The Class

I think the class is going well. I really enjoy reading books especially the novels. At times it is hard for me to pick picture books since there are so many and I am not sure where to begin in the library. I like the different presentations that we have been doing in class and am excited that we will be doing author studies further in detail. I am anxious to see how I have been doing in the class so far. I think that the novels that we have read for class have been good so far. I liked The Misfits better than Love That Dog. I really liked reading the controversial picture books because I never knew that there were picture books about such crazy topics. I found it interesting that the books were made for such young children also. I am excited to see what the rest of the semester brings!

Where I'd Like To Be

The novel Where I'd Like To Be by Frances O'Roark Dowell is a novel about an orphan named Maddie. She has been sent to foster homes her entire life and now lives at an orphanage. One day a new girl named Murphy comes to the orphanage and has tales about her life to tell Maddie. They two become fast friends. Soon Ricky Ray and Logan join their group of friends. The four build their own fort and begin to put together scrapbooks of houses that they make stories about. But Murphy makes friends with the popular kids who make fun of and ruin their scrapbooks. This brings a bridge between the whole group. The book was an easy read although kind of sad. It has always been hard for me to read books about children in foster care or orphanages. I know it is a prominent issue in the world today so it could be a good book to bring into the classroom and read together.

My Dog Never Says Please

My Dog Never Says Please by Suzanne Williams is a story about a little girl Ginny who is upset that her family is always scolding her for things that her dog can do. Her parents want her to thank you but her dog doesn't have to. Also, her parents want her to clean her room but her dog doesn't have to clean it's dog house. She finally breaks down and tells her parents she wants to be a dog. Her parents allow her to be a dog but then Ginny starts to see that she has more fun being a human. I liked how this book depicted so many things that little kids always get upset about when their parents critique them. I was glad that in the end she realizes that her life with her family is more fulfilling than her life as a dog.

Noisy Nora

Noisy Nora by Rosemary Wells is a story about a typical family. Both of the parents are busy with the two children so Nora is not getting any attention. Nora gets upset and plays by herself. However she keeps making noise so her parents tell her to hush. She gets upset and decides she is leaving forever. Once it is quiet, her parents realize something is wrong. They look all over for her and can't find her. Finally, she falls out of the closet with a big crash. I like this book because I think it portrays how some children feel when they don't get attention from the parents. I wish they would have had maybe one more page with all of the family doing something together because I thought the book ended awkwardly.

Not A Stick

Not A Stick by Antoinette Portis is a book about a pig who uses a stick to play with one day. But whenever someone asks what he is doing with the stick, the reader turns the page to find out that the stick is anything but a stick. He imagines riding a horse, playing the drums, lifting weights, and fishing. It was incredible to see what the pig could do and imagine with just the one stick. I also liked how simplistic the drawings were yet it was able to be incorporated into the different scenarios in the book. This book would be fun for children to read and then make their own imaginative stick picture.

Max's Dragon

Max's Dragon by Kate Banks tells a story about three brothers. One named Max seems to be the outsider while Karl and Benjamin seem to always play together. Max tries to play with them but they make fun of his imaginative dragon and rhyming patterns. However, as the story progresses Karl and Benjamin follow Max as he is playing with his dragon. They stop making fun of him and seem to enjoy their adventures with Max. Once Max has made friends with his brothers, the dragon magically goes off to sleep so that the three brothers can bond. I really like how Max has his own personal friend when he doesn't seem to get along perfectly with his brothers. Whenever I talk to friends who are from a family of three siblings, it seems like two are always teaming up on the other one. I think that has got to be hard especially when they are younger because no one likes to be left out.

The Birthday Box

The Birthday Box by Leslie Patricelli tells a story about a little boy who got a present in the mail from his Grandma. He rips off the paper and sees that it is a box. After he plays with his box for a little bit, he opens it up and sees that he got a dog. Then him and his dog play with the box. They imagine it is a plane, a robot, and then finally a bed. It was an easy read and could be for very young kids. It brought back some memories because when I was younger I used to play in a laundry basket and pretend that it was a boat. Then I would bring my cat in with me and make her take the trip with me.

