Final Class Reflection

I have to say that I have really enjoyed Children's Lit Class. I am so glad I had the opportunity to take part in making a blog. It has been fun to blog every week and read my classmates blogs as well. I am glad I did not have to physically turn in book reflections ever week.I liked how some weeks we had requirements for the types of books that we were supposed to read and other weeks we had a choice. It is so neat that I will be able to use my blog as a resource for my future classroom. My favorite project in the class was the glog. I like learning about new technology because I know that it is going to play a huge role in my future classroom. I think that the author/illustrator glogs would be a good way to introduce a new unit to my students. The books that were chose as required text for the class were also very good. I enjoyed reading every one of them. I liked how we had in depth discussions about each book as small groups during class time along with large group discussions. Most importantly, throughout the semester I have learned a lot about children literature. I now have a much better knowledge about the types of literature that is available to students and I am very excited to put into play what I have learned from this class. Overall, I have really enjoyed this class and I am glad I had the opportunity to take it!

Love That Dog By Sharon Creech

When I first began reading this book I was not sure if I was going to enjoy it because it is unlike any book that I have ever read. After the first few pages I began loving the main character, Jack. I was able to paint a picture of Jack in my head. I know there are many students out there that feel exactly the same that Jack does about poetry. I also like the teacher in the book. Both of the characters personalities came through strong in this book which really made the book fun to read. I loved how the book was written all in poem stanzas. I liked it because it was the first book that I have read that is written that way. I also like that it was written that way because it helped the book flow very well. At first I thought the book was going to be hard to follow since it was all written in stanzas, but it actually just made for a faster read. I do not know if all copies of the book are written in navy blue print, but I know that mine was. I have never seen a chapter book that is written in any color other than black, so I thought that aspect of the book really stood out. My favorite part of the book is at the end when the poems that are discussed throughout the story are actually shown. I was a little leery about this book at first but after the first few pages I really loved it. I started reading the book and didn't put it down until I was completely finished. This is definitely a book that I would recommend to people of any age. It is also definitely a book that I want to have in my classroom.

Winter Friends By: Mary Quattlebaum

This was a fun picture poem book to read. The books is broken up into different poems, but in a way it is like a story is being told with all of the poems. The pictures are really neat and they made me really feel like I was in the middle of winter when I was reading the book. My favorite picture in this book is the very last page. It is night time and the snow is falling. There are two like kids looking out the window at the snow falling. The poem on this page reads
Listen!
The wind
is
whispering
a thousand
tiny
promise.
I love this. The picture and the poem are beautiful.
I like how the poems are placed in different spots on each page. For example, there is one poem this about sledding and the words are place at a downward diagnole like a sled. This was a really fun book to read. I think i would really enjoy reading this book to my class as a read aloud.

Scranimals By: Jack Prelutysky

I did not really like this book. The poems used big words and were really in depth. I do not think that children would like to listen to poems that have so many big words. For example in a a poem consisting of 8 lines the words parrotters, cormorants and prattling are all used. Those are all words that are difficult for the target audience. The pictures in this book are kind of bland. There is not much going on in any of them. The colors are also very dull. The crab colors did not make me excited to read the book or want to to continue reading. This is not a book that I would read again. It is not a book that I would suggest for my students to read.

A City Is By: Norman Rosten

This is a pretty simple, but at times complex picture poem book that explains what a city is. I like how all aspects of a city are explained. Another neat thing is that the pictures take up the whole page, so there is no white space. I say that the book is simple because many of the pictures have people in them, but the people's faces are very plain. The pictures are at the same time complex because there is a lot going on in each picture. There are also some complex words in each poem. This book is intended for 4-8 year old. The book does not rhyme which I think is a good thing. Children of this age often think that all poems have to rhyme, or at least I did when I was younger, so I am glad this book does not rhyme. This was a cute book and a good way to view the highlights of a city.

Read a Rhyme, Write a Rhyme By: Jack Prelutsky

This poem picture book is very cool. The book is separated into different categories such as dogs, birthdays, bugs, and etc. On each page there are a variety of poems about each subject. Along with all of the poems is a picture. All of the pictures are very colorful. On each page there is also help writing a poem of your own. The author has given the read a poem to start with and than some ideas on how to finish the poem. I have never seen a picture poem book where the author helps the reader learn how to write their own poem. It is a really neat idea. Another really cool thing about this book is that the poems that are in the book are all from many different authors. It was neat to see the different writing styles from a variety of writers.

