The First and Final Voyage: The Sinking of the Titanic Review

Title: The First and Final Voyage: The Sinking of the Titanic
Written by: Stephanie Peters
Illustrated by: Jon Proctor
Published by: Stone Arch Books, 2008
ISBN: 978-1-4342-0444-8

This book is about a boy named Christopher who is going onto the Titanic with his mother and younger brother. The family is traveling to America to see their father but suddenly, the ship hits an iceberg. 

This book was alright. Again, I think it would be more appealing to boys and people who are visual learners. To me, graphic novels in general usually seem too busy to me unless it is tastefully done (like Diary of a Wimpy Kid).

I would give this book a 4 out of 5

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Review

Title: Diary of a Wimpy Kid
Written and Illustrated by: Jeff Kinney
Published by: Amulet Books, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-8109-9313-6

This book is about middle schooler Greg Heffley. His mom bought him a diary to write in. Wait, not a diary, a JOURNAL. This book follows Greg through all of his adventures as he tries to brave the halls of middle school and does his best to survive another day as a wimpy kid.

I love this book so much! I read it before and I still think it is hilarious. It is so easy to relate to and Kinney has such a way with words that everything he says just makes you smile. 

I give this book a 5 out of 5. I especially love how many boys are into it including my little brother who dies not like to read anything!

Star Trek Countdown Review

Title: Star Trek Countdown
Written by: Mike Johnson & Tim Jones
Illustrated by: David Messina
Published by: IDW Publishing, 2009
ISBN: 978-1600106422

This book is the movie version of Star Trek as a graphic novel. The entire book is divided up into four characters points of view: Nero, Spock, Data, and Picard.

I am not a huge fan of Star Trek and I thought this book was a little busy with all the frames. Because of this, I give this book a 3 out of 5. I am sure it appeals to readers who are really into Star Trek and to boys, but to me I would not read it again.

Dogku Review

Title: Dogku
Written by: Andrew Clements
Illustrated by: Tim Bowers
Published by: Scholastic Inc., 2007
ISBN: 978-0-545-10959-8

This book is about a stray dog who finds a family! The catch is that this entire book is written in Haikus! 

I thought this was a cute book and a way to show Haiku in a realistic way. I would give this book a 5 out 5 because it has great illustrations and is a cute way to show kids how they can use Haikus to write a story.

Where The Sidewalk Ends Review

Title: Where The Sidewalk Ends
Written and Illustrated by: Shel Silverstein
Published by: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0-590-13469-8

This is Shel Silverstein's first collection of poems and it is fantastic! There are so many hilarious poems in this book including "Sick", "Snowman", and " True Story."

Shel Silverstein will always be my favorite poet! All of his poems make me laugh out loud and he is so clever. This book definitely deserves a 5 out of 5 and I will be reading poems by Shel Silverstein in my classroom all the time!

My Dog May Be a Genius Review

Title: My Dog May Be a Genius
Written by: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrated by: James Stevenson
Published by: Harper Collins, 2008
ISBN: 978-0-06-623862-3

This is a book full of poems all written by Jack Prelutsky ranging from sitting doing nothing, to unusual hobbies! Theses poems are sure to make you laugh.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because these poems are funny and easy to share with a class. I personally prefer Shel Silverstein though! But wither way, Prelutsky's works are something to keep in the classroom and at home.

I Survived: The Shark Attacks of 1916 Review (Historical)

Title: I Survived: The Shark Attacks of 1916
Written by: Lauren Tarshis
Published by: Scholastic Inc., 2010
ISBN: 978-0-545-20695-2

This book is about a young boy named Chet who lives in New Jersey in 1916 right around the time a shark attacked and killed 4 people. Chet goes to the lake and is bumped by something that has a gray fin... Will he be the 5th victim?

This was an easy read and it was also really good! There is a whole series for the "I Survived" books and all of the ones I have read are well written and interesting to read. 

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 and I will be sure to keep this series in my classroom.

Civil War on Sunday (Historical)

Title: Civil War on Sunday
Written by: Mary Pope Osborne
Published by: Scholastic Inc., 2000
ISBN: 0-439-13762-4

This book is about Jack and Annie who travel to the Civil War and work with Clara Barton to help heal wounded soldiers. This book also includes non fiction components and facts that Jack reads out of a book.

