Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed - series study

Author - Stan & Jan Berenstain
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Random House, 1986.
Page #'s - 31
Rating - 4.5/5

Berenstain Bears No Girls Allowed is a book about sharing and good sportsmanship. Sister Bear always hung out with Brother Bear's friends. At first, she couldn't keep up. But soon, she was climbing higher and running faster than the boys. She had bad sportsmanship when she won too. Soon the boys decided to start a boy's club. It hurt sister's feelings, but with the help of Pa, she built a girl's club. She realized how she had been acting and the girls had a cookout to invite the boys over. The boys then welcomed the girls to their club too.

This story is fun because of the great pictures. The boy's club is very cool with a drawbridge and the girl's club is cool too up in a tree. I think this book would make children want to build a treehouse or make a club. It has good themes like how to show good sportsmanship and sharing. I would recommend this book and all of the Berenstain Bears' Books.

Berenstain Bears Go to School - series study

Author - Stan & Jan Berenstain
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Random House, 1978.
Page #'s - 31
Rating - 4.5/5

Berenstain Bears Go To School is a story about the first day of Kindergarten. Sister Bear is starting school and is very nervous. She goes with Mama Bear to meet the teacher and see her classroom. She saw all the fun things she will get to do. She ended up having a great first day and she knew that school was going to be fun after all.

The Berenstain Bears book series are great books for first time events. Going to school can be very scary for little children and I remember reading this book before my first day of school. It shows all the fun things that you do and makes it seem less scary. I definitely recommend this book for children about to start school. The pictures are colorful and detailed as well.

Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room - series study

Author - Stan & Jan Berenstain
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Random House, 1983.
Page #'s - 31
Rating - 5/5

Berenstain Bears and the Messy Room is a tale about cleaning and organization. The Bears had a very clean house, even their basement. But Brother and Sister Bear's room was a mess. They would always fight about the mess and Mama Bear would end up cleaning. She got fed up one day and brought in a big trash bag. Papa Bear stepped in and decided to help build them some organizational furniture and get the room cleaned up. In the end, the room looked great and everyone felt better.

This is my favorite Bearenstain Bears' book. I have always been a clean freak and loved how the room turned out in the end. After reading this book, I would always want to organize my room. If it has anything near the effect that it had on me, on others, than I think this book is great for children with messy rooms. They can get some ideas to organize and understand how it makes you feel better to have a clean room.

The Problem with Chickens- digital text

Author - Bruce McMillan
Illustrator - Gunnella
Publisher - Houghton Mifflin Books, 2005.
Page #'s - 32
Rating - 3.5/5

The Problem with Chickens is a picture book that can be found on the PBS kids website. The book is read to you and shown in a video screen. The pictures are made more animated on the video. They are also zoomed in on and out. The text on each page is highlighted as the reader tells the story. This particular story is about how some chickens begin to act too much like ladies. The ladies of the village have to trick the chickens so they will lay eggs again.

This format of storytelling is a great alternative to a traditional book. It is great because the book is read to you and highlighted as it is read. The pictures also become a little more fun because they are slightly animated. The downfall is that you do not have the book in your hands, and you have to stare at a computer screen. The PBS website does not allow the video to become very large either, and it is a little difficult to see. I would recommend this type of literature to be mixed in with traditional reading. The story was cute, though I would have liked to see it larger.

Arthur Meets the President - lesson plan

Author - Marc Brown
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Little, Brown, and Company, 1991.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 4/5

Arthur Meets the President is one of the Arthur Adventure Series. This book deals with the president and the capital. Students are asked to write reports and Arthur wins the contest and a trip with his class to meet the President in Washington DC. The class takes a tour and sees some famous buildings. Arthur gives his speech and gets nervous, but D.W. is a great friend and hangs from a tree to hold up a cue card. Everyone laughs because it is upside down.

This is a great educational resource about the Capital and Washington DC. It gives a brief tour of famous buildings and talks about the capital building. The tale also has themes like Arthur getting nervous and his friends helping out. It is a fun, informative book.

The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown - realistic fiction (intermediate)

Author - Betsy Byars
Illustrator - Cathy Bobak
Publisher - Puffin Books, 1990.
Page #'s - 166
Rating - 4/5

The Burning Questions of Bingo Brown is the tale of a boy in sixth grade. Bingo is in love with three girls and sits behind the class bully, Billy, who is moving in next door. His mother always says that everything revolves around him but his teacher starts to act funny and he starts paying a lot more attention to others. His teacher, Mr. Mark, assigns them to write in journals and throughout the book, Bingo asks all of his questions about life. Mr. Mark gets into a car accident and Bingo finds himself getting much more involved then he would like.

The tale is laugh-out-loud funny. Bingo gets in many everyday situations that are both relatable and hilarious. For example, his teacher asks the class to write papers to his girlfriend so she will not break up with him. It is a ridiculous and fun story to read. I think that middle school children and adults can both enjoy this book.