Exploding Gravy By: X.J. Kennedy

This is a really neat picture poem book. It is full of funny poems that have great pictures to go along with each poem. This book is different because all of the pictures are in black and white. I think that if the pictures would have been in color then it would have helped paint a better pictures of what the poem was trying to say. But on the other hand I like how I can paint a picture in my head with my own colors. All of the poems are very funny and entertaining, but here is one of my favorite ones:
Alarm

Mother come quick!
Robert looks sick!
He opened the shoe polish, took a big lick!

His face is all weird!
He's grown a brown beard!
All four walls, the floor, and the ceiling are smeared!

Come look and see!
Don't you wish he
Was never a trouble to people, like me?

Year of Impossible Goodbyes By: Sook Nyui Choi

Comparing this book with So Far From a Bamboo Grove I would have say that both books were very good, but I did like So Far From a Bamboo Grove more. I think part of why I liked it more was because I read it first. Another reason why I liked the book more was because I was able to get a clearer image of the family in my head. Overall, Year of Impossible Goodbyes is a very good book also. There were many times while reading the book when I felt like I was right there in the action. I think that the story does a good job or portraying the life of many Korean families that lived during this time period. I also think the book did a great job of describing the historical events that happened during this time period. I think that this book is a very good book to have in a classroom. I know that there are some uncomfortable events that take place in this book, but children will learn a lot from this book. I think it is awesome idea to pair this book with So Far From a Bamboo Grove.

What's the Matter, Davy By: Brigitte Weninger and Eve Tharlet

This was another book that I chose because of Easter. I assumed that it might have something to do with Easter because it has a bunny on the front of it, but it doesn't really have anything to do with Easter at all. There is no doubt that my favorite part about this book are the pictures. It look like there were water colors used for the pictures. The colors look as though they are smeared together to make a blend of colors that looks really neat. I think that the text could have been a little larger because on many of the pages the text not come anywhere close to touching the pictures. There is also one page where this is black front on top of a blue background which makes it hard to read. The story is cute and really easy to follow. Tho story flows well and the pictures go along well with the text.

The Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolves By: Eugene Trivizas and Helen Oxenbury

I have always been a fan of fractured fairy tales. The three little pigs and the big bad wolf is one of my favorite stories so this book is really neat to me. I think it is funny how the pig is much bigger that the wolves. Even though the wolves are supposed to be the innocent ones I still find them very creepy in this book. I like how the whole story is changed and not just the characters. I am glad that it is not the same exact story as The Three Little Pigs. I think it would be very fun to do a whole unit on stories such as The Three Little Pigs and the the story flipped around. I know there are other stories that have been flipped around as well, so I think think it would be a fun project to look into. I found this book to be very amusing.

Pigsty By: Mark Teague

This is one of my all time favorite children's books about a young boy who has a very messy room. His mom tells him to clean his because it is a pigsty. The next time he goes into his room there are actually pigs in his room. At first the boy likes the pigs, but then they start ruining his things, so he get rid of them. I live the very first page because the first word id Monday and the illustrator used a sock to create the letter M. I really like how the sock look s real. There are many other images that seem real in the book. For example, on one page there is a train and the illustrator made the train look like it was driving off the page. I enjoyed how the one some pages the pictured would take up the whole page, but on on other pages there would be some white space. I will always love this book. I think the story is great and so are the pictures.

Bootsie Barker Bites By: Barbara Bottner

This is a cute story about a little girl who always wants to play game with her friends where she is a dinosaur and she pretend she is going to eat her friends. Her friends do not like, so one say that tell their friend that they are paleontologists who hunt got dinosaur friends and finally their friend is scared of them. The text in this book is pretty simple and plain. I think that there could have been a neat font type to go along with the story. The one good part about the text is the parts where the reader is supposed to read with more excitement are in bold all caps text. There is a lot of white space on each page. I also think that the pictures could have been created, so that that covered more of the page. I find it interesting that the name of the main character is Bootsie, it is not a name that you hear for many little girls. This story was pretty good and kind of funny, but not one of the best books that I have ever read.

