Open This Little Book

Masterfully created and written by Jesse Klausmeier and Suzy Lee, Open This Little Book is a fantastically creative children's book that ignites the imagination and encourages reading. This book is done in a "Russian-doll-esque style", because the book is actually many "books" inside of each other! While the book itself stays the same size, each page gets physically smaller and smaller as it creates a rainbow of pages as you reach the end. This innovative book is about friendships, never-ending stories, and just encompasses the overall excitement of reading. As you turn each page of the book, a new book begins that includes characters and friends from the last page. 

This was such a fun book to read and I'm so glad I picked it up to review. It is colorful, adorable, inviting, and ingenious! It reminded me that books aimed at young readers can still be enjoyed by seasoned readers as well! I thought the characters were cute, and I loved how the last story tied in all of the stories at once. I enjoyed the last page of the book too because it sends a great message to keep on reading! I feel like there are many applications to use this book in the classroom, but for young readers I would focus on either the color aspect or the characters of this book. Students could create their own stories for the animals, possibly by changing the colors to make it unique and their own. They could also create a class book in the same nesting fashion with the stories the student's wrote, even enlarge it to hang on a wall of their classroom. 

Klausmeier, J. (2013). Open this little book. San Fransisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

We Are in a Book!

We Are in a Book! is an early-childhood picture book and also a Geisel Honor award winner, written by Mo Willems. This book stars Piggie and Gerald and captures the hilarity that ensues when they realize they can make the reader say any word they want - because their conversations are part of reading the book! As Piggie and Gerald realize the joy of being read, their laughter cannot be stopped as they "hear" the reader speak the words they say, like "BANANA!" After they calm down, they realize that - oh no - the book ENDS! This was my favorite part in the book because of how the characters reacted to learning this, and also because it encourages readers to reread the book over and over!

I loved this story! I found myself giggling out loud in response to Piggie and Gerald's ongoing laughter about reading the words. The characters' reactions to reading excites readers, and their facial expressions are spot-on for this story and capture readers' attention. I enjoyed how the author used words that are perfect vocabulary for beginning readers, and used great examples of syllables to help young children learn new words. I would like to see this story be animated in a kindergarten or 1st grade classroom by two teachers - one to voice Gerald and one to voice Piggie. This way, the story can come alive and be read like it is supposed to, with emotion and excitement! The class would read along with the teachers and repeat the words from the book in unison.

Willems, Mo. (2010) We are in a book! New York: Disney-Hyperion Books.

Marguerite De Angeli's Book of Nursery & Mother Goose Rhymes

Book of Nursery & Mother Goose Rhymes is a traditional children's book filled with classic poems, fairy tales and rhymes that has been enjoyed by all ages for decades. This Mother Goose title weaves in delicate pencil illustrations, done in both black and white and color, with familiar nursery rhymes that utilize many literary devices such as repetition, alliteration, metaphors, symbolism, rhyming, free-verse and other forms of poetry. Poems such as "Baa Baa Black Sheep" and "Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Pepper" are included.

This book certainly struck a nostalgic string as I read through the pages, many of the poems were familiar to me but there were quite a few that were new. It is a great product of children's literature, and I love how it can be read by children of all ages. I think books like these that aren't written as a novel but instead are a collection of individual works are very versatile in the classroom. For example, in younger grades it can be used by the students to find examples of rhyming words and put them on a word wall. For middle aged students it can be used to analyze different literary or poetic elements like onomatopoeia, metaphors and similes, and alliteration. For older students, they can dissect a particular style of poetry or storytelling and transform it into something else; if the story is a riddle they can try to write their own, if the poem is happy and positive maybe they can use higher-level vocabulary to turn change the mood of the poem.

De Angeli, M. (1954). Book of nursery & mother goose rhymes. Chicago, IL: F.E. Compton Co.

Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker’s Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty

Becoming Ben Franklin is a biographical story written by acclaimed nonfiction author Russel Freedman. It tells about all of the different sides of Benjamin Franklin and how he was a scientist, printer, inventor and writer. This book speaks about Franklin's achievements, such as being the only Founding Father to sign all four of the major documents that would eventually lead to establishing the nation as the United States, and taking a stance against slavery. The book is filled with great photographs and illustrations of documents, people, and historical diagrams. Overall, it informs readers of how Ben Franklin became an icon during his time, and how he still remains an iconic figure today.

