The terms in this book may be hard to for some students to pronounce and many may be new to students so I would use this book as a read aloud.
     This book would be great to use during different science units. You could read the poems that are related to the unit you are doing. The only problem is that students wouldn't want to stop at just one or two poems about that certain unit; they would want to continue reading the whole book. Many of the poems are silly but educational at the same time. Students would really enjoy having this book read aloud to them. This book is great to read to third graders and older but any younger may be a little confused. You could even use this book to introduce and talk about poetry with your students. Using this book is a great way to weave literature and poetry into science. You could have your students create their own poems about different science topics.

America's Most Wanted Fifth Graders

America's Most Wanted Fifth Grader by Jan Lawrence and Linda Raskin is about two fifth graders. A boy named Robert and a girl named Max who are best friends. These two really want to earn money to buy a Super Soaker 2000 so they start pet sitting for people and shoveling horse manure until they see a great opportunity in the newspaper where they can make $5,000 in one month! They go meet with the two men who tells them that they just need to sell some Cash-In-Advance Cookies and ask the people buying a few questions. The two are very excited about their new job but soon realize that it isn't quite what they expected. While at one of their biggest customer's house someone breaks in and starts taking the dear old lady's most prized possessions. Robert and Max notice something familiar about the robbers...
    I thought this was a good book. I liked the storyline of the book but I found the end to be a little unrealistic. However, I think many children starting at third grade would enjoy reading this book. I am currently reading this book with my reading buddy who needs some motivation to read and I think he is finally interested in reading because of this book. He is captivated by the circumstances these two kids are getting themselves into. This book has allowed us to have many great discussions to predict what is going to happen next and what we think about the two men that hired Robert and Max.
    This would be a great book to have in a classroom library and use as a read aloud. There are many activities that could be used with this book to increase student comprehension and get them talking about the book. Students as young as third grade will be able to enjoy this book on their own. Since the main characters are a boy and a girl many boys and girls will enjoy reading this book. The students will be able to relate to the book but also be able to imagine what it would be like to be in Robert and Max's shoes at certain points in the story. This would be a great book to read and talk to your students about lying and its effect on everyone who is involved in that lie. This is a great book that students will enjoy reading on their own or as a class and discussing many ideas from the book.

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins

The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley is the true story of a famous artist in London that created life size models of dinosaurs during the mid 1800s. His work was so famous and well liked in... that scientists in America wanted him to build a life size museum in New York. However, there was a very corrupt politician who thought this was a waste of money so he had some of his men break into the workshop of Waterhouse and destroy his models. This ended all work to the museum and Waterhouse moved to Princeton to do paintings of the dinosaurs instead. He was very disappointed that he was not able to finish his work in New York and died dreaming of what he could have built there.
    I thought this was a very interesting book. It did not turn out the way I thought it would according to the summary on the back of the book. I thought this was going to be a fantasy themed book where the dinosaurs actually came to life but it turned out that his models were so amazing that they looked very real. The pictures in this book are beautiful and go great with the text in the book.
    The text in the book is a bit advanced so ESOL learners may have trouble reading it on their own. Students in the fourth grade and up will be able to read this book but they may have to look a few words up that are foreign to them. This is a gender neutral book so boys and girls will both enjoy reading this book. I think boys would especially love this book because it is about dinosaurs. I would have this book in my classroom library and use it as a read aloud as well. The history in this story is very informative and not something that a lot of people know about. This book would prompt great discussions about the history of art, science, corrupt governments, and the history of New York. This is a great book that could be used for many different educational opportunities.

The Summer of the Swans

The Summer of the Swans by Betsy Byars is the story of a fourteen your old girl and the summer she will never forget. Sara's mother passed away six years ago and now she lives with her aunt, nineteen year old sister, and ten year old brother. Her brother had two very bad illnesses when he was three which caused him to have very high fevers which results in brain damage. He is now intellectually disabled and hasn't talked since he was six years old. One day some beautiful swans land in the pond near their house and Sara takes her brother to see the swans. He is instantly infatuated with the swans. In the middle of the night he leaves home to go see the swans again but gets lost and ends up in a forest. His family wakes up in a panic and nowhere to start looking. Will they find him before it is too late?
    It took me awhile to get into this book. I started it several times and just couldn't continue reading it because it started out so slow. After reading it awhile I liked it a little more. Once I finished it I thought it was actually a pretty good book. I love that the sister is so concerned for her brother and is so determined to find him. I think all brothers and sisters should have this great bond. Sara is also very protective of her brother which I think is so great as well. All siblings should have this feeling of protection for their brothers and sisters.
    I think this would be a great book to have in a classroom library. I think that many girls would find this interesting. Since the main character is a girl and it talks a lot about her feelings I don't think many boys would be interested in this book. The text and content of the book is at a third grade level. Many older readers would also enjoy reading this book. I think this book could be used as a read aloud with many great discussions and creative writing lessons from what is happening in the story. This book would also be great for teachers to read because it explains the needs of children with intellectual disabilities. It also explains what kinds of environments are best for these types of students.

