Not Afraid of Dogs by Susanna Pitzer

Not Afraid of Dogs by Susanna Pitzer
The first thing I noticed about this book was the ironic cover. The title says 'Not Afraid of Dogs,' but it shows a little boy trying to climb a lampost where there is a group of dogs waiting to cross the street. Daniel, the main character, claims he is a very brave boy. He says he is not afraid of spiders, snakes, or thunderstorms...but when it comes to dogs, he says he's not afraid of them...he just doesn't like them. Throughout the story is shows Daniel avoiding dogs whenever he saw them. What I really like about this story is the ending. It shows Daniel really facing his apprehension about dogs when he takes care of a scared dog during a thunderstorm. I think kids will enjoy the story and be able to make accurate predictions about what might happen. By bringing up this book, I can see a lot of conversations about animals and fear happening in the classroom.

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

Click, Clack, Moo Cows That Type by Doreen Cronin

This is another enjoyable and humorous book by the same author of Giggle, Giggle, Quack. This story is about cows who type notes of requests to their farmer. The cows request electric blankets and "go on strike" (not producing milk) and the farmer types a letter back (clearly the cows can read, too!) demanding milk and that this is outrageous that cows are asking for blankets. Basically the duck from the farm is supposed to be a mediator and give the typewriter back to the farmer, but instead takes it to the other ducks and they start typing up requests. I love the little twists of humor in this book and could even add to discussions about animals and their different habitats and environments. I would definitely love this book in my classroom or home!

Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin

Giggle, Giggle, Quack by Doreen Cronin
This book is a humorous story about farm animals who are left in the care of the farmer's brother, who of course does not know the first thing about the mischievious nature of the animals. The farmer left notes for the brother about what to do for the animals while he is away on travel. What the brother doesn't know is the animal switched the notes for things they wanted-like pizza, bubblebaths and other outrageous requests. I enjoyed the witty humor of the story and the predictable lines such as Giggle, Giggle, Quack. The illustrations enhance the story greatly and it is fun to be able to see how the animals are tricking the brother.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawahima Watkins
I can not believe how much I learned by reading this book. It was not only a consuming book, but it truly gave some perspective of a war that really happened and true events that a real person has experienced. I never really remembered much in history class about WWII, so reading this book was like learning about it all over again (and less about memorizing dates and facts). Even simple things such as remembering where Japan and Korea are related geographically came to be such an easier thing because I was reading it in context and it made sense from the perspective of the author. I was so moved by the events of the story and definitely connected with the story in an emotional way. At the same time I immediately detached myself in a way from the characters because I did not want to believe that something so evil could take place, or that actual human beings were capable of possessing that much resiliency. Personally I have never experienced tragedy like this, and just reading about the driven determination of the mother and older sister to find shelter and food and simple necesseties for them and Little One was just overwhelming. It's true that we never really know what we are made of until strong adversity comes into our lives. This is a book that contains such a powerful and necessary topic to discuss, but I know I would be so hesitant to discuss it in my class because of the horrors of war and the obvious sensitivity of other topics that the book touches upon.

Midterm Reflection Statement

This class has been a refreshing "escape" from the typical education classes that are required. It is so fun to read children's books and to reflect on them. Not only is it fun to relive a little bit of childhood..it's necessary to read children's books because we are going to have to be knowledgeable about them for our classroom in the near future! It is overwhelming to think about how many literary resources are out there for the classroom, though. I also am confident in the fact that as technology changes, we have to change with it in order to stay relevant in education and with our students. I like that we have blogs incorporated into our assignments and how unexpectedly we get to discover what glogs are and learn how to use them and how they can be an alternative way to presenting information. I'm excited (and a little nervous) to use them in my future classroom! I also have been enjoying our class discussions about the books and the topics they deal with, even if there is no obvious conclusion. This class is teaching me how to analyze children's books with a critical, yet open minded view.

The Fourth Wise Man (based on the story by Henry Van Dyke) retold by Susan Summers

The Fourth Wise Man-based on the story by Henry Van Dyke
retold by Susan Summers and illustrated by Jackie Morris

I chose this as a controversial book because of it not only its religious theme, but also the idea of there being a fourth wise man instead of only three. This was the first time I have heard of this account of there being another wiseman, but regardless of religious belief I think this is a great story. The 'other wiseman', Artaban, was supposed to meet up with the other 3 men to take gifts to the one they believed was the King of Kings. But when he was on his way to meet them he gets stopped by different events where he had to help people. The other men continue on without him. In the traditional account of the 3 wise man, the men encounter Jesus as a baby and offer their precious gifts. But with Artaban, he continues to seek where Jesus would be and doesn't discover him until he is about to be crucified. What I really enjoy about this story is when Artaban is stopped along the way in his journey, he helps people regardless of their race, family, or economic status. I thought it was a great story about humility as well. I thought the illustrations were very culturally relevant to that time period and I also like the way the pages and text were set up. The pictures and illustrations took up most of the room and the text is set off to the side of the page so more can be visualized about the story.