I thought this book was just excellent! The author was very skilled in using well-researched facts and explaining them through great storytelling. It's a fairly short book that is filled to the brim with interesting facts and information, some of which was new to me. It seems like this would be a great book for upper elementary students and certainly for middle schoolers. It would fit right into a U.S. History class as it references many important happenings in our nation's history. It teaches students about the significance of Franklin during the creation of the U.S. while also informing readers of aspects of his personal life. I would use this book as a research reference source for students to use to complete a report on a Founding Father. Students could also use this book to create a timeline of Franklin's life and achievements.

Freedman, R. (2013). Becoming ben franklin: How a candle-maker’s son helped light the flame of liberty. New York: Holiday House Publishing.

Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives

Written by Lola M. Schaefer and illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, Lifetime: The Amazing Numbers in Animal Lives is an extraordinary counting picture book that invites readers to learn about some very interesting facts regarding the lives of a variety of animals. Readers learn about the numerous things that can happen in just a single lifetime, such as "a seahorse will birth 1,000 babies" and "a woodpecker will drill 30 roosting holes". The content is based off of real data gained from observing a wild animal from birth to adulthood, and it counts how many times an animal conducts a certain activity or behavior, or gains a particular feature.

This book was really something special, and not like anything I've read before. It was cool to have all of those facts in one place instead of having to learn about one animal at a time. It's intriguing, sometimes astounding, and I learned a lot from reading it! I like that it is exciting yet informational to read, and this book can be tied into many content areas like science, art, reading and math. I would use this book in an elementary class setting during a math lesson. Students would read through the book, and then synthesize the numbers and facts into tangible elements. For example, students might read that a caribou will grow and shed 10 pairs of antlers; they would then use paper cutouts to represent the number 10 on a piece of paper. For the larger numbers (a giraffe will wear 200 spots), students might use pieces of paper that are labeled by 10's to represent the number 200 - there would be 20 pieces of paper to illustrate counting by ten's. Students could illustrate their counting with the animal they are representing.

Schaefer, L. (2013). Lifetime: The amazing numbers in animal lives. San Fransisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

The Fault in Our Stars

The Fault in Our Stars is a popular fiction novel (and movie) written by John Green, and is aimed at late middle school to high school leveled audiences. This fantastic novel is about two teenagers, Hazel Lancaster and Augustus Waters, who are both battling terminal illnesses. They first meet at a youth support group for kids who have cancer, although Hazel is not yet aware of the extent of Augustus's illness. Hazel and Gus come together while fighting similar battles, and eventually fall in love. Hazel ends up introducing Gus to her favorite book, An Imperial Affliction, and they both become adamant on meeting the author in person so they can ask him questions about the characters in his book. Through charitable organizations, the two teens are able to fly to Amsterdam to meet the author. Yet, when they meet him, they are confronted by a rude, drunk man who won't answer their questions. The two teens brush it off and try to enjoy the rest of their trip, but on the last day Gus reveals to Hazel that his cancer has returned. After many tears and a short but memorable relationship, Gus passes away and leaves Hazel with a letter that is delivered to her by the author they met in Amsterdam. In the end, Hazel is comforted by Gus's last words to her and the readers are left somber, but happy for her.
  
I had to review this book because I have a personal connection to it that involves my own love for someone very special to me. I think this book can speak to teens and young adults in many ways like this, it truly is a book that stays with you for a long time. I really admired the author's literary style, he uses vocabulary that ties into the title of the book in very subtle ways. Although this book is directed at a slightly older audience and is a youth love-story, it has countless ways that it can be used in the classroom. I would use this book in an English classroom in a book club activity. There are endless directed discussion questions, anticipation guides, opportunities for extended writing prompts, author connections, and higher-level vocabulary terms to go along with this book. I would highly recommend using it in a high school classroom.