The House Across the Street

The House Across the Street by Jules Feiffer is a book about a little boy. He lives across the street from an older boy who has a perfect life. The boy across the street has 4 dogs, a better bike, parents who listen to him whenever, he doesn't have to go to school, and so on. At the end the older boy goes on vacation and the little boy walks across the street to the house. The little boy pretends that the boy invites him in and they have sleepovers. I am not exactly sure what happened at the end because there is a picture of the two boys playing videogames. But he had just said that the boy was on vacation. So I am not sure if the boy is imagining the whole thing or if the boy across the street is his friend. I liked the book at the beginning because it showed how imaginative the little boy can be. Also, little kids always think another child has it better somewhere else. But towards the end I just got confused with what exactly was going on.

Kids Like Us

Kids Like Us by Carole Lexa Schaefer was a really great book. It shows a group of kids who are playing with their toys in a classroom. As they are playing imaginative games, the illustrator Pierr Morgan, draws scenes over the children playing. One example was the children as firefighters saving a family in a fire. Another was them all acting as dinosaurs. I really liked that they kids were able to use their imaginations in so many different ways and play together. The book used color to catch the reader's attention and point out the important, exciting parts. The writer also uses many colorful words like "Shooshh" and "Squirt" which I think the reader could have a lot of fun with when reading the book to children. I also liked how much the children seemed to know about so many different things and subjects even though they were so young.

Don't Let Go

The book Don't Let Go by Jeanne Willis is a story about a little girl who wants to learn how to ride a bike. She explains how she has tried to do it by herself but she is not able to. Her dad helps her and holds on until she tells him she can let go. Then her dad is upset because he doesn't want her to ride away without him. She tells him that she will not let go until he says it's okay either. One thing I really liked about this book was how the mom and dad live in separate houses. But the book doesn't throw it in your face but very casually mentioned it. I like that the book shows how some children's parents are divorced and show that their fathers stay involved. The book also includes rhyming which a teacher could incorporate easily into the classroom and teaching units. The illustrations by Tony Ross are very typical but one thing that does seem to stand out to me is how the settings seem to move.

Heather Has Two Mommies (Controversial)

The book Heather has Two Mommies by Leslea Newman is a book about a little girl with two moms. She is perfectly happy with her life until she joins a play group in which the other kids talk about their dads. When she realizes she doesn't have a dad, she gets upset. However the teacher has all of the kids draw pictures of their families which show how different each one is and explains that all families are unique. I thought this book was very graphic especially when they explain about how Heather was conceived. Also, this book was a little too cookie cutter for me because every family in her play group was not the typical. One has two dads, one was divorced, one a single parent, etc. I know that there are many families that may represent these different types, it was just a little too convenient that all of them happened to be represented in her play group. I am not sure what age group should read this book. I would lean towards older middle school which is interesting though because Heather is probably around 5 years old in the book which makes me wonder if they were trying to target it towards younger children.

I Never Knew Your Name (Controversial)

I Never Knew Your Name by Sherry Garland is a book that shows a younger boy who watched an older teenager over a period of time. The older boy was always in the shadows by himself and watched the other children go off to dances and such. Many times the younger boy has the urge to approach the older boy to hang out but never follows through. In the end of the book, the older boy kills himself and then he is noticed by everyone. This book was very sad to read but very true especially in todays world. Children are often left out of groups of peers and become depressed. As adults, we hope that we are able to help before the depression becomes too much and someone loses a life. I thought it was interesting how the little boy's older sister said "He wasn't that bad, I don't know why he did it" yet she never once made an effort to include him. So often we think that someone else will make that extra effort but too often no one does. Although this book is very realistic I do not think that 4th graders should be reading it. I would use this book more for older middle school or junior high because it seems like that is when everyone starts to get clicky.

My Two Uncles (Controversial)

My Two Uncles by Judith Vigna is a story that portrays a family where some are accepting of a gay son and others are not. The gay son's brothers and niece are okay with the fact that he has chosen to be gay and have a partner but his parents are not. I think it was a great way to show that the younger generations are more okay with people that are different but older generations do not like the changes. It reminds me of my grandparents sometimes in the way that they are pessimistic about all of the changes that are coming about in the world. I liked how in the end his mom comes in to give both him and his partner a hug yet his dad stays outside. I thought it was important to show that although he is trying to be supportive, it is a process that he will need to grow with.