Good Morning China by Hu Yong Yi

Good Morning China by Hu Yong Yi
This book was an enjoyably simple book to read. Each page had about one sentence on it, but it was the illustrations that truly showed a glimpse of life in a community in China. There were definitely similarities that kids could relate well such as 'riding bikes', or 'playing cards,' and there are other activities that are unique to the Chinese community. Activities such as 'pushing hands', 'doing tai chi', or 'sitting by a lotus pond.' I think it's a great starter discussion for other cultures and what's similar or unique to them. It's very possible that as future teachers we will have students from China and if they're willing and know much about what is talked about in the book, the students could elaborate on these activities. There's also an awesome pop-out page at the end of the book that shows all the activites that the people are doing. I would definitely love to have this book in my classroom!

Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci

Cinderella Skeleton by Robert D. San Souci and illustrated by David Catrow

This book is a twisted and somewhat morbid retelling of the Cinderella fairytale. I thought this book was funny and had a humorous take on the traditional tale. It’s basically the same idea of Cinderella but it’s just with skeletons and takes place in a graveyard. Instead of Cinderella Skeleton cleaning all the time, her stepmother had her spread dust everywhere, put cobwebs up in the corners, and fed the bats that lived with them. I also thought the illustrations really made the book come alive with the reader. The pictures show how frail and somewhat decrepit the skeletons were with their sunken in eyes, bony fingers, and other skeleton like features. Instead of losing a glass slipper at the end of the night, Cinderella Skeleton snaps off her foot and hobbles away. The prince (Charnel) goes from skeleton to skeleton to see if it fits on any of the ladies (they all snap off their foot to test the fit). It ends with Cinderella Skeleton and the Prince lived happily ever after and her step-sisters dissolved into dust. I think kids would really enjoy this (somewhat creepy) book because of the unique twist on the traditional story, vibrant illustrations, and the witty rhyming that the author uses throughout the book.

Tiny and Hercules by Amy Schwartz

Tiny and Hercules by Amy Schwartz

The first thing I noticed on the cover of this book was the arrows that pointed from the names to the characters. Tiny is the name of the elephant and Hercules is the name of the mouse. I liked the subtle irony that the author presents with these characters. This book is divided up into mini “chapters” that Hercules and Tiny deal with. Some of the different situations are learning how to ice-skate for a birthday party, taking an art class, making a lemonade stand, and knitting a sweater for each other. I was actually surprised at the amount of text that is actually in this book, so I think this book would make a good read aloud for younger kids and for kids that are a little older (about 7-8 years old) it would be a fine independent book. I thought it was a sweet book that demonstrated loyalty and friendship and the fun (and sometimes trouble) that these friends had.

Rainy Day! by Patricia Lakin

This is an enjoyable book about friends enjoying a rainy day together. I liked this book because the characters names rhyme (Sam, Pam, Will, and Jill) and young kids can definitely follow characters in a book when they rhyme, and it follows Sam, Pam, Will, and Jill through their rainy day adventures. They end up at a mini-golf park where they meet a dog who wants to play baseball-all while it’s still raining! When they finally decide to get out of the rain, they go to the library where they cozy up with some good books and dry off. I liked this book because it reminded me of my childhood when I would play out in the rain, and how much more fun it seemed because of the rain. This author also wrote about these same characters in Snow Day! and Beach Day!

I never knew your name by Sherry Garland

I Never Knew Your Name by Sherry Garland
I chose this book for another one of my controversial books to read. It is a fairly simple read but it has a heavy message. It deals with a nameless narrator who notices another young boy who is always alone. At the end of the story it reveals that the young boy who is always alone committs suicide. I feel like this book can lead discussions in many different ways. It can bring up topics such as being a friend and reaching out to people, feeling and being alone, what suicide means etc. I was surprised when the age level of interest was 5-8. This topic seemed a little abstract maybe for children that age? But, at the same time it seems like there are more and more younger kids coming close or actually committing suicide in the news. I think this book would be a useful tool to bring up if the situation arises. I'm not sure if I would keep this book as a "free read" or not in my classroom library.

Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer

Cowboy Camp by Tammi Sauer
I thought this was a sweet story of the underdog coming out on top! It starts off with this boy going to cowboy camp, but quickly learned he does not fit the classic "cowboy mold." He is allergic to horses, hates the cowboy food, and can't lasso because he gets rope burn. Just as he is starting to feel like he was not meant to be a real cowboy, he has to outsmart a local outlaw cowboy to protect the rest of the cowboy camp and his leader. In the end, he is congratulated on his bravery and he feels like an 'honest to goodness' cowboy. I liked this simple story because I enjoy the unexpectedness of it. It starts off with having to overcome many odds, but after a chance to really prove what a person is made of can change the outlook on oneself. I also liked it because the author uses fun words such as 'buckaroo', 'y'all', and 'rustlin rattlesnakes'. =)

Hush Harbor by Freddi Williams Evans

Hush Harbor by Freddi Williams Evans
I thought this book could also fall under a controversial category. I think it would fall under that category because of the religious and even historical elements to this story. Hush Harbor is about a story of slaves who escape to worship God and pray in secret. They obviously had to be secretive about it because if they were found singing and praying they would be beaten or sold by their slaveowner. It definitely deals with some stressful situations, especially for the young boy who has to be on the lookout for people who are trying to catch the slaves breaking their rules. It also deals with obvious prejudice too-if the slaves wanted to attend church, it had to be at a white church and adhere to the "white way" of attending church. That meant no singing or praying loudly like they would in at Hush Harbor. I really liked the book because it portrays a slice of history that is difficult but necessary to read. I like to think I would include this in my classroom to introduce some tough issues to students in a tangible and literary focus.