Green, J. (2012). The fault in our stars. New York: Dutton Books.

Iguanas in the Snow

In this picture book Iguanas in the Snow, author Francisco X. Alarcón creates a family-friendly story book of poems that celebrates the diversity of people and the changing of the seasons. This is the last book in Alarcón's series and it focuses on the season of winter. This is a bilingual book that has poems written in Spanish and English, though each version is slightly different so it can be told properly in its native language. This story makes connections to different parts of the world by comparing California to Mexico in the winter time. This is a great component of the book because students from different parts of the world can relate to what the seasons are like where they're from.

I like that this book is part of a series on seasons and how they are all written in poetry, especially that they are in two different languages. I really appreciated how each poem was not translated word-for-word in the opposing language so that the special nuances of each language is kept throughout. This book put a smile on my face as I read through it, the poems are very delicate and reign true to each season and the illustrations are lovely. I would use this book in an elementary classroom when learning about the seasons, or about geographical locations and how people experience seasons differently depending on where in the world they live. It's a great way to include components of poetry and how stories can be told in different ways.

Alarcón, F. (2001). Iguanas in the snow. San Fransisco, CA: Children's Book Press.

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow

Hitler Youth: Growing Up in Hitler's Shadow is a historical non-fiction text that tells the story of the millions of children who grew up in Nazi Germany during the time of World War II. This book is about Adolf Hitler and how he recruited millions of children to be part of Germany's "Hitler Youth" groups in his attempt to control the masses. Hitler looked at children as a way to increase his following because children were young, controllable, and easy to persuade. This book is filled with many photographs of these children and is written not as a novel, but as individual true stories. Each story focuses on a different child who either questioned what was happening, or who followed the leaders of the Third Reich. Some children were brave enough to speak against this movement, while others went along with it seamlessly. The stories tell of the different "classes" the children had to take, and about the true power that this leader had over millions of lives.

This book can be disturbing when you think about how these children were basically brainwashed through propaganda and exposed to the horrors of Hitler's command. While reading this book I felt very connected to the stories and the people who told them, while also learning about lesser-known facts and details about the Hitler Youth. This generation of young men and women were indoctrinated under false pretenses to follow this merciless leader during a difficult time of war. I would recommend using this book in a history or English classroom to teach about propaganda and how it still happens today in different ways. I would create a lesson to focus on the symbols in America (with either political or social intentions) and how they are used to persuade society. I would use examples from the text supported by examples of symbolism/propaganda in modern times to enhance comprehension. This book is a great tool to teach children about the intensity and realness of this time and how children much like themselves had little control over what they could and could not believe in.

Bartoletti, S. (2005). Hitler youth: Growing up in hitler's shadow. New York: Scholastic Press.

One Crazy Summer

One Crazy Summer is a youth chapter book written by award-winning author Rita Williams-Garcia. This book is about a young girl named Delphine and her two younger sisters, Vonetta and Fern who are visiting their mother in California who left them and their father seven years prior. It is set in the summer of 1968 when the Black Panthers were becoming a heavy influence on society. When the girls arrive to California, they are greeted by their mother who acts like she wants nothing to do with them, and won't even allow them in her own kitchen because of some secret meetings held there. Their mother, Cecile, sends the sisters off to a summer camp that is sponsored by the Black Panthers where the girls will end up learning many lessons of their own. Delphine looks after her two younger sisters as a motherly figure while they are on "vacation", and together they learn about their mother's past, discover new things about their own lives and take adventurous journeys of their own.

I thought this was a very good read, I enjoyed the characters and the dialogue very much! The author did a great job writing the dialogue between the three sisters, and I loved how their conversations always included the two younger girls adding in little bits of hilarity and child-like observations. I thought that the setting was very cool and enjoyed reading about this era from a child's point of view. Because this book is a work of historical fiction, I would use this book in the classroom to help integrate units on the Black Power movement of the 60's. It includes social issues and family issues, both of which are great discussion prompts. Since there is a lot of history that students can be learning from this book, I would think to use a KWL chart before, during and after reading. Students could fill out what they already know about this period of civil rights movements, and as they read they can fill in what they have learned. The lesson could extend to talk about family dynamics and how they've changed or stayed the same.

