Love That Dog by Sharon Creech

I absolutley loved this book. Most books/stories are told with full sentences and give descriptions of what is happening throughout the book. For example in a regular story the boy would explain what poem the teacher handed out and why they are reading the poem, etc. In the poem there isn't much description or detail of what happens, it just happens. There is more inferring and exploring on the readers part of the book. It's not very long and one line can be one word long but it goes along so well with the the boy.

At the beginning of the book I wondered why he was writing seperate poems about a blue mustang, how it couldn't slow down, his neighborhoond, and his dog. I figured this novel would have to be about a dog somehow beause that is what the title is but I never thought the many poems he wrote at the beginning would combine into a wonderful poem that explains his feelings for his dog and what happend to his dog, Sky. This was a very quick read but it kept me wanting more and wondering what was going to happen.

Oh, Brother by Nikki Grimes (Poetry Picture Book)

This was my favorite poetry picture book by Nikki Grimes that I read. I really enjoy this story because it is about a boy (Xavier) who's mom got re-married and he now has a step-brother (Chris) who he doesn't like. Like Nikki Grimes' other book (When Gorilla Goes Walking) each page is split up into different poems, with different headings/titles, but when you read the whole poem front to back you are able to understand what is going on in the story.

I believe this book can relate to many children and how their parents re-married and there are now new brothers and sisters. So many books are about the "typical" mom, dad, brother, sister, white picket fence family and that is not what every one's family looks like. There are so many different definitions of family and each one is unique that is why I love this book so much.

My favorite part of the book is when Chris is trying to write Xavier's name because he doesn't know how to spell it and Xavier comes up to Chris and says just write brother because that is what I am, your brother. You see Chris' efforts of trying to get Xavier to like him and be his friend and in the beginning Xavier ignores him. In the end Xavier realizes that Chris is just like him and just wants to have a family. They become friends and brothers who love being together.

When Gorilla Goes Walking by Nikki Grimes (Poetry Picture Book)

What is unique about this book and different than the rest of Nikki Grimes' poetry picture books is that on each page there is a separate poem. You can read the book from start to finish to get the whole story about Gorilla and the owner Cecilia but the reader can also look at each page separately and see the different types of poems. Each page has a separate heading and title for each poem that can separate each poem from one another.

I love the way Cecilia and Gorilla act together. It shows that many children and people have friends that are animals and they mean the world to them. They can comfort you when bad things happen like when Cecilia's best friend moved away and can also feel the pain with the animal when they go to the vet to get shots. It's a great book to read with children because they can relate so well with animals they have at their house. Their pet is part of the family just like Gorilla is apart of Cecilia's family. They have fun together and care about each other that is what true families and friends are all about.

Welcome, Precious by Nikki Grimes (Poetry Picture Book)

My favorite part about this book is the words Nikki uses throughout the book. They are very creative and unique that make a beautiful poem. For example, "welcome to robin song adn teh swis of the leaves in the breeze," and "welcome to the skil of grass, the satin of rose petals, and the suqish of sand between your toes." She gives great visual images that allows the reader to use there senses and actually feel, see, smell the wonderful parts of the world.

What I also enjoy is that she talks about the wonders of the world but most of those wonders are parts that are so close to you. The warmth of your fathers arms, your grandmother and your mom. They are just as precious, rare and wonderous as the rest of the wonderful creations throughout the world.

Wild, Wild Hair by Nikki Grimes (Poetry Picture Book)

I really enjoyed this book because I reminds me of my 9 year old sisters hair. She does the same thing at Tisa. She runs and hides every morning because she doesn't want my mom to do her hair. She cries, throws tantrums, says she already did her hair, and trys every excuse in the book to not let my mom touch her hair. We finally had to buy a special brush that "won't hurt her head." It's pretty funny because she does most of the same things as Tisa. I believe this would be a great book to read to kids because so many of them can relate to what is happening in the book. Also at the end of the story when Tisa loves her hair and can't stop looking at it; my sister does the same thing. It might be a chore and hassle to do her hair but when it's done...she loves it. And so do the rest of us because we don't hear her crying.

I really liked how this book used talking in the book. I have never really seen poetry done with converations before and I liked how her vocabualry matched up every other line. It flowed really well together.

The Story Goes On- Aileen Fisher (Poetry Picture Book)

I really enjoy the way this book was designed. The pictures are what really drew me to the book. When you first look at the book you see that they are not painted on regular paper. Behind the frog, leaves and grass are there are words like the paper was pulled out of the newspaper and was drawn on. I looked to see if there was a pattern of the newspaper but throughout the book you can see there are different words, numbers and letters.

