Book Review - Maggie D.

Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl

By: Barbara Park

Summary:

In this book Junie B. Jones wants to be a grown-up lady. She invites herself to become the flower girl of her Aunt Flo’s wedding; however, Aunt Flo already had a flower girl picked out. Junie B. Jones becomes the alternate flower girl. She attempts to steal everyone’s attention and prove that she is a lady.

Review:

The perspective I would like to use to consider this text is the discussions it would open up for students. I found this Junie B. Jones book to be a great read for younger females. They would find it both enjoyable and humorous, while also learning a few lessons from the text.

I would probably make this book a read aloud among a small book club of females. I think Junie B. Jones books are very entertaining to read aloud because of the attitude Barbara Park gives the characters when they are speaking. This also gives the reader a chance to practice reading aloud and using different, fun voices. I know I enjoyed looking at the pictures throughout the book, so I would want the reader to make sure to show each picture throughout the story. These pictures are not in color; however they give the reader a great image of what is happening in the story. I would want my students to have a discussion about each picture and what is happening in them.

I would also like my students to discuss what Junie B. Jones is doing wrong throughout the text. In the beginning she uses force and causes her “boyfriend” to break up with her. Then she refuses to go inside after recess. Later, Junie B. Jones invites herself to be in her Aunt Flo’s wedding. During the wedding she grabs the flower basket away from the real flower girl. There are many mistakes Junie B. Jones made and I would like my students to discuss these situations, the outcomes, and what would have been a better way for her to handle them.

The last part of the discussion I would open up for my students is to discuss how they felt about the book. I believe it is important for students to express their opinions, whether they are positive or negative. I feel like some students would not enjoy the book as much as others if they did not pick up on all the small jokes. For example, Junie B. Jones’ parents were teasing her at the dinner table and she did not notice. Barbara Park uses a lot of humor around Junie B. Jones without her noticing it. I also want my students to try to make a personal connection with one of the characters in the story. This could be Junie B. Jones, her mother, her aunt, her boyfriend, etc. I think it is important for students to learn from characters and examine them.

I really enjoy Junie B. Jones books because they are entertaining for most people. Using this text as a tool for discussion is something I would consider in my classroom. Having a discussion about the story is a great learning opportunity while it also lets young readers reflect and comprehend on what they read.

 Citation:

Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones Is (almost) a Flower Girl. United States of America: Random House, 1999. Print.

Maleah O'Neal: First Book Reviews

For my review, I wanted to focus on picture books that identified with the African American culture. African American-cultured books tend to be written by African American authors, have black characters, and are created around a particular aspect or common experience African Americans have endured.

The Secret Olivia Told Me, N. Joy

Joy, N. (2007). The Secret Olivia Told Me. East Orange, NJ: Just Us Books.

The Secret Olivia Told Me by N. Joy, is a picture book written for elementary-aged children. It depicts what may happen when a secret cannot be kept, and how the message of the secret can be discombobulated into something that it is not. It is a Coretta Scott King Award- winning book, and contains a valuable moral lesson.

I consider this book to be an African American-cultured reading because the main characters are African American. The plot of the story is not based on a cultural experience, but many African American children may enjoy the book because they can physically identify with some of the characters.

The design and illustrations of the book are very interesting to me. The characters have visible features of a human, but everyone appears in the color black. One can make out each characters hair style, face and expressions and style. The reader can distinguish the race of each character, but I believe the author was trying to stress that the race of the characters were unimportant. The background of each picture is also in black and white, except for the red balloon, which is hypothetically the message or “secret” being passed around. I enjoy the way the illustrations are designed to represent the message of the story- because the “secret is in red, and everything else in the book is in black and white, the colors stress the importance of the characters keeping certain messages private from their peers. This is an excellent way to display this moral to the targeted age group because it productively teaches children the importance of secrecy in a fun, and interesting manner.

Running the Road to ABC, Denize Lauture

Lauture, D., & Ruffins, R. (1996). Running the road to ABC. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.