Sarah, Plain and Tall

Sarah, Plain and Tall by Patricia MacLachlan is a story about a family without a mother. Anna and Caleb have lived many years without a mother in their lives because their mother passed away right after giving birth to Caleb. One day their father comes home and tells them that he has written an advertisement for a wife and gotten a reply from a lady named Sarah. Sarah decides to come for a month and see how she likes it. Anna, Caleb and their father all fall in love with Sarah but does Sarah love them enought to stay?
    I thought this was a good book. I thought it was too short though and I wish they would have made it longer and told more of their story. I would have liked to have heard about their life after Sarah and their father were married. I thought the book was written very well with great descriptions of Maine (Sarah's old life) and the new life she is moving into. The emotion of the book is very raw and you feel what they are feeling and hope for the best for them.
    I would use this book as a read aloud and I would also have it in my classroom library. This book would lead into great discussions about blending families or having a step parent. It would also lead to good discussions about the way marriages were set up back in the day compared to how they are set up in our society in present time. You could also have a discussion about marriages in different countries because there are arranged marriages in other countries and students would find this interesting. This book would be great for third graders and older. I am not sure if many boys would read this book on their own because it is told from the perspective of a girl but I think either gender would enjoy having this book read to them.

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fractions Book

The Hershey's Milk Chocolate Fractions Book by Jerry Pallotta and Rob Bolster is a book that breaks down different fractions, reducing the fractions, and equivalent fractions. Throughout the book they break down a Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar into different fractions and talk about it.
    I thought this was a great book and would be great to use with a class when starting to talk about fractions. I liked how all the fractions were talked about and gave examples to represent each one.
    I would not read this book all at once when introducing fractions because it would be too overwhelming. To use this book I would give each of my students their own Hersey's Milk Chocolate bar to manipulate while we read each page and discussed it. This book would be great for third grade and up for teachers to read to their students when talking about fractions and also to have in the classroom for students to refer to when needed. This book is one that students can apply to their everyday lives and I could see many students going home and showing their parents what they learned about fractions. Using this book and having a Hersey's bar for each student to manipulate would make the concepts easier to understand and give a great application to fractions in everyday life. I don't think students would read this for pleasure because it is not really interesting other than to learn more about fractions. It would be a great book to have in the classroom when talking about fractions though for students to refer back to.

The Cat Who went to Heaven

The Cat Who Went to Heaven by Elizabeth Coatsworth is about an artist in Japan who is poor and hungry because no one will buy his art. One day his housekeeper brings home a beautiful white cat with gold and brown spots. The artist is specptical about the cat and thinks it may be a demon but he lets the cat stay anyways. Soon after getting the cat one of the most honored religious men come to his house and tells him that he has been chosen to paint a picture of the dying Buddah. This is a great honor and if the picture is and put in the temple all the people in the town will want the same picture and the artist will become rich. He spends days meditating and living life through the Budda's eyes. He begins painting Will he be able to paint the perfect picture and become financially stable?
    I didn't particularly like this book. I found it a little confusing and boring. I was never able to get intersted in the book. I also found it to be a little weird especially when he was meditating and living life as the Budda and different animals. I could have had a hard time connecting with this book because I don't know anything about the Buddist religion so I could have misunderstood a lot of things in the book. My confusion could have also come from my lack of knowledge about this culture. I would like to talk to someone who has read this book and understood it so they could explain it to me.
    I think this could be used for students to increase motivation for students who are interested in the Japanese and Buddist culture. They would find this book to be very interesting and might understand it better than me. I would not use this book as a read aloud but I would keep it in my classroom library for those students who may be interested in reading it. Even though this is a short chapter book the text and content is very complex so I think this book should be read by advanced fourth graders and older. Males and females would enjoy reading this book because it is gender neutral.

The Twits

The Twits by Roald Dahl is a silly book about a married couple who are very mean. Through out the book they play tricks on each other and next move to the birds they have in a cage. They catch the birds and put them in a pie to eat. The birds want none of this and try everything they can to escape the mean people. Throughout the story they are also mean to a few of their other pets who also want nothing to do with them. The animals all get very angry and you never will guess what they do. Read the book to find out!
    I thought this was a very silly and fun book. I think children would enjoy reading it and have it read to them. It really doesn't have any educational value with any history or other informational subject matter but it would be a great book to motivate those students who can't find a book that they like. This book would be great for third graders and up. The content in the book is appropriate for those ages. It is also an easy read so students should not have a hard time reading it because the text is developmentally appropriate as well. I would recommend this book to have in a classroom library and to use as a read aloud as well.

Sir Cumference and the First Round Table

Circumference and the First Round Table by Cindy Neuschwander and Wayne Geehan is a mathematical tale about how a circle was discovered and how it got its mathematical names such as radius, diameter, and circumference. The great knight circumference is sent on a mission by the King to develop a table that will be pleasing to him and the other ten knights was they meet to discuss going to war with a neighboring kingdom. The knight is troubled by what kind of table to find and talks to his wife The Di of Ameter. Those two along with their son Radius are able to find the perfect table that everyone loves.
    I thought this was a great math book. The references that are made about the different parts of a circle used in math will really make the concepts stick in students' heads. There are also references to other shapes which would be great for younger students who are learning about their shapes.
    Since there is reference to other shapes I would recommend this book for children 5/6 and up. Younger children will benefit from learning about different shapes and older children will benefit by learning about the different parts of a circle in math. The story that goes along with the circle and how it got its specific names is great for students to remember because they have something to refer it back to. I would use this book as a read aloud and I would also have it in my class library. This book would prompt good discussion about circles and their mathematic concepts. The book is also developmentally appropriate for the ages listed above. Boys and girls will equally enjoy reading this book because it is gender neutral.

