Sara McRoberts: First Book Review

Yolen, Janel, and Mark Teague. How Do Dinosaurs Say   Good   Night? New York: The Blue Sky Press, 2000. Print.


This book is about the silly ways people think dinosaurs might get ready for bed.

This book did a great job of providing enlarged illustrations of dinosaurs so that the children reading this would constantly be engaged in the reading. The dinosaurs in this book towered over the people, creating a main focal point for the readers. Each page showed a new kind of dinosaur and somehow labeled its name somewhere on the page. This labeling made for a game of "I Spy" for the children reading. Dinosaur names were displayed in all sorts of fashions ranging from being engraved into head boards on beds, made of letter blocks, and on penant flags. Overall, this bok was one that draws in all kinds of readers throughout the whole read.

Blackstone, Stella, and Clare Beaton. I Dremat I Was a Dinosaur. Cambridge: Barefoot Books, 2005. Print.

I Dreamt I Was A Dinosaur is about a young boy who dreams of living in a time wear dinosaurs roam. Along the way he explores and meets all sorts of dinosarus and learns of their speacial characteristics.

This book introduces multiple kinds of dinosaurs and teaches of their special traits and characteristics. A teacher could form an activity for a classroom of students to show understanding of the book. Each student could pick their favorite dinosaur that was mentioned in the book and recreate them as that dinosaur. For example, if their dinosaur could fly, they could trace themselves, draw some dinosaur scale skin, and add of some wings. This activity would show their rememberance of the dinosaurs traits, along with some characteristics of the student themself.

Blackstone, Stella, and Clare Beaton. I Dremat I Was a Dinosaur. Cambridge: Barefoot Books, 2005. Print.

Edwina is a dinosaur who is just the friendliest dinosaur around town; she bakes cookies, plays with neighborhood kids, and helps people cross the street. However, a young boy named Reginald Von Hoobie-Doobie doen't believe in such dinosaurs. Yet with time and some good dinosaur listening ears, Reginald turns around in his thinking.

This book provides for a great moral. With Reginald constantly denying Edwina's existance was done in such a hurtful manner. He paraded around school with flyers, picket signs, and even brought in a band to let everyone know that Edwina was not real. These actions hurt Edwina's feelings. By reading this book to a class and asking them if what Reginald did was nice or not would make for a great way to engage the class in discussing what's hurtful and unkind to people. Such a discussion about the book could then lead into applying kindness into the classroom, the school, and to everyone. This lesson can assure students of how words and actions can hurt others feelings, so we need to be kind and respectful to those around us.

Mitton, Tony, and Guy Parker-Rees. Dinosaurumpus! New York: Orchard Books, 2002. Print.

This book was a fun picture book that tells o all the silly dances dinosaurs do when near the sludgy old swamp.

A great class activity for this book would be to get the students to jump around, shake some maraccas, and prance around the "swamp". This kind of actiivty would make for a great time fill right before resess. Such an activity would get them all bouncing and excited; perfect for sending them outside to run around and play. A teacher could create some type of swamp out of cinstruction paper and lay it on the ground. Each student could be a different dinosaur. One who bounces around  saying "EEEK", another who is shaking some maraccas, and others who just hop arund doing the dinosaurumpus. Having students do such would make for a great interactive class activity.

DiPucchio, Kelly, and Ponder Goembel. Dinosnores. New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005. Print

Dinosnores is about all the bizzare noises and actions that dinosaurs make when they are fast asleep.

This book did an awesome job with its constant rhyming. Page after page was consecutive rhyming that would be rather enjoyable to children. The rhyming added humor to the noises that dinosaurs make when sleeping. The author definitelty kept children in mind when writing this book. They knew what would be funny and enthralling to the young ages. In addition to being a good read for the classroom, it would also make for a great read that parents could read when children are being tucked into bed.

Theo B.- First Book Review

                        Isadora, Rachel. Yo, Jo. New York: Hardcourt Books, 2007. Print.

Jomar greets his neighbors using slang, but his grandfather wants to hear some more traditional words.

