When I Was Young in the Mountains

By: Cynthia Rylant (1982)

This was an amazing book!  This book is about a little girl who grew up in the mountains with her grandparents.  She recalls everything from swimming in a dark swimming hole, what her grandmother made for dinner, going outside to use the bathroom and even her grandmother killing snakes with hoes.  Almost every page started out with, When I was young in the mountains.  The author really captivates the audience in this book with all the details she puts into the story.  The reader can almost imagine what it was like for the little girl growing up here.  I know when I read when her grandmother put out pinto beans, cornbread and fried okra for dinner I could almost smell it and it reminded me of eating dinner with my great-grandmother.

The illustrations are done by Diane Goode, and they are phenomenal.  The illustrations give so much detail and are just gorgeous.  I was really captivated by the pictures and how well it showed the details the author was talking about in the story.  I think students would like this book because it is so different from what they are used to.  There was no tv or xbox just the outdoors and kids today aren't used to that.  This book would be great to read and then have students write about when they were growing up so they can compare the two childhoods.

Mr. Putter & Tabby Spin the Yarn

By Cynthia Rylant (2006)

This book was pretty funny and I think students would really enjoy hearing the adventures that happen to Mr. Putter and his cat in this book.  Mr. Putter is worried that he isn't a very good neighbor to Mrs. Teaberry.  She is always making him treats and all he does is eat her food.  He decides that he wants to be a good neighbor to her, so when she says she is starting a knitting club he offers to come pour tea for her and her friends.  This all sounds great, until Mr. Putters cat Tabby and Mrs. Teaberry's dog Zeke get added into the mix.  Tabby and Zeke make a huge mess of things and end up ruining a sweater and a hat that Mrs. Teaberry's guest are working on and wearing.  Mrs. Teaberry's guest are furious and Mr. Putter doesn't want them to be upset at sweet Mrs. Teaberry, so he sweet talks the ladies and saves the day.  In the end Mrs. Teaberry tells him that he is a good neighbor, this makes Mr. Putter very happy.

I thought that this book was great!  I loved the characters and I think that students will love them as well.  The illustrations are great and are done by Arthur Howard.  The pictures really bring the story to life and show just how silly and crazy things get when Tabby and Zeke start causing all the problems.  This is just one book is the series Mr. Putter and Tabby, I can't wait to read a few more!

Dog Heaven

By Cynthia Rylant (1995)

I absolutley loved this book!  Dog Heaven tells all about when dogs go to Heaven.  It gives details about fields they can run in, how God gives them funny shaped treats and how there are Angel Children to play with.  This book is great for anyone who has ever lost a pet especially a child.  The book also tells how sometimes an angel will bring the dog back to its old home so they can check on things and make sure everything is ok.  While I was reading this book I was just mesmerized by the pictures and the story, the author did such a great job with this story.  I found my self smiling the whole time I was reading this and wanting to believe that this is actually true.  Cynthia Rylant is also the illustrator in this book and the pictures are awesome.  They look a little like children did them which is so great in a story that has this innocence about it.

This is the first book I have ever read by this author and I can't wait to read more of her books.  The way she told this story, brings hope that this is what really happens when our beloved pets die.  She even talked about dogs who had never had homes on Earth and that there are special homes set up for them so they can see what it is like.  She brings characteristics that dogs really have into the story which makes it so believable.  I know this is what I hope dog heaven is really like!

The School Nurse from the Black Lagoon

By Mike Thaler (1995)

This series is one of my all time favorite in children's picture books.  I love how the author makes references to things that students could get mixed up and rumors started.  The pictures in the book were great as well and were so funny.  Students really love hearing Black Lagoon books and this one was no different.  This story is about a little boy who breaks out in blue dots, his teacher sends him to the nurses office.  He is terrified because he has heard so many bad things about what happens when you get sent to the nurses office.  He walks in and sees Freddie Jones with his eyes closed, he thinks he is dead.  He goes up to the nurses desk and Miss Hearse the nurse is sitting at her desk and she looks normal.  He shows her his arm with all the blue dots and Miss Hearse gently rubs it with a wet paper towel.  The blue dots magically disappear, she shows him that his pen is leaking and gives him a new one.  He goes back to class and writes Miss Hearse a Thank You Note with his new pen.

This book always makes me smile when I read it.  I love how the author twists words around and that these things really happen in schools and students always fear the worse in teachers, nurses, principals, etc.  The students loved hearing this book and they were so focused on every word, even the ones who already knew what was going to happen.  This whole series is great and the students really love them.