The Misfits by James Howe

The Misfits by James Howe
I went into this book not really knowing anything about it and it was sort of enjoyable to not have any expectations about the characters or plots of the story. I do remember as I was reading this book that I was slightly stunned at first with the strong and straightforward language used by the characters in the story. (Although, I think it probably represents a lot of today's youth and their thoughts and how they speak) Even though I thought this book was well written, I would like to see how teachers use this piece of literature in their classroom. Do they use this book to bring attention to the issue of bullying or homosexuality or is it just a simple piece of literature in their classroom. As a teacher I think I would be more apprehensive approaching this book in the classroom than the students would be. Sometimes students can just take certain issues in a stride and not make too big of a deal about them, but i definitely also think there are times when there should be intentional discussions related to sensitive issues such as these. The dialogue way of writing was not my favorite part of the book, but it really gave the reader an impression of the characters. (I thought it was funny when Skeezie talked about the waiters-hellomynameis... and I also wonder how relatable a 12 year old working in a clothing store is...) I was truly rooting for the No-Name party towards the end of the book. I just loved how they banded together and were truly committed to their cause and believed in it wholeheartedly.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
I chose this book for one of my controversial books to analyze. I'm not sure what I expected to read when I picked this book up, but I didn't initially see anything that struck me as controversial. I think if a kid is to read this he/she isn't going to all of a sudden have a huge temper tantrum or immediately cause "mischief." (at least that is what I heard was controversial about this book.) As an adult I probably pick up different aspects of the story than a child would. As adults, I think we also tend to look for the "big picture" in the books. Overall this book has a main character who is creating mischief and sent to bed without supper and then goes to faraway places in his imagination. Maybe overall I could see how some people might be skeptical about this book because of the defiance and temper of the child; but as a whole I think most kids would enjoy the wild imagination of the child and the "happy ending" of the boy coming home to a supper that is still hot.

Sugar Cane A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace

Sugar Cane A Caribbean Rapunzel by Patricia Storace

I have never read the "original" Rapunzel, but I really enjoyed this Caribbean version. I felt like I got swept away in the story when the author writes about the essential story elements for a fairytale. The author writes about the classic good vs. evil and the hero characters. One thing I thought was interesting about this story is that Sugar Cane is taught all these different academic subjects and fine arts through "spirit teachers" that were brought back from the dead by her "keeper." Normally in fairytales the princess is just held captive and not allowed to do anything, but in this version she still is not allowed to leave the premises but she was well educated by her teachers. It also had a classic happily ever after ending which definitely had a Caribbean feel to it.

Tupelo Rides the Rails by Melissa Sweet

Tupelo Rides the Rails by Melissa Sweet
This book included a lot of visual in the forms of colorful illustrations and the occasional fold out pages that have text and pictures on it. Even though the illustrations and pictures were very attractive, I thought the story was kind of melancholy. It's basically about a dog who longs for someone to own him. He stumbled upon a group of dogs who were wishing on the star Sirius (which is the 'big dog' star according to them). They were all burying their bones and "offering" them to Sirius in order to have their wishes granted. All the dogs basically get their wishes granted but Tupelo is left to ride the trains by himself to a different town. The story does redeem itself at the end when a local hobo adopts Tupelo. The hobo and Tupelo seem to actually have some things in common, like neither one has a permanent place to call home and need that one person-or dog to go through life with. The book has an obvious star reference so the author includes some fun star facts related to dogs to enhance the story. I feel like this story could cause students to really empathize with Tupelo and how he feels.

The Coconut Monk by Thich Nhat Hanh

The Coconut Monk by Thich Nhat Hanh

I chose this book as one of my controversial books because of some of the heavy content it addresses. It's basically about a man in Vietnam who choses a more peaceful way of life during a time and place where war and violence are happening at an alarming rate. Some of the heavy content and images include images of war and imprisonment and other disturbing content. I actually really liked this book because it promoted peace and not retaliation and revenge, even when The Coconut Monk gets put in jail for attempting to talk to the president about his peaceful demonstrations. He also promotes peaceful lifestyles by demonstrating how the cat and the mouse get along. I could see how this story could potentially lead to some heavy conversations in the classroom regarding events like war and violence. Even if it doesn't lead to an indepth conversation in the classroom; reading a book like this can show cultural relevancy to the students because situations like these happen in the world.