More Bunny Trouble By: Hans Wilhelm

I chose this book because it made me think of Easter. I really like this books because one of my favorite sports is soccer and in the his book the bunny is playing soccer. I really like the picture of the bunny painting all of the Easter eggs to look like soccer balls. I remember reading this book when I was little and wishing I could paint all of my Easter eggs to look like soccer balls. This a very quick read. I found it interesting how the reader is quickly introduced to the readers, there is a problem, and then there is a solution to the problem. I really enjoyed how the colors on each page really blend well together. The character in this book are rabbits, but their facial expression make them seem like human beings which is kind of a neat aspect.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove By: Yoko Kawashima Watkins

So Far From the Bamboo Grove is a very neat story. I had some trouble at first getting my mind set around the right time period of the book. After I read the first couple of chapter I was able to picture the time period more and I was able to create a better mental image of the characters that had been introduced. One great aspects about the story is that it is told from the view point of a Japanese girl that is dealing with many aspects of World War II that any girl her age would have a very difficult time dealing with. Some of the harsh things that the characters such as Yoko had to deal are very hard for me to imagine. I felt a lot of sympathy for Yoko through the whole book. The many crazy situations that she encounters makes her a very strong and smart individual which I gained a lot of respect for as I read the book. The main theme that I gathered from this book was family. Family played a large role in this book. Family is what kept everyone together through all of their hardships. The family had to pull together for survival. I have some heard some debate about whether or not this book should be in classroom. There are people who believe that this book is too harsh from children and other people who think that students will create wrongful images about Korean and Japan. I think this is a great book to have in a classroom. It has a great story and I think the author is very honest and expresses her thoughts with a lot of heart through the whole book. This is a book that I would read again and a book that I would want in my classroom.

I'm Gonna Like Me By: Jamie Lee Curtis

I think this is a book for people of all ages. Even is a child does not know how to read yet I think they will be able to gain a lot about the story by just looking at the pictures. It could also be a very good book for an adult who is going through a rough time in their life. The book is about self-esteem. I like how the book does not sugar coat the ideas about self-esteem. It explains that everyone is human, and everyone is going to have a rough day every once in awhile. The book follows a little boy and a little girl through their whole day starting from the time they wake up until the time they go to bed. The fact that there is a boy and girl used in the story I think is really neat. The rhyming and the energy that is in the book gives the reader a good vibe and personally really made me feel good about myself when I was finished reading.

Grandpappy Sniappy Snappies

This is a newer book that I really enjoyed. The pictures have a lot going on most of the time, but they really help explain what the text is saying. The text is a standard font, but the way in which the words are written on the text is what makes the book really fun to read. For example, the words read "Snippy snappy up with the words going up. Snippy snappy down and the the words going downward. Snippy snappy smile with the words in a curve like a smile, and so on. Not only do the words look really neat on the page, but it helps creates a picture on the mind of the reader. The story is has a lot of humor and kept a smile om my face the whole time. I would love to do this book as a read aloud in my classroom.

Karate Hour By: Carol Nevius

This book is awesome. It has a great story to go along with wonderful pictures. The pictures are are so neat. They look like they are going to pop out of the book. They are almost like 3-D. Also many of the pictures are in black and white, but just have one thing in color such as the karate belts which are very cool. Many times in the pictures it a close up of a foot or something like that, but when there is a picture of a face the face look very real. I also like how the words in the book rhyme. The rhyming fits well with this book and helps to story flow very well. The pictures are definitely the highlight of this book, but the rhyming words also add a nice touch to the book.

Louise the Big Cheese and the La- Di-Da Shoes By: Elise Primavera

This is a cute book about a young girl who sees a pair of shoes that she wants. She tells her mom that she wants and she also tells her best friend. Her mom will not let her get the shoes and her best friend ends up getting the shoes for herself. I am going to admit that the reason why I picked up this book was because of its cover. The title of the book is written in big pink letters that are very sparkly. The pictures in the book are very detailed and real life. I like how there are conversation that that take amongst the characters on many of the pages. The only thong I did not like about this book was that I thought it drug on. I think the point of the story could have been made just as clear with the story not being so long. There were times when I wanted to skip some pages, so that I could get through it. Overall, I thought book was cute and has a great cover page, but drug on.

The Cow that Laid and Egg By: Andy Cutbill.