               

           This picture book first captured my attention because of the unique title, after reading it I was split with two different reactions.  I was astounded by the use of slang and improper grammatical language compared to most picture books, children that read these books are oftentimes not old enough to realize the book is written with slang and these words should not be used in the classroom. So my thinking is why do we have a book in the classroom that is teaching our children improper grammar when proper grammar is becoming harder and harder to find in the primary and secondary classroom? This was somewhat astounding to me; however, I was struck with another reaction that the grandpa was asking the child to use different words, more traditional words, but in the book this did not happen until the very last page and would not be very noticeable for a child. The main character of the book was obviously black but some of the other characters in the book that were also using slang words were white, including a little boy and girl so I do not believe the book was trying to suggest that only a certain race uses slang words. Perhaps some little children would enjoy this book because of the wonderful, unique illustrations that were quite unusual compared to most other books, but I would not read it to my own children or students in my classroom. If educators are suppose to set good examples for our children and select books that teach proper grammar (especially to the elementary school) this book would not be a good selection.    

             

   Ehlert, Louis. Color Zoo. Singapore: Harper Collins Publishers, 1989. Print.

This book only has a few lines of text: Shapes and colors in your zoo, lots of things that you can do, heads and ears, beaks, and snouts, that's what animals are all about. I know animals and you do too; make some new ones for your zoo.

                

    I really enjoyed this book because it provides a great opportunity for younger children (probably preschool, kindergarten, or first graders) to not only learn their shapes but to have a fun educational day in the classroom. This book has a very basic but creative idea, each page contained a different animal made out of a geometric shape and as you turned each page the shape changed along with the type of animal. So for example, a tiger made out of a rectangle would be a square made out of a mouse when you turn the page. If you turn the page again, you would have a fox made out of a circle and a hexagon making a lion. So you have your basic shapes (like a square, triangle, circle) for the real little kids and more advanced shapes (like a hexagon, octagon, and diamond) for the older children. The real reason why I enjoyed this book was it gave me a very fun and inventive game I could make for my children in the classroom, especially for the real young ones. After reading and showing the book to my students, I could ask each of them to get out all of their art supplies and create masks (out of geometric shapes) of their favorite animals, it would help the kids with math, art, and animal sounds, plus it would be an activity that would not only be educational but it would be a lot of fun. Then each child could share their creation with the rest of the class and they could even be used in a little class play or something in their art class.  

Rockwell, Anne. Can I Help? New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1982. Print.

A little girl asks to do some chores around the house, some of them she is old enough to help with but others are too dangerous for such a young girl. At the end of the book, her parents help with her chores.

               

     I found this book to be rather interesting for a few reasons, first I thought it was interesting that a picture book (which are usually meant for children) had a very overt message: help with your chores, ask your parents if they need help with their chores, and ask them if they will help with your chores; I just thought it was funny how most of these older picture books are trying to teach our children to do something, compared to "new age" picture books like Yo, Jo which really have no purpose and might be teaching our children to use slang, I'm not really sure. I think its beneficial to not only entertain our children with picture books but to also teach them how to do something or why to do something. In this book, the children are taught that it is polite to put things away after you get them out, to ask your parents if they need help around the house, and to know that when you help your parents (or someone else) out with something the debt will usually be re-paid one way or another.  Another aspect of the book that I found interesting was the gender of the child, female, I am not really sure if this was intended to be this way or not but the book is kind of an older one, 1982. I realize this is way after women began working out of the house but it is kind of funny that most of the chores were inside and that women in the past have been typically associated with inside tasks, perhaps just an accident? Probably.

Rockwell, Anne. Apples and Pumpkins. New York: Macmillan Publishing Company, 1989. Print.

During the fall, a family goes to pick pumpkins and apples. They look for the best ones, then father carves out a face and makes a jack-o-lantern. The children then dress up in their costumes and go trick-or-treating.

