Twilight

Plot Summary:

            Isabella “Bella” Swan moves to Forks, Washington to live with her dad from Phoenix, Arizona because her mother gets married, and she wants to give the newlyweds some freedom. She goes to school in Forks and is instantly struck by a group of odd and beautiful people, the Cullens. She is particularly intrigued by Edward Cullen, he lab partner, but he does not seem to like her. One day he saves her from being hit by a car, and she eventually figures out that he is a vampire. They fall in love and that is great until a group of rogue vampires see Bella and one of them, James, decides to hunt her. The Cullens try to protect Bella, but James sets a trap and she falls into his hands anyway. The Cullens kill James, but he has already bitten Bella. Edward, who has always had to be extra careful around her because her blood is all but irresistible to him, has to suck out the venom in order to save her from becoming a vampire.

Personal Reaction:            

            In my opinion, this book is the best of the Twilight Series. It is a real page turner. I buy the romance between Bella and Edward and I totally cried through the second book where he leaves her. Meyer does an excellent job at building the suspense and tension between the two lovers and making it feel realistic. One concern that I have is that the character Edward has a tendency to be quite controlling of Bella. I am not certain that that is a great influence on the book’s target audience, teenage girls. However, I do have all of the books in the series in my classroom collection, so it is not such an issue that I would censor or anything.

Meyer, S. (2005). Twilight. New York: Little, Brown and Co.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone/ Challenged Books

Plot Summary:

            Harry is an orphan who lives with his mean Aunt and Uncle. He has no idea that he is a famous wizard until his eleventh birthday, when, after much drama, a half-giant named Hagrid comes to get him and tells him so. Harry learns that a dark wizard named Voldemort killed his parents when he was a baby and tried to kill Harry too, but did not succeed, and was rendered all but dead during the struggle.  Hagrid takes harry to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, where Harry makes lots of friends and becomes proficient at the wizard game, quidditch. In the meantime, Harry and his friends begin to unfold a mystery. They discover that someone is trying to steal the Sorcerer’s Stone that is being guarded by a giant three headed dog and several other obstacles set up by the teachers. The students follow a teacher through the obstacles and Harry ends up facing and defeating Voldemort again.  

Personal Reaction:            

            This book is the first of what may be the greatest series of all time, certainly the bestselling one to date. Harry is a sympathetic hero, and he is very unassuming considering his humble background. Rowling’s characterization captures the reader’s unwavering loyalty to this dynamic character throughout the series. One of the most creative assets to this book (it would be hard to choose any one creative asset), is Rowling’s word choice. Names of characters (my favorite are the authors of books) are comically suited to their personality. For example, Cornelius Fudge, the Minister of Magic, is a pushover who is likely to lie, therefor the last name “Fudge” is perfect for him. Characters are not the only thing that she named so aptly, other nouns and even verbs are done this way. This helps with character building, but also aids the reader in remembering the idiosyncrasies of the wizarding world. I find it very interesting and ridiculous that this series has been so challenged. The people that did the challenging must not be aware of the other things that stand on the shelves of our libraries, and I would just as soon they stay ignorant if they are going to try to ban wonderful books like this one.

Rowling, J. K. (1997). Harry Potter and the sorcerer’s stone. New York: Scholastic Inc.

Sarah, Plain and Tall/ Newbery

Plot Summary:

            Anna is a girl living in the Midwest during the pioneer days. She lives with her father, Jacob, and her little brother, Caleb. Jacob has written to a newspaper back East for a mail order bride. Sarah Elizabeth Wheaton answers his ad. She comes to live with the family for a “trial month,” and the whole family falls in love with her. The kids are constantly anxious that she will leave. Sarah misses her home in Maine and the ocean. She also wants some more freedom and asks to learn how to drive the wagon. One day she leaves in the wagon to go to town, and it looks like there is going to be a big storm. The family waits with bated breath, and they see Sarah coming down the road.  

Personal Reaction:

            This book is great for young readers first graduating into chapter books. It is an easy, satisfying story to read. The dialog of this story is critical. The children listen with bated breath to everything Sarah says looking for clues as to her intentions. I love the unspoken dialog between Caleb and Anna as they make eye contact. In addition, the historical value of this work is important, because kids are getting further and further away from our pioneer roots.

