Robot Dreams

Graphic Novel

After a trip to the beach, Robot becomes too rusty to move so Dog leaves him there. As the months pass, Dog tries to replace his friend with things like a snowman and an anteater. Meanwhile, Robot is day dreaming on the beach of better times. Robot dreams was surprisingly sad and tells the bittersweet story of friendship and loss. Being my first graphic, I thought the pictures gave me a clear understanding of what the author was trying to portray.


Title: Robot dreams
Author/Illustrator: Sara Varon
Publisher/Date: First Second 2007
ISBN: 978-1-59643-108-9
Rating: 4 out of 5

The New Kid on the Block

Poetry

Witty collection of poems designed to keep the reader laughing. Children experience all sorts of things from jellyfish stew, to mice on a tricycle, and everything in between! The illustrations are simple black sketches, but do a great job of depicting Prelutsky's playful personality and setting. Even for a child that isn't too fond of poetry, this collection will be sure to get a giggle out of them!


Title: The New Kid on the Block
Author: Jack Prelutsky
Illustrator: James Stevenson
Publisher/Date: Greenwillow Books 1990
ISBN: 0-688-06431-5
Rating: 5 out of 5

Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold

Poetry

This book contains poems about what animals do in the winter. On the one page, it has a poem in the animals voice and on the other is a scientific description of that animal. Fine artistic illustrations of the animal are spread out across the two pages, but seemed too digital for my liking. A brief glossary can be found in the back of the book for children to better comprehend the words in the poem. Overall, could be a good read to learn about the survival of animals in the harsh winter, but not my favorite on the shelf!

Title: Winter Bees & Other Poems of the Cold
Author: Joyce Sidman
Illustrator: Rick Allen
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 978-0-547-90650-8
Rating: 4 out of 5

Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry

Poetry

Collection of more than sixty poems by a wide range of talented poets such as Margaret Wise Brown and Gertrude Stein. Topics include the daily activities of little children, like sitting in a high chair and playing with grandpa! Poems are kept short and include cute and colorful pictures. Great read when wanting to take a break from the usual nursery rhymes!



Title: Here's a Little Poem: A Very First Book of Poetry
Author: Jane Yolen & Andrew Fusek Peters
Illustrator: Polly Dunbar
Publisher/Date: Candlewick Press 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7636-3141-3
Rating: 5 out of 5

Wind Flyers

Historical Fiction

Wind Flyers emphasis the heros of WWII - the Tuskegee Airmen. It tells the story of a great-great African American uncle that loved to fly- he would jump off of barns to fly, pay to be a co-pilot, and when he was older enlisted in the Air Force. This story emphasis the role of African American men in war. Illustrations are colorful and provide lots of details. I appreciated the book for its content, but it was a little hard to follow and I felt as though its minimal text didn't fully get the point across.

Title: Wind Flyers
Author: Angela Johnson
Illustrator: Loren Long
Publisher/Date: Simon & Schuster 2007
ISBN: 978-0-0689-84879-7
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Bus Ride

Historical Fiction

Sara is an African American girl that is curious about what is so special about the front of the bus. After sitting in the front, she gets taken away by police and put in the paper. This sparks enough attention that soon people are fighting for equal rights. Based on the legacy of Rosa Parks, this book offers insight to the discrimination between whites and blacks. Beautiful illustrations in acrylic paint go along perfectly with the text to create a book with a great ending!

Title: The Bus Ride
Author: William Miller
Illustrator: John Ward
Publisher/Date: Lee & Low Books 1998
ISBN: 1-880000-60-1
Rating: 5 out of 5

Freedom on the Menu

Historical Fiction

This book tells the story of the Greensboro Sit-Ins that occurred in North Carolina. It is told through the eyes of a young girl named Connie, who is confronted with the harsh reality of segregation when she sees a white girl sitting at the counter eating a banana split, knowing she can't do the same. After hearing the message of Martin Luther King Jr., Connie and her family stand up for what is right. Freedom on the Menu provides a child's perspective on an important historical event, allowing young readers to relate. Great addition to any classroom library!

