Blood on the River

I have never been a fan of picking up a historical fiction novel to read for excitement...that is, until I picked up this great book.  I began reading this book to my fourth grade class as a prelude to our social unit discussing the settlement Jamestown.  My love for this book has come from my students' eagerness to have me read it aloud.  There is nothing more intriguing that to have your students begging you to read to them. 

This book is unlike any other children's book I have read so far.  The graphic language and in depth description of the colonists survival is a risk to read in the classroom.  However, this risk is exactly what may be needed in the classroom to invigorate your students.  The story follows a young boy named Samuel who has found his way, through circumstance, into being a servant of Captain John Smith.  Samuel encounters plenty of tough times as he challenges not only his peers, but his captain as well. 

Reading this book in your classroom will bring you and your students one of the most powerful experiences of the school year.  Your students will be captured in the fine details of the book, as if they were themselves characters.  Please, check this one out!!

Boy: Tales of Childhood

       Roald Dahl was is my favorite author from childhood.  Although I did not have experience with all of his works I have read a few of his books including The BFG, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and Matilda. What really got me into his books was the illustrations on his book covers.  Quentin Blake is the man responsible for bringing all of Roald Dahl's characters to life, and he is the man responsible for inspiring me to pick up my first Roald Dahl book.  In honor of Blake,here is a link to his website.  But, this is about Roald Dahl.

      It wasn't really surprising to learn about all of Roald Dahl's family issues.  His books contain so many issues between parents and their children, just look at Matilda for an example.  From reading this autobiography, Dahl's childhood experiences are definitely reflected in his written works.  My favorite thing about this autobiography is its use of illustrations, and its inclusion of photographs and letters.  I think these items bring this book to life.  It also helps students see the reality of Dahl's experiences.  Students can see Dahl's writing and be inspired by the realization that even the great author's were once children in school just like them.  This is what makes Dahl such a great author, he is always able to recreate the essence of childhood experiences.

David Beckham...a biography

David Beckham: Gifted and Giving Soccer Star

                How educational can a biography about the most internationally know sports superstar really be?  Well this excellently written biography, authored by J Chris Roselius, captures the essence of what students want to know.  The book provides an great description of Beckhams life as a sports star and his life experience before he became famous.  Along with the descriptions of his life Roselius chose to give small descriptions of the things that make his life so special.  There are detailed explanations of highlights from Beckham's soccer career, teams he has been a part of, his relationships with other superstars and more.  This biography also explains how Beckham has used his success in soccer to help underprivileged people in the world.

              I could imagine including a lesson using a text like this in my classroom.  Students could have the opportunity to research their own famous figure and create their own biography with illustrated highlights including captions.  These captions are what capture the essence of a picture book.  Pictures and illustrations are great, but captions are able to bring these images to life for the reader.  This book is a collection of biographies about sports stars who give back.  J Chris Roselius has been a journalist for a decade and has written several sports books. 

Non Fiction Picture Books

           Non-Fiction is my favorite genre.  I don't know why, but I love being presented with the facts and having excellent pictures to look at.  I choose books that I believed would grasp the interests of the average elementary students and could be used for classroom instruction.  All of these books could be incorporated in a multitude of lessons and would be excellent additions to a classroom library.  Non-fiction picture books are like miniature textbooks that are a lot more fun, and easier to wrap your mind around.  Here is a brief description of the books I've chosen.

The Magic School Bus: Lost in the Solar System

             Ms. Frizzle, the world’s greatest science teacher, takes her classroom on another journey, this time being through the solar system.  What began with a field trip to the planetarium, led to a Ms. Frizzle being lost in the asteroid belt and the students flying all the way to Pluto.  Each page is illustrated with plenty of detail that capture varying levels of astronomical aspects.  There are captions which describe vocabulary and explain processes. 

            This book has the ability to empower a solar system unit overview.  There are various vocabulary and definitions to assist student’s learning.  Students can pick this book up on their own and be not only enthralled by the storyline, but also by the information presented, and the excellent illustrations.  Once again, I just love looking through the pictures and learning all of the excellent information.

