The Giver

The Giver by Lois Lowry (1993)



I really enjoyed this novel-though at first I thought it was really weird. This is a unique novel aimed for middle school students about a "community" or society that is all about Sameness. Though you don't realize it until later in the book, the oddities of the community are apparent at the beginning of the book. I knew this upon reading about all the rules, of only having one boy and one girl child, of "The Pill", of "release", etc.

I thought it was interesting how all the people had their own "jobs" in the community and it was chosen for them. Sounds like a community with no choice, not seeing colors, not having feelings or knowing love, etc. I was so glad at the end of the book that Jonas got out of there with Gabe-and hopefully left some of his memories so the community could recoop. Though the community was safe because nothing unusual happened, not having feelings kind of beats the purpose of life. I think this story was so interesting and praise Lowry for her imagination in creating this kind of futuristic-seeming society. I was frustrated and saddened at the concept of release, and joyful when Jonas experienced the memories and learned the warmth (and struggles) from them.

Awesome book, would use this in the classroom (for older students-upper elementary to middle school) for them to read, would have the class read it as a whole like we did and discuss it. It's no wonder it's a Newberry Medal winner! There are many extension activites that could come from this novel, similar to what we did in this children's literature class. I definitely think it would be interesting to have students do the "sketch" responses from each of the chapters, and to see if they do use color or just black and white when making their sketch. Another activity I think would be great is for students to write a question they have about the novel, and be in small groups and have the other students discuss it except for them. During my discussion with classmates, we all had so many questions about this community that I think this activity would be great to do. As one student suggested, too, I think it would be interesting for students to read this book every two years for a few grade levels, and see what they get from this book each time, as I think more observations would be made each time. Another activity I think would be good to do is have students keep a journal throughout reading the book of how they feel, since the point of view is pretty solitary (being of Jonas'). This book has so many tools to use in the classroom!

The Misfits

The Misfits by James Howe (2001)



I enjoyed reading this novel by James Howe aimed towards middle school students. The book tells of the "Gang of Five" a.k.a. Four, with Bobby, Skeezie, Addie, and Joe. The students are all "misfits" at school during those terrible, awkward, junior high days for different reasons:  Bobby because he's chubby, Skeezie because he's a bit unkept, Addie because she's ridiculously tall and ridiculously smart, and Joe because he's gay. All of the teenyboppers meet when they're little children and are good buddies. They meet for sodas and snacks once a week and write out all their conversations about what they're doing at school. From refusing to say the Pledge of Allegience to running for president/vice president, one of the students' main tasks is about popularity vs. principle. Within their story, the students send out a good message and accomplish a great feat in the junior high/middle school setting.

I would use this book in my classroom (if I was an upper-elementary/middle school/junior high teacher). This book sends a good message about bullying and people who are "different." I think this is important for teachers, because we are going to have students in all shapes, sizes, beliefs, and values and it's important for all students to feel accepted and welcomed. Bullying is also such an issue-and this book does a good job addressing it. Though I wasn't really impressed by the book, I believe it should be read aloud because it does cover some topics that students will likely have questions about. The word "faggot" is also used. Some students with these characteristics might feel bad because they might feel that being chubby, for example, is being stereotyped. This is why I think the book should be read-aloud. For a mini-lesson, I think it would be great to teach about bullying: what it is, why it happens, and asking students why it's important to prevent it and what they can do to help. I think it would then be great to make our own class chart (sort of like making our own class rules) about being anti-bullying. For response activities, I think I would have students write a short response paper telling me how they handled the book, since it can be touchy to some students. I think this would be a good way to ask students for suggestions on what to do with this book. Another activity I got from what we did in children's literature class: have students bring an object that they think represents the book. I just thought this was so interesting to see what everyone came up with and their reasoning. I think this book in particular is a good opportunity for me to learn from the students.

Series Novel

Ruby Lu, Empress of Everything by Lenore Look and illustrated by Anne Wilsdorf (2006)



This is a cute series book that I hadn't heard of until browsing it in class on Wednesday 05/25. The story tells of Ruby who has a baby brother and an immigrant cousin "Flying Duck" from China. Flying Duck is deaf and doesn't speak English. Ruby has her ups and downs with her cousin, but overall loves being her "Smile Buddy" at school, friend, and cousin.


