A Tree is Nice

By Janice May Udry (1956)
Illustrations by Marc Simont
Caldecott Award Winner





I think what drew me to this book in the library was the simplistic illustration on the cover (that and the Caldecott medal). I think that the illustrations are a perfect match for the simple text of the book, talking about the many ways that trees are nice.

This book is certainly geared towards younger students. I could see using s book like this to introduce a lesson on plants in an early science lesson. Or perhaps it could be tied in to an environmental appreciation unit.

Flotsam

By David Wiesner
Caldecott Award Winner





Another terrific world-less book by Wiesner. Interestingly enough the story of Flotsam is really the story of a camera. A boy at the beach discovers a camera that has washed up on shore. The camera contains many wondrous pictures of undersea life. You also get a glimpse at the history of the camera with a photo of a photo of a photo of all of the people who have used the camera over the years. After his day with the camera, the boy tosses it back into the sea. So, even though the story ends, the story of the camera does not.

I was absolutely blown away by this book. I think it would be a great addition to any classroom. There is absolutely no age limit to who could enjoy this book. I believe that it could be used to demonstrate to students an alternate strategy for telling a story. Sometimes pictures really are worth a thousand words.

Frog Went A-Courtin'

By John Langstaff (1955)
Illustrated by Feodor Rojankovsky





In this book Langstaff has taken an old Scottish folktale and written down so that the lore may continue into the future generations here in America. In the story a frog wishes to marry a mouse, and a whole bunch of other critters join in the celebration. That is, until a cat crashes the party and sends characters running.

It is a cute story that lends itself to a younger audience. I can envision this tale being converted into some sort of theatrical experience, either with children actors or possible puppets. There is a small musical tune in the back of the book, if you wish to sing the story.

In the book the author mentions how the story has changed over time. People will forget parts of the tale and simply add in their own events. Tis opens a great opportunity for a creative writing experience for a young classroom. Perhaps each student could add their own little piece to the story until your class has made a tale all their own.

Song and Dance Man

By Karen Ackerman (1988)
Illustrations by Stephen Gammel





This is a fun story about a grandfather who shows another side of himself to his young grandchildren. He leads them up to his attic and puts a show on for them, just like he used to do back when he was a song and dance man. Gammel's unique style of illustration combines perfectly with Ackerman's story to recreate the wondrous experience of the grandchildren to the reader.

It is for people, especially young children, to take their grandparents at face value. We forget that they were once young too, and did all sorts of fun interesting that we have no clue about. I really like the how the children of this story come to appreciate their grandfather, thinking that he is way more entertaining than any tv show.

This would be a good book to use in the first grade, when much of the social studies curriculum is centered around the idea of family. Students could do a family research project, and interview a family member that they don't know a lot about. They could share their findings with the class, bringing photos and objects from the family member's past. It would be a great learning experience for the young students.

Grandfather's Journey

By Allen Say (1993)
Caldecott Award Winner





Grandfather's Journey is the story of a man who leaves his home to see the world. The grandfather eventually returns to Japan to marry, but things brings his new bride back to his favorite place, California. The grandfather's love for traveling seems to get transmitted to his grandson, who dreams of visiting California, then eventually moves there.

The story ends with grandson making a connection with his grandfather. After his traveling he longs to be in both places at once. I think that many of us struggle between the longing for adventure and the security and peace of being at home. Perhaps you need a little of both in your life.

This book gives us some great insight into what it may be like to be an immigrant that has moved to the U.S. On one hand they are happy to be in America, on the other their home is somewhere else, and they miss feeling as though they are home. Having books like this in the classroom could help American students relate to ELL students.

Bone: Out From Boneville

By Jeff Smith (2005)





Bone is a graphic novel series about three bone cousins. You don't get a lot of back story on the cousins, or what bones are. All you know is that the three cousins have been run out of Boneville because of a stunt their rich cousin, Phoney Bone, pulled.

