Man on the Moon

For my author study I choose Anastasia Suen, and she has written around 145 books! She is amazingly talented, and I didn't get the chance to read all of her books.  I read a variety of her books, and one book that stuck out in particular was Man on the Moon.


Man on the Moon is obviously about traveling to the moon! It is a great book that talks about the first successful trip by the USA to the moon.  It is great for young readers because it gives simple, step-by-step instructions on how the astronauts landed on the moon.  It gives great historical references, and discusses how Buzz Aldren and Neil Armstrong feel stepping foot on the moon for the first time! It shows how they brought back moon rocks and put the US flag on the moon.
The pictures are wonderful, and do a great job depicting what it was like on the moon.
I really enjoyed this book because it took a famous historical event and turned it into an interesting and easy read for children to understand.

Suen, A. (1997) Man on the Moon. New York: Puffin Books.

Alligators!

I found a cute book called Later, Gator by Laurence Yep.  It was a good chapter book about the relationship between brothers.

It begins with the story of Teddy, a boy who strongly dislikes his perfect younger brother, Bobby.  They are a Chinese family, who live in New York City.  Teddy always gets Bobby terrible birthday gifts and Christmas gifts, but Bobby is always happy and thankful.
For his next birthday, Teddy's mom has asked him to go get Bobby a pet turtle from the pet store. So Teddy, being the smart boy he is, got Bobby an alligator.  His mom was furious, but Bobby was excited! He couldn't believe he had a pet alligator!!
The book continues when the whole family comes over to celebrate Bobby's birthday and meets the alligator, Oscar (originally named Teddy, but then changed).  The family loves feeding the alligator and playing with him.
A couple days after Bobby gets Oscar, he has escaped from his "swamp".  They search the house but cannot find Oscar.  The father is furious.  Finally Teddy finds Oscar in the house, dead from lack of water.  He tries to hide it from Bobby but Bobby finds him.  Together they go bury the alligator in a special place.
Throughout the book one can see how the brothers' relationship is changing for the better.  Teddy is starting to care more and more about Bobby. 
Overall, it was a great, fun book to read!

Yep, L. (1995). Later, Gator. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Red Light, Green Light

This is a picture book by my author study: Anastasia Suen.


This cute and fun book is bright and colorfully illustrated for young readers.  It is a great rhyming book for young readers who are looking to discover the world of car toys, planes, helicopters, and trains! The book follows a young boy's imagination through zooming cars and flying helicopters.  It is a perfect rhyming book for students to read, and the bright colors will grab their attention.  Although there are not a lot of words in the book, it is fun to read and interpret the pictures!

Suen, A. (2005). Red Light, Green Light. New York: Gulliver Books.

Holes!

Today I decided to read a more challenging chapter book.  I read the infamous Holes by Louis Sachar.

I loved this book! What a great book for elementary students to read.  It is about Stanley, who I think most kids can relate to...he has a little bit of bad luck!  Stanley found a new pair of autographed shoes on the side of the road walking home from school one day, and gets arrested because he is accused of stealing them.  He is sentence to Camp Green Lake; which he thought would be great.  But, there is no lake at Camp Green Lake; only dry desert.  And holes.  Lots of holes.  The Warden runs the camp, and she requires that you dig holes every day in the heat.  You only have one canteen of water, and you must dig all your holes even if it gets dark.  Stanley meets the other guys at camp, and starts to bond with Zero.  He is teaching Zero to read while Zero is helping him dig holes faster.  The other guys (X-Ray, Armpit, etc) are all mean to Zero and think he is stupid.  Stanley knows otherwise. Eventually Zero gets tired of everything and runs away.  Everyone is worried about Zero because they don't know if he can survive in the desert alone.  Stanley makes a run for him, and escapes the camp.  All the while this part of the story is going on, the author is switching back and forth to the past, about Stanley's grandfather, and how he brought about the bad luck to the family.
It is a great story with so many different themes to explore: friendship, family, history, adventure, and many more!  I won't ruin the end of the book because it comes full circle, and some things are discovered that are great!  I'm curious to see the movie to see how closely it relates to the book.

Sachar, L. (1998). Holes. New York: Yearling.

Polka Dots & Pottery

That title just makes me curious about what book I'm going to read next! This one jumped out at me because of the title: Polka Dot Penguin Pottery and the brightly decorated book cover.  Plus the book is not read horizontal like most books, it's read vertical!



This is the cute story of Kim Chee Lee, who has writers block! She loves to write anything, and even has a special tree house just for her writing studio.  She has a sign that says do not disturb, or come play! Lately she's been having writer's block so her grandparents take a day from writing with her to a pottery shop. 
Kim is able to pick anything she wants to paint...there are so many choices, but she settles on an Easter egg.  She sits there and sits there. More of her friends come into paint, and they are painting masterpieces! She is frustrated; she doesn't understand how she cannot come up with any ideas.  There are more and more people in the pottery shop, but nothing is helping.  Kim has no ideas, until she lowers her head and realizes she has dripped paint on the egg and her baby sister, Olivia, has put polka dot finger prints on the egg.  One of her friends points out you can't make a masterpiece unless you are willing to get messy.  So Kim makes the egg messy, and then she starts to see things out of the mess; a tree, butterflies, grass, a little girl in a dress, and several other things.
She finishes her Easter egg, and it is beautiful!  She is eager to get back home and start writing because her creative juices have started flowing!

A fun, creative book for young readers.

Look, L. (2011). Polka Dot Penguin Pottery. New York: Schwartz & Wade Books.

Through My Eyes

This picture represents this book perfectly.  It is the true story of Ruby Bridges, and how she changed the face of integration in public schools.
This is a picture of little Ruby Bridges at 7 years old, walking to first grade at William Frantz Elementary School, with 4 US Marshall's to protect her.  She is such a young, little thing.  She was one of the first black students to be integrated into this school.  The white people protested and fought hard for a long time against this, but Ruby's parents kept sending her day after day to work with Mrs. Henry, her first grade teacher.  Ruby was the only student in the class for the entire year because no one wanted to go to school with black children.
This book is written by Ruby and describes all the things going on during that time in her life, and how her life was changed because of this situation.  Ruby formed a very close relationship to Mrs. Henry, but then when second grade came, Mrs. Henry was not asked to return, and Ruby was put in a classroom with a mean teacher.  It was still an integrated school, but things had been slowly getting better the second year.
Ruby went on to graduate from high school and went to work in tourism.  She didn't realize how much of an impact her first grade school year had on the country.  She finally realized it when the book was written, and many pictures were inspired by her.  Ruby now travels and tells her story as an inspirational speaker for others.
This book is fabulous.  It truly gives a great insight to what it was like to be a black child in the 1960s, and how it felt to be all alone.  Was the impact on her life a positive one? Was she robbed of a childhood?  Ruby discusses may of these feelings through her book.  It is a great read for older students, especially if it can correlate to history.

Bridges, R. (1999). Through My Eyes. New York: Scholastic Inc.

You are loved!!!

That is something everyone needs to hear every day!! This sweet book is about love for anyone.  The book is written in first person (as to be deducted that it is the person who gave you this book talking to you), and describes how the many ways you are loved.
This book seems to be typically a gift book for a child because the love is so unconditional.  The book describes the many ways you are loved, the many places you are loved, and how if you are lonely just look around because my love is all around you.