Spies

          This book is an amazing exploration into the world of espionage.  It takes you on an illustrated journey from the beginnings of spies to spies of the future.  It also describes many of the exciting tools and gadgets that spies have used in the past and are being used.  Every kid has wanted to be a spy once in their life.  This book explains the ins and outs of espionage including where to place bugs, where secret information is commonly shared, and the best ways to disguise yourself.  Once again, this book would be an excellent addition to a classroom library, most likely in upper elementary.

Creating Cuisine: Have You Got What It Takes to be a Chef

       This book takes the essence of being the head chef of a four star restaurant and fits it into forty pages of excellent illustrated inviting text.  This book includes recipes, daily schedules and routines, global food listings and more.  I always wanted to be a chef and after reading this my dreams have just grown bigger.  This is a great book and can be used in first through secondary classrooms.  It is that good!

Ripley's Believe It of Not!: Human Body

       Now you may think that anything sponsored by Ripley's believe it or not is not really made for classroom purposes.  Well, I was thinking the same thing when I picked up this great work of non-fiction.  I wish I had this book when I was in school.  I think I would've became a doctor.  This book not only contains excellent information that students can use for projects and research, but also it contains fun facts and interesting ways people have pushed the limits of the human body.  I can imagine students in upper elementary grades fighting over this book during independent reading.

31 Ways to Change the World...by 4,386 children, we are what we do, :) and You!

        I can't even remember how I found this book.  Actually I think it found me with its amazingness.  This is exactly what I needed for my classroom and I know it will be included in my first writing activity on the first day of school.  This book is really written by 4,386 children.  It is simply ideas that students have that can change the world.  This is an excellent way to boost students excitement about environment awareness and responsibility.  But this book is more than just a product of the green revolution.  It is a product of good people looking to have a great impact on society.  I think it captures the essence of what is sought by loving and caring teachers.

I decided to do a video in order to show you all how truly excited I am about non-fiction.

The Curse of the Romany Wolves

The Curse of the Romany wolves is an action packed sequel to The Daring Adventures Of Penhaligon Brush which was the beginning of an adventurous tale following Penhaligon and his friends.  In the first story by S. Jones Rogan, Penhaligon was able to save his village and his friends from the torment of Sir Derek.  In this tale Penhaligon is called upon once again to save on of his pals from the curse of Romany Wolves, which is a disease once believed to be extinct.  Penhaligon was once a shy fellow, who never pictured himself fighting evil and saving lives.  This story has all of the elements of a great book.  Penhaligon is likable character and is the underdog.  His supporting characters are full of personality, and the reader can place his or herself right into the story.

This fantasy novel contains excellent illustrations that inspire the reader throughout the story to envision each and every event.  As a fantasy book should, there is a world created for the reader to dive into and discover all the small details as if it were real.  S. Jones Rogan does an excellent job of writing descriptively to provide this imagery.  This is a great novel to have in the classroom.  Students can grasp an excellent understanding of setting and description through reading this excellent tale!

Stone Fox

Stone Fox is an excellent novel about a young boy named Willy, who enters a dog sled race in order to raise money and save his grandfather's land. Willy and his dog Searchlight face numerous perils in this adventure as they are the underdogs against the undefeated competitor Stone Fox.  The story is very compelling.  However, there needs to back a foundation set before reading this text about the setting.  This story would need some assistance from the social studies classroom, as it involves citizenship and Native American issues.

After reading this for the second time in my life with about 15 years in between all I can say is what a story.  I chose this novel because of the disgust my mind had for it since I read some time late in my elementary years.  How could I be so naive?  If anything it may have just been the author's writing style or maybe the dreary ending to the story that caused me, in my youth, to dislike this novel.  The ending of the story is tough to take and if you are giving this book as a novel for the class to read, be sure to warn your students of the happenings at the end of the story. 

 

Brain Juice: Science, Fresh Squeezed!

As a student who has a reading history haunted by poetry I was actually quite excited to find a poetry collection that made interdisciplinary connections.  Carrol Diggory Shields, the concoctor of this collection did an excellent job of making tough science subjects interesting and fun through the use of rhyme and rhythm.  Some poems actually include instructions to include live music while performing.  This collection can be used well in multiple facets from the science classroom to the music room.

