22. The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!

Title: The True Story of the 3 Little Pigs!
Author: John Scieszka
Illustrator: Lane Smith
Publisher: Puffin
Copyright Date: 1989
Number of Pages: 28
Reading Level: 8+
Genre: Comedy/Humor

Summary
Everything we’ve ever known (or thought we’ve known) has been wrong about the three little pigs. The wolf decided it’s his turn to tell his side of the story. Al, Alexander T. Wolf that is, tries to figure out why it is that wolves have such a bad reputation, he thinks maybe its due to the fact that they eat small, cute, furry animals. But that’s not what the story is about; it’s about a sneeze and a cup of sugar. So the wolf was suffering from a cold but was making a cake for his dear old granny but ran out of sugar. Al decided to go and borrow a cup from his neighbor. So the wolf goes to knock on this guys door and the door falls right in. Who builds a house out of straw anyway? Al’s nose starts to itch and he ends up blowing the whole house down. The pig dies from his house falling in and Al doesn’t want to let a good piece of ham to go to waste and gobbles him up. Basically the same thing happens at the next house and once again waste not. At the third little pig’s house Al knocks and asks again for some sugar and the pig is so rude he tells him that his granny can go sit on a pin. Al didn’t like that of course and went a little crazy. The cops showed up and the reporters decided that a story about a sick guy trying to get some sugar wasn’t very good so they cooked up the whole “big and bad” thing. The wolf was framed.

Recommendation
A classic tale with a new viewpoint. I would recommend this to any kids that want something fun to read. Another fun read aloud that would be good even if it was read over and over again.

Problems/Conflict
It’s a little gross that the wolf eats the two little hairy bummed pigs. People often don’t like stories retold but would rather hear the original.

My Reaction
There are always two sides to every story and I like this version the best. The illustrations are awesome and have so much texture in them. There is so much attention put into detail that you could get lost just looking at all the little things.

21. If You Give a Mouse a Cookie

Title: If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Author: Laura Joffe Numeroff
Illustrator: Felicia Bond
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers
Copyright Date: 1985
Number of Pages: 28
Reading Level: 7
Genre: Comedy

Summary
A boy shares his cookies with a mouse. The mouse then needs a glass of milk. To drink his milk he needs a straw and once he’s done he’ll need a napkin. The mouse will want to make sure he wiped his face well enough so he’ll need to look in a mirror and he’ll see he needs a haircut. Once he’s done trimming the floor will need to be swept and then he’ll just clean everything. The mouse will be tired from working so hard that he’ll need a nap, and will therefore need a bed. When he is read a story he decides that he wants to draw a picture. The picture is of his family and will only be complete when he signs his name. The picture must go on the fridge so the mouse will ask for some tape. When he sees the fridge he realizes how thirsty he is and will ask for a glass of milk and the best thing to go with milk is a cookie.

Recommendation
This is a good bedtime story and I would recommend it to a parent who wants a short read to put their kids to bed. It’s a book that can be read over and over again without being too tedious. Good for young children.

Problems/Conflict
Should kids really be sharing their food with mice? They have diseases.

My Reaction
This is just a fun imaginative book and its funny how so like a child the mouse is. If you give a kid something usually it reminds them of something else and suddenly a whole new idea comes to mind. They can just bounce from one idea to the next. I like that the book forms a circle, it’s a clever way to finish off at the end.

20. Too Many Toys

Title: Too Many Toys
Author: David Shannon
Publisher: Blue Sky Press
Copyright Date: 2008
Number of Pages: 30
Reading Level: 8+
Genre: Comedy Humor

Summary
Spencer has too many toys. They cover up everything so that the floor is barely visible. He has so many toys that he has specific ones for certain areas. The big toys are outside in the sand box, the little ones are in the bathroom for the tub and there are so many that he puts them on parade covering the whole length of the house and back again. It isn’t Spencer’s fault of course that he has so many toys because everyone gives him toys all the time. He gets them from everyone imaginable from the Dentist to Uncle Fred. He gets knew toys for every occasion even the fourth of July! Well parents get tired of stepping on toys all the time and it can really hurt when you do. Mom can’t take it anymore and orders Spencer to get rid of some of his toys. Spencer tries sympathy first and then haggling in order to save some of his toys but Mom manages to win out with the threat of losing TV privileges. Finally the box fills up and Mom goes to get it to put them in the car. She is met with a hall full of toys spilled out from the box. She screams to Spencer for an explanation and finds him playing with what he calls the “best toy ever,” the box.

Recommendation
I would read this to a child just to laugh with them. Spencer is so dramatic and I think kids would just have fun trying to figure out what is going to be on the last page.

Problems/Conflict
Some parents might be a little disgusted with just how many toys Spencer has accumulated.

My Reaction
The illustrations are incredible! I love the vibrancy that they have and the energy it creates and pulls into the story. This book flat out excites me for many reasons; first of all, it’s hilarious; second Spencer is so like me it’s ridiculous; third I love the name Spencer and plan on naming a son that. My mother had initially bought this book for my nephew Adam but when we read it she realized the boy’s name was Spencer and promptly reshelved it for a future grandson. I love my mom. (She bought Adam another book don’t worry.)