It is written in rhyme, but this book is to read in a quieter and sweeter expression.  The book truly means what the title says: my love will find you.  The book shows a young child working, playing, swimming, or anything else, but their love will find the child; always!

It is a sweet and touching book written by Nancy Tillman, with great illustrations depicting each rhyme.
A good book for anyone to read who might need a little love in their life!

Tillman, N. (2010). Wherever You Are My Love Will Find You. New York: Feiwel and Friends Book.

Dogs & Love

My fingers choose to find me a leveled reader book today: Level 2, ready-to-read book by Andrew Clements.  This book is great for kids around 1st and 2nd grade looking for longer books with more comprehension and fluency.



I love all books written about dogs; some make me laugh and some make me cry.  Mostly they just make me thankful that I have two very sweet dogs who love me!
This book is about a boy named Jim who grows up to be a dog trainer.  Jim loves all dogs and believes that there are no bad dogs, just dogs who need training.  Tara and Tiree are Jim's dogs who are loyal and obey him.  They love to play outside in the snow and especially enjoy sliding across the ice on the frozen pond.
One day Jim is walking across the ice, and he falls in! There is no one around to help him, and the water is freezing! Tara and Tiree get close, but Jim yells for them to stay back.  Tiree doesn't listen because she wants to help her master, and she ends up in the water.  As Jim tries to get her out, the ice keeps breaking.  No one is around to help! Tara crawls slowly on the ice to try to help Jim and Tiree.  Surprisingly the ice doesn't break, and Jim is able to crab her collar.  Tiree gets on Jim's back and jumps onto the ice from his back.  Jim then grabs both the dogs collars and they are able to pull him out of the water to safety.
They end the crazy, scary day by warming up at the fire, and Jim is so thankful for his wonderful, loving, and faithful dogs.

A great book for all animal lovers, and a good book for readers who are looking to slowly ease into chapter books.

Clements, A. (2002). Pets to the Rescue: Tara and Tiree, Fearless Friends: A True Story. New York: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Rhyming!

I LOVE, LOVE rhyming books.  There is just no way you can read a book that rhymes without any expression.  You must infuse all the expression you can when reading this book to your students! It's just so much more fun when you can rhyme words and be silly!



This book is so fun to read! It is about a little baby llama who is put to sleep but becomes frantic because he can't get his mama llama to come upstairs and bring him a drink and tuck him in one more time.  The mama llama (don't you just love how they say mama llama!), is doing dishes and the phone rings, so she does not hear her baby llama upstairs wailing.  When she finally hears baby llama crying, she runs upstairs to find nothing wrong with him; just upset that his mama llama didn't hear him!
She runs over kisses him and tucks him in bed again.  Baby llama snuggles in bed and falls asleep.

This is just a fun book for young kids to read because of the rhyming.  It's also a great way to introduce poetry to kids! The illustrations are bright and colorful!
Great book!

Dewdney, A. (2005).  Llama, Llama Red Pajama. New York: Viking.

More Love!!

This story of love is actually a true story based on the author's (Lenore Look) relationship with her grandmother.  This book shows the love between a grandmother and granddaughter.  The grandmother is living in Seattle with the rest of the family, and cannot speak English.  The only job she can find is cracking crabs, and it is hard work with little pay.
Katie (actually Lenore in real life) thinks her grandma, her Gnin Gnin, is the most wonderful person ever.  She wants to be just like her, and cook just like her!  So Gnin Gnin takes her to work one day; and Katie learns how hard it is.  She cannot crack a crab, and gets tired of standing up after only a few hours.  She watches how hard her Gnin Gnin works, and notices how tired she is at the end of the day.
Her grandmother encourages Katie that she can be anything she wants here in America.   Any of her dreams are possible.  The book ends with a bit of advice from Gnin Gnin describing her crab chong soup, "made with love as strong as ginger and dreams as thick as black-bean paste" (Look, 1999, last page).
This is a very sweet book about love and sacrifices.  It is a beautiful book for young children to read, the illustrations by Stephen T. Johnson are done in pastel watercolors, but the concepts might be hard for young children to understand.  Older children can appreciate all the hard work the grandmother does to help survive in America.

Look, L. (1999). Love as Strong as Ginger. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Pop Up Books!

I forgot what fun reading pop-up books can be.  But as I read it today, along with the 7 year old boy I tutor, I remembered how fun it is to look at all the pop ups and play with the pictures!
This book, my fingers randomly found at the library.... Into Space: Pop-Up Fun.



The cover alone just screams open me up and see what's inside!!  The 7 year old I tutored might not have seen it that, but I sure did! I did a picture walk to see what the book would be about.  The illustrations and pop outs were great! They were all bright colors, and the book is short, so it keeps kids' attention.
The book is for anyone who has ever dreamed about going into outer space, becoming friends wit aliens, and traveling back to Earth in your very own rocket ship!  The book follows a young boy who discovers a rocket ship on a dark path, and jumps on it.  The ship takes him to another planet, Owerz, where he looks in craters and discovers aliens! Now, one would think aliens are scary and mean (according to all the movies), but these aliens cheer and clap when he arrives! They want to meet him and be his friend!  Then just like that, it is time to return home to Earth.
This book is cute, short, and fun for young readers.  Don't be confused by it's pop-up pictures and shortness, because the words in it are for some first to second grade readers.
What a fun book!

Berryland Books. (2004). Into Space: Pop-Up Fun. United Kingdom: Berryland Books.

Slippers the puppy

This time I read an even younger book...a picture book for young readers about a curious and very loved puppy named Slippers.



This is a very cute picture book about a puppy named Slippers, who has four owners! Laura (the big sister), Edward (the baby), Mommy and Daddy; they all live in one big house.  Slippers has an exciting life of eating his food twice a day, searching the house for Laura, playing and napping with Edward, and going for walks with Daddy.

This is a great book for young readers; there are easy words and good pictures for children to look at and relate to.  It is a very easy read with colorful pictures to capture children's attention.

Clements, A. (2004). Slippers at Home. New York: Dutton Children's Books.

Back to children's books!!!

I am pleased to say today I have moved back to reading younger children's books.  No more love triangles or fighting to save your lives.  Just simple books with easy concepts!
I decided to read a book that was written by the author I'm going to study, Lenore Look.



This was a chapter book, written more for 2nd graders or possibly 3rd graders, or even very advanced 1st grade readers.  It is a super cute book about a little girl, Ruby Lu, who has the greatest life ever! She loves everything about her life.  The book tells how she loves her little brother, her parents, grandparents, her neighborhood friends, and especially doing magic tricks.  She, however, does not love Chinese school on Saturdays.  Her family is Chinese, but she speaks English, and her parents want her to learn Chinese.  So Ruby and Oscar (her little brother) are sent to school on Saturdays, where she discovers how much she loves Chinese school!  She makes friends with another Ruby in school, and learns how fun her teacher is.
The story goes through Ruby's adventures in life as a wild, creative, imaginative seven-year old girl.

It is an uplifting and fun book to read, even as an adult!  Great for kids because they can relate to the wild imagination of Ruby Lu!  There are so many great themes in this book to teach children too; friendship, adventure, family, schools, culture.

Look, L. (2004). Ruby Lu, Brave and true. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Crossed....

So since I am intertwined in all the latest teen books, I figured I'd finished the Hunger Games trilogy, I should finish the sequel to Matched. The second book is called Crossed, and it still follows along the lines of the Hunger Games book.  There is still another love triangle (Ky, Cassia, and Xander), and there is still another obstacle to overcome with the Society.