Coral Reefs - nonfiction informational book

Author - Gail Gibbons
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Holiday House, 2007
Page #'s - 32
Rating - 4.5/5

Coral Reefs is a picture book reference guide about coral reefs. It discusses where coral reefs are found, the three kinds, how they grow, the colonies, daytime and nighttime coral reefs, and the Great Barrier Reef. It also goes on to talk about scuba diving and museums in relation to coral reefs. It has maps, watercolor drawings with labels of fish and plants, definitions, and short paragraphs on each page.

This is a really well done informational book. It is bright and colorful and really attracts your attention. The watercolor drawings are beautiful and each page could individually be hung as art. Each page is also loaded with information. This book could be referenced by children and adults. It is told simply, but also has a lot of information.

What's Eating You? - nonfiction informational book

Author - Nicola Davies
Illustrator - Neal Layton
Publisher - Candlewick Press, 2007.
Page #'s - 59
Rating - 4/5

What's Eating You?: Parasites- The Inside Story is an informational book about parasites. It is filled with sixty pages of information and diagrams. It tells how, where, and why parasites live. It displays how parasites such as ticks and lice attack. It has a diagram of a week in the life of a tick and includes a board game about the life cycle of a tapeworm. It also goes into how to defend oneself against parasites.

This book is gross and very funny. I can see parents getting grossed out, and children loving it. The little bugs are always making funny comments. Every page is unique. Every other page is full of writing that may be a bit much for younger children to get through, but the pictures do a good job of explaining the material. This is a really fun book about a gross topic.

Runaway Ralph - author study

Author - Beverly Cleary
Illustrator - Louis Darling
Publisher - Scholastic, 1970.
Page #'s - 175
Rating - 3/5

Runaway Ralph is a tale of a mouse that runs away from home. He gets into all kinds of adventures. He escapes on a motorcycle that a young boy gave to him at the hotel that Ralph and his family lives. He goes to a nearby summer camp. He runs into cats, dogs, gophers, and medium sized boys and girls. He gets caught and put in a cage. At this point, he has had enough and wants to go home. Ralph works with one of the boys, Garf, and they do each other a favor and Ralph gets to go home.

This tale was not my favorite Beverly Cleary story. It took me a while to get through it even though it is a short book with large print. It is full of adventure, but it was not the kind that I couldn't put the book down for. I may have liked this book when I was younger, but not as an adult. It has a good message though, appreciate what you have and do not run away from your problems.

Dear Mr. Henshaw - author study

Author - Beverly Cleary
Illustrated - Paul O. Zelinsky
Publisher - Dell, 1983.
Page #'s - 134
Rating - 3.5/5

Dear Mr. Henshaw is a tale of a young boy who writes to is favorite author, Mr. Henshaw. The story is mostly told through the main character, Leigh, and his letters or journal entries. We come to find that Leigh is struggling with issues like divorce, having no friends, wanting to be an author, missing his father, and his lunch always getting stolen. Through the course of the tale, many of the issues are resolved and Leigh even becomes a better writer.

The tale was interesting in how it was delivered. The letters were always written by Leigh and you find out the reactions of Mr. Henshaw through Leigh's responses. It is a touching story of acceptance and survival at a new school. It is also quite humorous.

The Very Lonely Firefly - illustrator study

Author - Eric Carle
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Penguin Books, 1995.
Page #'s - 24
Rating - 4/5

The Very Lonely Firefly is a tale of a firefly who is looking for other fireflies. It keeps seeing lights, but they are just candles, flashlights, car headlights, or reflections of other animal's eyes. Finally the firefly finds a group of fireflies and is not lonely anymore.

The book has beautiful drawings with a very simple storyline. This book is for very young children like most of Eric Carle's work. In the end of the book, the firefly finds a group of fireflies and they actually light up by battery power. It is a very cool idea and I can see that feature alone really attracting children to the book.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar - illustrator study

Author - Eric Carle
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Penguin Books, 1969.
Page #'s - 20
Rating - 5/5

The Very Hungry Caterpillar is the tale of a caterpillar that turns into a butterfly. It is born very hungry and eats all week. Once it is hungry no more, the caterpillar builds a cocoon around itself. He then turns into a beautiful butterfly.

This is one of Eric Carle's most famous books. The image of the caterpillar is one of the most recognizable in children's literature. The beautiful watercolor colages in contrast with the white background makes for a wonderful picture book. The story is great too, because it tells how a butterfly is made. Every child should be read this book.

Paul Bunyon - tradtional literature - tall tale

Author - Steven Kellogg
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Morrow Junior Books, 1984.
Page #'s - 40
Rating - 4.5/5

Paul Bunyon was born a large baby and only got larger. He saved an ox and named it Babe. It grew huge with Paul. They traveled across the country as lumberjacks. This tall tale includes Paul Bunyon making the Grand Canyon and digging up the Great Lakes. He could always solve all the problems. For example, if they did not have enough food, he would make a giant pancake machine. They finally ended up in Alaska in the untouched wilderness.

