Flashlights Work Wonders!

picture from amazon.com (different language)

Scary Godmother

by Jill Thompson

published by Sirius Entertainment, NJ, 1997

Summary: "While trick-or-treating on Halloween night, Hannah Marie meets her ScaryGodmother and a host of creepy creatures."

Strengths: I liked the fun costumes and pictures that are combined with easy to read text. Children would be able to relate to both Hannah as the younger child who gets to be the hero and to the older children who either help or pick on Hannah. The characters are very funny and the comic book feel makes the story quick and easy to follow. Children who are scared of different elements of Halloween will find comfort in this fun story.

Concerns: Some parents may not approve of teaching about or emphasizing Halloween in school. In addition, I thought that it was sometimes difficult to see who was speaking based on the word bubbles. Finally, I thought it was a little strange that part of the book was very scientific with information about bats, but other parts were very imaginative with made-up monsters.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: If there is no problem with Halloween celebrations in your class or school, teachers can read this to their class as part of a science lesson on bats and bones. Through the book, a lot of information is given about bats and the skeleton sings the bone song, which is a fun way to add music to the lesson. Children ages 7 and up would identify with the older kids not being patient of the younger girl or with the younger child trying to be brave.

How To Get Out of Chores

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Meanwhile...

by Jules Feiffer

published by Harper Collins, 1997

Summary: A comic book lover escapes into adventures using the word meanwhile.

Strengths: Interesting, colorful, and dynamic illustrations combine with a very funny story to create a captivating piece with a comic-book feel. I find it interesting that the same motion of line depicting swords and bullet fire are used to depict the mother's yelling. This is a great book in which children can escape and use their imagination. Children will get very excited about what will happen next and can predict ways in which Raymond can write "meanwhile".

Concerns: Younger children may not understand the changes that occur with the word "meanwhile". Parents may be concerned with the violence portrayed in space, in the West, and on a pirate ship. (Parents also might be concerned that their children will write "meanwhile" on the walls where they can't see it!)

Classroom Use: This book would be great for children aged 7 and up. Teachers can use it as a way to introduce transition words. Children can also imagine their own story and write their own similar book.

A Calming Collection

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'Til All the Stars Have Fallen

selected by David Booth

illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton

published by the Penguin Group, England, 1989

Summary: A collection of poems about a variety of subjects for children.

Strengths: The diverse selection and beautiful illustrations create a excellent selection of poems to share with children. A wide variety of poems written in different styles are presented. Some of the poems are in different shapes and some include repetition. This provides an introduction to these styles for students and there is a wide selection of poems from which to choose. The illustrations are wistful and the combination of black and white illustrations with colored illustrations add to the fun and calming nature of the book. The students can relate to many of these poems.

Concerns: Some of the poems seem randomly assorted. For example, in the section titled "In Silent Snow", there is a poem about mosquitoes. However, in the introduction, Mr. Booth said that his poems were organized in a unique way. Some children may consider the pictures abstract because they are not like picture book pictures complimenting the text.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: Teachers can use these poems in the classroom by sharing them with students. My practicum teacher has been giving her class a poem a day as part of fluency practice. She reads the poem as they read along and then the whole class reads chorally. They look at different aspects of the poem. Teachers can have students pick a poem from this book and present it to the class or illustrate it. Children can also read this book for fun. Ages 8 and up.

Swirl and Whirl Away a Bad Day

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Mrs. Biddlebox

by Linda Smith

illustrated by Marla Frazee

published by Harper Collins, 2002

Summary: " With baking magic, Mrs. Biddlebox uses fog, dirt, sky, and other ingredients of a rotten day to transform it into a sweet cake."

Strengths: The dynamic illustrations and rhyming text make this book a memorable tale sure to change any bad day into a day full of laughter. Younger children will enjoy finding Mrs. Biddlebox's duck that is along for the adventure. The imagery and delightful pictures make this story a fun read. Children can imagine following Mrs. Biddlebox's actions in order to improve their own bad days.