This second book is written differently, with the chapters switching back and forth between Ky's view and Cassia's view.  It is nice, but sometimes hard to keep up with who is talking in each chapter.  The chapters are written in first person point of view, so it can get confusing at times.
We start with Cassia in the Outer Provinces, trying to figure out a way to escape to find Ky.  She has a rough time adjusting and does not fit in.  She buddies up with Indie, who is an aberration, but wanting to escape the Society.  Eventually they plan together to run away with another boy, whose name is not known, to find the Rising (the rebellion against the Society).
Meanwhile, Ky is in another camp in the Outer Provinces, and befriends a guy named Vick.  He was a citizen until he wanted to marry an anomaly and became an aberration.  Vick and Ky work together burying the dead bodies that are used as decoys for the Society to fight the enemy.  They devise a plan to escape and find the Rising as well.  Along the way, Vick is killed by the Society.
Eventually Cassia and Ky find each other, and are reunited.  Their love is still the same and they are happy.  Now the question is what to do? Ky does not want to find the Rising because he doesn't trust them, but Cassia, Indie, and their two new friends Eli and Hunter want to.  They travel across canyons and caverns, and stumble across the township where the farmers live; it has been deserted because the Society has finally come for them, except for Hunter.
So the five of them travel to find the Rising.  Hunter has a map, and through reading poems and trading information, they have figured out the way to go.  They follow the poisoned river and the woods to finally reach a lake where the Rising is hiding.
They are quickly accepted, questioned, and assigned jobs to help the Rising.  Cassia is sent to Central to work undercover in the Society.  Indie does not have her job assignment yet, and Ky is sent to be a pilot.  Hunter and Eli have come separately into the Rising.
The book just kind of ends, knowing that Cassia and Ky are separated once again but Ky is still able to get notes to her in Central.

The book was good, but the end was frustrating.  I was confused if there was another book coming out, which I finally figured out there is; a 3rd one called Reached.  I'm thinking its going to be very similar to what has happened in the 3rd Hunger Games book.
So this book was good, and I know teenage readers will definitely enjoy it; as for adult readers, my thought is it's too close to the Hunger Games trilogy, but it's an easy, interesting read.

Condie, A. (2011). Crossed. New York: Dutton Books.

The Last Hunger Games Book!!

Since I had read 2 of the Hunger Games book, I felt compelled to finish the last one and see what happened to Katniss, Gale, and Peeta!  My curiosity got the best of me!



We left off in the second book where Katniss had been saved from the second Hunger Games and taken to District 13.  The rebels in District 13 have helped to save Katniss, and now they are hoping she will be their leader, their symbol, their Mockingjay for their rebellion.
Everything in District 13 is underground, so many families that survived the bombing in District 12 have been moved there, including Katniss and Gale's families.  They figure out that Peeta has been captured by the Capital and is being brainwashed by President Snow.  District 13 decides to rescue to Peeta, realizing that Katniss might not be any help if she doesn't have Peeta at her side.  They launch an attack on the Capital to rescue Peeta, and in the process loose many members of their team, and others in the Capital lose thier lives, including Katniss' sister, Prim.  Prim had been sent there as a medical person to help others, but a bomb went off and she lost her life.
Katniss is devastated, but tries to figure out what is going on.  In the end she realizes that President Coin (of District 13) was using her all along, and Katniss kills her.  Eventually President Snow dies, although no one knows exactly how.  The book closes with everyone returning to District 12 and the Capital being destroyed.  Katniss and Gale might not be able to reconcile their friendship because she had some questions about things that happened in the Capital and his hand in it.  Katniss and Peeta come around and realize that they were meant to be in love and together the whole time.
The book closes where its 20 years in the future and Katniss and Peeta are married.  They are still living in District 12, with 2 children now.  There are no more Hunger Games, but Katniss still lives in fear of one day telling her children how things used to be.
The book was good; although the ending was not as satisfying as I had hoped.  It almost felt like after all they went through, it just ended. It seemed almost as if the author was tired of writing and just needed a quick end.
The book trilogy was great, and I enjoyed most of it, as I'm sure teen readers did too, but the ending was just a little off for me.

Collins, S. (2010). Mockingjay. New York: Scholastic Press.

Princess Books...

I love books about princesses and princes, and basically any fairy tale books.  I love when books talk about girls being little princesses because I felt that exact way growing up!
I stumbled across this book the other day, and just had to read it: Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots?



I LOVE, LOVE this book! The title and picture just grabs you and makes you smile! It is written by Carmela LaVigna Coyle, who was inspired by her own daughter's question about princesses.  The illustrations are fabulous and so funny! Mike Gordon created the illustrations through line art and computer generated colors.
The book is a simple children's book about a girl's curiosity...do I be a princess and stay inside or can I be a princess and do other normal things, like snort when laughing?  It is a great book that takes the reader through all the questions and answers in such a positive way; implying that readers can do anything they want.  The book is written in rhyme, and encourages kids to be themselves.
It is a great book for kids of all ages to understand the positive message!

Coyle, C.L.V. (2003). Do Princesses Wear Hiking Boots? Flagstaff, Arizona: Rising Moon.

Adult books...

Since we have been focusing on children's picture books and chapter books, I switched it up for a change and read a more young adult to older adult book.
It just looked interesting.  It's called The Friday Night Knitting Club and its about a group of women who get together on Friday nights and knit.


The women are the support system for each other.  It is an eclectic group of women, who just happened to come together.  The owner, Georgia, is a single mother of Dakota (a teenager), who runs the knitting shop Walker & Daughter.  She has raised her daughter by herself, and managed to start and run a business.  I won't give everything else away because it is a good read to remind us how important our friendships are.  The book goes through every characters life and the ups and downs.  Old loves return, new ones enter, old friends resurface, and relationships change.  Through all this, the Friday night knitting group does knitting projects together, listens to one another, and supports each other through life.

It is a great book about love, friendship, and loyalty. I highly recommend it to any readers!

Jacobs, K. (2007). The Friday Night Knitting Club. New York: Berkley Books.

Informational Text & Love?

The title makes you question, can you find love in informational text books?  Well, we shall find out!
My first book I choose was T is for Tar Heel: A North Carolina Alphabet by Carol Crane.  This is a great picture book for children of all ages.  It is probably mostly meant for children in elementary school or middle school, but it is full of information about North Carolina.


This is a great expository book about all the different aspects of North Carolina.  The pictures are done in watercolors and are bright and vivid for children to be interested.  The book starts with the letter A, and takes the reader different places around NC.  For example, A stands for Appalachian Mountains, B stands for Brown Mountain Lights, C stands for Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and so on through the alphabet.
It is a great book, full of lots of information! It relates to my theme of love because the author clearly shows love for the great state of North Carolina.

The second book I choose for information text was written by a veterinarian.  It's called James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories, and is a collection of ten stories about dogs.


It is a book about a veterinarian's interactions with dogs.  It is a recollection of Herriot's most favorite dogs, such as Brandy, Trick Woo, Jock, and Jake.  Each story is a memory about the dog.  For example, Herriot's visit with Tricki Woo, he checks his anal glands, listens to his heart, discusses arthritis in the dog, and many other issues found in older dogs.  It is informational in the sense of giving the reader bits of information about dogs and what veterinarians look for, but also narrative with the stories.
There are some pictures within in the chapter book, and they are all done in water colors.  The book is a good one for elementary age students and middle school students.  It shares heartwarming stories and shares lots of information.  The book relates to my theme of love because the veterinarian had lots of love for all his dogs!