Early on in the story the cousins are lost and get separated. The story is divided up into two perspectives, Fone Bones and Phoney Bones, who seen like complete opposites. Phoney Bone is rich and greedy, while Fone is a kind hearted bone.

I particularly the different characters encountered throughout the story. Each character had their own personality, and they continue to pop up at unexpected times.

It is hard to say much about the story, as not much is resolved at the end of the book. I am intrigued enough that I will most likely pick up the next book in the series to see what happens to the characters.

I'm not sure how I would use this book in my classroom. You could either have a discussion or a free write about what might happen next in story. Really, I probably wouldn't use it in my class, but it would be fine for students to use during a free read period.

Something Big Has Been Here

By Jack Prelutsky (1990)
Illustrated by James Stevenson




Jack Prelutsky is the man when it comes to children's poetry. His poems are so much fun. I really enjoyed reading through them, they are simple and rhyme, and just a good time to read. Stevenson's illustration are simple, but add humor to the experience.

I think this would be a great book to introduce young students to poetry. Prelutsky's poems are very accessible, and the topics are very relatable for elementary school aged children. I'm sure that students would have a ball doing choral readings from the poems in the book, and a lot of the poems could lend themselves as themes to art projects as well.

Freedom Ship

By Doreen Rappaport (2003)
Illustrated by Curtis James




This is another tale by Rappaport of slaves fighting for their freedom during the Civil War. In this story, a slave crew of a Confederate ship take a risk and hijack the boat in the middle of the night. The crew tricks the Confederate guards and sails to their freedom.

As I said in the previous blog entry, Rappaport is a great historical fiction writer. This time she teams up with Curtis James, whose paintings aid in telling the story of the Planter's crew.

Freedom Ship is another inspiring tale that would be fun for students who are studying the Civil War to read. I think it is important to expose students to many of these exciting stories of slaves fighting for their freedom. This one particular is interesting because it discusses how one of the members of the Planter's crew helped to persuade President Lincoln to allow African Americans to fight for the Union.

Freedom River

By Doreen Rappaport (2000)
Illustrated by Bryan Collier




Freedom River takes place during the civil war. In the story John Parker, a successful African American business man in Ohio, sneaks across the river in the night to help Kentucky slaves cross the river into the free state of Ohio. John Parker is a real person, although, Rappaport has taken the liberty to name the slaves and other characters in the story.

Rappaport is a great historical fiction writer. Her characters are believable, and the dialog is accurate. You can tell she does her homework before she writes a story like this. Collier's collage illustrations are beautiful, and do a great job in setting the appropriate mood for the story.

This would be a terrific book to use in an elementary classroom studying the Civil War. Books like this will really bring the fight for freedom from slavery to life for young students. I think that it would be interesting to have students read several historical fiction books like Freedom River, then try to write their own tale about a strong freedom fighter.

Poetry For Young People: Langston Hughes

Edited by David Roessel and Arnold Ramperad (2006)

Illustrated by Benny Andrews

In this book, David Roessel and Arnold Ramperad have gathered a collection of poetry by famed African American author Langston Hughes. Roessel and Ramperad give the reader a short background on Hughes, and each piece of poetry present in the book. Painting by Benny Andrews add emotion to the poetry, and are a nice addition.

The poems in this book revolve around social injustice towards African Americans. Thus, it would be a great book to have around while you are talking about about civil rights. I do believe that the poetry would be better suited for older students (middle school and above). Hughes' poems are bursting with symbolism, and take some heavy interpretation in order to gather the full meaning from the text.

It's About Dogs

By Tony Johnston (2000)
Illustrated by Ted Rand

This is a poetry book centered around dogs. Being a dog lover, I had to grab this book when I saw in the North Liberty Library.


I cannot claim to be an expert on poetry. To tell the truth, I know next to nothing about what makes a good poem, besides how it rolls off my lips. That being said, I do not feel like there is much in the form of high quality poetry between the covers of this book. The illustrations, however, are wonderful. Any dog fanatic would have a smile on his or her face as they flipped through the paintings of man's best friend.