Kira Kira

Kira Kira by Cynthia Kadohata is a story written in first person about a little girl and her life growing up. The story revolves around her sister, her family, and the journey and tragedies their family had to face. Much of the story is about the two girls' relationship/friendship, the great things they talked about, and experienced together. The story starts out when the girl is only four and her sister is nine in the 1950s. The girl who is telling the story talks a lot about her sister and the great love she had for each other. They were always looking out for each other because they didn't have anyone else to do so. Throughout the story the younger sister references her sisters diary so you are able to see a few situations in the sisters point of view. This is a story about a girl becoming a "big girl" and the hardships and joys that go with that.
    I loved this book. There are so many great cultural experiences in the book because it is about a Japanese family. It also it a great story about growing up and facing life whether it is good or bad. There are many great morals in this story that children will benefit from reading about. The experences/stories the little girl shares about her life is one that students will all be able to relate to. The tradegies the family and young girl has to face is great for children to read and learn from.
    This book would be a great book to have in the classroom for many reasons. There is a lot of great historical value in this book. Students will be able to benefit from reading about how life was like in Georgia for Japanese Americans during the 1950s. The culture in the book is also great for students to read about. There are many references to Japanese words, their meanings, what the Japanese people ate, the traditions they have, and the struggles they faced living in America at this time. I would recommend this book for fourth grade and up. There is language in a few spots so children/parents need to be aware of that but this book is great for young adults. I think this book would appeal more to girls than boys but some boys might enjoy it too. I would probably not use this book as a read aloud but I would definitely recommend it to students and I may use it as a book club book because it would prompt great discussions. There are a few words that may be hard for struggling readers to understand and they may have to look a few up to understand them but the rest of the book is easy to navigate through and is developmentally appropriate for mature fourth graders and older.

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes

Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes by Eleanor Coerr is a true story about a young girl named Sadako who lived in Hiroshima all her life. The girl is eleven years old in the story in a town that was bombed by American nine years earlier. Many of the people in the town have been dying from the bomb disease called leukemia. This girl is a very energetic and vibrant young girl who wants to the be the fastest runner in all the school. On the day of her school track and school meet the young girl wins the race but feels very weird and dizzy afterwards. Sadako continues to run and improve her speed so she can make the junior high track team but the dizziness won't go away. One day she is running and faints. She is rushed to the hospital to find out that she has the bomb disease. Her and her family are mortified and they come visit her in the hospital every day. Her friends comes one day with a gold piece of paper and folds it into a crane for her. She tells Sadako that she heard if a sick person folds 1,000 cranes they will live a long and healthy life. Sadako sets out to fold her 1,000 cranes. *Spoiler Alert* Since the back of the book gives away what happens I feel it is okay to tell you that she dies before she is able to fold all the cranes. This story is now told to many children in Japan and her story is told throughout the country. There is a monument in the Hiroshima Peace Park dedicated to her and her paper cranes.
    This was a very sad book. I read it because I wanted to know more about the past of Hiroshima and how people there were affected by the atom bomb. It was a very informative and interesting book and I would recommend it to my peers to read. I would also have it in my classroom library for children to read and get some history on different parts of the world but I would caution them before they read it.
    This book is suitable for fifth grade and up. I wouldn't recommend it to younger children because I think some of the content may be too advanced for them. Students of either gender would be interested in this book because it is a gender neutral book. I would use this book as a read aloud in a fifth grade classroom (after I had warned all my students and gotten their approval to do so) because I think it is a great way to talk about history and courageous young people. I think it would be a great way to explain the paper cranes that we see all over stores now and give students a history lesson on the meaning behind these cranes. This was a sad book but many great things can come from it and the meaning behind it.

Girls to the Rescue: Happily Ever After

Girls to the Rescue: Happily Ever After is a book with a collection of  ten different stories by different authors. Each story is about a brave girl who finds a way to solve a very complicated problem and get what she wants or help others who may be struggling. Many of the stories are folklore and are set in older times. The stories come from all over the world and give some history of the different stories passed down to children in different countries. In one of the stories called "Carla and the Greedy Merchant" a father goes out to sell some stuff he has made at the market. A greedy man comes by and tricks out of all the merchandise he is trying to selling along with his horse and buggy. He goes home and tells his daughter about what has happened and she is less than thrilled with the greedy man. She decides to find a way to get back their horse, buggy, merchandise, and some things that are valuable to the greedy man to show him how it feels. The young girl thinks all night and finally comes up with a plan, but will it work? You will have to read to find out!
    All of the stories in this book are about courageous young girls who overcome their fears and help out themselves along with other people they love. I think this is a great book for girls to read to help boost their self-confidence. I really like reading this book and I was so captivated by the clever thinking of all of these girls. I would definitely have this book in my classroom library.
    I think this would be a great book to read aloud to the class. The great thing is that the stories are short and divided into different chapters to it would be a great idea to pick a story (chapter) every day and read a it aloud to the class. I would also mix it up by alternating these stories with stories about young braves being brave. I think it is important to make sure to have courageous stories for both genders so one doesn't feel inferior to the other. I would also use this book as a lead into a creative writing lesson. This book would get students' creative juices flowing to create great stories. The content and level of this book is suitable for third grade and up. I don't think many boys would be interested in reading this whole book on their own because it is all about girls but I think they would enjoy hearing a few stories in it mixed with a few stories of brave boys.