Crane, C. (2003). T is for Tar Heel: A North Carolina Alphabet. Chelsea, MI: Sleeping Bear Press.

Herriot, J. (1995). James Herriot's Favorite Dog Stories. New York: St. Martin's Press.

Biography & Love of a Nation

For my biography genre, I choose a chapter book on one of my favorite presidents...Abraham Lincoln.  I love to read biographies or autobiographies, so this was a natural choice for me.  This relates to love so easily; Lincoln's love for his country.  Everything he does is out of love for his great nation.


The book is intended for readers in upper elementary or middle school.  It is a journey through Lincoln's life.  He had an interesting and sometimes tough life, but throughout it all stayed positive and looked for the good in people.  The book details his life growing up in Kentucky and Indiana, his hard work ethic on the farm that eventually led him to be a congressman, and then a lawyer.  We learn about his family life, his wife Mary, and there children.  We learn that Lincoln gets more and more interested in politics, and finally runs for president.
Lincoln wins and almost immediately the Civil War begins.  He has to deal with the war, the loss of two sons, and a nation divided.  Through it all, Lincoln makes time to meet people, listen to them, and give great speeches! Eventually, the war ends and Lincoln accepts the South back into the nation without question or consequence.  Once everything is settled down, Mary and he attend a play at Ford's theater one night, and Lincoln is assassinated by John Wilkes Booth.  He dies the next morning.
The nation has lost an amazing president; one that has changed the country forever.  It is all because of his great love for America.  Love was also present in the book through Mary & Abraham's marriage.  They weathered so much; the loss of two of their children, wars, death threats, and being the president.


The second book I choose was a book on George Washington and his life.  George Washington was our first president, but didn't start out wanting to be that person.  Washington had a normal upbringing in Virginia working on the farm and learning about shooting guns.  He eventually joined the army to fight for freedom against the British, and did well, becoming a Major.  He married a lovely widow, named Martha, who came with two children.  Martha and George settled in Mount Vernon with their family and slaves.  Life was good. 


Washington was called on again to lead the army to fight against Britain, and finally won their freedom.  Washington happily went back to Mt. Vernon to be with Martha and the kids.  Several months later, he was called on to become president of America. Delegates in Philadelphia had decided that while they were writing a constitution, they needed someone to be head of the country, like a king.  Washington said no to being the king (he feared becoming like Britain), but said yes to being president. 
Washington became our first president ever of America, starting in New York (the first capital), moving to Philadelphia (the second capital), and serving out two terms of the presidency.  The delegates wanted him to run for a third term, but George said no, he wanted more time with his family, and he was getting older.
Washington lived out the rest of his life at Mt. Vernon with Martha and their daughter (their son had died while he was president).  Washington is known as the "father of our country" because he was the first president.
This is a picture book that was painted with oil paints, and intended for all age of elementary students.  I choose this book because once again, another president shows his love for his nation.  Washington gives everything he can to becoming the first president and making the country a better place.  It just shows how much love he has for America.  Love is also present between George and Martha, and Martha's children.

Great books for students to read! Educational, yet interesting.  Plus everyone should know what great presidents Lincoln and Washington were.

Giblin, J.C. (1992). George Washington: A Picture Book Biography. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Sullivan, G. (2000).  In Their Own Words: Abraham Lincoln. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Poetry & Love

It seems that title is so fitting....when I think of poetry, I always think of it being written about love.  Which, I've discovered, is not always true.  This was one genre I was dreading, because poetry is not my favorite topic in literature.  I appreciated the comment our textbook made about poetry, because I absolutely agree with it, "many people are nervous around poetry.  They believe that it can't be understood without special knowledge or written without an Ivy League degree" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.259).  I am nervous around poetry!  But after reading the books I've chosen and reading our textbook, it doesn't seem as scary.
The first book I choose for my picture book, was Gunga Din by Rudyard Kipling.


This photograph kind of sums up the poem: the relationship between a British solider and an Indian water carrier.  This is a book of poetry that details the time in India's history in the 1800s where the British were in charge and the Indian people were looked down upon.  It is based on the Indian Mutiny of 1857.  The British were fighting and the Indians were used as servants, such as Gunga Din, the water carrier.  The poem depicts how badly he is treated by the British, and how much fun he is made of for the color of his skin and being dumb.
Gunga Din follows these soldiers everywhere and quietly carries the shame.  The soldiers are relentless in the torture and treatment of Gunga Din.  One day, during a battle, one of the soldiers gets shot and is badly wounded.  Gunga Din is the only one who stops to care for him, and ends up actually carrying him miles to safety.
The books ends with the soldier's appreciation of Gunga Din and how he saved his life.  These are the last few lines of the poem:
"Din! Din! Din!
You Lazarushian-leather Gunga Din!
Tho' I've belted you and flayed you,
By the livin' Gawd that made you,
You're a better man than I am, Gunga Din!"
(Kipling, 1987)

The last few lines of the poem are so moving, and show the love  and admiration the solider has for Gunga Din.  It is a different kind of love; almost a quiet and shameful love, but nonetheless love.

Because of the complexity of the poem, this poetry is meant for older students such as high school.  The concept of the poetry might be a hard one to grasp, but the story it tells is beautiful.  The illustrations are beautiful and done in watercolor.  The poem is written in narrative poetry.

The second book I choose for poetry was a chapter book full of poems selected by Michael Rosen.  It is a book of classic poetry, made up of of many different types of poems, authors, and pictures.

It is hard to just pick one poem from this book, since there are over 80 poems included in this book!  There are tons of authors: William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Lord Byron, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Bronte, Emily Dickinson, Christina Rossetti, Rudyard Kipling, Robert Frost, and Judith Wright.
Not all of the poems relate to love, but a good majority of them do.  Many of them just relate to things in everyday life, or expressing someones thoughts.
Below is a few lines from Sweet and Love by Alfed, Lord Tennyson
"Father will come to his babe in the nest,
Silver sails all out of the west
Under the silver moon:
Sleep my little one, sleep, my pretty one, sleep."
(Rosen, 1998, p.54).

This is just one example of the love a mother has for her child.  She is reciting a poem to calm her child at night, waiting for their father to come home.

Another example of a poem that shows love for one's country and/or president is O Captain! My Captain!
It is a poem written by Walt Whitman in the 1800s about the love of Abraham Lincoln.  The president has died, and this is a elegy written in love and memory of him.

This was an interesting book to read since I am not a huge fan of poetry, but very inspirational.  It opened my eyes to different types of poetry, and made me appreciate it more.  I choose this book because I thought it would give me some great examples of classic poetry for me to appreciate.  It is a chapter book that would be better suited for high school age students who could really appreciate and determine the meaning of these classic poems. 
Poetry is a great way to use Stanley Fish's reader response theory, about letting kids think and interpret texts how they wish.

Kipling, R. (1987). Gunga Din. Orlando, Florida: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, Publishers.

Lukens, R.J., Smith, J.J., & Coffel, C.M. (2013). A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. Boston: Pearson.

Rosen, M. (1998). Classic Poetry: An Illustrated Collection. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Candlewick Press.

Historical Fiction/Realism & Love!

