#30: Henry's Freedom Box

Title: Henry’s Freedom Box

Author: Ellen Levine

Illustrator: Kadir Nelson

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 2007

# of pages: 39

Genre/category: Multicultural

 

            We read this book during class and it was one of my favorite books that we read so I decided to use it. Henry was a slave and worked in a big house for his master. When Henry’s master decides to pass him down to his son, things begin to change. Henry is sent away from his family to work in a factory. Later he meets Nancy whom he later marries and has a child with. When Nancy and his child get sold, Henry decides that he would mail himself away to freedom.

            The illustrations in this book are very good. The medium used to do these illustrations are pencils, watercolors, and oil. The illustrations are full page illustrations and most of the colors are very dark. The font used in this book is size 16 B Cochin Bold. The display type was set in Algerian EF.

            This book is a really good book that would be good for kids in third grade and above. I would use this book several different ways in the classroom. I would have children write a journal entry on how they would feel if they were a slave and got separated from their family. This book would also be a good book to read during a history lesson about the Underground Railroad.  I would also have the students to think about the life that Henry lived. I would have them to compare and contrast their life to Henry’s. This book received a Caldecott Honor book award.

#29: Max Celebrates Chinese New Year

Title: Max Celebrates Chinese New Year

Author: Adria F. Klein

Illustrator: Mernie Gallagher-cole

Publishing Company: Picture Window Books

Copyright Date: 2007

# of pages: 24

Genre/category: Multicultural

 

            I chose this book, because I read it to one of my kids during practicum and I thought it was a good book. When Lily invites Max to celebrate the Chinese New Year with her, Max learns that it is just like when he Celebrates New Years Day, except for the fact that it last fifteen days. Max helps Lily’s family get things ready for the celebration. Max has so much fun that he wants to celebrate with Lily every year.

            Most of the illustrations in this book are two page spread illustrations. The pictures are done with watercolors and pencil. The pictures are very bight and are full page pictures. The colors and illustrations help to capture the festivities that go on during their holiday. There is not any negative space located on the page.

            This book would be great to use with younger children. I would use it in the classroom to teach the concept of friendship. It would also be a good book for the children to get to see how people in China celebrate New Years. I would also compare our New Years to New Years in China.  During this time of the year, I would read this book to children an allow them to tell something their family did for New Years. This book has not won any awards.

#28: Martin's Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Title: Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Author: Doreen Rappaport

Illustrator: Bryan Collier

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 2001

# of pages: 29

Genre/category: Multicultural

 

            I chose this book because Martin Luther King Jr. is one of my favorite people from history. Martin was born on January 15 in Atlanta, Georgia. His whole life he had seen signs that said whites only everywhere he went.  He was raised up in church and had a dream that when he grew up, he would have big words. When he got older, he became a minister where he taught people that love is the only way to drive away hate. Martin led a march to do away with segregation and after ten years he finally won. He went to Tennessee to help garbage collectors where he was shot and died.

           

            The illustrations in this book are very elaborate. They are very colorful. They are made using watercolors and cut paper collages. This is one of the first book I have ever seen that uses cut paper collages and I think it makes the illustrations beautiful. Some of the pages have panels and then others are two-page spread.  The pictures are full page pictures and greatly show what Martin went through during his lifetime.

            This book would be great for children in grades three and above. It would be a good book to read while teaching a history lesson about segregation. It tells about many things that the blacks went through during this time. Students could also complete a Vein Diagram comparing the life as a black during this time to the life of a white person. Students could also have a writing assignment describing how they think they would have felt if they were a black person living during this time and what would they do. This book has not won any awards.

#27: Cinco de Mayo

Title: Cinco de Mayo

Author: Sandy Swpehri

Illustrator: Not Available

Publishing Company: Fitzgerald Books

Copyright Date: 2007

# of pages: 24

Genre/category: Multicultural

 

          I have heard of the term Cinco de Mayo and knew when it was, but I never new what it was. So I decided to read it for my blogs to find out. Cinco de Mayo is a time when the Mexicans celebrate  the freedom they won in the battle of Puebla in 1862. The battle was fought against the French. On the fifth day of May, the Mexicans celebrate with street fairs, food, and music. People also dress in the colors of the Mexican flag.