This is a very cute story about a cow who laid an egg that turns out to be a chicken that makes cow noises. I really like the illustrations in this book. I like how they look like they are simple drawings that have been colored in. Majorie is the cow in the story and really loved her character. She is so innocent and so determined to prove to all of the other animals of the farm that she could lay an egg. I like how when there is a part in the story that the author really wants to emphasize he show it through the by making it really big, so that the read knows to speak loudly. My all time favorite parts about this book is right after the chicken is hatched it lets out a loud MOOOO! I thought this was a very cute and funny book.

Notes From the Dog By: Gary Paulsen

I loved this book. It is one of the books that makes you cry and smile. This book was definitely sad, but I think Paulsen did such a great job incorporating humor and knowledge of each character that through the sadness there was also joy. This book about a young boy taking care of a friend who is breast cancer is very inspiring. I like all of the emotions that were brought through in this book. I really enjoyed Finn, the main character of this book. He has a total sweet heart that has a lot of insecurities. I highly recommend this story to middle school students and to anyone who is simply looking for a great story about life!

Mudshark By: Gary Paulsen

This is another one of Paulsen's book that is not much like Hatchet, but more like Lawn Boy. It is a quick read with a touch of humor added to it. Many times you read books about kids who are smart, good at sports, funny, etc., but this book is different. It is about a boy who has the ability to find anything that missing. All of the characters are really upbeat and colorful. One of the things that I really like about this book is the authors announcements to start off each chapter. I think this a great book for people of all ages. I think this would be a really fun for book to read aloud to the class.

How Angel Peterson Got His Name By: Gary Paulsen

This was a different type of book than I have ever read by Gary Paulsen. This book is about a memoir of the stunts that Gary Paulsen and his friends would do in to entertain themselves when he liven in Minnesota. The book takes place in the 1950's. The book is full of hilarious stunts that Gary did with his friends, often times the stunts are dangerous as well. Since some of the stunts are dangerous I would recommend this book for students who are ages ten and older. I enjoyed reading this book because all of the stories are true, so it was very easy for me to picture all of the stories that were being told. I was able to create a pretty clear image of what I thought each of Gary's friends looked like as I read. I also liked how the book was split up into a number of different stories rather than on long story.

Lawn Boy By: Gary Paulsen

Lawn Boy is one of the shorter books that I have read by Gary Paulsen. Paulsen gets right to the point he is trying to make with this book to make it a very quick read. This books kept a smile on my face the majority of the time. There are some abstract ideas that go along with this book such as investments and stock, but some children may be very into finances. I like how the book is told from the twelve year old boys perspective. The twelve year old boy is a cute character with a very innocent out look on life. I do not think I would read this book again, but I am glad that I have read it once and I think it would be a very good book for a student who is into the aspects of money.

Brian's Winter By: Gary Paulsen

Brian's Winter is in response to Hatchet. At the end of Hatchet Brian is rescued, but many of Paulsen's readers wrote to him and requested a book about what would have happened in Brian would not have been rescued. So Paulsen decided to write Brian's Winter. Just like Hatchet this book is very suspenseful and really draws in the reader. Brain has to learn new skills such as hunting in order to survive the harsh winter. Brian's hard work and bravery at such a young age made me to continue to have strong feelings for him as a character. The tone of this book is very upbeat which makes the reading flow very well. I did not like this books as much as I like Hatchet but it was still very good. I hope to have a variety of Gray Paulsen books in classroom. I may even consider doing a unit on Gary Paulsen.

Hatchet By: Gary Paulsen

I did my author study on Gary Paulsen. I chose to do Gary Paulsen because Hatchet is one of my all time favorite chidlren's books. I like the character, Brian, that is created in this story. He shows many great characteristics that makes the reader really care about his survival. He shows, heart, bravery,intelligence and determination. I really enjoy the suspense that takes place throughout the entire book. The main suspense being the affair that his mother is having. With the affair and Brian's life at risk there is never a dull moment in this book. One of my favorite parts about this book is that symbolism that takes place such as the Hatchet. Hatchet was the first Gary Paulsen book that I read as a kid and it made me want to read many more of his books because I enjoyed it so much.

Glogster

Reflection

I have really enjoyed Children's Lit this semester. I really like having a blog where I can keep all of responses rather than having to actually have to turn something in each week. I also like how I am able to view my classmates blogs. I think the blogs will be a great resource for me when I have my own classroom. I think we have some great discussions in class that have really made me deeply think about children's' literature. I enjoyed seeing all of the genre presentations. It helped introduce me to some genres that I have not heard much about in the past. the presentations also gave me some great ideas for some book that I want to have in my classroom. The books that we have been require to read such as The Giver and The Misfits have both been great books and I hope the other books are good to. I am excited for our glogs and to read some more great children's books.