Historical fiction/realism is based on stories from the past; with the particular dates and times changing.  It is based on an idea/topic/event that happened in the past, but the characters in the actual story might be fictional.  The very popular movie, The Titanic, is a great example of historical fiction/realism because it was based on an actual event: the Titanic sinking, but Rose and Jack were fictitious characters.
The first chapter book I choose for historical fiction/realism is part of the Dear America book series.  It was titled I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl.  I actually was not looking forward to reading this book, but choose it because alot of my 4th and 5th grade students read these books and love them.  I had tried to read one several months ago but just could not get into it.  So obviously I was not excited about this one, but wanted to try this series again.  This book series is more for upper elementary students, as well as middle school students.  It relates to my topic of love in a different way that books I've been blogging out have. 
In this book, the main character, Patsy is looking for love.  She is a young slave girl that lives on a plantation in South Carolina in 1865.  She starts off being in charge of the young children of the house, Annie and Charles.  They make fun of her and think she is stupid, but Annie teachers her how to write and read; something that was very unusual for blacks to know in that time.  Patsy pretends to be stupid, as not to get in trouble, which helps her. Annie gives her a journal to write her thoughts in, but they joke that she is such a dunce it will be a waste.  Well little do they know Patsy can read and write, and loves her journal.  She aptly names her journal "friend" and writes almost everyday in her.
The story is the actual journal of Patsy and her years working as a slave for Master and Mistress on the plantation.  She endures loneliness because she has no family, sadness because she has a bad leg, and frustrations because she cannot yet share with anyone she can read and write.  Patsy gets moved from doing many things around the house, from cooking to cleaning to emptying chamber pots.
Her journal is her saving grace.  She has a hard life, and even after the slaves have been freed, she is not truly freed.


She struggles with not having relationships with others, and finally grows to depend on Ruth and her children.   Ruth also works in the House at the plantation and Patsy finally shares her secret about knowing how to read and write.  She eventually becomes a teacher for Ruth's children and all the other children living on the plantation.  This story shows how you can grow to love yourself, become a part of a family (which Patsy does), and have faith in yourself.
The story wraps up with Patsy becoming a part of the minister's family and leaves to go to another part of South Carolina to finish her schooling and eventually open up her own school in their own town, Libertyville, S.C.  She marries another fellow slave, Douglass, and never has kids, but is happy teaching all the little children in town.
Patsy is a symbol of strength, hope, and never-ending love. 

The second historical fiction/realism book I choose was a picture book by Eve Bunting, called A Day's Work.  This book is for elementary age readers, and is a great example of my text set theme love.  It is not based on any specific event in the past, but shows the struggle of a Mexican man trying to get work in America. 


There was a time (and there might still be) in America when many Mexicans were crossing the border and struggling to find jobs.  They would gather each day in certain places of town, hoping for men to drive by and pick them up for a day's work.  It shows the struggling economy and job market we have in America.
This particular book shows the love between a grandson and his grandfather, Abuelo.
Abuelo has just moved to America to live with his daughter and grandson because the father died.  He is looking for work, but does not speak English.  So the grandson must accompany him to find work and translate for him.
One day a man is asking for a gardener, so the grandson volunteers them and says they know all about gardening.  Plus the man can get two workers for the price of one; so the man hires them.  The whole time the grandson must translate to his Abuelo.
They are tasked with pulling up all the weeds in a field and leaving the flowers.  They work hard in the heat all day long until the man comes back.  He is so mad because they pulled up the flowers and left the weeds!  The grandson is embarrassed and upset, but Abuelo does not understand what is going on.  Once the grandson explains, Abuelo is mad because the grandson lied about them having knowledge about gardening.  He tries to tell the man they will work for free the next day and replant all of the flowers.  The man agrees, and Abuelo scolds his grandson for lying.  The book ends with them knowing that they have work again the next day and possibly work again in the future from this man.
A Day's Work shows the love and devotion between a grandparent and grandson.  The grandson would clearly do anything for the grandfather, including lying, and the grandfather loves him enough to forgive him when he makes a big mistake.  
It also shows how hard it is to get work in America if you don't speak English and what a struggle some families go through trying to find work daily.

I love this book, and I think it gives a great lesson to students.

Bunting, E. (1994). A Day's Work. New York: Clarion Books.

Hansen, J. (1997). Dear America: I Thought My Soul Would Rise and Fly: The Diary of Patsy, a Freed Girl. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Comtemporary Fiction & Love

Contemporary fiction is described as "any work of fiction that takes place in modern times" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.88).  There are several sub-genres of contemporary fiction, which include: mysteries and thrillers, animal stories (not to be confused with the talking animal fantasy books), problem solving books, romance, and coming-of-age books.
The first book I picked, which is my chapter book, is a coming-of-age book.  In this type of sub-genre "it is necessary for the writer to create a believable character who has enough awareness of self to learn about who he or she  is and enough complexity to change and grow over the course of the story" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.91).  The book that I choose that fits into this sub-genre is The Babysitters Club: Claudia and the Sad Good-Bye by Ann M. Martin.  The Babysitters Club is and has been a popular series for young readers.  It is recommended for students in second grade or higher.  Most kids do not continue reading these by the time they get to middle school; so probably just for more middle to upper elementary students.


The book is about Claudia, the Vice-President of the Babysitters Club, and her relationship with her grandmother Mimi.  The book goes through Claudia's close relationship with her Mimi, and how sick she is getting.  Claudia doesn't think anything can ever happen to Mimi.  Through Mimi's sickness, Claudia talks about her life as a babysitter, a student, and an artist.  She even starts a weekly art camp with fellow babysitter club member Mary Anne.
Several times Claudia gets frustrated when she has to care for Mimi and Mimi is forgetful or rude.  Mimi is taken to the hospital twice because she is sick or faints.  The second time she is taken she does not come home.  Claudia stays with her in the hospital and gets to spend some last few days with Mimi.  She goes home one night and talks to her on the phone before bedtime, and Mimi tells her goodbye and calls her my Claudia.  The next morning Claudia finds out Mimi has died. 
The rest of the book shows how Claudia, only in 8th grade, is dealing with the loss of someone special in her life.  She feels lost for a long time, and finally confronts her feelings about losing Mimi.
This book shows a young girl and grandmother's love and respect for one another.  It shows the love between family members and how special the relationships can be.
One reason I choose this book was because I loved reading The Babysitters Club growing up, and it is a perfect example of the love between two people, and a great example for young children on how to handle death.

The second book I choose for contemporary fiction was a picture book, The Old Woman Who Named Things by Cynthia Rylant.  It is an abstract picture book done in watercolors that is suited for children of all ages. First looking at it you think its just for young kids, but reading it, the concept is a great lesson for everyone.


The book is about an old woman who has outlived all of her friends.  She is very lonely because she has no friends left and never gets any mail.  So she starts to name things around her home that she knows she will outlive.  Her bed is Roxanne, her car is Betsy, her house is Franklin, and her favorite chair (who never sags) is Fred.  Everyday she is happy greeting her friends at home, until one day a puppy comes to her gate.  The old woman tells him to go home, but she notices he looks hungry so she feeds him a little.  The next day the puppy comes back for more food, and every day after that.  Eventually a year passes, and the puppy has become a dog.  The woman thinks she is clever because she has not named the dog, and Betsy, Fred, Roxanne, and Franklin would never allow a dog to be with them.  One day the dog does not come to visit for food.  The old woman worries, but looks for him the next day.  He still doesn't return.  A few more days pass, and the old woman is becoming very sad and concerned about the dog.  She drives around looking for him and calls the dog catcher, but finds nothing.  She finally decides to go to the pound and look for her shy, brown-haired dog.  The dog catcher asks for the dogs name, and the old woman decides on Lucky.  She finds Lucky in the pound and he comes immediately once he hears her voice.  She takes the dog home to live with her forever, and turns out Betsy, Fred, Franklin, and Roxanne don't mind one bit!
This story shows the love between a woman and her dog.  It is a love that didn't want to be, but eventually the two became dependent on each other.  They come to enjoy each other's company and love one another.  So in this way this is an excellent book for students of all ages to appreciate many different concepts.  There are many different meanings that can be interpreted throughout this story.