I absolutely love the Magic Tree House books, so I have to give this one a 5 out of 5. Osborne always does a great job of integrating information into her historical fiction books!

The Invention of Hugo Cabret Review (Historical Fiction)

Title: The Invention of Hugo Cabret
Written and Illustrated by: Brian Selznick
Published by: Scholastic Inc., 2007
ISBN: 978-0-439-81378-5

This book is about a boy named Hugo who is an orphan and turns the clocks at a train station. One day he is caught stealing and the man takes Hugo's notebook full of peculiar drawings. Little does Hugo know, this man is about to change his life forever. 

This was an awesome book. We also looked at it in class as a graphic novel, but the content in the book is about a real man named Georges Méliés who was a film maker.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because the illustrations are breath taking and the writing is out of this world. Definitely one to use in the classroom.

Who Was Marco Polo Review (Informational)

Title: Who Was Marco Polo?
Written by: Joan Holub
Illustrated by: John O'Brien
Published by: The Penguin Group, 2007
ISBN: 978-0-448-44540-3

This is a biography of Marco Polo written for children. There are pictures and child friendly text throughout the book that make it fun to read while learning all about Marco Polo.

I loved this book because of how age appropriate it it. Some of the names in the biography (such as Confucius) are hard for kids to read so the author even included how to sound out the names in the book! 

I would give this book a 5 out of 5. There are other books in the series too, all of which should be in a classroom to get kids interested in some informational texts.

What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin Review (Informational)

Title: What's the Big Idea, Ben Franklin?
Written by: Jean Fritz
Illustrated by: Margot Tomes
Published by: PaperStar, 1976
ISBN: 0-698-11372-1

This book is a brief biography of Benjamin Franklin and it tells of the things he invented in his life and the type of person he was.

I thought this book was pretty boring, actually. There was no cute story line, it was basically just a straight biography of Ben Franklin told in children's language.

I would give this book a 1.5 out of 5 because I was bored the whole time reading it and I would not read it again. However, if someone who is really interested in history wanted to read this book, they might find it better than I did. 

George Did It Review (Informational)

Title: George Did It
Written by: Suzanne Tripp Jurmain
Illustrated by: Larry Day
Published by: The Penguin Group, 2006
ISBN: 978-0-7569-8161-7

This book is a funny story of how George Washington did NOT want to be President of the United States. But he did anyway! 

I think this was a very good book because it included many different fun facts that I personally did not know about! The author also included a bibliography in the beginning of the book so that everyone can see where she got her information.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because the content is great and a funny way to look deeper into our first president.

Meet Felicity Review (Historical Fiction)

Title: Meet Felicity
Written by: Valerie Tripp
Illustrated by: Dan Andreasen
Published by: Scholastic Inc, 1991
ISBN: 0-590-45986-4

Meet Felicity is a book that comes with an American girl doll! Felicity is a girl living in the colonial period and she never quite fits in. She does not like to stitch and she wishes she could take off her petticoats and run! Everything changes for Felicity when she sees a horse who is being abused by an old man. Felicity has to make a decision: to risk her life to save another? Or to stay away and keep herself safe?

This book is cute and I love that there are pictures included every few pages. The book also includes little pictures in the margins to help readers understand any words that they might not always come across (like breeches and stockings)

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because of the visual aids and the illustrations. Also, because it is a great idea to put books with such a popular toy! What a great way to encourage children to read.

Battle Bunny Review

Title: Battle Bunny
Written by: Jon Scieszka and Mac Barnett
Illustrated by: Matthew Myers
Published by: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4424-4673-1

This book was originally a birthday gift to a boy named Alex from his Grandma. But Alex decides to take matters into his own hands and recreate the cute birthday book into something much darker. Now, the book is no longer called "Birthday Bunny" it is called "Battle Bunny!"

This book was actually a little hard to follow. Since it has the qualities of a young boy crossing out words and drawing in pictures, there are actually two stories in one. You can still read the "original" text about the birthday bunny underneath the marker used to cross out the words. It is a funny book and a cool concept but the book does seem a little busy now. I would definitely appeal to the boys in the classroom though!

