The Giver
Written by Lois Lowry
Young Adult Novel Grades 6-8
Rating: 5/5

Jonas lives in a world with no pain, no memories, and no conflict. His world is seemingly normal, until he turns 12 and is given the assignment of being the Receiver of all that his community has been deprived of. His life will never be the same again.

Opinion: Love, love, love this book. An awesome example if a great science fiction book for young adults. It is beautifully written in a descriptive way that is completely believable as a plot. Jonas is a very dynamic character who is contrasted with the Giver in a very intriguing way that works. I didn't want to stop reading it once I picked it up! The tone of the book is very dark and detached, almost in a way that makes me want to curl up in my warm bed and be thankful we all have feelings and memories! Jonas' revelations are fascinating and make him a very sympathetic character. The book has a good message and is also relatable in a metaphorical way, because at some point in our lives we have all felt like we have had the world on our shoulders or have been asked to keep a huge secret! I refuse to believe that Jonas dies at the end! In my head he goes to elsewhere with Gabriel and they live happily ever after. I hate sad endings, although I do understand why Lowry left it up to interpretation. It fits with the whole mystery, science fiction vibe. I'm shocked that this book hasn't been made into a movie, because I would definitely go see it, although it probably wouldn't do justice to the book.

Curriculum Connection: For our presentation we used a clip off of YouTube of some 8th graders who made it into a movie trailer. It could also be used like we did in class, where every person is assigned a visual representation of a chapter. Not only will this book elicit good discussion, but it will get the kids thinking creatively and may even help them branch out into science fiction books or creative writing.

If You Come Softly
Written by Jacqueline Woodson
Young Adult Novel Grades 7-8
Rating: 4/5

Jeremiah "Miah" and Elisa "Ellie" start out attending a high-class private school and are nervous for what lies ahead. When they literally bump into each other, their head-over-heels romance buds. There's only one problem: Jeremiah is African-American, while Ellie is a Jewish white girl.

Opinion: This book was very well-written. It is descriptive and detailed without being too much. The character's are very dynamic and the reader really gets to know what it is like to live their lives on a daily basis. The interracial romance is well-crafted without being too cliche, however I do think they are too mature for 15-year-olds! Their personalities could be a result of their tough home lives, but it really was a modern day "Romeo and Juliet" because I'm not sure I know any youngsters that can have a love THAT deep. I also hate, hate, hate the ending! Cliche and unnecessary. Their love was proven throughout the whole book, the desperate killing at the end was just plain mean!

Curriculum Connection: This book addresses very controversial subjects, so that is why I would recommend it for older children, bordering on young adults. Police brutality, homosexuality, and interracial conflict are not something that younger children will or should understand. This could prompt very good discussion, or could be done in book groups like we did in class. Anything that is done with this book should be done with tact and careful consideration!

Alice the Fairy
Written by David Shannon
Picture Book Ages 4-7
Rating: 4/5

Alice is a self-proclaimed "temporary fairy," and chronicles all of her fairy adventures in this book! From wands and magic to eating broccoli for dinner, Alice has decided that she will probably be a "temporary fairy" forever.

Opinion: This is by David Shannon, the same author that wrote the "No, David!" books. The storyline and the illustrations are very similar, but in a good way. It is very relatable and downright humorous at times. Shannon really paints a picture of this curly-headed little girl who loves to make-believe and has a wonderful imagination! Her narration and descriptions make it feel like you are listening to a real child talking. Though the print is written in child-like font it is deceiving. It has larger words and also child-like grammar, so it might be hard for children to read aloud or understand.

Curriculum Connection: This book would be good for writing a story on make-believe, or could be an opening for a unit on journal writing. It could be used for a discussion on adventures to get to know the kids, or just as a good old anticipatory set.

The Hello, Goodbye Window
Written By Norton Juster and Chris Raschka
Children's Picture Book Ages 3-6
Rating: 3/5

A little girl's narrative about what it is like to hang out with her Nana and Poppy for the day!

Opinion: This book won the Caldecott Honor Medal, which to me is sort of confusing. The illustrations and the coloring of the book is obviously very creative and has many different styles and textures, but to me it is a little much. It can come off looking smudged, juvenile, and a bit mushy and confusing in my opinion. It looks as though it took a lot of work to make it, but it doesn't quite fit. The plot is sweet and brings back memories of childhood, but is a little blase. Kind of list-y, like "I do this, I do that." It is worthy to note though that the little girl's grandparents are an interracial couple; Poppy is white and Nana is African-American. This is nice to see in a children's picture book and can reach a wide variety of audiences.