19. Perrault Fairy Tales

Title: Perrault Fairy Tales
The Fairies; The Master Cat (or Puss in Boots); The Ridiculous Wishes; Little Red Riding Hood
Author: Charles Perrault
Copyright Date: 1697
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Fairy Tales

Summary: The Master Cat; or Puss in Boots
There are three sons who receive their inheritance from their father who has just passed. The oldest got the mill, the middle son was given the donkey and the youngest was left with the cat. The youngest son was distraught because after he has eaten the cat and used the skin he will have nothing left while his brothers can make livings from what they inherited. The cat tells him not to despair but that if he would give the cat boots and a bag he would show the man that he was not so unfortunate. The master cat proved to be a valuable hunter and he took what he caught to the king telling him it was a gift from The Master Carabas (his master’s new grand name) The master cat continued to do this for the next couple of months and the king was very pleased. The cat knew that on a certain day the king would be traveling along the riverside so the cat devised a plan. He had his master go and bathe in the river so he could pretend he was drowning. The cat’s master was “rescued” by the king’s guard. The cat claimed that his master’s fine clothes had been stolen by thieves (the cat had hidden the clothes). The king then ordered that the Lord Marquis of Carabas be dressed in some of his clothes and invited him to ride with him and his daughter, who had already started to fall in love with him. They continued their journey and often stopped. The king would ask the people who’s land this was and they would reply that it belonged to the Lord Marquis of Carabas. All the while the master cat was running ahead telling them to say so. Finally the master cat reaches a castle and learns that an ogre lives there. The cat tricks the ogre into turning himself into a mouse and when he did so the cat gobbled him up. When the king got to the castle he was so glad that it belonged to the marquis and that night while drinking the king said, “it will be your own fault, my Lord Marquis, if you do not become my son-in-law.” The man married the princess and the cat became a great lord.

Recommendation
I would recommend this story to kids who have watched Shrek and that way they know the real history of Puss in Boots.

Problems/Conflict
The princess marries a man who has only lied to her father and her. She has no idea about who he really is. Their relationship is based totally on the lies of a cat.

My Reaction
I love that a cat is the smart one, he is what changes the destiny of a poor man. I think it is funny as well that so simply the cat was able to trick the ogre and he ate the ogre. Gross!

18. Asbjørnsen and Moe Fairy Tales

Title: Asbjørnsen and Moe Fairy Tales
The Husband Who Was to Mind the House; The Two Step-Sisters; The Fox as Herdsman; Boots Who Ate a Match With the Troll
Authors:
Peter Christen Asbjørnsen and Jørgen Moe
Copyright Date: 1845
Reading Level: 8+
Genre: Fairy Tales

Summary: Boots Who Ate a Match With the Troll
There is a farmer with three sons. He sends the oldest first to go and hew the timber from their wood. A nasty troll comes out as he is about to set to work and tells him if he hewed in his wood he would kill the boy. The boy threw down his axe and ran home. The second son went to the wood next and the same result came of it. Now it was the youngest turn, Boots. When his brothers saw him about to set off they laughed because Boots was hardly out of the house. Boots went anyway but first his mother made him a bit of cheese. When Boots began to hew the Troll came out and when he did Boots squeezed the cheese in front of him claiming it was a stone and he would do the same to the Troll if he didn’t hold his tongue. The Troll was scared and instead helped Boots to hew the wood. Once they were done the Troll invited Boots to go to his house because it was closer. When they arrived the Troll went to get the fire started and Boots was to get the water. The water pails were enormous and Boots couldn’t lift them. He told the Troll it wasn’t worth it to fill such small pails he would simply fetch the stream. The Troll says not to do that because he relies on the stream, he then tells Boots to build the fire while he fetches the water from the stream. They make dinner and Boots tells the Troll that they should eat a match. The Troll takes him up on it but Boots cheats using his bag to shovel the food in. Finally Boots rips a hole in the bag “to make more room for food in his stomach.” The Troll tries to call it quits but Boots suggests he should do what he did. The Troll does even though he thinks it will hurt and he dies. Boots steals the gold and takes it home to his family.

Recommendation
I recommend this story to young boys who don’t feel big and tough now. Let them know that they can accomplish a lot, more than most, if they simply put their mind to it.

Problems/Conflict
Boots says “Pooh!” (Haha!) Boots not only kills the Troll but he steals from him and cheats at the match as well. (Ten commandments anyone?)

My Reaction
This was a great David and Goliath tale. Instead of a battle of weapons it was a battle of wits. I especially enjoyed that Boots proved to his elder brothers that though he was small and stayed home he could defeat a mighty foe. Big surprises come in small packages sometimes.

