Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad

Book: Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad

Author: David Soman and Jacky Davis

Summary: This book is about a girl and her friends that dress up like bug superheros. They go around and "solve" things that happen in their neighborhood to pretend to be superheros.

Evaluation: This book is great to have in the classroom. It can teach students that they don't have to be adults to be able to have fun with your friends and help people. This book would fall under the genre of realistic fiction. Everything that happens in this book is something that could take place in real life.

Motivational Activities:

Superhero Self: Students will draw a picture of what they would be if they were a bug superhero. They would then have to write about it and what their powers would be.

Action Verbs: Around their picture, students will have to write 10 action verbs that would go with their superhero.

Personal Comments: I think this is such a cute book to read to students or have in the classroom. The characters are fun and they are made up superheros that could be about the same age as the students in the room. It can teach the students that they are never to young to help out.

Questions:

1. What kind of superhero would you be and why?
2. What kind of adventures would you go on if you were in this book?

References:
Soman, David, and Jacky Davis. Ladybug Girl and the Bug Squad. New York: Dial for Young Readers, 2011. Print.

The Giving Tree

Book: The Giving Tree

Author: Shel Silverstein

Summary: This book is about a boy who has a special tree. The tree always gives the boy anything needs up until he can no longer give anything anymore.

Evaluation: This is a great book for students to read. It is about giving things you have to someone without asking anything in return. This book is in the genre of fantasy because a tree can't really talk or offer all he does to someone.

Motivational Activities:

Sequencing: Students will have pictures of what the tree gives. They will put them in order and glue them to a piece of paper.

Thank you notes: Each student will take a piece of paper and write a thank you note to someone for a nice thing they had done in the past.

Personal Comments: I enjoy this book because it is a great book that teaches giving. It shows that you don't always need to be given anything in return, but that you will do something for someone just because you care about them.

Questions:

1. What would you give up for someone you really cared about?
2. How would you feel if you were never thanked for what you did? Why it is important to say thank you to people?

References:
Silverstein, Shel. The Giving Tree. New York: Harper & Row, 1964. Print.

Junie B., First Grader (at last!)

Book: Junie B., First Grader (at last!)

Author: Barbara Park

Summary: This book is about how Junie B. Jones finally becomes a first grader and what it is like to be in the first grade.

Evaluation: I think these books are great chapter books for students to read. They are not very hard and they will capture the student's attention. This book is in the genre of realistic fiction. Everything that happens in the book could very well happen in every day life for any other person.

Motivational Activities:

When I grow up: Each student will write an essay and draw a picture of what they want to do when they grow up.

What to look forward too: Each student will take a piece of paper and divide it in two. On one side they will write what they look forward to about the next grade. On the other side they will write about their concerns about the next grade. The teacher will read them and respond to each student.

Personal Comments: I've always enjoyed the Junie B. Jones series. They are all great comedic books and easy to read chapter books. Each new book has a fun concept to go with it.

Questions:

1. What are you looking forward to in the next grade?
2. How do you think Junie B. felt finally reaching the first grade? Why?

References:
Park, Barbara. Junie B. Jones, First Grader (at Last!). New York: Random House, 2001. Print.

The Cat in the Hat

Book: The Cat in the Hat

Author: Dr. Seuss

Summary: In this book the Cat visits Sally and her brother while their mother is out. He proceeds to help destroy the house. They manage to get everything put back into place before the mother returns.

Evaluation: This book is a classic. All of Dr. Seuss' books are great and children just love them. This book would fall under the genre of fantasy because a lot of things that take place in this book could not happen in real life. 

Motivational Activities:

Rhyming: The teacher will put the book on the overhead. Students will then have to pick out the rhyming words they see in the text.

Make your own Cat in the Hat: The teacher will make sure to have the supplies for the students and the students will create their own cat in the hat. The teacher will hang them from the room.

Personal Comments: I like this book because it shows things that Sally and the boy did wrong. They should not let a stranger into there house and they should not have destroyed it. I like that it has a lot of rhyming words in it because those are always great for students.

Questions:

1. Do you think it was right what the cat did?
2. How could you have handled the situation differently if you were Sally and the boy?

References:
Seuss. The Cat in the Hat. New York: Random House, 1985. Print.

Green Eggs and Ham

Book: Green Eggs and Ham

Author: Dr. Seuss

Summary: This book is about Sam and he is trying to get the main character to eat green eggs and ham but he wont do it. In the end he finally tries it and loves how they taste.

Evaluation: I really like this book. I can teach about peer pressure. Dr. Seuss always has fantastic books that he writes. This book would fall under the genre of fantasy because a lot of what takes place in the story would not ever happen in real life.