            The illustrations in this book are actual pictures that are taken during the celebration of Cinco de Mayo. Each of the illustrations help to depict something that takes place during this celebration. The background is white and the top half of the page is a picture and the bottom half is made up of words.There is a good bit of negative space in this book.

          This book would be good to use with children in 3 grade and above. It could be used in the classroom when talking discussing holidays from different cultures. I would have student to compare and contrast Cinco de Mayo with one of our American Holidays. If I had anyone in the classroom who celebrates this holiday, I might would let them tell a little bit about it. Students could also have a writing assignment concerning the books. They could write a small summary telling about the holiday. This book has not received any awards.

#26: Ice Storms

Title: Ice Storms

Author: Anne Ylvisaker

Illustrator: Not Available

Publishing Company: Capstone Press

Copyright Date: 2003

# of pages: 48

Genre/category: Nonfiction

 

            I chose this book because it looked very interesting to me. The book Ice Storms is a short chapter book. It contains information about different famous ice storms that have taken place. It also describes what to do during an ice storm. There is also a chapter about why they happen and how to survive one.

            The pictures in this book really help to show the reader the seriousness of an ice storm. The pictures that we see in this book are computer generated or actual pictures that are taken before, during, and after an ice storm takes place. Most of the pictures are on one page and the words are on the next page.

            The book would be appropriate for fifth and six grade students.  There are different ways that this book can be used inside the classroom. I would have student use this book to write a report on what to do during an ice storm. This book would also be good to display or read to the class when teaching about the different types of weather. This book is also a good way for student to learn new vocabulary words dealing with weather. This book has not won any awards.

#25: Zookeepers

Title: Zookeepers

Author: Sarah Tieck

Illustrator: Not Available

Publishing Company: Big Buddy Books

Copyright Date: 2012

# of pages: 32

Genre/category: Nonfiction

 

I used this book for one of my lesson and I thought it was a very good book. The book Zookeepers tells about all the different things that a zookeeper does.  It talks about the different animals that you would see in a zoo.They help to take care of the animals and make sure they are fed. When the animals are sick, they help get them well by giving them medicine. A zookeeper also cleans the animals and even brushes their teeth. Near the end of the book it also provides a description of what the first zoo was like.

The illustrations in this book are actual pictures that are taken at a zoo. They help to give a visual descriptions of the many things that zookeepers do. The author wrote words that go with each picture so that we know exactly what the zookeeper is doing. Most of the words are on one side of the page and the pictures are on the other.

This book would be great to use with children of all ages. This book would be good to use in a lesson when you are talking about the authors purpose for writing.  The teacher can let the kids know that there are three reasons an author writes. This book can also be used when talking about different jobs.  It can also be used when talking about what the kids want to be when they grow up. This book has not won any awards.

#24: Venus

Title: Venus

Author: Paul Fleisher

Illustrator: Not Available

Publishing Company: Learner Publications Company

Copyright Date: 2010

# of pages: 48

Genre/category: Nonfiction

 

            I chose this book because I really love studying about space and the planets. This book is a short chapter book that discusses many facts about the planet Venus. It tells about its size, where it is located and how far away it is. This book also describes what this planet is like in general.  It talks about it atmosphere, surface, and the core of the planet. The planet Venus is sometimes called Earth’s Twin.

            Most of the illustrations in this book are pictures that have been taken from space. A few of the pictures look like they may have been computer generated. Some of them are images that have been seen through a telescope. Some of the pictures are whole page pictures while others are just contained in a small square. There is a good bit of negative space in the pictures. The pictures in this book were provided by NASA.

            This book can be used by students in upper elementary grades such as fourth, fifth, and sixth.  This book would be good to use when talking about the planet Venus. It is a good resource to introduce kids to the planet. Students could use this book to get information to write a report about Venus. Student could also use this book to compare and contrast the planet Venus and Earth. This book also contains some great science vocabulary such as gravity, volcanoes, atmosphere, and telescope that would be good to introduce to the students. This book has not received any awards.

