Lisa+Mangels+reviews


 * __Title:__** Flotsam


 * __Award:__** Cadecott Medal (2007)


 * __Citation:__** Wiesner, D. (2006). Flotsam. New York, NY: Clarion Books. (ISBN: 13:978-0-618-19457-5)


 * __Summary:__** Upon discovering an underwater camera that has washed onto the beach, a young boy finds out that there is more below the ocean than he would have ever conceived. The pictures depict astounding images of a life under the sea that no one would believe possible. He also finds that he is not the only one to witness these incredible scenes. At first using a magnifying glass and then a microscope, the boy discovers a timeline of children who have also found the camera and the secrets that it holds.


 * __Opinion__**: I loved this book! My son is 9 years old and starts nearly every sentence these days with “what if”. This book is a wonderful way to encourage a child’s imagination to running wild.


 * __Curriculum Connection:__** 1st Grade
 * CCR: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
 * Standard 7: Use illustrations and details in a story to describe its characters, setting or events.


 * __Genre__**: Fantasy


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** K-5

Strategy 31: Questioning the Author
 * __Classroom Activity__**:

While showing the book to the students, discuss the various blocks of illustration and what the author is trying to convey. The teacher may need to explain the concept of a roll of film to students in this age of digital cameras. The students can ask why certain illustrations were included such as the series of pictures where the boy is sitting on the bench in different positions. What does that series depict? Students can then be asked to predict what pictures they may find on the film that the boy has developed. Show the various images that were captured on the underwater camera. Continue to have students question the meaning behind the various illustrations as they progress through the book to the discovery of the timeline of other children who have found the camera.

Now have students create their own strange snapshot using either a drawing or text to explain the scene.

__Title:__ **Edward’s Eyes**

__Award:__ **N/A**

__Citation:__ **MacLachlan, P. (2007). Edward’s Eyes. New York,NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. ( ISBN: 13:978-14169-2743-3)**

__Summary:__ **From the moment Edwards is born, his brother Jake knows that Edward is somehow special. Edward has the most beautiful blue eyes and all the three-year-old Jake can say when he looks into them is “his eyes”. Jakes family is very close, sharing everything from books, to bike rides and baseball. Baseball is a nightly ritual, with the family friend, Albert Groom watching and coaching. That summer, Edward perfects the mysterious knuckleball, making everyone proud.**


 * One evening, the children’s parents, Jack and Maeve, announce that they will be having another baby. Everyone in the family is overjoyed but Edward knows that like he belongs to Jake, this new baby will belong to him. Edward tells his family that the baby will be a girl and she will be called Sabine. When Sabine finally arrives the family is thrilled with the prospect of this new addition to the family yet things can change in an instant. Within one split second of time everyone’s life changes forever, showing how life can be turned upside down by one tragic incident.**

__Opinion__**: It is difficult for me to express how this book touched me.**
 * The character description of Edward reminded me so much of my own son Keegan and the details of the story through the tragic ending mirrored his life so closely that I would have thought that Patricia MacLachlan knew us personally. This book is tragic, beautiful and touching. A must read, in my opinion. **

__Curriculum Connection__**: 5th grade
 * CCR: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas.
 * Standard 2: Determine a theme of a story, drama or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text.


 * __Genre__**: Realistic Fiction


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Grades 4- 8


 * __Classroom Activity__****:** Strategy 24: Character Mapping

The character actions, emotions and relationships in the story Edward’s Eyes are central to developing the emotional impact of the story has on the reader; therefore, a character mapping activity would be a good exercise to help students to comprehend the events that take place and effects those events have on each family member.

__Title:__ **The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane**

__Award:__ **N/A**

__Citation:__ **DiCamillo, K. (2006). The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane. Cambridge, MA. Candlwick Press. (ISBN: 13: 978-0-7636-2589-4)**

__Summary:__ **Edward Tulane is a large china rabbit owned by a little girl named Abilene, who adored Edward and treats him with the utmost respect. Edward on the other hand is a proud, arrogant rabbit who cares for no one but himself. Edward takes Abilene’s love for granted until the day that he is lost. Edward’s journey over the next several years help him to appreciate the love that is bestowed upon him and to in turn learn to love others.**

__Opinion__**: I almost did not read this book because I didn’t think the topic of a little girl and her china rabbit would interest me but after becoming involved in the trials of Edward and his path from an arrogant selfish rabbit to one who is capable of love and worthy of being loved, I found that I adored this book.**

__Curriculum Connection__**: 5th grade


 * CCR: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from the text.


