Ballons over Broadway by Melissa Sweet

Sweet, M., Newborn, R., & Paquette, C. (2011). Balloons over Broadway: The true story of the puppeteer of Macy's Parade. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Balloons Over Broadway is a lively book that tells about the creator, Tony Sarg, of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons, and how he made his ideas of creating a massive floating balloon come to life through the use of puppets. It took the puppeteer, Tony, three tries to get the right material to use for the balloons, figure out the correct size of the balloons, and to figure out how to make them float high in the air. Tony was an immigrant whose passion had been trying to figure out how to make things move and puppeteering his entire life. The way the book is organized integrates the look of a scrap book and a story board. The author uses an array of text styles including printed text and cut and paste text. The bright, eye catching illustrations are very busy which makes the reader have a feel for how Tony organizes his thoughts on paper. The pictures are a conglomeration of watercolors, clay model characters, and a depiction of real life objects. By using realistic objects, the reader has a better understanding of the timeline transition from puppets to balloons. This book would be a useful teaching material around Thanksgiving. Children can make a text to real world connection when they see the Macy’s parade on TV.

It's So Amazing by Robie Harris

Harris, R. H., & Emberley, M. (1999). It's so amazing!: A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This informational and educational book chronicles the cycle of how the human reproductive system works. The book uses pregnancy timelines of other mammals in comparison to a human’s pregnancy timeline. For example, a dog is pregnant for about three months and an elephant is regnant for about 2 years. When a baby is born in Russia they are laid on fur to bring the baby good luck, wealth, and good health. The book is presented in a cartoon style format. It has talking bubbles, and the different actions are separated into its own square. The facts and illustrations are displayed in an easy to follow way for a young reader to read and understand what the text is talking about. The illustrator gives a majority of the characters a positive demeanor, which helps keep the reader engaged for what might be a possibly awkward book for the reader. The parts and processes of the reproduction system are personified by giving the egg and sperm a face and hands, and giving them a voice in the text. The bird and bee are, a common myth, bring comical relief that keep the reader interested throughout the narration. This book can be used as discrete way for young readers to learn this highly private information so that they do not feel embarrassed. 

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Selznick, B. (2007). The invention of Hugo Cabret: A novel in words and pictures. New York: Scholastic Press.
Hugo loved hearing stories about his father’s favorite movie, “A Trip to the Moon”. Hugo's father found an automaton in an old museum, and decided to fix it. However, a fire at the museum killed Hugo's father. Hugo discovered the automaton and a pocket book where his father drew the plans on how to fix the automaton. Hugo lived in the walls of a Paris train station where he was an orphan ever since his uncle disappeared. He also started stealing from Papa Georges, a toy store owner, so he could fix the automaton. Eventually, Papa Georges caught him stealing, took his notebook, and vowed not to return it. Papa Georges's goddaughter, Isabelle, swore to help Hugo get it back. Hugo quickly realizes Isabelle is wearing a heart-shaped key that fits perfectly in the back of the automaton man, which is all Hugo needs to make him work. Isabelle finds Hugo in his room, and watches as the automaton draws a picture of a scene from Hugo's dad's favorite movie, and signs it Georges Melies, which is no other than Papa Georges. With the help of Isabel and her film student friend Etienne, they discover that Papa Georges was once a filmmaker, but after hard times, lost everything. He donated his automaton he created to the museum, but it burned in the fire that killed Hugo’s father. Luckily, he saved one key that made it work, which was the key Isabelle wore. Hugo realizes that Papa Georges, the toy store owner, also known as Georges Melies, created “A Trip to the Moon” that Hugo's dad loved. He also created the automaton man Hugo's dad discovered abandoned in the museum. Unknowingly to Hugo, he had been trying finish the automaton, which was actually built by Papa Georges, who he was stealing parts from. After a miscommunication with the police about Hugo's missing uncle, Hugo finds himself on train tracks about to die. However, Papa Georges was there to save him, similar to Hugo saving Papa Georges with his discovery. This books merges the picture book, and novel concepts, with most of the pages being illustrations. The black and white crosshatched pictures, along with the black and white pages with text give the book a mysterious and suspenseful feeling. The illustrations are created through the use of sketches, making it appear as if the story is being told through a flip book or film strip. The end of the book links the information given at the beginning of the story, creating aha moments for the readers. This was a Caldecott Medal award winner in 2008. This book would go great with other books written by Brian Selznick.

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

Nelson, K. (2008). We are the ship: The story of Negro League baseball. New York: Jump at the Sun/Hyperion Books for Children.
This is a nonfiction book about how Negro players in the Negro League Baseball had to overcome hardships and adversity during a time of segregation in America. It gives detailed accounts of what they experienced while playing baseball in the Negro League. The author talked about how the Negros had to sleep crammed on a bus because they were not allowed to sleep at hotels due to the color of their skin. Unfortunately, the Negros even had to go without water because they were not allowed to get any from restaurants. The book has double spread fold out pages, but mostly consist of a full page of artwork on one side and a full page of text on the other. The chapters of the book are cleverly titled “innings” to go along with the baseball theme. The author used the narration of each inning as the voice of the player, or collectively as a group of the Negro League Baseball. At the bottom of each page, there was a footnote that stated who was depicted in the picture or what was taking place. Due to the deep and intricate details in the rich pictures, the illustrations are made to look realistic. The fine precision of the shading in the paintings give the artwork an authentic and vintage feel. After reading this book, another interesting nonfiction baseball book to follow up with is Satchel Paige: Striking Out Jim Crow, by James Sturm and Rich Tommaso.