Motivational Activities:

Rhyming: The teacher will have the book on an overhead. On each page the students will have to figure out which words are the rhyming words.

Green Eggs and Ham: The teacher will bring in the ingredients to make green eggs and ham. They will have to using directions and measuring cups which will help with math.

Personal Comments: All of Dr. Seuss' books are great reads. I particularly like them because they contain a lot of nonsense words which will help students when sounding out words. I think this book is a great way to teach rhyming to the students.

Questions:

1. Why wouldn't Sam give up trying to get him to eat the food?
2. Would you eat green eggs and ham if he kept trying to get you to eat them?

References:

Seuss. Green Eggs and Ham. New York: Beginner, 1960. Print.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar

Book: The Very Hungry Caterpillar 

Author: Eric Carle

Summary: This book is about a caterpillar who is very hungry. He eats through all different kinds of fruits and other foods. He then makes himself a cocoon and turns into a beautiful butterfly. 

Evaluation: This book is a great tool to teach students so many different things. I think it a great book to have in the classroom and who doesn't love Eric Carle. The use of his texture is great in all his books. It would fall under the genre of realistic fiction because it is a story about something that really could happen in real life.

Motivational Activities:

Sequencing: Students will have all the fruits that the caterpillar ate through. They will have to put them in order and glue down to a piece of paper.

Butterfly Directions: The students would create their own butterfly using print outs and popsicle sticks. The teacher will call out different directions (high, low, in the middle, etc.) and the students would do that with their butterflies to help learn directions.

Personal Comments: I've always loved this book because I've always enjoyed anything Eric Carle writes. This book has always been a child hood favorite and I will definitely have this book in my classroom.

Questions:

1. Why did the caterpillar eat all the food?
2. What is the lifecycle of a caterpillar?

References:

Carle, Eric. The Very Hungry Caterpillar. [New York]: Philomel, 1987. Print.

Where The Wild Things Are

Book: Where The Wild Things Are

Author: Maurice Sendak

Summary: This book is a about Max, a boy who does not want to eat his supper. He goes to his room and soon he is taken to a new land where he is king of the wild things. He eventually gets lonely and comes home where his dinner is still warm.

Evaluation: This book is great to teach students about their imagination and being creative. It would fall under the genre of fantasy cause it is a completely made up world and characters and animals that do not exist.

Motivational Activities:

Create your own land: Students will create their own land and have other students find things on it by using the cardinal directions of north, south, east, and west.

Take a Vote: The students would take a vote and tally which meal is their favorite.

Personal Comments: I like this book because it really shows the use of a child's imagination. Imagination is such a great thing and to further that for a child by this book is a great concept.

Questions:

1. Why do you think Max wanted to come home?
2. If you were in charge of all the wild things, what would you do?

References:

Sendak, Maurice. Where the Wild Things Are. [New York]: Harper & Row, 1963. Print.

The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Book: The True Story of the Three Little Pigs

Author: Jon Scieszka

Illustrator: Lane Smith

Summary: This book is a twist of the classic Three Little Pigs. It is told from the perspective of the wolf. It tells how he was just trying to borrow a cup of sugar and why he had to eat the pigs.

Evaluation: This book is great and interesting to use in the classroom. I falls under the genre of folklore because it takes the classic tale of The Three Little Pigs and puts a different twist on it. It makes you think in a different way about the classic story.

Motivational Activities:

Write your own news article: Students will take a classic tale and write a news article from the bad guys perspective.

Compare and Contrast: The students would compare and contrast the classic tale with the new twist on it.

Personal Comments: I like this book because it is such a different twist on the classic tale. It's fun to look at both of the points of view.

Questions:

1. Which story do you think is the "right" story?
2. Do you think the wolf was right to eat the pigs?

References:

Scieszka, Jon. The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. New York: Puffin, 1996. Print.

The Snowy Day

Book: The Snowy Day

Author: Ezra Jack Keats

Summary: Peter is a small boy who wakes up to mounds of snow outside. The book is about what he does on his day off from school because of a snow day.

Evaluation: This book is a great way to teach multicultural literature. It follows all the rules and is not stereotypical. This book is contemporary realistic fiction. Nothing in this book is something that wouldn't happen. Everything is possible and nothing is far fetched.

Motivational Activities:

Season Characteristics: The teacher will put all four seasons on the board and the students will put one characteristic under each season. A student cannot put the same characteristic as another student for the same season.

Compare and Contrast: The students would compare and contrast each of the seasons with the others.