Inside a Barn in the Country

Inside a Barn in the Country by Alyssa Satin Capucilli is a sequential book about different animals in a barn in the country waking up and then waking up other animals in the barn. It starts off by a cat scaring a mouse which makes the mouse squeak and wake up a horse which wakes up a cow, etc. Eventually all the animals in the barn are awake and running loose outside. They wake the farmer up who tells them that it is not morning yet and they need to go back to bed. They go back to bed and the book ends by the cat scaring an owl.
    I think this would be a great book for pre-k to 2nd grade. The repetion in the book will make it a great book for a read aloud. Students will be able to participate in the reading because it is repetitive. I really like how it tells the animal and then gives the sound that each animal makes. This is a great way for young children to learn animal sounds. The pictures in this book are fun and very animated. Males and females will enjoy reading this book.
    I would have this book in my classroom library and I would also use it as a read aloud. Young children who are still learning to read will be able to look at the pictures and tell their own version of the story. For students who can read will enjoying reading this book on their own. This book can be used to increase student motivation for reading. I would also use this book as an introduction for a unit on writing out own class book using this sequential type of writing. Young students will enjoy creating a book using the same type of repetition that is represented in Inside a Barn in the Country.  

Night Shift Daddy

Night Shift Daddy by Eileen Spinelli and Melissa Iwai is about a relationship with a little girl and her daddy. The dad reads to his daughter, eats with her, and tucks her into bed before he goes to work. When she wakes up her daddy is home. They eat breakfast together, she reads to him, and then she tucks him into bed before she goes out to play.
    I love this book! I love how personable and relatable it is. Students of all ages can relate to this book. Every line in the book rhymes with the line below it which is a great way to introduce poetry to young children. Young children will be able to understand this book because the content and wording is written to interest young emergent readers. Male or female children will be able to relate to this book because it is a gender neutral book. The pictures go perfectly with the words and really bring the book to life for young children.
    This would be a great book to have in a classroom library. Children will be able to read this book and share what kind of job their parents have. I would also use this in a unit about poetry or when talking about children's parent's jobs. Reading this book would be a great way to get children's imaginations going to be able to write their own poems. 

The Frog Prince Continued

The Frog Prince Continued by Jon Scieszka is about the marriage of a man who was a frog and turned into a prince after a princess kissed him. The Frog Prince and Princess are having a tough time being married. She wants him to stop his frog ways, like eating flies, and he is sad that they never go to the pond anymore. The Frog Prince is so unhappy with his marriage that he decides to find a witch to turn him back into a frog because he believes that will make their marriage better. The Prince goes through the woods looking for a witch to turn him back and ends of running away from every witch because they want to kill him. The Prince gets very scared and can't find his way home. He ends up getting home and realizes how much he loves his princess. They turn into frogs and live happily ever after.
    I liked this book. I found it humorous and it had a good message. However, I would not recommend this to any age children in elementary school. I think the contents of the book are too advanced for young children and deals with a topic that is too serious for children. I also think that it may hit too close to home for some children (their parents may be having marital problems) and make them sad. I think this book would be one that young adults and adults would like and find humorous. The pictures in the book are fun, detailed, and go great with the text.
    I would not use this book as a read aloud or have it in my classroom library. I would recommend it to my friends to read for enjoyment but I would not read it to young children. The marriage problems that are talked about are a little too advanced for children but the moral, of loving your spouse as they are, is great for adults.

Heckedy Peg

Heckedy Peg by Audrey Wood is about a mother with seven children. The mother has to go to town one and leaves her children home without supervision. Before she leaves she asks the children to tell her one thing they want from town. The children tell her, she tells them not to let any strangers in and not to play with fire and then she leaves. After she has left an old witch comes by and convinces the children to let her in. Once she is in she turns the children into food and takes them to her house to eat them. The mother returns to her house but her children are no longer there. A little bird tells her where to go to find her children. When the mother gets to the witch's house the witch won't let her in. Will the mother ever be able to get her children back?
    This was a very interesting book. I think that it is kind of a little dark and gloomy and might scare some kids. I liked the story line of the book and the pictures are done beautifully with pastel colors. I would not read this book to young children because it might scare them but older children (2nd grade and older) will really enjoy this book.
    Since this book is about magic I think this would be a good book to read to older students before a writing lesson on what they would do if they had magic or a lesson on having the students create their own books. Older boys and girls would enjoy reading this book and find the content very interesting.  This book is one that students can relate in the fact that they have all disobeyed their parents before. Children will enjoy the mythical nature of this book and reading this book will increase their motivation to read.

On Top of Spaghetti

On Top of Spaghetti by Paul Brett Johnson is a book written about a chef who needs to create the best meatball in town in order to keep his restaurant in business. Once he has created his masterpiece someone sneezes and the meatball goes flying. The man must now chase his meatball all over town so he can get it back and actually taste it. The chef finally gets the meatball slowed down so he can grab it when...SNEEZE!!! It flies away again and lands SPLAT! on the ground. The meatball is now nothing but mush. What will the chef do now to keep his restaurant from closing down?
    I loved this book. I really liked the song this book was based on and is in the book. This would be a great interactive book for teachers to read with their students. Not a lot of books incorporate singing into them and this is why I really liked this book. The characters in this book are animals so either gender will enjoy reading this book.
     I would use this book as an interactive book with my students. I would read them the text and the parts that are part of the song we would sing together. If my students were a little rowdy one day I would read this book to them so they could get their wiggles out through singing. The words in this book are kind of difficult so teachers may need to read this book to their emergent readers. Students who are more advanced will be able to read this story on their own. This would be a good book to teach a vocabulary lesson with descriptive words or synonyms.