                

      I thought this would be a very fun book during the Halloween season or simply during anytime in the month of October. This book would be fun to read to maybe third, fourth, or even fifth graders and assign them with a few activities after they are done reading it. One idea was that (with the teachers help) the students could make a jack-o-lantern with a candle inside it and place it inside the classroom for the rest of the students in the school to view. This would be not only fun for the students but a fun time for the teacher, something different than just watching a movie the day before Halloween or simply cutting out some Halloween decorations. Another task you could have the children do is to tell them to dress up in their favorite Halloween costumes before reading the book to the class and put on a play for another class or perhaps the entire school, anything fun for the students the day before or a couple days before Halloween, anything to let them get a little energy out of their system, they could even do the play at lunch time or recess. Perhaps the teacher could ask the children to find the very best looking pumpkin or the shiniest apple and reward the best one with some candy, a little extra time for recess, or some extra credit on a tough quiz or test. These would be fun activities associated with the book and a good way to do something both fun and unique during the Halloween season. 

  

 

Rey, H.A. Curious George. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1969. Print.

A monkey is captured in Africa because he acted too curious, he is later brought to America. He fakes a 911 call and is sent to jail; however, he escapes flies over the city and eventually finds a home at the zoo.

              

     I greatly enjoyed these series of picture books growing up and I think it's important to never forget to share them with not only our own children but also our classroom of kids. The series usually has a little moral to it (like curiosity got George in trouble, or in other words: curiosity killed the cat) but mostly they're just fun reads with great pictures and a cute, fun little story. For an assignment, the teacher could ask the children to read another book in the series or a specific one in the series to really get the children into the collection. These books could really be good for any child in the primary classroom, from the more advanced first grader to the reading-hating fifth grader. This book is in its 29th printing and I think it reminds the reader (or should remind the reader) that a great book no matter what the difficulty is will forever be a classic and will never go out of style.  For a fun activity after reading the book with the classroom you could ask your kids a time when their curiosity got them into trouble and what they would have done differently if given a second chance. A teacher could even share a time in their life when they got a little too curious and it got them into trouble. There are many different things you could do with this book and I think that is why a true classic never goes out of print.

     

Children's Literature for Earth Day

Earth Day is April 22. Here are five books that can get elementary students involved in Earth-friendly discussions and activities.

Peet, B. (1970). The wump world. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
The Wumps lived happily on their small world until the Pollutians claimed it for their own. They build skyscrapers, factories, and highways, sending the Wumps into hiding. Will their world ever be the same?

While it's important to teach elementary students the importance of protecting the Earth, pollution and other environmental issues can be very frightening to them. By setting the story on a fictitious planet not unlike our own, Peet makes the story accessible and less threatening for even students in preschool and kindergarten. A hopeful, yet realistic, ending is important, as it should leave students wanting to help protect the Earth without feeling a sense of hopelessness. However, teachers should take care to make sure that students (especially those in the upper elementary grades) understand that environmental problems do not simply go away over time. This book can be used to set the stage for a unit or project on environmental issues.

Hollyer, B. (2009). Our world of water: Children and water around the world. New York: Henry   Holt and Company.
Most of us take water for granted – after all, it's always waiting for us with the turn of a faucet. Or is it? Children around the world tell us about their lives and give us a dramatically different view of water's abundance and value.

Water isn't a topic that we often include in environmental or Earth Day units, especially in the elementary grades. However, it is an extremely important issue and will become more so in the future. Climate change is already causing mountain glaciers to melt, threatening the freshwater supply of millions of people. Desertification, or the process of land deterioration, is a related problem. Teachers could use the vignettes in this book to introduce upper elementary students (grades 3 and up) to the concept of water conservation. Students could track their families’ use of water over a day or week-long period and then develop a plan to reduce water consumption. In addition, the book provides a wealth of up-to-date cultural information about children around the world, making it a wonderful bridge between social studies, science, and literacy.

Sayre, A.P. (2008). Trout are made of trees. Watertown: Charlesbridge.
How are trout (and bears and people) made of trees? This book leads students through a stream's food web to demonstrate the connections between all living things.