Concerns: Students may not understand at first what exactly is being baked. Readers will need their imagination hats on!

Classroom Use/Other Comments: This book would be a great book to read aloud and to discuss rhyme. Only the second and fourth lines have an end rhyme, which is something that students can discuss. Children aged 4 and up would enjoy listening to the book and older students would be able to read this book on their own. This book could be a good introduction to imagery and figurative language. Children can write their own story about making something into a cake without using tangible, normal ingredients.

Annie in Action

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heartbeat

by Sharon Creech

published by Harpers Collins, NY, 2004

Summary: "Twelve year old Annie ponders the many rhythms of life the year that her mother becomes pregnant, her grandfather begins faltering, and her best friend (and running partner) becomes distant."

Strengths: I love the rhythm used in this book that definitely portrays the feeling of running and of a heart beating. The way this book is written makes it very unique and very catchy. The imagery used in Annie's class assignment of depicting an apple over time is very symbolic and adds a lot to the book. Students who have aging grandparents and students who will soon have a baby sibling can definitely relate to the main character. The relationship between Max and Annie as they run and help each other adds another interesting story line. I really like that this book encourages one to stay true to oneself, just as Annie stayed true to herself by not running on a team. (I also enjoyed that I could relate to the character through my name and passion for running!)

Concerns: Elementary school aged students may have difficulties relating to this book. The main character is 12 years old, so middle school aged students would probably really enjoy this book. Students need to be prepared to read this book in a different way because it is written as poetry. Without preparation, students may be very confused.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: Ages 9 and up. Teachers can use this book in the classroom to introduce footnotes through the parts of the book about learning footnotes. Students could read this book for fun or as a way to learn about use of poetry in books.

Relax in the Meadow

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Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow

written by Joyce Sidman

illustrated by Beth Krommes

published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 2006

Summary: The meadow is explored in the form of poetry and illustrations.

Strengths: The scratchboard illustrations in this book are intricate and unique designs that depict the meadow very well. I really like that the layout of the book gives children the opportunity to guess which animal is being described and that the layout of each poem is different. The illustrations also provide clues to the reader. Some of the poems, like those about the snake and the toad, are in the shapes of the animals, which adds a very fun twist. A few of the animals in the book may be unknown to students, so these poems and pictures are excellent ways of learning more about nature.

Concerns: Children may be confused reading this on their own without guidance of pronunciation and how to guess the animals. They may not want to read the information about the elements of the meadow and may just stick to reading the poems.

Classroom Use/Other Comments: This book is an excellent tool in the classroom. Not only does it provide excellent examples of poetry, but it has information about animals and other elements of a meadow. The poetry also gives children an opportunity to guess which animal the poem is describing. Teachers can add art to lessons by learning more about the technique of scratchboard illustrations, which many students may enjoy. The book also includes a glossary, so that children can learn scientific terms and practice looking up words that they do not know. (Ages 8 and up)

A Day In Nature

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Fireflies at Midnight

by Marilyn Singer

pictures by Ken Robbins

published by Atheneum Books for Younger Readers, NY, 2003

Summary: This is a collection of poems about animals depicted throughout one day.

Strengths: This collection provides a great connection between illustrations and text. I like that the book uses different types of poetry and does not consist only of rhymes. This book is very fun to read aloud and really tells a lot about each animal through poetry. The pictures are unique and provide different perspectives, like a close up image of a robin with a dog in the background at the bottom of a tree. My favorite poem in this selection is Otter, which provides a vivid depiction of an otter.

Concerns: My only concern was that I thought that some of the pictures were a little unusual and had grainy textures.

Classroom Use/ Other Comments: These poems would be great to read when teaching about animals. Each student could pick an animal and write a poem. A lot of vocabulary is also introduced and I think that the poems would be useful for teaching different parts of speech. Young children would enjoy hearing this book and older children would enjoy reading these poems. I think it is appropriate for ages 7-10.