Both Ruby and Flying Duck learn things from each other, such as saving her little brothers life to taking a reading glasses test. Ruby excels in school until she becomes distracted and gets notification from her principal. Ruby gets ready for third grade excitedly. There are illustrations throughout the book showing Ruby and the other characters, which I think will keep students engaged, especially if they are just starting to read chapter books.


I would use this book in my classroom by making small groups of students and assigning them each a book. One of the groups would get to read this book! The reason I choose the book for this reason is it teaches a good lesson about immigration! After the small group reads this book, they could respond to it by either making a collage/poster, a skit, and/or a fact chart about immigration. They would get their information by researching general information about immigration and what they learned from the book to teach the whole class what they learned about this topic. This book is actually a great opportunity for cross-curricular! Add other cultures/backgrounds...plus we all immigrated at some point to America. A good lesson to share. After this activity, I would keep the book on my shelf for students to read during their free read time.

More Picture Books! (6 to ponder)

First Up - I'll Be There by Ann Stott (2011)



Awww! This book is sooo cute. This is a recently published book about a little boy who asks his mother questions about what she did for him and if she was there when he was growing up. The mother assures him that yes-she was there-reading him stories, feeding him his bottle, etc. He then asks her, "When I'm bigger will you still be there?" and she assures him that yes, she will always be there.


Illustrations are simple but tell a story and reflect emotions. When the little boy is younger and playing outside, you can tell his joyfulness and adventure from his eyes. When the mother is changing the little boy as a baby, you can see the tenderness and care in her face. Cute family book, would keep this in my classroom and for a read-aloud, especially for younger elementary-aged children. This would be a good book to have students draw a picture of their parent(s) and write on it what they appreciate their parent(s) do(es) for them. Reminding students to appreciate the care their parent(s) give them is a good lesson.

Next up - Do You Sing Twinkle? A Story About Remarriage and New Family by Sandra Levins and illustrated by Bryan Langdo (2010)



This is a recently published book as well telling of the common new family structure with remarriage. I enjoyed this book-it's a cute story about two brothers who are adjusting to their mom's remarriage and the addition of two stepsisters. They don't see their mom as often and miss her, but the older brother takes his frustration out in the form of anger. He misses the bedtime song "Twinkle" his mom used to sing to his brother and him, and imagines her singing it to her new stepdaughters. It's a cute, loving family story.

I immediately grabbed this book because books about this topic interest me as my boyfriend has a daughter, and her mother has remarried and is expecting a child. Thus, she is balancing out her two homes with her mother, stepfather, and almost baby sister, and with her father and I. I would definitely have this book in my classroom and for read-aloud, because combined families are becoming more common, and it's important to send a positive message for these children.

The illustrations are well done in this book, and start to tell the story before the text begins, which I love. I prefer to have these picture books in my classroom. The illustrations show simultaneous events, for example when the boys are talking to their mother on the phone, it shows both of them in their different places. A couple activities I think would be fun to do as a response is an activity I call "Feelings" and for students to sing a song, since "Twinkle" is a song the mother sings to her children. For "Feelings" we would go through the book together as a read-aloud, and we would record what feelings he experiences, when he has them, why he has them, and how he came to a resolution. This book is awesome!

Next up - Big Sister, Little Sister by LeUyen Pham (2005)



This is a cute "realistic fiction" book that was presented by classmates. It's also cute because the lady who wrote it is the "little sister" and has a "big sister" she based the story off of. It shows how the little sister looks up to the big sister, and the big sister watches out for her and teaches her things.

I grabbed this book right away because as stated, my boyfriend's daughter is going to be a big sister as her mother is expecting a baby girl. I would use this in my classroom for read aloud and for students to look at, as I feel sibling books are important. Giving a positive reflection of the relationship between siblings and their roles is needed.

The illustrations are simple but cute, showing a lot of action which represents the sisters doing a lot of things together. I think this would be a good book to have students respond to it by writing a brief response (1/2 page to 1 page) of the positive traits of their sibling(s) and what they appreciate of them. For students with no siblings, I would have them write a response of if they would like a sibling, and if so what they would like from having a sibling relationship.

Next Up - Sky Magic selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins and illustrations by Mariusz (2009)



This is a neat composition of poems all regarding the sky-poems about sunrises, sunsets, the sun, the moon, etc. This is one of the books I chose to share for children's poetry. The illustrations are all beautiful with rich, almost-soothing colors. I would read these poems aloud to my students, especially when we do the poetry unit!