The Misfits By: James Howe (Chapters 13-End)

I continued to enjoy this book through the end. Although I enjoyed the book I had a couple of issues with the book. The first issue was the dialogue. I had difficulty following which character was saying what. I also had trouble wrapping my head around the idea of this story happening in real life. I am glad that everything worked out the way that it did, but everything working out so well, like in this book does not happen all that often. Other than those difficulties I thought the book was great. I really like some of the themes such as bullying that come through. I think there are many good themes in the book for middle school students to read about. I also think that there are many middle school students who can relate to at least one of the characters in the book. If I taught in a middle school I would definitely want this book in my classroom.

The Misfits By: James Howe (Chapters 1-13)

So far I have really loved this book. I have been really drawn to the book and I have had a hard time putting the book down. I am really interested in all of that characters. They all have their unique personalities that make the book really fun to read. There are many themes that are starting to come about through the story. So far the issues have been very realistic to issues that I am able to relate to in a variety of ways. The book is easy to to follow and flows very well. I want to save my longer and more in depth entry for after I finish the books, so that I can gather all of my thoughts at once, but so far the books has been great and I can't wait to finish it!

Manneken Pis By: Viadimir Radunsky

I have mixed emotions about this book. I loved the pictures. The painting of them made the book really come alive. I also liked the historical point of view that the book brought about. The picture of the Manneken Pies statue on the last page is really neat. I think the book touches upon war which may help discuss war a little easier with students. The issues I have with this book is that I do not think that promoting the idea that children should just pee wherever they want is a good thing. I think using this book to help discuss war to seven or eight year old is fine, but I do not think that is book should be read to a three year old. I do not feel like most three years old should be exposed to the fighting that happens in this book. There are also some sad and dark parts of the story that I do not feel are appropriate for younger children. Like I said before there are aspects of this book that I think are really cool, but I also have issues with this book. I would have to continue to think about whether or not I would allow this book in my classroom.

Sylvester and the Magic Pebble By: William Steig

The controversy of this book is that the animals in the story portray certain type of people. For example, the donkeys are the community people and the pigs are the police. There was an issue with the police officers being the pigs. I understand the controversy of this book, but I do not necessarily agree with it. The first time I read through the book I could not find why it was on the controversy book list. I had to look up online why it was on the list. I understood the explanation that was given online, but I do not think that children will pick up on this connection. I was reading this book to analyze it and I did not make the connection, so I do not think that children who are simply reading the book for enjoyment will make the connection that police officers are depicted as pigs. I think this is a creative story that uses animals rather than people and human situation. Cute book!

The Stupids Take Off By: Harry Allard

This book is very funny. But why does the name stupid need to be used. I think the book would have been just as funny if the author would have used a different name that is not offensive. I do not think that book is appropriate for school because the word stupid is not appropriate for school. I would not want a students in my classroom saying the word stupid, therefore I do not want my students hearing of reading the word stupid either. Seeing, hearing, and reading the word stupid in a book only causes children to want to say the word more. I think the character in the story story are very funny and play their roles well. The pictures do a great job of adding humor to the story, but this is not a book that I would all in my classroom.

And Tango Makes Three By: Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell

I think that this is a great book. The controversy of this book is that it promotes gay relationships. I think this book is a great book to have in a classroom. Every family is different and there are many children who do not have the typical one mom, one dad family. I think this book is a great book that many children are able to relate to. Sometimes it is hard for adults to talk about issues such as relationships with their students, so I think this is a great book to use in a classroom if that is the issue. The story is very good and I was interested throughout the whole book. I think the pictures are very cute and help explain the story well. Great book!

