100 Most Dangerous Things on the Planet

100 Most Dangerous Things on the Planet
Written by: Anna Claybourne

I found this book to be seriously awesome.  I purchased it for my future classroom library from a scholastic book order a month or two ago.  When I saw it in the book order I figured that kids would really take a liking to it.  There's an element of 'gross' and 'wow' to it that I know kids tend to appeal to.  However, I didn't know that I would have the same reaction to it.  There were things I read about in this book that I had not been aware of previously.  For example:

-The survival rating for people being swept over a waterfall is only 20%.  Also, in 1960, a 7-year-old boy miraculously survived being swept over one of the world's most powerful waterfalls, Niagara Falls.  He was wearing a life vest and was rescued from the plunge pool by a tour boat.    

This book is full of neat facts similar to the one mentioned above.  There are also survival guides on each of the 100 dangerous things.  Some of these dangerous things you might encounter are: an elephant charging you, a sinking ship, a broken power line, asteroid strike, sand storm, or a pack of wolves.  There are unique and rare events as well as common events mentioned in the book.  I think it's important for everyone to know what to do if they are found in a dangerous situation.  I believe this book would fascinate students and really hold their attention.  It may also help a reluctant reader find the motivation and desire to pick up the book.

The Rabbit and the Turtle

The Rabbit and the Turtle
Aesop's fables retold and illustrated by Eric Carle

Carle's illustrations shine throughout the pages of this book.  They are quite unique (take a look at the picture on the left <--) and really help set up a fun and light atmosphere.  This book is filled with fables that students may or may not heard before.  Some of the fables included in this book are: The Cat and the Mouse, The Rabbit and the Turtle, and The Wolf and the Dog.  The visuals do a nice job of aiding the written text.

I would recommend this book to individuals of all ages: children and adults alike.  Carle's retelling of these fables help put a modern day twist on Aesop's version.  I could definitely see myself using this book in a classroom as a read aloud.

Miss Fox's Class Earns a Field Trip

Miss Fox's Class Earns a Field
Written by: Eileen Spinelli
Illustrated by: Anne Kennedy

Miss Fox's class is trying to earn money for a field trip!  Little did they know that $135 dollars would be difficult to earn.  Along their way to make money they end up having to pay for things that go wrong (someone chipped a tooth, they accidentally break a gnome).  Eventually they end up making enough money in order to go on a class field trip, regardless of all their depts. 

While I was reading this all I could think was... this would make for such a great math lesson on adding and subtracting!  And indeed it would.  This book would be a good way to stretch reading across the curriculum.  Reading seems to go well with other subjects, such as Science, Art, or Writing; however, one often doesn't think of Math and Reading.  Throughout the book, scenarios are set up where the reader has the opportunity to figure out a math problem.  It would fun to create a worksheet that coordinates with this book -- this may also increase the students' interest in the book and perhaps the subject of Math!  I would consider using this book in a classroom where subtraction, addition, and story problems are already incorporated into the curriculum. (Perhaps a 1st or 2nd grade classroom). 

Honey, I Love

Honey, I Love
Written by: Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by: Jan Spivey Gilchist

Honey, I Love is thee only poetry book I checked out from the curriculum lab that had a continuous flow from one page to the next.  It literally was a story book as well as a poetry book.  One unique trait that author Greenfield incorporated into this book is his lack of ending punctuation marks.  The only ending punctuation mark that appears throughout the entire book is at the very end, on the last page, after the very last word.  Perhaps this why the book reads so smoothly from page to page.

The book has its recommended audience being children between the ages of 2 and 5.  I agree with this age range due to the book's simple language and plot.  I believe that this story could be utilized as a read out loud in a Kindergarten (and perhaps, first grade) classroom.  However, I feel as though it would be more appropriate for a parent to read this book to their child at a younger age.

Brothers & Sisters: Family Poems

Brothers & Sisters: Family Poems
Written by: Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by: Jan Spivey Gilchrist

This poetry book would be a wonderful addition to a family and/or friendship unit.  The poems touch upon moments that occur between two sisters, two brothers, and between one brother and one sister.  Some of these include: Wrestling, New Sibling, Twin, Mad at Dad, Teen Brother, etc.  I assume that most of these topics could relate to my future students in some way or another.  By allowing students to experience connections with books, they are practicing and experiencing a reading strategy!      

In addition, diversity in gender, age, and ethnicity are shown throughout the pages of the book.  This gives students the opportunity to see a variety of family structures and dynamics, which may or may not be similar to their own.  I would recommend this book to students between the ages of 5 and 9, and I would also recommend this book to teachers and parents of younger students.  