Another activity I think would be fun is along with the poetry unit, is have students write their own poem about anything regarding the sky. This activity would be made cross-curricular by incorporating art: students could draw and then paint with watercolors how they envision the aspect of the sky they're writing a poem about. Then, they could write over their painting with a light paint-color, or write it on white paper and cut out the words and place it on the paper. We would then hang them all around the room for other students to see.

Next up - Poems For The Very Young selected by Michael Rosen and illustrated by Bob Graham (1993)



This is a nice book full of poems for young children, as stated. I really like the front cover how there is a cute whale, as well, haha. The borders and illustrations of the book are cute, and like the other poetry book I shared, I would use this in my classroom and for read-aloud, and o'course for the poetry unit!


These poems are mostly short, so I think a fun activity to do would be to have students sit in a large circle. We would then take turns each reading a poem from the book. In this way, a lot of different poems could be read. As an extension activity, I would ask students to write a poem about their family, which would be a neat topic.

And Finally - Olivia by Ian Falconer (2000)


This is a cute, simple book about a girl piglet, yet also tells a good story about her day. Whether having a fun time during dress-up, getting ready for the day, going to the beach, going to the museum, taking a nap, etc. she is presented as "This is Olivia. She is good at lots of things." This is actually a series book, there being other books such as Olivia Goes to Venice and Olivia Saves the Circus.

The illustrations are done simply in just black, white, and red-though they are bold and show the story well. The illustrations start before the text begins, which I really like in a picture book. They also portray Olivia's actions and how she feels about them. This would be a good book for read-aloud, and for an extension activity I think it would be fun to have students in small groups afterwards. We would then do the activity where the student each writes a question they have about Olivia, and all the other students discuss it but them. Olivia is a unique and insightful character to observe. After reading this book, I would get the other Olivia books for students to look at when they have free reading time.

Controversial Picture Books...

First Up: Rose Blanche by Roberto Innocenti (1985)



This was an interesting book with a perspective I haven't read about regarding World War II and the holocaust set in Germany. The story follows a young girl named Rose who notices men in uniforms driving away often. There are small hardships in her town, but nothing compared to when she finds these children in fenced in "neighborhoods" with small houses. Not knowing what exactly is going on, but seeing them hunger, she sneaks food to them everyday.


Why I think this book is controversial is because not only is it a war story, but the little girl along with others who helped the Jews died. However, I would have this book in my classroom because we all learn about the Holocaust and it's important to see what went on.


Since this book would raise a lot of questions about the Holocaust war/death, I would use this book for a read aloud. As we went through the book, we would stop and discuss what was going on as a class and students would be able to ask their questions. I think it's important to have this discussion about the book before I have it free on my shelf for students to grab and read on their own. A good activity that could come from this book would be to have small groups of students make a collage/poster, using art materials to represent the main points and messages they got from the book.

Next up - King & King by Linda de Haan and illustrated by Stern Nijland (2002)



This was a fun book which why I think it's controversial is because it's about homosexuality. In the story, the queen is tired of running the kingdom by herself, and wants her son to marry. However, her son falls for a man, and thus they became King & King.


It's a cute story and I think there should be books about homosexuality to children nowadays since it's more common and accepted, though I don't think I would use this book in my classroom. It wasn't aesthetically pleasing to me, and some of the illustrations were drawn in a way I think it looked a little scary. Illustrations are just as important as the text in picture books, so it's important that these are both good quality. 

Next Up - Amazing Grace by Mary Hoffman (1991)



This book tells of a young girl named Grace who wants to play the role of Peter in an upcoming school play. Told by classmates that she can't get this role because not only is she a girl but she's also black, Grace becomes discouraged. However, with some encouragement from her grandmother and mother, she decides to try her best at the auditions-and lands the role! She proves anyone can be anything they set their mind to.

I would use this book in my classroom, because it sends a good message against discrimination on the basis of both race and gender. I would use this in a classroom setting for read-aloud. Afterwards, I would make a "Feeling Chart" with students, writing down what feelings she had, when she had them, why she had them, and how she resolved them. This book would also be a good opportunity for class discussion on both race and gender issues: asking students if these two traits can limit us an how? Should they limit us? This would be good to talk about before and after the book to see how/if responses change.

And Finally - Skin Again by Bell Hooks (2004)



I enjoyed this book and why it's controversial is because it deals with race. It sends a good message, though, that it's just skin that we live in-color doesn't matter. It's inside that's what counts. I would have this in my classroom and would also use it for read-aloud.