Running the Road to ABC vibrantly describes the details of its plot using poetic and intriguing verbs, and adjectives to express simple nouns. For example, “They run over the sweet-potato mounds like fish dancing with the sea waves” (Lauture, 1996). The book energetically expresses a group of young children’s morning trip to the schoolhouse. This would be a fun read for elementary- aged children, as a free-time reading, or a group reading with a teacher. The story is poetically written, and could assist in teaching children the aspects of creative and fictional writing. I love the title because it details the story in a short, creative sentence (“Running the Road”  the trip taken to; “ABC”  the schoolhouse).

Running the Road to ABC is culture-inspired mainly through the illustrations and plot of the story. The pictures are soulful and depict scenery of crop farms, portraying an older African community.

Tree of Hope, Amy Littlesugar

Littlesugar, A., & Cooper, F. (1999). Tree of hope. New York, NY: Philomel Books.

This is a reading for older elementary-aged children, probably best for fourth and fifth grade students. It would also be a good read for sixth grade students. The story is based around the time of the Great Depression, depicting the lifestyle of Harlem residents in the 1930s. The author bases the plot around a play, Macbeth, written by Shakespeare, but in the book, she puts a cultural, African American spin on it. There is strong reference to racial issues that were prominent in that era. The tree in the story is symbolic for dreams and hope. It was used for Florrie and her father to make wishes during the hard times of the Great Depression.

This book would be perfect to open a discussion about the Great Depression, and segregation. I consider this book to be culturally written and illustrated because of the African American characters and the theme and plot of the story. I enjoyed the pictures because the style of clothing, hair and choice of words perfectly depicts the style of the 1930s. 

Keisha Ann Can! By Daniel Kirk


Kirk, D. (2008). Keisha Ann can! New York, NY: G. P. Putnam's Sons.

Keisha Ann Can! Is a great reading for students who are learning to be productive and successful throughout the school day. I would recommend this book for preschool- and kindergarten- aged students. Keisha Ann, the main character, can count, spell, clean up, eat lunch, nap, and more, with confidence, and while learning. This is an inspirational reading that teachers could use to assist in teaching children to be successful in the classroom, throughout the school day. The pictures are fun and energetic, illustrated with bright colors and realistic, human characters. This book would also be great for beginning readers because the text throughout the book is short and brief, but the vocabulary used is important for a student to know (ex: “lunch”, “classroom”, “pencils”, etc.) I would use this book to teach my students or children the importance of performing well in school, and how it can be fun and exciting at the same time.

This book is culturally inspired because the main character is African American. African American students, particularly young girls, can experience self-efficacy- evaluating how well they could perform a particular action, because they identify with the character. Children can identify with the success the character is experiencing in school because they are familiar with the physical aspect of the character, and may be able to successfully apply it to their own lives.

This Little Light of Mine illustrated by E.B. Lewis
 
Lewis, E. B. (2005). This little light of mine. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers.


This Little Light of Mine identifies greatly as an African American-cultured book. The text of the book is an African American spiritual that dates back to the days of slavery. The illustrations tell a story of a young African American boy having a good day, no matter the trials or tribulations put in his way. The author applies each individual line to a picture of the boy enduring in various events throughout the day- helping the elderly, playing with other children in the neighborhood, and even eating dinner. This book would be a good read for students during free-time, and when teaching the lesson of staying positive. My Mother read this book to me while growing up, and I always wanted to be happy just as the main character was in the book. He kept a smile on his face no matter what was going on throughout the day, and I mimicked this action because the book portrays him staying happy. “This little light of mine” is referring to the happiness of the character, and “I’m going to let it shine” refers to staying positive and happy no matter what issues one may experience. This is a great story for discussing this moral during a group reading session, or for an assignment of analyzing the main themes in the book.

Robert Munsch Picture Books- Megan H.

     Robert Munsch is a popular children’s author, writing over fifty books. His most popular book, Love you Forever, has sold over 6 million copies. He often uses repetitious words in his books. Also, his stories feature a young child as the main character, a characteristic of his stories that make them relatable to young children. I enjoyed his books as a young child, so I chose to reread five of his short stories. I thought I would try and gauge how my perceptions of the stories’ have changed from when I first read them as a young child to now. Also, I tried to look in each story for a theme, writing style, targeted age group, and illustrations.