17. Jacob's Fairy Tales

Titles: Jacobs' Fairy Tales
The Rose Tree; The Story of the Three Bears; Munachar and Manachar; King O’Toole and His Goose
Author: Joseph Jacobs
Copyright Date: 1890
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Fairy Tales

Summary: The Rose Tree
There once was a man who had a daughter by a first wife and a son by his second wife. The daughter was beautiful and the father and brother loved her dearly. The stepmother was very jealous of her beauty. One day the stepmother sent the girl to get some candles from a shop and three times the candles were lost to a dog who snatched them from her. The girl went home sad and the stepmother pretended not to be angry. The girl was told to lay her head on her stepmother’s lap and when she did the woman became more jealous of the girl’s golden hair. The stepmother said to go and get a piece of wood and axe so that she might comb the girls hair and part it better. The girl did what she was told and the stepmother cut off the girl’s head and laughed. The stepmother tried to feed the girl’s heart and liver to father and brother but father said it tasted strangely and the boy would not eat it at all. The boy ran out and buried his sister in a box under a rose tree. Each day he went out and cried for his sister. When spring came the tree blossomed and on the tree was a white bird that sang beautifully. She first went to a shoemaker and sang for him and in return he gave her some shoes. Next she went to a watchmaker and he gave her a chain. She then went to a millers and they gave her a millstone. The bird flew the millstone over the house and the stepmother cried three times saying it was thunder. The first time the boy went out and shoes fell. The father ran out the second time and the gold chain fell. The stepmother saw this and when it thundered a third time she ran out and the millstone fell and she died.

Recommendation
I would just recommend that kids be a little older possibly fifth grade and up.

Problems/Conflict
A lot of parents would say that these tales are inappropriately supposed to be for children. I think we don’t really understand just what a child can honestly handle. I heard and read a lot of fairy tales when I was younger and cannot remember the descriptive parts. I think children are protected in a lot of ways from harsh cruelties in reading just from lack of understanding.

My Reaction
Pretty gruesome little tale. I first read four of his celtic tales and decided I should do a mixture and chose The Rose Tree and The Story of the Three Bears. Someone in class had said they hated The Rose Tree so I decided to give it a shot just out of pure curiosity. I actually liked this tale because the girl was able to take revenge which may or may not be a bad reason for enjoying this tale.

16. Andersen's Fairy Tales

Title: Andersen's Fairy Tales
The Shepherdess and the Sweep; The Emperor’s New Clothes; The Little Match Girl; The Princess and the Pea
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Copyright Date: 1835
Number of Pages: 7; 6; 4; 2
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Fairy Tales

Summary: The Emperor’s New Clothes
There was an Emperor who was excessively fond of clothes and had a different pair for every hour of the day. So the people would say instead of him doing things to help the land he would be in his dressing chamber. There came a time when some swindlers came professing that they were the finest clothes makers and that they would make the Emperor new clothes for a lot of silk and treasure. The swindlers set to work at once but using imaginary material to weave the Emperor’s new costumes. The Emperor wondered how the process was going and sent his faithful minister to check up on them. The minister was shocked that he could not see anything but did not want to be thought a fool so listened carefully to the swindlers when they described the cloth they were working with, the pattern and color. The Emperor again sent a faithful official to check up on the two men. He too could not see anything that the swindlers were holding. The official didn’t want to look a fool so he paid close attention to how the swindlers described the fine clothing they didn’t actually hold. Finally they finished and it was time for the Emperor to get his new clothes. They dressed him one false piece at a time and there was a grand parade to show off his new clothes. All pretended to see the fineness and craft of the clothes but it took a child to say “But he has nothing on.” Everyone then realized they weren’t fools but it was the truth. The Emperor pressed on although he knew what the child said was true.

Recommendation
Fairy tales should be shared because that is what their original purpose was when first told. I cannot imagine my childhood without fairy tales and would hope that every child could have at least one fairy tale read to them. I would recommend these fairy tales (especially the Emperor’s New Clothes) to a child who wants to have a giggle.

Problems/Conflict
I don’t see any problems with Andersen’s tales they seem lighthearted and fun.

My Reaction
I had always heard about The Emperor’s New Clothes but never read it for myself. It just cracks me up that an old man went parading through a town completely naked because no one was brave enough to say that there was nothing there.

15. Grimms' Fairy Tales

Title: Grimm’s Fairy Tales
The Frog Prince; Briar Rose (Sleeping Beauty); Red Riding Hood; Hansel and Gretel
Authors: Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm
Copyright Date: 1812
Number of Pages: 6; 5; 5; 10
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Fairy Tales

Summary: Hansel and Gretel
A woodcutter and his wife have two children; Hansel and Gretel. The woman is not the children’s mother but their stepmother. There is a famine and the family is low on food. The woman decides that they must take the children out into the forest the next day and leave them there with only some bread. The children hear this plan and Hansel comes up with a plan. The next day when father and mother take the children into the forest Hansel drops white stones that shine white in the moonlight. When the children find themselves lost they wait until they can see the stones and find their way back to the cottage. The mother decides they have to take the children deeper into the woods this time so that the children won’t find their way back. The children again hear this plan but Hansel is unable to sneak out of the cottage to gather stones. The next day father and mother lead the children deep into the woods and Hansel drops bread crumbs along the way. This time it doesn’t work because the birds eat all of the bread crumbs left behind. The children are very lost and go deeper into the woods, hungry and scared. They come upon a house with a roof of cake and windows of sugar water. They eat what they can before a witch comes out and invites them in. She locks Hansel in a stable and starts to feed him to fatten him up and Gretel has to help. One day when the witch decides she will cook Hansel even though he has not grown at all (he kept sticking out a knuckle bone for her to feel) she heats up the oven and tell Gretel to climb in to see if it is hot enough. Gretel says she doesn’t know how so the witch crawls in and Gretel shuts the oven door on her. Gretel frees Hansel and they find their way back to the cottage with the witch’s riches. The stepmother died while they were away and they live happily with their father.