I would give this book a 4 out of 5 because of the fact that it was a little hard to follow. Other than that I love the concept and the content.

The Giver Review

Title: The Giver
Written by: Lois Lowry
Published by: Houghton Mifflin, 1993
ISBN: 0-395-64566-2

This book is about a young man named Jonas who lives in a utopia in the future. He has been assigned the job of the Receiver which means that he will be given all of the past memories from the town. These are memories of hurt, of weather, of colors, and many more. Jonas will need to prepare himself for the memories that will eventually cause him to see how dysfunctional his town actually has become. 

I loved reading this book because I love this genre! Hunger Games, Divergent, The Giver, these books are all a part of my favorite genre so I really enjoyed reading this book. Lois Lowry does a fantastic job of painting a picture with his words and the book is full of twists and surprises.

I give this book a 5 out of 5! Everyone should read this book and there should be multiple copies in every upper elementary classroom!

Twilight Review

Title: Twilight
Written by: Stephenie Meyer
Published by: Little, Brown and Company, 2005
ISBN: 978-0-316-16017-9

This book is about 17 year old Bella Swan who moves to a small town in Washington during her junior year of high school. When she moves to the town she meets a strange boy named Edward Cullen. Turns out, this small town has some secrets of its own, and the closer Bella gets to Edward, the sooner she will realize not everything is as it seems. 

I love this whole series! It is a saga, so there are four books in the series and I think all of them are brilliant. This book is either hit or miss for readers so either you will love it or hate it. Personally, I love it and most of the people I have talked to love this book just as much. 

I would recommend this book for high schoolers and up since some of the books have sexual content. I would rate it a 5 out of 5 for fantasy!

Honey...Honey...Lion! Review

Title: Honey...Honey...Lion!
Written by: Jan Brett
Published by: G.P Putnam's Sons, 2005
ISBN: 0-399-24463-8

This is the tale of two animals, the honeyguide bird and the honey badger. The two of them work together to get honey, but one day honey badger does not want to share! So the next day honeyguide tells honey badger she found honey far away, but she tricks him!

This book was okay. The pictures were fantastic, but the content was a little strange. The way the book was worded, especially in the beginning, was weird but it did get better as the book went on. I think it had a good moral at the end: Be kind to your friends and share or they will get you back!

I would give this book a 4 out of 5. The redeeming factor for me are how beautiful the pictures are. 

Stone Soup Review

Title: Stone Soup
Retold by: Marcia Brown
Published by: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing Division, 1947
ISBN: 0-684-92296-7

This book is an old folktale about three soldiers who come into a town looking for food and shelter for the night. All of the townspeople are greedy and hide their food from the soldiers. The three soldiers have to find a way to find food in the town and they come up with the perfect plan: stone soup.

I thought this book was a little weird to be honest. It was funny because of how the soldiers tricked the townspeople but the ending was very anticlimactic. 

I would give this book a 3 out of 5. It is not a bad book, but I probably would not read it again or recommend it for any classrooms.

The Legend of the Bluebonnet Review

Title: The Legend of the Bluebonnet
Retold by: Tomie DePaola
Published by: G.P Putnam's Sons, 1983
ISBN: 0-399-20937-9

This book is an old Native American tale about why there are bluebonnets in Texas. It tells about a little girl who sacrificed what she loved most to save her people.

This tale is very nicely retold by DePaola and it is a great story of why flowers grow in Texas every year! It also has a nice moral at the end.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 and would recommend it to all children and families alike. It is a fun tale and it teaches kids that sometimes you have to give up the things you do not want to give up in order to help other people.

Bridge to Terabithia Review

Title: Bridge to Terabithia
Written by: Katherine Paterson
Published by: Harper Collins, 1987
ISBN: 978-0060734015

This realistic fiction book is about a young boy named Jesse who finds an unlikely friend in the strange new girl who moves into the neighborhood. Together, they create a world of their own in the woods: a magical kingdom named Terabithia. 

This is a book that every person, teacher or not, should read at some point in his or her life. It has a great plot and some really hard issues to tackle. It can also be used in a classroom for multiple reasons.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because Paterson did a great job with the content and the details. I would recommend this book to upper elementary school students and middle school students.