The Un-Wedding (Controversial)

The Un-Wedding by Babette Cole is a story about a pair of siblings that have parents that fight about everything. Their marriage is not only ruining the parents' lives but also the children begin to blame themselves. The decide to hold a meeting at their school for all the children with parents who do not get along. Sooo many children come that they decide that something needs to happen. Paula comes up with an idea and decides to un-marry the parents. The parents are so excited and after their un-marriage they go off to their own honeymoons. Then the children bulldoze the house and build two in its place: one for each parent. I think this is an interesting way to present divorce to a child. It shows that there are hardly any unpleasant emotions for the children involved and presents a happily-ever-after for the family. In real life, this is not always the case which could be upsetting for children who read this book. I wish it would have been a little bit more realistic since divorce is so common and so many children have to go through it.

Happy to Be Nappy (Controversial)

The book Happy to be Nappy by Bell Hooks and Chris Raschka is a book that shows how little girls with black girl can have beautiful hair also. It goes through the different ways that black girls wear their hair. I liked how the book seems to be written by a little girl in cursive handwriting. I am not sure how I would feel if I was black though. The fact that their is a book that tells them that their hair is beautiful no matter how they wear it seems to be a bit much. I think it would be different if they had a book talking about all different peoples' hair types and then they mentioned about the different ways that black people wear their hair. I like how the book has simple but fun illustrations with the different shades and types of color highlighting behind the girls' hair.

What Did I Look Like When I Was A Baby?

The book What Did I Look Like When I Was A Baby? by Jeanne Willis is a favorite book of mine. It shows a little boy asking what he looked like when he was a baby. Then it goes to show a bunch of animals asking their parents what they were like when they were babies. All their parents respond with answers that they looked like either their mom or dad until a frog asks what he looked like. His mother shows him a picture and he gets very upset until he hears his brothers and sisters singing a song about tadpoles turning into frogs. I really liked that they included a wide variety of animals that children don't see in their everyday lives. Also, I was excited to see that their was a song in the book that a teacher could incorporate into their classroom. The Bullfrog Song is then shown on the back cover so that the teacher contains lyrics to it. I think this would be a great way to bring music into the classroom.

A Frog in the Bog

A Frog in the Bog by Karma Wilson and Joan Rankin tells a story about a frog who is sitting on a sunken log that keeps eating different insects. With every insect that the frog eats, he grows. When the frog gets big and fact, he realizes the log is a gator! The gator tries to eat the frog but when the frog yells out all of the insects crawl out. Then the gator loses interest because the frog is not going to be meal enough. I really liked how educational this book is. Every page contains lines that rhyme which a teacher could use on a rhyming unit. Also, a unit on insects and nature could be used with this book. The illustrations of the book are okay. I think they are done with watercolor which gives the book an outdoorsy feel. I would definitely keep this book for younger grades.

The Misfits

The Misfits by James Howe was an amazing book. I was immediately drawn into the book because of the way Bobby describes everything. He had such an interesting description of the events at school. His gang of friends were such a great group of friends. They were all portrayed wonderfully with their different sets of quirks and personalities. I was unsure of why they portrayed Joe so flamboyantly. But after our discussion in class, it all seemed to fit together. This book was such a hard one to put down because I couldn't wait to see how it ended. When I first got done with the book, I was pretty upset with how everything ended. I couldn't believe the No-name party didn't win the election but after I thought about it for awhile I realized there was no other way to end the book. I thought it was great that the Gang of Five ended up winners and were able to implement one of their ideas even though the didn't end up as the winners of the election. I really liked that Bobby confronted his dad about the way he was living. Sometimes a child can see things that an adult can't and I really liked that Bobby was able to help his dad. I think this book may be a little advanced for middle school but I could see 7th or 8th graders reading this book.

Love That Dog

Love That Dog by Sharon Creech was an interesting book to read. At first I was not excited to read it because I have never been a big fan of poems. When I was growing up, I think I had a very specific image of what a poem should be. Rhymes, short, intense, meaningful. But reading this book gave me a different perspective on what a poem should be. I really liked that the teacher was always encouraging the student to keep writing and made him feel secure about the poems he was writing. It made me wonder if anything could be considered a poem. How do you decide if something is a poem or if it isn't? Can anyone string together words and call it a poem? Was he writing poems? Or were they more like journal entries? It would be interesting to read the second book from Sharon Creech. It might help me clear up what I believe a poem should be.