D.W. the Picky Eater

By Marc Brown (1995)

This was another story I read to the class one afternoon while we were waiting for dismissal.  It was a cute story about Arthur's sister D.W. who was a very picky eater.  She HATED spinach even though she had never tried it. One night she goes out to eat with her family and throws a tantrum because there is spinach in her salad.  Her parents made her stay at home with a babysitter the next time they went out.  The next morning Arthur had a tiny paper umbrella from the chinese restaurant.  D.W. began to wonder what she was missing and decided she would go out with her family for her grandma's birthday.  D.W. made a happy plate and ate her entire meal.  When her mother asked for the recipe the waiter said it was a pie crust with lots and lots of spinach in it.

I thought this was a cute story and every child could think of something they didn't like to eat even if they had never tried it.  While reading the story I remembered a time when my parents took our family out to dinner and one of my younger sisters and I caused a scene.  We didn't go out to eat for a month and it was something we usually did on Friday nights.  We learned our lesson to say the least.  The students in the class really liked the story and the illustrations as well.

Arthur Goes to Camp

By Marc Brown (1982)

I read this book to the students in my class this week.  We were reading Arthur books for a week or so, and I read a few to them.  This book finds Arthur getting ready to go to summer camp.  He does not want to go and begs his parents not to make him.   Before he even gets to the camp he is writing his parents asking them to come pick him up.  Weird things keep happening to Arthur and his friends.  At first they think it is the girls, but then the girls have strange things happening to them as well.  The boys decide they are going to hide out one night and see what is going on.  THey discover that it is campers from another camp trying to scare them.  The boys and girls work together to get the other camp back.  Meanwhile Arthur has decided to run away since his parents wouldn't come pick him up.  The two camps have a scavenger hunt each year, so this year Buster and the other campers decide to scare the mean campers and win the scavenger hunt, all is going good until they can't find a flashlight.  Arthur turns on his flashlight as he is running away and helps his friends win the scavenger hunt.  Arthur writes his parents and says he is having a great time and he can't wait to come back next year.

This was very well received in the class.  The students really enjoyed the story and thought it was funny.  A great way to use this in the classroom would have the students write about a time they were scared and everything turned out ok like it did in Arthur's situation.  The illustrations in this book were great as well and really gave a visual about what the campers were going through.

The Paper Bag Princess

By Robert N. Munsch (1980)

This was another book that I found while searching for new authors. It is a little old, but the story is very good and I think that students would enjoy reading this.  The story is about a Princess named Elizabeth and she is going to marry her Prince named Ronald.  One night a dragon comes and burns down the castle and carries Ronald off.  All of Elizabeths clothes are burned and she is forced to wear a paper bag as a dress.  She goes off in search of her true love Prince Ronald.  The dragon has hid him in a cave and is going to eat him for dinner.  Elizabeth tries to get the dragon to give her Ronald back, but he won't.  Elizabeth decides to outsmart the dragon in a last attempt to get Ronald back.  She bets the dragon that he can't fly around the world in 10 seconds.  He does so she bets him he can't do it again.  After a couple times the dragon is very tired and takes a nap.  Elizabeth uses this as the opportunity to rescue Ronald.  When Elizabeth gets up there to rescue him he tells her she is dirty and to come back when she looks like a real princess and isn't wearing a paper bag.  Elizabeth leaves him there and they don't get married after all.

I thought that this was a really cute story.  You could read this to your class and then have them predict and come up with what they think happened to Ronald since the story doesn't really tell us.  Robert Munsch did a great job on the story and the pictures by Michael Martchenko are great as well.  I really enjoyed this book and I think students would as well.

Micah and the Magic Mattress

By Alvern Bunn Jr. (2012)

This was a cute story that I found on my iPad.  I really wanted to search for authors that I had never heard of this week so I did a little digging.  This story was about a boy named Micah who had played hard all day long and it was finally bed time.  As soon as he fell asleep his mattress came alive and out the window they went to a land far away.  He flew into space where he saw cows in spacesuits, saw flying cars and talking fruits!  He even got to go to a special island and see dinosaurs.  Then it was time to wake up and he couldn't figure out if it was real or just a dream, that is until his mattress told him that it had really happened.

This was a fun story that younger elementary students would enjoy.  The author made some of the words rhyme and it would just capture their attention.  I really enjoyed branching out and finding new authors to read.  The only downfall about this book it that it is only available on the iPad.  You could read this book to your class, but you would have to have an iPad to do so.  A positive thing about it was that it was free, so it wouldn't cost you anything to download it and have it in your iPad library.

