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Sally Dog Little: Undercover Agent
Bill Richardsonillustrated by Celine MalepartMy Rating: 5 out of 5
Genre: Fiction/Digital Text
http://www.tumblebooks.com/library/asp/newbook_details.asp?category=New%20Books
The Littles are a normal, predictable family. Mom works at a gym and has a prized petunia garden, dad signs important papers all day, their daughter Twinkle is a good student, and they have a dog named Sally. Sally Dog rises each day, and knows exactly how to make each member of the family happy. Twinkle, the only child in the Little household, can't wait to grow up. But when Twinkle shares her “When I grow up” dreams with Sally Dog, Sally Dog gets to thinking. Sally decides she’d like to be an undercover agent, and so begins her new career. She spends breakfast spying on the secrets behind the Littles’ formal morning rituals. Her next assignment takes her to the backyard, where she discovers all kinds of secrets. Ultimately, Sally saves the day when she spies a dog catcher about to pounce on a dog, who's stalking a cat, who's staking a bird, who's stalking a worm, who is creeping along one of Mrs. Littles' pink petunias! Sally is worried the dog catcher will pounce all over the flower bead, so she lets out a few warning barks, and scares everyone off! Sally makes her way back inside the house, deciding an undercover agent is not the job for a dog.
I really enjoyed this story. I liked the predictable pattern it followed, and think students would enjoy it as well. It is a good story to get kids thinking about what they might like to do when they grow up. The digital text format, I thought, was very effective. As the narrator read the text aloud, the words were highlighted in red so the student could follow along easily. Also, I thought the illustrations with limited animation were effective. There was enough to make the story entertaining, but it wasn't too much to where it distracted from the story. I found this website on the Champaign Public Library. Tumblebooks offers many types of books and can be accessed easily.
Wayside School Gets a Little StrangerLouis Sachar Genre: Modern Fantasy/Primary
My Rating: 5 out of 5 A continuation of his original Sideways Stories from Wayside School, Wayside School Gets a Little Stranger does just that. Essentially, Wayside School was closed down due to a cow infestation and the kids were all sent to other schools. Now, 243 days later, Wayside School has reopened for business, and the kids and teachers are all reuniting. Everything is wonderfully abnormal until one teacher leaves the school to have her baby. A plethora of interesting substitutes take over Mrs. Jewls' class, and even STANGER things begin to happen!
The stories of the kids at Wayside School and their adventures are wacky and ridiculous, but just realistic enough to keep you wondering. Although I have never read any of the Wayside School series before, I found this book to be entertaining. There were a lot of characters to keep up with, and some things that you had to know before reading the book, but overall it was a fun read. I think this would make a really fun read-aloud and may be a good series to suggest to reluctant readers.
The House in the Night
Susan Marie Swansonillustrated by Beth Krommes Genre: Fiction/Illustrator Study My rating: 4 out of 5 The House in the Night tells the story of a young girl who is given a golden key to a house. The simple text continues to describe things that lie within the house, "In the house / burns a light. / In that light / rests a bed. On that bed / waits a book.” The text continues to build upon fantastical images such as a bird from the book carrying the girl through a star-lit sky and reaching its peak when the girl comes face-to-face with a grinning moon. The text then reverses itself and takes us back through the dark into the room where on the bed a book lies.
I enjoyed this story simply because of Beth Kromme's artwork. The story is simple, written in a familiar cyclic format. It is my opinion that the book's success comes from the artwork. Beth Krommes flawlessy uses her familiar scratchboard technique, using a limited palette of bold black and white with smatterings of shocking gold. Krommes’ illustrations expand on Swanson’s story, highlightiong the coziness of the home as well as the magnificent world that waits just beyond the bedroom window, in the song of a bird. My favorite illustration is one depicting the satrry dark. It covers two pages and details rolling meadows, trees, houses, barns, and cars casually motoring along the roads. I love the lack of color Krommes decided to use. In doing so, the sparse use of gold is especially effective, and adds a magical element to the night sky. I would definitely recommend this as a piece to read aloud in a kindergarten classroom.
