Hardesty+Reviews

__APA Citation with IBSN:__ Frazee, M. (2010). //A couple of boys have the best week ever//. Pine Plains, N.Y: Live Oak Media.// IBSN: // 0152060200
===__Summary__: James and Eamon go to Eamon’s grandparents’ house for a week. While there, the boys have a great time playing video games, eating banana waffles and wrestling with Grandpa. The boys have the time of their lives being spoiled by Eamon’s grandparents.=== ===__Liked/Disliked:__ This isn’t my favorite book of all-time, but I wouldn’t say I dislike it, either. While it’s not my favorite, I wouldn’t mind to read it to my kindergarteners (minus the %$@# symbol as Grandpa is driving down the road) because I think they would enjoy the humor of two boys doing whatever they want at the grandparents’ home. Older students might enjoy this book, as well.===

__APA Citation with IBSN:__ DiCamillo, K. (2004). //Because of Winn-Dixie//. Cambridge, Mass: Candlewick Press. ISBN 0763607762
===__Summary:__ Opal and her father (a preacher) move to Florida where Opal has difficulties meeting new people. One day, they go into a supermarket and come out with a dog Opal names Winn-Dixie. Winn-Dixie leads Opal to many friendships and Opal also learns to let go of particular things in order to experience life to its fullest.===

__Liked/Disliked:__ This is a wonderful book for adults and children third grade and above. The humor Winn-Dixie’s character brings forth and the friendships that are established are fantastic.
===__Curriculum Connection:__ Fifth GradeStandard: Engage effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher led) with diverse partners on //grade 5 topics and texts//, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly.===

__APA Citation with IBSN:__ Curtis, C. (1999). //Bud, not Buddy//. New York: Delacorte Press. ISBN 0385323069
===__Summary:__ A story about an African American orphan growing up in Michigan, this story is a good one. Bud goes on a search to find his father, but ends up finding his grandfather, Herman. The book tells his tale of surviving and beginning a relationship with his grandfather he barely knows.===

__Liked/Disliked:__ I like this story of Bud. I believe it’s real and honest.
===__Curriculum Connection:__ 5th Grade Standard: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on //grade 5 reading and content//, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.===

__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.===

__APA Citation with IBSN:__ Thomson, B. (2010). //Chalk//. New York: Marshall Cavendish Children. // ISBN // 9780761455264
===__Summary:__ A wordless picture book, __CHALK__ depicts the story of three children who come upon sidewalk chalk and go on a couple adventures. Through Thomson’s vivid chalk illustrations, audience members are able to determine the problems children encounter and their solutions.=== ===__Liked/Disliked:__ I enjoyed this true story. Stories that are true always tug at my heart in a way that fiction isn’t able to. It’s always nice to read about others being successful and following dreams.===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__ Lester, H. (2000). //Hooway for Wodney Wat//. New York: Scholastic. ISBN 061821612X
===__Summary:__ Poor Rodney Rat has difficulties pronouncing the letter /r/, Other “wats” make fun of him- until Camilla Capybara comes to school. She is a larger rodent who tries to rule the rodents’ school. She is successful until Rodney is in charge of the game Simon Says and he says, “Go West”, meaning to say, “Go Rest.”===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__White, E. (1952). //Charlotte's web//. New York: Harper. ISBN 0064400557
===__Summary:__ Wilbur, the runt of the pig litter gets to stay on the farm. While on the farm, he meets several other animal characters and they become friends. He soon meets Charlotte, a spider, and they encounter many exciting moments together before Wilbur learns about the cycle of life.===

__Liked/Disliked:__ This is one of my favorite books. I enjoy the aspects of each character that add so much to the story.
===__Curriculum Connection:__ 4th Grade Standard: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases based on //grade 4 reading and content//, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__ Ackerman, K. (1988). //Song and dance man//. New York: Alfred A. Knopf Distributed by Random House. ISBN 0-394-89330-1
===__Summary:__ This is a great story about a grandpa spending time with his grandchildren. They go into the attic and final all of Grandpa’s goodies from the “good ole’ days”, the song and dance days. Everyone enjoys the time spent in the attic.===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__ Polacco, P. (1998). //Thank you, Mr. Falker//. New York: Philomel Books. ISBN 0399237321
===__Summary:__ Tricia was having difficulties learning to read while she thought everyone was far beyond her in their reading abilities. She began to get down on herself until Mr. Falker came into the picture. He helped her believe in herself and begin to read. Patricia Polacco’s real Mr. Falker is Mr. Felker.===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__ McCloud, C. (2006). //Have you filled a bucket today? : a guide to daily happiness for kids//. Northville, MI: Ferne Press. ISBN 0978507517
===__Summary:__ This book encourages positive behavior and shows how students can make a positive impact on others. It’s a great book to use to teach appreciation to students, as well. Sometimes we don’t realize just how powerful our words and actions are in the lives of others.=== ===__Liked/Disliked:__ I very much enjoyed reading this story. Anything that can positively reinforce positive behaviors in my class is something I am interested in. When I read this story to my class, we had a wonderful discussion regarding how we can make a difference in the lives of others. ===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__ Fox, M. & Oxenbury, H. (2008). //Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes//. San Diego: Harcourt. ISBN 015206057X
===__Summary:__ This book allows students to hear about most people having 10 fingers and 10 toes while hearing a text that rhymes. This would be a great book for me to use with my kindergarten students at the beginning of the year each school year. They need to hear rhyming words and they need to begin working on counting to 20. The illustrations are eye-catching, as well.===

__Genre:__ Picture Book
===__Classroom Activity:__ A teacher can scan the book into the computer in order to pull it up on the SmartBoard. This would allow students to highlight the rhyming words and later put the words into a graphic organizer.===

__APA Citation with ISBN:__Briggs, R. (1978). //The Snowman//. New York: Random House.// ISBN // 0394839730
===__Summary:__ A wordless picture book, this book of illustrations tells the story of a snowman. A young child builds the snowman, and after a night of wonderful adventures, the sun rises the next day. The small child learns what happens to snow when the sun’s heat shines down on Earth.===

__Genre:__ Picture Book
===__Classroom Activity:__ I had my students write a writing piece describing what happened to the snow that had fallen the previous week. We discussed that had we built snowmen, they, too, would have melted.===

EBook: __A Christmas Journey__
===__APA Citation with ISBN__: Wilhelm, H. (1990). //A Christmas journey//. Norwalk, Conn: C.R. Gibson. Retrieved from [] ISBN 083785878X=== ===__Summary:__ This is a story about two mice that leave their cozy home in search of food. As they travel, they begin to follow some men. They are led to a town that is busy and doesn’t have any food in the stores. In the end, the audience learns that the mice followed the Wise Men to the Christ Child in Bethlehem.===

__Genre:__ Picture Book
===__Classroom Activity:__ I would read this book to my students around Christmas time. I put my personal beliefs to the side in order to teach the various religious aspects surrounding Christmas. I would use this story to compare Christian Christmas traditions to other traditions around the world during our “Christmas Around the World” week at school. ===

__Genre:__ Picture Book
===__Classroom Activity:__ I would use this book with my kindergarten students to introduce a concept such as comparing objects, sorting, or teaching about birds. I would want my students to determine if what the character does in the story could really happen and be able to defend their responses.===