Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child

Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child
There are so many enjoyable elements to this book! First, the visuals really stand out in this story. They are colorful and really creative. There are different sized texts on various pages, sometimes they're in cursive, and sometimes they are different sizes. It really adds personality and emotion to the story. I like the different twists about the "big bad wolves" from various fairytales. These two different wolves "come alive" from Herb's, the main character, and he has to cleverly figure out a way to get them back to their home, in the storybook. Although I felt that this story was somewhat sporadic with all the characters in unconventional roles, I thought it was a humorous and fun story to share with kids.

Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas

Saying Goodbye to Lulu by Corinne Demas and illustrated by Ard Hoyt
I admit it. This book did bring tears to my eyes. It definitely reminded me of the many memories I have with the dogs that I grew up with as a kid. Just the title suggests what the story is about. It mainly focuses on how this young girl deals with saying goodbye to her dog, essentially dealing with death. I thought it was well-written and appropriate because a lot of times children's first experience with death is with a pet. The young girl talked about how Lulu started to move really slow, losing her vision, and just sleeping all day. The girl wasn't surprised at the death of Lulu but sad nonetheless. It talked about how it was ok to be sad and cry over Lulu. The mother in the story suggested that they plant something where Lulu was buried to celebrate the memory of her. The story also deals with getting a new pet and how bittersweet it can be. I think books that deal with subjects like this are valuable to open up discussions about life and death with young children; but not in an overwhelming and scary way.

Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah da Costa

Snow in Jerusalem by Deborah da Costa and illustrated by Cornelius Van Wright and Ying-Hwa Hu
I really enjoyed this book mostly for the cultural perspective and symbolic storyline. The story takes place in Jerusalem, which is divided into different sections such as the Muslim, Jewish, Christian, and Armenian section. There are two boys from two different religous backgrounds who are unknowingly taking care of the same cat. One boy decides he is going to follow the cat to see where it goes. He stumbles upon another young boy in a different section of town who is feeding the cat. Neither boy is happy about each other and argue who the cat belongs to. On a more kid-friendly level, this book represents conflict in a place that is known for its' historic battles over religion and territory. I thought it was interesting that the author did use this city to demonstrate conflict; but also placed value on the resolution of the problem. The boys found out that the cat they have been taking care of had kittens and they eventually decided to share them. Each boy took home two kittens and decided to share the mother cat. Also another event that helps lead to the peaceful resolution is the fact that it snows in Jerusalem. The boys embraced that unusual event and named the white cat, Snow (white-the color of peace). I also thought the illustrations were very well done with water colors. I was able to still tell the details of the buildings, people, and other distinct cultural difference. I liked how the author incorporated some authentic Arab and Hebrew words in the story. It can give readers a small amount of new vocabulary from a new language. The author's note in the back of the book was also a significant piece of information that can be valuable to the reader. It gives just a little taste of the background and what life is like for some in this Center of the Universe it is sometimes called!

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo

The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane by Kate DiCamillo
I thought this was another heartfelt tale by Kate DiCamillo. Like in her previous book I read of hers, the characters seem to come full circle in the story. The story begins with an aloof Edward who's owner loves him dearly during her childhood, to the end where he finally experiences love and loss through his life and his original owner stumbles upon him at an antique store with her very own daughter. I just loved how the author really personified Edward, who was only a china bunny, and had him experience all these drastic situations from lying on the bottom of the ocean, to face down in a dumpster, to finally experiencing love from a 5 year old but then losing her to a sickness she had. The reader definitely could get attached to Edward, especially as he is opening up and changing inside. I read this to an afterschool group I have at an elementary school and they loved it, they particularly loved to count the various owners that Edward had!

BIG KICKS by Bob Kolar

BIG KICKS by Bob Kolar
This story is about a bear who enjoys being by himself and likes jazz music, peanut-butter and banana sandwiches and stamp collecting. He gets asked by the local town soccer team to join them for a game. The other members of the team thought they inevitably win their match because of having a large bear playing on their team. But as it turns out, the large bear is not that good at soccer. I thought this was a good story that shows the readers that just because someone looks like they might be good at something, doesn't mean that he/she actually are. It's a good chance to talk about how important it is not to assume certain things about others and to actually find out what they're really like by asking questions and being interested in them. After the soccer game the other players go over to Biggie Bear's place and found out what he really enjoys about life-jazz music, sandwiches and stamp collecting. I thought the story had a sweet ending when it showed that Biggie Bear still decided to be a special part of the soccer team-the biggest cheering fan in the stands! I also enjoyed the bright and colorful illustrations throughout the book. It was also creative to make the inside cover look like stamps from various scenes from the book.

Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar by Janet Pedersen

Houdini the Amazing Caterpillar by Janet Pedersen
This story is about a caterpillar who lives in a classroom. He is basically a class pet that the students are going to observe because they are learning about the life cycle of a butterfly. He is named Houdini because he does "vanishing acts" often. He can make leaves "disappear" in an instant, he can "grow" right before your eyes, and other neat things a catepillar does. There is a point in the story where another class pet shows up, a spider, and Houdini feels like no one notices him as much. So he decides to perform the best act of his life...turning into a butterfly. I liked the different perspectives the author takes in the story. I enjoyed seeing life from a caterpillar's perspective and the students' perspective. To the students, Houdini was just a caterpillar that they enjoyed studying for class. But it was fun to see how a caterpillar interpreted life from where he lived. I also liked how the caterpillar's life cylce paralelled his desire to be noticed by the class. First he starts out as an egg and then develops into the larva/caterpillar stage, and when he thinks people are getting bored with him, he develops into the pupa/chrysalis stage. Then for his big "amazing show," he turns into this beautiful butterfly! I noticed that the text is written differently when it's from Houdini's perspective than when it's from the viewpoint of the class. I don't think there's anything incredibly indepth from that distinction, just an observation that can help the reader distinguish who's talking. The illustrations were also beautiful! This would fit well with a science unit on life cycles. It even has an author's note for the different stages of a caterpillar and describes them in detail.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

The Giver by Lois Lowry

Wow. I had so many thoughts about this book after I finished it. I honestly didn't know how interested I would be in this book when I first started it. A science-fiction related book is not usually my first choice to read. But as soon as I started it, I was pretty hooked! I think I have more questions than comments on this book! The Giver brings about so many different angles of life to look at. It made me want to know what the author was aiming for when writing this book. I had questions such as, "Is it better to be protected from pain..and joys in life?" What consequence does that have in our lives? If we didn't have pain, we wouldn't know the depth of potential healing. What was the significance of the shielding of memories? Even the joyful ones? What was the goal in developing a utopian like society? Was it to preserve orderliness in society? What was the significance of having one person with all the memories?
I also thought it was interesting that being a birthmother was not a notable career-one for somewhat lazy girls. When reading this book, I thought about how horrible it would be to live in a society where pretty much everything is dictated for you. But then thinking more about it, we do have certain things that could be similar in our society today. Sometimes when people don't fit the "social norm" of something they are closed off from people or treated differently-like in the book the citizens were given a couple chances to make their behavior better and if didn't change, they were released. I did enjoy reading this book even if it did leave me wrestling with a lot of questions about the aim and purpose.

Sergio Saves the Game! by Edel Rodriguez

Sergio Saves the Game! by Edel Rodriguez
I originally chose this book because my child study buddy mentioned that she liked to play soccer. The illustrations are very visually attractive and the text of the story is written in interesting ways with thought bubbles and expression. This story is about a penguin who wants to play soccer but has all the odds stacked against him. He is clumsy and uncoordinated, but in his dreams he is an amazing soccer star and wants to acheive his dreams. This is a classic story about a character who wants to do something that everyone is telling him he can't do and with hard work, and some failed attempts, he eventually acheives his dream. I don't think there's anything wrong with this type of story (the underdog coming out on top) but not everyone achieves their dreams, even with hard work. But on the flipside I think it shows determination and passion for something that many people may have serious doubts about. I thought it was also interesting that this penguin had a Hispanic name and his favorite sport was soccer. (Soccer appears to be a passion for many Latinos)Though, I don't really think there's much of a stereotype because the author is Cuban and he appears to be just incorporating some of his personal life into his stories. I just thought it was an interesting observation. There are also other "Sergio" books that feature this determined penguin!