MacLachlan, P. (1985). Sarah, plain and tall. New York: HarperCollins.

The Witch of Blackbird Pond/ Newbery

Plot Summary:

            Kit is an orphan from the island of Barbados in the West Indies. She has been raised as a plantation owner’s granddaughter during the colonial America era. She is traveling on a ship to live with her puritan family in Connecticut, where she meets the Capitan’s young son, Nat. Unfortunately; she is a terrible misfit in the community as well as her new family. Kit isn’t used to hard work, and makes lots of mistakes as a result. One particularly bad day, Kit runs away and lies face down in a field crying. When she looks up, she realizes that Hannah Tupper, a Quaker woman who is exiled from the community is watching her. Hannah takes Kit home for blueberry cake and they become friends. Kit finds out that Nat is also friends with Hannah and takes care of her. Eventually, they bring a young and abused child, Prudence, into their little group as well. Kit teaches Prudence how to read. In the meantime, children of the village are getting sick. People are saying that Hannah is a witch and is causing the illness. A witch hunt ensues with Nat and Kit saving Hannah and taking her off to a safer place. After that, Kit gets arrested and accused of witchcraft. During her trial, Prudence and Nat come to save her with their testimony, and Nat eventually proposes.

Personal Reaction:

            I have loved this book for years; it is one of the best I have ever read. The historical value is definitely there, with realistic colonial New England characteristics and characters. Some of the characters of the book were even actually real. The romance part of the story rings very true, and is easily bought by the reader. I also like the insights that the book teaches throughout, such as when Kit doesn’t ask her cousin Judith not to tell that she is going to Hanna’s house because of the bond of being young together. Kit just knows that Judith will not tell. This story is timeless and enjoyable though it was published over fifty years ago.

Speare, E. G. (1958). The witch of Blackbird Pond. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.

The Hundred Dresses/ Newbery

Plot Summary:

            We find out that the narrator, Maddie and her friend, Peggy notice one of their classmates has not been coming to school. The reason that they notice Wanda is missing, is because they wait every morning before school starts so that Peggy can tease the poor girl about the hundred dresses that she claims to have in her closet. Everyone in school knows that Wanda is poor, she wears the same dress every day, and the kids dislike the fact that she lies about having an outrageous amount of clothing. Peggy is the best artist in class, or so everyone thinks, and is expected to win the drawing contest that the school is holding. Peggy and Maddie are shocked when they enter the classroom and there are tons of pictures of dresses all over the wall. Miss Mason, the teacher announces that the pictures are Wanda’s and she won the contest. Only Wanda is not there to retrieve her prize due to the fact that she has moved. Her dad writes a letter to the school that says the family is moving because the kids were being bullied. Maddie is very upset and she and Peggy go to Wanda’s house to apologize only to find out they were too late. They send a letter to her in hopes that the post office will forward the mail. Eventually, Wanda writes back to the class and lets the girls know that she likes them and bequeaths some of her drawings to them.

Personal Reaction:

            This book is a transition between chapter and picture book. It is a great length and the message is universal. First published in 1944, the life lesson of this book is still completely valid today. All kids must deal with bullying in one way or another, this book brings an important player of the bullying triangle into the forefront: the bystander. These are the kids who can stop bullying, and the book puts responsibility into their hands. The illustrations of this book were abstract images. I have to say that I prefer more realistic art in general, but I believe that what was used was appropriate and more realistic drawings might have detracted from the message of the work. In addition, the pictures of the clothing were very bright, which offset the pictures of everything else which went along with the somber mode of the book.

Estes, E., & Slobodkin, L. (1944). The hundred dresses. New York: Harcourt, Brace and Co..

The Uglified Ducky/ Bluebonnet

Plot Summary:

            Maynard Moose tells a story around a campfire about a baby moose that lies down beside some duck eggs. The momma duck comes around and thinks that the baby moose is one of her chicks. She calls him “Uglified Ducky.” Uglified Ducky cannot do the things that the other ducklings can do, like swim, and fly, and waddle. He is always messing everything up with his awkwardness. One day he is abandoned by his family and wanders upon some adult moose. They finally tell him who he really is, and accept him. In the end, we discover that Maynard Moose is the Uglified Ducky.

