A BIG MAN TOOK MY BALL

Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball!. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

Elephant is very upset when someone takes his friend Pig's ball.  He can't believe someone would pick on a smaller Piggy.  Elephant soon learns that the thief is a very polite whale who is just looking for friends.  The three make up a game that all can enjoy despite their size differences.

Wonderful story of friendship and acceptance despite physical differences.  

DEAR MR. HENSHAW

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: Morrow.

Leigh Botts is dealing with a lot of issues in his young life.  He is the new kid in school, someone keeps stealing his lunch, and his parents have just divorced.  Leigh is having trouble adjusting to so many major changes. When Leigh is asked to write to his favorite author, he sends Mr. Henshaw 10 questions to answer.  He becomes frustrated because Mr. Henshaw does not respond quickly enough to his correspondence.  Mr. Henshaw recommends that Leigh keep a journal.  In writing in the journal over several years, Leigh matures and learns to cope with changes.  When his dad returns for a visit at the end of the story, Leigh is much more comfortable with the situation.

BABYMOUSE

Holm, J. L., & Holm, M. (2005). Babymouse: queen of the world!. New York: Random House.

 All  Babymouse is to get an invite to Felicia's slumber party, even thought Felicia is her nemesis. If she goes to the party, she will be missing movie time with her best friend Wilson.  However, Babymouse knows that an invitation to the slumber party will make her one of the in crowd.  Her creative imagination even imagines scenarios of her being a queen after obtaining her cool status. 

After getting the invitation, Babymouse realizes that the slumber party isn't really where she wants to be.  Felicia is not the type of person Babymouse wants to be friends with.  She decides that movie time with Wilson is how she wants to spend her time. Young readers will learn that being popular isn't always what it seems. 

RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE

Hale, S., & Hale, D. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, N.Y.: Bloomsbury.

This is not your typical helpless princess. Rapunzel leads a spoiled, privileged life in her village. However, she is curious about life outside the walls since her mother forbids her from leaving the confines of the the village.  When Rapunzel escapes, she see the poverty and mistreatment of the villagers outside of her village.  Rapunzel meets up with Jack and together they encounter several adventures.  The dialogue between Jack and Rapunzel are humorous and keep the reader engaged.  Rapunzel can hold her own against Jack. She does not depend on him, nor does she allow him to take charge simply because he is the male. 

This twist on the original is funny and entertaining.  Seeing Rapunzel use her hair as a lasso to rescue people rather than just herself is refreshing.  She is independent. A great read for young girls.  

THE GRAVEYARD BOOK

Appelt, K., & Small, D. (2008). The underneath. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife." This is the first line of the book  that will capture your attention.  Bod, short for Nobody, is a toddler when his family is murdered.  He escapes to a graveyard where he remains for year.  The ghosts, ghouls, and other inhabitants of the graveyard become his guardians.  The reader sees the ghosts as caretakers and not the scary creatures that are usually depicted in books.  They do their best to keep Bod in the graveyard throughout the years, fearing that the murderer is still out there lurking waiting for Bod.

The setting of the graveyard shows that though Bod has guardians watching over him, he is alone in the world. He even makes up an imaginary friend to play with. As the years go by, Bod begins to crave the real world more and more. Eventually, the guardians must let go and let Bod live in the real world.

THE UNDERNEATH

Appelt, K., & Small, D. (2008). The underneath. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

As an animal lover, I had a lot trouble reading this book.  The treatment of the animals is just horrible.  Just reading the first sentence, had me grabbing my pet cat and giving her a hug. The plot is of course believable because unfortunately, animals are abused and abandoned every day.  The reader can't help but feel for these two poor lost souls who luckily found each other.  Gar fac, the mean owner doesn't have a nice bone in his  body. He is a typical bully, who grew up torturing poor animals for the thrill of it.  
When the cat has kittens, she tries her hardest to keep him underneath where it's safe. Kittens however are curious creatures and one inevitably escapes.  

GOOD MASTERS, SWEET LADIES

Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2007). Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

A story told in poem form about the life and occupations in medievil times.  The words may be hard for students to understand, but there are side bars with explanations on each page. Readers will learn about medieval times, the people, and jobs they had. Not an easy read for students. I don't see a student picking this up as a pleasure read.

Schlitz writes the story in poetry using vocabulary from medieval times.  The dialogue and vocabulary are wonderful and accurate, but may be hard for younger readers to comprehend.  This book should be read in class or discussed after each independent read.   

THE WATSONS GO TO BIRMINGHAM

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963. New York: Delacorte Press.