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo

The Magician's Elephant by Kate DiCamillo
I thought this novel for kids really pulled the reader in with the characters and mysterious plot. When the characters were introduced, I wondered how they were all going to come together at the end. They were introduced somewhat separately with their own individual personalities and stories. I loved how everything tied together and made sense at the end. I found myself not wanting to put the book down because I wanted to find out how the elephant was going to lead Peter to his long lost sister! I really thought this book was enchanting with its storyline and would definitely capture the reader's attention with unusual elements such as a elephant appearing out of nowhere. This chapter book would make a good, continuous read aloud for a class and even included some haunting illustrations throughout the book and there is even an individual website for this book that includes discussion guides and activities for the classroom that relate to this book!

ish by Peter H. Reynolds

ish by Peter H. Reynolds
I thoroughly enjoyed this book because of the creativity and simple storyline. It's about a boy who loves to draw and one snide comment from his brother dashes all of his confidence in his art. Ramon, the main character, finally decides he's done making art after many frusturating months. But one thing he didn't notice was his younger sister collected all of his crumpled up drawings and put them up in her room like an art gallery. She describes hi art as being "ish"...vase'ish'...silly'ish'...excited'ish'. I liked the storyline because it shows how someone, like Ramon's sister, can encourage and care for another person by taking an interest in the creative side of someone. She saw something special in the art and knew he was sensitive about his work so she found a way to celebrate it! I also liked how she described his work with "ish." Ramon embraced this "ish" concept and returned to drawing again. He had new found energy for his passion! I think this story would make a good read aloud book and even open up conversations about how to encourage one another in whatever they're doing.

The Swing by Joe Cepeda

The Swing by Joe Cepeda

Like many books, I was drawn to this one because of the cover and the mysteriously short title. I wanted to know what was so special about this swing." The girl on the cover is obviously smiling so I knew something enjoyable was to be found there. I thought this story had a unique plot as well. It's about a girl who starts swinging on a swing that is attached to a tree in her yard, and all of sudden all these things that were lost for so long (a mixing bowl, a toaster, and even their dog!) start tumbling out! I thought it was interesting how the story starts off with almost an embarassing feeling. The main character's family feels a little different than the rest of the neighborhood because they always have to borrow things from other people and it tends to not get returned by them. I thought it would be interesting to think how the reader relates to Josey, the main character, and what she's thinking and feeling about her family and their "reputation."

I also like the magical feeling this story has when Josey swings so high into the tree and she starts finding everything that her and her family lost. I like how she uses her experience for the good of her family and neighborhood. The illustrations and pictures are very vivid and the emotions are clearly showcased in them!

One Dark and Dreadful Night by Randy Cecil

One Dark and Dreadful Night by Randy Cecil

This book is a witty story about a character named Maestro Von Haughty who is attempting to present three "dark and dreadful" tales. But the actors and actresses have another plan in mind. Just when the scary parts are supposed to happen; the stars of the show change the plot to what they want. I enjoyed the funny twist the author put on the traditional fairy tale aspect and the witty response the stars of the show had to the narrator. The reader did not know how the story or tale would end up. For example, just when the big bad wolf was supposed to eat one of the children, a fairy princess appears and has nothing to do with the original story. I thought it was fun to have the unexpected characters like that to give the story a humorous twist.

Bob's Best Ever Friend by Simon Bartram

Bob's Best Ever Friend by Simon Bartram

I was first drawn to this book by the bright cover and illustrations. I would say it has a unique and quirky plot to it. It's basically about Bob (the only man on the moon) who sets out to find a best friend in his life. I liked how the author incorporated real life aspects with Bob, such as eating dinner in front of the television and going shopping. Bob is doing all of that while living on the moon, so i like the scientific aspect of the book. I also noticed that on each page that has illustrations there is a small dog and a man chasing the dog. I think it's just a fun and consistent illustration to see if it gets noticed by the reader. It's also an added bonus that the book jacket has a glow in the dark poster on the other side, so all in all a colorful and enjoyable book!

The Girl in the Castle inside the Museum

The Girl in the Castle inside the Museum by Kate Bernheimer and Nicoletta Ceccoli

This fairy tale is described as "haunting, and beautiful" by one reviewer. I definitely agree with those words! I enjoyed this book because of the "Alice in Wonderland" type feeling. It can lead you to use your imagination in many different ways. I also like the different perspectives it shows the reader. There is the view from the girl inside the castle and later in the book it shows a child holding a book and reading about the girl inside the castle. I really like the illustrations in this book; it makes it feel truly like a fairy tale.

BabyMouse RockStar

BabyMouse Rock Star by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm

I found this graphic novel for children highly entertaining. BabyMouse is the main character in this self-titled series. In this particular novel, BabyMouse wants to eventually be the first-chair flute player in the band, but along the way she has these daydreams of being a world-famous rockstar. I love the imagination of the character such as being transported to a “Wizard of Oz” like setting when she opens her locker and the characters gently guide her to her first period class. I thought the illustrations were comical and I liked how the narrator had a "voice" in the story where BabyMouse actually answers back to the narrator. It is a very easy read and a fun book to get lost in!