The poems use technical scientific language, but are written cleverly and poetically, which allows for a lesson in science as well as poetry.  The collection covers multiple subject areas including Earth Science, Chemistry, Physics, and the Life Sciences.  Due to the scientific nature of this book, it is most useful for upper level students.  However, poems can be read aloud to primary students.  For example, there is a poem titles Roy G. Biv, which covers the colors of the spectrum.  This poem would be a great to read aloud to kindergarten students. 

There are many uses to this poem collection.  There are also similar collections that teach English and American History.  These collections would make great use in any classroom.

"Red and orange and yellow.
Streaks of green and shades of blue
Indigo and violet, too."

Ackamarackus: Julius Lester's Sumptuously Silly Fantastically Funny Fables

This collection of sumptuously silly fantastically funny fables stands up to its incredibly creative bar heightening title.  Any collection with a title that claims as much as this one has to be absolutely amazing.  Well, Julius Lester's fables are pretty creative and quite funny.  But what is most impressive is that each fable brings a introspective and odd moral that may catch you off guard initially, but in reality makes a lot of sense.  The collection includes six original works that will have readers of all ages turning the pages repeatedly.

Lester chooses to take risks in his story telling.  For example, when we learn about how Lionel the lazy lion becomes the king of the jungle it would make no sense to believe that it would be because he was the laziest animal on the face of the earth.  But the twists and imaginative wordplay that Lester uses, along with the quirky illustrations by Emilie Chollat, takes each story off the page into the readers imagination.  In this inventive collection anything is possible.

The collection includes morals of acceptance, creativity, and individuality.  And there is no better expression of individuality than Albert the alligator moving to Vermont to escape the hot Florida summers.  I won't give the story away, but this is one that had me rolling and slapping my knee.  I suggest that everyone get a copy of this great book for their class and homes.  The stories are ingenious and children of all ages will love them. 

"You probably didn't know bees fall in love, did you? Well, there is nothing on this planet that doesn't fall in love. Even rocks fall in love.  I don't know how to tell you when two rocks fall in love because their expressions don't change..."

Luka's Quilt

Luka's quilt is a detailed story that takes place in Hawaii. The story follows Luka and her grandmother's relationship as they struggle to agree upon what to include in Luka's traditional Hawaiian quilt. Luka becomes angry with her grandmother as she chooses not to include all of the colorful flowers in the quilt that she had hoped for. Because of this the relationship become torn between the contemporary and the traditional. This is a great story to teach young students what tradition means and discover if their families have any traditional values. Also, Luka's quilt focuses on a Hawaiian tradition which is rarely taught in schools. It is a great way to incorporate multicultural points of view within the classroom.

The moral of this story is great, but in critique the story just seems to be lacking something. It is extremely straight forward and doesn't leave much for the reader to decide upon themselves. There tone is as if you were reading Luka's memoir or journal. Although this is not a bad tone for storytelling, it does not reach the level that most students can connect with. The style of the book is very plain despite the magnificent artwork, by author and artist Georgia Gubeck. I was left looking for a little more after finishing the story.

How to Make Friends with a Giant

"Tomorrow you'll be the first pick, Jacomo," Ed says.  "You and Jake."

How to Make Friends with a Giant is a great book to explain the meaning of friendship and treating people respectfully. This story may not be the most compelling, but it involves a great lesson that all students should learn. Author Gennifer Choldenko juxtaposes the characters Jake, who is tiny along with everything he owns, and Jacomo, who is literally a giant. However, Jake is the only student who has the heart to confront Jacomo and be his friend. Jacomo may be a giant, but he is a regular first grader just like Jake and his classmates.

Throughout the story we see Jake's compassionate heart as he befriends Jacomo in circumstances where all of his other classmates make fun of him. The climax of the story occurs during recess while the students are playing soccer. Jacomo is so strong that he kicks the ball over the fence and all of the students become outraged. They tell Jacomo that he will be the last pick just like Jake. Once again, when Jacomo is on the verge of tears, Jake is right there by his side. He teaches Jacomo how to kick the ball softly, something that Jake is very good at. Because Jake taught Jacomo so well, they both are slated to be the first pick the next day.