This book is one of the most engaging ways to teach food webs that I've ever seen. Instead of presenting an academic definition and examples, it begins with the engaging statement "Trout are made of trees," which should immediately spark student questions! The collage-style illustrations and simple, short text make this book appropriate for students in the primary grades (K-2), although older students might enjoy it as well. This book would be a wonderful prelude to a field trip to a stream to observe the plants and animals depicted and discussed. Teachers can maximize student understanding by pausing after each two-page spread to discuss and clarify. Urban students may have more difficulty with this text, as it assumes some knowledge of a stream environment. In this case, a field trip to a similar environment or even video clips would be helpful to build the requisite prior knowledge for comprehension. Ultimately, helping students realize that all living creatures are connected in food webs will help encourage environmentally-responsible behavior.

Deedy, C.A. (1991). Agatha's feather bed: Not just another wild goose story. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers.
Agatha loves to tell children about where the silk, wool, and linen in her shop come from. After all, everything comes from something! But when six geese show up at her door after she purchases a new feather bed, she must take her own lesson to heart.

This fun book combines many elements of excellent children's literature: an imaginative and entertaining subject, plays on words, repetition, and rich illustrations. Students in grades K-4 will enjoy the story but also learn about the sources of many everyday items, thanks to the text as well as the illustrations. Teachers can extend the lesson by asking students to identify the materials used to create other everyday objects found in the classroom or at home. It is an entertaining way to introduce the concepts of renewable and nonrenewable natural resources as well as the 3Rs – reduce, reuse, and recycle.

Siddals, M.M. (2010). Compost stew: An a to z recipe for the earth. New York: Tricycle Press.
How can you make compost – a dark and crumbly, rich and sweet treat for Mother Earth? Learn how in this colorful rhyming alphabet book!

Composting is another underrepresented topic in the standard Earth Day activities, yet it is a great example of an easy way to recycle and reuse. Any class involved in a gardening or plant project would benefit from reading this book, but its value doesn't end there. Rather, this book would be useful throughout the elementary grades for a variety of other reasons. Primary students, especially kindergarteners and first graders, will benefit from the rhyming text and use of the alphabet book format – two research-based ways to develop students' phonemic awareness. Older students can focus on the underlying science concept of decomposers and their role in food webs. Students of all ages will enjoy the colorful collages that illustrate the book in the style of Ezra Jack Keats's Jennie's Hat. Teachers might even choose to have students create their own environmental-inspired alphabet book complete with collage illustrations – another form of recycling in and of itself.

Kristyn Malanowski-book review 1

McMullan, Kate. Count Down To The Year 1000. New York : Grosset and Dunlap , 1999. Print.

Count Down to the Year 1000 is the eighth book in the Dragon Slayer’s Academy series.  The series, in general, is about a boy named Wiglaf who hails from the town of Pinkwick.   He journeys off to the Dragon Slayer’s Academy with his pet pig Daisy, who can speak Pig-Latin, to learn how to slay dragons and obtain their hoards of gold.   In this book, it is year 999 and according to a mysterious prophecy, the end of the world is coming.   Wiglaf and his friends are all frightened until a boy named Zack, star of the Zack Files, pops out of a book and convinces them that the world is not going to end; for he is from the year 1999.  Count Upsohigh tries to take every one’s gold by saying that he can save the world, but in the end he is revealed for the true type of person he is; a crook. 

            The DSA series is one that I hold near and dear to my heart.  The first book of the series came out in 1997 when I was only seven years old.  DSA was one of the first series that I have ever read.  I remember the first time I read The New Kid at School, and how I re-read it about ten times before I put it down.  Kate McMullan’s books opened up a whole new world for me and really started my interest in reading.  Ever since, I have loved fantasy books.  Reading the DSA books allowed me to feel as though I was back the medieval ages.  I could picture myself side by side with Wiglaf as he fearfully, and accidentally, killed his first dragon.  I still read the books from time to time and would recommend them for any fantasy lover out there.    