Steven Kellog's version of Paul Bunyon is fun, colorful, and creative. Kellog's pictures are beyond detailed. His watercolors are so beautiful and colorful. He then adds ink hatching over to create such detail and shadows. His pictures are one of a kind. The story is definitely a tall tale with the most ridiculous situations. This is the best version of Paul Bunyon that I have ever read.

Mister Seahorse - illustrator study

Author - Eric Carle
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Penguin Books, 2004.
Page #'s - 29
Rating - 3/5

Mister Seahorse is the tale about fatherhood. It starts off with Mr. and Mrs Seahorse getting ready to have their babies. Mr. Seahorse keeps the eggs safe in his pouch. He goes for a swim and runs into a bunch of other father fish looking after their babies. In the end, the seahorses have their own babies.

The book won a Laura Ingalls Wilder Award for the artwork. The watercolor fish are beautiful. There are also clear sheets with color on them that hide the fish behind. This is another feature that Eric Carle has done to make his work more interesting, interactive, and more creative. The book is a great story about how fatherhood is important. It was a very basic storyline and I find the writing a little bit plain. Otherwise, a very fun book.

The Hero and the Minotaur - mythological tale

Author - Robert Byrd
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Dutton Children's Books, 2005.
Page #'s - 40
Rating - 3/5

The Hero and the Minotaur is a mythological tale of adventure. Theseus grows up a brave and strong boy. He finds some shoes and a sword under a large rock one day. It is a sign that it is time for him to go meet his father, King Ageus. He his clever and beats many traps on the way. He is then sent to end the tradition of the yearly sacrifice to King Minos. He has many adventures and kills the Minotaur and frees the sacrificed people and the Kings daughter.

This tale is very confusing. I had to keep going back to see who was who. There are lots of characters that come in for a short time and a lot of plot in a short story. It is obvious that this is a long tale that the author tried to make into a short picture book. But beyond that, it is very exciting. It also has wonderful full page color pictures. This book could be enjoyable if you just look at the pictures and do not worry about the plot so much.

How to Eat Fried Worms - banned or challenged book

Author - Thomas Rockwell
Illustrator - Emily McCully
Publisher - Yearling, 1973.
Page #'s - 127
Rating - 2.5/5

How to Eat Fried Worms has been a banned book. It is the story of four young boys and a bet. One boy, Alan, bets his friend, Billy, that he cannot eat fifteen worms. Billy slowly begins to eat one worm every day. Alan and his friend, Joe, try to cheat and trick Billy so they will not lose the bet. But Billy always figures it out and somehow manages to get all fifteen worms down and wins the $50 bet in the end.

This was a banned book because people were afraid that the book would encourage children to eat worms or make similar bets as in the story. It is also a very gross book with all the details of the big squirming worms. I read this book as a child and enjoyed it a lot, but I did not care for it so much as an adult. It did not gross me out, but it is just not written that well. I do not agree that it should be banned, it is just a little gross is all.

How Things Were Built - nonfiction informational

Author - David J. Brown
Illustrator - David West
Publisher - Random House, 1991.
Page #'s - 135
Rating - 4.5/5

How Things Were Built is an architectural reference book. It covers sixty famous buildings throughout history. It starts with the Ancient World with structures such as The Great Pyramid, Stonehenge, and the Great Wall of China. Then it moves to the Age of Discovery with structures such as Chartres Catherdral and the Taj Mahal. Next is the New Technology era with stuctures like the Eiffel Tower and the Hoover Dam. Finally, it covers the Modern World with the Pompidou Center and the Channel Tunnel.

This reference guide is a wonderful source. Each building is drawn out and goes into great detail of how it was constructed. It gives a quick history of the building itself as well. There is also a glossary of architecture terms in the back. This is a great picture book refererence for children to learn about famous architecture. I took two years of college architecture classes and I found this book useful, even though it is geared towards children.

Walking to the Creek - realistic fiction (primary)

Author - David Williams
Illustrator - Thomas B. Allen
Publisher - Alfred A. Knopf, 1990.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 4/5

Walking to the Creek is a story of grandchildren visiting their grandparents on the family farm. The young boys and the two farm dogs go on an all day adventure in the country. They watch the pigs, pick tomatoes, play in the river, search for arrowheads, and walk back as the sun is setting beyond the corn.

This tale was written by a local author, David Williams, from Sycamore, Illinois. I may be biased because I have an autographed copy of the book but I really did enjoy it. The story is written in a very descriptive, almost poetic manner. The colored pencil drawings are colorful and the pictures all spill over to the next page. It is a warm family tale that makes a great bedtime story.

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs - modern fantasy (primary)

Author - Judi Barrett
Illustrator - Ron Barrett
Publisher - Macmillan, 1978.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 4.5/5

Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs is a modern fantasy about the town of Chewandswallow. The town gets all its food from the sky. It rains soup, snows mashed potatoes, and has hamburger storms. Everything was great until the weather started to get out of control. Spaghetti flooded the street and a giant pancake engulfed the school. It got so bad that the people sailed to safety on huge pieces of bread.

