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.