I can't really recommend this book for a classroom. Unless, you simply would like to have it around for students to enjoy the paintings.

Smoky Night

By Eve Bunting (1999)
Illustrated by David Diaz
Caldacott Winner

The first thing that needs to be mentioned about this book is the art style. The illustrations are absolutely superb in this book. Painted illustrations aid in the setting the mood and telling the story, while the collage backgrounds somehow set the stage for the whole thing. It is hard to explain, and really must be experienced to be understood.

The book is an interesting perspective on the L.A. riots. For what would have been such a frightening time, the mood of the story is fairly calm. I believe this demonstrates the strength of the mother in the story. Her actions tell you that she is very concerned for her son's safety, yet she never loses her cool. The ending of the story demonstrates how tragic events like the L.A. riots can strengthen the bonds between members in a community, and bring them together.

Although this book may be centered around a very controversial time, I do not feel as though the book itself is at all controversial. I think it would be a great book to use and read during a civil rights unit, and you could have a discussion about the L.A. riots, and what the mood of the community must have been like before, during, and after that event.

Uncle Bobby's Wedding

By Sarah S. Brannen (2008)

Uncle's Bobby's Wedding is the story of a gerbil (or some other rodent?) who is really close with his niece. His niece becomes alarmed when she finds out that her uncle Bobby is going to get married; she wants him to still be her best friend. The kicker is that he is marrying another male gerbil. Once the niece realizes that Jamie, her new uncle, is really nice, it all works out and they are best buds.

What I feel is odd about this book, is that the fact that the marriage is between a gay couple is not ever really mentioned. Which is fine, obviously that was the author's intent, I just wish she would have made it a little more obvious. Bobby's partner's name is Jamie which could be a male or female name, and in the story Jamie is wearing a purple vest... With the characters being rodents, I didn't even realize Jamie was a man until someone told the niece she was going to have two uncles now. The author being so inconspicuous with the characters made the read a little confusing. If I was confused reading through the book, I have to imagine that a 2nd or 3rd grader would also be.

Even with its faults, I feel the book does send a really good message. It shouldn't be a big deal if a gay couple wants to get married. I like that, and because of that, I wouldn't be afraid to have this book in my classroom. I feel like gay rights will be the next big civil rights movement here in America. We as teachers, should be prepared to tackle some of these issues in our classrooms.

Do You Sing Twinkle?

By Sandra Levins (2010)
Illustrated by Bryan Langdo






This story is about a boy whose parents are divorced. The parents have a good system worked out where the boys stay half a week at their mom's, and half the week at their dad's. Everything is going great, until the mother decides to re-marry. Once re-married the boy must deal with several big changes such as having step-sisters, and his mother moving farther away.

With divorce being so prominent in our society I think that this is a great idea for a book. Divorce can be a difficult thing for children to deal with. I myself have parents who have divorced and both re-married. I definitely experienced some tensions with my step-parents and step-brothers at times.

I do believe that the book becomes almost condescending at times to children in explaining terms like "hard-decision", but depending on what age you are presenting the book to things like that may be necessary. The illustrations of the story add to the experience, helping to convey feelings of the boy. All in all, I think this is a good book to have in an elementary classroom. If nothing else, students who have parents that are getting divorced could read through this book and realize that it is a normal situation, and that they are not alone in their experience.

The Misfits

By James Howe (2001)

Someone call the Disney Channel, I think we have found their next made-for-tv movie. Throughout my entire read through this book, I kept saying to myself, "How cliche." Because of this, my response to this novel may seem a little harsh. To me, everything from the characters to plot seemed so familiar and overdone, that I had a very difficult time getting into the story. Also, the author's juvenile deliver was somewhat of a turn-off for me. However, I could see how this might resonate with the intended audience of the book, so I can overlook that.