Personal Reaction:

            This is a very cute spin off of The Ugly Duckling, and has the same message of acceptance, only with a moose instead of a swan. The message is timeless and appropriate, I do like that this version feels a little more updated than the old story. One of the things that I don’t like about this book is the accents. They are funny to me as an adult, but I think they might be confusing to children and cause breakdowns in comprehension, making the book a higher reading level than it appears (which can also be defeating for struggling readers). In addition, seeing words misspelled can also be difficult for struggling learners. The book is illustrated quite beautifully with bold colors. The use of line is very interesting, with the straight lines and sharp angles that make up the bodies of the animals. The cartoonish looks to the characters add to the light hearted feel. In addition, the illustration adds to the humor of the book by foiling the giant baby moose against baby ducklings.

Claflin, W., Stimson, J., & Andersen, H. C. (2008). The uglified ducky. Atlanta, Ga.: August House LittleFolk.

Big Red Lollipop/ Notable Books for Kids

Plot Summary:

            Rubina is very excited about being invited to a birthday party! She is not very excited when her mom makes her take her little sister with her. Rubina is from an immigrant family and her mom insists despite Rubina’s explanations about American culture. Sana, Rubina’s little sister, ruins her experience at the birthday party and then eats Rubina’s big red lollipop. A big fight ensues and in the end Mom sides with Sana. Months later, Sana gets an invitation of her own. Mom insists that Sana take both Rubina and their younger sister, but Rubina intervenes on Sana’s behalf and encourages Mom to let Sana go by herself. This pays off because Sana brings Rubina a big green lollipop from the party.

Personal Reaction:

            This is the best picture book I have read! I am not from an immigrant family, I do not have any sisters, and I am the youngest to one older brother. Though, I wouldn’t be considered “target audience” for this book, it really spoke to me. I felt so sorry for Rubina and her trials, and she did the right thing in the end, which I didn’t even want her to do, I wanted her to show her little sister what it felt like, but she didn’t. I wish I had written this book, and where are the awards for it? The illustrations in the book were good, they assist the reader with comprehension, the fact that the family are immigrants is merely implied in the book, so the traditional (Indian or Middle Eastern) dress worn by the mother gives visual clues to that implication. In addition, the littlest sister is introduced visually very early on in the plot, but is not mentioned until the very end. I also liked the picture of Rubina chasing Sana around the house, it caught my eye and I realized that the artist took out the walls so that we could see the chase.  

Khan, R., & Blackall, S. (2010). Big red lollipop  . New York, N.Y.: Viking.

The Extraordinary Mark Twain (According to Susy) / Bluebonnet

Plot Summary:

            Mark Twain’s daughter, Susy, is writing his biography. She thinks that she knows him much better than other people and is therefore an expert. She writes about his habits and idiosyncrasies in a very honest manner. He discovers that she is writing this book and endevors to help her out with it, coming in and making announcements about himself so that she has new material. She also tells about his struggles with fame and business. We find that Susy sees her father as a very serious man, unlike the rest of the world. This book does not follow traditional plot lines because it is a very short biography. The resolution is all about her finishing the book.  

Personal Reaction:

            This is a great book, I found out a lot about Mark Twain that I didn’t know and I actually had to do an internet search about Grant’s Memiors because I have heard about how wonderful they are. It occoured to me that maybe Mark Twain really wrote them, due to the fact that he published them (as mentioned in this book). Turns out, most people think that Grant wrote them himself. The illustrations are fun, I really like the small journal pages inside the book, it really seperates Susy’s biography from that of the author and interactive is always better for those tactile learners. The pictures themselves are very bold, and, like Susy’s book, they give an honest account rather than the most flattering one. I like the use of the swirling lines for such things as smoke and hair, they are very script-like.

Kerley, B., & Fotheringham, E. (2010). The extraordinary Mark Twain (according to Susy). New York: Scholastic Press.

Frog Went A-courtin' / Caldecott

Plot Summary:

            Frog, well… goes a-courtin’. He asks Mistress Mouse to marry him, but does not have permission from Uncle Rat. Uncle Rat comes home and asks about wedding plans before consenting to the marriage. Immediately, the animals set to work on the wedding festivities. The party rages until it is ruined by a big cat. This book does not follow traditional plot lines in that the conflict is resolved very early in the story and there is no time for falling action due to the surprise ending with the cat.