 * Standard 1: Quote accurately from a text when explaining what the text says explicitly and when drawing inferences from the text.


 * __Genre__**: Fantasy


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** ages 8-13


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 16: Vocabulary Self-Collection Strategy

//The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane// is filled with rich language and turns of phrase that make it a particularly good choice for a vocabulary activity. ‍‍Students should have no shortage of interesting words to choose from, allowing students practice finding the contextual meaning or using other resources to determine the meaning of the vocabulary. ‍‍



__Title__**: Shooting the Moon**

__Award__**: Christopher Award**

__Citation:__ **O’Roark, Dowell, F. (2008). Shooting the Moon. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc. (ISBN: 13: 978-0-545-20676-1)**

__Summary__: **Twelve-year-old Jamie Dexter is an ARMY girl, all the way. Jamie’s father, the Colonel has brought her up to believe that the ARMY way is the RIGHT way. When her brother volunteers for the Army after graduation, she can’t understand why her father of all people is trying to discourage his decision, until she begins to get //her// letters from her brother. Instead of sending her letters, her brother sends only undeveloped film. As Jamie develops each roll of film she begins to understand why her father did not want her brother involved in the Vietnam conflict. Jamie must then struggle with the view of Army life that her father has always portrayed and the reality that her brother may never come home.**

__Opinion__**: This was an excellent book that I would not hesitate to use with students while studying any war related conflict. When my nephew made his decision to join the Infantry, I felt that the recruiters and video games had given him a very skewed view of what he would be facing. This book is a good representation of the reality of war and that it is nothing to be glorified and the realities are much different than anyone can explain unless they have experienced it for themselves. Jamie’s brother makes an attempt through his pictures to show her the reality of war, forever changing her view.**

__Curriculum Connection__**: 5th grade


 * CCR: Analyze how and why individuals, events and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
 * Standard 3: Compare and contrast two or more characters, settings, or events in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., how characters interact).


 * __Genre__**: Realistic Fiction


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Ages 8-13


 * __Classroom Activity__****:** Strategy 38: Discussion Web

The discussion web activity is a great strategy for this particular text because there are a number of questions that can be discussed throughout the text. Should Jamie’s brother go to college or to war? Should we glorify war? Should Jamie’s dad support her brother’s decision to join the Army? Should Jamie show all of the pictures to her parents? The discussion web activity can help students to understand the meaning behind the text and to appreciate the views of the other students.



__Title:__ **Mirror**

__Award**: International Book**__

__Citation:__ **Baker, J. (2010). Mirror. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press. (ISBN: 978-0-7636-4848-0)**

__Summary:__ **Mirror is a beautiful picture book created with collages of natural and artificial materials, to depict life for two little boys who live in two very different cultures. Although there are many differences between the lives of the two boys such as environment and transportation, there seem to be more similarities that show that people of all nations share the need for friends, family and community. The two stories in this book are meant to be read side by side from the center out to the covers. In this manner we can see the comparison of the two cultures as the boys experience a day at the market with their fathers.**

__Opinion__**: I enjoyed the artwork in this book. The collages are very detailed using everything from sand and real vegetation to fabric and plastic. The side-by-side layout allows the reader to get a real feel for the differences and similarities in the two cultures.**

__Curriculum Connection__**: 3rd Grade


 * ** CCR: ** Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words.
 * ** Standard 7: ** Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).


 * __Genre__**: Wordless Picture Book


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Grades 3-8


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 26 Visualize It!

Prior to a study of other cultures, the teacher will introduce the book Mirror by Jeannie Baker. The teacher will discuss aspects of life that all humans, regardless of location, will have in common; such as, the need for food, housing, clothing etc. Students will look at the illustrations and complete a Venn diagram of the similarities and differences that are depicted in the two cultures. This activity will help students to recognize the similarities and differences between various cultures when they begin their studies of other cultures.