Speak Review

Title: Speak
Written by: Laurie Halse Anderson
Published by: Douglas & McIntyre Ltd.
ISBN: 978-0-374-37152-4

This book is about a freshman girl named Melinda who has a terrible secret. She is being shunned by the entire school because she called the cops at a party during the end of summer. The problem is no one will listen to the reason why.

This book is wonderfully written and a must read for all students in high school and up. Since the content is very mature, I would not recommend this book to anyone younger than eighth grade. 

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because of how powerful it is and how great of a job Anderson did at portraying a high schooler who just wants to be heard. 

Rumble Review

Title: Rumble
Written by: Ellen Hopkins
Published by: Margaret K. McElderrly Books, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-4424-8284-5

This is a realistic fiction book about a boy named Matt who is struggling with the aftermath of his little brothers suicide. After relentless bullying, Luke committed suicide and this book highlights the struggles families go through after a life is taken. This book also brings up the topic of religion and atheism from a boy who, based on the recent events, no longer believes in a loving God.

First of all, if you have never read something by Ellen Hopkins, you need to stop reading this blog and pick up one of her books. Ellen Hopkins is a realistic fiction author and her books are all about teenagers who struggle with certain things in life. From drugs and addiction, to family issues and neglect, Hopkins touches so many people with the words she shares from the point of view of the characters. Her career started with her daughter becoming addicted to cocaine. Her first book, Crank, was based on the events of her daughters life. Hopkins takes the time to thoroughly study each book and the issues that are presented in each one. 

In this book, as well as all of the other Ellen Hopkins books, is written in poetry format. The book itself is not a collection of poems, but the text is published in a poetic way. The picture below shows an example of what I mean: 

As you can see, the text can be read in two different ways. You can read the page left to right, or you can read straight down ("the monster was great for a little while")

This book deserves a 5 out of 5 because it is so real and down to earth. The events in the book really hit home with some people and many teenagers and even adults can relate to the characters and the emotions felt in the story. It is a great book. The text makes it an easy read, although the content is far from easy to take. 

The Tot and the Pot Review

Title: The Tot and the Pot
Written by: Lili Henderson
Illustrated by: Chris Baldwin
Published by: Learning Page, Inc. 2005

 This decodable text is about a little toddler named Tom who finds a pot and decides to play with it! In the story, the phonics skill that is targeted is the short /o/ sound. With words like tot, pot, mop, and not, the author did a good job of giving many examples for beginning readers.


I really loved the pictures in this book! Most decodable texts are so focused on the limited vocabulary that there is not a lot of thought put into the actual pictures. Many times, the pictures are black and white but these pictures were really well done. The illustrator definitely put thought and time into creating these pictures for the book.

One of the suggestions I would have for the book is to add one more /o/ word. In the text, there is an older female character named Pam. Instead of naming her Pam, the author could have referred to her as mom which would have added another /o/ word! Any chance the author has the chance to add words that match the skill, they should definitely do it, without making the book seemed forced that is.

Overall, I think this decodable text deserves a 5 out of 5 because there is actually a slight plot in the book, and the pictures clearly had a lot of thought put into them.

Wanted: Best Friend Review

Title: Wanted: Best Friend
Written by: A.M Monson
Illustrated by: Lynn Munsinger
Published by: Dial Books for Young Readers, 1997
ISBN: 0-8037-1483-1

This book is about a cat and a mouse who like to play games together. Cat is a little selfish and only likes to play one game so mouse gets upset and leaves. After mouse leaves, cat writes an ad in the paper for a new best friend! After a few different animals come over, cat realizes that mouse is the best friend he could ask for and sometimes friends have to make sacrifices for each other! 

This is such a cute story and it really shows what it is to be a true friend and that it is important to treat your friends well. It also teaches to appreciate who you have before they are gone! The plot of this story is very good and it is important to teach children this message because kids can be so selfish at times! 

The pictures in this book by Munsinger are also done is a great way. She really captures the different characteristics for each animal who comes over to cats house. The way that mole is messy and gets food everywhere, the way otter is reckless, and the way that raccoon is careless. 