Purple, Green, and Yellow

Munsch, R. (1992). Purple, green, and yellow. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press.

Brigid loves coloring with her super-indelible-never-come-off-till-you’re-dead-and-maybe-even-later markers until she becomes bored with drawing on paper.

     There are certain interesting aspects to this short story. First, whenever Brigid goes to her mother to ask for new, improved markers that are better than the ones she has, she always asks her mother if she drew on the wall, on the floor, or on herself. Her mother always replies with a drawn out “nnnooo”. Robert Munsch is known for using repetitious statements that are supposed be accentuated by the reader. The target age range for this book can be anywhere from toddlers to elementary school children. I feel that elementary age children will enjoy this book because they are learning to write and color using pencils, crayons, and markers. This book will spark the creativity in any child who reads it. This book could inspire a teacher to plan an art project in her class. For example, a student could lie on the floor and have a classmate trace the outline of the student. Then, the student can color his or herself with super-indelible-never-come-off-till-you’re-dead-and-maybe-even-later markers, just like Brigid did in the story.

Murmel, Murmel, Murmel

Munsch, R. (1982). Murmel, murmel, murmel. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press.

Robin finds a baby in a hole in her sandbox and tries to find someone who needs a baby.

     I do not remember reading this story as a child, but chose it because the storyline that Robin tried to give away a baby that she found in her sandbox was really entertaining. At the same time, I also found it weird that the premise of the story was that Robin asked people if they would like a baby. It would seem more realistic if Robin was asking whom the baby belonged to, somewhat like the story “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman. The illustration of this story differed from “Purple, Green, and Yellow” in that the illustrations were in color, yet not as many colors were used, mostly because “Purple, Green, and Yellow” was a story about the most colorful markers. It was hard for me to find a theme in this story because it seemed that it was a lighthearted story meant for pleasure.

The Paper Bag Princess

Munsch, R. (1980). The paper bag princess. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press.

A dragon steals Elizabeth’s fiancé, Ronald, away from her. Elizabeth successfully outsmarts the dragon in order to get Ronald back.

     I also really enjoyed this book as a child. Reading it as an adult, the theme of gender roles stood out to me more. In a typical princess book, it is the princess who usually needs rescued from the evil villain by a handsome prince. In this version, the princess, Elizabeth, has to fight to win back her fiancé, Ronald, from a dragon. She does so by outsmarting the dragon, making him very tired and unable to blow any more fire, and rescues Ronald. Only Ronald is not impressed by Elizabeth’s feat, or her appearance. Elizabeth decides that Ronald is a bum and she does not want to be married to him after all. I found this story to be especially appealing to young girls. It is anti-Disney in the sense that Robert Munsch is telling girls that they can be smarter than boys, and do not need to find a prince to sweep them off their feet. This theme especially rings true today where female empowerment is much more supported and encouraged.

I Have to Go!

Munsch, R. (1987). I have to go!. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press.

This book deals with a young boy named Andrew who has a problem telling his parents when he has to go to the bathroom!

     This book would be a great tool to use for children who are learning to use the bathroom on their own. The book tells the story of Andrew, who has trouble discerning when he needs to use the bathroom. His parents always ask him if he needs to go to pee, before they get in the car, before he puts on his snowsuit, before bed, yet every time he tells them no. Not a few minutes later, Andrew declares that he must go pee. This routine becomes very annoying to his parents. One night, Andrew wets the bed. After everything is changed he gets back into his bed, but this time he asks his Grandpa is he has to pee. His Grandpa replies that he does, and they go the bathroom together. From then on, Andrew never has another accident. This book could be a great tool for young children who are being potty-trained. This could help them decipher when the appropriate time is to tell parents that they have to go pee.

Thomas’ Snowsuit

Munsch, R. (1985). Thomas’ snowsuit. Buffalo, NY: Annick Press.