Williams-Garcia, R. (2010). One crazy summer. New York: Harper Collins Children's Books.

Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream - Book Review 2

Stone, Tanya L. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. 2009. 133 pp. $24.99 hc. Candlewick Press. 9780763645021

Grade Level: 5th and up

Review: This book tells the quest of the “Mercury 13” women, which were the thirteen women who attempted to become apart of NASA’s astronaut program nearly twenty years before the first women were allowed in NASA. This title is a proclamation of the prejudices these women faced as they tried to challenge their own government to allow them to become astronauts in a time where only white males were able to be apart of the missions and command the shuttles, even though the women often outperformed the men in the qualification training tests. What I loved most about this book was that it gives women and girls inspiring examples of female role models in the field of science and space exploration, and the importance it places on overcoming gender roles. Even today there are many gender biases regarding women in the STEM fields, and this book aimed at young readers is a fantastic example of defying those stereotypes. This full-length text is very well-written and the author turns an elaborate political story into something that is comprehensible for children, and is accompanied by full page photographs of the heroic women and their suppressors. Although the text is long and might be intimidating at first glance, the amount of information included is enough to entice any space lover. Overall, I would highly recommend this book to readers because of its power to inspire women to overcome gender roles, especially in the field of science and astronomy.

Recommendation: Recommended

Byline: Chelsea Bland, Graduate Student, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA

Garmann's Summer

Written and illustrated by Norwegian author Stian Hole, Garmann's Summer is a unique children's picture book that won the BolognaRagazzi Award in 2007 for it's imaginative storyline and illustrations. This story is about a little boy named Garmann's first day of school, which he is very nervous about! Despite his age, Garmann is a very interesting little boy that ponders over many of life's questions like life, death, fear and courage, beginnings and endings. In his own special way, Garmann observes the world around him, including his eccentric "old aunts" that visit by boat, to help him make sense of his fears and show readers that everyone is scared of something in their own way. Even adults are scared of things in life, not just little kids, which is a great premise for children to understand when they are growing up and facing new things.

My favorite aspect of this story were the illustrations and layout of the book. They are very different and like nothing I've seen before! The author mixes some realistic elements with whimsical artistic variations to create magical images. I also loved Garmann's character because he seems so grown up and wise for such a young boy, and the way that he looks at the world is inspiring and helpful to young readers. The tone of the story is not typical for a children's story book, but I fell in love with it immediately. I could use this picture book in the classroom in many ways that utilize English and creative arts content areas. Since this book has a lot of similes and metaphors within it, it would be a great foundation for a lesson on those literary elements. Students could examine the examples in the book and then create their own similes and metaphors, and then create a collage-like illustration using magazine cutouts (similar style of the book) to accompany their phrase.

Hole, S. (2006). Garmann's summer. Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Hiroshima No Pika

Hiroshima No Pika is a story about the catastrophic atomic bomb that devastated the city of Hiroshima on August 6, 1945. This book is about a young girl named Mii and her family on the day the bomb was dropped, and how she, her mother and her father fled to try and find safety. Hiroshima No Pika is accompanied by harrowing illustrations that depict the tragedy with colors of glowing embers and heavy smoke. It tells of the horrifying outcome of that day, including the deaths of many children, animals and family members and how the entire city was engulfed in flames; the remains of the city were reduced to a burned wasteland. This book also speaks about the second atomic bomb that was dropped on the nearby city of Nagasaki just three days after the first bomb was dropped. Thousands died in these tragedies, and the land and those surrounding it were contaminated by radiation that continued to cause deaths and illnesses for years after the explosions.

I thought this book was really incredible, although very, very sad. It explains in vivid detail the medical trauma that survivors of the attack suffered from radiation exposure and how many of them died from the exposure some time later. It tells how the young girl Mii never grew up after the bomb due to the "flash from the bomb"; her body never grew into adult size. Her father initially survived the burns from the attack, but eventually died from radiation exposure as well. Although this is a devastating story, it is a very important part of Japan's and the United State's history. It would be a great tool to use in a history lesson to introduce the events of World War II that led up to the dropping of these bombs. Students will acquire knowledge about the impact and damage of atomic weapons, and learn about the tragic results of them too. Students could even participate in a debate that discusses the arguments for and against the US using bombs on other nations.