Toad by the Road

Toad by the Road
Written by: Joanne Ryder
Illustrated by: Maggie Kneen

Toad by the Road discusses a year in the life of a toad.  An aspect of this book that I really enjoyed was the fact that the table of contents was split into 4 seasons.  One would normally think: Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter.  However, Ryder breaks the life of a toad into four seasons known as 1) Spring-Summer, 2) Summer, 3) Late Summer-Fall, and 4) Winter-Spring.  As you can see, the life of a toad is different that ours by just looking at how their year is broken up.  One can also notice that Summer seems to be a popular and perhaps busy month for a toad.

The author does a nice job of incorporating all types of poetry styles into her book.  Rhyming, repetition, alliteration, patterns, etc. are all displayed throughout the pages.  I would recommend this book of poetry to students in 2nd grade or younger.  This could easily be used in a science class as a supplement to a amphibian unit.

Rain Romp

Rain Romp
Written by: Jane Kurtz
Illustrated by: Dyanna Wolcott

Rain Romp is a colorful book of poems for children 3 years of age and older.  One of my favorite characteristics of this book was it's unique way of writing poetry on a page.  Some of the poems within the story are written in a way that is typical of poetry.  Others are written diagonally, curvy, or in different fonts scattered amongst the pages.  Another aspect I enjoyed was the author's way of making the poetry have a rhythm without using rhymes.  I was able to read the entire book in a smooth steady pattern without getting caught up with rhyming words.

In addition the illustrator, Wolcott, does a nice job of aiding the written text with her illustrations.  The illustrations are page filling and extremely colorful.  The colors are somewhat pastel in appearance and this gives the book a pleasant, soft feeling.  I would recommend this book to students to read in their individual reading time as well as group-reading (perhaps in a literature group).  This book is aimed toward younger students, however, I feel as though students in middle elementary could definitely benefit from it by studying the unique way poetry is written throughout this book.

I Can Draw a Weeposaur and Other Dinosaurs

I Can Draw a Weeposaur and Other Dinosaurs
Written by: Eloise Greenfield
Illustrated by: Jan Spivey Gilchrist

This book is recommended for children ages 4+.  I would cap the '+' on the age of 7.  The reason for this is because I read this book to my second grade buddy and she struggled to keep her interest in this story.  I Can Draw a Weeposaur and Other Dinosaurs is a poem book that lists short poems (4-5 sentences in length) about different make-believe dinosaurs... such as: shoppersaurus, trickosaurus, and smellasaurus.  I appreciated the creativeness the author and illustrator used throughout making this book.

I believe this book would be a good way to start a poetry unit with in a younger elementary grade because the poems are simple yet creative.  However, I do have one caution: all the poetry presented in this book rhyme.  I believe that it is almost 'stereotypical' for one to think that a poem has to rhyme.  If I do decide to use this book in the future I will want to make sure that I make a point to the class that poetry doesn't have to rhyme.  In order to help prove this, I would read un-rhyming poetry to the class perhaps from another book.

Atlantic

Atlantic
By: G. Brian Karas

All I could think of while I read this story was this:  This would be a perfect book to use when my students are learning about the Atlantic ocean!  Indeed, it would be a great book to use :)

The book takes the perspective of the Atlantic ocean.  The ocean talks about its relatives the Pacific, Indian, Arctic and Antarctic and how its water travels from continent to continent.  Many other useful and important information is given to the reader through the eyes of the Atlantic ocean.  By doing this children may be able better comprehend the information given.  This book is recommended for students between the ages of 4 and 8.  I agree with the age range, however, I may push the max. age to 10.  I can definitely imagine teachers using this book in their classrooms when discussing oceans.  Even if students are familiar with the Atlantic ocean, a refresher picture book is always a fun option.  Furthermore, the illustrations within the book are fabulous.  They are very colorful, page filling, and cartoon-like.  They definitely grab the reader's attention and will help student engagement.  Always a plus!

Cat, You Better Come Home

Cat, You Better Come Home
By: Garrison Keillor
Paintings by: Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher

I was constantly thrown off guard while reading this story because everything that happened was very unexpected.  I feel as though there is a very strong underlying message in this story direct toward those who feel as though they must be in the spot light at all times.  This message, however, is hidden beneath cat characters.  Yes, literally the pet cat you all are thinking about.  The author creatively uses cats as main characters rather than humans, and by doing this Keillor is able to sugar coat the theme... make it a little softer and hidden.

I feel as though this book would be well-suited for children in 3rd-6th grade.  The language is a little complex and it may take some experience to understand what the underlying theme of the story is.  In fact, speaking of complex language, there were a handful of times when I simply had to sound out a word or, if the word was a name, acknowledge it and then skip it all together.  Due to this tougher language, this book may prove to be beneficial to use for a vocabulary lesson.