Sloppy Joe

  
Sloppy Joe by Dave Keane is about a little boy who is very sloppy. Everything he does is creates a mess. His room is a total mess with clothes, food, toys, and even animals scattered about. Joe's family has adapted to his ways in order to keep themselves and the rest of the house clean. They put newspaper on the floor when Joe eats so he doesn't stain the floor. Joe likes being messy but it bothers him that his friend's parents won't let him in the house because he is too dirty and messy. One day Joe decides that he is going to be Neat Joe. Will he be able to stay clean? You will have to read this book to find out!
    I thought this book was very cute and it reminded me of a few little boys that I know. The pictures in this book are so much fun and detailed; they really bring the book to life. Children would know what the story is exactly about by looking at the pictures. They will even get a laugh out of some of the pictures and find some pictures to be gross because of the dirtiness of the little boy.
    This would be a good book for boys to read to increase their motivation for reading. Boys will enjoy reading this book and relate to many things that are in it. Girls will also find this book fun and enjoy reading it. This book will need to be read to pre-K-2nd grades but older more advanced readers will be able to read it on their own. This would be a good book to read to students about cleanliness and why it is important. It can also be a good book to have in a classroom library because students will enjoy reading it and find humor in the book.

Katie Kazoo Switcheroo Tip-Top Tappin' Mom!

Katie Kazoo Switcheroo Tip-Top Tappin' Mom! by Nancy Krulik is a series about a fourth grade girl who makes wishes and a giant wind comes and makes the wish come true. However, the wish is not something that she actually wants to happen anymore and she wants to return to her normal life. In this book of the series Katie gets her mom a pair of tap dancing shoes for Mother's Day so her mom can live out her childhood dream of tap dancing. In this book Katie and her friends are studying their hardest to win a geography bee. Katie gets tired of her mom tap dancing and wishes that the dancing will end and it does. She soon realizes that tap dancing made her mom happy and she wants her mom to dance again. Katie and her mom end up dancing together for a mother-daughter activity that they can do together.
    I thought this was a good book. I thought the story line was great and it had a great lesson/moral for students. The audience appeal will be more for females since the main character is a girl and the book is mostly about tap dancing but I think males might enjoy having this book read to them but I don't think they would choose to read this book on their own.
    This book could be used as a read aloud in prek-2nd grade or for students to read on their in first and second grades. I would not recommend this book for beginning readers to read on their own because the words and content of the book may be too hard for them. I would use this book as a read aloud in my classroom and have it in my classroom library for my students to read when they have free time. This is a great book for emergent and more advanced readers to read for pleasure. They will enjoy and be entertained by the book. Reading this book will increase their motivation.

The Pout-Pout Fish

The Pout-Pout Fish by Deborah Diesen is about a fish that goes around with a pout on his face. All of his friends try to make his pout go away but the fish says that he is "a pout-pout fish with a pout-pout face and he spreads the dreary-wearies all over the place." One of his friends finally finds a way to turn his pout upside down. After this change he goes around lifting other people up with his happiness.
    I love this book. I think the moral of the book is great and children need to know that life is happier when we walk around with smiles on our faces. It also gives a great moral of cheering up people when they are feeling down. The pictures in this book are so colorful and fun which everyone will enjoy looking at. I really love the repetitive phrases in the book and I know that children will love it as well. They will enjoy repeating the phrase out loud when the book is read to them.
    This would be a great book for any student as any grade. I think all students will enjoy reading this book and can relate to being grumpy every once in a while and having someone cheer them up. Emergent readers in preK-1st grades will need to have this book read to them because some of the words may be to hard for them. Students in 2nd grade and up will enjoy reading this book on their own or to someone else. Regardless of reading level and grade all students will enjoy having this book read to them. Children of either gender will enjoy reading this book because it is a gender neutral book. Children of all levels will be able to understand the content of this book without much scaffolding.

If You Give a Pig a Party

If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff is a cause and effect book about a big. The pig is a pet to a little girl and the little girl starts off by wanting to throw her pig a party but her friends aren't there. She goes to find her friends to invite them but they get distracted and do other friends but end up finding the pig's friends anyways. Her friends go home with her and they end up having a party.
    I am not in love with this book. I don't think there is much depth to this book but I can see why emergent readers would enjoy reading it. I really liked that the main characters in the book are animals. Having animals as the main characters keeps the book gender neutral and makes it more relatable to more children. The book does not have complex ideas for concepts which is good for younger students. This helps them understand what is going on in the book without being overwhelmed by too much information.
     I think this would be a great book for young, emergent readers to read on their own to gain more experience. I think that students of either gender would enjoy reading this book because it is a gender neutral book. The students will also be able to relate to the events in the book and find it fun to read. The pictures go very well with the text in the book and make the story come to life. This would be a great book to increase student's reading motivation. I don't think children above second grade would like reading this book because it is too easy for them and they will get bored.

Owl Moon

Owl Moon by Jane Yolen is about a little boy who goes owl hunting at night with his father. The little boy is very excited to do this because he has never done it before and he has been waiting a long time. The father and son go walking through the woods, not making a sound. They hit a certain point and they stop walking and the dad calls for the owl. No owl comes. They continue walking deeper into the woods. They again stop and call for an owl. If you would like to know if they ever see an owl you will have to read the book.
    I think this is an amazing book. I really like the bond the father has with his son and they adventure they take together. The words in this book really bring it to life and make you feel like you are there with them looking for an owl. The pictures compliment the text well and together they make you feel like you are experiencing the story first hand. Children of either gender will enjoy reading this book because it is something they can relate to or find interesting. Most children spend time with their parents, grandparents, or other parental figures and this book will bring back memories of fun time they have shared with those people.
    This is a great book to read to students or that older, more advanced students can read on their own that will increase their motivation to read. The content of the book is simple enough for children to read and understand on their own. Young children will enjoy having this book read to them. This book would be a great book for read in the winter right before winter break. It will get students excited about the adventures they will have with their families during the break. This book is a great way to get children excited about reading.