I think this book deserves a 5 out of 5 because of the message it gets across and they way that the pictures are done. Also a great book to keep in a classroom or even in the home to read to children.  

Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend Review

Title: Monday, Wednesday, and Every Other Weekend
Written by: Karen Stanton
Published by: Feiwel and Friends, 2014
ISBN: 978-1-250-03489-2

This book is a well written story about a little boy dealing with his parents divorce. It talks about how on Monday, Wednesday and every other weekend he and his dog live at his moms house. On the other days of the week, he spends his time at his dads. This book is a great resource for a child who might be experiencing a divorce or whose parents have recently gone through a divorce. This also might be a good book for the children whose parents were never married so they also experience the feeling of bouncing from house to house.

Another thing I really enjoyed about the book other than the plat were the ways the pictures were done. Aside from painting, it seems as though Stanton used collages and she also used snippets of newspaper print! The pictures were done very well.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 because the pictures complement the text very well, and the plot is also something that can be helpful to children. This is a great book to have in a teacher library and for teachers to be aware of, especially if a student is going through a similar situation.

The Jolly Postman Review

The Jolly Postman
Written by: Allan Ahlberg
Illustrated by: Janet Ahlberg
Published by: Heinemann, 1986
ISBN: 9780316126441

This is a cute little story about a postman who goes to different fairy tale characters houses to deliver letters. He runs into many familiar faces including the three bears, the giant, the wolf, and many more! Each letter that he delivers comes in an envelope and can actually be taken out like a real letter! There are written notes, birthday cards, postcards and plenty of other mail items!

I love this book. I am a little biased because it was one of my favorite books growing up but that does not change the fact that it is great! This book is so cute because it takes a familiar concept like different fairy tales and gives them a fun twist. This book is a great way to introduce children to the concept of getting and sending letters. The fact that the letters can be taken out of the envelopes is probably my favorite part. The problem is that sometimes the letters can get lost if the book is used enough. The good news is that the letters are just added in so the book can still be read without them (just not as fun). The pictures in the book are great and the use of space works really well in this book.

I give this book a 5 out of 5 because honestly, I think it is great even now as an adult! Great quality, great pictures, and still interactive! Definitely one to keep in your classroom and in your home.

The Picnic Review

The Picnic
Written by: Bobby Lynn Maslen
Illustrated by: John R. Maslen
Published by: Scholastic Inc, 1987
ISBN: 978-0-439-17587-6

This book is about a girl named Jill who wants to have a picnic at the beach with her friend Tim. They eat lots of food and swim in the sea!

This decodable text focuses on the ea sound, such as in sea and treat. This text is much more difficult than the other two that I read. This text has full sentences and somewhat of an actual story line. The words and sentences are beginning to become more complex, so this must be the end of the decodable texts, and the beginning of reading big kid books!

I would give this text a 4 out of 5 though just because the pictures are a little bland and only have one color. 

Crab Trab Book Review

Crab Trap
Written by: Nora Gaydos
Illustrated by: BB Sams
Published by: innovativeKids, 2001
ISBN: 1-58476-073-7

This book is about an angry crab who puts ham and jam on a mouse trap. He ends up catching a rat, and the rat is not happy about it!

This is an easy to read decodable text. The focus of this text is the short a sound. There are also sight words such as the as well as and. Finally, the text uses some consonant blends, especially tr and cr. 

I like how at the end there are questions for the reader, such as "what are other words that rhyme with ham?" 

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 for decodable texts. The pictures are great and the sentences are easy while still focusing on the sounds.

Bluebird Review

Bluebird
Written by: Bob Staake
Published by: Schwartz and Wade Books, 2013
ISBN: 978-0-375-87037-8

This was a surprising book for me. It is about a little boy who gets bullied and has no friends. Until one day he happens to meet a little bluebird. The surprising part comes at the end but I won't give it away! You definitely want to read this book to see what it is.

This book is really good and tackles some hard issues in childhood. My only concern is that the book is illustrated with only black white and blue pictures. As an adult I can still appreciate it, but as a child I fear he or she would grow bored and not be able to stay focused since the pictures are a little dull. 