In conclusion I enjoyed this picture book because it is unlike any other book that I have read thus far.  It is written with a rhyming scheme and flows like a poem.  The illustrations are page-filling and rather dark.  I recommend reading this book :)

Pearl's New Skates

Pearl's New Skates
By:  Holly Keller

I feel that this students would have an easy time relating to this story.  Being able to make connections to a story helps readers stay more engaged with the text while reading and also helps improve their comprehension. Due to this, I would definitely place this book in my classroom library.  I can actually seeing this book being very useful to use when teaching reading strategies.  The teacher could read the book aloud to students and then ask about any connections to the story that they might have... have they had to work really hard in order to learn a new skill?  Have they ever wanted to give up on something before?  Has a grown-up ever helped you out?  All of these questions, and many more, can be useful to ask after reading this book.

This book is recommend for students of 4+.  I agree with 4 being at the bottom age range, however, I would put a limit on the "+" to 11.  This story may be easy to relate to however the language is somewhat simple and students above 11 years old may find it to be boring.  

Something Beautiful

Something Beautiful
Written by: Sharon Dennis Wyeth
Illustrated by: Chris K. Soentpiet

This a very sweet story about a young girl that lives in a place that is not "beautiful".  The streets are filled with garbage and the letters "D-I-E" are sprayed painted across her front door.  The pages of this book are filled with words and colorful illustrations that takes the reader on an adventure with the young girl to find something beautiful.

I would recommend this book to my students as a individual read and I would also consider reading this book aloud to the class.  I feel that this story could easily be placed on a 1st-4th grade classroom shelf.  The words are rather simple, however, the passages on the pages are sometimes rather lengthy.  Therefore this may book may appeal to an wide array of students.

The illustrations within the book are page-filling and quite detailed, and they do an excellent job of capturing the reader's attention.  I found this story to be a rather quick read, and this characteristic of the book may prove to be beneficial to students who are reluctant to read.

Grandfather's Journey

Grandfather's Journey
By: Allen Say

Grandfather's Journey is an award-winning and very sweet story about a Japanese man who immigrated to America, more specifically to the San Francisco Bay, Ca area.  The story takes you through his journey across the ocean and through the lands of America and then back to Japan again.  Whenever Grandfather is one location (Japan or America) he begins to miss the other.

This book would make for an excellent story to read aloud to a class during the study of Japanese-Americans.  Japanese culture is strongly prevalent throughout the book and the illustrations help aid the story.  I would recommend this book to my students and place it in my classroom library.  I feel that students in grades 3-6 would find this book most useful/meaningful.  Students in 2nd may be able to read this story however they may not comprehend the meaning behind the written word.

Overall I really enjoyed reading this book.  I feel that I will actually be able to use this book in my future classroom.  It's a cool feeling when you know that you discovered something really "good".  :)  The author, Allen Say, writes a hand-full of books that focus on Japanese-Americans.  Great topic to incorporate into your social studies class.    

Chrysanthemum

Chrysanthemum
By: Kevin Henkes

I was originally read this book to by my Block A teacher.  I hadn't read any of Kevin Henkes work before this, however, after I heard this story I decided to focus my author study on him.  He writes a bunch of different books that range in topic and age appropriateness.  Out of all 5 books I blogged about, this is my favorite.  The main character, Chrysanthemum, is well developed.  Her story is easily relatable to and one can easily put themselves in her shoes.

I would recommend this to all my students.  In fact, I would highly consider reading this book a loud to my students.  The main message of the story is an important one to share, and all students should be exposed to it:  Be happy with who you are and what you have been given.  You are unique and special.  

A writing prompt could easily be pulled from this book... write a passage in your Writer's Notebook about your name.  Do you like your name?  What do you know about your name?  Do you know where it came from?  Etc.  My Block A teacher this semester used the above prompts on our class and it was quite affective.        

Owen's Marshmallow Chick

Owen's Marshmallow Chick
By: Kevin Henkes

This book is intended for children 2 to 3 years old.  The language of the book is simple, and I feel that children over the age of 3 may be unchallenged by this book and find it to be boring.  The plot of the story is almost inexistent.  Perhaps inexistent isn't the correct word... a story-line does take place, however, it's rather simple and very unexciting.

I more than likely wouldn't offer this book in my classroom for 2 different reasons:  1.  It has a religious element to it (it mentions the Christian holiday Easter) and 2.  It's simple language would more than likely not be something my students would find interesting.  The only way I may have this book as a option in my classroom is if some students really struggle with reading and need a simpler book to read (I can see this being a possibly in a Kindergarden classroom).  

Julius, The Baby of the World

Julius, The Baby of the World
Written and Illustrated by: Kevin Henkes


This story's recommend audience is 4+.  I agree with the "+"!  I am 21 (almost 22) years old and I found this book enjoyable.  I am assuming that most students would find this book interesting; however, any student with a sibling may find this book reeeaally interesting, funny, and relatable.  Julius is the new baby in the family.  Lilly is his older sister and she wants nothing to do with Julius.  In fact, she thought that, 


           ".....his wet pink nose was slimy.  She thought his small black eyes were beady.  And she thought his sweet white fur was no so sweet... 'Disgusting',  said Lilly."