Both great books, but the second one really touched my heart! A great book for all ages!

Lukens, R.J., Smith, J.J., & Coffel, C.M. (2013). A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. Boston: Pearson.

Martin, A.M. (1989). The Babysitters Club: Claudia and the Sad Good-bye. New York: Apple Paperbacks.

Rylant, C. (1996). The Old Woman Who Named Things. San Diego: Harcourt Brace & Co.

Fantasy & Love

Fantasy is best described as "a world unlike the one we usually call real" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p. 83).  There are several different types of fantasy that include: high fantasy, fantastic stories, and science fiction.  Typically when I think of fantasy books, I think of books such as Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, but I forget about all the other books related to animals that talk or have feelings, such as, Charlotte's Web or Stuart Little.  For my fantasy books, I choose a classic children's story and a more modern young adult story, both about love.
The picture book I choose to represent fantasy and love is The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.  It is a beloved classic that kids of all ages can relate to.  This fantasy book can fit under the sub-genre category of fantastic stories; which means "they are about characters that are not people but talk or live in houses like ours, have feelings like ours, or lead lives similar to ours" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.84).  I mean who did not grow up wanting their stuffed animal to become real? I know I wanted my stuffed cat, Twinkles, to be real!  So The Velveteen Rabbit is geared more towards younger elementary students, because they can most easily relate to the concept, but I definitely think it would be a good story for older readers to analyze and look in between the words for additional meaning.  The pictures in the book seem more representative of expressionism.  I think the author is trying to show the love and close bond between the boy and the stuffed rabbit through the pictures.


The story depicts a stuffed rabbit who arrives to a little boy on Christmas morning.  The rabbit is so excited to have an owner, and the boy is excited to have a new stuffed animal.  Eventually the rabbit gets pushed to the side as the excitement of new toys on Christmas morning takes over.  The rabbit is sent to the nursery to live with the other toys, and winds up living in the cabinet.  One night the boy is upset because he needs a stuffed animal to sleep with.  The nanny cannot find his usual animal so hands the rabbit to him.  From then on the rabbit is loved.  He sleeps and cuddles with the boy every night.  The rabbit was uncomfortable at first, because he liked his space, but now he loves to be held and cuddled.
I love the picture above because you can see the love in the little boy's eyes for his stuffed animal.  The rabbit goes everywhere with the boy, including outside to garden.  Eventually the rabbit starts to look worn and old, but it makes him feel "real", so he is not concerned.  The little boy falls sick one day, and the rabbit stays in bed with him day and night.  Finally, he has recovered, but the doctor has ordered that everything that was around the boy while he had Scarlet fever needs to be burned; including the rabbit.  He is devastated, and the boy doesn't even realize what is going on.  The rabbit is put in a bag to be burned, but saved by an angel.  The angel grants his request that he become a real rabbit.  He joins the other rabbits in the forest and is happy.  Occasionally he runs into the little boy out playing in the forest and watches him, but the boy has no idea.
This is a great children's book that shows true love between a boy and a stuffed animal.  It shows the type of dependence a child can form on an object; an object that makes them feel safe, loved, and comforts them.  It is a kind of love most everyone can relate to because once in their childhood I'm sure they had a toy or stuffed animal they felt the same way about.

My second fantasy book that falls under the theme of love is the second book in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire.  I choose this book because I really enjoyed the first book in the series, and was curious as to what happened in the next one!  This book is more of a science fiction novel.  Science fiction is defined as "a type of fantasy, since the events of the stories could not or have not occurred as they do in our world as we know it" (Lukens, Smith, Coffel, 2013, p.85).  It discusses world/events that have not happened, but could possibly occur in the future one day.  Catching Fire is a great example of a world that would hopefully never happen here; a world where children must kill other children in order to survive.  Because of the type of story, the audience is intended for young adults.  I do know many middle schoolers and younger students who have read the books and love them.  But mostly because of the violent content and the discussion of love/marriage it seems more fitting for upper middle school/high school age students.



I love this picture in representing the book because it shows the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Gale.  This book, yet violent, is full of love.  The love between Katniss and her family, the love between Katniss and her best friend Gale, the love she is supposed to have with Peeta, and the love for all the people in District 12.  All the actions in this book are done out of love (most of them!).
The second book starts where the first one left us hanging; Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12 as victors.  They are happy and relieved to be home, but live in fear that they have angered the Capital.  Katniss is back home with her mom and Primrose (her sister), hunting with Gale daily and trying to figure out her love issue with Peeta.  Eventually the Capital retaliates out of anger towards Peeta and Katniss.  They are holding another Hunger Games, this time with past winners only from each district.  Obviously, Katniss and Peeta are required to go, as Haymitch is the only other victor from their district.  It is decided it is best for him to stay back and help get sponsors while they are out playing the games.
So once again, they are taken to the capital and put back in the wild arena of the Hunger Games.  Katniss and Peeta team up with two other people from different districts; an older lady who has no chance of winning and a former friend of Haymitch's.  Together they survive all the harsh obstacles the Capital is throwing at them.  Many getting hurt, injured, and killed throughout the whole game.  The older lady eventually dies, which is terribly sad to the others since she didn't deserve to die this way.  Haymitch is working with 2 other people in the Hunger Games to find a way to escape and take Katniss and Peeta to safety so they won't be put in the position of having to kill each other again.  Katniss and Peeta know nothing of this plan, so they are shocked one day when suddenly they are captured and taken away.  Haymitch has finally figured out a way to deify the Capital and set them free; he wants to cause an uproar.  Unfortunately before they can grab Peeta, he is captured by a hovercraft of the Capital's and taken there.  The book ends with Katniss being taken to a doctor along with 2 other Hunger Games competitors and flown to safety in District 13, that was previously thought to not exist.  Peeta has been captured by the Capital and they no nothing of his whereabouts.
The author leaves us hanging here, waiting to grasp the 3rd book and figure out if Peeta will be reunited with Katniss.  One must wonder though, is their love real? Or is it simply they have become dependent on each other in order to survive and their love has grown from that?  Was it so faked at the beginning that now they are starting to believe it themselves?  Does Katniss truly love Gale, or is she confusing the love of a brother type figure with the love of a boyfriend?
Many questions can be asked about the world they live in, the idea of the Hunger Games, and about the love between Peeta and Katniss.  There are a great many things about love that can be discussed with high schoolers since they can all relate!

Overall, these were great fantasy books to read!

Collins, S. (2010). Catching Fire. New York: Scholastic Press.

Lukens, R.J., Smith, J.J., & Coffel, C.M. (2013). A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. Boston: Pearson.

Williams, M. (1983). The Velveteen Rabbit. New York: Henry Holt and Company.

Love in Traditional Literature Books...