The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish Jacqueline Briggs Martin
illustrated by Beth Krommes Genre:
Historical Fiction/Illustrator Study My Rating: 4 our of 5 The Lamp, the Ice, and the Boat Called Fish retells the true story of a1913 Canadian Arctic Expedition an a boat called Fish that became stuck in the Arctic ice. Among the people on board were Captain Bartlett and his crew, an explorer named Stefansson and accompanying scientists, a cat, forty sled dogs, Inupiaq hunters and an Inupiaq family consisting of two small girls and their parents. As the ship becomes one with the ice in the freezing Actic conditions, Stefansson and his crew leave the ship in an attempt to hunt caribou, and they never return. Captain Bartlett now becomes the leader, and together the ship's crew and Inupiaq family struggle for survival. Eight months pass, and just as things are looking bleak, they spot a ship in the distance and are rescued. This story was a very enjoyable and inspiring read. I love the details that Martin includes, such as arctic wildlife and habitat as well as about the Inupiat people themselves and think students will find them enjoyable as well. I also really liked the poetic form Martin uses to recount the tale; the language is intriguing and pulls the reader into the story. Again, illustrator Beth Kromme's scratchboard illustrations are beautifully crafted. Ice, artifacts and characters are delineated in bold black, and then muted with crosshatching and a muted palette of browns and blues. Perhaps the most endearing detail of the story is the effort to keep the cat and the dogs alive. It shows the love and compassion that is kept alive in a dire situation. The combination of art and narration create a story that make a perfect read aloud for the primary grades.
Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow
Joyce Sidmanillustrated by Beth Krommes
Genre: Nonfiction/Poetry/Illustrator Study My Rating: 5 of 5 In her book, Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow, Sidman combines poetry, riddles and prose to describe the sounds and sights of a meadow. Each poem in a creative riddle describing something commonly found in the meadow, and asks the reader to identify the poem's subject. Sidman describes everything from sunlight and dew to dragonflies and goldfinches. Sidman incorporates prose to explain the ecology and interaction of all the plants and creatures living in the meadow. Beth Krommes, the illustrator, uses rich, detailed, and vibrantly colored illustrations done in scratchboard and they are a perfect accompaniment to the text. This book is fun to read and the illustrations are absolutely breathtaking. I loved reading each poem, figuring out what secret of the meadow Sidman was writing about. This book is obviously a great accompaniment to a science lesson about ecology and habitats. Students will love opening these pages over and over again, poring over the sumptuous illustrations and beautifully crafted poems. Great for students in grades 2nd through 5th.
Nana Upstairs, Nana Downstairs
Tomie dePaola Genre: Realistic Fiction/Author Study My Rating: 5 out of 5
Drawing upon his own childhood experiences, Tomie dePaola tells the story of his grandmother and great grandmother whom he visited every Sunday afternoon. Nana Upstairs is his 94-year-old great grandmother who stays in bed upstairs, and Nana Downstairs is his grandmother who takes care of Nana Upstairs. Sunday afternoons are always the same for Tommy; running into the house saying hi to Nana Downstairs and then right up the back stairs to Nana Upstairs's room. The loving relationship between Tommy and his grandmother unfolds throughout the story, until its poignant turning point when Tommy has to deal with the death of Nana Upstairs. The book ends with Tommy as a grown up, and Nana Downstairs has died as well. Tommy is seen gazing out of the window into the night sky and thinks to himself, Now you are both Nana Upstairs. This book is perhaps one of the most memorable of my childhood. I believe this is because it was one of the first books I had ever read that talked about death, and the first time I really realized that people in my life were going to die just like people in Tommy's did. This was an impactful experience for me, and what I remember most about it was that I didn't feel scared or upset - it was just a realization. I believe that dePaola's calm and quiet approach to the topic helped me to understand the concept of death as something natural. I think that is the beauty of this book - to be able to approach the topic of death and still be able to come away from the story with a feeling of peace and comfort.
Now One Foot, Now the Other
Tomie dePaola Genre: Realistic Fiction/Author Study My Rating: 5 out of 5 Now one Foot, Now the Other tells the story of Bobby and his grandfather, Bob, who are very close. The title refers to the words Bob uses when teaching Bobby how to walk. One of their favorite activities to do together is to build a tall tower with old blocks kept upstairs in the sewing room. As they built the tower, Bobby loved to hear the story of how his grandfather taught him how to walk. One day, Bobby comes home to find his grandfather isn't there. His parents tell him he has had a stroke and is in the hospital. Bobby was upset and depressed for months. Finally, Bob comes home from the hospital, but he is not the same grandfather Bobby remembers and he becomes scared of him. Eventually, Bobby becomes less frightened of Bob and begins to bring the blocks into the room and built the tower for Bob. Little by little, Bob begins to recover from the stroke, ultimately ending with Bobby teaching his grandfather how to walk saying, "OK Bob. Now one foot. Now the other foot." I love this story. I think it dePaola does an exceptional job writing a sensitive story which provides an understanding portrayal of a common illness many grandparents experience, that proves difficult for children to comprehend. It is a heart-warming story of the power of love and encouragement. In an author's note, dePaola explains that this story was inspired from actual events in his childhood, providing an even greater truth and depth to his words.