Curriculum Connection: This could be good for a writing activity about family or your favorite memory from your family's house (Not everyone has grandparents that are alive). It could be used to talk about different kinds of families because they are two different races, if you are working at a particularly diverse school.

Actual Size

Written by Steve Jenkins
Picture Book Ages 5-10
Rating: 4/5

A great non-fiction book that includes illustrations of different animals that are drawn to scale their actual size.

Opinion: This book is really interactive and is great information for kids. I like that even though it is nonfiction it is still really interesting. It has pictures done in an Eric-Carle-collage sort of way, but they take up two pages, some of them even having fold outs to show the actual size of whatever animal is being talked about. This includes a Goliath frog, a giant squid's eye, a gorilla's hand, and a giant anteater's tongue. It also gives the exact measurements and stats of the animal that is on each page, which incorporates knowledge into all the fun!

Curriculum Connection: Kids will really enjoy this no matter when it is read. Because the pictures are actual size, they will feel really engaged and a part of the book. This could be in a math unit on measurements, a unit on exotic animals or exceptionally large animals, or a project where the children find things around their house and trace it to their "actual size" and then come together to make a class booklet.

Pancakes for Supper!
Written by Anne Isaacs, Illustrated by Mark Teague
Children's Picture Book Ages 4-8
Rating: 4/5

Toby and her parents set out on a wagon ride, but the wagon hits a bump and Toby flies off! She encounters many egotistical forest animals who take her clothing to be "the grandest animal in the forest." When they all start fighting over who is the grandest, Toby notices maple syrup coming out of a nearby tree and they collect it in time for dinner!

Opinion: This book has amazing illustrations. The expressions on Toby's face as well as on the animal's faces really paint a vivid picture of what is happening in the story. The animals taking Toby's clothes and sauntering away is very humorous, mainly because of the pictures. The story has a nice rhythm to it with repetition in just the right places, although the ending is a bit random, as a search for maple syrup was never really in the plot to begin with.

Curriculum Connection: This would fit well into a lesson on vanity, and how all the animals are so obsessed with how they look that they eventually fight each other and forget what they were really aiming for! This would also be good to do as a class play, where the kids can act out the different animals while Toby hands over her articles of clothing. It could be incorporated into a listening activity where kids have to name all of the animals that were mentioned in the book.

Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile
Written by Bernard Waber
Children's Picture Book Ages 3-8
Rating: 5/5

Lyle the Crocodile is doing pleasantly well at his home on East 88th Street, but Mr. Grumps and his cat Loretta will do anything to make sure that Lyle is out of the neighborhood for good!

Opinion: This book is hilarious. The character's are so developed for it being a picture book! Lyle tries to convince Mr. Grump's skeptical feline that he really is nice, but his sheepish attempts only make Loretta more angry. Mrs. Primm takes Lyle antique shopping for a couple of days to give Mr. Grumps time to settle down, when a whole mess of circumstances happen. Lyle ends up getting lost in the department store, performing a show with Signor Valenti, getting shipped off to the zoo, and saving Mr. Grump's life in a house fire. Nevermind the fact that Lyle plays hide-and-go-seek with the children and wears a red scarf. He is a friendly household crocodile who will hold a place in everyone's hearts!

Curriculum Connection: This is a nice, pleasant book to read as an opening or use when the children are getting anxious or bored. It could be in a lesson on language arts as well because there is a lot of rich vocabulary and rhyming in it, or it could be used in a writing activity about an imaginary pet the kids could have (that is not conventional like a dog or cat). It could also be acted out as a class because there are many characters that have their own personalities. However it is used, I think kids will love it!

The Higher Power of Lucky
Written by Susan Patron
Children's Novel Ages 9-11
Rating: 5/5

Lucky is in search of her higher power. After her mother died her father's previous wife, Brigitte, comes to take care of Lucky until she gets a new family. When Lucky figures out Brigitte has plans to leave, she makes her own plans to leave...for good!