Blueberries for Sal

Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey is about a little girl who goes picking blueberries with her mother to can for winter. At the same time Sal and her mom are picking berries a bear and her cub are eating berries to fill up for winter. Sal and the little cub end of getting lost from their mothers and littler bear follows Sal's mother and Sal follows little bear's mother. Will the two children ever make it back with their mothers? You will have to read to find out!
    I read this book as a child and loved it. Reading it as an adult I also love it! The pictures are so detailed and beautiful. Even though most children now don't go pick or can with their mothers they can relate to the story because I am sure they have gotten lost from their parents at one time. Children of either gender will enjoy reading this book because it is pretty gender neutral even though the child in the story is a little girl.
    This book would be great to read to children in any grade from preK- 2nd grade. Emergent readers may be able to read this book on their own with little help. The words are easy for children to understand so they won't need to be much help explaining the book. This book could be used to get children motivated to read or on a unit about eating healthy. Children of all ages will enjoy reading this book and getting to know Sal. This book is fun and entertaining. It will keep children guessing as to what will happen next. Children will enjoy reading this book and will find reading fun by reading this book.

Tuesday

Tuesday by David Wiesner is an almost wordless book about frogs flying on their lily pads during the night. This book starts off at Tuesday evening and shows the progression of the frogs jetting off through the night. They create a quite a commotion and the next morning the police are looking for the culprits. It ends with the story of pigs flying the following Tuesday.
I thought this was a very creative book. I can see children reading this book and letting their imaginations run wild. I am sure many children have thought about what animals do at night and this book gives some insight into what children may be thinking. The pictures in this book are beautiful and very detailed. Just by looking at the pictures children can create their own story about what they think is going on. I really liked the end of the story where they introduce pigs flying the next Tuesday. This will get children thinking and talking about what they think the pigs will do.
I would use to this as a start of a lesson to get students thinking. I would then have the students go back to their desks and draw a picture about what they think a certain animal does at night. I would also use this book to prompt students to create their own story. Children will read this book as a class and create words for the pictures. They will then go create their own story with pictures. This is a great book to get students imaginations running wild. It also gives them the opportunity to tell the story in their own words, what they think is going on.

Flip, Float, Fly Seeds on the Move

Flip, Float, Fly Seeds on the Move by JoAnn Early Macken is a fiction, educational book about the different ways seeds are transported to new locations to create new plants. It starts off my talking about the weather that helps carry seeds to new locations and then it finishes by talking about ways that humans and animals transport seeds to new locations.
    I think this is a great book about seeds and the ways they move throughout our earth. I really love all the descriptive words that are used in the story and I think children will too. These descriptive words really bring the story to life. The pictures are very well thought out and go along very well with the text. Children will be able to read the words and look at the pictures to get a complete view of what the author wants the reader to see.
    I am currently planning a unit on how a seed becomes a plant and I will definitely be using this book to read to my students before and after our unit. Children will be able to get a picture of what they are going to learn about and then after our unit they will be able to apply the knowledge they have learned to the words in the book. Children in PreK and up will enjoy having this book read to them and learning more about seeds and plants. Emergent readers will have a hard time reading this book on their own but advanced first grades and higher grade level students will enjoy reading this book on their own. I think this is a great way to get students thinking about seeds becoming plants and I would recommend it for a classroom library or to use in educating students about seeds.

The Penguin Problem

The Penguin Problem by Abby Klein is about a first grade class who is learning about penguins. The first four chapters are about different facts the class is learning about penguins and how much fun the students are having using these facts to play at recess. The students then learn that penguins are endangered and the class decides to adopt a penguin. The students all go home to think of ideas to raise money to adopt the penguin. The main boy in the story gets his idea picked and the students start collecting money. The boy has a huge dilemma when he realizes that he has lost his money. Will the boy ever find his money and be able to help the penguins? You will have to read to find out!
    I thought this was a very educational book. The words and little pictures in it are great to readers in first grade and older to read on their own. I enjoyed reading this book and I was intrigued by the different problems and solutions that were in the book.
    I think this book will be a great transitional chapter book for beginning readers. This book has great facts about penguins so students will be learning while reading an entertaining book. The situations in the book are very relatable to young children and especially for first graders since the children in the book are first graders. Children younger than first graders may find this book to be too long and may be bored listening to it. Children in first grade and up will also enjoy having this book read to them if they aren't quite at the level to read chapter books on their own yet. The characters in the story are male and female so students of either gender will enjoy reading this book. I would recommend reading this book to your students or having them read it for enjoyment and they will also learn from it as well without knowing they are learning.

Mouse Loves School

Mouse Loves School by Lauren Thompson is about a little mouse who sneaks into a backpack and ends up in a place he has never been before. He ends up at a school where he reads, colors, paints, plays with shape puzzles, exercises, and finds new friends.
    I think this is a good book for beginning readers or young children who are starting school. The reading level of the book is for very emergent readers. This would be a great book for ESL students who are struggling to read or other children who are beginning readers. The words in this book are simple and repetitive so advanced kingertener students and older students will be able to read it on their own. This book would be great to read to children who are new to school. It will make them feel more comfortable being at school and know that it is a safe place. Younger children will be able to relate to the mouse's experience and will enjoy relating it to their own school experiences. Older or more advanced readers may find this book to be boring and to easy. I think this is a great book for emergent readers and children starting school. I would not recommend it for students who are older than second grade who are not having problems reading. I would also recommend this book to ESL students who are still in the emergent or beginning stages of reading.