The concept of this book is creative and fun for children. The art really makes this book though. The ink hatching technique is so detailed that you could stop and look at each picture for ten minutes and still find something new. This is a beautiful and imaginative tale that all should read.

The Josefina Story Quilt - historical fiction (primary)

Author - Eleanor Coerr
Illustrator - Bruce Degen
Publisher - Harper Collins, 1986.
Page #'s - 64
Rating - 3/5

The Josefina Story Quilt takes place during the days of the wagon trains in the mid 1880's. Many families united and headed out west to start a new life. The family in this story had a ma, pa, brother, and sister, Faith. Faith wanted to take her chicken, Josefina, along. Faith was turned down, but finally got her way and Josefina proved to be useful in the end. Along the way, Faith made patches for a quilt to tell her story of the wagon train. Many families had quilts to tell their family history.

This book is not particularly written well and the pictures are not very exciting. They are not very colorful and look old fashioned. It is for younger readers and is quite informative, though. It teaches a little about life in a wagon train and how quilts were so important. The quilts kept girls busy on the long trip, were used for warmth, and told a story almost like a diary. This book is more educational than fun to read.

Meet Kaya: An American Girl - multicultural book

Author - Janet Shaw
Illustrator - Bill Farnsworth
Publisher - Pleasant Company, 2002.
Page #'s - 70
Rating - 3/5

Meet Kaya is the first book in the Kaya American Girl Series. Kaya is a Nez Pierce Indian living in the mid 1700's. Kaya lives in a Nez Pierce village with her large family. She loves to ride her horse, until she gets bucked off. She spends some time taming the horse again. The story tells much about her regular life such as how they got food and prepared it, where they lived, and recreation such as horseback riding and dances. At the back of the book are a few nonfictional pages about the Nez Pierce.

This story is a good way for children to learn a little about the Nez Pierce. Kaya is a very relatable character and many young girls will be able to relate themselves to her. It uses The Nez Pierce language at some points and teaches about their lifestyle. This story is educational, though I did not enjoy it that much because I felt that there was not much plot.

1 2 3: A Child's First Counting Book - counting picture book

Author - Allison Jay
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Dutton Children's Books, 2007.
Page #'s - 32
Rating - 4.5/5

1 2 3: A Child's First Counting Book is a fairy tale themed counting book. It counts up to ten, then back down again. Each page has a different fairy tale and the last page tells which fairy tales apply to each so you can try to identify each. Each page also has colorful full scale paintings with objects that can be physically counted.

This is a fantastic book! The color paintings have a crackled, antique style with warm and inviting colors. There are limited words with big objects to count such as the wolf's teeth or huge golden eggs, which makes this book fun and interactive for young children. It is also helpful that the book counts down from ten as well as up.

The Adventures of Marco Polo - biography

Author - Russell Freedman
Illustrator - Bagram Ibatoulline
Publisher - Arthur A Levine Books, 2006.
Page #'s - 60
Rating - 4.5/5

The Adventures of Marco Polo is a detailed biography of one of the world's most famous travelers. This story is told by the author with the help of quotes from Marco Polos's book, "The Description of the World." It starts off with Marco Polo in his death bed and people are trying to decide if they believe what he has seen. He says he has gone farther than any westerner and saw much of Asia. This biography goes into the details of that travel and proves much of what he said right.

This was a very interesting book about a man that I knew little about other than the "pool game." There are large, yellowed pages with colorful old drawings and paintings from his day. There is a lot of text on each page, so this book is not a fast read, though it is very interesting. In the beginning, the people cannot believe that he saw snakes with legs (alligators), and paper as valuable as gold (paper was rare in Europe at the time). I definitely recommend this book to history buffs and anyone who has played the game "Marco, Polo."

Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau - short biography

Author - Jennifer Berne
Illustrator - Eric Puybaret
Publisher - Chronicle Books, 2008.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 4/5

Manfish is the biography of Jacques Cousteau. It tells of how Jacques was a boy that loved water and was very curious about the sea. He dreamed of breathing under the water. He was very creative and made inventions, drawings, and videos. He invented the aqualung and a waterproof camera. He was able to share what he saw under the sea with millions of people through his videos.

This is a short, poetic, picture book, biography. The pictures are beautiful oil paintings that show the wonders of the sea. The words are few and to the point, though they are written in a lovely poetic style. Sometimes the words are written sideways and the pages unfold. The book is a great educational resource to quickly find out who Jacques Cousteau is. The author's note in the back goes into a little further detail about the "manfish" as well.

The Village of Round and Square Houses - multicultural book

Author - Ann Grifalconi
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Little, Brown and Company, 1986.
Page #'s - 32
Rating - 3.5/5

The Village of Round and Square Houses is the tale of a real village deep in Central Africa. The author was taken there by a homesick member of the village. The village, Tos, is eight hours beyond any road and next to a live volcano. The volcano erupted one day, and everyone ran for their lives. All that remained was a round house and a square house. The people were covered in ash and the Chief told the tall things to go to the square house and round gray things to go to the round house. And that was how it remained in peace. The women live in the round and the men in the square.