__Title:__ **My People**

__Award:__ **Coretta Scott King**

__Citation:__ **Hughs, L., Smith, C.R. Jr. (1923). My People. New York, NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers. (ISBN: 13: 978-1-4169-3540-7)**

__Summary:__ **Langston Hughs wrote this thirty-three word poem to celebrate the blacks of his time that were rarely acknowledged in American society. Over 80 years later, Charles Smith has created a beautiful book with photographs to illustrate the beauty of the “My People”. The photographs depict people of all ages, shades, shapes and sizes to show the uniqueness of the people of color.**

__Opinion__**: I loved this simple but beautiful book. There are so many ways that this book can be used in the classroom and at so many different grade levels. It is a wonderful example of one person’s interpretation of the poem “My People” by Langston Hughs. The pictures are a breathtaking array of the beauty found within the African American community.**

__Curriculum Connection__**: 3rd Grade
 * CCR: Integrate and evaluate content presented in diverse media and formats, including visually and quantitatively, as well as in words
 * Standard 7: Explain how specific aspects of a text’s illustrations contribute to what is conveyed by the words in a story (e.g., create mood, emphasize aspects of a character or setting).


 * __Genre__**: Poetry


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** K-5


 * __Classroom Activity:__**

This book would be an excellent resource to use during Black History month. The illustrations and poem can be used to begin a discussion of the celebration of ones culture and race. The teacher could ask students why they believe certain pictures were chosen to represent different parts of the poem. Giving students a historical perspective of the era in which an author wrote a particular piece can give them further insight as to the meaning behind the poem. The teacher could discuss the 1920’s; the facts that African Americans were not often celebrated for their achievements and allow students to conduct further research on an African American of that era that made a noteworthy contribution to America.



__Title:__ **Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade**

__Award:__ **Orbis Pictus Award**

__Citation:__ **Sweet, M. (2011). Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. (ISBN: 978-0-547-19945-0)**

__Summary:__ **As Tony Sarg, the creator of the mammoth balloons of the Macy’s parade once said, “Every little movement has a meaning of it’s own”. Tony Sarg had a passion for figuring out how things worked and how they moved. Tony created his own marionettes that were so lifelike that Mr. Macy saw them performing on Broadway and asked him to make a puppet parade for his holiday display in the store window. The puppets were such a hit that Mr. Macy asked Tony to create a real parade to celebrate the various cultures of the Macy’s employees. Real animals from the Central Park Zoo were used in the parade but they frightened the children; again Mr. Macy turned to Tony to save the parade. One thing led to another and the idea for the gigantic balloons was born. For over eighty years people from all over the world have come to New York City for the Thanksgiving Day, Macy’s Parade.**

__Opinion__**: I loved this book! I had no clue as to how the Macy’s Day Balloons and floats came about, so this was a delightful informational text. The illustrations were perfect for helping to tell the story of Tony Sarg and his wonderful creations.**

__Curriculum Connection__**: 4th Grade
 * ** CCR: ** Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
 * ** Standard 3: ** Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).


 * __Genre__**: Non-Fiction


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** K-5


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 27 Discussion Circle

After completing a unit on the Scientific Method, the teacher introduces the book Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet. Students should be asked to complete a concept map on the steps of the scientific method to use while reading the text. Students will answer the focus question: How did Tony Sarg use the scientific method while creating his balloons? Students will read the text, note the steps of the scientific method that they believe Tony used and record their responses. Students will then work in small groups to discuss their answers and identify the various steps that Tony used to create this modern marvel. As a whole class the teacher will use information from all groups to show how the scientific method allowed Tony to create something that had never been attempted before. Having students chose an inventor and explaining how the scientific method was used to create one of his/her inventions could extend the lesson further.