With my criticisms stated, I can now look at the bight side of the book; there are some very relevant issues to students' lives addressed within the chapters of this story. As the protagonist of the story is, I also am a hater of name calling in schools. My stomach still balls up in a knot whenever I hear the word faggot. If for nothing else, I believe that this book could be read in a classroom, in a school, to help students to understand the consequences of name calling. I think the No-Name week is a terrific idea, and perhaps will suggest something like it when I get into a school. It is on these merits that I feel this book could be used, not its literary value.

The Giver

By Lois Lowry (1993)
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book
A Booklist Editors' Choice

The Giver is a novel that invokes such a great amount of thought that it is difficult to know where to begin when you would like to discuss it. I guess the easiest way to begin is to say that a completely enjoyed the novel... after I had finished it. At first I was turned off by the dialog choices of the author. To me, it seemed that no children would ever speak the way that Jonas and his little sister spoke in the early chapters. As I read on, I kept seeing the phrase "precision of language" mentioned over and over again. I came to realize that this is how children would speak in such a community where the art of language is not valued, but a need to be precise so that there are no misunderstandings, no literal geniuses, no difference; only Sameness. I began to think more and more about the Sameness, and how the world would be different if it was like this. Before I knew it there were dominoes smashing together in my mind: if this was like that, then this would be this way, and so on and so forth. I begin to realize that there would be a never ending string of consequences, effectively changing the world so incredibly that it would be unrecognizable when compared to the world that I live in.

It is through these consequences that I think this book could be very valuable in the classroom. Besides being a stand out literary work, the book itself is one big social studies lesson. I believe that students in upper elementary and certainly middle school could read this book and go through a similar thought process that I myself went through; especially if you were asking them the right questions. However, a book like The Giver could be read over and over again, and I believe you would always be making new connections and insights. This spurred another idea in my mind; wouldn't it be neat if students read a book like The Giver in 5th or 6th grade, being sure to take notes and perhaps write a reflections after finishing the novel. A couple of years later they could re-visit the novel, first reading through their previous notes and reflection. A couple of years after that they could repeat the process. I believe that an exercise like this would be a great metaphysical learning opportunity for the students in seeing how they have grown as readers and interpretors of literature. The kicker is you would have to make sure the novel you chose to do this with was good enough that students wouldn't get bored with it; I think The Giver is that good.

You Read to Me, I'll Read to You

Written by Mary Ann Hoberman (2010)
Illustrated by Michael Emberley





You Read to Me, I'll Read to You is a series that breaks down and re-writes classic fables so that they can be read by two or more people. The stories are written in rhyme, and are accompanied by illustrations that help to tell the story.

Although I like the reading together concept that this book is based on, I don't think that the writing is all that good. I also don't agree with all the lessons that are taught in each of the stories. One of the stories could even be interpreted as encouraging an eye-for-an-eye retaliation behavior that I absolutely don't think should be brought into a classroom. To quote Ghandi, " An eye for an eye only leaves the world blind."

Joseph Had a Little Overcoat

By Simms Taback (1999)
Caldecott Award Winner





"Joseph Had a Little Overcoat" was one of Simms Taback's favorite Yiddish songs when he was younger... So, he made really cool children's book about it, and won a Caldecott award.

I thought this was a really fun book, and found the illustrations to be lively and clever. It sends a good message to students about re-using and recycling. I think that this would be a really fun book to read aloud to younger students; they would really enjoy seeing Joseph's change into the different items.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret

By Brian Selznick (2007)
Iowa Children's Choice Award Winner
Caldecott Medal Winner





Hugo Cabret is a young boy whose life is wrapped in secrecy. On the average day you'll find him slipping through the clockworks of the Paris train station. With no parent or guardian, Hugo must turn to thieving in order to survive. That is, until he gets caught, and Hugo has his own prize possession stolen. Hugo's story is one of mystery and wonder; strife and determination. The text and drawings of Hugo Cabret twist together to form a black whole that will suck you in and not let you go 'till the tale is finished.