I would give this book a 4 out of 5 just because I worry about the colors in the illustrations. This is definitely one I would keep in the classroom though because it could definitely help with some hard issues.

Flotsam Review

Flotsam
Written by: David Wiesner
Published by: Clarion Books, 2006
ISBN: 978-0-618-19457-5

I know we looked at this book in our class, but I already had it checked out and read before that! This is a wordless picture book about a little boy at the beach who finds an old camera washed up on shore. After he gets the film developed, he gets to see some crazy pictures the camera took while underwater, as well as the previous owners of the camera!

This is a very good wordless picture book. It is definitely a fantasy book based on the illustrations, and the illustrations are amazing! Wiesner put so much effort into his pictures and the colors are perfect for keeping a child's attention. It is a silly book which can encourage language as the child who is looking at the book realizes that what is in the pictures is not actually real. 

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 for wordless picture books. Definitely one for the classroom. 

Flora and the Flamingo Review

Flora and the Flamingo
Written by: Molly Idle
Published by: Chronicle Books, 2013
ISBN: 978-1-4521-1006-6

This cute little book is about a girl who sees a flamingo and tries to copy everything the flamingo does. She even has her own flippers to match the flamingo!

This is a wordless picture book so the entire thing can be read without having to read anything. I personally enjoyed the book and thought it was very cute. In the book, there are flaps the reader can pull down to see a different picture. I liked the interactive aspect with the flaps, but the problem is that the flaps were made out of paper! They can so easily come off of the page and the the book that I had actually had a flap starting to come off. The pictures are beautiful and well done.

I would give the book a 4 out of 5 because I know the quality of the book would decrease if any of those flaps were to go missing. Not very durable!

Opposites Book Review

Opposites
Written by Xavier Deneux
Published by Chronicle Books, 2013
ISBN:978-1-4521-1725-6

The entire book is full of sets of opposites like outside and inside, small and big, and full and empty.

I loved this book! The colors were great, and there were even some touchable parts for little kids. This book was actually written in french in 2012, but was translated into english in 2013. This being said, there is one part at the end that the opposite of "one" is "lots." I probably would have used the word "many" but it could also be an issue of translation and that is why it seems off. The only other comment I have on this book is that the words are a little small. I would have preferred them to be bigger to make them easier to see.

I would give this book 4 out of 5 stars! Definitely one to keep in the classroom.

Bedtime for Chickies Review

Bedtime for Chickies

Written by Janee Trasler
Published by Harper Festival, 2014
ISBN: 978-0-06-227468-7

This book is about three little chicks who are avoiding bed time! They have plenty of excuses for why they cannot go to sleep yet, including being thirsty, needing a story, and even having to go potty.

This is a very cute, age appropriate book. On the back of the book it even gives a targeted age group (newborn-4). It is very short, and only has a few words on each page. It has a nice rhyme scheme as well. The illustrations are colorful and bright, just enough to keep the attention of a toddler. It is a good. book to read to a child right before they go to bed.

I would give this book a 5 out of 5 stars! Definitely one I would suggest for parents and teachers. 

Big Red Barn Review

Big Red Barn

Written by Margaret Wise Brown
Illustrated by Felicia Bond
Published by Harper Festival, 1995
ISBN: 0-694-00624-6

Growing up, I always assumed all children's books were simple. I assumed there was no such thing as a "good board book" and a "bad board book" but after going through education classes I have realized that certain books are better than others when it comes to being developmentally appropriate for children. Big Red Barn, I do not think is developmentally appropriate for the age group it is targeting. Board books are for young children, like infants and toddlers. They are board books because they need to be sturdy for that age group! Infants and toddlers love to put things in their mouths and can be destructive at times. These board books should be short and colorful to keep the attention of these children.

Big Red Barn is about all the animals at a farm. This book goes over the whole day from morning to dusk to dark. The book includes the sounds the animals make and the colors of all the animals as well.

There are many positive things about the book including the illustrations, the use of animal sounds, and the descriptive words Brown uses. The problem with the book is that it is a little long and uses vocabulary that is way above the age level. Some of these words include, "bantam, clutch, and lowed."

I would give this book 2 out of 5 stars because there are some positive aspects in the book but at the same time, it is not the age appropriate for an infant or toddler.