Summary: This book is about the children of America and what they are. They are almond eyes, my grandfather's dimples and olive skin. They are also many different races, nationalities and religions.
My Review: I like this book because its about all of the people of America. It also has photos of real children which I think is important for kids to see. It is a very nice book that I think should be shared with all students.
About the Author: Smith is photographer and an author of many children's books. His love for books started when he was a young boy but his love for photography started in high school. His love for sports is also fused into many of his books which he writes for multiple grades level.
Genre: Multicultural, Non-Fiction
Theme / Skill: Appreciating other Cultures
Age Level: 5-10
Pre-reading Activity: Show students the pictures in the book and ask them what they notice about the people in it.
Post-reading Activity: Have students write a sentence to add a page to our own book. Take a picture of each student and have them write I am ...
Summary: This story is about a boy could be considered half native and half white and his journey trying to figure out where he fits in. His friend tells him that he's is less than half and he doesn't understand what that means. His paternal grandfather explains to him the importance of differences amoung people. He does this by showing him the corn and how all the colors in the corn make up the whole.
My Review: I like this book for several reasons. It has a glossary of terms, concepts and designs in the back for teacher and reader reference. It also has an explaination from the authors about why they wrote the book for children (who are half). My son is also half and I think this book is a great way of explaining to him how he can figure out who he is.
About the Authors: Michael and Kathleen are married and have three children. Michael, unfortunately, has passed away since writing this book. He had visited my school when I was in 4th or 5th grade and I was blessed with being able to meet him and hear him tell a story. Michael was also the illustrator for this book and has some experience teaching.
Genre: Multicultural, Realist-Fiction
Theme / Skill: Accepting who you are and who others are.
Age Level: 10+
Pre-reading Activity: I would ask the students what it means to be less than half and have them draw a picture of what it means to be less than half using a cup and water. I would ask them what it means to be more than whole and have them draw a picture using the same objects. I would ask them how they think that relates to this book about a boy.
Post-reading Activity: I would have students do a free write journal that answers these questions: Who are you? (Cultural background) Do you ever feel like Tony does, you don't know who you are or where you belong?
I would ask the students if any of them wanted to share their journal entries.
Summary: This book is about a little boy who brings home a puppy. It goes through what the boy does with his dog. He feeds it, baths it, walks it and teaches it tricks. All of which seem very unsuccessful. At the end of the day, he and the puppy go to sleep peacefully.
My Review: I like this book and I read it to my son when we got our puppy. It shows how a boy and his dog may not always do things according to the book but they still love each other at the end of the day. I love this series and remember reading it growing up.
About the Author: Mayer has written and illustrated over 80 children's books since 1967. This includes the Little Critter series. He has been credited as being one of the authors of creating the wordless picture book form. He has co-written many of the Little Critter with his third wife Gina, which he is best known for.
Genre: Non-fiction, life lessons
Theme / Skill: How to raise a puppy.
Age Level: 5-10
Pre-reading Activity: Ask students if they have ever had a puppy before or any pet. Ask them what kind of things they need to know about that animal before bringing it home and raising it. Make a list.
Post-reading Activity: List all of the things that the little critter does with his puppy. Compare the two lists. Ask students how we, as readers, know that the puppy loves him even though it seems a little crazy. Have students write a journal entry about what they do with their pet that is special. If they do not have a pet, have them write about a pet they would live to have.
Summary: This is a book about a little miss who is very bossy. Every other person that she talks to in the book, she bosses around. The wizard sees this and he casts a spell on Little Miss Bossy. The spell places very bossy boots on her feet. In order to be free of the boots she has to learn how to ask people nicely to do things.
My Review: I like this book and other books in this series because they generally teach a message. I used this in my Kindergarten classroom next year when a bunch of the girls were being bossy to each other. The students in the class noticed what it was like to be bossy and to be nice.
About the Author: Roger Hargreaves created the Mr. Men series in 1971, when his son ask him "what a tickle looked like?" Hargreaves created a small series that became animated in 1974. Since then Hargreaves created several additional characters that included the Little Misses. The series has been translated into many languages which has also inspired editors to create more characters in other countries. Hargreaves passed away in 1988. His son Adam took over the writing of several new characters that were more modern in name.
Genre: Non-fiction, Character Education
Theme / Skill: Teaching students to be aware of certain character traits.
Age Level: 5-8
Pre-reading Activity: Have student make predictions about the book. Who is the main character? Why do you think she is called Little Miss Bossy? Do you think she will be bossy at the end of the story? Have students write down their responses to review later.
Post-reading Activity: When I read this book, I had student pretend to be bossy to each other then have the same exchange in a nice way.