The Night Kitchen By: Maurice Sendak

This book has created controversy because on many of the images there is a picture of a little boy who is completely naked. I do not think that pictures of a little boy completely naked is appropriate for children to be reading in school. Most children I know would find this book as a joke and would laugh all the way through it rather than focusing on the story. I also do not think that book is appropriate for school because it may bring up conversations among the students that are not appropriate for school. I think this may be a book that I would read to children at home. If the book is read at home then there is more time to explain the pictures. Other than the controversy that comes about in this book I do think that this is a cute story. I like the pictures and think they flow well with the story, but I do not think the nakedness of the young boy was necessary to get the point across

The Giver By: Lois Lowery

The Giver is a very addicting book. This is the second time that I have read the book. I am glad I had the opportunity to read the book again for this class. I first read this book in 8th grade. Each time I have been addicted to the book and not wanted to put it down until it is finished. I remember that when I first read the book I was confused though some points in the book. I was able to comprehend what was going one better this time around, but was still confused at the end of the book. There is a lot of complexity near the end of the book. I think that Lowery's style of writing is what kept me so drawn to the book. She speaks of a world that to me seems so unbelievable which is what I think made me so interested in the book. The writing is so unique that I could easily imagine what what was happening as I read each page. Although I find this to be a great and interesting book I do not think that it a book I would choose for students to read until they were in 7th or 8th grade. There are a lot of issues that I do not think children should be reading until they are mature enough to discuss the issue. Some of the issues include death of children and elders who are not "healthy." There area also some sexual issues that I think a chill need to mature enough to discuss before reading. Other than having some issues of maturity level and having an unclear ending I think this is fantastic book. It is on the that shows and discusses the great ideas of appreciation, love, and freedom. If I am given the opportunity I would read this book again, and I would recommend this book to my students if I feel there are mature enough for some of the issues mentioned.

3 Magic Balls By: Richard Egielski

This is a cute book that takes on a contemporary look The picture are great, with bright eye-catching colors that go along very well with a great story. The plot is very fun and humorous consisting of a mixture of reality and fantasy. The characters in the book seem very real. The actions that the characters are performing seem very real as well. There is a really neat font used throughout the whole book. It is a type of font that I have not seen in any other children's books. The pictures take up the majority of each page which I think is good for younger children because they are mainly focused on the pictures anyway. This was a quick and easy read for me. I Imagine this book being read to younger children such as kindergartens. Cute book for younger children!

Brave Charlotte and the Wolves By: Anu Stohner

This is a cute childrens book that kept me interested the whole time I was reading. The pictures are really neat because they are done Acrylic paints. It is very easy to see the different times of day in each picture. The art also goes well with the story. The story line was fun and easy to follow. I think that there is just enough humor to the book to make the book interesting. It was fun to see the different facial expression that the sheep made throughout the story. There is a funny little twist and the end of the book that I really enjoyed. I like when there are books about animals as heroes because I think it makes it fun for the children. This story is very similar to Babe the Pig, so if you enjoyed that book that you will definitely enjoy this one as well.

Mickey's Class Play By: Judith Casely

From the cover of this book I thought that I would really enjoy it. Once I stated reading it I found it a little boring. The plot flowed well and made sense, but I felt like it drug on. The pictures were also boring. On the majority of the pages there was a single picture with a lot oh white space in the background. The books is supposed to represent diversity by having a variety of animals in the story. I do not think a variety of animals shows diversity very well. It was hard for me to pick up on the aspects of diversity through the animals, so I can't imagine that children will catch on to that aspect either. I did not enjoy this book very much and I would not choose to read it again.

New Old Shoes By: Charlotte Blessing

This is a neat story about the life of a pair of shoes. It is really neat because it is told from the shoes point of view. I was initially drawn to this book because of the cover. The cover seemed new and had a great picture. The title was also very appealing to me. I wanted to know more about what it meant. When I found out that a pair of shoes gets passed on to many people and in reality they are old, but to the person who is getting them for the first time they are new. I thought the idea of that was so cool. The pictures are also from the shoes point of view. The reader sees what the shoes see. The pictures are very good. They seem very real. They seem so real that it is almost like I should be able to grab the shoes off of the page and wear them. The greatest thing about this book is that at the end there a page that talks about how there are 1.2 billion people around the world who go without shoes everyday. It then gives a web address for a place where people can donate their old shoes to become new shoes for someone else.

Queen of the Scene By: Queen Latifah

Queen Latifah takes childrens literature to a whole new level by creating a a great rap about a girl walks through each day full of pride. The illustrations are wonderful. They are very vibrant and full of color. I like how the text is not standard, it had a curve to which I think that fits very well with what the text is saying. One of my favorite parts about the book is the outfits that the characters are wearing. I really enjoyed the main character. She seemed to have a lot of confidence. I think is she was a real person it would be the type of girl that I would want to be around. An added bonus to this book is there is a CD of Queen Latifah reading/rapping the words to the book. I listened to it after I had read the book for myself. I think that listening to the CD with the book made it sound great. It a great bonus! Awesome book!