Recommendation
I think that these fairy tales are a part of human culture and that every child should get to hear them read aloud to them. Some can be gruesome but children can decide for themselves if they think its gross or COOL!

Problems/Conflict
Some say that the Grimm fairy tales are very graphic and that they are, well, grim. I don’t think that they are any worse than what is on TV today and movies that kids watch.

My Reaction
I’m fascinated by Grimm’s Fairy Tales, more so that the others that we are studying. There is something different about these tales that I can’t quite put my finger on. I like the fact that the brothers Grimm wanted to preserve the originality of the words and how the stories were told. I think that they took on a job to preserve these stories that could have been lost or altered forever and for that I am grateful.

14. Tuesday

Title: Tuesday
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: The Trumpet Club
Copyright Date: 1991
Number of Pages: 29
Reading Level: N/A (6+ for some)
Genre: Fantasy

Summary
Around 8:00pm while the frogs are sleeping they are suddenly lifted with their lily pads into flight. They pass over a turtle with ease and security and leave the pond. The frogs swarm and take on birds perched on telephone wires terrorizing all. They sweep into an unsuspecting town while all the people sleep, well most of them. Clothes lines become hazards as they pass through yards getting caught on sheets and but that’s all right because super frogs need capes right? The frogs slip through open windows, down chimneys and take over TV’s. The tables turn for some who get to chase dogs rather than being chased by them. But oh no! The sun rises and all of the frogs fall in midair to the earth below. They hop back to their pond but police are puzzled by the lily pads left behind. Next Tuesday there is a bigger surprise, who ever heard of a pigs flying anyway?

Recommendation
I would recommend this for any children from 2-10. Imagination is the key element to this book so it can be used to help them grow creatively as an exercise in school.

Problems/Conflict
None. Some might say that it needs to be more realistic. Phooey!

My Reaction
I can’t count how many times I’ve looked through this book and tried to think of dialogue or what else could have happened to the frogs. It’s a book that can be reread and enjoyed differently each time. The illustrations do everything and there is nothing lacking. The frog’s facial expressions and actions are all the story needs to be entertaining. Love it!

13. Number the Stars

Title: Number the Stars
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Dell Publishing
Copyright Date: 1989
Number of Pages: 137
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary
For three years the Nazis have occupied Denmark and they have become part of the scenery to kids like Annemarie, her little sister Kirsti and friend Ellen. There is a growing feeling of unease as shops are shut down and soldiers become more bold in their actions. One night Ellen has to come and stay with Annemarie and her family because she is a Jew and their rabbi warned them of an attempt to “relocate” all the Jews from Denmark. Some soldiers come and search the house the night that Ellen stays with the Johansens but Annemarie’s father pulls out pictures to prove that Ellen is their child. In the morning they have to leave to go and stay with Henrik, Annemarie’s uncle in Gilleleje which borders Sweden, a free country. When they arrive at Henrik’s, Annemarie notices that her mother and uncle are acting peculiar and she soon discovers part of the truth because the whole truth is too dangerous for her to know. Ellen’s parents show up with a few other people and there is a charade of a death in their family. In the night a family friend, Peter, comes to get the people and take them to Henrik’s boat. Peter entrusts Ellen’s father with a package which he has to take to Henrik. Unfortunately Ellen’s dad falls outside of the house and drops the package. Annemarie’s mother takes Ellen’s family after Peter takes the others. She comes back in the morning and is terribly hurt with a twisted ankle. Annemarie sees the package and is sent to take it to her uncle immediately. Annemarie runs into some soldiers on the way through the forest and is nearly found out, but she delivers the package and the Jews are transported to Sweden safely.

Recommendation
It takes a bit of maturity to fully grasp the Holocaust and I would recommend this to a child who is interested in historical events. I think that it is a good way to introduce the subject of the Holocaust for a history lesson.

Problems/Conflict
I felt that the climax wasn’t entirely developed. There could have been a lot more intensity but because Lowry was trying to remain so true to actual events I believe it was well told.

My Reaction
I remembered this book being scary the first time I read it and this time I felt like I missed the whole climax. I believe that this book can help small children to understand a little better the events of the Holocaust and what it involved. I think that Lowry painted a beautiful picture of the people of Denmark and their loyalty to their fellow beings.

12. Gallop

Title: Gallop!
Author: Rufus Butler Seder
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Copyright Date: 2007
Number of Pages: 20
Reading Level: 6+
Genre: Scanimation/Picture Book

Summary
A horse gallops across the page, giddyup-a-loo! A chicken struts, a dog runs, a cat springs, an eagle soars, a chimp swings, a butterfly flutters, a turtle swims and a star shines. All of the pictures have words underneath that describe the sound of the action above. So as a child would read the words they see the animal and can almost hear what it would sound like.

Recommendation
An enigmatic book for youngsters for sure. I would read this to a 2 year old up to a 6 year old probably. Its good for sound recognition and for putting animals with actions.

Problems/Conflict
None that I can think of.

My Reaction
The pictures are so entertaining, I find myself trying to get the animals to go in reverse just for fun. I enjoy the sounds for each animal and how Seder has tried to catch the rhythm of the animals moving. I am impressed with the uniqueness of this book and the variety it brings to picture books.