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York: Clarion Books. This story starts off by telling the tale of the original nursery rhyme “The Three Little Pigs”, however, the pigs are tired of their same story so they take it upon themselves to change it up. Each time the wolf blows the house down the wolf thinks he eats them, but the clever pigs out smart him and "leave" their nursery rhyme. They break their story line apart and use it as a paper airplane. However, their plane crashes and they find themselves saving characters, including cat and his fiddle and the dragon in other nursery rhymes. All the characters come up with a plan to trick wolf in the pig's story. So they all travel back to The Three Little Pig's story and devise a plan to finish off wolf once and for all. Wolf tries to blow the third pig's house down, but is unsuccessful. He climbs through the chimney unknowing everyone is waiting for some wolf soup. This tale is a humorous spin off of the classic story of The Three Pigs. The book merges the graphic novel and narrative format with the beginning retelling the classic Three Pigs Story, and the end of the book becoming a narrative story. The story is narrated through the use of dialogue between the three pigs. The creative and clever artwork are a mirror image to the amusing text. The illustrations change texture and appearance depending on what the setting is, and what scenes are taking place within the story. In 2000, this story won the Caldecott Medal for the illustrations. Another book that would complement The Three Pigs is Rapunzel’s Revenge because it too merges one classic tale into other classic tales.

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

Paterson, K., Diamond, D., & Hill, A. (1977). Bridge to Terabithia. New York, NY: T.Y. Crowell.
Jess, a fifth grader, wants to be the fastest kid. He longs for attention from his exhausted parents, and has to battle the daily struggles of home and school life. Everything changes when he meets his new neighbor, Leslie Burke, a girl from an affluent family, who is polar opposite of Jess's lifestyle. Their strong bond is evident when it’s revealed that Jess is an outstanding artist. He’s embarrassed of his artwork, which in the eyes of many, including his father, is not considered masculine. The music teacher, Miss Edmonds, and Leslie encourage him to keep drawing. Because Leslie's parents are constantly working, it's hard to find time to notice her. Therefore, Jess and Leslie decide to make a wooded area, on the other side of a creek, into a magical land where they can be whatever they dream of. They use a rope swing as their only means of getting to Terabithia. Unfortunately, Jess learns the swing snapped and Leslie drowned. Jess has to learn how to deal with her untimely death. Jess wanted to honor Leslie's legacy, therefore, painstakingly built a bridge to Terabithia. When finished, he invites his sisters to join him in Terabithia, so the magic never ends. This endearing book will pull on the heart strings of any reader. The text is filled with many literature elements including symbolism and irony. Miss Edmonds is a symbol of inner beauty and confidence, which does not seem to be of existence in Jess's world. However, she helps him start to believe in himself. The theme of friendship, between Leslie and Jess, is represented throughout the book as Leslie and Jess lean on each other and their dedication to each other. The magical rope swing also symbolizes the beginning of their journey to their magical world, however, when it breaks, and Leslie drowns, it symbolizes the end of their make-believe world. Irony is portrayed when it’s revealed Jess is afraid of water, and Leslie is the character that drowns. This book would make an emotional connection to anyone who has lost a loved one.

The Nest by Kenneth Oppel

Oppel, K., & Klassen, J. (2015). The nest. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster.

This thrilling story details Steven, a troubled adolescent teen who struggles with anxiety, stress, OCD, and making friends. He and his family are also dealt a difficult life situation with the birth of his younger brother, Theo. Theo battles multiple congenital defects. Steven is plagued at night with nightmares about a dark shadowy figure. One day while outside, Steven is stung by a unique looking wasp. He is taken to the emergency room which determines he is allergic to wasps and given an Epipen. Starting that night, while asleep, he is engulfed with multiple dreams of an angel-like figure, which turns out to be a wasp. He is drawn to the wasp creature, which is named Queen Wasp, as she brings him a level of comfort in his difficult time. The wasp also helps calm his mostly nightmarish dreams. Throughout multiple nights, Queen Wasp explains that his brother is not doing well and that she has a way to repair and fix him. Reluctantly, Steven accepts her help. However, he rethinks his offer and quickly turns her down. The Queen Wasp doesn’t take no for an answer. Steven is found in a battle of life and death as he must save his younger brother from the Queen Wasp and her army of workers. The Queen Wasp wants to replace Steven’s brother with a replica baby, and feeds his brother to the worker wasps. He miraculously saves his brother who is only stung twice. Unfortunately, Steven is stung multiple times and is pronounced dead, but thankfully makes a full recovery. This book illustrates black and white pictures that have very high amounts of contrasts and shading, showing depth with each picture. The story describes and reflects on Steven’s past emotional state. The feeling of loneliness and despair are brought to the front of the readers mind as they try to navigate and dissect the plot of the book. It quickly, but meticulously evolves, much like the forming of a wasp nest. The author presents foreshadowing with the introduction of the knife guy, a mysterious, yet intriguing character. I would recommend The Thing About Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin. This book also has tragedy and imagination in it.