#23: The Hallelujah Flight

Title: The Hallelujah Flight

Author: Phil Bildner

Illustrator: John Holyfield

Publishing Company: Penguin

Copyright Date: 2010

# of pages: 31

Genre/category:

            I chose this book simply because of the illustrations on the front. When James Banning has a dream of flying a plane from sea to shining sea, he must figure out how he will be able to replace the engine. He comes up with the idea that as people gives him thing he will let them write their names on the wing so they will go down in the history books also. As Banning and Allen took off, the plane seemed to have a mind of its own. As they flew their plane many people decided to help them; however in other towns many of the people were very prejudice. With the help from the people Banning and Allen make their flight. One last time they raise their hands toward the heavens and say “hallelujah”.

            The illustrations in this book are very extravagant. They look to have been done by acrylics on a piece of canvas. Almost all of the pictures in this book are two-page spread. They contain a good bit of detail about the events that are taking place. The font of the words in this book is ITC Crushing.

            This book would be good for students in third grade and above. There are many ways that a book like this can be used in a classroom. One way to use this book is in a history lesson about the first two African American to fly across the United States. Another thing I would do in the classroom is have children to write a journal entry about if they were going to take a flight across the United States, what would you carry with you and how would you prepare for the trip. If I had fifth or six grades I would have them do some research on who these two people are, because they are not mentioned very much in the history books. This book has not won any awards.

# 22: Ron's Big Mission

Title: Ron’s Big Mission

Author: Rose Blue & Corinne J. Nader

Illustrator: Don Tate

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 2009

# of pages: 31

Genre/category: Historical Fiction

 

            I choose to use this book, because I really like the fact that Ron takes up for what he believes in. In the book, Ron is only nine years old, but he already has dream of being a pilot. He wakes up one morning and goes straight to the library to check out some book on airplanes and aviation. When Ron goes to the desk to check-out books, he is told that black people can not check-out. They can only read them in the library. Ron jumps up on the table and refuses to budge, even after the librarian calls the police. The librarian realizes the only thing she can do is give Ron his own library card.

            It is very hard for me to tell the exact medium that was used in this book. The illustrations in this book look like they may have been done with watercolors, but I am not sure. The pictures are whole page illustrations. Many of the illustrations in this book are also two-page spread.

            This book would be good for kids in third or fourth grade. There are several ways to use this book in a classroom.  One way would be to have kids do a journal entry on how they would feel if they were like this boy and not able to check out books. Another ways is to have an open discussion about how the characters in this book responded to the events that took place in the story. Students could also do another writing assignment telling what actions they would have taken if they were the librarian. This book has not won any awards.

# 21 You Can't Do that Amelia

Title: You Can’t Do That, Amelia

Author: Kimberly Wagner Klier

Illustrator: Kathleen Kemly

Publishing Company: Calkins Creek

Copyright Date: 2008

# of pages: 24

Genre/category: Historical Fiction

 

            I choose this book, because of the author. I like Kimberly Klier’s books and this was just one that I had wanted to read. When a young girl named Amelia has dreams to achieve many things, she set out to accomplish the goals she sets for herself. Many People keep on telling her that she can not do it, but she keeps her mind straight and works until she does. She starts off building her own roller coaster. Later, she ends up flying solo across the Atlantic Ocean.

            This book is filled with beautiful, colorful pictures. The color really helps the pictures to stand out. The pictures in this book look to have been drawn and colored with colored pencils. This book contains illustrations that are formal, panel and two-page spread.

            This book is appropriate for older Elementary Children. There are several different ways to use this book in a classroom. One way is by relating it to a history lesson about Amelia Earhart. This book portrays many of the things Amelia Earhart did during her life. I would also use this book to let the kids know that it is good to have dreams and to never give up on achieving their dreams. Another way I would us this book is by having kids write about a goal or a dream that they have. This book has not won any awards.