Lilly does some 'not so nice' things to her newborn baby brother.  Fortunately, as the book goes on something happens that changes Lilly's mind about Julius.  


I think this would be a great book to read in a K-2 grade classroom.  Often times during these grade levels students are experiencing the change of having a new sibling.  This book may be a good way to open up the topic of new siblings with your students.  During the discussion students may chose to express feelings that they have experienced.  This can help build classroom community!

Circle Dogs

Circle Dogs
Written by: Kevin Henkes
Illustrated by: Dan Yaccarino


This book would be useful in a Preschool-1st grade classroom.  Throughout the pages of the book the main focus is shapes... from circle dogs to square houses.  Although the recommended audience is 2+, I would put a limit on the "+".  I wouldn't read this book to students past 1st grade.  The language is quite simple and I had a difficult time not getting overly bored while reading.


The illustrations are rather cute and really help aid the words of the story nicely.  This may be beneficial to the reader because some of the language is a little abstract (for example: Now circle dogs have triangle ears).  The book takes the reader throughout almost two full days in the life of a circle dog.  They have very similar lives to a pet dog one may think of now-a-days, however, there are some differences.


This book would be a great way to introduce shapes in the classroom.  The plot is relatable and because of this students may be able to make connections with the story.  Furthermore, the author asks the reader questions throughout the story.  These questions may help draw the attention of the audience and further their interest in the story.      

And Tango Makes Three

And Tango Makes Three
Written by: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell
Illustrated by: Henry Cole


Due to the fact that many of my classmates blogged about this particular book, I also chose to read this as my last controversial book blog.  I absolutely loved this book.  I personally enjoyed the two authors' choice of characters.  Using animals as a way to model a homosexual relationship and family is such a creative idea.  In my opinion this somewhat softens the topic.  I can definitely see why this book would be considered controversial in many peoples' eyes.  The subject of homosexuality is such a controversial issue in itself.... throwing a picture book on the topic made for children's eyes can only add fuel to the fire.  Using animals as the characters within the story makes homosexuality seem natural, it's innate.  Some people believe this to be true, however, others have very strong feelings and beliefs on that opposite end of that spectrum.  To spice up the authors' belief of innate homosexuality they chose to inform their audience that the story they just read, And Tango Makes Three, is in fact quite true... in fact! you can go see Tango and his fathers at the Central Park Zoo.  Anyone who believes that homosexuals choose their sexuality would more than likely be appalled by this book and instantly begin criticizing it.  I personally find this book to have the potential to be a very good way to discuss homosexuality with my students (if appropriate) and definitely with my children someday.  

So Happy!

So Happy!
Written by: Kevin Henkes
Pictures by: Anita Lobel


This book is one of five books that I am reading as part of my author study.  The audience for this book is recommended to be 2+.  Although the book uses simple language, it's not "insultingly simple" or "boring" and the illustrations really help aid the story.  There are three main characters in the story: 1) a magic seed, 2) a boy, and 3) a rabbit.  Although these characters never really know one another, the book takes the reader on an adventure that affects each character differently.  In the end each character is happy with the outcome it had been handed. 

I really enjoyed the simplicity of the story.  It was short, simple, and sweet.  As I was reading this story, future lesson plan involving this book kept popping up in my mind.  I could see myself using this story as a predicting/inferring lesson.  There were many points in the story were I could stop the story and say "Ok!  Now... what do you think is going to happen to the seed?" (or to the boy, or to the rabbit).             

The Book That Eats People

The Book That Eats People
Written by: John Perry
Illustrated by: Mark Fearling


So I independently labeled this book controversial.  Perhaps it was because I was sitting alone, at night, in an empty, cold bedroom while this book mentioned its desire to eat me.  Cheesy sounding, right?  Regardless I was super creeped out and because of that elementary students may be as well.  I may have had a different response to this particular book if I had been reading it in a different setting, however, I wasn't and I didn't.  I would hate for any student to refuse to read because they were afraid their book was going to literally eat them.  Okay, okay, I know it sounds ridiculous but the author and illustrator did a fantastically creepy job when creating this book.  The words are chilling in certain spots...


"So the book -- this book -- went SNAP!  And took a bite!  Ant then another and another.  Sammy squirmed and wriggled.  Sammy squealed and yelled.  Sammy pulled as hard as he could, but the book ate him.  The it coughed up his bones and they clattered across the floor like wooden blocks.  That was the first person this book ate."


Very detailed!  (... and rather humorous sounding now that I typed it out).  This book definitely can be taken light heartedly and more like will be seen as very funny by most.  HOWEVER, I can't help but think the worse... some kindergartner having nightmares and refusing to open another book again.  Eh, who knows :)  But there's always that chance!