Opinion: I loved this book! I thought it was well-written and developed. I loved the idea of Lucky trying to find her "higher power," which i think a lot of young kids can relate to, just trying to find themselves and where they fit in. The characters are phenomenally developed: Brigitte and her naive French ways, Lincoln and his knots, and Miles and his cookie fetish. Each character has a "claim to fame" that makes them lovable and easy to understand. And don't forget HMS Beagle! I love how he dutifully follows Lucky everywhere, and has so much to say without even speaking. The language is descriptive and really paints a picture. I love how Lucky describes herself as "sand colored." The symbols in the book really add to the meaning as well. Her mother's urn being a symbol of letting go and moving on, Brigitte's red dress as a symbol of becoming a woman, even the parsley grinder and Lincoln's knots. Lucky's search for herself is also showed throughout the story, rather than told. This includes her eavesdropping on A.A. meetings and constantly adding to her "survival kit." It is very easy to empathize with her because she really is a dynamic character. The ending is of course, satisfying too. The plot moves along smoothly while building tension: Brigitte's suitcase, the phone-calls, etc. Even the little pictures add meaning to the book and contribute to the mood. I am glad I got to read this award-winning book!

Curriculum Connection: This could be used in a number of different ways with older children. They could each be assigned a chapter and create a visual representation of the chapter, sort of what we did with The Giver, or this book would even be fun to do a book report on I think. It is a good book to teach children about literary elements such as tone, plot, style, themes, and symbols, which this book is full of. I think the book is good enough to just have a basic discussion on, and the children can talk about their favorite character or scene in the book, because they are all so relatable. It's an easy read but is full of so many teachable moments and good information, so it would be perfect for a unit or lesson.

Space Case
By: Edward Marshall
Picture Book Ages 4-8
Rating: 5/5

A robot called “the thing” takes a trip to Earth to see what is going on, and it happens to be Halloween! Buddy and his friends are trick-or-treating and mistake the thing for a fellow trick-or-treater. When the thing spends the night with Buddy, it becomes clear that he is not a human...Shenanigans follow.

Opinion: I really enjoyed this book! I thought it was cute and witty, with realistic humor that tugs at your heartstrings. The drawings really remind me of "Pac-man" or some type of video game from the 1980's, which makes sense because the book was written in the 80's. It made me want to have a alien come visit me!

Curriculum Connection: This would be good for an opening or an attention-getter, or it could be read right before Halloween to get kids excited about it and discuss what they are going to wear. Other than that, it doesn't have a deep message, it's just a randomly good book!

Nova's Ark
Written & Illustrated by David Kirk
Picture Book Ages 6-10
Rating: 4.5/5

When Nova the robot goes on a class field trip to the space center he finds himself in the Glax Cruiser, where he takes off in search of his father, who has been gone searching for alternate fuel for the planet Roton. The Cruiser breaks down and Nova finds himself alone on a foreign planet. He uses the old parts of the Cruiser to build new robot animals and an ark, which comes in handy when his father comes crashing down on the planet! 

Opinion: I very much enjoyed this book. It has colorful pictures and is very well-written. It has a lot of “show, not tell” vocabulary and paints a detailed picture of Nova and his planet. The plot-line flows and ends very happily, which is satisfying. I was intrigued from the start about how Nova was going to escape his predicament! Very good science fiction book for older children.

Curriculum Connection: This good be used in a unit about space or robots, or any science unit for that matter. It could also be used to talk about safety and how wandering off can lead to unusual and scary predicaments! The relationship between Nova and his father would be great to use to lead a discussion on family or a get-to-know-you activity.

Sad!

The Ugly Duckling
Retold & Illustrated by Rachel Isadora
Picture Book Ages 4-8

Rating: 4/5

A duckling is born to a mother, and while healthy and capable, he doesn't look like any of his siblings! All of the animals tease his for being ugly, until he finally runs away in search of a new life!

Opinion: This book is so sad! The whole time everyone is literally calling the duck ugly, he cries himself to sleep, and he thinks nobody wants him because everyone is so mean to him. He runs away and freezes in the winter until a nice farmer finds him, but I was depressed the entire time I was reading it! A book that gives you that strong of a reaction means it is well-written, in my opinion. The pictures are very reminiscent of Eric Carle, with collage-like tissue paper illustrations. In the end I'm glad the duckling turned into a beautiful swan and everything was okay!

Curriculum Connection: This could be used in a lesson on respect and friendship, and what it means to be nice to your classmates. It is not nice to call someone "ugly" and it can have serious effects on people! It has a good moral of "treat others how you want to be treated" and "its whats on the inside that counts" I think kids can really understand and appreciate that concept.

The Fisherman And His Wife
Illustrated by Alan Marks, Translated by Anthea Bell
Picture Book Ages 8-12
Rating:  3.5/5

An updated version of the children's fable. A fisherman is fishing one day when he catches a flounder, who begs him to spare his life for he is a Prince. When the fisherman's wife hears this she commands her husband to go to the flounder and have him grant wishes. Soon the wishes become out of control- the wife is still not satisfied, and her wishes escalate until her greed lands them back at square one.