Hugo Cabret is a unique literary experience. It is an extraordinary book that would make a great addition to any classroom upper elementary or above. Exposing children to books like this will open their imagination, and show them that there are more ways than one to tell a story.

A Step From Heaven

by An Na (2001)
Winner of the Michael L. Printz Award
A 2001 National Book Award Finalist
An ALA Notable Book
An ALA Best Book for Young Adults
An IRA Young Adult Choice Book
A Horn Book Fanfare Book
A New York Times Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
2001 Kiriyama Prize Notable Book Shortlist
A Publishers Weekly Best Seller

The author's style of writing in this book offers a unique perspective that evolves with the age and knowledge of the narrator. The sentences begin simple and fragmented the way a very young child would talk and describe the world. As the narrator ages, her language develops and she begins to be able to explain her thoughts much more clearly and coherently. You spend the entirety of the book in the mind of a Korean girl who immigrates to America at a very young age. You experience her life up until she is about to leave for college. It is a story of trials and tribulations, and eventually realized dreams.

I believe older elementary students would really enjoy this book. The unique perspective presented by the author is one that I think children could relate to easily. I specifically enjoyed the parts of the book when the young girl could not speak English yet, and would describe things as she witnessed them; such as Coca-Cola as dirty sea water and crayons as color sticks. Students would pick up on these observations and instantly realize what the author was speaking of.

I would be a little leery of using this book in my classroom without having a discussion about religion first. Much of the beginning of the book revolves around ideas rooted in Christianity. Seeing how the story is of a girl from Korea, I would not want students to gain the misconception that everyone around the world is Christian. That being said, religion is a large part of culture and of peoples lives. So long as the students understood that there are many religions that people believe in, and that some people do not believe in any religion and that they must accepet and appreciate all of these viewpoints, I would have no problem using the story in my classroom. A Step From Heaven offers terrific insight into the mind of a young person immigrating to America and integrating into our culture; a valuable resource that time would not be wasted on in the classroom.

Bright and Early Thursday Evening a Tangled Tale

by Audrey and Don Wood (1996)

This book is a voyage into the abstract. The story is told in lyrics that are contradicting, ironic, and confusing; the book is illustrated in a way that some how emphasizes this. The illustrations are an early attempt at digital art by the artist (in 1996). After having seen the beautiful paintings that the artist is capable of, I am reminded of something a designer at one of my favorite video game studios once said, "Different isn't better, better is better." I believe that this applies to this author/artist combo with this book; it certainly is different, but isn't better.

It is hard for me to think of a good use for this book in the classroom. I suppose it could be used to demonstrate irony, but a believe there are better examples available.

Moonflute

by Audrey and Don Wood (1986)

It appears to me that this story takes place in a young girls dream. She dreams that she cannot sleep because the moon has taken it from her. In exchange for her sleep the moon offers her a magic flute that takes her to far away and wondrous places. The author uses some terrific imagery to paint a picture in the reader's mind, and the painted illustrations reinforce these images. Cool colors dominate the illustrations helping to convey the nighttime imagery of the story.

Moonflute is one of A. and D. Wood's more complicated stories. I do not believe that it would be well suited for younger students. Perhaps third grade would be appropriate to introduce children to this book. It would be a great example for students to understand how authors can use words to create detailed images in the readers imagination.

The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear

by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)

I enjoyed this story, as you play the role of the narrator talking to the little mouse; it is an interesting perspective to be in and forces the reader to participate in the story. The reactions of the mouse to your narration adds to this effect. The way the story is written leaves it a little open for interpretation. Personally, I like to believe that (you) the narrator are the big hungry bear, and cleverly trick the mouse into sharing is nice red ripe strawberry with you.