Thomas is an ornery young boy who will do anything in his power not to wear his ugly, brown snowsuit.

     Thomas is angered when his mom buys him an ugly brown snowsuit. He refuses to wear it, and his mother struggles to put it on him. When he gets to school, the teacher and principal have the same problem, and a hilarious struggle ensues. Even though Thomas hates his snowsuit and refuses when an adult tries to dress him in it, when his friends call him to play he happily puts it on. It was hard for me to find a theme for this story because it is seems to be just a fun, lighthearted story. A teacher could incorporate an activity with this story. After reading the story to students, the teacher could asks his or her students something that they hate to do, such as go to the doctor or clean their room. Then, the class could come up with a fun, creative idea that would make an unpleasant activity fun. For example, students hate to do go to the dentist. To make the situation more bearable, the teacher could provide a lesson plan on what the dentist does, why there is no reason to be scared, and have the students count their teeth and learn the names.

Frindle Analysis -Kimberly Smith

Kimberly Smith 

EDU T&L 467

MLA: Clements, Andrew, and Brian Selznick. Frindle. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 1996. Print.

Intro
Frindle, written by Andrew Clements, is a sensational book that targets children between the ages of 8-12, especially. Clements, a former fourth grade teacher himself before going into publishing, actually incorporated his own experiences with a group of students into the novel.  As a winner of the Christopher Award and a book often used in classrooms today, the children’s novel proves itself as an outstanding piece of work. 

Summary

Frindle tells a story that primarily focuses on Nick Allen, a fifth grade boy with a huge imagination and a knack for coming up with creative ideas and then bringing them to life. Nick’s sense of creativity is somewhat challenged by Mrs. Granger, the fifth grade  language arts teacher with a reputation for ruthlessly enforcing rules, giving students a plethora of assignments and tests, and above all else, her unmeasurable love for the dictionary. When Nick’s ambitiously replaces the word ‘pen’ with ‘frindle,’ Mrs. Granger tries her best to stop the evolving idea from taking over Lincoln Elementary School, but soon realizes that the impact of Nick’s invented word is hardly limited to their local school. 

Analysis

In exploring Frindle, I realized that there are several benefits that this book comes paired with. In my opinion, this book would best fit students who are in the fourth grade or in the fifth grade. This is mainly because the book centers around students who are currently in the fifth grade, and readers would be best able to relate to the book when they are in an age group similar to the characters they are reading about. I think the book would be best assigned to the class as a read out-loud. This is because the book, though it isn’t too eccentric, does have some challenging vocabulary and concepts that students would be better able to understand with the guidance of a teacher. Reading the book out loud would allow the teacher to emphasis certain perspectives and parts of the book that may otherwise be passed over by a student who cannot fully grasp all that they are reading. I may also use this book in class as a tool to get children more comfortable with using dictionaries. In addition, as a class exercise, I would encourage students to invent words and then show the students examples in history for how words have been invented or changed over time. 

Ideally, I think that Frindle could be used to extend on a few key concepts that are important for kid’s to pick up on. First off, I think that the book can be used for something as simple as having readers get a better idea of what the purpose of vocabulary is and how words evolve. Moreover, this book highlights the idea that imagination is important and can truly influence our world. Frindle encourages readers to be creative and invent. Readers see how Nick’s decision to incorporate the word ‘Frindle’ into his life led to huge media coverage and attention and eventually, to his made-up word being added to the actual dictionary. This gives readers hope that they’re own ambitions not only have purpose, but that their outlandish ideas can be very real when they make the effort. 