Personal Comments: I like this book because it is a multicultural book. I think those book can be difficult to find so to find one is great to have in your classroom.

Questions:

1. What do you like to do on a snow day?
2. What is your favorite season and why?

References:

Keats, Ezra Jack. The Snowy Day. New York: Viking, 1962. Print.

Frindle

Book: Frindle

Author: Andrew Clements

Summary: Nick Allen doesn't like his English teacher. So he invents a new word and tries to get all of his friends and the school to use it as well as his teacher.

Evaluation: This book shows students what you can do if you set your mind to something and want to accomplish it. Nick never gives up in the book despite all the opposition he faces. This book would be under contemporary realistic fiction because it is a story that could actually happen. Everything is realistic and nothing is far fetched.

Motivational Activities:

Create a dictionary: Each student would create a new word for a classroom object. They would have to come up with the word and a reasonable reason as to why they named it that. Then the teacher would put together a classroom dictionary of all the words.

Interviews: The students would interview their families to find out what kinds of words they used as babies. The next day the teacher will list them on the boards without meanings and the students will try to guess what they meant.

Personal Comments: I've always loved this book. I would always have so much fun reading it when I was in class. I think its a great book to teach children determination.

Questions:

1. What words did you use as a baby?
2. Why do you think the teacher put up such a fight against the word?

References:

Clements, Andrew, and Brian Selznick. Frindle. New York, NY: Simon & Schuster for Young Readers, 1996. Print.

A Bad Case of Stripes

Book: A Bad Case of Stripes

Author: David Shannon

Summary: Camilla Cream loves lima beans but doesn't want to eat them because she wants to fit in. One day she wakes up with stripes all over her. Then she starts turning into parts of her bedroom. When she finally eats lima beans she turns back into a girl again.

Evaluation: I found that this book was a great suggestion for students. It works with all ages because so many children now a days want to fit in whether they like what they are doing or not. They want to be liked by everyone. They should be able to be who they are and not be judged for it. That is exactly what this book shows.
This book would fall under the genre of fantasy because a person can't really get stripes all over their body or turn into furniture.

Motivational Activities:

What do you like?: The teacher would write on the board different kinds of foods. The students would then one by one put their name under what they like. This would help with math and finding out how many like what and who likes what.

Compare and Contrast: Students would make a Venn Diagram and compare different types of food that the teacher gives them.

Personal Comments: I've always enjoyed this book because it is so out there to have someone with stripes and turn into furniture. Students would like it because it is fun but also teaches a lesson

Questions:

1. What kinds of food do you like?
2. Why shouldn't you make fun of other for what they like?

References:

Shannon, David. A Bad Case of Stripes. New York: Blue Sky, 1998. Print.

Tikki Tikki Tembo

Book: Tikki Tikki Tembo

Author: Arlene Mosel

Summary: A boy named Tikki Tikki Tembo-no Sa Rembo-chari Bari Ruchi-pip Peri Pembo falls into a well. It is about an original myth from the Chinese culture as to why peoples names there are so short.

Evaluation: I found that this book was also like the story The Boy Who Cried Wolf because the mom tells the boys not to play by the well but they keep doing it and the mom doesn't believe when Tikki Tikki Tembo falls down the well for the third time. This is a good book for students to read because it teaches the valuable lesson of listen to your parents. The mom knew the well was dangerous but the boys continued to play by it anyways and Tikki Tikki Tembo fell in. I love the pictures in the book because it makes it seem like you are in the culture.

This book would fall under the genre of folklore because it is based on an old Chinese myth about the names of the Chinese children. Arlene Mosel only wrote two book and this one was her most famous book since it was based of a famous myth. The illustrator of the book was Blair Lent. He teamed up with Arlene Mosel on both of her books. When he does his illustrations he uses a variety of techniques such as ink and color pencils and acrylic painting.

Motivational Activities:

Write their own myth: Students would take an old myth that they found interesting (provided by the teacher) and rewrite it putting their own creative spin on it. Then they would go ahead and illustrate the book as well.

Compare and Contrast: Students would make a Venn Diagram and compare the book Tikki Tikki Tmbo with the original Chinese myth. they would pick out the similarities and differences from both myths.

Personal Comments: I've always enjoyed this book and one day want it in my classroom. It is very entertaining to read and the students also enjoy the name every time you read it off. This book also teaches a good lesson for children to listen to their parents.

Questions:

1. Why should you listen to your parents?
2. Could the boys have played anywhere else other than the well?

References:

http://americanfolklore.net/folklore/2012/07/tikki_tikki_tembo.html

Mosel, Arlene, and Blair Lent. Tikki Tikki Tembo. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1968. Print