#20 If I Ran the Rainforest

Title: If I Ran the Rainforest

Author: Bonnie Worth

Illustrator: Aristides Ruiz

Publishing Company: Random House

Copyright Date: 2003

# of Pages: 38 

Genre/Category: Fantasy

 

            I chose this book because this book had cat in the hat on the front and I have never read it before. The Cat in the Hat takes us on a tour of the four floors of the rain forest. He tells us of the different kinds of plants and animals that we find in the rainforest. He also tells us how things in the rainforest must interact to survive.

 

            The illustrations in this book are very rich in detail. There are so many different colors. Many of the pages are double page spread.  The pictures look like they may have been done digitally by computer or by pastels. It was very hard to tell, because of the extent of the drawings. The pictures would be very interesting to just look at and see all the different things in the rainforest.

 

            This book is good for children of all ages. There are many ways that I would use this book in a classroom. One way I would use this book is when talking about the different floors of the rainforest. This provides a good description on what we would find on each floor. The book is also good for building vocabulary about things in the rainforest. I would also use this book when talking about rhymes. This book has not won any awards.

#19 Magic Lemonade

Title: Magic Lemonade

Author: Joyce Dunbar

Illustrator: Jan McCafferty

Publishing Company: Crabtree Publishing Company

Copyright Date: 2002

# of Pages: 48

 

Genre/Category: Fantasy

 

 

I chose this book simply because it looked interesting. Zoe has a very good imagination. She pretends she is a queen, while her friends think she is nothing but a bossy boots. When Zoe offers her friend lemonade, she finally convinces them that she is a queen. After they have a feast with food and lemonade, she then admits that she is not a queen, she is a magician.

 

            The illustrations in this book look to have been done with watercolors or paint. The colors are very bright and stand out. They use bubbles to represent what the characters are thinking about in their head. The pictures take up most of the page and many of them are double page spread.

 

          This book would be appropriate for children in second and third grade. One way I would use this book in the classroom is by teaching kids about using their imagination.  I would share with them that it can be good to pretend. I would also use this book teach children that it is not good to be bossy and selfish. Another way I would use this in class is by helping children to increase their vocabulary comprehension. This book has not won any awards.

# 18 The Magic Rabbit

Title: The Magic Rabbit

Author: Annette Le Blanc Cate

Illustrator: Annette Le Blanc Cate

Publishing Company: Candlewick Press

Copyright Date: 2007

# of Pages: 27

Genre/Category: Fantasy

 

 

            I chose this book because it was about magic and I really like magic. When a magician’s rabbit gets lost he must try to find his master. He searches through the park, down an alley, and along the sidewalk.  The bunny soon begins to feel scared and alone. He soon starts to cry. After searching and searching he soon is reunited with his master.

 

            The illustrations in this book are all black any white. The only color in the book is the things that have to do with magic such as stars. The illustrations were done with pen and ink and watercolor. They are very detailed and children could almost tell the story by looking at the pictures.

 

            This book would be good for second, third, or fourth grade. There are several ways that I would use this book in a classroom.  One way is I would talk to children about what to do if they ever got lost. Another way is I would have children to write about a time when they got lost or were scared. I would also have children to read this to help strength their vocabulary comprehension. This book has not received any awards.

# 17 The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Title: The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Author: Eric Blair

Illustrator: Dianne Silverman

Publishing Company: Picture Window Books

Copyright Date: 2004

# of Pages: 23

 

Genre/Category: Traditional Literature

 

 

 

 

            I chose this book because it was one of my favorite books as a child. After a boy gets tired of watching his sheep, he decides to play a trick on the farmers. He screams that a wolf is attacking his sheep. The farmers then stop what they are doing to go chase the wolf away. After doing this several times and finding out there is no wolf, when a wolf really does attack the farmers do not believe him.

            The illustrations in this book were created digitally using a computer. They are very colorful and vivid. They tell exactly what events are happening in the story. The illustrations in the book are whole page illustrations with the words only at the top of the page.

