A Glamorously Guilty Mouse

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Lily's Purple Plastic Purse

by Kevin Henkes

published by Greenwillow Books, NY, 1996

Summary: "Lilly loves everything about school, especially her teacher, but when he asks her to wait a while before showing her new purse, she does something for which she is very sorry later."

Strengths: This fun fantasy about a great mouse teacher and his biggest fan, Lilly. Lilly's character is very strong and fun from her red boots with a star to her vibrant dresses.
I like that the pictures do not take up the whole page and that a series of pictures show her action. I also like the dialogue that takes place in the pictures and the way that the text is in a variety of places. The book has very funny parts and really shows different emotions.

Concerns: I have no concerns about this book as long as it is read by an appropriate audience.


Classroom Use/Other Comments: Children aged 4-8 would enjoy the book. Teachers could read the book to discuss apologizing, guilt, and other feelings.

Watch Out for That NIMH Van

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Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH

by Robert C. O'Brien

published by Aladdin Paperbacks, 1971

Summary: "Mrs. Frisby, a widowed mouse with four small children must move her family to their summer quarters immediately, or face almost certain death. Fortunately, she encounters the rats of NIMH, an extraordinary breed of highly intelligent creatures, who come up with a brilliant solution to her dilemma."

Strengths: This very interesting book of science fiction was entertaining, well-written, and captivating. The reader wants to continue reading to find out what will happen to Mrs. Frisby and her children. The very distinct characters have fun personalities that the reader gets to know very well. The sense of adventure and scheming makes this book a fun read. Importance of family, wisdom, and friendship are demonstrated throughout the book. The connection between the rats, mice, and humans adds an interesting twist that explains their intelligence and adds another level to the book.


Concerns: I wonder if children will be able to relate well to this book since Mrs. Frisby as the main character is older. I think that most children would be able to relate to her because she is an animal character. The ending of the book is not as conclusive as I would prefer, but leaves the ending up to the reader's imagination. The death of some of the rats may be a concern for some students.


Classroom Use/Other Comments: This book would be appropriate for ages 8-12. This would be an excellent book to read aloud to a class or for students to read individually. Teachers could use this book to examine plot because of the interesting and straightforward plot.

A Tale of the Meaning of Love

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The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

by Kate DiCamillo

illustrated by Bagram Ibatulline

published by Candlewick Press, 2006

Summary: "Edward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud toy rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country, acquiring new owners and listening to their hopes, dreams, and histories."

Strengths: This beautifully, but simply written story tells an interesting tale with a wonderful message of the power of love. Children may be able to relate to both Edward, the rabbit, and Abilene, the girl who loves him. The simple pictures at the beginning of each chapter provide a clue to what will happen in the chapter. I also like the various full pages of color illustrations throughout the book. The dialogue and thoughts of the characters show some humor and show how Edward learns a lot from listening to the stories of the people he meets. I like that the book is wider than most books and that the text is very spaced out. The plot and how Edward moves from place to place keeps the story fast paced and keeps the reader's attention. I especially love the last chapter of the book and the coda.

Concerns: Edward learns about the lives of the people whom he meets, some of whom have very sad stories, such as death, homelessness, and abuse.


Classroom Use/Other Comments: Children aged 8 and up would enjoy this book. Teachers could begin with a picture walk to predict what will happen in the book. The simple text would allow upper elementary readers to read this by themselves and the book would also be excellent read aloud. Teachers could use this as an introduction to the journey of characters. A lot of interesting vocabulary is used in the book, so it can be used as a tool to expand vocabulary, with words such as "conquering (p. 61)" or "callused (p. 61)". In addition, as the number of days Edward is in each location is told, a math lesson could be incorporated in addition to discover how many days, weeks, months, and years have passed.

A Field Guide on Witches

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The Witches

by Roald Dahl

illustrated by Quentin Blake

published by Puffin Books, 1983

Summary: "Read this story and you'll find out all you need to know......the most gruesome, grotesque gang of witches imaginable!"

Strengths: I love pretty much all books by Roald Dahl, but The Witches was one of my favorite books as a child. As I re-read my worn-from-love copy of this great story, I remembered why I liked it so much. I like the introduction stating that the book is not a fairy tale, which really gets readers into the mindset of believing the funny and interesting young narrator, to whom young readers can relate with his curious nature. The story has a lot of humor with imaginative characters and an interesting storyline. I like the simple sketches that are placed throughout the book that complement the text, but also like that the text is descriptive enough that you can picture what is occurring.


Concerns: Some readers may be concerned with the content of witches itself if they have certain religious beliefs. In addition, the ideas presented in this book may be scary to children if they do not understand that the book is a fantasy.


Classroom Use/Other Comments: This book is great for children aged 8 and up. The book would be a great addition to a classroom library for individual reading or for a discussion on fiction. When looking for a picture of this book on amazon.com, I found that many of Dahl's books, including The Witches, have been converted into plays for children to perform. This would be a great way to work on fluency and presentation in the classroom.

Traveling with Lions

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LionBoy: The Chase

Book Two in the LionBoy Trilogy

by Zizou Corder

published by Dial Books, NY, 2004

Summary: "After saving the lions from evil Maccomo, Charlie, a boy with the ability to speak the language of cats, goes to Venice to search for his parents and solve the mystery of their kidnapping with help from Bulgarian King Boris."

Strengths: After reading the first book in the Lion Boy trilogy, I had to continue reading, not only because the reader is left on a cliffhanger, but because the books are written so well that I wanted to keep reading. I like that the book is placed in the future, but that a lot of the environment will be familiar to the reader, such as cell phones. It is interesting to consider how some things will change in the future, such as the removal of cars. Charlie travels to a variety of interesting places, which the reader learns a lot about. While reading this book, I could picture Paris, Venice, the Alps, and Morocco from travelling myself in these locations and from the beautiful descriptions by the authors. I love the maps and diagrams in the book, which allow the reader to clarify what is happening in the text. The use of science in this book through Charlie's parents is interesting and applicable to readers, especially those with asthma or allergies. The text was very descriptive and the plot was believable and interesting. I am glad that this book did not leave you on as much of a cliffhanger as the first in the series, but am still excited to read the third book when I get a chance.

Concerns: Some readers may be wary of the idea of the parents and Charlie being kidnapped. I think that the book moved a little slow in the middle before the lions and Charlie escaped from the doge, but that the rest of the book had an excellent pace.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: This science fantasy book could be used by teachers of upper elementary grades as a read aloud book or as an independent reading book in middle school. Ages 8 and up would enjoy the story. Teachers can use the book to introduce different areas of the world and discuss maps.