Owly and Friends By: Andy Runton

I am very new to graphic novels. I have heard of them, but have never taken the time out to read one. Now that they are becoming so popular among children I think it is important that I read a few graphic novels. Owly is a series of graphic novels that begin in 2009 by Andy Runton. All of the Owly novels that I have seen are wordless. At first I was a little frustrated that there were not any words. I found myself quickly skimming through the pictures. I then went back through the book and made up my own story. After i finessed the books i decided that the story could have went differntly, so I went back though it and though of other ideas that each pictures could have been saying. I think that Owly is a very cute character that I began to fall in love with. The pictures of the books are very detailed. I thought it was interesting that in some of the thought bubbles there question marks and exclamation marks with no words to help the reader understand what the picture was saying. I liked how Owly's facial expressions changed throughout the book which also helped play a role in what could be going on in each picture. I had a good first experience with graphic novels and I am glad I had the opportunity to read one.

Pinkalicious By: Victoria Kann

Pinkalicious eats so many pink cupcakes that she wakes up the next morning with pink skin and pink hair. This is really good. The story of the book is very imaginative and creative. Not only does this book have a great lesson it also is a good way to show complimentary colors to students. The illustrations are eye-catching. The pacing of the story is very good and east follow. I have heard from many parents that the first time they read this book they did not think it was that good, but their children loved it so they were obligated to read it over and over and it grew on them. I would agree with the majority of parents. The very first time I read the book it was not my favorite, but after working in a day care and seeing how much the children love the book I have begun to love it as well. It is now one of my favorite children's books and Pinkalcious is one of my favorite story book characters. This book is loved by so many children that I think it will become a classic.

Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters By; John Steptoe

Mufaro had two beautiful daughters. Nyasha was unselfish, considerate, and beautiful. Manyara was selfish, mean and inconsiderate. This story was very similar to Cinderella. I could actually feel the hatred that Manyara had for the world. Nyasha had very strong feeling as well. Through the actions that the girls took I could tell what kind of people they were. The plot was well developed. The sett gin was picture perfect by the descriptions and the pictures in the book. This book teachers a very important lesson with a consistent them throughout the book. The pictures are illustrated using many different colors of paints.

Pigs Aplenty, Pigs Galore! By: David McPhail

In this book pigs have taken over the house. All of the pigs want to party and play. There is so much action going on in the pictures of this book that it made feel like I was part of the book. The pictures are very vivid and imaginative. I enjoyed all of the ways in which the pigs were entertained. The book is neat is because there is lots of rhyming going on. All of the rhymes are witty and clever. Some of the actions that the pigs take on during the story are very funny. I found myself giggling out loud to many of the pages. With the combination of great illustrations and very funny lines throughout the whole book I found this to be one of the best books I have read for this class so far.

Whistle For Willie By: Ezra Jack Keats

This a great story of an African American bot name Peter and his dog named Willie. The multicultural aspects of this book are great. The pictures are painted with a variety of colors which helps bring out the multiculturalism in the book. The illustrations are very simple, but yet very interesting.The authors amazing mixed-media collages, consisting in part of paintings and cut paper, create an almost three-dimensional feel to the pages. I love the plot of this book because it is a plot and story that is very relateable to children. Although the characters are not developed the little boy in the story still seems to very real because of his conflict. The authors style of writing is unique and is written in a way that draws the attention of the reader. The writing is very simple. There is not any complexity to it all which made me want to continue to reading, because it was very easy to follow

The Honeybee and the Robber By: Eric Carle

This a cute pop-up book about a honeybee that lives in an old hollow tree. The book tells about the bee;s journey to a flower for nectar, and meeting a bird, a fish , and a frog. My favorite part about this book is the pictures. The pictures are painted which makes the book very fun to read. The pictures are very bright which draws in the reader's attention. The reason I picked this book is because it is by Eric Carle. Eric Carle is one of my favorite children's book authors and illustrators. He did not disappoint me with this book. The engineering of the book is great. With the pop-up and pull out pictures it a type of book that children will love. I think that pop-ups books of this type are also fun for adults to read because they can be interactive with their children while reading. The story is charming and interesting.