Kenneth lives with his family "the weird Watsons" in Flint, Michigan. Despite the nickname, they are a pretty average family.  Mom, dad, older brother, and younger sister all live together.  When Bryon, the older brother begins getting into too much trouble, the family packs up to visit their very strict grandmother in Birmingham.  The kids are then exposed to situations that will change them forever.

The Watson family is very easy to relate to. The children fight with and pick on each other, but will protect each other from outsiders.  Kenny, the middle child gets bullied both by his brother and at school.  His sister tries to protect him in one scene.  Byron, is the typical big brother who picks on his siblings and tries showing off at school, not always with good results.  He gets his tongue stuck on a mirror in one scene.
The characters go through a major change after the bombing.  They are no longer happy and fun loving, they are now worried, afraid, and even ashamed for being black. 
The setting of Birmingham and the church bombings ties in history to the book.  Readers can see and feel how children and others felt after that scary moment, such as when one of the children can't be found.

WE ARE THE SHIP

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: the story of Negro League baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.

An engaging non fiction story about Negro baseball league, the players, and their treatment.
The illustrations in this book are so engaging. They tie together with the book perfectly.

Nelson refers to "we" and "us" throughout the story.  His passion and love of the game and it's history is obvious.  It's as if he is telling his own personal stories. The reader feels as if they are there with the players as Nelson tells the story.  It is hard to believe how these players were treated and how they endured the treatment because of their love of the game.  Cramped living and traveling arrangements, segregation, name calling, are just a few examples of the horrible way they were treated.  We the reader also cheer and celebrate  with the players in the story. 

HITLER YOUTH

Bartoletti, S. C. (2005). Hitler Youth: growing up in Hitler's shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.

Once in power, Hitler began using children to spread his evil and propaganda.  "Pure" children were sent to camps to learn how to fight, shoot, dig trenches, and were taught that the elderly and disabled were useless.  Hitler gained their trust and loyalty, so much so that children would even turn their parents in to the Nazis.  
The book gives details and interviews with actual youth members.
The book is organized very well. The readers learns of why Hitler was elected, how his thirst for power created his evil plan, and then how he began recruiting and training the youth.

HOW THEY CROAKED

Bragg, G., & Malley, K. (2011). How they croaked: the awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: Walker & Co..

A book detailing the deaths of 19 famous people.  Readers will learn why Napoleon may have always put his hands inside his shirt.  Did Poe die from alcoholism or rabies? What happened to Einstein's brain?  Young readers will appreciate modern medicine after reading this book.

Bragg provides sources, index, and other information after each chapter so that readers may look up more information.

BALLOONS OVER BROADWAY

Sweet, M., & Newborn, R. (2011). Balloons over Broadway: the true story of the puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

A book that introduces the reader to Tony Sarg and the origins of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Tony was a puppeteer who was asked by Macy's to create something special for the Thanksgiving parade. After several trials, he comes up with the giant balloons that are still popular today.

Sweet's interest in this subject is obvious in her style of writing.  As a reader, you are just as eager as Sarg to see if his newest invention will work.  




Balloons Over Broadway read aloud

ROSA

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2005). Rosa. New York: Henry Holt.

A biography on civil rights activist Rosa Parks.  Parks sparked the boycott on the public transportation system in Memphis. The book tells more about Parks life than most books do.  We learn a little about her private life such as her occupation as a seamstress, she was married, and cared for her elderly mother. 

Most students only hear the story of how Rosa Parks didn't give up her seat for a white person.  This book gives the reader a more detailed account of her life, her day and the events leading up to her brave decision.

IT'S SO AMAZING

Harris, R. H., & Emberley, M. (1999). It's so amazing!: a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. Cambridge, Mass.: Candlewick Press.

A simple child friendly book discussing body parts, sex, orientation, love and other topics that are hard for parents to talk to with children.  The illustrations are comic book like yet anatomically correct.  The bird and the bee add comedy to the book.

The facts and illustrations are accurate, yet simple and child friendly. 

I don't know if I would use this in a classroom or even have in a library.  This would be a good suggestion to parents for discussing it with their children.

MAGIC WINDOWS

Garza, C. L., & Rohmer, H. (1999). Magic windows. San Francisco, Calif.: Children's Book Press.

Garza retells some of her favorite memories as a child while using her unique cut paper art illustrations.  Garza describes traditions of her Mexican culture such as Dia de los Muertos, tissue paper flower making, and tortilla making. 
Garza's style of paper cut make this book unique.  She explains the art of making them, then uses them throughout the story to accompany her story.

SPIDERS

Bishop, N. (2007). Spiders. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.

Non fiction book for young readers.  Bishop provides wonderful close up pictures of spiders building webs, caring for their eggs, catching prey, and other fascinating things.  Readers learn about habitats, life cycles, types of spiders, spider diets, and much more.