Comics Squad by Jennifer and Matthew Holm

Holm, J. L., & Holm, M. (Eds.). (2014).Comics Squad: Recess! New York, NY: Random House.

This entertaining graphic novel is a mixture of several stories centered around school life and recess. The first story is about a group of three boys who created a group called the “Super-Secret Ninja Club”. The group meets every day during recess until one day, Daryl, an “outsider”, begs to join their group. Annoyed with Daryl’s relentless begging, the group tells Daryl they would discuss it further after the winter holiday. During the entire winter holiday, Daryl learns every tactic there is to be a super ninja. When the holidays are over, Daryl is ready to be a part of the “Super-Secret Ninja Club”.  However, the group decided that the club was “so last year”, and now dodgeball is their new past time. Furious with the three boys, Daryl shows them up with his ninja skills and hits and throws the dodgeball all over the place. The group is stunned at what they saw and ask Daryl to teach them his new skills. Other stories include, silly lunch lady antics, mischievous Babymouse and her recess troubles, and others. All the stories are created by different authors and illustrators. The entire book consists of only 3 colors, black, orange, and white. Each one of the authors of each story have multiple books published and many are a series of books. At the back of the book is a section about each of the authors, along with a caricature-like drawing of each of the authors. There is also a page where the reader can learn to draw, Betty, is one of the characters in one of the stories. I would recommend Comic Squad-Lunch, which is another book that consists of similar characters and story lines.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Landy, D. (2007). Skulduggery Pleasant. New York: HarperCollins.

The central figures in this novel are Skulduggery Pleasant, a “living” skeleton who is a detective and a 12 year old girl named Stephanie Edgley who renames herself Valkyrie Cain later in the novel. These two characters work together in a series of adventures to try to solve her uncle’s murder and to save the world from doom by an evil character named Serpine. The two main characters meet many magical and mysterious characters who sometimes help and hinder their quest to solve a murder and save the world. The book ends with the two main characters working together in future adventures to solve mysteries and conquer evil. This book, the first in a series of children’s novels, is a supernatural fantasy filled with magic for children. The setting for the book is in Ireland in the mid 20^th century. There’s a central theme of good overcoming evil. The book is organized into sections named for characters or action in that section. The character, Skulduggery Pleasant, a skeleton, is given human characteristics as are other characters. Magic plays a big role in this book. The characters are involved with continual action throughout the book. Solving the mystery of Stephanie’s uncle and defeating an evil character in his quest to destroy all living humans is the central plot of this book. I recommend students reading the entire Skulduggery Pleasant series.

Textbook Assignment #5

Textbook Assignment #5

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni

Giovanni, N., & Collier, B. (2006). Rosa. New York: Scholastic.

This biographical story is about a seamstress named Rosa Parks. Each time she rode the bus she would always have to use the rear door on the back of the bus since that is where blacks were required to sit. However, as she is leaving work one day, there were no seats in that section, so Rosa sat in the neutral section, where black and whites could both sit. The bus driver angrily yelled at Rosa to get up and give him the seat. Rosa stood her ground and refused to move. She was arrested for not giving up her seat. Proud of Rosa, the Women’s Political Council, and NAACP, held a mass meeting to hear Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. announce that colored people should stay off the buses. Colored people marched, in a nonviolent way to protest. A year after Rosa’s arrest, the Supreme Court declared segregation was illegal. The yellow hue given to Rosa’s face is symbolic of the light she shed for so many other African Americans after her. The gentle illustrations of Rosa’s soft, warm facial features provide a feeling of hope to so many that had lost it. The yellow and dark tones on each picture give a sense of optimism and faith during dark desperate times. The last page is an elaborate fold out of the various people Rosa influenced and paved a way towards equality for. Rosa has won the Caldecott Honor award and Coretta Scott King award. Due to the length and vocabulary of the book, I would recommend this book for older elementary children.

Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak

Sendak, M., & Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are. New York: Harper & Row.

This Caldecott Medal winning book is about a young boy, named Max who tends to get into mischief. His mother calls him “wild thing”, which Max doesn’t’ like and snaps back at his mom telling her he will “eat her up”. Mom sends Max to bed without eating, but Max has other ideas. Max starts using his imagination and before he knows it, his room is growing a forest, along with an ocean, and a private boat for Max to sail. Before long he comes to a place where the wild things are. The wild things tried to frighten Max, but it didn’t work. Max was able to frighten the scary looking creatures even though he was smaller than them. They all danced, swung from trees, and had a good time, until Max got lonely and wanted to go home. The end of the story brings Max back to reality, when his mom ends up making supper for him. This classical book brings to life the innocence of children’s playful imaginations, and is a reminder of how vivid they can be. This is a relatively short book, however, the imaginative descriptions detail Max’s journey through his creative imagination. In the middle of the book, there is no text, and only the pictures are given the opportunity to tell the story. The exquisite sketch–like illustrations give the drawings texture and shadowing. The dark sketches and shadowing create an understanding of the magical world Max is in. I recommend this book to young readers because they can relate, as they have used their imaginations throughout their childhood while playing pretend.