Maruki, T. (1980). Hiroshima no pika. New York: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books.

An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly

Written by Laurence Pringle and illustrated with paintings by Bob Marshall, An Extraordinary Life: The Story of a Monarch Butterfly gives readers a colorful look inside the life of a Monarch butterfly. This book informs the reader of the butterfly's life cycles and describes their migration patterns from Massachusetts to the Rio Grande, an amazing cross-continental flight that spans 2,500 hundred miles. The paintings are labeled and identify the parts of the insects and also illustrate the metamorphosis process from the caterpillar to the butterfly. I thought this was a very cool book and is perfect for young readers just beginning to learn about these insects, it provides them with tons of facts in a very readable format. I absolutely adored the illustrations as well!

This is a perfect book to use as a vocabulary dissection. Students would use the information in this book to create an info-graph or graphic organizer that describes and defines the Monarch butterfly. Students would use critical thinking skills to take away the main ideas from this book, such as: Feeding Habits, Predators, Life Cycle, Migration, Mating, etc, and pull important facts to assemble their graphic organizer. They could also draw anatomically correct illustrations of butterflies to accompany their graphic. Activities like this invite students to really become experts on a word(s) or species by examining a scientific text, interpreting the photographs and facts, and synthesizing it into another product.

Pringle, L. (1997). An extraordinary life: The story of a monarch butterfly. New York: Orchard Books.

Words with Wings

Words with Wings is an inspirational youth novel written in poetic prose from the viewpoint of a daydreaming girl named Gabby. Gabby has always been a daydreamer, like her father, but after her parents started arguing at home she begins using her daydreams as an escape from reality. Her father has moved out of the house, and Gabby and her mom have moved cities where Gabby has to start a new school. She struggles with being the shy, quiet girl as the other students make fun of her. She is often reprimanded for her daydreaming by her teachers, mother and peers. Gabby knows that the world inside her head and the person she is on the inside is beautiful, kind and colorful. She wishes her peers would take the time to get to know that part of her, but a new teacher at her school is the one to open her up. This teachers shows Gabby that her daydreams shouldn't be something to be ashamed of, and Gabby learns that her dreams are actually what can allow her to fly. Even though she struggles with making new friends, moving schools and living without her father, Gabby's spirit soars when she uses her talents to embrace who she is.

This book reminded me a lot of the story Love That Dog by Sharon Creech because it is written in similar style with similar characters and plot. I loved how this book began and how it developed into a blossoming story of imagination, one girl's free spirit, friendship and the power of words. It shows teachers that they can make a difference and change a person's life, and it shows readers who are similar to Gabby that they should embrace the unique qualities that make them who they are. I loved how this story is written in different forms of poetry, yet it's atypical poetry because they don't rhyme and look like they could just be story words. But that's exactly what poetry is, and this book is a great tool to use to get students to warm up to the idea of writing poetry. I would have students read this story (together or as a class) and write their own poems about their life experiences.

Grimes, N. (2013). Words with wings. Honesdale, PA: WordSong.

Beyond the Solar System: Exploring Galaxies, Black Holes, Alien Planets and More

Mary Kay Carson is the author of this amazing science informational text, Beyond the Solar System: Exploring Galaxies, Black Holes, Alien Planets and More. This book is absolutely fantastic, and with good reason it has won the NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book in 2014. Beyond the Solar System includes stunning full-page, full-color photographs of our Universe, of infamous scientists, and other astronomical devices. It includes an incredible two-page timeline that references from prehistory, ancient times, modern times and everything in between. There are numerous info-graphics pertaining to how telescopes work, how to spot constellations, how to identify the rotations of planets, and an HR diagram that displays the lifespan of different stars. It truly has everything needed for a unit on the solar system, including 21 activities for the classroom!