Opinion: I had never heard this fable before so I was actually eager to read it and see what happens. There is definitely a climax when the wife keeps demanding more and more things, like being a King, an Emperor, the Pope, and then finally like God! The illustrations are realistic and there is a lot of writing on each page, so I recommend it for older children. The story itself is entertaining and the language is very detailed and really creates a visual, almost better than the pictures themselves. I did not picture the wife as obese though, and I felt really bad for the fisherman!

Curriculum Connection: This would be a good story in a lesson on greed. It has a really good moral that I think children will appreciate. It could also be used in a literature unit because there is a lot of distinct vocabulary that older children might have fun sorting out.

Jack and the Beanstalk
Retold and Illustrated by Steven Kellogg
Picture Book Ages 6-10
Rating: 4/5


A retelling of the classic children's fairy tale, "Jack and the Beanstalk!" Jack trades his cow and his only source of income for some magic beans. They grow into a beanstalk up to the sky where Jack travels and meets an Ogre who eats little boys! Jack starts stealing gold from the Ogre until his mother and him have enough to live on and they live happily ever after!

Opinion: This is a good book. I always loved the Jack and the Beanstalk story; I love when the giant yells, "Fee-fi-fo-fum!" It brings back a lot of fun childhood memories. The storyline is basically the same, with no twists, but the pictures are very detailed and colorful, more realistic-looking than cartoon, so I suggest it for older children, especially because the Ogre might scare the young ones! The font is outlined in a gold box which believe it or not adds a lot to the book, including that "fairy tale" vibe. The only thing I don't get is why he calls the Ogre's wife "mum" and I dislike  how quickly it ends: "Jack and his mother became very rich, and Jack married a great princess and they all lived happily ever after." Cliche but had to be done.

Curriculum Connection:  This would be a great book just to have as an anticipatory set, because I think the kids will really get into the "fee-fi-fo-fum!" part. They could even say it with you and it would be a very theatrical sight. It could also be a good book for a fairy tale literacy unit, or it would be a good activity to have them make up the ending or write their own fairytale.

Controversial?

Happy To Be Nappy
Written by Chris Raschka
Picture Book Ages 5-9
Rating: 3/5

A little girl explains her hair type and all of the cool things she can do with it!

Opinion: I don't see this book as all that controversial. I think the most uproar about this book would probably be the title, and the use of the word "nappy" as being misconstrued as negative. To me this book takes that word and uses it in a more positive way: what it means to the little girl and how she is proud of her hair and her origins. "It can be kinky or not..." I think it's cute the way the book is written in small, short sentences and the pictures are very colorful. I think it can be helpful to any little girls, but especially African American girls who are finding themselves and possibly comparing themselves to other children.

Curriculum Connection: This could be used in a cultural unit, a unit on racism, a community builder on how maybe using terms like that is not respectful, or even a language arts unit, by talking about different slang and dialect and what it means to certain groups of people! I would definitely be careful using it in a classroom because of parents and that sort of thing, but if I worked in a school with many different ethnicities I think it could be very helpful if used in the correct way.

I will never use this in a classroom. EVER.

Where Did I Come From?
Written by Peter Mayle, Illustrated by Arthur Robins
Picture Book ages 4-8
Rating: 2/5

A  "no nonsense" book explaining reproductive parts, how sex happens, and how babies are made.

Opinion: Maybe I am just not used to this, but this book was graphic, even for me. The pictures are disturbing and uncomfortable and the explanations of sex are raunchy and go into way too much detail. If I may quote the book, "Some people calls these 'titties' or 'boobies'" "Being inside her..." "Sex is like scratching an itch...only better." It explains an orgasm as " a tickly feeling in your stomach that goes all throughout your body." It literally has a play-by-play of sexual intercourse like "he pushed his penis inside her vagina and moves back and forth." I was not comfortable reading this book, and I wouldn't expect children to be either. There is a difference between a logical explanation of sex and then there is detail-by-detail that gets borderline pornographic.

Curriculum Connection: I personally would never use this in a classroom, unless I was told to or was teaching sex education, and even then I would get a book that is less graphic, illustrations wise and words wise. I do not feel comfortable subjecting 5-year-olds to that type of language. The parents can teach them that all they want, but I'm a teacher to teach them other things besides their reproductive glands. This book is somewhat disgusting and I cannot imagine a child reading it!

> This picture is even too graphic for the INTERNET! It is not censored in the real book.