Personal Reaction:

            I love this book. It is a poem and can be put to music. It is also a story that was passed down through oral tradition. I love the word “courtin’,” it reminds me of my grandparents. There is also an excellent context clue for the word “consent” that really resonates. “Without my Uncle Rat’s consent, I would not marry the president.”  The word “consent” may not be that important as a general vocabulary word, but when it comes to teaching about popular sovereignty in government, "consent" is crucial. The phrase rhymes and is easily understandable for struggling learners. I mention this because I intend to use this book when I do teach popular sovereignty this year.

This book is illustrated in a very cherry manner, with bright colors. I like the black, white, and green pictures, they do look very vintage, but I think they are nice and green was a good choice considering the main character. The pictures in the book are mainly to increase comprehension and coincide with what is happening in the story. All of the animals have smiles on their faces, further contributing to the overall positive feel of the book, which makes the part where the cat jumps in even more of a surprise.

Langstaff, J. M., & Rojankovsky, F. (1955). Frog went a-courtin'. New York: Harcourt, Brace.

Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! / Caldecott

Plot Summary:

            The driver of the bus has to “leave for a little while” and asks you to keep an eye on things. He also specifically requests that you not let the Pigeon drive the bus. Enter Pigeon. The Pigeon asks repeatedly if he can drive the bus. He lies, begs, bothers, and bargains in order to try to get you to let him drive it. Finally he throws a fit. Eventually, the bus driver comes back and asks if you let the Pigeon drive the bus and thanks you for not doing so. This book does not follow traditional plot lines and is very short.

Personal Reaction:

            This book would be fun to read to a group of very young children. I could see them really getting in to the begging stage and stopping to ask the group “Do you think we should?” This is very funny, and the pigeon is cute, I kinda do want to let him drive it! As far as illustration goes, I failed to be impressed. I understand that the simple pictures are geared toward a very young audience, but I do not approve of the extremely bland color scheme. The pictures in this book definitely don’t detract from the story line, oh wait, what story line? I think we could have used some richer colors and gotten more bang for our buck, in addition I got a very vintage feel from this book, I assumed it was old until I looked up the publication date. I was shocked when I discovered it was printed in 2003! Even the font looks old. I think kids would be less likely to pick it off of the shelf because of that.

Willems, M. (2003). Don't let the pigeon drive the bus. New York: Hyperion Books for Children.

George Crum and the Saratoge Chip/ Bluebonnet

Plot Summary:

            George Crum is a Native American/African American who struggles with acceptance. He grows up during the thirties with his little sister, Kate. One day, he meets a French Chef who teaches him how to cook and gets a job at a local restaurant. He is very successful as a chef and not so much at customer service. One day a lady sends back an order of French fries saying that they need to be thinner. George goes back to the kitchen and makes very thin and very crispy fries. He expects the lady not to like them but she does. The Saratoga Chip becomes a success and George eventually buys his own restaurant.

Personal Reaction:

            I really enjoyed this book. It has several good messages about equality, perseverance, and hard work. In addition, it has a more real flair than some other books due to the fact that George is very a very moody, flawed character. The artwork is amazing! The illustrator uses rich color to enhance the story line, and the people look very art deco/ jazz age. The expressions on the characters faces are realistic and support character and plot development, with George’s attitude, and that of his stuffy customers being major players in the story line of this book. The illustrator uses pink on the walls of the restaurant, this dainty color, along with the patron's clothing, helps the reader see the restaurant patrons as foppish and prissy.  Over all this book was a big hit with me!

Taylor, G., & Morrison, F. (2006). George Crum and the Saratoga chip. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Officer Buckle and Gloria/ Caldecott

Plot Summary:

            Officer Buckle is a very safety conscious police officer, even so, the staff and students that he serves at Napville School sleep during his lessons and end up having disastrous accidents anyway. That is, until he gets a new police dog, Gloria. While the officer isn’t looking, Gloria does tricks for the students, and this makes them pay attention. Officer Buckle is thrilled with his success, until he sees a video of him and Gloria on TV. Officer Buckle is embarrassed; he brings Gloria to the school the next day and leaves her alone, thinking she is the star of the show. Gloria is a flop by herself, and to make matters worse, there is a huge accident at the school. Everyone wants Officer Buckle back.

