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.

P.S. Longer Letter Later By Paula Danziger and Ann M. Martin

This is a great book about two girls, Tara Starr and Elizabeth who are very different people, but they are great friends. Tara loves glitter and sequins and she loves to be the center of everything. Elizabeth is the opposite. She is very quiet and shy. Tara moves away. but that does not break up their friendship. The girl write letters back and forth to keep each other updated on what is going on in their life. I think that this is a fantastic book. I love who the whole book consists of all of the letter that the girls wrote back and forth. I thought it was really neat how you can tell which girl is writing the letter before you even get to their signature because of their personality. There girls' personal ties are so different and that really comes though in all of their letters. I like how the idea of power of friendship really come through in this book. Even though the girls are miles apart that does not stop them from being the best of friends and telling each other all of the same things that they would if they saw each other every day. Even though the books is made of a series of letters the book is still very interesting. There were many times while I was reading the book where I could relate to what one of the girls was saying and could have easily written a letter back to them. This is a somewhat complex story that I really enjoyed!

Frog and Toad Are Fiends By: Arnold Lobel

Through there ups and downs frog and toad Frog and Toad have been there for one another. With the ability to cheer each other up they become best friends.When I was in fourth grade I had best friends who I was always with. Frog and Toad books were very popular at this time, so our teacher always called us Frog and Toad because we were best friends just like they are. When I a found out that we were Reading seres books I wanted to read a Frog and Toad book to see if there was a specific reason why our teachers called us that. I did not find any connections except for the fact that we were always there for one another just like Frog and Toad. To be honest I think this book has its highs and lows. There are parts of the book that are very funny to me and make me want to continue reading. There are other parts that seem to drag on and on. I know that this is an older book, so I am having a hard time not comparing it to children's books of today. The illustrations are not that great. The same bland colors are used over and over. The illustrations do go along with the plot, but they are not very exciting. This may also be due to the timer period in which the book was written and illustrated.

The Berenstain Bears' New Neighbors By: Stan and Jan Berenstain

The Berenstain Bears books series have always been my all time favorite books. On the back of every Benenstain Bears book cover there is a picture of all of the books in the series. When I wan younger I wanted to own every single book that they showed on the back cover. I really like how there are two boy bears and two girl bears because each sets of genders have thier own perspective about life. When I read this book I realized for the first time that the bears live in a tree. I think that is so humours. I think that it is such a cute idea to have them live in a tree. I like how how bother and sister bead do everything that a human child would do like play soccer and hump rope. Although, there are many characteristics that the bears possess that are very human like there are still a few things in the story that signify them as bears, like them eating honey and giving honey to the neighbors. I think the mix between the bear and human characteristics adds a nice twist to the story. I think that I have officially now read all ofthe Berenstain Bear books and would read them all again in a hear beat.

Rainbow Fish To The Rescue By: Marcus Pfister

I am going to completely honest. When I was little I was always drawn to the Rainbow Fish books because of the Sparkly stuff on the cover and on the inside of the book. Now that I am an adult, I still find myself drawn to the sparkles, In the Rainbow Fish book Rainbow Fish plays the hero and saves a little fish who is lacing a shiny scale while risking his and life and the chance that he might lose his new friends. The idea of putting shiny sparkles on every page is a very cool idea. It really adds to the book and plays in very well with the story. I know that they are fish, and in real life a fish does not have facial expressions, but I think that changing the facial expressions on the fish faces would really enhance the book. I love the detail that is added to the illustrations. The conversations between the fish are easy to follow and help the story blend very well. Now that I am aware that The Rainbow Fish has turned into a series of books I cannot wait to read more of them!

If You Give A Moose A Muffin By: Felicia Bond

These series of books about giving an animal one object will lead to something else has always intrigues me. The books series began with If You Give A Mouse A Cookie, which I read and loved. As soon as I found out that there were more books about other animals I was thrilled. The curiosity of the book continues to roll on through out the entire story. One things lead to another, and it seems like the story will never end. This particular book is very creative and humorous. I really enjoy how the moose is always busy and keeping the the little boy busy. I feel like the moose has a unique personality that is very well explained through the text and the illustrations of the story. This book is very catchy. It is a book that I could read over and and over again and it would not get old.

The Magic School Bus: Inside the Earth By: Bruce Dregen

I have always really enjoyed the Magic Schools bus book series. This book is full of valuable information for children and adults. This book was designed to teach about the different layers of the earth and the different kinds of rocks that are found. I think the book does a very good job of meeting that purpose. I like how all of the information is given in a very creative, getting the reader interested in the topic. The illustrations fit perfectly with the text. I like how when I read the book I can easily imagine the events in my head like I am watching them on a movie screen. The characters seemed to really come to life for me from the very beginning of the book. I have read a few Magic School Bus books, and just like all of them rest of them I really enjoyed this book!