This story teaches a great moral of respecting others no matter how different they are. And Jake and Jacomo could be no more different. The illustrations by Amy Walrod have Jake pictured to be only as tall as Jacomo's knees. Yet, they are both able to overlook their differences and be best friends.

My Mom is a Firefighter

My Mom is a Firefighter written by Lois G. Grambling and Illustrated by Jane Manning is a great book that erases gender stereotypes and promotes open student thought. The title may fool you into believing that the story is completely about dispelling gender stereotypes, but really it is about the life of all firefighters. It is a great informational read into the life of firefighters and their families. And what young student isn't compelled to learn what firefighters do while they're not fighting the flames.

"Mom tell's us that firefighters are part of a team. "Everyone has to do his or her job.""

It is the description about what happens in the firehouse and how Billy, whose mother is a firefighter, relates that keeps the reader turning the pages. Billy's mother not only has time to put out dangerous house fires, she also makes it home in time to help prepare Billy for his spelling test. The story is so real that any student can place themselves in the book and imagine that one of their parents or guardians is a firefighter. This is what makes a book like this one incredibly special.

Looking Like Me

  What an inspirational experience! Reading Looking Like Me by Walter Dean Myers was like reading an introspective story about myself. This picture book is not the traditional story. The plot follows a young boy discovering who he is. What is more important to young elementary students than discovering who they are? We were all there at one point. There is no more egocentric time in life than elementary school. This story gives an opportunity for young students to take insight into their own lives and discover who they are.

The young boy discovers who he is by first looking into the mirror and being proud of who he is. Then he describes himself as he is in relation to his family and then at his school. From these multiple perspectives we see how diverse of a person this young boy is. And from these multiple descriptions we are presented with multiple illustrations that convey a personality in multiple ways. Illustrator Christopher Myers uses a unique style to display the diversity of a person.

 

This would be a great book for students to learn how to describe things. And what better to being with than describing yourself. The young boy in the story is on a journey creating an "I Am" list, which can be created by every student in the class, including the teacher. What an encouraging book! A perfect book to inspire students to believe in themselves and who they are.

"I'M WALKING TALL AND I'M WALKING PROUD. LOOKED IN THE MIRROR - I LOOK LIKE A CROWD"

Letters From a Desperate Dog

    "He won't even share the trash!" - Emma

Letters from a Desperate Dog is an excellent read provided by author Eileen Christelow that provides a perspective on life rarely thought of. I enjoyed reading this story from cover to cover about a dog's desperate journey for her owner’s approval. Throughout the story we learn that a dog's lifestyle may not be as mundane as we believe it to be. Emma, our desperate dog who is only seeking to get the enjoyment out of life that her owner George gets, is pegged as a "BAD! BAD! BAD!” dog. But Emma is resilient and resourceful. She searches the paper and finds a canine advice column. She emails back and forth with Queenie, her advisor, seeking different methods to get back on George's good side. Queenie has many suggestions including licking George's hand, which only leads to Emma making a mess with his paint, or, helping out around the house, but in this instance too Emma finds herself making a mess of the whole situation, literally.

It is the illustrations that keep this story flowing at a rate that keeps the reader's eyes glued to the pages. We constantly get an introspective view of what Emma is thinking through her thought bubbles and facial expressions. Not only this but watching a dog make several trips to the library in order to email her life coach proved to be pretty hysterical. Eventually, Emma follows the advice that the best thing for her to do is to seek a job. She wins a part in a play titled On The Couch, something she loves to do, but what she overlooks is that she will be travelling. Her role in the play takes her far from home. Although she becomes a star she misses her time with George. Again it is the excellent illustrations that guide through the emotions of Emma.

The show returns home for the final night and Emma is desperate to see George. Emma sends him an anonymous e-mail telling him his missing dog may be at the play. In the end, George and Emma joyfully reunite after the play and make their way back home only to meet the same frustrations as before. The story is presented as a mini graphic novel. The comic book like illustrations with quote and thought bubbles guide the reader through the text in a way that provided incredible insight into the thoughts of the characters. This would be a great book to teach students about internet and e-mail. Also, the story provides a lot of advanced vocab. Overall, Letters from a Desperate Dog is a great story that gets my seal of approval.