Jazz on a Saturday Night

Jazz on a Saturday Night by Leo and Diane Dillon
I really enjoyed this book because of the time period it represents. It really shows a good introduction into the jazz era. It's about hardworking people that want to enjoy a night of sweet music. I feel like the author really draws the reader in with the descriptive text and illustrations. "A guest with guitar-lightning fingers begin...He takes strings for a walk, strings can talk, now he's in. The musicians smile with a meeting of eyes. A cool night, a cool note-they all improvise." I also feel like there could be a good discussion with students about how "strings go for a walk" and how "strings can talk" and what that actually means. This book also includes an introduction about jazz that gives a general description about the history and origins of jazz that I found helpful.

Painting the Wind-A Story of Vincent Van Gogh

Painting the Wind...A Story of Vincent van Gogh

by Michelle Dionetti and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes

"She wished she could make paintings that could talk without words, as Vincent did." This is an intriguing book to me because one of my favorite paintings is Starry Night by Van Gogh. I also thought this was a unique children's book because it dealt with many difficult, but not necessarily foreign, issues such as dealing with a neighbor that everyone thinks is unstable. I thought the most endearing character in the story was Claudine, a young girl who helped her mother clean houses. Claudine noticed Vincent's paintings and became very curious about them and while everyone else thought Vincent was crazy for painting the way he did, Claudine secretly admired them. Vincent was eventually forced out of town and Claudine just had to say good-bye to Vincent. He gave her one of his paintings as a "going away gift." I really enjoyed the whimsical feeling in this book because I feel like I could really picture Vincent painting outside in windy Arles, France and the illustrations are so vivid.

Cranberry Valentine by Wende and Harry Devlin

Cranberry Valentine by Wende and Harry Devlin
In the spirit of Valentine's Day coming up I thought it would be fun to read a Valentine's story! =) This was an enjoyable story about Mr. Whiskers who starts to receive mysterious valentines. It was a surprise to him in the end who was sending the valentines all along. I thought this story was interesting with the simple character development of Mr. Whiskers. At first he thinks the whole idea of getting a valentine revolting, but then as he is receiving them he starts to think very highly of himself. He is then encouraged to be a gentleman and give a box of chocolates to the sender. Although I think this book is a bit outdated for kids nowadays (because I'm thinking that many kids send valentines in the mail anymore), I do think it's a sweet story for a fun read aloud time in class.

100 School Days by Anne Rockwell

100 School Days by Anne Rockwell
This book was especially enjoyable because it brought back memories of celebrating day 100 back when I was in elementary school. Each student in my class had to bring 100 of something and I remember carefully counting out 100 beads to bring to school. It's such an exciting time in school because the 100th day of school sounded like we were already there for an eternity!!! This book is about how kids bring in pennies everyday until they get up to 100 and then they were going to send the money away to people that were affected by a hurricane. (Which could tell us what was going on in the world at that time...I found that part of the story pretty interesting.) This book is also good for practicing counting by 10's until the number 100 is reached.

Rap a Tap Tap Here's Bojangles-Think of That

Rap A Tap Tap Here's Bojangles-Think of That! by Leo and Diane Dillon
..."He talked with his feet!"
I really liked reading this book mostly because the visually appealing illustrations were eyecatching. This book is about Bill "Bojangles" Robinson and his love of tap dancing. This book could be fun for younger grades because there is a repeatable line in the story, "Rap a tap tap-think of that!" That line is on every other page so the kids would probably catch on pretty quickly where it goes, and it would be fun to have the kids interact with the story and have them say that line when you get to the page. I also liked the little biography at the end of the story that told some basic info about Bill Robinson because it's possible most kids have never heard of him and it would be a great time to talk about the arts (i.e. dancing) in the classroom.

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino

Every Friday by Dan Yaccarino
" At last-breakfast at the diner!"
This book is about a father and son who spend their Friday mornings together. I thought it was a sweet story, but highly unlikely that many kids would be able to relate to spending a weekday morning with one of their parents. I think it would be fun to see what a child would come up with if they had the chance to spend a weekday morning with their parent-would they want to spend the morning coloring, play with their toys, build a fort? Even if spending time with your child during a workday morning isn't very common...how special would that child feel if he or she had a special one on one time with their parents that they could do whatever they wanted and have their own special time together!