Title: Freedom on the Menu: The Greensboro Sit-Ins
Author: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrator: Jerome Lagarrigue
Publisher/Date: Dial Books for Young Readers 2005
ISBN: 0-8037-2860-3
Rating: 5 out of 5

Snakes

Informational Texts

I am no snake lover by any means, but Nic Bishop does an amazing job of capturing photos of various snakes. They are enlarged enough for readers to see every coil of their body, so much so that you feel it's going to slither right off the page! Descriptive paragraphs with simple yet insightful text with special coloring and font emphasis on main ideas and supporting details. At the end, not only is there is an index and glossary, but a personal account of Bishop's challenges in photographing his subjects. Highly recommend for any science classroom!

Title: Snakes
Author/Illustrator: Nic Bishop
Publisher/Date: Scholastic Inc 2012
ISBN: 978-0-545-20638-9
Rating: 5 out of 5

Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms

Informational Texts

Patricia Lauber explains what scientists know about how hurricanes form, how they can be detected and predicted, and how much damage they can do. There is a mix of diagrams, charts, maps, and photos to help reinforce the text. Very comprehensive and would be best for an older classroom learning out different weather elements.

Title: Hurricanes: Earth's Mightiest Storms
Author/Illustrator: Patricia Lauber
Publisher/Date: Scholastic Press 1996
ISBN: 0-590-47406-5
Rating: 3 out of 5

Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System

Informational Texts

Take a trip through space- learning about planets, moons, asteroids, and everything in between. This book really puts the solar system into perspective for children. It tells them to imagine the sun shrunk to the size of a basketball, Jupiter would be the size of a marble and Pluto the size of a head of a pin. Some of the information was a little hard to comprehend, such as "the gas at the center of the sun is so dense that a drinking glass filled with it would weigh 75 pounds." Good illustrations with mixed media.

Title: Next Stop Neptune: Experiencing the Solar System
Author: Alvin Jenkins
Illustrator: Steve Jenkins
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Company 2004
ISBN: 0-618-41603-X
Rating: 3 out of 5

Lilly's Big Day

Fantasy

Lilly has her heart set on being the flower girl at her teacher's wedding and takes it pretty hard when Ginger is chosen instead. Ginger freezes on the big day and Lilly carries her down the aisle rather than take the spotlight herself. Sweet story that shows the variety of emotions that come about when things don't exactly go your way!



Title: Lilly's Big Day
Author/Illustrator: Kevin Henkes
Publisher/Date: Greenwillow Books 2006
ISBN: 0-06-074236-4
Rating: 4 out of 5

Three Bears in a Boat

Fantasy

Worried that mama bear was going to be mad for breaking her blue seashell, three bears go out to find her a new one. While fighting about who is responsible for breaking the shell, they don't notice a big storm approaching. Once they stop fighting, they arrive home and find a perfect blue shell on the beach. Oversized book that has beautiful watercolors spread across two pages, really inviting the reader in. I definitely think this should of been up for the Caldecott Award!

Title: Three Bears in a Boat
Author/Illustrator: David Soman
Publisher/Date: Penguin Group 2014
ISBN: 978-0-8037-3993-2
Rating: 5 out of 5

Little Moon Dog

Fantasy

One day a bus full of fairy tourists come to the moon- the home of The Man in the Moon and his Moon Dog. Moon Dog ventures out to play with the fairies, but wakes up to find they had left him and he's no where near his home! Luckily, the Moon Dog has a faithful friend in The Man in the Moon who comes looking for him. The illustrations are luminously whimsical, even somewhat eerie. Great story about companionship!