This book is an interesting look at a different way of life. This village is so remote and unique, that many people would never get to hear about it, if it were not for this great book. The story and pictures do a great job of showing what everyday life is like in the village. It introduces words in their language as well. The pictures are down with pastels and have a very spiritual style. It also won a Caldecott award for the artwork. This is a great book to teach children about different cultures.

The Frog Princess (version 2) - traditional literature

Author - J. Patrick Lewis
Illustrator - Gennady Spirin
Publisher - Dial Books, 1994.
Page #'s - 32
Rating - 2.5/5

The Frog Princess is a Russian folktale. A tsar has three sons and he asks them to shoot arrows and where ever they land, will be their wives. They find a noblemen's daughter, a wealthy merchant's daughter, and a frog. The wives are challenged to create a robe and a desert. The frog does the best until it is sent off to the Blue Kingdom because of the curse. The son searches far and wide, and with the help of a witch, he breaks the spell and the frog turns into a beautiful princess, Vasilia the Wise. They live happily ever after.

They story is detailed and trails on too long. It is a little confusing and the moral of the story gets lost in the plot. The Russian artwork is very fitting. It is very ornate and majestic with golds and gemtones. This was not my favorite version of the Frog Princess.

The Frog Princess (version 1) - traditional literature

Author - Laura Cecil
Illustrator - Emma Chichester Clark
Publisher - Greenwillow Books, 1994.
Page #'s - 28
Rating - 4/5

The Frog Princess is a fairy tale about a queen and her three sons. The queen wants to pick a King and asks her sons to find the cleverest wife. They all shoot a bow and arrow to find their wives. The last finds a frog. All the women have to meet the Queen's challenges. The frog wins and the youngest prince asks the frog to marry him. That breaks the spell and the youngest prince became King with his new beautiful Queen.

This is a fun version of the fairy tale. This version is told with the perfect balance of detail and simplicity. It has enough story to have some depth and not too much that it confuses the story and the moral. The drawings are full scale color watercolors that really add to the story. The people are not drawn realistically which is fitting for this fun version.

The Surprise - wordless picture book

Author - Sylvia van Ommen
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Front Street & Lemniscaat, 2003.
Page #'s - 23
Rating - 3/5

The Surprise is a wordless picture book about a sheep. The sheep weighs and measures itself and takes a moped ride to purchase some dye. The sheep then dyes itself and shaves off the wool. It then knits it into a sweater for its giraffe friend!

This is a very European book with the moped and a smoking poodle. The sheep is very cute and the idea of it shaving itself to make a sweater for a friend is sweet. I do not particularly like the idea of a book without words, but the story is told well through the pictures.

Museum Shapes - concept picture book

Author - Robie Rogge and the Metropolitan Museum of Art
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Little, Brown, & Company, 2005.
Page #'s - 44
Rating - 4/5

Museum Shapes is a concept book about shapes. It asks you to find shapes in famous artwork from the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The first page asks you to find what shape is the wheel, for example. The second page has the famous artwork with the wheel in it. You turn the page, and there are four more famous pieces of artwork followed by the shape on the next page.

This book is a wonderful book for young children to learn about shapes while becoming familiar with famous artwork. Not only does it show each shape, but it makes you guess each shape from the artwork. I absolutely recommend this book to introduce children to art.

Johnny Appleseed - Single Picture Poem Book

Author - Rosemary and Stephen Vincent Benet
Illustrator - S. D. Schindler
Publisher - Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2001.
Page #'s -25
Rating - 4/5

Johnny Appleseed is a book with one poem and many pictures. The poem tells the story of Johnathon Chapman, aka, Johnny Appleseed. It tells how he went across the Midwest planting apples where ever he could. He did not have a hat, so he wore a tin can. He lived amongst the animals and in the trees. All that is left to remind us of him are his apples trees. An author's note in the back states that he was a real man, though he has been " touched with elements of folk legend."

This tale has a charming poem and is enjoyable to say. The pictures go nicely to tell the story. They look like they are drawn with watercolor and colored pencil for detail. There is a map drawn when it tells of him planting in the Midwest that is helpful for children to learn where he was historically. One page tells of "stalking Indians," which I first though a bit demeaning. But the author's note states that the Indians would have been stalking prey and had respect for Johnny Appleseed. The phrase was used as an "atmospheric touch."

Babymouse: Queen of the World! - graphic novel

Author - Jennifer L and Matthew Holm
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Random House, 2005.
Page #'s - 96
Rating - 3.5/5

Babymouse: Queen of the World is a graphic novel about a mouse who just wants to be friends with the popular girl, Felicia. She tries anything to get invited to Felicia's slumber party, even giving her, her own homework. Once she finally gets invited, Babymouse does not have any fun and leaves to go hang out with her old friends.

The graphics are in black, white, and pink only. This graphic novel is probably geared towards a young female. It has a great story about popularity. It points out that there is more to life then being popular, so the moral is a good one. It is fun, fast paced, and enjoyable to read. The images are cute and really help tell the story, even when there is no text.