11. Holes

Title: Holes
Author: Louis Sachar
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf Books
Copyright Date: 1998
Number of Pages:231
Reading Level: 9+
Genre: Adventure/Mystery

Summary
Stanley’s family has been cursed ever since his great-great-grandfather Elya Yelnats stole a pig from an old Egyptian woman name Madame Zeroni. Stanley doesn’t necessarily believe that his family has bad luck because of what his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather did but he never seems to have any kind of “good” luck on his side. One day while walking home after having to fish out his notebook from a toilet Stanley is hit in the head with a pair of sneakers. He takes them back to his dad because he happens to be working on a way to recycle old sneakers. It turned out that Stanley was arrested for stealing the shoes and sentence to go to a Camp Green Lake to pay for it. Stanley has to dig a hole every day while at the camp and it has to be five feet wide and five feet deep (the same size as his shovel). Although the work is hard and he knows that he’s not guilty Stanley starts to feel like he fits in better at Camp Green Lake than he did back home. Stanley becomes friends with Zero, another “camper,” and he tries to help Zero learn to read in return for help digging part of Stanely’s hole each day. The others don’t like to see Stanley sitting around while Zero digs his hole for them so contention starts to build. Zero ends up running away after hitting Mr. Pendanski with a shovel and everyone believes him to be dead. Stanley tries to steal the water truck to go looking for Zero but ends up driving it into a hole instead. Stanley heads out to find Zero and when he does, he finds Zero surviving on sploosh (100 year old, canned, spiced, peaches). The boys fight their way up a mountain in search of water and Stanley finds the strength to carry Zero half way up the steepest part. (This breaks the curse of course) They go back to camp and find an old suitcase in a hole Stanley had been digging in earlier which just so happens to have the name STANLEY YELNATS written on it. Turns out that the charges were dropped against Stanley, his dad discovered a way to reduce foot odor, there was a lot of money in bonds in the suitcase, Zero found his mother, and they lived happily ever after.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to kids who like mysteries, adventures, and the kind of kids who need to have multiple story lines going on at once.

Problems/Conflict
It’s a little frustrating how often Stanley is blamed for things that he doesn’t do.

My Reaction
There is so much to this book! Its so fun that I found myself almost jumping up and down waiting for it all to turn right. I like that everyone gets their just desserts at the end and that everything is resolved. The stories are so intertwined that it is spectacular when it all comes together. I have to say that I am more impressed with it now that I’ve read it again.

10. The Slave Dancer

Title: The Slave Dancer
Author: Paula Fox
Publisher: Dell Publishing (Yearling)
Copyright Date: 1973
Number of Pages: 152
Reading Level: 12+
Genre: Historical Fiction

Summary
Jessie is sent to his aunt’s home to fetch some candles for his mother. He decides to take the long way home and is press-ganged onto a ship called the Moonlight. The ship is a slaver. Jessie is told that he will be home in four months time and will make a profit from the slave trade but he wants nothing to do with it. The reason Jessie was taken aboard the ship was to play his fife for the slaves so that they would dance and stay strong during the voyage. The sounds, smells, sights, and tastes of the ship constantly torment Jess and what he must endure on the Moonlight. Purvis, although a crusty seaman, becomes Jessie’s friend and helps him along the way. In the end there is a celebration before the selling of the slaves and ships show up on the horizon. The captain Cawthorne orders all the slaves to be tossed overboard but Jessie helps a boy around his age to hide. A storm swells in and kills everyone except for Jessie and the boy. They swim ashore after the storm passes and are taken in by an old runaway slave named Daniel. He helps Ras, the black boy, to escape North with a couple other black men and helps Jess to find his way back home to New Orleans.

Recommendation
An eye-opener. The book brings to reality some of the brutal circumstance of the slave trade and what it did to so many Africans. I would recommend this more to boys than girls. I believe that it is also a good history lesson so that if a teacher had a lesson planned around it, they could assign readings from this book.

Problems/Conflict
The book is quite graphic and although I read it as a kid I think I would want other kids to wait until maybe age 14 to read it.

My Reaction
I loved this book when I was younger but I don’t think I understood a lot of it then. I am still amazed at what humans can do to other humans just to make money. I remain in awe of the book and its details.

9. Bridge to Terabithia

Title: Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Illustrator: Donna Diamond
Copyright Date: 1977
Number of Pages: 128
Reading Level: 10+
Genre: Realistic Fiction

Summary
At the beginning of fifth grade Jess Aarons’ greatest goal is to be the fastest kid in his class. All that changes when Leslie Burke moves into the old Perkins place down the road. Leslie beats all of the boys in the fifth grade and soon Jesse becomes friends with her. They create their own little world called Teribithia to escape school and family life. Teribithia is on Leslie’s property and is reached by swinging across a creek. Together they accomplish all that they set out to do. One gives strength to the other and vis-versa. In one adventure in order to get back at the school bully for stealing his little sister’s Twinkies Leslie and Jesse create a ruse that a popular boy in school likes her. Later on they feel bad for what they did and Leslie manages to become friends with her. In the end There are a lot of rain storms and each time Jesse and Leslie go into Teribithia the creek gets higher and higher. One day Jesse’s teacher calls and asks him to go to the Smithsonian in DC with her. He goes and when he comes back he finds out that Leslie died trying to cross into Teribithia. Jesse’s dad comes to the rescue and tries to form a bond with his son again. Jesse is able to grow closer to his younger sister May Belle.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book mainly for boys who don’t feel they fit in socially. For the sole purpose of showing that being artistic and friends with a girl are not weaknesses.