 

            This book would be great to use with first, second, or third graders. This book can be used in the classroom in many ways. One way I would use it is to teach children how important it is to always be honest. I would also show them what can happen if you do not tell the truth. Another way I would use this book is to allow children to make connections with the book. If they had been in a similar situation, I would ask them to write or tell what happened. This book has not won any awards.

#16 Hansel and Gretel

Title: Hansel and Gretel

Author: Penny Dolan

Illustrator: Graham Philpot

Publishing Company: Watts Publishing Group

Copyright Date: 2005

# of Pages: 31

Genre/Category: Traditional Literature

 

 

 

            This book is about a boy and a girl who get lost in the woods. While in the woods, they find a house that is made of gingerbread. The children are asked to come into the house and find out it is owned by a witch. Hansel and Gretel must try to find a way to get away.

            Many of the illustrations in the book appear to have been done with watercolors. Throughout the book, the pictures have light and dark spots throughout the picture. The colors in the book are very colorful and would draw the attention of younger children. The spatial form of most of the pictures is a square shape. Most of the text in the book is formal text.

            This book would be great for first and second grade children. There are several ways that this book can be used in the classroom. On way it could be used it to tell children to not talk to strangers and never go in someone house they do not know. Another way is to teach children to learn directions. If Hansel and Gretel had kept up with which direction they were going, they would not have gotten lost. Also it can be used to teach children to think about situations they are in and be calm and not to panic. This book has not won any awards.

 

 

 

 

 

 

#15 The Emperor's New Clothes

Title: The Emperor’s New Clothes

Author: Karen Wallace

Illustrator: Francois Hall

Publishing Company: Watts Publishing Group

Copyright Date: 2005

# of Pages: 31 

Genre/Category: Traditional Literature

 

            I chose this book because I remember reading it as a young kid and I have not seen it since. It was on of my favorite books as a child. An emperor who loved fancy clothes had two men to make him the finest clothes he had ever seen. While the two men pretended to make his clothes to wear in the procession, he pretended to see them. In reality he has to go threw the procession without any clothes on.

            The illustrations in this book look to have been done with watercolors. They are very colorful. The book contains double page spread illustrations. According to the illustrations, the story looks to have a Chinese setting. The Font in this book appears to be large compared to other books that I have read.

            I think the book would be good for younger elementary children. This book would be good to use in the classroom. It can be use to teach children that they can not always trust strangers. I would also work on sequence of events by having children retell what happened in the book. This book also has a good bit of vocabulary that children might not understand. I would also use the book to help build vocabulary comprehension. This book has not received any awards.

 

# 14 Christmas Is Coming

Title: Christmas is Coming
Author: Charles & Debra Ghigna

Illustrator: Mary O’Keefe Young

Publishing Company: Charlesbridge Publishing

Copyright Date: 2000

# of Pages: 30

 

Genre/Category: Poetry

 

 

 

            I chose this book because it contains poems about Christmas and that is my favorite holiday. The poems in this book are all about things families do on and around the Christmas holiday. It talks about different traditions such as decorating the tree, hanging stockings, and Santa Claus. It also has poems about what happens after the holiday is over such as taking down the decorations and storing them away in the attic until it is time to use them again.

            The illustrations in this book are very colorful. They are made using watercolors. They are also made on special watercolor paper. The pictures are very eye-catching. The light colors represent happy feelings that are shared around Christmas time.

 

            The book is appropriate for all ages. This book would be great to use in the classroom around Christmas time. It could be used help kids to learn about a traditional Christmas in the United States. I would also use this book to give children the opportunity to write or tell about what they do on Christmas. With older elementary kids, I would have them compare and contrast the Christmas holiday in the United States to Christmas in other parts of the world. This book has not won any awards.