Where the Red Fern Grown By: Wilson Rawis

I have always heard great things about this book, but surprisingly have never read this book. I am glad that I took the time to read this piece of literature. It is a piece of children's literature that I will never forget. This is a very convincing story that many people with dogs can relate to. The personalities of the characters were interesting and brought alive to the reader. This book shows a great devotion between humans and animals. The plot is full of attention getters. It is the type of play that makes a reader very curios for what is to come. The plot was also very warm. I noticed in the is book more than any of the other children's novels that I have read this semester that the setting was very well described. From the beginning I was able to create a very clear picture in my head. The setting seemed to fir perfectly with what was happening in the story. I am glad I had the opportunity to read this book.

One Child, One Seed

One Child, One Seed is a South African Counting book. It starts with a single seed in a child's hand, leading right through , to a warm nourishing meal. This books is really neat. I think it would be really great for multi-cultural unit. There are three parts to each page which is very unique for a chilrends' book. On the first page there is picture that resembles the number that is being talked about. On the following page there is section that describes the picture. Then beside that there is some more useful information about South Africa. I really like how the pictures are real, like that have been taken with a camera. On the inside cover of the book there is a picture of a row of seeds. Th seeds look very real and make for a great beginning to the book. The real aspect that this book brings is just outstanding to me. Another really neat aspect to this book is that at the end of the book it gives a map of Africa. It also gives the ingredients needed to make the African dish talked about in the book and how to make it. This is a very cool book!

One Boy By: Laura Vaccaro Seeger

One Boy is simply a book that takes you through the number one through ten. The coolest part about this book is that there are little square pieces of every other page missing, so that when flipping to the next page a new word is created. There is even a square cut out of the center of the cover of the book. The illustrations are very simple which I think is very good, because the audience that this book is intended for is children of a younger age. I like how every page is completely colored. There is no extra space on any of the pictures. On the last page of the book there are pictures of each page that were in the book. The illustrator has given the illusion that each page has been taped to the wall by the one boy who has painted all the pictures. It is such a neat ending to the book. I did not expect to see that the one boy from the beginning of the book had painted all of the pictures I was reading. It was a great surprise which I love!

Granpa Gazillion's Number Yard By: Laurie Keller

The following three books are books that I chose for genre presentation. My genre is alphabet and counting books. This book is a newer book that had me laughing the whole time I was reading it. Take a walk through Grandpa Gazillion's farm to see a variety of ways that numbers can be used. One of my favorite things about this book is that it counts all the way up to the number twenty, My next favorite things is the illustrations. There is a lot going on in the illustrations, but I had so much fun looking at all the datelines and corky things that were added to each picture. It is so funny that each number has been turn into something new. Like the three is now a saddle and the nine a lollipop. I also like how if a reader looks hard enough they will find all of the numbers one through twenty on some of the first last pages. This is a great book. I had never read it before. I had never even heard of it, but I hope to own it someday for my own classroom.

The biggest Pumpkin Ever By Steven Knoll

Two mice, one house mouse, and one field mouse, had their eyes in the same pumpkin growing out in the pumpkin patch. Both mice were taking care it which in return caused it to grow huge. The plots in this book is very creative and really draws in the reader. I like how this book really caused the reader to use their imagination. One of my favorite parts in the story is when the two mice decide that they are going to compromise about the pumpkin. This book is more of one that I would read for enjoyment and one I would read for the lessons behind it. There are many lessons in this book such as working as a team and putting froth effort. . Even though it is a books about pumpkins it can be read anytime of the year it is not written in a way in which it has to be read at Halloween. The illustration are great.

Thunder Cake by Patricia Polacco

A grandmother, named Babushka, helps her granddaughter be less frightful of the approaching thunderstorm by making a special cake. The storm come and the girl forgets how frightened she was because she is enjoying the Thunder cake they have prepared. I love the illustrations in this books because the illustrator used bright folk-art to bring the story alive. This story is very easy for people to relate to. I think there are many people who have been scared during a thunderstorm. This book is very interesting to me because it is told in first person point of view by the little girl who scared. I think this is a good aspect because it lets the reader see the girls point of view and it makes it easier to relate to he fear. I also enjoyed the relationship between the girl and her grandmother, they were two very neat characters.