Hardesty's Review: __Balloons Over Broadway__ __Orbis Pictus Award:__ Balloons Over Broadway __APA Citation with IBSN:__ Sweet, M. (2011). //Balloons over Broadway : the true story of the puppeteer of Macy's Parade//. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children. ISBN 978-0-547-19945-0 __Summary:__ Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is a big deal to children, and this book captures all the realism it entails. It’s a great story depicting the events and happenings that took place to make the parade all that it is. __Liked/Disliked:__ I very much enjoyed this text. It was very interesting to read how the balloons became such a huge part of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. __Curriculum Connection:__ Kindergarten: With prompting and support, retell familiar stories, including key details. __Genre:__ Informational __Classroom Activity:__ Strategy 22: Story Retelling

__Title:__ **All the World** __Award:__ **Caldecott Honor (2010)**

__Citation:__ **Garton-Scanlon, L. (2009). All the World. New York, NY: Beach Lane Books. (ISBN: 978-1-4169-8580-8)**

__Summary:__ **As this poem follows a community through the activities of a weekend day, it shows the readers the interconnectedness of our lives and highlights the importance of savoring the small things in life that we may take for granted.**

__Opinion__**: This book is a delightful poem with a wonderful message that I look forward to reading aloud to my students. The possibilities are endless for it’s use within the curriculum. The pencil and watercolor illustrations are a beautiful complement to the rhyming text.**

__Curriculum Connection:__ ** Kindergarten


 * ** CCR: Analyze the structure of texts including how specific sentences, paragraphs and larger portions of the texts (e.g., a section, chapter, scene or stanza) relate to each other and the whole **** . **
 * ** Standard 5: Recognize common types of texts (e.g., storybooks, poems). **
 * __Genre__**: Picture Book


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** K-5
 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 1 Rhyme Generation

This strategy is perfect for use with the book All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon. After a short discussion of rhyming words, the teacher will read the story. Using an overhead copy of the poem and with the assistance of the students, the teacher can highlight words that rhyme from the original poem. The students can then work together as a whole class or in small groups to make up other words that rhyme with the words that they have highlighted.


 * __Title:__** Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country)


 * __Award:__** N/A


 * __Citation:__** Brewer, P. and Krull, K. (2010). Lincoln Tells a Joke: How Laughter Saved the President (and the Country). New York, NY: Harcourt Children’s Books. (ISBN: 978-0-15-206639-0)


 * __Summary:__** In this innovative approach to Lincoln’s biography, the reader learns that, not only was President Lincoln an influential leader in American politics but he led with a laugh and a joke. Lincoln gained popularity by making light of his appearance, his competitors and adverse situations that he faced. This book takes a look at how the President used his sense of humor to weather the hardships that he faced throughout his life, such as, many lost elections and death threats during his presidency.


 * __Opinion__**: I had heard many of the quotes that were used in this book but I had no idea that Abraham Lincoln made them or that he had such a wonderful sense of humor. I loved the unusual point of view for this biography. It is nice to know that someone as famous and influential as Abraham Lincoln could be a regular person, making the occasional fart joke or cutting up during a meeting.


 * __Curriculum Connection__**: 5th Grade


 * ** CCR: Determine central ideas or themes of a text and analyze their development; summarize the key supporting details and ideas. **
 * ** Standard 2: Determine a theme of a story, drama, or poem from details in the text, including how characters in a story or drama respond to challenges or how the speaker in a poem reflects upon a topic; summarize the text **** . **


 * __Genre__**: Biography


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Grade 3-8


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 30 Keys to Understanding

Without reading the title of the book, the teacher should show the students some of the illustrations and allow them to make predictions about the topic to be discussed. At this point the teacher can solicit information from the students to help determine their prior knowledge of Abraham Lincoln and the time period when he was president. Students will be given different colored sticky notes to record key vocabulary, summarize the text and locate supporting details. After reading the book and taking notes, students will record the main idea and determine which details from the story support this conclusion. The teacher will then discuss with the groups, any problems that they may have encountered with regards to comprehending the text or determining the main idea of the story. The teacher will then reveal the title of the book.


 * __Title:__** Big Words for Little People


 * __Award:__** N/A


 * __Citation:__** Curtis, J.L. (2008). Big Words for Little People. New York, NY: Joanna Cotler Books. (ISBN: 978-0-06-112760-0)


 * __Summary:__**

This rhyming vocabulary lesson takes the reader on journey through the world of grown-up words. The silly illustrations help students to learn big words for simple concepts that they already understand. For example, consequence means having to stay in from recess for exploding a huge bubble all over your face during class.