After reading this book or using is as a research source, students will learn about the men and women who have made remarkable contributions to science and astronomy, they will understand the electromagnetic spectrum, and know their place in the Milky Way galaxy. I wish I could own this book for myself and my future classroom, and just might purchase it because of how well designed and informational it is! Pulling from the book itself, an activity I would use in a middle school science classroom would be the "Expand a Balloon-iverse" activity which demonstrates how the Universe is expanding by using stickers, a balloon, measuring tape and markers. It is a cross-curricula activity that integrates science, math and art in which students can measure the distances between the stars on their balloons as the balloon inflates. This shows students that every point in the Universe is generally moving further away and explains concepts from the Big Bang.

Carson, M. K. (2013). Beyond the solar system: Exploring galaxies, black holes, alien planets and more. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press, Inc.

Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past

Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past is a scientific non-fiction book that is centered around what we can learn from melting alpine glaciers. This book includes archeological discoveries made from glaciers and educates readers about how when glaciers melt, it uncovers not only the hidden rocky terrain underneath but also the bodies of people who had died in the them. This book begins by informing readers of the oldest body ever discovered in the melting ice of an Austrian glacier - known as "Ötzi" the Ice Man, this mummified corpse was not evidence of a recent death, but actually of a person who had lived 5,300 years ago! Scientific studies on this body led to uncovering more surprising data about humans living in this time period, such as the first instance of using acupuncture and the first two-part shoes. Ötzi still remains to be one of the most important archeological discoveries of all time. Bodies from the Ice includes over 65 rare photographs of the mummified remains of the people who had died within the glaciers, of maps, tools, landscapes and scientists. It includes fascinating information about similar discoveries all around the world that help scientists uncover clues about the Earth's past.

This book truly has it all! It is a vast vessel of knowledge and information regarding scientific discoveries, important male and female contributors to these discoveries, lore about glaciers, and more facts about these giant and interesting bergs of ice. As a lover of all things science, I adored this book. It is packed full of photos and information that could lead to endless discussions and activities regarding many topics such as what we can learn from science, what science learns from it's discoveries, and how the contributions to these scientific explorations teaches us about our planet's history. It has tons of scientific vocabulary and great geographical information to use in the classroom. It would be exciting to use this book and it's photographs to try and determine how much ice has melted from the glaciers by looking at the pictures and the timelines. This book has so many opportunities to lend itself to Project Based Learning as well!

Deem, J. (2008). Bodies from the ice: Melting glaciers and the recovery of the past. New York: Houghton Mifflin Company.

The Deaf Musicians

The Deaf Musicians is a collaboratively-written picture book by Pete Seeger and Paul DuBois Jacobs, with illustrations done by R. Gregory Christe. This story is one about overcoming obstacles, and how sometimes you can still pursue your dreams even if troubles may come your way. The Deaf Musicians is about a snazzy piano player named Lee who enjoys playing jazzy music with his band every night in a club. Unfortunately, Lee begins to lose his hearing and his band-mates certainly notice when he's not following their cues or hitting the right notes. They tell Lee that they can't have him in the band anymore because no one wants to listen to an off-key pianist. Feeling dejected, Lee takes the subway home. On the way, he sees a sign for a school for the deaf and begins thinking that maybe there is some way to learn something new. After attending the school and meeting new friends, Lee learns sign language and creates a new band of his own that "plays" music through sign language! His band becomes very popular and he and his friends have so much fun playing music again!

I thought this was an amazingly optimistic picture book that includes positive characters, experiences and outcomes. I like that they feature characters with disabilities to help diversify the text. It portrays trying new things to be a comfortable and enjoyable experience, which is great for the students who might be struggling with the same thing. Beginning new things can often be scary because you don't know how people might treat you, but this book shows readers that you can continue to do what you love even if it's in a different way than others might expect. Because this book has so many onomatopoeias that help tell the musical parts of the story, I think this is a great book to use in creative writing or when teaching about sound. Even further, teachers can use this book as an introduction to learning American Sign Language and see how they can communicate through signing.

 Seeger, P., & Jacobs, P. D. (2006). The deaf musicians. New York: The Penguin Group.