Lunch Lady and the Author Visit Vendetta

By: Jarrett J. Krosoczka (2009)

I decided to read my first graphic novel this week.  I have heard that graphic novels are sometimes hard to read, so I wanted to find an easy one to read this week.  The Lunch Lady series is a great one for beginning readers in this genre.  You don't have to worry about colors meaning different things or flashbacks.  It was a cute novel and I really enjoyed it!

The novel opens with the students very excited about a famous author coming to their school.  They all have brought books for him to sign.  The author arrives and he is very snobby.  He won't eat the cookies the lunch lady made for him and he won't sign a book that one of the students brought because it has a small tear on the cover.  After the author leaves the lunch lady notices the gym teacher can't be found.  She goes to his house and discovers he has disappeared.  With her side kick they discover that every school that the author visits the gym teacher disappears.  The lunch lady decided to go rescue the gym teachers and takes along her secret weapons including her Fancy Ketchup Packet Laser.  The story goes on to show that the author was bullied by his gym teacher so he kidnaps all the gym teachers and hypnotizes them to be his servants.  The Lunch Lady saves the day and rescues all the gym teachers.

This is a cute story and I really enjoyed reading it.  I loved all the Lunch Lady's secret weapons which were made from things you would find in a school cafeteria.  I can see why so many students are enjoying reading graphic novels.  I'm sure I would find others difficult to read, but this one was very easy to read and would be great for someone reading their first graphic novel.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

By: Barbara Robinson (1972)

I chose to read this book as my award winner/ nominee novel.  It has won various awards from different states and is an ALA notable book as well.  This story will capture children's attention from the very beginning when the Herdmans burn down an old tool shed with a chemistry kit they stole.  The story goes on to tell us about how the Herdmans start coming to church because they think they get a bunch of snacks and stuff.  Around the time they start attending church it is time to start picking roles for the Christmas Pageant that has been the same for about 50 years.  The people who normally play the roles of Mary and Joseph don't volunteer, but the Herdmans do.  We find out this is because the Herdmans have threatened them and so they don't volunteer.  Everyone is really nervous about the Herdmans being in the lead roles, but they go with it because they have no one else to do it.  In the end after a few mishaps it turns out to be an awesome play and the town really enjoyed something different in the Christmas Pageant.

While I was reading this book I was actually laughing out loud!  The things that the kids did was hilarious and I couldn't wait to see what would happen next.  I can see all ages getting into the story, but I think third grade would probably be the grade that could read the story on their own.  The author did a great job from the very beginning to capture the audience.  I couldn't put it down and I am 28, so I know that reading about the crazy things the Herdmans did  would capture the attention of students today.   This was a cute story and I think it would be a neat book to read as a class and write about in any grade.  Its well written and I think that students would enjoy a fun read like this.

Henry's Freedom Box

By: Ellen Levine (2007)

Henry's Freedom Box is a great historical fiction piece to use in the classroom while studying the Underground Railroad.  I thought it was a very touching story and incredible how Henry endured so much in his life and to eventually gain the freedom he so desired and deserved.  While reading this story I found myself so wrapped up in the story.  I was so sad when he lost his family, and I was praying that he would make it safely to Philadelphia.  I think it is important when writing historical fiction pieces like this one that the reader does feel empathy with the characters. Ellen Levine does a fantastic job in telling Henry's story.  It's like you are almost there with him in that box as he is traveling to Philadelphia and getting turned upside down and every which way.  I was so happy when he finally made it to Philadelphia safely and was able to get out of the cramped little space of the box.

Kadir Nelson did a great job illustrating this book.  As the reader you actually feel as if you are in the box with Henry as he is being turned upside down and every which way.  The Underground Railroad is such an important part in history and shows how hard slaves had to fight to gain the freedom that they deserved.  This is a great book to use to show students how things were back then and how hard the fight for freedom was.  The book takes the reader on a journey from the beginning of Henry's life through many trials that he faces, to the freedom that he eventually gained that cost him so much along the way.

Polar the Titanic Bear

By Daisy Corning Stone Spedden (1992)

This historical fiction book has some parts in it that are actual facts and excerpts from the authors personal diaries and account of her life.  There are some parts that are told from the bears perspective and that is what makes this book historical fiction.  Polar the bear was given to a rich boy named Douglas Spedden.  Douglas and his family traveled all over the world and saw many things.  Douglas took his bear "Polar" with him wherever he went.  One destination happened to be the luxurious cruise liner "Titanic."  One the fateful night that the ship sank, Douglas and his family were among the few lucky passengers that survived the horrific event.  Polar was also saved from the ship that night and the story is told by him of the events that led up and followed the horrible night in history.