Title: Little Moon Dog
Author: Helen Ward
Illustrator: Wayne Anderson
Publisher/Date: Dutton Children Books 2007
ISBN: 0-525-47727-6
Rating: 5 out of 5

Michael Rosen's Sad Book

Realistic Fiction

This book truly lives up to its name. Heartbreaking and truthful descriptions of grief are perfectly matched with monochrome illustrations. Rosen teaches us that its okay and normal to be sad. Because of the heavy subject material, it gives children and adults the chance to discuss something in which most people would steer away from. Excellent book that really leaves you deep in thought, rating it a 5 out of 5


Title: Micheal Rosen's Sad Book
Author: Micheal Rosen
Illustrator: Quentin Blake
Publisher/Date: Candlewick Press 2005
ISBN: 0-7636-2597-3
Rating: 5 out of 5

Subway

Realistic Fiction

Readers get to ride along with a mother and daughter as they experience all the sights and sounds of the subway. Spinning turnstiles, musicians on the platform, and people hoping on and off are all illustrated with bright colors and cultural diversities. Strong rhythm and repetition drive the text to help beginning readers.

Title: Subway
Author: Anastasia Suen
Illustrator: Karen Katz
Publisher/Date: Penguin Group 2004
ISBN: 0-670-03622-6
Rating: 4 out of 5

Every Friday

Realistic Fiction

This sweet and simple story is about how a father and son share a special morning together every Friday. The pair walk leisurely to the diner to enjoy pancakes, enjoying all the sights and sounds on the street. Every Friday sets a good example for how fathers should take time out of their busy schedules to spend quality time with their children.



Title: Every Friday
Author/Illustrator: Dan Yaccarino
Publisher/Date: Henry Holt and Company, 2007
ISBN: 0-8050-7724-3
Rating: 3 out of 5

The Three Little Pigs

Traditional Literature

This book is a twist on the classic tale, Three Little Pigs. The first two pigs make their house out of straw and sticks, which get knocked down by the wolf. The third pig outsmarts the wolf and ends up eating him for dinner! This suspenseful book has talking animals as the main characters to keep children interested and offers a different perspective of a classic tale!


Title: The Three Little Pigs
Author/Illustrator: Paul Galdone
Publisher/Date: Houghton Mifflin Company 1984
ISBN: 0-395-28813-4
Rating: 5 out of 5

Mary and Her Little Lamb

Traditional Literature

Who would of guessed the poem "Mary had a Little Lamb" is a true story! This book is about a girl named Mary who nurses a baby lamb back to health. The lamb follows her everywhere, even to school! Mary's teacher Mr.Roulstone is so amused by the lamb that he writes down the famous poem for her on a piece of paper, and thus the song is created. This book offers beautiful illustrations and would be great to open up a lesson on poetry!

Title: Mary and Her Little Lamb
Author/Illustrator: Will Moses
Publisher/Date: Philomel Books 2011
ISBN: 978-0-399-25154-2
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Boy Who Cried Wolf

Traditional Literature

A young shepherd boy, bored of his shepherding duties, decided to teach the sheep some new tricks. When this fails to provoke any kind of fun, he makes up a lie that a wolf is after his sheep. The village people come to his aid, but find no wolf in sight. When the wolfs finally come, will the townspeople believe him? This timeless fable tells the moral about how if you are labeled a liar, no one will actually believe you when you tell the truth. Cleverly told in picture book format, Hennessy use of repetitive words helps emergent readers. I would give this a 5 out of 5.

Title: The Boy Who Cried Wolf
Author: B.G. Hennessy
Illustrator: Boris Kulikov
Publisher/Date: Simon & Schuster 2006
ISBN: 0-689-87433-2
Rating: 5 out of 5

Who Will Be My Friends?

Beginning Readers

Freddy is a new kid in town and is looking to make some friends. He likes his new house and finds the mailman and police officer to be friendly, but too busy to play. It's not until Freddy goes to the park to play ball when he meets some kids his age playing too! It tells a cute story and uses fundamentals like repetitive phrases to help beginning readers, especially preschool-grade 1. This would be a great find for a child that may be experiencing a move and the awkwardness that comes with making friends at first!

Title: Who Will Be My Friends?
Author/Illustrator: Syd Hoff
Publisher/Date: HarperCollins 1985
ISBN: 0-06-444072-9
Rating: 4 out of 5