Problems/Conflict
This book swears quite often and could be a problem for parents of young readers. I actually remember using “Lord” incorrectly for a long time after reading this book.

My Reaction
I love this book (I say that a lot). The characters are so well developed especially for such a short book there is a tremendous amount of growth in Jesse and Leslie. This book makes me cry each time, but this time it was because of the relationship between Jesse and his dad. At the end when Jesse runs out of the house refusing to believe that Leslie is dead his dad comes after him and takes Jesse in his arms. There was a significant lack of relationship between father and son during the whole book until the end when tragedy brings them together.

8. Just Ella

Title: Just Ella
Author: Margaret Peterson Haddix
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: 1999
Number of Pages: 185
Reading Level: 12+
Genre: Fantasy, Fairytale Retold

Summary
A girl named Ella decides to take her destiny into her own hands and goes to a ball against her stepmother’s wishes and meets the prince. Basically your classic Cinderella story until Ella is at the castle during the engagement. Everything seems to be going well until she realizes that the prince is only marrying her because of her beauty. The other reason for being unhappy is that she never sees the light of day, can’t speak the way she wants and only has two friends Jed and Mary who she can talk to. Ella tries to break off the engagement with prince Charm but finds that its harder than she thought to break anything off with a Charming. Suddenly Ella finds herself in the dungeon digging her way out through her toilet. She walks to where her friend Jed is helping war refugees. He takes her in and they run the camp together. Ella realizes that she was only marrying the prince not out of love but to spite the StepEvils. She decides to find out what love really is before she marries Jed.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to a girl who likes fairytales but doesn’t mind them being told differently.

Problems/Conflict
I can see that this book could easily be taken for a young adult book because of a few questionable parts about relationships between men and women. I still believe it’s a children’s book though.

My Reaction
This is Cinderella told in a more realistic light. I am grateful for a non-fanciful version to a common fairytale. It shows that a girl can choose her future, that she can have a brain and make decisions.

7. Heckedy Peg

Title: Heckedy Peg
Author: Audrey Wood
Illustrator: Don Wood
Publisher: Voyager Books (Harcourt Brace & Co.)
Copyright Date: September 1992
Number of Pages: 30
Reading Level: 5+
Genre: Fable, Folk Tale, Myth

Summary
There are seven children named Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. The children are all loved by their mother. One day, because the children have been so good the mother says to the children that she will bring each one something special from the market. Each child asked for something they wanted. Before mother left she told her children not to let any strangers into the house and not to touch fire. The children started to play when an old witch named Heckedy Peg came knocking at their window. The witch offered gold if the children would let her in and light her pipe. The children agreed and as soon as they let her in and lit her pipe magic turned them all into food. The witch gathered all the food up and took it back to her cave far away. When the mother returned she was desperate to find her children, a blackbird took pity on her and told her where the witch had taken them. The mother has to trick the witch to get into her cave and then she has to name each of her children by what food they are. Mother uses the items the children asked for to successfully name them and they magically change back. Mother then chases the old witch and she falls over the side of a bridge and no one ever hears from old Heckedy Peg again.

Recommendation
I think this is such a good read-aloud book for children as well as a good book for children just learning to read. The story is simple to understand and not too elaborate. I think that it is a book that could easily become a child’s favorite to return to each night.

Problems/Conflicts
I didn’t see any real conflicts or problems with the book.

My Reaction
I’m excited to get to read this to my kids one day now that I own the book because of this class! The pictures are breathtaking and the story is so simple but it has a really good message to it all. The two main messages that I caught were: a mother who is willing to do anything for her children and children who disobey their mother and have to take the consequences.

6. There's a Nightmare in My Closet

Title: There’s a Nightmare in My Closet
Author/Illustrator: Mercer Mayer
Publisher: Dial Books for Young Readers
Copyright Date: 1968
Number of Pages: 28
Reading Level: 7+
Genre: Fantasy

Summary
There is a boy who believes there is a Nightmare in his closet. He has to shut his closet door each night before going to sleep. Sometimes he’d be scared walking back to bed, but when in bed he would peek, but only sometimes. One night when being very brave he decided to be rid of his nightmare. The Nightmare crept toward him and he turned on the light and he shot the Nightmare. The Nightmare started to cry so the boy had to tuck him into bed so that he didn’t wake mommy and daddy. There were probably more in his closet but his bed wasn’t big enough.

Recommendation
I was always afraid of everything in my room at night so I think a lot of other people can relate to making up monsters under the bed or in the closet. It’s funny. I’d recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

Problems/Conflict
There was a gun involved but since it was a toy I don’t think its much of a controversial issue.

My Reaction
I’m still amazed at how simple the book is. I always thought it had more words but now realize there aren’t many words at all. This book has a simple message of fear and conquering it. I wonder how many kids try to sleep with their closet doors open after reading this book?