My theme for the next few days of books I am going to read is love.  You can find love anywhere, so I thought it would be a good, positive theme to look for in books!
The genre of these two books are traditional literature, which means "that the form comes to us from the ordinary person and exists orally rather than in writing-at least until some collector finds, records, and publishes the stories or rhymes" (Lukens, Smith, & Coffel, 2013, p.78).  Some examples of traditional literature are fables, folktales, myths, legends, heroes, and folk epics.  Both of my stories I have chosen for today are legends/hero tales.
The first book is a chapter book, The Iliad and the Odyssey.  The book is divided in two parts, and I choose to read The Odyssey since the main characters, Odysseus and Penelope represent a true love.  I thought this book was a perfect example of traditional literature while keeping in my theme of love.  It is a true, classic story that has been told for many years, read over and over in classrooms, but yet the one thing that drives Odysseus to return home is to be with his true love, Penelope.



The story begins where The Illiad left off; the war is over and Odysseus is heading back home to Ithaca.  He is trying to sail back home with his crew, but Poseidon, God of the sea, did everything he could to punish Odysseus.  On his way sailing back home, Odysseus and his crew encountered many adventures and challenges, including meeting up with a Cyclops.  Odysseus killed Cyclops, who happened to be the son of Poseidon; so from then on, he was out to get revenge on Odysseus.
For almost 10 years Odysseus was kept on an island, Ogygia, by Calypso.  Calypso was a nymph, who finally released Odysseus because Zeus, the most powerful God (the father of everyone), demanded that he be freed.  Odysseus was on his was back home!
It took him many more years to get back to Ithaca, and he had to go through many challenges.  But he had Athene, his protector, at his side.  Odysseus eventually made it back home, but was disguised as an old, beggar man to see if his people and his wife had been faithful to him.  His wife, Penelope, had not taken any suitors in the 20 years Odysseus had been gone (although she had many waiting for her hand), and most of the country had not given up hope that he was still alive.  Odysseus finally revealed himself to his son, Telemachus, and Penelope.  She gave him a quick test to see if it truly was her husband.  It was truly Odysseus.  Penelope, Telemachus, and the whole country were happy that their king was finally back to rule their country.  Towards the end of the book, Odysseus sums up his love for Penelope and his country by saying, "But from the day I left to go to war, I kept my heart one land and one woman.  The land was my country and the woman was you, Penelope" (1991, p.149).
This book represents a true love between Odysseus and Penelope; one that even after 20 years of not seeing each other cannot be broken.  It also shows the love of Odysseus and his people; they never gave up hope.
The age group that would probably benefit best from this book is older elementary all the way to high school.  This version of the book was slimmed down for younger readers (it still had chapters), but the concepts are somewhat hard to grasp for very young readers.

The second book I read was a picture book, intended for much younger readers.  The concepts are a little easier to grasp, but it still could be read to upper elementary students.  The second book, The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark, discusses the love a king has for his country and the love a country has for its king.  The picture book is more of a realistic type of book.


The book is based on a legend that may or may not be true.  It leaves readers hoping this legend was actually true.  The story is based on the time when King Christian X ruled over Denmark during World War II.  It starts by talking about how all of the Danes are the same, and its hard to tell the difference in any of them; they are all united in their love for King Christian X.  He is so loved, that he is able to ride safely through the streets on a horse without guards; just speaking to the people.
Eventually the Nazis come to Denmark and try to force them to fly the Nazi flag.  King Christian X refuses, and the Nazis threaten him.  The Nazis force all of the Jewish people in Denmark to wear a yellow star so they will be identified.  All the Danes were scared, but had faith in King Christian X to take care of them and do the right thing.
Eventually, King Christian X realized the best way to handle the situation was for everyone to be united.  He decided that if the Jews were required to wear a yellow star to single them out, he was going to do the same thing. King Christian X rode the streets proudly with his yellow star, and inspired the other Danes to proudly wear a yellow star, no matter if they were Jewish or not.  The country united, and the Danes ended up saving thousands of Jews in the Holocaust.  Because of King Christian's love for his people, he was able to safely get thousands of Jews to Sweden.
This book focuses on love, but in a different way than The Odyssey.  The first book shows love between a husband and wife, but the second book shows love and loyalty through a king and his people.

Both of these are great legend/hero tales.  They leave a lot open for the reader to interpret.  Looking back at our reader-response theory by Stanley Fish, there are many ways the reader can understand both these books.  Especially The Yellow Star because readers may look at the pictures and interpret different meanings.

Both of these books were great to read, especially The Yellow Star.

Deedy, C.A. (2000). The Yellow Star: The Legend of King Christian X of Denmark.  Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, LTD.

Homer. (1991). The Iliad and the Odyssesy: The Story of the Trojan War and the Adventures of Odysseus. Milano, Italy: Dami Editore.

Lukens, R.J., Smith, J.J., & Coffel, C.M. (2013).  A Critical Handbook of Children's Literature. Boston: Pearson.

Golem

Golem is a book that takes place in the 1500s that focuses on religious persecution during that time.


This book is a picture book, but is more for mature readers; 5th grade or older.  The ideas that the book presents would be a hard concept for young readers, although they would enjoy the pictures.  The book starts with two rabbis working together to save the Jewish people in Prague.  People are out to persecute the Jewish population, and one of the rabbi had a dream where God told him to use his spiritual powers to create a character that will help them.  The two rabbis go one night to create Golem, from clay, from the Earth.  Golem is designed to stand guard all night and watch out for the Jews.  The town cannot truly know who Golem is or where he came from so the rabbis call him "Joseph".
Since Golem has been guarding the Jews, many people have been captured and punished for hurting the Jews.  Eventually, the rabbis decide Golem is not needed; the Jews are safe.  They are going to have to put him back in the Earth.  Golem tries to stop them because he is enjoying being alive, especially watching the sunset.  He tries to stop the rabbis, but they quickly return him to the ground.  All is good again in Prague, and Golem waits silently in the ground to be created again.
This book was really interesting, and brought a lot of history to the table.  It should be noted that the pictures in the book are made from pieces of cut paper.  The author, David Wisniewski, took a lot of time to hand cut each piece of paper and a lot of talent.
A great book to read to upper elementary students!

Wisniewski, D. (1996). Golem. New York: Clarion Books.

Love & Porcupines

After reading all the teenage love triangle books, I tried for something lighter and simpler today...still related to love!
Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story is a really cute children's book about finding love!  It starts with a lonesome porcupine, ironically named Cushion, living in a zoo.  Cushion feels lonely and left out because he lives in his big cage all by himself.  He wants to find true love, and he also is able to play the guitar!!
He searches all the other animals for his one true love.  He sings to the rabbits, beavers, and pigs, but no one likes his love song and no one wants to be in love with someone as prickly and ugly as Cushion.
Cushion has finally given up when he hears a voice saying I'll be your friend.  It is a hedgehog!  Barb, the hedgehog, is just as prickly as Cushion and would love to live with him in his cage at the zoo.  Cushion finally is able to sing new, happier love song about his true love Barb!
The book is simple and cute.  Kids will love the colorful pictures, and the thrill of Cushion on his journey to find true love.  The author incorporates some poetry/prose into the book through the song Cushion sings on his guitar.  There are great themes for units in this book including: love, friendship, and looking beyond appearances.  Overall a fantastic book for kids!  The illustrations are by Janie Bynum...lots of color in this book!

Wheeler, L. (2002). Porcupining: A Prickly Love Story. New York: Little, Brown, & Co.

