Poetry- Look! A Book!

Look! A Book! 

Bob Staake

Hatchet Book Group Inc.: 2011

ISBN: 978-0-31611862-0

This book just popped off the page. I was looking for one last book on poetry and I found this little gem. Not only does the whole book rhyme with some great poems for kids to read, but the cover rhymes too! It was a book that I had to blog about this week. As the reader turns the page, there are things to find in all of the pictures. See the picture above? All of the pictures are just as detailed. In this book, you need to find all of the objects. Can you find them all? Read this book to find out!

I would give this story an eight out of ten. While the concept of the book is really interesting, there is so much going on in each picture. That is the whole fun of the book though! All of the pages have items that you need to find in the book. Why do I say it is a book with poetry in it? Because on each page, there are rhymes about all of the objects you see. Each page has a clever poem that introduces the next page, It is interactive as well. All of the pages have holes in them so the reader can see what is on the next page. While I liked the book, I just found the pictures to be too distracting. This is a great book for a child to read on their own and discover their true love for reading! 

Poetry- The Runaway Dinner

The Runaway Dinner

Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman 

Candlewick Press-2006

ISBN: 076363142-6

I decided for my next story I wanted to pick one that was contemporary for a children filled with poetry. This story, by Allan Ahlberg and Bruce Ingman, is a witty story about how dinner leaves the plate! Banjo Cannon, a hungry boy ready for dinner, is about to eat his plate of dinner when it runs away! He tries to catch it, but all of his food is running too fast! Will he ever catch it? Find out by reading The Runaway Dinner! 

I would give this book a 10 out of 10! It was such a cute read and a funny story for children to be hooked on to. The book is very wide, which allows the running of vegetables to look really realistic. The colors in this book are vibrant and really draw attention to the children reading the story. There are so many jokes in the story even I was laughing. This is a Danielle MUST read and you should definitely buy this book at a library near you! 

Poetry- A Giraffe and A Half

Giraffe and a Half

Shel Silverstein 

Evil Eye Music: 1964

ISBN: 0-06-025655-9

When I was picking poetry-children's books, I felt that it was imperative to pick an author that specializes in this genre. Shel Silverstein was an author that I remember learning about as a little girl. It brought back memories when I was reading this story! In this story, a giraffe and a little boy discover what happens to a giraffe when little things get in the way. How will the giraffe combat all of these different obstacles? Read this cute book of poems!

My overall rating on this book was a 7 out of ten. I think that even though the poems made no sense, it is a poem that would make children laugh. The way it was written reminded me of Doctor Suess books because of its rhythm. The pictures are just in black and white, but this is the author's style. The drawings have a lot of character, but I do wish that there was more color on each page to make the giraffe pop. I would suggest having the whole story in black and white and then the giraffe in color. It would make the story more interesting. I still feel that this story is a classic and is a must read for children! 

Historical Fiction- Little Women

Little Women 

Louisa May Alcott 

Hesperus Press: (Reprint 2014)

ISBN:1843915103

Little Women is such a classic that so many people read during the Holidays. Last year, DeSales University's Act 1 productions did the musical and it inspired me to read this book for the blogs this week. In Little Women, the four women grow up in a time of war, where there father is not home and their mother, Marmee, takes care of the children. The book starts with their Christmas without father. Jo loved to write operas and short stories and all of the girls loved to perform in these stories. Amy, Beth, Jo, and Meg all grew up with different obstacles and many obstacles that all girls face. Meg met the love of her life at a ball and Jo was always contemplating how to get her books published. Will she ever get a good story published in New York City? Find out and read Little Women in the upcoming holidays.

I would give this book a nine out of ten because it is a unique book to read about living in New England during the outbreak of the Civil War. These girls did not have much, but an important thing they learned is the love they have for each other. One of my favorite moments in the book is learning about when Beth is gravely sick with scarlet fever. You could tell from the story how it affected all of the sisters, especially Jo. Jo is such an inspiring character and to me, is a symbol of women's rights and ambition. Please read Little Women if you need a book to warm your heart and to teach you a little about life during this troubling time in New England. 

Historical Fiction- Ties That Bind, Ties That Break

Ties That Bind, Ties That Break 

Lensey Namioka 

I wanted to do different Historical Fiction books this week and this book stood out on the shelf. Not only was the title captivating enough, the story itself opened my eyes to the cultural differences in China and in America. In Ties that Bind, Ties That Break by Lensey Namioka, Tao Ailin is born in a time that China is in a terrible bind. She was arranged to marry a boy named Hanwei at a young age, but when she is about to get married, she is instructed to get her feet bound before marriage. In time of western revolution, she decides to not get her feet bound. With this, their marriage is broken off and she is taking the risk of not getting married. Will she ever get married with not getting her feet bound? Find out by reading Ties that Bind, Ties that Break!

I would give this book an eight out of ten. This book is a quick read, but has a long start. It has to explain a lot about Chinese culture and for someone that did not grow up with that, I had a little trouble. I will say that subtly it talks about women's rights and rights for independence. In the end, she walks the streets of San Francisco and she talks about how she feels accepted in the Western Society. When reading this, this moment left a last impression on me. For Historical Fiction, this book was very suspenseful. All of the traumatic events that happened to Ailin left me on the edge of my seat. I was shocked when the marriage was broken up. Please read this book to really understand China in 1911 and what she went through to get to America. 