            It is hard to say what grade I would classify the DSA books for.  I was only seven when I began to read them, but I was also an advanced reader.  I truly feel that second and third graders could read the DSA books.  Children may need help, though, with the way the characters speak.  Also, some of the names may be a little bit harder to pronounce.  The setting is during the medieval age, and thus there are names like “Sir Mort du Mort, Lady Lobelia, and, my favorite, Professor Prissius Pluck”.  Overall, the books are quite an easy, interesting, and entertaining read. 

            DSA brings up a gender conflict.  During the medieval ages, girls were not off slaying dragons, they were at home sewing something or they were “helpless” princesses.  Dragon Slayer’s Academy is an all-boy’s school.  We find out in the first book that one of Wiglaf’s friends, Eric, is actually Erica.  Erica is actually a princess.  Erica came to DSA because she wanted to learn how to slay dragons.  In order for her to attend DSA, she had to disguise herself as a boy.  Wiglaf is the only person that knows Eric is actually Erica; he found out when they went to slay their first dragon.  If the headmaster were to find out he was a she, Erica would be kicked out of DSA. I have always believed that girls can do anything that guys can do…if not better :).  I feel that this series does a great job of proving my theory.  Yes, Erica may have to hide her identity, but they portray her as one of the smartest characters and the one who truly wants to slay dragons.  In contrast, Wiglaf can read, but he cannot stand the sight of blood.  Basically, Wiglaf, who has only killed two dragons due to pure luck, can attend DSA just because he is a boy, while Erica, who would willingly charge into a dragon’s cave, has to hide her identity just because she is a girl.  My moral for this would be: Do not let anyone tell you that you cannot do something just because you are a girl. 

Prophecy - a prediction of a future event that is believed to reveal the will of a deity.   This book is all about a prophecy stating that the world will end in the year 1000.  The prophecy in the book states

“The year 1000 fast approaches, None will survive except the roaches.  Say hello to Armageddon, For that is where we’re surely headin’-Earthquakes, firestorms, flaming pits, Black plague, brown plagues, gas pains, Zits, How to know the world will end?  Beware these signs, my frightened friend:  When chickens bark and dogs me-ow, When pig-faced calf is born to cow, When fish are kept in golden cages, Then bid farewell to Middle Ages!” (McMullan, 4-5).

 This prophecy brings about mass hysteria.  It sort of reminded me of The Crucible and the Salem Witch Trials.  Just because somebody says the world is going to end, does not mean it will really happen.  But of course, by way of mouth, everyone begins to freak out and say that they heard a dog me-ow and that a pig faced calf was born to a cow.  In reality, no one heard or saw any of this happen.  When something big is going to happen, people start to believe what other people say without seeing it for themselves.  Once something crazy starts to happen, it is hard to stop.  Even with factual evidence that the world was not going to end, some characters still believed in the prophecy.  The point I am trying to make is, when mass hysteria hits, others take advantage of the situation.  In this case, a crooked count wanted to steel every ones gold.  He spread the word that he could stop the world from ending if everyone gave him their gold to melt into a large hippo.  For no reason what so ever, people listened.  They thought a golden hippo would save them all.  HOW REDICULOUS?!?!  In reality, the count was taking advantage of everyone else, knowing nothing was really going to happen.  DO NOT, I REPEAT, DO NOT listen to everything you are told without evidence.  You could end up like the townsfolk of Toenail and get tricked into giving up all of your gold.  Be smart like Wiglaf, take some time, sit back, relax, and process what is going on around you.  Realize that the hippo is made of butter and that the count is stealing all of your gold! This book does a great job of showing you how something so ridiculous can blow up into a big mess in just an instance.  This book makes you stop and think about all of the things you have witnessed growing up and how some of those things were just plain idiotic.  I feel that this story could help children learn to process a situation and make their own judgments about a situation.  Hopefully, they will learn to march to the beat of their own drum, and not someone elses'.   

Lindsey Cripe - 2nd Picture Book Review

Chaconas, Dori. Dancing With Katya. Atlanta: Peachtree Publishers, 2006. Print.