Matched!

Matched is a young adult science fiction book written very similar to the Hunger Games.  Since I enjoyed Hunger Games, that might be the reason why my fingers were so drawn to finding this book.  Matched is about a make-believe world where everything is controlled by the Society.  Everything, right down to how much you eat a day and when you die.  Everything is managed and controlled by the Society, including who you will marry and how many children you will have.
The book starts out at the matching ceremony for Cassia, a young 17 year old girl.  She has worn the most beautiful dress (a green one, like the girl in the bubble picture), and is awaiting to hear whom she is going to be dating for the next couple of years before she is married.
Surprisingly, she is matched to someone in her region; her best friend: Xander.  Cassia is ecstatic! She has been matched to someone in her own city! That practically never happens, and Xander is her best friend so she is elated.
Once matched, each person receives a microcard with all their mate's information available for them to review.  Cassia figures there isn't much for her to review since she and Xander grew up together and know everything about each other; but she decides to look anyway.  She inserts the card in the computer, and the face that appears for her match is not Xander; it is Ky Markham.  Cassia is stunned and scared.  She quickly pulls the card out, and tells no one.
Later, an official pays her a visit at school to discuss what has happened.  Again, Cassia has told no one, but the officials know everything.  They convince her it was an accident, and there was no way Ky could have been entered into the matching pool because he is an Aberration.  There are four different levels in the Society: matched, single, Aberration, and Anomalies (who have to be separated from society).  Aberrations are people who have committed an infraction against the Society or have a close family member who has committed one.  In this instance, Ky's uncle, who he lives with, had committed an infraction against the Society years ago, and now Ky is being punished for it.
The official leaves Cassia to mull this over, and now it peaks her interest in Ky.  She has known him since they were little, but he is a quiet boy who is average in everything.
Throughout the book, Cassia becomes more intrigued with Ky and eventually falls in love with him.  She learns what it is like for him to be an outsider all these years, and how he plays a game of his own against the Society; living unnoticed.  Their love is forbidden because of the different levels as matched and Aberration.  Cassia is torn between disobeying the Society and following her heart.  Her family suffers because of her actions, and are eventually forced to move to the Farmlands by the Society.  Cassia comes clean with Xander and tells him the truth, that she truly loves Ky.  The officials have taken Ky away from his aunt and uncle to somewhere unknown.
As the book closes, Cassia and her family have been moved to the Farmlands, and Ky's whereabouts are unknown.  Cassia is determined to find her true love, Ky, no matter what risk she may have to take.
The author leaves you wondering at the end of the book if Cassia will be able to find Ky in the next book.  This first book Matched is part of a trilogy.  It was a good book, that easily connected with young readers about falling in love and having your life controlled by someone.  I can see how the book would resonate with middle or even high school students, talking about a love triangle, rebelling against the powers, and escaping to find true love.

I enjoyed reading it, and the author kept my attention throughout the whole book.  Although it was incredibly similar to the Hunger Games, it was less violent, but followed along with the theme of forbidden love.  You should note that this book was published after Hunger Games.
I look forward to reading the next book in the series, Crossed.



It also looks like a movie is going to be made from the book!!


Condie, A. (2010). Matched. New York: Scholastic.

Pigeons and Buses!

This post is for June 2nd; my second book reading!  After finishing up the Hunger Games yesterday, my fingers decided to take me over to a lighter reading section, where killing children was not a part of it.  I scanned the early children's book section and found one with an interesting title: Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!  I thought that was quite interesting, and pulled it out to read.
It is more of a picture book geared toward children ages 2-6 years.  It was really cute though.  The author (Mo Williems) does an excellent job of having a book that will make kids giggle, and feel as though the book is really talking to them.
The book starts out with a bus driver leaving a pigeon alone by his bus.  He asks that no pigeons drive the bus (the author makes the reader feel like the bus driver and pigeon are talking to you the entire book).  So the pigeon does everything possible to convince you, the reader, to let him drive the bus.  He begs, pleads, and tries to make a game out of it.  In the end, the bus driver comes back before the reader is able to make a decision, and the pigeon does not get to drive the bus.  Although the book closes with the pigeon spotting a tractor trailer and having thoughts on driving it.
This book is just really great and silly for young readers.  It gives them the power to be really involved in the book, and be a part of the decision making process to see if the pigeon should drive the bus or not.  There are excellent illustrations and great words/phrases that would be easy for young kids to repeat or get involved with.
Overall, great, fun book!!  This book was also a Caldecott Honor Book.

Willems, M. (2003). Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

And May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor...

This post is for yesterday's book reading, June 1st.  I am a little late in getting this online, but I just finished up the first book of the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  I have to admit I was a little hesitant to read it; I had seen all the magazine covers about the book/movie, and seen the movie previews.  I knew all my friends were reading it, and of course all my middle school students at school.  I felt the same way about Twilight too...I was a late bloomer on the Twilight saga as well.
I will admit though, I really enjoyed this book! It was a fairly easy read, as it is targeted to teenagers, but it kept my interest.  The Hunger Games focuses on Katniss (pictured above) and her life in District 12.  Each district is run by the Capital, and each year 2 players are chosen from each district (12) to fight in the annual Hunger Games.  It is a big event attended by everyone in the Capital, and there is only one survivor.  The Capital creates a "world" where things may attack you, people attack you, and you might not be able to find water.  They control the "world" that the players live in until someone wins.
Because most of the districts are very poor and hungry, everyone who is of a certain age must put their name in the running to be chosen at the annual Hunger Games.  Every time you enter your name you get a certain amount of food.  This is the first year Katniss' sister, Primrose must enter her name.  And she gets chosen! Kat volunteers to take her place as tribute, and is paired with Peeta, a kind, quiet boy whom she grew up with.
As soon as the tributes are chosen, they are whisked away to the capital and shown a world they've never known.  They are dressed in the finest clothes, given the best food, and then sent out on their own to survive.  You are not supposed to pair up in the games but Peeta, Rue (from District 11), and Katniss do.   The author shows readers how the relationship between Peeta and Katniss grows.  Katniss is super tough, so she has had to show a softer side to the Capital in order to gain popularity and sponsors.
Their mentor, Haymitch, encourages Peeta and Katniss to develop a romantic relationship (something Kat is torn up about because she is partly in love with her best friend at home, Gale), to help keep them alive and people interested in them.
Eventually almost all of the contestants are dead, and Katniss and Peeta are wounded, exhausted and dirty.  They try to deify the Capital by winning as a team, but the Capital announces there can only be one winner, so they plan to both kill themselves (sort of a Romeo and Juliet type reference).  Before this can happen the Capital stops them and declares them both winners.  They are saved and have survived.
Now they must face punishment from the Capital for defying them, and Katniss must determine if her kisses with Peeta were real, or if it was just for show?  Does Katniss have feelings for Peeta, and does Peeta truly have feelings for Katniss?  The author leaves readers wondering what will happen to the two of them as they return on the train to their district.
I liked the way the author just ended the book: End of Book One.  She left you intrigued, and curious about the fate of Peeta and Katniss.  The writing in the book was not the best, but the story kept you going.  The author did a great job making you feel like you were actually in the Capital watching the Hunger Games.
Overall, this book is a good one, especially one for young readers.  A fantasy/science fiction, futuristic book that most all students would enjoy.  Although the thought of kids killing other kids for survival is repulsive.

Collins, S. (2008). The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic Press.