I think students would really like this story because most children find the story of the Titanic to be absolutely fascinating.  I remember when I was younger and heard about the Titanic for the first time I was totally mesmerized by it and tried to learn as much as I could about it.  This story is well written and told from the bears perspective which I also believe would help capture the interest of students in the story.

I really liked how the book showed actual photographs of Douglas with Polar as well as some illustrated pictures that went along with the story.  I think that these details enhance the story to the readers because they can see how things really looked back then.  Overall, I think that this is a great book that students will really enjoy and relate to.

Riding to Washington

By Gwenyth Swain (2008)

This historical fiction piece about the civil rights movement is amazing.  The author did a wonderful job portraying the story of Janie who is going to Washington with her father to her Dr. King speak.  Janie doesn't know who Dr. King is and isn't sure why she is going anyhow.  She rides the bus with her father and many African-Americans to Washington D.C.  Along the way they stop at restaurants and gas stations who won't serve them, because they are with a mixed crowd.  Janie doesn't really understand why her and her father can't just go in and eat with the group they are with.  They eventually get to Washington and are among the large crowd that is gathered to hear Dr. King speak.  Janie doesn't understand at the time why this man is telling her his dream and why there are so many people gathered to listen to it.

This was an awesome story and something that could of been a true story.  While reading it I felt as if I could actually be in Janie's shoes.  The story was beautifully told and illustrated.  David Geister has so many details in the pictures you can depict the meaning he put in each one.  This book would be great to read to a class learning about the civil rights movement.  Many students will be able to relate to Janie when she didn't understand why Dr. King wanted to share his dream, but then they will see why the dream was so important later on after further discussions in class.

Hanukkah at Valley Forge

By Stephen Krensky (2006)

This is a great historical fiction book about celebrating Hanukkah during the American Revolution.  While fighting in the middle of winter, General Washington discovers one of his soldiers lighting candles late one night.  He asks the soldier about it and the soldier explains what Hanukkah is and why he celebrates it.  General Washington compares the fight of the Jewish people to the war they are fighting at the time.  The story is very informative and would be great to use in a classroom while studying the American Revolutionary War.  It is really neat the way the author keeps going back and forth between the present time in the story to the historical past of the war in Israel.  It also explains why so many people wanted freedom in America, the soldier in the story wanted to fight for his freedom so he could celebrate Hanukkah which was frowned on in his home country.

The illustrator is Greg Harlin and he did a magnificent job illustrating this story.  They look like paintings and they show a lot of detail, which is great for the reader, they can visually see what the author is saying.  I think that students would really enjoy looking at these pictures and really enjoy this story.  This book would really need to be for the upper grades, the younger grades may not fully be able to understand the comparisons between the two wars that are discussed in this book.

This story had the criteria it needed to be noted a great historical fiction piece.  While it isn't known if this actually happened, there is evidence that Washington did learn a lot about the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah from his soldiers and this is how the story came about.

Don't Forget

By Patricia Lakin (1994)

This story takes place in a Jewish neighborhood post World War II.  Sarah a young girl wants to make her mother a cake for her birthday.  She goes out into the neighborhood to different stores to collect her supplies.  The man at the produce stand and the bakery both give her advice on how to make the cake perfect.  When they give her the advice they tell her not to forget and make sure she does it and she will have the perfect cake.  Sarah dreads going into the grocery store owned by the Singer's.  The Singer's have blue numbers tattooed on their arms and Sarah is afraid she will be caught staring.  Reluctantly she heads into the store and get the remaining ingredients for her mothers cake.  Sarah gets caught staring at the numbers on Mrs. Singer's arm and apologizes.  Mrs. Singer takes her to the back of the store where they live and invites Sarah to have cake.  Mrs. Singer tells Sarah that she isn't upset that she was staring at the numbers and that it is a reminder of something that should never be forgotten.  She lets Sarah bake the cake at her house so her mother won't find out about her surprise.

This book would be great to use in the classroom for young children.  It gives a little detail about the Holocaust, but doesn't go into great detail which would be ok for the younger students.  The illustrations in this book are very good and I think students would really enjoy them.  I like how the author had different people in the book give Sarah tips on baking her cake and telling her not to forget and then having Mrs. Singer telling her the same thing about the numbers that would forever mark her arm.  This book was very well written and an enjoyable read.