The Z was Zapped - alphabet picture book

Author - Chris Van Allsburg
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Houghton Mifflin, 1987.
Page #'s - 52
Rating - 3.5/5

The Z was Zapped is an alphabet book written in the style of a theatre production. The artwork is black and white pencil drawings. Each act is one letter. Something happens to each letter and then you turn the page and it tells the letter and what happened to it on stage. For example, a giant shoe is pushing down on an F, and the the next page says, "The F was firmly flattened."

This alphabet book is fun because you have the chance to guess what is happening to each letter by the picture, before you turn the page and it tells you. The pencil drawings are realistic and dramatic. It also incorporates acts and aspects of a play which helps children learn about theatre while learning about the alphabet.

Ella Enchanted - modern fantasy (intermediate)

Author - Gail Carson Levine
Publisher - Harper Collins, 1997.
Page #'s - 232
Rating - 4/5

Ella Enchanted is a tale of a young girl living with a curse. The curse makes Ella obey everything that she is told to do. After her mother dies, a new woman and her two children come into Ella and her father's life. The step-sister discovers the power she has over Ella and uses it cruelly. Ella spends most of the book trying to find the fairy, Lucinda, that put the spell on her, and have it reversed. She is also enjoying spending time with the prince, Char.

This is a fun book filled with ogres and fairies. The curse is an interesting concept and it is enjoyable to watch it play out. Ella is very likable and the romantic chemistry with Prince Char is nice as well. You really find yourself rooting for Ella. This is a creative imaginary book that I would recommend. It is also a deserved Newbery Honor book.

The Three Billy Goats Gruff - traditional literature

Retold and Illustrated - Ellen Appleby
Publisher - Scholastic, 1984.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 3.5/5

The Three Billy-Goats Gruff is a Norwegian folktale. The three goats all named Gruff cross the bridge with a troll underneath to get to the hill to get fat. The troll bothers each goat and says he will eat them until the goat tells the troll to wait for the next and larger goat. Finally the third and largest goat crosses the bridge and he crushes the troll. Then they all get fat on the hill.

The tale is told very simply but gets the story and the point across. This book is for very young children but can still be enjoyed by all. The predictable pattern language and the different voices of the troll and goats makes this a great read aloud book. The watercolor pictures are nicely done as well.

A Light in the Attic - Poetry Anthology

Author - Shel Silverstein
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Harper and Row, 1981.
Page #'s - 169
Rating - 5/5

Shel Silverstein's A Light in the Attic, is one of his anthologies of poetry. It has over 120 poems. They include "Homework Machine," "They've Put a Brassiere on the Camel," "Messy Room," and "Backward Bill." Some poems are two pages long and others are just four sentences. But they are always funny or ironic.

This is one of the most famous poem anthology books ever created. I think that Shel Silverstein is one of the best children's poets. He makes poetry fun and easy. You do not have to do much thinking, and each poem will bring a smile to your face, or even make you laugh out loud. This is a great book for children that are scared of poetry. And this is a great book for adults that could use a chuckle.

The Jolly Christmas Postman - Interactive Picture book

Author - Janet and Allan Ahlberg
Illustrator - same
Publisher - Scholastic, 1991.
Page #'s - 26
Rating - 5/5

The Jolly Christmas Postman is written in a poetic rhyme style. The postman is delivering Christmas packages to nursery rhyme characters like the Four Bears (they had a baby), Humpty Dumpty, and even Mister Wolf. Each time a package is delivered, there is an envelope with a Christmas card inside. The cards contain interactive gifts such as puzzles and board games.

The pictures are wonderful and detailed. There are nursery rhyme characters and houses in the background. The poems are well written and almost as enjoyable as the pictures themselves. This book can be read through quickly and one can spend an hour with the book as well, because of the games and detailed pictures. This is one of my favorite Christmas picture books.

Bedtime Bear's Book of Bedtime Poems - Poetry Collection

Author - various
Selected by - Dora Katz
Illustrator - Dora Leder
Publisher - Random House, 1983.
Page #'s - 33
Rating - 4/5

Bedtime Bear's Book of Bedtime Poems is a collection of poems about bedtime. It has poems written by Robert Louis Stevenson, Marchette Chute, Aileen Fisher, Jane Taylor, and more. It also has many anonymous poems. Some are classics like Willie Winkie, Hush Little Baby, and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.

This little poem book is only 6"x 6" and is a great size for a young child to hold in bed. The poems are short and all revolve around going to bed. It is a very cute little picture book with care bears in most of the pictures. This is a great little poem book to give children to read before sleep. It could also be a nice introduction to poetry for young children with classic short poems.

The Upstairs Room - historical fiction (Intermediate)

Author - Johanna Reiss
Publisher - Scholastic, 1972.
Page #'s - 179
Rating - 5/5

The Upstair's Room is a tale a Jewish family dealing with the Holocaust. The family is living in Holland during World War II. They run out of time to escape to America and are faced with going to work camps or hiding. They chose the latter. The three girls and their father have to split up so they can be hidden. This is the story of the youngest daughter, Annie and her sister, Sini. They live with a nice farm family for over two years. They have to endure not going outside, not having much to do all day, and staying quiet with a German headquarters downstairs.