#13 I'm Glad I'm Me

Title: I’m Glad I’m Me
Author: Jack Prelutsky

Illustrator: Nancy Meyers
Publishing Company: Scholastic
Copyright Date: 2006
# of Pages: 32

Genre/Category: Poetry

 

 

 

            I chose this book because of the title. I really like for people to act like themselves and not like someone they are not. This is a book that contains twenty-one poems. The poems in the book are all about things that a kid can do such as whistling, somersaults, and what they want to be when they grow up.  Children can do many things. It also talks about the child being themselves and being happy about that.  

            There are not very many illustrations in this book. Most of them are just very small simple picture in one corner of the page. There is a good bit of white or blank space on each page. The pictures look to have been hand drawn with pencil. They are all black and white except the ones on the front and back cover.

 

            This book is appropriate for young children of all ages. One way to use this book in a classroom is to encourage kids to use their imaginations. The poems talk about different things kids can become and do in their life. Also this book can be used when talking about rhyming words. Children could also be encouraged to write their own poem. This book has not won any awards.

#12 Three Little Kittens

Title: Three Little Kittens

Author: Jerry Pinkney

Illustrator: Not Available

Publishing Company: Penguin Group

Copyright Date: 2010
# of Pages: 32

Genre/Category: Poetry

            I chose this book because it reminded me of another book that I had read by this author that I really liked. The book is about three kittens that get new mittens. They put on their new mittens and go out to play. While playing outside, the kittens lose their new mittens and their mother will not allow them to have any pie until they find their new mittens. The book ends right where it begin. The kittens put on their mittens and go out to play.

           

            The illustrations in this book are very bright and vivid. The pictures are full page pictures and are very big in detail.  Most of the illustrations in the book are double page spread. The illustrations are done using graphite, color pencil, and watercolors.

            This book would be good to use with younger children ages Pre-Kindergarten to second grade. The book can be good to use to teach a good many lessons.  One lesson it would be good to use with is when talking about rhymes. The book uses a good many rhymes like kittens and mittens. This book is also a nursery rhyme, so I would us it when discussing what nursery rhymes are and the different genres of books.  I would also use it to tell children how important it is to keep up with things and not to lose them. This author has won an award, but not with this book.

# 11 If I Ran the School

Title: If I Ran the School

Author: Bruce Lansky (poems selected by)

Illustrator: Stephen Carpenter & Mike Gordon

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 2005

# of Pages: 31

 

Genre/Category: Poetry

 

 

 

            The main reason I chose this book is because of the front page illustrations.   It showed the student up front teaching the class while the teachers are setting in the student desk. This book is made up of twenty-four funny school poems. The poems are all about things that can happen to kids while at school like ripping their pants, eating school lunches, and getting F’s.

 

            The illustrations in this book are very different than they are in other books. The pictures on the front and back page are in color, but the rest of the book is black and white.  Most of the pictures are just small thing that you would see in a classroom. The illustrations were hand drawn using pencil. They are very basic drawings and are not very good eye catchers.

 

            This book would be appropriate for young children of different ages. The first few poems in this book are very short and easy to read, but the last few are more difficult and longer. This book would be good to get children interested in poetry before teaching a poetry lesson. It can be good to let children know that there are different kinds of poems. Some can be funny and then some can be sweet and express love. This book could also be used at the beginning of the day. I would read students a funny poem at the beginning of the school day to help them get their day started in a fun way. This book could also be used as a motivator to get children to read poems. This book has not received any awards.

 

# 10 Coco on the Go.

Title: Coco on the Go

Author: Susan Blackaby

Illustrator: Amy Bailey Muehlenhardt

Publishing Company: Picture Window Books

Copyright Date: 2006

# of Pages: 23

Genre/category: Picture Book

            I chose this book because I thought the cover looked very interesting. In the book, Coco the dog and Elise the baby go everywhere mom goes for the day. Coco has a playful day following mom and Elise around. At the end of the day Coco is tired and wants to rest, but Elise wants to play.

            The illustrations in this book are created with watercolors and pencils. The illustrations in the book are very basic. The pictures are full page pictures. The pictures in this book have a good many details and are very creative.