 * __Opinion__**: The illustration and the rhyming text are hilarious, making it an excellent way to introduce children to more difficult vocabulary.
 * __Curriculum Connection__**: 4th Grade
 * ** CCR: Interpret words or phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative and figurative meanings, and analyze how specific word choices shape meaning or tone. **
 * **Standard: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text.**
 * __Genre__**: Picture Book


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** K-4


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 17 Word Mapping

In a modified version of word mapping, students will map the various words that are introduced in the book. Students will write their own definition for the words based on their understanding of the text and illustrations. They will then use a dictionary to define each of the words and list synonyms and antonyms for each. Students come together in small groups or as a whole class to discuss which method helped them to understand the meaning of the “Big Words”; the definition from the dictionary or the silly rhyming explanations. The teacher can then ask the students to select another “Big Word” with which to create their own silly example for.


 * __Title:__** I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More


 * __Award:__** Kentucky Bluegrass Award


 * __Citation:__** Beaumont, K. (2005). I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More. Orlando, FL: Harcourt Inc. (ISBN: 978-0-15-202488-8)


 * __Summary:__** Set to the rhythm of a familiar folk song, this upbeat story tells about a little boy who is forbidden to paint after he creates a colorful mess around the house. His mama tells him “you ain’t gonna paint no more!” BUT, being the mischievous little boy that he is; he locates his paints in the top of a closet and finds some very interesting places to paint.


 * __Opinion__**: This is a book that begs to be read aloud. My son initially read the book to himself and commented that it was funny and that he liked the pictures but he didn’t show much enthusiasm. When I read it to him with the rhythm of the original song, he loved it! As I paused at the end of each page, he began to shout out the body parts that the little boy would paint next.


 * __Curriculum Connection__**: Kindergarten


 * Standard 2: Demonstrate understanding of spoken words, syllables, and sounds (phonemes). **


 * A. Recognize and produce rhyming words. **


 * B. Count, pronounce, blend and segment syllables in spoken words. **


 * C. Blend and segment onsets and rimes of single-syllable spoken words. **


 * D. Isolate and pronounce the initial, medial vowel and final sounds (phonemes) in three-phoneme (consonant-vowel-consonant, or CVC) words. * (//This does not include CVCs ending with /l/, /r/, or /x/.)// **


 * E. Add or substitute individual sounds (phonemes) in simple, one-syllable words to make new words.**


 * __Genre__**: Picture Book


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** K-3


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 8 Phonics Through Shared Reading

The teacher can use the story I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More to help students to predict the next location that the little boy will paint by finding rhyming words on the page. “Aw, What the heck! Gonna paint my …”. At this point the teacher asks for words that rhyme with heck and so on. After several readings of the story, the students will work with the teacher to highlight words throughout the story that rhyme and create a list of others that also rhyme.

Adam's Review Sung to the tune of ‘It Ain’t Gonna Rain No More!’ this delightful children’s rhyming story goes through the colorful adventures of one boy painting, painting and painting some more. He begins by painting the walls but moves on until his entire body is covered in paint! This story provides a great opportunity to introduce rhyming to young children as well as body parts. Its sing-song quality captures the attention of young readers! It is a hilarious way to talk about those things that you do paint and things that you do not paint. Common Core Foundational Skills: K- Recognize and produce rhyming words. The teacher first uses chart paper to color-code the onset and rime in basic words (Cat, Hat). Then the story is introduced and the teacher facilitates finding the rhyming words in the story. A list is made on the chart paper of the rhyming words. The activity is ended by rhyming students’ names.
 * Summary: **
 * Review: **
 * Curriculum Connection: **
 * Genre: **Picture Book
 * <span style="color: #444444; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">Strategy: 1-Rhyme Generation (pg. 6-9) from //Promoting Literacy Development// **


 * __Title:__** Little Rock Girl1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration
 * __Award:__** N/A Informational Text Non-Fiction
 * __Citation:__** Tougas, S. (2012). Little Rock Girl1957: How a Photograph Changed the Fight for Integration. Mankato, MN: Compass Point Books. (ISBN: 978-0-756504440-9)


 * __Summary:__** This non-fiction book takes readers through the days and months surrounding the integration of Little Rock’s Central High School. The photographs lay witness to the hatred and bigotry that met the Little Rock Nine that day and for months following, as the governor opted to close all of the Little Rock high schools rather than allow the integration to stand. The book covers the struggle to integrate the Little Rock schools, the subsequent legal battles and the effects that the battle had on all.