This story was written by "Annie." It makes the story that much more emotional to know that it really happened. It is tragic, frustrating, and full of love and sacrifice. This is a hard book to put down and I was nervous for the girls the whole time. It does have a happy ending with the author returning with her children to see the family she stayed with. This is a wonderful book for children to learn about the struggles of the Jewish people.

Ramona and her Father - author study

Author - Beverly Cleary
Illustrator - Alan Tiegreen
Publisher - Avon, 1975.
Page #'s - 186
Rating - 4/5

Romona and her Father is a Newbery Award winning book. It is just one in many of the Romona series. This tale focuses on her father. He has lost his job and everything is changing because of it. He is home all day and always in a bad mood. She wants him to quit smoking and is always reminding him in funny ways. They cannot afford all the things they used to have and it is putting stress on the whole family. Romona seems to be the only happy member of the family. When they cannot afford a costume for Romona for the school play, she is upset at first, but realizes that life goes on and she is happy the way things are. In the end, her father does get a job, and quits smoking!

This is a funny book and Romona is so likable like she is in all the books. I do not think that the story is Newbery Honor worthy because I think of those books as being more deep and having more serious issues. This book does tackle a few serious issues though, such as smoking and losing a job. This is a good book for a child to read if a family member is dealing with those issues. But overall, it is a funny tale of Romona and her everyday mischief.

Farewell to Manzanar - Multicultural

Author - Jeanne Wakatsuki Houston and James D. Houston
Publisher - Dell, 1973.
Page #'s - 203
Rating - 4/5

Farewell to Manzanar is the tale of a Japanese-American family during WWII. The father is a local fisherman and has ten children. They are taken away and put into an internment camp, Manzanar. The family has to get used to the new way of life and try to make things as good and normal as possible. They create schools, dances, and much more. Once the war is over and the family is let free, they have to get used to a life outside of Manzanar. It is not as easy as they thought.

This is a great personal insight into what a Japanese internment camp was like during the war. One of the authors was the main girl in the story. I have never heard much about the camps in school and this book taught me a lot about the camps and the Japanese-American culture itself. It is even better because the small details that the authors remember makes it that much better and important to read. Everyone should read this book to hear about the injustices that happened on our own land during WWII.

Tuck Everlasting - Book- to-Movie Comparison

Author - Natalie Babbit
Publisher - Sunburst, 1975.
Page #'s - 139
Rating - 4.5/5

Tuck Everlasting is the tale of immortality vs. the circle of life. Winnie is a young girl who runs away from home and discovers the Tucks and their spring. She is kidnapped by the Tucks, but soon becomes friends with them and discovers the truth of the spring. It grants eternal life. A man is searching for the Tucks and their spring and is killed by Mae when he tries to kidnap Winnie. Winnie must help the Tucks free Mae before the secret is discovered.

The tale is an interesting look at immortality. People have always looked for the fountain of youth, and this story shows the struggles and sacrifices caused by having immortality. This is a really easy book to read and captures your attention. There is a well done movie that stays pretty true to the book, through it has some added romance.

The Giver - Newbery Award

Author - Lois Lowry
Publisher - Dell, 1993.
Page #'s - 180
Rating - 5/5

The Giver is a science fiction tale about conformity. It takes place in the future and people do not know about pain and suffering. When a child turns twelve, they are given a job in the community. Jonas, the main character, is given the job of Receiver. It is a very mysterious and honored position. He discovers that his job is to keep the memories. Some are great like sunshine, and others painful like war. In the end, he makes a plan with the Giver to make the community share in the memories, even though it may be painful.

This tale is one of my all time favorites. The community that Lois Lowry has created is fascinating. It shows how conformity can be comfortable but detrimental as well. The story shows how a world without love and pain can be empty and boring. The story keeps you reading for more and makes one think about the deeper meaning. This is an excellent book. It has been a challenged book, but I think it is still appropriate for young readers.

Number the Stars - Newbery Award

Author - Lois Lowry
Publisher - Dell, 1989.
Page #'s - 137.
Rating - 5/5

Number the Stars is the tale of families living in Copenhagen during the Nazi rule of WWII. One family, the Rosens, are Jewish and the other, the Johansens, helps to hide them when the Jews are being deported by the Nazis. The families have many close calls with getting caught. In the end, Annemarie must be brave to save her Jewish best friend, Ellen.

The story is exciting and a good reminder of the struggles that the Jewish people went through during WWII. It also shows the good in people and how families risked everything to help each other. This is a great book for children who are interested in what happened to the Jews during the Nazi regime. It is sad but appropriate for young readers. This was one of my favorites as a young reader and I still enjoyed the exciting tale as an adult.