            This book would be great for beginning readers. The book uses many high frequency words and simple language. The teacher could also have students discuss how their day is different from the way Elise spent her day. The teacher could also have a class discussion about how many children have pets. After the discussion, this could be integrated into a math problem. This book did not get any awards.

# 9 Dino-Baseball

Title: Dino-Baseball

Author: Lisa Wheeler

Illustrator: Barry Gott

Publishing Company: Carolrhoda Books

Copyright Date: 2012

# of Pages: 30

Genre/category: Picture Books

            I chose this book simply because it had a dinosaur  on the front cover and as a kid I was really into dinosaurs.  The book is about a team of plant-eating dinosaurs who play a baseball game against the meat-eating dinosaurs. The Sox are the plant-eating dinosaurs and the Ribs are the meat-eating dinosaurs.

            The illustrations in this book are very creative.  The colors are very bright and will stand out to children. It is very hard for me to decide what medium the illustrator used on the drawings. It looks like some of them could have been painted or even computer generated. The background in the picture is very detailed.

This book would be good to used with children who are in second, third, or fourth grade.  The book would be good to read to children when doing a science lesson about dinosaurs, because the book mentions the different kinds of dinosaurs that are on the team. This book would also be good to use when talking about rhymes.  The book if full of rhyming words.  The book would also be good to use to strengthen vocabulary comprehension, because  it contains many words that are not usually used in everyday conversations. The book has not received any awards.

# 8 The Playground Problem

Title:The Playground Problem

Author: Margaret McNamara

Illustrator: Mike Gordon

Publishing Company: Scholastic

Copyright Date: 2004

# of pages: 28

Genre/category: Picture Book

     I chose this book because to me, there are many kids that have problems like this and it really shows a good way to work things out between each other. I think every child should read this book. When Mrs. Connor’s first-grade class goes out for recess, the boys and the girls begin to have a problem. The boys will not let the girls play soccer with them. Emma gets angry and she comes up with a plan that will cause the boys to change their mind. It takes the boys a while, but they finally learn that girls can play soccer.

            The illustrator uses line and watercolors to create the pictures in the book. Most of the pictures in the book are of houses and people. The words in this book is typed in a larger font. The pictures are very colorful and the peoples facial expressions show exactly how the characters are feeling.

      This book is appropriate for  younger elementary kids who are around kindergarten to second grade level. The teacher could use this book to teach kids to play fair and to share things. This book could also be used to teach children that being a bully is wrong and that people should not be made fun of just because they are different. This book can also be use to teach about team work. Once the boys and the girls started playing together, they discovered that they could be a good team. This book does not have any awards.

# 7 How To Be A Good Dog

   

Title: How To Be A Good Dog

Author: Gail Page

Illustrator: Not Available

Publishing Company: Bloomsbury U.S.A Childrens Books

Copyright Date: 2006

# of Pages: 28

Genre/ Category: Picture Book

        I chose this book because it was about a dog and that is my favorite kind of animal. This book is about a dog named Bobo.  He tries to learn how to be a good dog and while Mrs. Birdhead is out, the cat tries to teach him how to sit, heel, fetch, lie down, shake, and fetch.

      The Illustrations in this book are made using acrylics. Many of the pictures in the book look as if they were drawn and then painted. The illustrations in this book are very basic. They do not depict very much detail.

      This book would be good to use with lower elementary kids when discussing how they should behave. Students could compare and contrast how the rules Bobo had to follow are different than the rules we have to follow.  Also the teacher could use this story when working with comprehension by having the students make a list of things that they remember the dog learning to do.  The teacher could also have the students to  discuss if the story is fiction or nonfiction and would we really see a cat teaching a dog how to do these things. This book does not have any awards.

# 6 Lady Lulu Liked to Litter

Title: Lady Lulu Liked to Litter
Author: Nancy Loewen
Illustrator: Anna Kaiser
Publishing Company: Picture Window Books
Copyright Date: 2009
# of Pages: 20

Genre/category: Picture Book

          I  chose this book because to me it is very interesting and was actually a little challenging for me to read with the tongue twisters. Lady Lulu did not seem to think littering was a problem. She littered everything. Other people did not like her littering. Her brother and sister tried to get her to stop, but she did not listen until one day something happen to make her stop.