Because of the interesting perspective this story offers, I can see reading it aloud in a younger classroom. After which, the students could revisit the story as the narrator themselves. It is an interesting way to author a story, and is one that I think children will respond to and should be made aware of.

Jubal's Wish

by Audrey and Don Wood (2000)

Jubal's Wish seems to be A. and D. Wood's attempt at would I would call a "classic" children's tale. The story is about a frog who can talk, along with other speaking animal characters. It takes place in a vibrant fantastical world of small scale where showy flowers bloom atop the characters of the story. The brightly painted illustrations compliment the story and add personality to the characters. In the end, Jubal has his wish granted by a wizard, albeit in an interesting indirect way. "Dreams and wishes, wishes and dreams, sometimes they work, and sometimes they don't. You never know how they'll turn out in the end."

The book is fun, but does not really stand out to me in any particular way. The writing is solid; thus, it could be used in an elementary classroom for free reading time. However, I probably wouldn't pick it up unless it was on the bargain rack.

King Bidgood's in the Bathtub

by Audrey and Don Wood (1985)
1986 Caldecott Honor Book
1986 American Library Association Notable Children's Book



King Bidgood's in the bathtub; there is only one person clever enough to get him out. This a story where the pictures are worth a thousand words. The painted illustrations are exciting and extremely detailed, going above and beyond the book's text in conveying the events of the story to the reader. Don Wood uses a phenomenal surrealist painting style that combines with the sepia tone-like color palette to place the reader in a mystical yet believable mid-evil time setting.

This book would be a fun one to read out loud to just about anyone; just make sure that the audience gets an appropriate amount of time in which they can appreciate the illustrations. Any age could enjoy this book; it would be a great addition to any classroom. I believe the story also sends a good message in that sometimes the best solution is often the simplest solution.

Piggy Pie Po

by Audrey and Don Wood (2010)

Piggy Pie Po is a very active little piggy. He does all sorts of things while wearing all sorts of clothes. This is a book obviously geared towards younger children. The illustrations are much simpler than the other A. & D. Wood books I have read, making it easier for young students to focus on what is happening on each page. The text is large, and for the most part there is only one line per page.

This would be a great book to use in a Kindergarten classroom. The book is full of helpful little tips for young students, such as wearing work clothes when you are gardening, or avoiding hot peppers when dining. I like the inclusion of the numbers 1,2, and 3 for no apparent reason other than the students giving the students a chance to identify them. There is also a part in the story where the class could count down from 10 to 1. All in all a great book that I believe would really resonate with young students.

The Napping House

by Audrey and Don Wood (1984)

1984 American Library Association Notable Book for Children

1984 New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book

1984 Golden Kite Award

1984 National Council of Teachers of English Teacher's Choice

Booklist Best Book of the 80's

The Napping House is a house where everyone is sleeping, until a wakeful flea joins the napping party... This is a very simple book. The author uses an additive style, piling on more characters as the story progresses and repeating lines as the story goes on. This illustrations are paintings that at first use a very cool color palette. Then gradually, as the characters in the story begin to wake, the paintings begin to fill with warmer colors until the whole cast is up and lively.

This book would be great for teaching young children adjectives. Each character has an associated descriptive word with them. You could read this story in a 1st or 2nd grade classroom and have students point out the adjectives at the end of the story, and possibly add some new characters using their own descriptive words.

Heckedy Peg

by Audrey and Don Wood (1987)

Heckedy Peg is a clever witch who tricks children into disobeying their mothers so that she can turn them into food for her dinner. The story teaches a good lesson and also demonstrates the importance of strong family bonds. The writing is simple, but obtains an almost lyrical quality at some points in the book. The illustrations are beautiful paintings that aid in setting the mood of the different scenes in the story.

I could see this book being used in a younger classroom, K-2. Because the children's names are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, you could have the young students call out all the the days of the week when appropriate in the story to help reinforce their days of the week. Also, with the book being centered around a family, it could be used for social studies in the earlier classrooms.