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press.
A tiny little fish steals a hat from a big sleeping fish. The little fish keeps swimming, thinking the big fish will not wake up for a long time and notice his hat has been stolen. After the big fish wakes up he notices his hat has been stolen. Little fish is not too worried that he will be caught by big fish, as he carelessly swims through the water. Big fish floats through the water wondering who took his little hat. However, unfortunately for little fish, he tells an honest crab he has taken big fish’s hat. Little fish swims into a thick patch of big, tall plants. Crab points big fish in the direction little fish is hiding. Big fish swims through the plants and back out with his hat. Through the use of the illustrations in the book, in a well thought out way, the literary element of inference is exemplified. At the end of the book, the reader is never told that big fish eats the little fish. However, when big fish comes out of the tall plants, and little fish is nowhere to be found on the page, the reader can infer he was eaten up by big fish. The theme of the story is to never steal, because you will be caught, and not to trust everyone like little fish trusted crab. The illustrations are constructed through the use of watercolors, which are made to look like stamps. I would recommend this book to any English/ Language Arts teacher that is teaching the literary element of inference.

The Watsons Go to Birmingham- 1963 by Christopher P. Curtis

Curtis, C. P. (1995). The Watsons go to Birmingham--1963. New York: Delacorte Press.

The Watson’s are a close knit family consisting of mom, dad, Byron- a sixth grader, Kenny-a fourth grader, and Joetta-a Kindergartner, that live in Flint, Michigan. The book is told through Kenny’s perspective. His brother, Bryon, and Byron’s friends are bullies at school, and make fun of Kenny. Byron is mischievous and sets objects on fire, gets into fights, and changes his hair style without permission. After dying his hair, his parents were fed up with his behavior, and decided it was best he live with his grandma in Alabama. Grandma Sands is a tough, old lady who can straighten out Bryon. Once in Birmingham, several scary, life threatening incidents happen with Joetta and Kenny, where Bryon shows maturity, and is there to help and save them. Through these events, Bryon’s parents realize he has matured and they all head back to Michigan. This book gives reader’s a better understand of what life was like for Americans back in 1963. The detailed description of the setting and various situations that are taking place, allows the reader to feel as if they are part of the book. The adventurous and humorous text keeps the readers engaged and wanting to read more. The plot of the book allows readers to connect autobiographically with the different characters, and reminds the reader of their childhood, and the struggles of raising children. If a reader enjoys a humorous book about a loving family then they will appreciate the book, “Crossover”, by Kwame Alexander. 

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

Gaiman, N., & McKean, D. (2008). The graveyard book. New York: HarperCollins Pub.
This is a book about a young boy, Nobody Owens (Bod), growing up in a graveyard and being raised by the dead who are buried there. Initially the toddler boy wandered there after his family was killed by Jack Frost, a member of an evil brotherhood. Throughout the book, Jack’s goal is to find Bod and kill him. Mr. and Mrs. Owens, ghosts in the graveyard, “adopt” Bod, and Silas is his guardian. All the dead in the graveyard help Bod to grow up, giving him guidance and advice. They help rescue him when he is in danger and provide opportunities for him to grow. The graveyard is his home and he is cautioned not to leave it. Bod leaves the graveyard on several adventures, but returns as these adventures usually end badly for him. In the end, Bod grows up and leaves the graveyard after killing Jack and other members of the brotherhood. Bod sets out to make a life among the living. This book is an older child’s supernatural fantasy that creates suspense, excitement, and other strong emotions in the reader. The story is also about a young boy growing up and changing into a young man. The novel is set in an old graveyard in England. There are references to modern day things like computers and cell phones, but the setting is happening in Victorian times. Characters like ghosts, vampires, and werewolves that are often thought of as being evil and scary, are portrayed as kind, protective, and caring. A narrator tells this story (third person) and seems to be able to tell what the characters are thinking and planning. The narrator makes the reader “read between the lines” to become aware of who and what the characters are. There is a conflict between good and evil in the novel and good wins out over evil. The illustrations in the book add to the suspense and feelings that a young person might feel when visualizing a graveyard. The end of the book reveals that there comes a time when young people need to leave behind their youth and move on to the next phase of life which is becoming an adult and experiencing new things in the world. I would recommend “Coraline”, by Neil Gaiman, because it would complement the fantasy theme of “The Graveyard Book”.

The Crossover by Kwame Alexander

Alexander, K. (2014). The crossover. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Josh, and his twin brother, Jordan, are African American kids who love the game of basketball. Their mom is the middle school principal, and their dad is a former pro basketball star. The boys love playing basketball and learning the game from their father. As the twins navigate middle school, Josh become increasingly jealous of Jordan because Jordan gets a girlfriend. Josh, who’s very close with his father, is upset Jordan isn’t spending as much time with them. Josh starts showing his aggression by hurting Jordan during a basketball game. Throughout the book, their dad, Chuck, has health issues and refuses to seek help. While playing basketball with Josh, his dad has a major heart attack and dies at the hospital. It is then Josh realizes that no matter what Jordan will always be there for him, and that family is the most important thing in life. The way the author uses rhythm, rhyme, bold, and italicized words gives emphasis to the reader’s emotions. The mood and tone are set by the poetic format of the text. At first glance the reader is likely to think the book is fun and easy to read. The vivid adjectives and verbs help create elaborate images in the reader’s mind. The plot which is about a young boy’s love of family and basketball, is written to make the reader feel emotionally connected to the characters in the book. This book might be of interest to people who love basketball, and heartwarming stories about family.