Frindle also touches on other issues. The issue of rules and what it is to be a “trouble maker” is brought to light. For example, though Nick breaks academic rules at school, he is not being disrespectful to his teachers, and thus his parents do not condemn his behavior. Teachers like Mrs. Granger challenge his attempt to break school rules, but other figures of authority in the book can’t quit pinpoint why what Nick is doing should be deemed as “bad.” Thus, though at first Nick is seen to be reaping havoc, it is later explained that his idea to challenge school rules was actually something rather commendable. The idea of free speech is also a popular issue throughout the book, and is a valid reason to why Frindle’s popularity is acceptable, and as to why the reporter did no wrong in parading through Nick’s school and helping to make the word ‘Frindle’ explosive. Towards the end of the book, as it becomes clear Mrs. Granger was actually rooting for the success of Frindle the whole time, readers become more certain with the idea that Nick’s explosive idea was perfectly innocent, and moreover, that hard teachers aren’t automatically villainous teachers, but may actually want the best for their students.

Clements does an especially good job of writing in a way that students can relate to. He purposely uses clever descriptions to explain things in order to appeal to the demographic of readers who will pick up his book. For example, when describing the weight of the dictionary, Clements explains that it is “the kind of book it takes two kids to carry.” The illustrations, by Brian Selznick, also serve a valid purpose by reinforcing small details from the text. For example, on page 9, when we first see a picture of the villainous teacher, Mrs. Granger, we see her sitting amongst dictionaries, with one dictionary open to a page that defines the word “Quiz,” a concept very important to her method of teaching. 

Kellie V.- First Book Review- Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Summary:
              Greg Heffley is a normal middle-schooler who has a very creative view of the people who surround him. He constantly is expressing his own self-interested views and comparing them to the views of the other characters. Greg finds out that he doesn't really fit into any specific social group in his school yet constantly tries to impress his peers in various comical ways. From creating his own haunted house or by writing comics for his school newspaper, Greg explores multiple ways to discover who he wants to be.

Analysis:

A Male's Perspective.
              Diary of a Wimpy Kid is one of the few novels that is directed at middle-schoolers and also has a male protagonist. Greg is ornery and unafraid of expressing his views of the middle school environment which he has leaped into.
              The beginning of middle school has Greg feeling uneasy about his size and stature. It also has him questioning his past friendships which could possibly deem him as "uncool". Through these disadvantages we see how Greg tries to prove himself  as a tough, smary, saavy guy to his peers through acts, such as: attempting to become class treasurer, gaining muscle to seem tough, and giving up home economics because he was too good at embroidery. All of these instances have caused Greg to question and prove his masculinity to his classmates.
              Whereas, if this text was from a girl's perspective, it would have a very different outlook on the people in middle school. The fact that Greg is a normal kid, if a little scrawny, has a tremendous impact on how we view the characters of his middle school. Most novels which are written from a female protagonist's view point are centered around how well their clothes look, who the new couples are, and what new romantic comedy is playing in theaters. Through Greg's eyes we can see the complete 180 of  what subjects are really worrisome to boys. Since there aren't many books with male protagonists, it is refreshing to see the silliness and the absurdities that are presented.

The Selfish Adolescent.
               In many instances in the novel, Greg is faced to make hard decisions which not only affect himself but other people around him. Oftentimes, Greg does not make the "right" decision, instead he decides on what will get him in the least trouble or what will put him in the best light.
               This is a common occurrence when considering adolescents' choices, they always seem to choose an option which makes them look good to their peers or their supervisors. Greg seems to be the king of misinterpreting other people's views and construing them to make sense when considering his own thoughts. An example: On Halloween, Greg taunts some high-schoolers while hiding out in his Grandma's house. The next morning on his way to school, Greg notices that his Grandma's house has been covered in toilet paper. He decides that it is lucky his Grandma is retired so cleaning up that toilet paper will be something for her to do that day. An adult would feel guilt over the matter, but instead Greg is optimistic about not having to clean the toilet paper himself.

Discussions.

The Stereotypes of Middle School.
              I think this book offers a great chance for students to dwelve into some of the hardships they face as new middle-schoolers. We could talk about the different cliques of middle school and if they ever feel left out of these. Also, we could talk about the pressure they feel to fit into their peers, even if they think they are "morons" like Greg does.

Development of Their Own Identity.
             Throughout the whole novel we see Greg trying to make decisions base upon who he wants to become. He is trying to decide who to be friends with and whether or not being smart is as good as being popular. It would be interesting to discuss what real middle school students think is the most important aspect of their identity.