 * __Opinion__**: As they say, “pictures are worth a thousand words”. The picture that was captured of Hazel Bryan the day that Elizabeth Eckford attempted to enter an all white high school in Little Rock, shows clearly that even 100 years after the Civil War, we were still a nation divided. This book is a great informational text with photographs that drive home the message of what life was truly like during the Civil Rights Movement.


 * __Curriculum Connection__**: 5th Grade
 * CCR: Assess how point of view or purpose shapes the content and style of a text.
 * Standard 6: Describe how a narrator’s or speaker’s point of view influences how events are described.
 * __Genre__**: Non-Fiction


 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Grades 4-8


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 29 Connect It

Students will complete a graphic organizer that will determine prior knowledge of the Civil Right Movement. Students work in pairs or small groups to read the text and document new information that is gained through the reading. They will then be asked to summarize the main ideas and identify new concepts that they have learned. As a whole group the teacher can discuss how the photographs and point of view of the narrator may have affected their view of the events. Topic for further discussion…

Can the way in which an author writes a non-fiction book influence how events are interpreted?


 * __Title:__** It Creeps


 * __Award:__** N/A E-Book Intermediate


 * __Citation:__** Enderle, D. (2010) It Creeps. Edina, MN: Magic Wagon. (ISBN: 978-1-61786-425-4)


 * __Summary:__** Malcolm, a young scientist in the making, spends his summer experimenting in the basement and making his sisters life unbearable. When he sees an ad for the Ecto-Handheld-Automatic-Heat Sensitive-Laser-Enhanced-Specter Detector, Malcolm is elated. Malcolm orders the gadget and waits for two long weeks for it to arrive. When it finally arrives, he knows that it is the real deal. This is no toy; it is wrapped in miles of bubble wrap, is heavy like a real scientific tool and has lights that work. After some serious convincing, Malcolm talks his best friend Dandy into going with him to the old abandoned McBleaky house to try to find a ghost. His great grandmother tries to warn him that the McBleaky place is no place for a young boy but Malcolm is determined. When Malcolm and Dandy finally arrive at the old house, they find more than they bargained for in a practical joker of a ghost who gives them the scare of their lives.


 * __Opinion__**: This was a cute book, suspenseful and silly but not scary. My son enjoyed the crude humor such as the friend Dandy picking his nose and then digging in to eat a box of crackers. I wasn’t fond of the way that the grandmother was represented. She was seen as senile and the family talked about her as though she were not present.


 * __Curriculum Connection__**: 3rd Grade


 * __Genre__**: Mystery
 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Grades 3-5


 * CCR: Read closely to determine what the text says explicitly and to make logical inferences from it; cite specific textual evidence when writing or speaking to support conclusions drawn from text.
 * Standard 1: Ask and answer questions to demonstrate understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the text as the basis for the answers.


 * __Classroom Activity__**: Strategy 22 Story Retelling

The teacher introduces the story It Creeps by showing the cover of the book on the smart board overhead projector and asking students to predict what the story will be about. The teacher then reads the story aloud to the students as they read along on the overhead projector. Students will begin to complete a graphic organizer that will help them write their retelling later. As the teacher reads, students will note important story elements such as characters, setting, events, story problems and solution. Using a list of question prompts, the students will complete a written retelling of the story in their writing journals. Students will then partner with another student to share their retelling and add details to their journal that they remember after discussing the retelling with another student.