Anna is a girl with a younger sister named Katya who became sick with polio.  Since the polio weakened her muscles, she was unable to do her favorite thing with her sister which was to dance. After being taken away for over a month, Katya returned with braces on her legs which allowed her to slightly walk. She and Anna then realized that although she may not walk and dance perfectly, every day will get easier and easier. After reading this book, it was not what I thought it was going to be. Since the theme of my book review is on disabilities, I thought that this story was going to be about a little girl who was born with a disability. However, Katya experienced her disability at a later time. I felt that this book can show children that a life altering event can happen any moment of any do, such as Katya getting sick. However even though it can change things, it does not mean it has to be that way forever. It is always hard getting use to something at first (whether it’s something with you or a loved one) but with constant love, support, and patience, anything is possible.

Lang, Glenna. Looking Out for Sarah. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing, 2001. Print.

This is a story based on true events of a dog named Perry who helps guide his owner Sarah who is blind. The book explains how Perry takes directions from Sarah and helps her find her way all over town (they even walked from Boston to New York!). I feel that reading this story to children will allow them to see that no matter what happens in life whether you have an accident or a disability, that you will always have options for mobility. Sarah may not be able to see, but how amazing is it that a dog can be trained to be her eyes for her? I feel that this book would be great for children because it incorporates an animal, but also because they could very well see this in everyday life.

Lewis, Beverly. In Jesse's Shoes. Minneapolis: Bethany House Publishers, 2007. Print.

This is an amazing story about a girl named Allie who has an older brother, Jesse, with a disability.  While she doesn’t get why she has to help her brother since she is the youngest and why other kids laugh at him, she notices how he gets easily intrigued and distracted by everything. Allie’s parents always told her that God made her brother special and she never really understood until she started looking at things from Jesse’s point of view. I really enjoyed this book because it gave great detail about what some kids go through when dealing with a disability. On Jesse’s side, it explained how he interprets his surroundings while his sister Allie always feels laughed at. I feel that this story will allow children to actually take a walk in Jesse’s shoes. It will give them reassurance that everyone, including themselves, are different and that there is nothing wrong with that.  I believe that it is important for children to know this because in school they will most likely see and have to interact with children who have disabilities and they should understand that they are in many ways just like they are.

Petrillo, Genevieve. Keep Your Ear on the Ball. Gardiner: Tilbury House Publishers, 2009. Print.

Davey was a new kid in school who happened to be blind. His new friends tried to do anything and everything to help Davey out, especially when it came to kick ball. Although Davey did well getting around on his own, he made his team lose in kick ball. However, his friends had a plan to help him use more of his hearing to guide him which helped him be more successful in the game. This book some what reminded me of Looking Out for Sarah because it does deal with both of the main characters being blind, is written in brail, but also discusses how they maneuver around their environment. I really enjoyed how the book shared that even if someone has a disability, they can still be independent and do things for themselves. I also liked how it showed the character using his other senses of touch and hearing to show that all of your senses are helpful and important. This would be great to read to children to show how everyone can work together into making anything possible.

Robb, Diane Burton. The Alphabet War: A Story About Dyslexia. Morton Grove: Albert Whitman & Company, 2004. Print.

Adam is a little boy who goes through school struggling to read because he has dyslexia. He later realizes that although he might not be able to read or write well, there are still so many things that he excels at. This would be a great book to read to children because it shows them that not everyone has the same talents. While one student may be an all-star athlete but can only draw stick figures, another student could be a fantastic artist who can’t shoot a free throw. I really enjoyed this book and feel like if someone wanted to use it in a class activity, you can go around and have each student share what his or her strengths are and even possibly demonstrate them to the rest of the class.

Jill N. Book Review #2

Numeroff, Laura. (2002). Laura Numeroff’s 10-Step Guide to Living with Your Monster. New York: Laura


Geringer Books.

Do you want a monster? Well this book tells you everything you need to know about bringing home your pet monster! From choosing your monster to tucking him in at night, you will be a well-informed monster owner after reading this book!

I thought this book was a very clever way to make monsters into something relatable and familiar—Numeroff makes taking care of a monster seem like taking care of a pet, which makes them seem less intimidating. I also enjoyed the “step” aspect of the story—it uses counting without being a math book.