5. Sam, Bangs & Moonshine

Title: Sam, Bangs & Moonshine
Author/Illustrator: Evaline Ness
Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Copyright Date: 1966
Number of Pages: 35
Reading Level: 8+
Genre: Fantasy/Drama

Summary
Sam is a girl who tells a lot of lies. Her mother is a mermaid, she has a pet lion and kangaroo and the ragged rug in her house is a chariot drawn by dragons. Sam has a friend named Thomas who believes every tale that Sam tells. Sam tells Thomas every time he comes to visit that her kangaroo has just stepped out and she tells him where the kangaroo went and Thomas goes there. One day Sam sends Thomas to a rock where her mother, the mermaid, lives. Bangs, her cat, tells her that the rock would be buried in the tide early that day. Sam went on day dreaming and Bangs went after Thomas. Later a storm comes in and Sam realizes what she’s done. Her father comes home and she tells him what happened and he rushes out to find Thomas. When he returns home he tells Sam that Bangs was gone and he found Thomas. Father tells Sam to go to her room and figure out the difference between real and moonshine. She goes to her room and decides what’s real and what’s not. Bangs scratches at the window and Sam is happy that she has what is real, Bangs, her dad and Thomas. The next day Sam’s dad brings home a gerbil that looks like a baby kangaroo. Sam decides to give the gerbil to Thomas and says his name is Moonshine.

Recommendation
I would recommend this book to any child learning to read or to any child who has a problem with lying. This reminds me of the boy who cried wolf. It’s a fun read and has a good message.

Problems/Conflict
The hardest thing might be the word flummadiddle and then understanding what moonshine is.

My Reaction
I love the pictures and how well they go along with the story. The watercolors really show the rainy and wet nature of living near the sea and is very expressive of the story. I also like that everything was quite accurate to the story line, it said there were two cows and twenty-five sheep and in the pictures there were just that many. I think my mom got me this book when I was little because I liked to tell moonshine quite often too.

4. Faithful Elephants

Title: Faithful Elephants
Author: Yukio Tsuchiya
Illustrator: Ted Lewin
Translator: Tomoko Tsuchiya Dykes
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Co.
Copyright Date: (Text 1951) October 1997
Number of Pages: 32
Reading Level: 9+yrs
Genre: Nonfiction, Historical

Summary
During World War II Tokyo was bombed constantly and Tokyo was terrified that if a bomb hit near or on the zoo that many of the dangerous animals might get out and kill people. The army ordered that all the dangerous animals be killed so that the problem would be fixed. For most of the animals all the keepers had to do was poison the food and the animals would die. They tried this with the elephants but they were too smart and would sort out the poisoned food from the good food. The zoo keepers then tried to inject poison into the elephants but their skin was so tough that the needles would bend. The only option left to the zoo keepers was to starve the elephants. They began with John and he died seventeen days later. The other two Tonky and Wanly were starved. It was so hard on the keepers that they wept for the animals having to suffer. The elephants would do tricks to try and get food until their bodies were so week that they couldn’t do it anymore. The keepers kept hoping that the war would end so that the elephants could live. Two weeks later they found the elephants dead trying to do one last trick. The elephant trainers cried and yelled, cursing the war.

Recommendation
This is such a sad story that I don’t think I’d want to read it to kids at bedtime. I’d want a child to read it to see what some of the effects of war are that people don’t ever think about. I would recommend it to a teacher who might want to do a history lesson around it. Or it would be useful to sober a class up really quickly.

Problems/Conflict
There are a few words that might be hard to say for a child but by the time they are able to read it, they should be able to sound them out. This book would need an explanation of war and possibly a talk on death.

My Reaction
Faithful Elephants makes me really sad because of the people who had to watch those animals die so slowly and painfully. It is something that I would never have thought about as an effect of war. I think it was beautifully written and the way that it starts and ends gives a nice peaceful feeling.

3. Tuck Everlasting

Title: Tuck Everlasting
Author: Natalie Babbitt
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Copyright Date: January 1975
Number of Pages: 139
Reading Level: 10+
Genre: Fantasy

Summary
Winnie Foster is overprotected and wants to have an adventure. The beginning of that adventure came in a yellow suit. The evening that Winnie is out in her yard a man in a yellow suit comes calling to her house wondering if she knows of a family. She says she doesn’t and her grandmother wishes her to come back in. They all hear a music box playing in the forest. Mae Tuck and her family are a special sort. They meet every ten years at the spring that changed their lives. They happened to be going to their normal meeting and Mae has a music box. Winnie decides the next morning to just go for a walk into the woods her family owns when she meets a boy named Jesse he tries to stop her from drinking water from a spring that he had just taken a drink from. He, his mother and brother have to explain to Winnie that if she drank from that spring she would stay the same age forever. The Tucks decide to take her to their home so that father Tuck can explain why the subject was so important to keep secret. While going through the town on the way to the Tuck’s home Winnie sees the man in the yellow suit once more. Winnie enjoys her time with the Tucks and Jesse says that when she turns seventeen she should drink from the spring and find him so they can run off together and have a wonderful time. Them man in the yellow suit, meanwhile, is bribing Winnie’s family into selling the wood that they own to him because he overheard the whole story about the stream. He says that he knows where their daughter is and that he’ll bring her back in exchange. He goes with the sheriff to bring Winnie back and Mae clubs the man in the yellow suit with the butt of a gun. The sheriff sees the whole thing and takes Winnie and Mae back into town where he returns Winnie to her family and puts Mae in Jail. Winnie helps to break Mae out by taking her place during a thunderstorm and when the day came the sheriff found Winnie instead. Time flashes forward and Tuck and Mae visit the town of Treegap once more to find the spring gone and Winnie’s tombstone saying that she died of an old age.