Age.

I think this text would be perfect for sixth graders since they are facing the hardship of adjusting from elementary school to middle school. As mentioned in the above discussion topics, this text represents a great way to address many different aspects of middle school. Sixth graders would hopefully be able to read this without getting bored because it has so many pictures which could help them form ideas about the text.

Citation.

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a Wimpy Kid. New York: Amulet Books.

First Book Review - Kaelie C.

Wishworks, Inc. Book Review

Introduction:

            Wishworks, Inc. is a children’s novel that stood out to me while I searched for a book at the Columbus Public Library. This book has many lessons in it, especially involving social skills, and had me interested to figure out if Goldie returns to Max’s life and family. The main concepts of this book include bullying, making friends, and family. Also, Max learns how to appreciate what he has and to help his family be happy. Wishworks, Inc. had many important aspects that Max shares with the reader throughout the story.

Summary:

Out of all the different types of children’s literature, Wishworks, Inc. stands out for its uniqueness and real-life experiences children have. Max is the main character in this novel and on a daily basis, imagines a world where he and his dog, King, conquer dragons and bullies. His mother and sister, named Polly, play a big role in his life as Goldie enters the family’s lives. Max imagines a store named Wishworks, Inc. where he buys wishes and discusses his wish dilemmas with the cashier. He makes three wishes throughout the novel: first, he wishes for a real dog, then he wishes that Goldie, aka Ratty, would go away, and finally, he wishes for the exactly right real dog. Following Max’s imagination, Goldie comes into his family’s lives, runs away, and is returned by a friend’s father. Throughout the story, he creates imaginary scenarios but comes to realize that he can share his imagination with a friend named Jerome. In the end, Max realizes that he can still have both dogs, his imaginary dog King and Goldie, and learns to appreciate family and friends.

Critical Thinking:

Bullying

            Throughout the story, Max experiences many situations involving a bully, named Nick Berger. In the beginning of the book, Max describes Nick as a powerful, intimidating person and Max would constantly imagine things happening to Nick, such as a dragon attacking him. Because of Nick, Max experiences isolation, depressive thoughts, and constantly creates imaginary scenarios involving King’s protection. Towards the end of the book, Max finally accepts and befriends Goldie and goes on a walk with his newly-made friend Jerome. During their walk, Max and Jerome run into Nick Berger and his mother. Goldie immediately defends Max and Jerome against Nick while Nick begins to cry since he is scared of dogs. Even though Nick was a powerful bully in the beginning of the book, Max ends up becoming the more powerful character because of Goldie. This approach to bullying could show students that bullying is never the answer and that even bullies have fears. When Max doesn’t take advantage of Nick’s dog fear, it shows readers a good way to not become a bully and make friends instead.

Gender Roles

            Gender roles seem to be another aspect that is implemented in Wishworks, Inc. Towards the middle of the book, Max imagines himself sleeping with King in his bed and the family cat, Ali Baba, sleeping in his sister Polly’s bed. This associates dogs with boys and cats with girls, which can be considered stereotypical gender roles. Also, Max’s imaginary dog being named King shows that this dog is very powerful and masculine. King acts like Max’s protector and defender in Max’s daydreams and does everything Max asks him to. Throughout the book, Max’s dad briefly discusses with him how to handle bullies at school. The only parts of the conversation that Max thinks about in the book involve Max stopping his daydreaming and going out to make real friends. As the reader, Max’s opinion on this seems to be that he doesn’t agree with his dad and wants to continue daydreaming. Towards the end of the book, Max seems to realize what his dad was trying to tell him and becomes a more confident with himself. With his last wish, Max becomes the hero and saves his mother and Polly, since they had both been depressed with Goldie’s disappearance, by wishing Goldie’s return back to their family.