Remember the Journey to Integration - Coretta Scott King

Author - Toni Morrison
Publisher - Houghton Mifflin, 2004.
Page #'s - 78
Rating - 4/5

Remember the Journey to Integration is a picture book about the Civil Rights era. It tells a longer history of the period near the beginning of the book. Then is tells a history with pictures showing the inequalities between blacks and whites in the 1960's. Sometimes the author will write what the people may have been thinking at the time of the picture. It is dedicated in the end to four black girls who were killed on the way to church.

This is a sad but touching book about the Civil Rights movement. It is a collection of wonderful pictures that really capture the era. Though it is sad to look back on the inequality and injustice, it is important to learn about it. This book is great for children to learn. The black and white photographs all tell a story themselves and Toni Morrison's captions really add heart to the book.

Uptown - Coretta Scott King (illustrator)

Author - Bryan Collier
Illustrator - Byran Collier
Publisher - Henry Holt, 2000.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 3.5/5

Uptown is a tour of Harlem. It has collage style artwork as it takes us through the metro, the restaurants, houses, the market, the Apollo, the jazz, the barbershop, photographs, basketball court, canvas on windows, girls on their way to church, the sunset over the Hudson River, and the Boys Choir of Harlem.

Uptown gives a good tour of Harlem from a child's point of view. The artwork is unique with its collage style. I really like the art but the tale was not as interesting. This is a good book to look at for different styles of art and also to learn a little about Harlem.

Alabama Moon - Rebecca Caudill

Author - Watt Key
Publisher - Farrar Straus Giroux, 2006.
Page #'s - 294
Rating - 5/5

Alabama Moon is the tale of a young boy's survival and need for friendship. He has always lived off the land with his father in the backwoods of Alabama. His father dies early in the story and leaves ten year old moon on his own. His father has told him to go to Alaska to find others that live in the woods. He gets caught and sent to a boy's home but is determined to go to Alaska and breaks out with some of his new friends. He then has to teach his new friends, Hal and Kit, to live off the land. All the while, they are being hunted by the cruel constable, Mr. Sanders.

The tale is touching, adventuress, exciting, and educational. I thought the most interesting part was when Moon teaches his friends to live off the land and make medicine, shelter, food, and clothes. It is very exciting because they are running from the law the whole book. Finally, it is touching because Moon finally understands the importance of having friends in his life. Overall, a very enjoyable reading experience.

Clementine - Monarch

Author - Sara Pennypacker
Illustrator - Marla Freeze
Publisher - Hyperion, 2006.
Page #'s - 136
Rating - 3.5/5

Clementine is the tale of a young girl trying to get through everyday life situations. She is always getting in trouble at school for not paying attention or cutting her best friend's hair. She just wants to help but always seems to cause more problems. In the end, she thinks that her parents are planning to get rid of her. But really, they are just planning a party for Clementine to celebrate her helpfulness.

This story is very funny, sometimes laugh at loud funny. The book is written with many run-on sentences in a manner that a talkative child would speak. That style is cute, but can easily get annoying. Overall, the book was a lot of fun to read.

Owl Moon - Caldecott

Author - Jane Yolen
Illustrator - John Schoenherr
Publisher - Pilomer Books, 1987.
Page #'s - 30
Rating - 4.5/5

Owl Moon is the tale of a grandpa and grand daughter going owling. They have to be quiet in the middle of the night so the owl will not hear them. When they almost give up on spotting an owl, one shows up. They stare at each other for over a minute and it flies away. The family is happy and head back to the warm home.

This is a very cute tale of the families tradition of owling. The realistic artwork throughout is beautiful and really captures the mood of the story. I read this story as a child and it has a certain comfort factor for me. The story is very peaceful and gentle and is a great bedtime story to read when you are warm in your bed.

Where the Wild Things Are - Caldecott

Author - Maurice Sendak
Illustrator - Maurice Sendak
Publisher - Harper Collins, 1963.
Page #'s - 38
Rating - 4/5

Where the Wild Things Are is the tale of Max and his wild adventure. He gets sent to his room for causing mischief. His room starts to turn into a forest and a private boat appears. Max rides it to the land where the wild things are. He becomes King and they all have a wild rumpus. He decides to go home in the end, to the place where he is loved best.

This story is highly popular for a reason. The drawings are wonderful and unique. The imagination of Max makes the story fun and exciting. I think it would help encourage children to be imaginative as well. I read this book to a little boy and he loved the monsters and wanted to read it over and over again. This is a must read.

The Tale of Peter Rabbit - Classic

Author - Beatrix Potter
Illustrator - Beatrix Potter
Publisher - Penguin Books, 1902.
Page #'s - 59
Rating - 5/5

The Tale of Peter Rabbit is about Peter Rabbit's adventures in Mr. McGregor's garden. Mrs. Rabbit tells Peter not to go to the garden, but Peter does not listen. He gets caught and barely escapes, while losing his jacket in the process. He is so tired that he misses dinner and goes straight to bed.

There is only one word to describe this tale; classic. It is a perfect little story for very young children. It teaches you to listen to your parents because they know what is best for you as a child. The story is very cute and the drawings are well done and adorable. Every child should read this classic little tale.