Recommendation
I think every child wants to runaway at some point because it sounds exciting. I think that this book is enchanting and would be a fun adventure for any kid who maybe rather than actually running away can escape through a book. I believe its appropriate for both girls and boys.

Problems/Conflict
A potential problem for a reader, or a parent of a reader would be the slight message that it’s okay to run away, and to trust stranger. Winnie knew that they were good, even though it scared her that they were taking her away but she still didn’t shout out or anything when she could have.

My Reaction
I first read this book when I was about 10 years old. The book was a gift from my fourth grade teacher for Christmas. I think it has a good message that there are those that would wish for eternal youth/life but don’t realize the consequences of such a “blessing.” It shows that even the greatest miracle can have its fine print.

2. The Eleventh Hour

Title: The Eleventh Hour
Author/Illustrator: Graeme Base
Publisher: Penguin Group
Copyright Date: November 1993
Number of Pages: 40
Reading Level: 12+
Genre: Mystery, Puzzle Book

Summary
Horace is turning eleven and he is throwing the party of his lifetime. The guests are carefully selected and invited. Horace prepares the grandest cuisine for all of his guests. Everyone shows up and there is one who no one knows. They are invited into the house where they are greeted by historical architecture and grandeur. The greatest sight though is the banquet hall and the mounds of food just waiting to be eaten, but not until eleven! All eleven guests and Horace spend the time playing games like tennis, cricket, cards, hide and seek, billiards, sack races, tug-o-wars and so much more. Finally the clock strikes eleven and they all rush to the banquet hall to find… nothing. All the food had been eaten. Suspicions arise and everyone suspects another. Horace decides to save the day and make sandwiches for everyone. The birthday cake was also saved because it was supposed to be revealed at the end as a surprise. Later the clues are put together and all the mice are found. Kilroy and his friends ate the feast! Shocking!

Recommendation
I love these books now. I think it was beautifully written, well formed and ingeniously fun. I would recommend this book to any parent who wants to have an enjoyable reading experience with their child. I would also recommend it to any kid who wants to have a small adventure and likes puzzles.

Problems/Conflicts
I can’t really see any conflicts within this book, other than now mice might have a bad reputation for ruining parties and with forever be held in suspicion.

My Reaction
Well my husband is in love with the Graeme Base books, especially Animalia. So while reading this book I was trying to think of what his reaction was when he read them as a kid. While we were picking it out at Barnes&Noble he had to show me the secret file in the back.
I love Base’s word choices in his books and everything is so exciting. These books are definitely page-turners. The pictures have so much life in them that it is difficult to pull away.

1. When Marian Sang

Title: When Marian Sang
Author: Pam Muñoz Ryan
Illustrator: Brian Selznick
Publisher: Scholastic Press
Copyright Date: October 2002
Number of Pages: 34
Reading Level: 3-11yrs
Genre: Biography

Summary
The book begins by painting a picture of a small loving home that is filled with music. Everyone sings but Marian has a voice that is deemed extraordinary. She was then noticed by those in her church and community and put into the celebrated People’s Chorus. Her father didn’t want her to get taken advantage of so he was very protective. Marian waited until she was eighteen before she tried to apply for a music school but she was turned away because she was black. After seeing n opera at the Metropolitan Opera she decided that the stage was her ultimate goal no matter how far away that goal was. She traveled to many places to sing for whites and blacks but she wouldn’t be able to find accommodations afterward because she was Negro. Marian finally got an audition with a famous master teacher named Boghetti. He announced after she arrived that he wouldn’t see anybody else, he simply didn’t have the room but Marian began to sing and he was astonished. She traveled to Europe to sing more openly there and was welcomed warmly by all races. When Marian returned home she could not get any place to let her sing. Finally after many refusals President Roosevelt approved an invite to Marian to sing on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Easter Sunday. Later Marian got the opportunity to sing in the opera and her dreams were finally realized.

Recommendation
I would recommend this to anyone. It’s good for adults as well as children because it tells about a part of history that many would like to forget. I think it helps teach an important message of no matter race, financial situation, or rank people are gifted and special. There is no reason to dismiss someone’s talents because of such criteria.

Problems/Conflicts
Racism is always a sensitive subject. No one likes to be known for his or her racist history. This book does not give many redeeming qualities to the white American of the time. It also brings up the controversial issue of why people are treated so badly because of skin color.
Also being a faithful, devout Christian and voicing that along with lyrics to songs could cause controversy to those who do not believe there is a God or whether God should be in books at all.

My Reaction
I really enjoyed this book because it showed a determined and gifted woman rise against adversity to reach her goals. I was also impressed that it showed she was uncertain of what her role should be concerning her race and what kind of stance she should take toward civil rights.