Pictures/Illustrations

            While reading Wishworks, Inc., the reader is able to see many different illustrations depicting Max’s story. In the beginning, the illustrations show Max’s imaginary scenarios and what King would look like. When Max makes his three wishes, the reader sees pictures of the shop and cashier. When Goldie becomes the family dog, there are illustrations of Max, Polly, and her, which do not involve Max’s imaginary world. The pictures in the book seem to go along with how Max grows and learns that his imaginary world is fun, but his real world can be enjoyable as well.
Possible Class Activities

            Max and his imagination throughout the book allows for there to be many different class activities that can involve this story. One activity could be to have students create a wish list, trade with another student and discuss, and then have a class discussion about the lists. Some questions the teacher could ask would be what the students’ wishes were and how they could achieve them. Another classroom activity could be using this book as an introduction to bullying; students would learn what bullying is, what they should do in a bullying situation, and how to prevent it. This activity would help expand their social and safety skills. One last activity that a teacher could have involving this book is having the students write a story about an adventure in their imaginary world. This activity would help nurture the students’ creativity and imagination. The topics covered in this book allow for a wide variety of classroom activities and can help students learn important life lessons.

Appropriate Age/Grade Level

            Wishworks, Inc. would be a great book for children in 4^th or 5^th grade and at ages of 10-12 years old. There are many features of this book that make it appropriate for this age level. One feature is text size; the text size is larger than regular 12-point which allows for better letter recognition and comprehension. Also, chapters are generally short to medium length; this age level would be appropriate since their attention span is longer and comprehension skills are more developed than with younger children. The book language includes many big words, such as guarantee and immediately. This language can be challenging to some students, which would be great for expanding vocabulary and comprehension skills. As previously stated, the bullying and creative concepts in this book would also be great for those topic introductions, respectively. Wishworks, Inc. allows for many lessons to be learned, but the appropriate age needs to be considered when choosing this book.

Final Thoughts

            Overall, Wishworks, Inc. was a good book with some quirky qualities and definitely would be good for students to learn about bullying. Max definitely goes through many stressful experiences in the book, but ends up becoming a more confident boy; I think Max’s transition is a realistic example of childhood development for 4^th and 5^th grade children. As a reader, I could definitely relate to Max’s experiences and felt like Goldie taught him more about himself. I think that bullying is a really important topic this book addresses and could be utilized in the classroom for effective education and prevention. Wishworks, Inc. is a book that has many important lessons and is a good read for children at the appropriate age.

Citation:

Tolan, S. (2009). Wishworks, Inc. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.

Mary Beth Z. First Book Review

Summary:
Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business is about a misunderstanding that occurs. Junie B. Jones thinks that her new baby brother is really a baby monkey, and when she shares this with her class at show and tell, the news creates excitement and inevitably trouble.

Analysis:
           I find this particular Junie B. Jones novel really informational as well as enjoyable for kids of all ages. Children who read this book can learn about the process of a family having a new baby and how it will affect people who are already in the family, including themselves. As a teacher I would incorporate a fun art project where we draw and color a nursery for a new member of our family. Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business would also be educational for children as well because if their own family is going through the process of having a new brother or sister, the child could relate with Junie B. and understand that everything will be okay in the end because Junie B. was able to conquer this experience in her book while having fun.
           In response to the illustrations (usually one per chapter), the illustrations demonstrate the perspective of Junie B. and also demonstrate the perceptions of the people around her in each particular scene. In a classroom setting if I were reading this book aloud to my kids I could ask them to reflect on how something made them feel and allow them to share with the class either in art form or in an open discussion format.
            Another idea I had is when Junie B. is describing her cute little monkey brother to her class during show and tell, to have the kids draw out how they perceive Junie B's little brother as I am reading the description aloud to the class. This would provide for creativity in the classroom by giving children the opportunity to picture this new baby in their minds and then transfer that image onto paper. Junie B. Jones books are all very comical and relatable for children. Junie B. is a kindergartener exploring her world and reporting back to her readers on it. This provides new readers a way to see themselves in her books and get lost in the world of literature. As a child the only books I truly enjoyed were Junie B. Jones books and I feel strongly about having these books in the classroom.


Works Cited:

Park, B. (1993). Junie B. Jones and a Little Monkey Business. New York: Random House.