An activity that you could do with this book would be to have each child create a “monster” using various art supplies, like tissue paper, pompoms, glitter, paint, pipe cleaners, googly eyes, etc. Then, they could go through the ten steps with their monster. In the classroom, you could set up stations for each step and do them each separately (or maybe two per day). It would be easy to set up a pretend vet’s office, have the kids name their monsters, make monster food, make a monster obstacle course, a pretend gas station, training camp, music center, bath time, and a bedtime station. The students would love to do these activities, and they would hopefully be less intimidated by the idea of monsters!

Stein, David Ezra. (2007). Monster Hug. New York: G.P. Putnam’s Sons.

Two monsters wake up and start their day together. They play baseball, hide-and-seek, they splash and make art, they play games, eat and make music, and then their parents send them to bed! In a day full of adventure, these monsters don’t miss a thing!

This would be a really fun opportunity to have students write their own stories. They could start with waking up in the morning, and then draw and write all the things they would like to do during the day. It would help increase literacy and text to illustration connections, and the kids would have to draw pictures to help elaborate on their text. Then, the class could have a story sharing event, where the parents are invited to listen to the students share their work. It would be a wonderful unit that would build confidence and help the students practice their communication skills through writing and speaking.

Regan, Dian Curtis. (2009). Monster Baby. New York: Clarion Books.

When the Olivers find a basket on their doorstep, they decide to take in the baby and adopt it. Then they find out that the baby is a monster! Olly grows very quickly and learns some important life lessons, and he and his family meet some new neighbors whose daughter is a perfect match for Olly!

One fun activity for students to do after reading this book would be to write a tall tale. The story could be included as part of a larger tall tale unit, and the students could each write a tall tale, making themselves into monsters or any unbelievable character. Goals for this unit would be to use proper grammatical structure, conventions of storytelling, and telling a tall tale as though it is true. It would also be fun to act the stories out, creating costumes and props, to help the students more completely portray their ideas. Students could take inspiration from Olly and other tall tale characters that they study during the unit. The plays could be recorded and then turned into a class DVD of tall tale plays.

Emberley, Rebecca, Adrian and Ed. (2009). There Was an Old Monster. New York: Orchard Books.

This story is modeled on There Was an Old Lady who Swallowed a Fly. It is a fun new interpretation of a classic children’s story. A monster decides to eat some pretty disgusting things, and in the end, there is a surprise. It is set to music on www.scholastic.com/oldmonster and the song is performed by the author’s daughter.

The first activity that students can do with this book involves music. You could bring in instruments like wood blocks, maracas, castanets, and other rhythm instruments for the kids to use to play along with the song. Also, you could bring in old coffee containers and make them into big “feet” and the students can use them to stomp around during the song. This would get the kids up and moving during the story and allow them to express themselves freely. Second, you could do a story retelling activity, in which you provide a paper with all of the animals in the story, but they are out of order. The students could color and cut out the pictures, and then glue them on construction paper in order. Again, this story makes monsters something fun and non-threatening for kids to interact with.

Willems, Mo. (2005). Leonardo the Terrible Monster. New York: Hyperion Books.

Leonardo is a monster, but the other monsters are so much better than him. He can’t scare anyone, not even the most pitiful, sad kid around. Then, Leonardo comes up with another plan: he won’t be a terrible monster anymore. He’ll try something new.

A great activity to use with this book is to do a lesson on friendship. You can read the story as an introduction, and then do some video modeling where the kids watch appropriate friendship strategies. Then, as a class, they can generate a chart, with one side for good friends and one side for not-so-nice friends. The students can fill in the characteristics that fit on either side of the chart, and then they can read the story again, this time identifying the nice things that Leonardo does. This will promote social development and help students understand social rules and norms.

Jessica H. second book review

Long, Melinda. How I became a pirate. San Diego: Harcourt, 2003. Print.

                One day while at the beach with his family, Jeremy Jacob spots a pirate ship. He tries to tell his parents, but they are too busy and Jeremy ends up having a pirate adventure!