Since Bell Hooks gets to the point and tackles the elephant in the room about race, this would be a good opportunity to have a class discussion about race. Asking students questions such as, "Is there anything important about the color of our skin? Can it limit us? Does it say anything about what our personality is like?" I think this would be a good discussion to have both before reading the book and after reading the book to see if the responses of students had changed. Good, fun, wordy book!

A Night Night Prayer (2008)

 "A Night Night Prayer" by Amy Parker, Illustrated by Marijan Ramljak

This is a cute book to read to children at nighttime, as the title depicts, "a night night prayer." A little girl prays to God, and then says goodnight to the world, such as the sun, the birds in their nest, the trees, the puppy, the kittens, her mommy, daddy, and finally, God.

This is a book for younger children, I would read it to my children/early childhood education (preschool) students. It is religious, though, so as a teacher you would have to make sure the children believe in God. Cute, simple, beautifully illustrated book! The illustrations appear to be watercolor and are pastel colors.

Peter Rabbit's Colors (2003)

 Written and Illustrated by Frederick Warne


This is a cute picture book geared towards younger children-toddler age learning about their colors, also told through a story with characters that are rabbits, like Peter and Flopsy, and the goose Jemima and Jeremy the frog. The book is cardboard style with each page being brightly colored with the color being featured. It doesn't say how the illustrations are made, but it appears as if it's a mixture of crayons and watercolor.

Award Winning Novel

 Way Down Deep by Ruth White (2007)

I really enjoyed this adventurous quick-read! The story tells of a curley red-headed toddler who was found on the courthouse of a small town called Way Down Deep, West Virginia. Nestled inbetween mountains in a peaceful valley, Way Down Deep is a peaceful town of a generally joyous community. Appearing to be named Ruby, the toddler grows up with one of the town's founder's direct descendents, who becomes like a mother to her. She learns manners and values, and is well-liked by everyone in town.

I really enjoyed this book! It's fun, and it has mystery: perfect for older elementary/middle school students. I like how it touches on children who have been adopted and/or lost their parents. More than just Ruby in the book had experienced some sort of event like this. I was interested in and couldn't put the book down. It's imaginative with great detail.

As a teacher, I would, as stated, use this for upper elementary/middle school students. Like Esperanza Rising, I would let students read the book independently and then do a book talk to share the story with their classmates. I feel it's a good book to share with students because of touching on losing parents, either by death and/or adoption. The book is also very optimistic and hopeful, which I think books with good messages are always good.

Choice Novel

 Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan (2000)

This book really touched me in many ways-I loved this book! First of all, I love reading books about Hispanic culture-so I was very interested in this book which takes place in Mexico and then to California. What I also really liked is that this a based on a true story-the author's abuelita, grandma. Growing up rich with servants in Aguascalientes, Mexico; after family disaster strikes when Esperanza's father passes away, his stepbrothers take away the family's land and home, Esperanza, her mother, her servant, and her family go to California to find work. What Esperanza discovers is a completely new way of life, but with help of her newfound familia and amigos she is able to learn the graces of life for it's simple joys.

As a teacher, I would definitely share this book with older students, as it is geared towards upper elementary and middle school. I would recommend this for students to read independently, and then to a book talk to share with their classmates. This is a nonficton/fiction well-written and described story that tells of a story and gets us to know more about Mexican immigration.

Cosmo and the Robot by Brian Pinkney (2000)

 This is a fun science fiction book about a boy named Cosmo and his robot/best friend, Rex. Living with his family on Mars, Cosmo is sad when Rex bumps his head and is a completely new robot. Discarding him at the dump, later Cosmo and his sister find Rex trying to hurt them, still the old changed Rex. Breaking him again, Cosmo is able to fix him with a handy-dandy tool set/ten "supersonic" attachments that help him navigate living in outer space, and voilá! Rex is back to himself. Life is happy for them all on Mars.

This would be a fun book to read to younger elementary age children. It shows uses of outer space, robots, and sticking together. Simple wordings with great, colorful illustrations.

Thea's Tree by Alison Jackson, Illustrated by Janet Pedersen (2008)

 This book is a twist on the well-known Jack and the Beanstalk. Thea Teawinkle is a "future scientist" and so naturally, loves doing science experiments. The teacher gives the students a science experiment they can do of their choice. Thea plants a purple seed, watches its tremendous growth, observes a golden egg and golden coins, a singing harp, and at last a crash and a "Fee fi fo fum" with giant footprints and a vanished giant tree.