Historical Fiction: To Kill a Mockingbird

To Kill a Mockingbird

By: Harper Lee 

Grand Central Publishing: 1988

ISBN: 0446310786

It is really funny to think that my great aunt played Ms. Dubose in the famous movie that came out in 1962 with Gregory Peck! I read To Kill a Mockingbird in eighth grade and then I recently read this book again and it was interesting to see what I have picked up the second time I read it. In a very general sense, this book is about Atticus Finch's two little children, Scout and Jean. who become friends with Dill. The children decide to fantasize about Boo Radley and they wonder what he really looks like. Most importantly, Atticus Finch is a lawyer who has agreed to help Tom Robinson, an African American, in his trial. Will the town ever have respect for Atticus again? Will Tom Robinson win his case? And will the children ever see Boo Radley? Find out by reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee! 

I would rate this book a ten out of ten because it makes such an impact on young readers and adults. This book in my eyes is such a classic and has such an amazing message. When I read this book, I really feel like I am living in this fictional town of Marycomb County, Alabama. I believe Historical fiction is supposed to show readers what it is like to live in that time and send a message on how to live life. I feel after reading this book again, we can see how we have come so far towards equality and how far we have come to support lawyers. Lawyers should be entitled to help any client because under the law, anyone is innocent until proven guilty. A great book for eighth graders and a memorable book to read again. Please find this book at your local library! 

Informational Text- How Animals Behave

How Animals Behave 

National Geographic 

National Geographic Society: 1984

This Informational Text was different from all other Informational Texts that I have read this week. It was more about sharing the information rather than being creative about teaching young children about animals. In this book from National Geographic, children learn about a bunch of different animals from all around the world and talked about how they eat, protect themselves, and take care of their young. A child who is interested in animals should definitely read this book. 

This book I would give a seven out of ten because it has the beautiful pictures taken by National Geographic while also being informational through the text. This read is definitely not for a young audiences like the other choices. This book would be a better read for fourth or fifth graders because half the page is text and the other half is pictures. This book is also one hundred pages long. That means any young child would loose the attention span and would not be able to get through the text. The book also uses high frequency words and uses words that are specific to certain animals. The child has to have good comprehension skills to read this book on their own. While there are many interesting stories such as stories about Jane Goodall's journey in the wild, this informational text is all over the map with information. This book is really using basic concepts about animals that are interesting for young children to read about. My suggestion for any teacher would be to pick out different animals that have interesting stories, scan them, and give a packet to each child. This will allow you to evaluate the students and see if it is too much for a young child to handle. I would suggest having this book in your library for the beautiful National Geographic Pictures! Find this book in the DeSales Library! 

Informational Text- Ape

Ape 

By: Martin Jenkins 

Illustrated By: Vicky White 

Candlewick Press: 2007

ISBN: 978-0-7636-3471-1

This book is a good choice to borrow at the library because this book is 20 dollars on Amazon! This would be a book that I feel is a good choice to read to little kids because it would be considered authentic literature. This book, Ape, is a story about the different apes that are rare in the wild. There are many pictures in this book, but the last Ape has no picture. Who could it be? Please read this book to your child to find out more details!

I would rate this book a six out of ten. Luckily, if you are reading this post as a young teacher, you are in the clear. I would suggest not showing this book to young children at school. Why? Because the book has subtle hints towards pro-evolution. While some schools might allow this material in the classroom, many schools condemn the use of material suggesting pro-evolution concepts. This book talks about how we came from apes at a young age. This book is for really young readers and concepts like this are hard to just put in a children's book. What  I will say is that the book has beautiful pictures and gives interesting facts about the different apes. If reading this book in your classroom is a problem, I would suggest leaving out the last two pages. They are not needed in order for the story to make sense. It is definitely a different-styled informational text for young readers and it is up to you if you feel it is appropriate in your library. Pick this book up at the DeSales Library! 

Informational Text- Leopard Frogs

Leopard Frogs 

Doug Wechsler 

PowerKids Press: 2002

ISBN: 0-8239-5856-6

My goal for this week is to evaluate Informational Texts from the DeSales University Library so that way any aspiring teachers in the area can use these books for their classrooms. As I was gazing through the curriculum section in the library, I noticed this book for young easy readers. In this book, the young reader will learn more about leopard frogs, their habitat, their tactics in the wild, their mating habits, and much more. I am no expert on depicting age ranges for these books, but I would say this is a fantastic book for third graders. I would suggest this book to any young child who is interested in wildlife. 

This book I would say is good for young easy readers because the words are not of high frequency and the book is built into chapter format. This book has a new concept on each page about leopard frogs and supplies a bunch of pictures for a young readers to enjoy. It is not too much information for a young child, but leaves them hanging wanting to know more. On the last page, it gives websites for children to look at for more information. I would say that this book is a great tool for kids to get engaged to learn more. With all of this in mind, I would give this book a nine out of ten for informational text and would suggest this book to any aspiring third grade teachers. Find this book in the DeSales Library!