26 Fairmount AvenueTomie dePaola Genre: Autobiograohy/Author Study My Rating: 5 out of 5 26 Fairmount Avenue is a departure from Tomie dePaola's usual picture books as it is his first chapter book. Tomie dePaola says that for a long time, he avoided the task of writing a chapter book becaase the task seemed too daunting. However, after many letters from fans combined with a suggestion from his assistant to write about his childhood, dePaola took on the task, thus resulting in 26 Fairmount Avenue. The book begins in the year 1938, and the reader finds out that Tomie and his family are waiting for their house on 28 Fairmount Avenue to finish being built. Over ther year, many things happen to Tomie and his family: a hurricane, flooding, Tomie's first day of school, and a funny experience at the movies as Tomie watches his favorite illustrator, Walt Disney's, first full length film, Snow White. The stories are humorous, heart-warming, and classically Tomie dePaola.
As a long-time fan of Tomie dePaola's picture books, I was unsure how well I would receive his forst chapter book. However, I was pleasantly surprised. I really enjoyed the autobiographical account of this year in dePaola's life. It is simply told in a conversational tone, and characters from his picture books make appearances that readers will appreciate. dePaola was able to translate the charm and simplicity of his picture books into an easy read chapter book that fans will certainly apreciate. I would recommend this book for 3rd through 5th grades, especially in conjunction with a lesson about writing autobiographies, or writing from personal experience and memory.
The War on Terrorism:
Combating the Global Terrorist ThreatThomas StreissguthGenre: Nonfiction/Informational TextMy Rating: 4 out of 5
The American War Library is a compilation of books that offer juvenile readers an inside look into the victories and tragedies of America's wars. This book, Combating the Global Terrorist Threat, is one of a multi-volume set entitled, The War on Terror. It describes the U.S. strategy for dealing with countries that provide support or a safe harbor for terrorist groups. It begins with a foreword which explains how America is a nation forged by war and leads into an introduction that opens with a recounting of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001. The book includes information about counterterroism, allies, the targeting of sponsor states, the preemptive war on Iraq and the Missions of al-Qaeda. The book is illustrated with photpgraphic images which provide the reader with more detailed information about just how the United States is combating terrorism.It is amazing to me that we have been at war now for eight years. It is hard to say I enjoyed reading this book, but I did appreciate the amount of information presented. I belive that this war is the hardest one to explain to students, and literature is a great resource to use for understanding. I think this book, together with the rest of books in the War on Terrorism series, provide a detailed, accurate account of the war America is currently involved in, and is a great resource to provide to students who have questions about it. I would recommend this book for students in grades 8-12.
In Their Own Words: Paul Revere
George Sullivan
Genre: Nonfiction/Informational Text/BiographyMy Rating: 4 out of 5
Sullivan brings to life the legendary story of the "midnight ride of Paul Revere". The biography also reveals Revere's activity in many of the events which ultimately lead to the Revolutionary War. We learn that Revere, among other interesting things, was a famous artist, was at the Boston Tea Party, was a member of the Sons of Liberty, had sixteen children and designed and made money. The biography also includes information on other historical figures of the time, such as John Hancock and Sam Adams and even includes historic prints, maps, photos, a chronology of events and even a bibliography for further reading.
I actually enjoyed reading this biography of Paul Revere. When it comes to reading about history, I am somewhat of a reluctant reader. However, this book was able to hold my attention becuase of the incorporation of Revere's own drawings, writings and photos. The author took only the most interesting and important information from the life of Paul Revere to incorporate into this novel. For a reader looking for a detailed, flowing narrative about Paul Revere, this book would surely fall short. However, I would reccommend it for reluctant readers who just need to know the most basic information.
Thoreau at Walden
John Porcellino
from the writings of Henry David Thoreau
Genre: Non-Fiction/Biography - Graphic Version
My Rating: 5 out of 5
John Porcellino uses the writings of Henry David Thoreau to tell the story of his two years spent in Walden. For the reader who is not familiar with Thoreau and the background of Walden; or, Life in the Woods, Porcellino includes an introduction which summarizes the motivation and inspiration behind Thoreau's decision to live a solitary life in the woods resulting from struggling with what he wanted to do with his life after college graduation. Porcellino uses only Thoreau's words in the book, but pares them down in order to create a graphic representation of the novel. The drawings are simple, cartoon depictions of Thoreau's words, thoughts and ideas.
I enjoyed this version of Walden for several reasons. First, I enjoyed how Porcellino takes the underlying concept of Thoreau's work (living life as simply as possible) and mirrors it with the simplicity of the book. The lack of words actually allow the reader to focus on the most reflective ideas. I also enjoyed this book becuase its simplicity makes it accessable to students of varying reading levels. Walden is one of the most influential and important pieces of American Literature, teaching the reader that simplification is the key to true success. Being able to introduce students to his work at an early age through the use of a graphic novel is fanstastic. I would recommend this book for students in grades 3-5.