It was really interesting because after each new event happened with the tree, Thea wrote a letter to a professional of that sort. For example, with the gold coins she wrote a banker, with the singing harp she wrote an orchestra conductor, and with the golden egg she wrote a zoologist, etc. She also doesn't climb the tree or see the giant face-to-face. I thought this was a unique, fun, interesting twist on a known story! I would share this with younger elementary students for showing how a science experiment works with fun and imagination.

Hello! Good-Bye! by Aliki (1996)

This book is cute and makes use of languages! The text goes through and shows different ways and different circumstances when we say hello and good-bye and some different languages for saying each. I'm all about learning different languages, so teaching students different ways of saying things-that's what I'm talkin' bout!

I would use this book with younger elementary students. Cute, diverse, and key points to daily life!

Corn is Maize by Aliki (1976)

 Wow, right away I was drawn to this book because I thought, "This is great for diversity, to learn about the first Americans here, and to discover the original process of a food we eat all too much: corn. There are a lot of things I enjoyed about this book: the diversity as stated, the gobs of information in these 33 pages, and how pilgrims are mentioned, and the first thanksgiving.

I learned much about the original process of corn I did not know before: how it was stored, how their production houses ran on a large wheel of water, how scientists found ancient corn from 5,000 years ago in a cave in Mexico, how some tribes buried a dead fish under the corn to help it grow, etc.

I think this book is good to use for middle to older elementary students, 4th-6th grade. There is so much information I think it would overwhelm a young child. Nevertheless, great book with diverse insight!

A Play's the Thing by Aliki (2005)

This book tells a story of Miss Brilliant's class, and how her and her students are to perform in a play, their version of "Mary Had a Little Lamb." What I really like about this book is the diversity given: all the students are from different ethnicities and have unique names. All the students in the class are optimistic and chipper, except for José, who doesn't like the idea of doing a play, in his words, "again." By the time it's showtime, it's revealed José has insecurites because he's worried his madre isn't going to show. Even so, he for once cooperates with his classmates and performs his role well.

A la fin de the play, José's mom is indeed there. I like how this book shows some students' insecurites and how they all hope and want their parents to come to events and support them. Though the book has a good story, the text is very busy with cartoon-like drawings: lots of different students chattering, all their conversations show up. For this, I would share this with middle elementary students, around 3rd/4th grade.

Best Friends Together Again by Aliki (1995)

 Oh, the sweet childhood joys of best friends! This very colorful, commonly true story is written and illustrated by Aliki in watercolor, marker, and pen. Meet Robert and Peter, two best friends, who have come together again after Peter has moved. At first Robert worries, "Will Peter be the same? Will he look the same? Will things feel the same?" After a worried observation of not remembering Peter's hair is curly, quickly the boys are interrupted by Robert's dog, who Peter notices, "has grown, but is still the same pup!" The boys have a fun day together, meeting other old neighborhood friends, and Robert's new friend Will. They're excited for the remainder of their visit, and when Robert will go to visit Peter another time.

I would use this book in the elementary classroom with younger children, because I think it hits home with a lot students: having a good friend move away. It shows that even with distance, friends can still be closer than ever and their friendship doesn't change. It has a message of hope and joy in childhood pals.

My Feet and My Hands by Aliki (both 1990)

Aliki is an author with a diverse background: having family from Greece and Switzerland, she writes and illustrates her books. At a young age, her parents noticed a gift of drawing, and she went to and graduated from the Philadelphia Museum School of Art.

I enjoyed these books because though basic, they give information and facts on how our feet and hands are composed, and all the things we do with them everyday. The artwork is terrific, too, very bold and colorful. What I enjoyed most about this book was that it didn't only have facts about our feet and hands, but as stated above, all the things we do with them everyday.

I would use these books with younger children, especially those who are learning the basics of the human body. I would say these books are geared towards the baby/toddler child to lower elementary students. Great simple books with bright artwork!

The Start of My First Blog

Here's to my first blog! This will be a literary adventure of sorts. I actually follow a few blogs (3 of them being cooking ones, mainly) and they are all on Blogger, so I am excited to see how actually having one of these blogs works. Well, I'm all set and looking forward to reading literature for this course! I will be sharing with you very soon Esperanza Rising by Pam Muñoz Ryan, Way Down Deep by Ruth White, and an assortment of children's picture books by the author Aliki. Oh, and so many more books! Happy reading! :)