Rules by Cynthia Lord

Lord, C. (2006). Rules. New York: Scholastic Press.
Catherine, an adorable 12-year old girl, has an autistic younger brother named David. She feels that their family life revolves around David and all of his special needs. Her father works long hours and is not home much to spend time with them. Her mother expects her to babysit for David and include him in activities with her friends. Though Catherine obviously loves David, she honestly tells funny stories of how he frustrates and embarrasses her. She often says that she wishes he was normal. She even refers to him as a rotten apple—looks nice on the outside, but brown and mushy on the inside. Catherine creates and enforces rules for David to follow that will make him fit into a normal world. During summer break, Catherine makes friends with a paraplegic boy named Jason. They met during one of her trips with David to the Occupational Therapist. Being an artist, Catherine creates word cards for Jason to use as a way of communicating. Also, she makes friends with her new neighbor, Kristi. Catherine is sure Kristi’s friendship will be the best thing ever. But, in a strange twist of fate, she realizes that true friendship is not a result of what is considered to be normal. In this book, 12-year old Catherine tells a humorous and touching story of life with an autistic brother. The stories are very real and something that other children living in similar situations can relate to. Her descriptions are very vivid and accurate and make you feel a part of her life. For being such a young girl, she offers much insight into the real-life struggles of children with autism. You make an immediate connection with her and want to be on her side throughout the book. She understands the need for people to follow the rules of society. But, she also realizes that some rules can be broken, such as her rule, “never dance in public”. She draws in the audience, often with her thoughts instead of words, and makes you feel sympathetic towards her at times, but also supportive of the mature decisions she makes. All of the stories she tells, lead up to the ending. It is not until the end that Catherine’s real character is revealed through her friendship with Jason. You are left to make your own decision about how her friendship with Kristi develops. Here is a book trailer about “Rules” I recommend watching, to get a further idea of what the story is about: https://youtu.be/2V3U5eNXIyQ .

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon Hale

Hale, S., Hale, D., & Hale, N. (2008). Rapunzel's revenge. New York, NY: Bloomsbury.
Rapunzel, the protagonist, is curious about what’s behind a wall in her mother’s garden, and is repeatedly told not to go beyond the wall. Her mother’s name is Gothel and is also the antagonists in the story. She scales the wall anyway and realizes behind it is a city of slaves. She starts up a conversation with a young lady, and realizes Rapunzel is the daughter stolen from her by Mother Gothel. Appalled, Rapunzel confronts her mother, but since she disobeyed, Mother Gothel orders Rapunzel to live in a tree tower. After being enslaved in the tower for many years, Rapunzel’s hair grows long, and decides to use it as a lasso to get herself out. After freeing herself, Rapunzel meets Jack, and convinces him to help save her mom and get revenge on Mother Gothel. Rapunzel and Jack are approached by many characters, each having their own set of problems, needing to be tackled, because of Mother Gothel’s terror. They encounter and defend a rampaging boar, a group of kidnappers, hungry coyotes, and a ferocious sea serpent. They hatch a plan to defeat Mother Gothel and save Rapunzel’s real mother. While battling Mother Gothel, it is revealed Brute, her brainwashed servant, was also stolen from his mom like Rapunzel. Bruce ends up helping Jack and Rapunzel defeat Mother Gothel, and her mom is rescued. This graphic novel provides a new twist to the classic fairytale Rapunzel, which is given a Wild West flare. There are two types of narrations in the graphic novel. Rapunzel is telling the story through first person, and direct conversation with the characters through the speech bubbles. The humorous and sarcastic tone of the dialogue between the characters keeps the reader engaged and thirsting for more. Mother G cutting Rapunzel’s hairs is symbolic because it shows a new beginning and start in life for her. Both the graphics, direct dialogue and narration are necessary for the reader to get the full understanding of the novel. The fable, Goose and Golden Egg, and the fairytale, Jack and the Bean Stalk, are both depicted throughout the novel. Here is a book trailer about “Rapunzel's Revenge” I recommend watching, to get a further idea of what the story is about: https://youtu.be/Q4_Slu5J67M.

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper

Draper, S. M. (2010). Out of my mind. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers.
Melody is an eleven year old with Cerebral Palsy. The teachers and students at school think she is incapable of completing the same assignments as “regular” students. Her family, school aide, Catherine, and Mrs. V., her neighbor, know she’s as smart as everyone else. Melody discovers a device that can talk for her. This device opens up the world for Melody. Teachers and classmates realize she’s as smart as them. Melody enters a quiz competition and wins. She gets to be on the team with her classmates that travel to Washington D.C. for the quiz championship competition. When Melody and her family get to the airport, they learn the flight was cancelled, however, everyone on the team was able to get an earlier flight. The team did not tell Melody, which hurt her feelings. The team loses in the national competition, and when Melody and the class get back to school, the conflict is resolved when the class apologizes for what they did. The way the author uses such vivid conversion from the main character, Melody, significantly helps the reader get a clearer understanding of the vast struggles people with disabilities encounter. Based on the way the author expresses Melody’s emotions, the reader can begin to empathize with the way Melody feels about her disability. Because the setting is mainly based in the classroom and at Melody’s school, it makes the story more realistic and relatable for the reader. Because the point of view of the story is told by the main character, Melody, the story is more realistic, and the reader feels more connected to Melody. If readers enjoyed reading about how people with disabilities overcome life’s obstacles, then they will love the book, “Colin Fischer” by Ashley Edward Miller and Zack Stentz. This book follows a boy with autism and how he struggles to prove a fellow classmate’s innocence.