The Night Before Valentine's Day

The Night Before Valentine's Day by Natasha Wing is about the excitement children feel the night before their Valentine's party at school and all the things they do to get prepared for that party. It then goes on to tell all about the Valentine's party. The story is told in a poem form and certain lines rhyme with each other.
    I thought this book was very cute. It is a good way to get children in the Valentine's mood. I also liked how it was told in a poem format and had rhyming in it. I read this book to a class of first graders and they loved it. They especially enjoyed the silliness the book has and the rhyming on each page. The children also enjoyed the fun pictures the book has and it was very relatable to them.
     As a teacher I would use this book to get my students excited about Valentine's Day. I would read this book on the days leading up to our party and maybe even the day of. The words in the book are a little advanced for first graders or younger but they would enjoy having it read to them. Older students would be able to read this book themselves and I think that they too will enjoy reading this book. The Night Before Valentine's Day could also be used as an example of how to write a poem. This book could be used to demonstrate ways to write poetry that tell a story and then have the students write one themselves.

Reindeer Do Wear Striped Underwear

Reindeer Do Wear Striped Underwear by Marcia Thornton Jones and Debbie Dadey is about a group of second graders who go to the zoo for a field trip. At the zoo they see Santa and his sick reindeer. They also find the naughty and nice list. One of the students sees that he is on the naughty list and has to find a way to get on the nice list so he can get presents for Christmas.
    I think this would be a fun book for second graders to read around Christmas time. It is a very cute and fun book about Christmas, Santa, and being nice to get presents. I think this book is one that students can relate to and will enjoy reading together as a class or on their own.
    As a teacher I would read this book to my children around Christmas time. Advanced children in first grade and higher will be able to read this book on their own but younger, beginning readers will need help reading this book. Students will enjoy reading this book because they can relate to it in more than one way. Most students get a trip to the zoo and after reading this book they will think it will be fun to look for reindeer at the zoo. English Language Learners may have a hard time reading this book so it will be important to help the student as they are reading this book. This book is a great chapter book for emergent readers. The content is comprehensible for young children. This is a book I would use to increase student motivation when it comes to reading.

Buzz Boy and Fly Guy

Buzz Boy and Fly Guy by Tedd Arnold is about a little boy who has a fly as his friend. The little boy creates a comic book about the two of them saving their house and they fly declares them "Herozzz!"
    I think this would be a great book for a boy or girl who wants to create a comic. The example in the book is a great one for children to look at and create their own. I think that way this story is written is a great way to capture children's attention. This book is very unique because it starts off as every other book does but then it tells the story from the point of view of the comic. I think it is a great way to intrigue readers. I love how the author told the story from the imagination of the young boy in the story. The pictures in this book are a bit more advanced than you would see from a child's drawing but each picture brings the book to life.
    I think young children will enjoy reading this book, especially boys because the main character is a boy. The way the book is written is very interesting and I think young children will find it exciting. This book may also prompt children to start writing their own books/comics. The story line is totally one that children can relate to and have probably thought about before. This book will really get children's imaginations running wild. If you are wanting children to create their own book I think this would be a great way to show children different ways of doing so. Reading this book to children will get them excited about creating their own book and using their imaginations to do so. Children in first grade and up will be able to read this story on their own and understand the content. Younger children may need help reading this story but they too will also understand the content without any extra assistance.

City Mouse-Country Mouse

City Mouse-Country Mouse by Marian Parry is about a country mouse who visits his cousin in the country. They sit down to eat and the city mouse is not pleased with what his cousin has to offer him so they decide to go to the city for a good dinner. Once they get there and start eating some delicious food, two dogs try to get them. The country mouse realizes that there is no point in having good food if you can't sit and enjoy it so he goes back to the country.
    This book is very simple with its words and pictures. I loved how the illustrator wrote what each mouse was saying on the picture by each mouse. I thought this brought the book to life a little more. It is also something that we don't see much of in reading children's books these days. I found the directness of the mice very refreshing and entertaining. I think chilren will enjoy reading a book about mice and different lifestyles of mice.
    I would recommend this book to any student in elementary school. Beginning readers will need help reading this book but emergent readers should be able to read it on their own. The pictures are very simple so young children will be able to understand what is going on without being overwhelmed by the pictures. Children love reading about animals and I think that would greatly enjoy reading about two mice. This book may also be something children can relate to if they have family that live in a different place than they do. I think children and adults of all ages will enjoy reading this book and taking away the moral that they feel comes from the story. This book can be used to talk about different lifestyles in our country and students can share any experiences they have about visiting a different place with a different lifestyle.

Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris

Fancy Nancy and the Boy from Paris by Jane O'Connor is about a little girl named Nancy who befriends a new boy at school named Robert who is from Paris. Nancy asks the boy all kinds of questions about Paris and the boy seems a bit confused throughout the whole book. When Nancy finally brings the boy to her house and shows him the picture of the Eiffel Tower the boy is even more confused. *Spoiler Alert* Robert is confused because there isn't a cowboy hat on the Eiffel Tower because where he comes from there is. Turns out the Robert is actually from Paris, Texas, not Paris, France. The two continue to be great friends even after the mix up.
    This book is a great read for young children. I even enjoyed reading this book and found it humorous. I loved the harder words that were used in the book that were defined right after the word was given. I think that is a great way to teach young children new words through reading. I thought that having the definition right after the word was also a good idea. Defining the word will help emergent readers be able to understand the text and be able to use the words in everyday situations.
    This book can be used for students' enjoyment of reading. It can also be used to teach students about a few vocabulary words like tardy, gorgeous, and terrified. There are also a few French words in the text that students would love to try to say. This book has fun colorful pictures that students will love to look at. First grade students and up will enjoy reading this book on their own. Younger students will need someone to read this book to them. The book is a little longer than most picture books and students will enjoy the challenge of reading a longer book. Students will be able to relate to the characters in this story but I think that girls will mostly like this book since the main character is a girl. This book is also a good way to show students how to befriend a new child in their classroom or at school.

Houndsley and Catina

Houndsley and Catina by James Howe.
    Houndsley and Catina is about a cat and a dog who try to be the best. Catina wants to be the best writer and Houndsley wants to be the best cook. They end up failing at both these things but find out that being the best is not everything in life, there are other things that may be more important.
    I thought this was a good book. I really liked the end of the story. The moral it presents to young children is one that is well needed in our society today. I think that it is very important for young children to know that being famous or being the best at something is not what life is about. I also found the pictures in this book to be very good and really bring the story to life.
    This is a great chapter book for younger students. The words are big and easy to read but they are gaining reading experience. This book can be read to students from PreK-3 grades. Advanced first grade readers and up will enjoy reading this book on their own. This book is a great book to read to students to show them the importance of friendship. Students will enjoy reading this book because they can relate to it and the characters (cat and dog) are something they see everyday and enjoy playing with. This will make the book even more enjoyable for them. Since one character is a female and the other is a male children of either gender will enjoy this book.
  

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble by William Steig.
    Sylevester and the Magic Pebble is about a donkey who finds a magic pebble. Right after he finds the pebble he runs into a hungry lion. Sylvester is very frightened and without thinking he wishes he was a rock. Since he has the magic rock in his hand Sylvester turns into a rock. His parents search all day and night for many weeks to find him but they never do. Will Sylvester ever be a donkey again? You will have to read to find out. 
    This book was filled with all kinds of emotions. It was silly at the beginning, very sad in the middle, and happy at the end. This book also kept me interested because I wanted to know whether or not he turned back into a donkey. I thought the wording in this book was very advanced and may not be a good book for young children to read on their own. Over all it was a very cute book and the ending has a good moral, which was, eventhough we might want many things in life the best thing we could ever have is family.
    This book would be good for advanced third graders. It would also be good for second and third grade's vocabulary development. I wouldn't recommend this book for any grade lower than second because the words are a little difficult and it is longer than other books and the students may get bored because they don't understand what is going on. Children of either gender will enjoy reading this book and can relate to a few of the things that are talked about in the book. The moral of the story may not be very obvious for young children so the teacher may need/want to talk about the moral with their students. This book could be used to read and then discuss new words then create a word wall with the new vocabulary words. This is a very enticing book that will keep the readers attention throughout the whole book.

Goldilocks and the Three Bears

Goldilocks and the Three Bears by James Marshall.
    This is the original story of Goldilocks and the three bears. This version of the story is the one that most children are told. Goldilocks is sent to another village by her mom to get muffins. On her way Goldilocks takes a shortcut and ends up at the bears house. The bears have just made breakfast and go for a bike ride so their breakfast can cool down. While the bears are away Goldilocks eats their porridge, tries each of their chairs and beds and ends up falling asleep in baby bears bed. The bears came home and were very angry that someone had been in their house. They found Goldilocks and she woke up, jumped out the window and ran home.
    I have always enjoyed reading about Goldilocks and the three bears. It is just a fun book for anyone to read. I really liked this book because the words in it are a little harder than other words in children's books. The pictures in this book are very silly and fun.
    This is a great book to read to young students to increase their vocabulary. Children of very age will enjoy reading it and work on developong their vocabulary without knowing it. This book can also be used to talk to children about touching things that don't belong to them. Some of the words in this book are a little difficult so it will need to read to emergent readers (or with help) and some of the words will need to be defined but older students will be able to read it on their own. This book can be used to increase student motivation for reading because it is just a fun book.

The Kissing Hand

The Kissing Hand by Audrey Penn.
The kissing hand is about a racoon who doesn't want to go to school. He wants to stay home with his mother and play with his toys and friends. His mother tells him to open his hand and she kisses it. Now when the racoon goes to school he can put is hand to his face and always remember that his mom loves him and he can feel the warmth of the kiss.
    I loved this book! It is a very loving and warm book. The pictures in the book are beautiful and really give detail to what is going on in the story. The pictures also make you feel what the little racoon is feeling, When he is sad you look at him and you kind of feel sad for him. It is a great story about the love between a parent and a children.
    This book would be great to read at the beginning of the school year. Students who may be feeling sad about leaving home will find this book comforting. It may also give them something to try with their parents (kissing hand) that will make them less sad when they come to school. Students up to third grade will enjoy reading this book. The love that the parent feels for their child is something that almost all children can relate to. If children aren't quite reading yet they can still look at the pictures and know what is going on. Emergent readers will enjoy looking at the pictures and telling the story in their own words. Students of either gender will love reading this book because it is something they can relate to. There are a few challenging words in this book so emergent readers may need help reading it. Other students can enjoy reading this book on their own. This book could also be used to talk about racoons and their sleeping patterns. The racoon goes to school at night instead of during the day so that would be a great topic to discuss with students during a racoon unit.