This book will be visually stimulating for readers.  The design of the book provides many close up, real life pictures to accompany the text.  Readers have never seen spiders so up close and personal.  Wonderful use of photographs.











How do they get close pictures for the book?

THIS IS NOT MY HAT

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. New York: Candlewick Press.

A small fish decided to steal a hat from a much bigger sleeping fish.  He convinces himself that he has done no wrong because the hat fits him perfectly.  The little fish swims to and hides in an area with tall, tall grass where he believes he will never be found.  He doesn't realize that the big fish is on his tail and will get his hat back.

I enjoy seeing the subtle changes in the eyes of the fish to distinguish their expressions.
This is good book to use when discussing taking things that don't belong to you.  The little fish make excuses as to why it was ok to take the hat.  Was it?  Will he get caught?





This Is Not My Hat read aloud

IT'S A BOOK

Smith, L. (2010). It's a book. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

A donkey is amazed at the simple book his friend gorilla is reading.  Does it blog....tweet....scroll? Where's your mouse? A live mouse pops out from underneath gorilla's hat.  Donkey changes a page from Treasure Island into abbreviations and emoticons. He then borrows the book, promising to charge it before he returns it.

This is a fabulous book to read to elementary students.  I think older middle school students will also see the humor in it.  In our technology obsessed world, children need to realize that simple things still exist and should be appreciated.

I must admit that I'm not comfortable with the use of the word jackass.  Donkey works just as well.  I can just imagine young students using the word all day, and phone calls from parents.  All in all though, this book is excellent for reminding kids of the simple things.



It's a Book trailer

THE THREE PIGS

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books.

A spin on the traditional three little pigs story.  The wolf huffs and puffs the pigs right off of the pages of the story.  The pigs visit other fairy tales and rhymes on their adventures and make some changes.  They return to their story with a surprise for the wolf.

The illustrations depicting the pigs falling out of the pages are excellent.  Young readers will be fascinated with the visual effects. 

MIRROR MIRROR

Singer, M. (2010). Mirror mirror. New York: Penguin Young Readers Group.

Singer takes fairy tells and writes them in poetry form.  The same poem is written twice on each page, but one is written backwards, giving the story a completely different meaning.  Red Riding Hood, Snow White, and Rapunzel are fairy tales included in this book.

The illustrations in this book are wonderful. The illustration is split on each page, so the reader can see each poem.  

This would be wonderful story to use when teaching point of view with older students.  When reading fairy tales in kindergarten, I would try to find various versions, so we could discuss the differences. This book is excellent because the differences are in the same book.

WHERE THE WILD THINGS ARE

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper & Row.

Max's mother is not happy with him. Max is sent to his room without supper.  Max decides to sail of the where the wild things are.  In this land, they make him king.  He can run around, be loud, and there are no rules to follow.  However, Max soon tires of this land and wants to return home.  When he gets home, his hot supper is waiting for him.

When I taught kindergarten, I read this story when discussing rules and their consequences. Students discussed what                                                                                            happens when we don't have rules.  In this                                                                                            story, Max enjoys life with the                                                                                                                  wild things for a while, but eventually misses                                                                                         home. 

THE LEGEND OF THE BLUEBONNET

DePaola, T. (1983). The legend of the bluebonnet: an old tale of Texas. New York: Putnam.

The Comanche people are suffering through an extreme drought.  The shaman conveys a message from the Great Spirit.  The people must each sacrifice a valuable possession to make up for destroying their land.  A young girl named She Who Is Alone is the only one who sacrifices her most prized possession, her warrior doll. She burns the doll and scatters the ashes. The next morning the land is full of beautiful blue flowers and a warm rain falls on the people. The Comanche are so grateful that they change her name to One Who Dearly Loved Her People.

I always used this story during our Texas unit. It can be used to discuss the Texas state flower and legends of the Native Americans who lived on the land.
The main characters sacrifice will demonstrate to readers that even they can make a change at a young age.  Readers also learn sacrifice for others.  

MARTINA THE BEAUTIFUL COCKROACH

Deedy, C. A. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach. New York: Peachtree Publishers, Ltd

Martina is 21 days old and ready to look for a suitor.  Her grandmother tells her about the coffee test. She must spill coffee on any potential suitor to see how they will react when angry.  Martina tries it with several suitors, with horrible results.  Then she meets Perez the mouse, who also has a Cuban grandmother, and who turns the table on Martina.

Wonderful book to read when introducing folktales.  Students can learn folk tales from other cultures.

Beautiful, full color illustrations on each page draw the reader.  The pink and yellow backgrounds make the characters pop. The illustrator also incorporates some Cuban items into the background illustrations.