Mirror, Mirror by Marilyn Singer

Singer, M., & Masse, J. (2010). Mirror mirror: A book of reverso poems. New York, NY: Dutton Children's Books.
This savvy fun-loving book gives a new twist to classic fairytales in poem form. Children will love the mirrored text and pictures of each poem such as Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Snow White, and many more. The clever literature demonstrates that there are two sides to every story. On one side of the page is a full page of brilliant artwork. While the illustrations on the page are opposite, the illustrator still managed to keep the picture look as if it was one flowing picture. On the reverse side of the page are the two poems that have contradicting viewpoints. The two poems are written exactly the same, but in reverse order; only changing the necessary mechanics, which represents the literary element reverso. In each familiar fairytale; the opposing poems are the reversal of each other. The abstract, reverse illustrations give an artistic spin to the well-known fairytale. Many archetypes and motifs are represented in this book including Little Red Riding Hood and the mirror on the wall in Snow White. On each poem page is a picture that represents a meaningful objects in the poems. Each poem is titled in a silly and clever way. This book would be a great book for writing teachers who want students to be able to write about opposing view-points.

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach by Carmen Deedy

Deedy, C. A., & Austin, M. (2007). Martina, the beautiful cockroach: A Cuban folktale. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree.
Martina the Beautiful Cockroach is a story based on a Cuban folklore. Martina is a beautiful cockroach who lives in a street lamp with her family. Since she turned 21 days old, it was time for her to give her “leg” in marriage. Because she was so beautiful, she had many suitors competing for her. Everyone in the family had advice for her to help her choose a husband. But, it was her grandmother’s surprising advice that proves to be the most useful. Her grandmother said to give each suitor the “coffee test”. This meant that Martina should spill coffee on the suitor and see how he reacts when angry. This test saved her several times from choosing the wrong husband. She eventually met a potential husband, a mouse with poor eyesight. To her surprise, he performed the “coffee test” on her first. He, too, had a Cuban grandmother. They knew this would be the perfect union. The title of this book is an oxymoron. How could a cockroach be beautiful? The vividly colored full-page illustrations make the cockroach and the other creatures actually appear beautiful. The warm hue of the illustrations give you a cozy and outdoor feeling. The illustrations give the characters a strong personality through their facial expressions and their exaggerated gestures. Throughout the book, Spanish words are used to complete the Cuban setting. The clever phrases used throughout the book give the book a whimsical mood. These phrases play on common ideas that relate to the different characters. For example, “the cockroach is going to give her leg in marriage” and “the pig is quite a ham” illustrate this concept. There are two important lessons that can be learned from this story. One is that grandmothers can be very wise. The other lesson is that it does not matter what you look like on the outside, it’s what is on the inside that counts. I would recommend “The Library Dragon” by the same author Carmen Agra Deedy.

Magic Windows by Carmen Lomas Garza

Garza, C. L., Rohmer, H., & Schecter, D. (1999). Magic windows. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

Throughout the nonfiction book, the author, who is also the illustrator, reminisces about happy times with her family, and different animals that were significant to her Hispanic culture during her childhood. For example, in one story the author talks about the cut-out she created of her mom rolling tortillas and why they are an important piece in cooking in the Hispanic culture, and her life. The author’s mom always made flour tortillas, which were her favorite. She loved watching her mom cook, sew and do artwork. She was captivated by everything her mom did. Each picture is designed to look as if the reader is looking through windows of various scenes, described in the text, throughout the author’ life. The author uses cut-out paper to create the intricate paper artwork. Each picture is accompanied with a story that explains how the author came up with the idea of the picture and what the picture depicts. The colors used in the book are a symbolization of the Hispanic culture. This bilingual book is in both English and Spanish and the illustrations portray cultural diversity and family bonds. In 2000, Magic Windows won the Pura Belpre Illustrator award. I would recommend this to an art teacher who is teaching a unit on cut-out paper artwork.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola

DePaola, T. (1996). The legend of the bluebonnet: An old tale of Texas. New York: Penguin Putnam Books for Young Readers.

She-Who-Is-Alone is a young, Comanche girl living in a tribe were there had been no rain. Drought had stricken the people because they had not given back to the land. After much sadness and death, Great Spirit informs shaman, who informs the tribe, the only way the earth and people would be restored is if a beloved possession was sacrificed. She-Who-Is-Alone knew in her heart it was her doll that had to be sacrificed. The drought had killed her mom, dad, and grandparents. The extraordinary doll was created by her mom, and her dad had given the doll blue feathers. When the tribe fell asleep she lit a fire and asked the Great Spirits to accept her sentimental doll, which she quickly tossed in the fire. The next morning, the land was covered with beautiful bluebonnets, green grass, and a rain cloud dumping water amongst the land. The tribe was forever grateful for the girl they now call, One-Who-Dearly-Loved-Her-People. The bright pop of blue from the bluebonnets, against the earthy tones, allow the illustrations of the bluebonnets to enhance the setting and storyline. The legend of the bluebonnet is a folktale which has been told for many years. The rustic color tones and shading give the illustrations a vintage, yet authentic feel. After She-Who-Is-Alone gives insight into why and how much she loves and cherishes her doll, the shaman informs the tribe they must sacrifice a valued possession, which foreshadows, of whose possession might be sacrificed. I would recommend this to early elementary teachers to use as an introduction when teaching about Texas and our state flower.