 * __Title:__** Four Fantastic Bedtime Stories for Children 3-6


 * __Award:__** N/A E book Primary


 * __Citation:__** Gordon, S. (2012). Four Fantastic Bedtime Stories for Children 3-6. Segordon.blogspot.com. Retrieved from Amazon Kindle.


 * __Summary:__** This is a collection of very simple short illustrated stories that are silly and fun with a wonderful message for children to believe in themselves and be who they are. Pigtastic is about a little pig that accepts himself for who he is and encourages the readers to accept others as they are so that they can be Pigtastic too. My Crazy Pet Frog portrays a crazy frog who, when asked who he is, comes up with a number of very original alter egos. First he is a secret agent disco dancer, then a superstar golfer, professional boxer and a celebrity chef. Finally when his son reveals his true identity, he is forced to admit that he isn’t a super hero frog, just a daddy frog that is loved for who he really is and missed by his family.


 * __Opinion__**: I wouldn’t have thought much about this little collection of bedtime stories; I downloaded several primary books to my Kindle to read for the e-book review; however, my son has read this book over and over. I am not sure if it is the illustrations which are adorable or the silly stories but <range type="comment" id="233630">he really enjoyed them and has asked to see my Kindle many times to re-read them. The illustrations are colorful and each story has a good message for the reader.


 * __Curriculum Connection__**: Kindergarten
 * CCR: Interpret words and phrases as they are used in a text, including determining technical, connotative and figurative meanings and analyzes how specific word choices shape meaning or tone.
 * Standard 4: With prompting and support, ask and answer questions about unknown words in text.


 * __Genre__**: Picture Book

As the teacher reads each of the stories, She can discuss word meaning with students. In My Crazy Pet Frog, the narrator refers to the frog as having multiple personalities. After reading the story and discussing the various personas that the frog portrays, the teacher can ask the students to determine what they think multiple personalities might be. Based on the reading of Pigtastic, students can also give their definition of what pigtastic might mean. Using a graphic organizer, the teacher can help students to determine words from the story that relate or help explain the meaning of Pigtastic or Multiple Personalities.
 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 17 WordMapping


 * __Title:__** The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg


 * __Award:__** Newbery Honor


 * __Citation:__** Philbrick, R. (2009). The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg. New York, NY: Blue Sky Press. (ISBN: 13: 978-0-43966818-7)


 * __Summary:__** Homer P. Figg sets off on the journey of a lifetime to rescue his older brother Harold who was sold to the Union Army by his horrible Uncle, Squinton Leach. Harold has not yet turned 18 making the enlistment illegal. Homer is determined to save his brother before he is forced to face certain death in the Civil War. Along the way Homer is abducted, robbed and boiled by Indians; he encounters slave hunters, a traveling medicine show, traitors and a mad aeronaut. This historical fiction book has Homer facing real individuals from the Civil War era to tell this tale of brotherly devotion and one of the worst times in American History.


 * __Opinion__**: I enjoyed this book and think it would be a good addition to a unit of study about the Civil War. Students will enjoy Homer’s sense of humor and ability to stretch the truth to suit his purposes. The fictional story of Homer and his brother Harold is told among the back drop of the Civil War where historical details are interwoven to help the reader to gain an understanding of the era and the conflict.


 * __Curriculum Connection:__** 4th Grade


 * CCR: Analyze how and why individuals, events, and ideas develop and interact over the course of a text.
 * Standard 3: Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character’s thoughts, words, or actions).


 * __Genre__**: Historical Fiction
 * __Audience, Age or Grade:__** Ages 8-13


 * __Classroom Activity:__** Strategy 24 Character Mapping

The teacher will have the students complete a graphic organizer mapping the traits of the main character Homer P. Figg. Although Homer is a self-proclaimed liar, he also has some attributes that make him a character to be admired. As the class reads the book The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg by Rodman Philbrick, they will work through the character map listing incidents and events that occur in the story that give insight into Homer’s character traits. The teacher will question his motives when Homer tells a lie and the class will look at Homers actions and words, as well as, those of other characters to determine if his motives are honorable. Through class discussion the students will determine if the lies that Homer often tells are always bad, some times bad or overall good. They will gain a better understanding of who Homer is as a person and what he stands for.