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