It's a Book by Lane Smith

Smith, L. (2010). It's a book. New York: Roaring Brook Press.

This innocent natured book is about a monkey who is reading a book, and a jackass who is using a computer while inquiring what monkey is looking at in his hand. Because of this day and age in technology, Jackass does not understand what a book is, and believes Monkey’s book should have all the various functions and hardware that a computer would have such as passwords, Wi-Fi, and a mouse to scroll down. Towards the end of the book Monkey gets tired of Jackass continuing to pester him about what a book can and cannot do. After allowing Jackass to inspect what a book is, Jackass begins to read the books and enjoys it; not giving it back to Monkey. As Monkey heads to the library, assuming to get a book, Jackass makes a silly joke about charging up Monkey’s book while he is away. Throughout the book there is a mouse that hangs out under Monkey’s hat. The subtle humor captivates the audience as they wonder what smarty comment jackass is going to make. The simple but effective illustrations help move the story along and provide an additional facet of how the story is portrayed. The book is an educational tool that displays how times have changed in the world from pen and paper to the ever growing technology curve. The enchanting illustrations provide a glimpse into the vast emotions of each character in the book. The reader can make the assumption that Monkey’s head is bigger to the endless amount of knowledge he has obtained through reading books. This would be a great to book for librarians to use when introducing the library at the beginning of the year.

How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg

Bragg, G., & O'Malley, K. (2011). How they croaked: The awful ends of the awfully famous. New York: Walker &Company.

This book by, Georgia Bragg, gives the reader a very descriptive and gory view of how ancient famous people died miserable deaths. The books gives a look into the sad lives of King Tut, Pocahontas, Charles Dickens, and many others. Each section focuses on one particular character in the book. The sections start off with a brief overview of why the person was famous. At the end of each, piece the author provides various facts about the person, and further information about the objects or “antidotes” that killed them. It is fascinating to learn Pocahontas was captured by English men, and taken to London where it was filthy and littered with animal and human waste. She started to develop a cough, and after receiving no medical help, she tragically died of either tuberculosis or pneumonia. The tone enhances the mood of the book by using dry and humorous text.  By using pictures of skulls, cross bones, tombstones, and black birds, the illustrator continues to play up the feeling of death.  The font of the dreary looking text in the heading, and the facial expression of the oblivious characters continues to carry out the theme of darkness and impending tragedy. The black and white sketches and lack of color give a sense of gloom and doom. Illustrations on the first page of each section foreshadow what is written about the famous person. This book would be ideal for anyone who loves reading about history, or enjoys humorous and dreary books.

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Bartoletti, S. C. (2005). Hitler Youth: Growing up in Hitler's shadow. New York: Scholastic Nonfiction.

This book follows and shares true stories of personal accounts of the children who grew up in Nazi Germany times. The children contributed willingly, and under strict obedience, to the Fuhur and the Fatherland, Adolf Hitter. German children were extremely radicalized under Hitler’s command that they would turn in their own parents if they did not follow the Nazi culture and order. Not only were boys trained and served under Hitler’s reign of power, but little girls and young women shadowed the same guidelines and strict obedience for becoming the future of Germany. The young women and girls were in groups called Junmadel and Bund Deutschermadel. Each story is told in chronological order and follows the timeline of the year leading up to World War II and beyond. Every photo connected to a description that explains what is taking place in the picture. The authentic black and white photos reveal the raw emotions these young children were experiencing. The detail and candid accounts transport the reader back to a time of war, hate, and death. The author provides a table of contents, a picture and description of each of the children mentioned in the book, a forward to the story, an epilogue, timeline in years, author’s note, information about the photographs, quotes sources, and an index. This book has won the Newberry Honor award and the Robert Sibert Honor award. I would recommend this book to upper elementary History teachers.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! by Laura Amy Schlitz

Schlitz, L. A., & Byrd, R. (2011). Good masters! Sweet Ladies!: Voices from a medieval village. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.

This book was written by Laura Amy Schlitz for children in her school to perform in a school play. The book contains seventeen individual poems, dialogues, and monologues that are performed by children representing different children characters that might be found in a medieval village. There are several passages of background information for readers to better understand what it was like to live in medieval times in an English village. Each character tells his or her story of what their life was like at that time. Specific life experiences are told by each character in the different literary forms. All the characters range from about ten to fifteen years of age. The author explains in the forward of the book that her 5^th grade students were studying the Middle Ages. The students wanted to do a play, so the author wrote poems, monologues, and dialogues for them to perform. The characters verbalized what struggles and hardships they faced in their daily lives growing up in a medieval village. The stories the characters told were very emotional and passionate. The setting of the stories was in England in a rural manor in 1255. The author includes some of the historical background information and vocabulary used in the book at various points. This information helps the reader to have a deeper understanding of what the characters are explaining in their personal narratives. The illustrations in the book were excellent and added more emotion to the book. This book would be good to use in conjunction with the study of historical medieval times.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid. New York: Amulet Books. 