          The illustrations in this book were created using  watercolor and ink. The pictures are full page pictures that greatly depicts what is happening in the story.

          This book is appropriate for children ages six to eight years old. One way to use this book in the classroom is vocabulary comprehension. The book contains many tongue twisters. Another way to us the book can be when talking about the “L” sound. The book uses many words that begin with the letter “L”. The book can also be used when doing a science lesson on recycling. I could teach children what could happen if we do not recycle. The book has not received any awards.

# 5 If You Give A Dog A Donut

Title: If you Give A Dog A Donut

Author: Laura Numeroff
Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publishing Company: Bazer & Bray
Copyright Date: 2011
# of Pages: 31 

Genre/category: Picture Book

          I chose this book because as a child, I loved books by this author. When I was looking for books to use, I discovered this book that I had never read before. The book is simply about a boy who gives a dog a donut. The donut then leads the dog to want apple juice. As the book continues, each thing the boy gives the dog leads to something else. The book makes a complete circle and at the end of the book the boy ends up giving the dog some apple juice which leads to him wanting a donut.

            It was really hard for me to tell what the author used to create these pictures.  Some of it looks like a computer was used to generate the pictures, while others look like she used color pencils. The images are really colorful and creative.

            The book is appropriate for elementary school children such as first, second, or third grade.  A good way to use this book is when you talking about sequence and the ordering of events. The students can list the things the dog wanted or did in the order by the way they happened in the book. Another  way to use this book in the classroom is to teach students to be creative. Many times things we do often lead to other things. Another classroom use would be to help them understand that sometimes we many want many things, just like the dog; however, we many not always be able to have everything we want. This book does not have any awards; however the author has received some.

#4 Eight Enormous Elephants

Title: Eight Enormous Elephants

Author: Penny Dolan
Illustrator: Leo Broadley
Publishing Company: Picture Window Books
Copyright Date: 2000
# of Pages: 27

Genre/ category: Picture Book

          I chose this book because most children love books about animals. Most children can also relate to doing many of the things that these elephants did. The book is about a little boy and his mom, who are setting at a table, when eight huge elephants come through the door. The elephants made a complete mess of the house. Then something as small as a little mouse gives them orders to clean up the mess they had made. When everything was back like it was before, the elephants danced out the door.

            The illustrations in this book look to have been drawn using acrylic ink. It also looks as if parts of them might also be computer generated. They are also very colorful. The pictures really show what is happening in the story.

            This book would be good for older elementary children. It would be good to used with children who have a good vocabulary, because some of the vocabulary can prove to be challenging. It would also help children to strengthen their vocabulary. The book would also be good to use when talking about rhyming words. The book could also be used to let children know that when we make a mess we should always clean it up and pick up after ourselves. The book does not have any awards.

# 3 Look Down Low

Title: Look Down Low

Author: Dana Meachen Rau
Illustrated by: Bernard Adnet
Publishing Company:Capstone Publisher
Copyright Date:2002

# of Pages: 24

Genre/ Category: Picture Books

                                                                       

I few years ago, when I was substituting for a first grade class, I was ask to read this book to the class. I had never read it before, but it  was one I really enjoyed reading to the kids.This book is about a boy who learns to take a closer look at the different things found on the ground. He saw things such as worms, moles ants, grass and mud.

            The illustrations in this book are  created using a computer software. The pictures show an up close view at the different things on the ground. The illustrations are also very colorful.

            This book is great for children who are emerging  readers.  One way to use this book in the classroom is when discussing rhyming words. Many of the words in this book rhyme such as around and ground. The sentences in this book are very small and use a good bit of repetition, which is great for young kids. Another use of this book in the classroom is  when discussing things that you would find outside. Many of the animals and things discussed in the book are everyday things that usually can be found in our own backyard. This book is also great for building vocabulary. It even has a word list located in the back of the book. This book has not received any awards.