Personal Reaction:

            This book is very cute; it is funny and has a great message about teamwork. I also love the very light, positive way in which Officer Buckle, a police officer is depicted. The illustrations are bright, and very cheery despite the conflict of the story. In addition, they are a little rough, creating a more cartoonish feel to the story. Also, there are many curved lines which contribute to the lightheartedness of this tale.

Rathmann, P. (1995). Officer Buckle and Gloria. New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons.

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad/ Caldecott

Plot Summary:

            Henry is a slave who gets sold away from his family as a boy, so later when Henry’s own wife and children get sold; he knows he will never see them again. Incredibly said, Henry has an abolitionist friend put him into a box and mail him to freedom in Philadelphia. Drama ensues while Henry is in the box; he comes dangerously close to being caught by some deck hands as well as being hungry and extremely uncomfortable. Finally Henry makes it to Philadelphia and freedom.

Personal Reaction:

            I think that the fact that this story is true makes it more interesting. It is not the most interesting story of its type, but the illustrations are incredible. The artist uses warm and cool colors to coincide with the mood of the book, for example, the scene in front of the fireplace with his family is done with warm colors and the scene a few pages over, Henry is depicted with his back to the reader and in cool, dark colors representative of his dark mood. In addition cross hatching is used to make different textures for example, the freedom box itself. All of the characters of the book are realistic and their facial expressions give the book drama that it would otherwise lack.

Levine, E., & Nelson, K. (2007). Henry's freedom box. New York: Scholastic Press.

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave/ Coretta Scott King

Plot Summary:

            Dave the Potter does not follow traditional plot lines. It is a poetic description of a master potter and slave, Dave and the way he goes about his work. We find out he inscribes his giant pots with words of humor and wisdom. We also learn that there are very few potters that could make jars the size of the ones that Dave made.

Personal Reaction:

            This is a book about a slave is interesting because it does not center around the subject of slavery itself, as if it is an afterthought. The fact that “slave” is the last term defining Dave in the title of the book also speaks to the sense that Dave is not defined by his servitude. The words and illustrations in the book are very calm and relaxing, the use of warm colors adding to the sense of tranquility of the book. The reader feels a sense of peacefulness that the character Dave feels while he is expressing himself through his art; the steady spin of the pot around the wheel and smell the earthy clay. This rhythm can also be felt in the lines of verse, and the texture can be “felt” through the illustrations, creating a sensory experience in which the words very much correspond with the pictures.

Hill, L. C., & Collier, B. (2010). Dave the potter: artist, poet, slave. New York: Little, Brown.

The Duchess of Whimsy: An Absolutely Delicious Fairy Tale/ Bluebonnet

Plot Summary:

            The Duchess of Whimsy is a little snobbish about her associations. She likes very interesting people. She does not enjoy the attention of one of her suitors, the Earl of Norm. He is definitely not one of the most interesting guests at her parties despite his misguided attempts to impress her. One night, the cook gets sick, and the guests have to pitch in to do the cooking. While most of the guests try complicated recipes that require massive amounts of time and expertise, the Earl of Norm makes a grilled cheese sandwich. The sandwich catches the eye of the Duchess of Whimsy and he offers her a bite. She loves it. She then discovers that he is more interesting than she thought and they fall in love and live happily ever after.

Personal Reaction:

            I love this book! I am very into fairy tales, and I also feel like the message (a spinoff of “don’t judge a book by its cover”) is a very important one for children. The illustrations are heavenly and really add to the story. A written description of The Duchess would never be as effective for character development as her picture. In addition, the artist’s depiction of The Duchess with her larger than life hair and gown are a great visual foil to The Earl’s tall and lanky physique. I also liked how he achieved the same height as she because he is depicted in the same wheeled shoes (the only thing that has changed about his appearance by the end of the book).

de Seve, R., & de Seve, P. (2009). The Duchess of Whimsy: an absolutely delicious fairy tale. New York: Philomel Books.