This fun-loving diary is about Greg Heffley’s journey through middle school as he encounters typical situations a middle school student might run into. Greg, the main character and protagonists, chronicles each situation in his journal in hopes that one day when he is famous he won’t have to put up with any baloney from anyone. Greg has to figure out how to overcome and deal with “low intelligent” friends, hanging out with girls, dealing with his annoying older brother, Rodrick, and his younger brother, Manny. Greg’s best friend is Rowley, but Greg tends to be annoyed with Rowley throughout most of the story. However, there’s a problem, as Rowley’s popularity rises and Greg gets upset and does mischievous things to try and make Rowley jealous. Towards the end of the book, after being tormented by a group of teenagers, Greg and Rowley realize they do care for each other. Greg even covers for Rowley when everyone discovers the missing cheese on the playground. This hilarious novel is written in the format of cartoons. The author’s use of silly text and illustrations allows the reader to relate to problems the characters in the story face in middle school. Jeff Kinney, the illustrator and author, uses unrealistic facial features of the characters to enhance the humorous plot. The facial features in the illustrations of each character also give a glimpse into the character’s personality. There are also many thinking clouds within the illustrations so the reader can grasp a better understand of how the character is feeling and thinking at the moment in the story.  This book is the first out of a serious of Diary of a Wimpy kid series. If a reader likes comical and witty books, then The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is a must read.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary

Cleary, B., & Zelinsky, P. O. (1983). Dear Mr. Henshaw. New York: W. Morrow.

Leigh Botts, the protagonist, is a boy in the second grade who loves to write letters to his favorite author, Boyd Henshaw, until he reaches the sixth grade. In his letters to Mr. Henshaw, Leigh expresses many concerns he is dealing with, such as, his parent’s divorce, moving to a new town, people stealing his lunch, and his rocky relationship with his undependable dad. Leigh and Mr. Henshaw start to form a relationship. Mr. Henshaw encourages Leigh to put his thoughts down in a diary. As he puts his thoughts down in a diary to Mr. Pretend Henshaw, Leigh starts to discover and accept that there are some things he can never change. For example, he cannot change the fact that his parents will never remarry, his dad will always be unreliable, and students in his class will be mean. This book is the first children’s book to talk about divorce. It shows one of the reasons why it is important to share literature with children. “Dear Mr. Henshaw” can help readers see there are people with similar life circumstances, such as divorce, and can relate to Leigh Botts and the struggle he goes through with his parents divorcing. The entire book is written in letter and diary format. Because of the way the book is formatted, it helps draw the reader in, and acquire a better visualization of the emotions Leigh Botts is feeling. If readers enjoyed the relatable book, “Dear Mr. Henshaw”, then they will also enjoy other books by the same author, Beverly Cleary.  Beverly Cleary wrote books that young adults can relate to because of the similar situations her characters are going through. 

A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems

Willems, M. (2013). A big guy took my ball! New York: Hyperion Books for Children.
Little piggie found a little ball to play with, but, unfortunately, a big guy took his ball. Upset, piggie runs and tells his friend Gerald, the elephant. Gerald is not happy someone took piggie's ball, and vows to get it. Quickly, he becomes shocked and stunned when he finds out a big whale has piggie's ball. Gerald returns to piggie informing him he didn't get the ball back. He is abruptly interrupted by a big whale, thanking them for finding his ball. However, big whale is sad proclaiming he has no one to play with. Gerald and piggie feel sorry and ask him to play whale ball, a game they thought of right on the spot. Ecstatic, whale joins them in their new game. By only using three characters throughout the story, young children are able to comprehend and internalize what the story is about. The large text size is geared towards the intellectual maturity of early readers. The simplicity of the illustrations are befitting to the intended audience of beginning readers. Through the use of dialogue, the author makes it easy to follow the story line. The illustrations of each character depict the authentic size and shape of each animal. By using a pig, whale, and elephant as the illustrations, the new reader is able to connect to the story with easily identifiable animals. The innocent natured book encompasses the true essence of what friendship is all about. I would recommend this the entire series, by Mo Willems, of elephant and piggie, to young readers.

Frogs by Nic Bishop

Bishop, N. (2008). Nic Bishop frogs. New York, NY: Scholastic.
This is a nonfiction book is about frogs. It details frogs of different regions of the world, their habitats, physiology, life cycle, and appetite. The book explains specific and interesting defense mechanisms used by frogs, such as the strawberry poison dart frog, which has a very toxic poison which it secretes out its skin. An interesting fact described in the book is that frogs have see-through eye lids. The book provides detailed text that highlights interesting facts, by using different colored font, accompanied with brilliantly colored photographs. When talking about a certain fact about the frog, there is a picture to go along with what the fact it is talking about. The pictures show the vibrant colors, sizes, shapes and other unique characters of each frog, which help the reader get an up close and personal look of what the frog looks like. The high definition real-life pictures bring a whole new dimension of description and describes in pictures what the author is conveying in the text. The background color of each page is composed of nature-like colors. The end of the book offers an index, glossary, and background information about the author, who is also the photographer. This would be a useful read aloud book for science teachers when starting a frog or life cycle unit.

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