                For me, this book was a little too predictable, starting with the front cover. The illustration on the front cover clearly depicts a stereotypical pirate (pirate hat, missing teeth, ear ring, red jacket, beard, and a parrot…the only thing missing is an eye patch and a hook). The book continues on with the stereotypical adventure.  Jeremy’s parents are too busy to notice him because his mother is taking care of the baby (typical female role) and the father is trying to put up the umbrella (maybe he didn’t read the directions?) so Jeremy runs off on a pirate adventure and his parents never notice. Overall, this book is way to stereotypical and predictable for me, but a child may like it because it deals with pirates and a child actually gets to become a pirate; a child can easily use their imagination and have a similar adventure.

Mcnamara, Margaret. Too Many Cooks (Ratatouille). New York: Disney, 2007. Print.

                The rats are working hard in the kitchen in order to prepare their food perfectly. Their challenge is to impress the world’s toughest food critic, can they do it?

                I thought this book was adorable, and not only because I love Disney. This book is a great way for younger children to relate to the movie on a level they can better comprehend. I really liked the illustrations in the book; you can easily relate them to the characters in the movie and know who they are. The illustrations are also fun and colorful, perfect for younger children. There are some French words and cooking terms used in the book, but they are all explained in a section in the back which is also colorful and easily relatable for children. This book would be perfect to use in the classroom as part of a French culture lesson because of the terms, or as part of a cooking unit (or even for children who help their parents cook) or as a tie-in with the movie.

Primavera, Elise. Louise the big cheese and the la-di-dah shoes. New York: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 2010. Print.

                Louise is a little girl who has a very big problem, all she wants is a pair of la-di-dah shoes like her sister, but all she gets is the brown squeaky ones. How will Louise ever be a big cheese without her la-di-dah shoes?

                I was attracted to this book starting with the cover, it involves shoes everywhere and glitter (pretty cool!). As I continued to read the book, I figured out that the illustrations were actually my favorite part. The end pages, first of all, are very cute and creative if you just take the time to sit and read them. My favorite illustration takes place in the shoe store when Louise’s mother buys her the ugly brown shoes, which are called Trainers: Jimmy Choo Choo, there is also a sign by a familiar type of boots with their name (UGGLY) displayed prominently. I would not use this book as a read aloud, a book like this with so many detailed illustrations really needs to be sat down and looked at.

Goode, Diane. The Most Perfect Spot. Harper Collins, 2006. Print.

                Jack thinks that he has found the perfect spot for him and his mama to have a picnic. However, suddenly, things keep happening!

                For me, this was funny in a realistic kind of way. Jack starts out by being all cute and innocent by making his mother breakfast in bed and wanting to take her on a picnic; he knows the perfect spot. However, when Jack and his mom get to the park, they seem to encounter a lot of interruptions. This book was appealing to me because it shows the reality of life. Things don’t always go as planned and you have to learn to roll with the punches, which Jack finally figures out. I would use this book in a classroom perhaps in a lesson contrasting with a fairy tale with happy ever afters and all that jazz or to let students know that it is okay to not have everything go perfect; you can still have a good day. 

 Tomie., De Paola,. Stagestruck. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 2005. Print.

                Miss Bird’s class is putting on the play Peter Rabbit and Tommy is sure that he will get the part of Peter, but when he won’t stop talking; Miss Bird gives the part to someone else! Tommy doesn’t know if he will ever get the attention he wants, until he gets an idea.

                I have mixed feelings about this book. First of all Miss Bird is a horrible name for a teacher and she’s not very nice! In the book, she tells Tommy to be quiet, gives his part to someone else (and tells him in front of everyone!) and doesn’t say anything to Tommy after the show. Tommy is a pretty clever kid; he figures out that if Miss Bird is going to take his part away then he’s going to be a drama queen on stage.  The kid who was playing Peter just could have easily stolen the show. But I guess in the grand scheme of obedience and good children, Tommy should have done what he was told and been a good, quiet little rabbit. I would use this book in the classroom to foster a debate between students on whether what Tommy did was right or wrong. This would be a good way to get students to get involved and discuss the book openly.