This is a poem about the cycle of life and how the bug eats the plant, the frog eats the bug, the snake eats the frog, the hawk eats the snake, the man shoots the hawk, the cyote eats the hawk, the crows peck at the rest of the hawk, and then it will start all over again. I thought poetry was a great way to describe the cycle of life because the words are moving with the pictures throghout the book and it flows really well together. It is a great book for children learning about the cycle of life and a great book to read to show that poetry doesn't have to be all about rhyming. It's still poetry if it doesn't rhyme. Many students don't understand that so it would be a great book to read for that reason as well.

Anticipation Set

Anticipation Set: The Year of Impossible Goodbyes

Thinking about the titles of the two stories: So Far From the Bamboo Grove and The Year of Impossible Goodbyes I believe these two will be very similar readings. The book So Far From the Bamboo Grove opened my own eyes about even the superior Japanese race families being treated poorly and had to go through many conflicts to even survive. I see this book being very similar because it is not only around the same time period but because conflict and hardship is parallel to war. I think that the narrator of the story will have to deal with goodbyes like Yoko that will cause difficulty between her culture, her beliefs or her family. It is the things that we take for granted: being able to go to school and learn about their own culture, wondering when they might eat next or where it will be safe to sleep. Because of the titles of the books and what I already know from So Far From the Bamboo Grove; I believe The Year of Impossible Goodbyes will be very similar to what Yoko went through.

From the quote, "one's life is short, but the life of the spirit is long," I believe it translates to the Korean culture and the beliefs of the family. They might see the hate, the death the blood and all the things throughout life that can be troublesome. But how they react to these incidences and how they live their life echoes in eternity. The spirit of a person goes on and on, and the life of which they live may be short, but their values and beliefs are what allows the life of the spirit to live forever. It makes me think the book will bring acts of hate towards this Korean family but there will be a ending that empowers a person to live well no matter what the circumstance.

A Light in the Attic by Shel Silverstein

My favorite poem in this book is the Prayer of the Selfish Child, which is...

Now I lay me down to sleep,

I pray the Lord my soul to keep,

And if I die before I wake,

I pray the Lord my toys to break.

So none of the other kids can use 'em...

Amen.

This poem made me laugh but also made me think about my siblings and that is something that they would do so the other sibling wouldn't be able to use the toys.

Shel Silverstein is a great poet and illustrator. I love how he is so creative but also there are deeper meanings to many of the poems. It is a great instructional tool to use in the classroom because his pictures are not perfect or his words are not perfect but everyone can use their own mind and light to create some of the most inspirational and creative pieces of writing.

The Polar Express by Chris Van Allsburg

This has to be one of my favorite books of all time! I went to the bookstore this weekend and I had to buy this book because there was just gobs of Christmas/Holiday/Winter books. I read this book with my family every christmas. I love the pictures they enhance the book and bring a sense of fantasy, excitement and hopefulness on every page. The snow, the lights, the buildings, the people make me feel like I am a kid again.

I know this book might not be able to be placed in the classroom but I do believe it has more than a Christmas meaning. It is about being a child and the beliefs and dreams that surround your everyday experiences. At the end of the book when the boy rings the bell and his sister and him hear the most beautiful sound in the world but the parents don't that is a key part for the parents but also the kids. It is also telling the parents allow them to believe and dream big because this is the time that they should be captivated in the wonders of childhood.

So Far From the Bamboo Grove by Yoko Kawashima Watkins

I really enjoyed this story about World War II and the differences it has from how we (United States Citizens) view this war. Growing up and learning about the 1945 time period and what happened we never had a point of view like this. A point of view from an 11 year old girl who has lost her belongings, her family members, her whole life because of this war. We don’t see the part of this, the type that really matters. The part where families are being divided and what occurred to them during World War II.

The part I took from the book that made me realize how similar the citizens are of those who are going through difficult hardships like war. Love and family is an important factor for everyone. No matter what side of the tracks you are on, or who attacked who, all citizens still feel the love, sacrifice, loss, emotion to protect one another and their family. It’s also about moving on and surviving when there is hardship. These two girls lost their mother and they worked together and survived on their own. They didn’t have their father or brother in the first place, that also makes it difficult. But in the end they did it because they cared so much about one another and the love they had allowed them to survive.

Tacky in Trouble by Helen Lester

The first thing I notice in this book is the name of the other penguins: Goodly, Lovely, Angel, Neatly and Perfect. But then there is another penguin who is not doing anything the same as these other five penguins and his name is Tacky. That is what I disliked about this book the most. It basically was saying that the penguin who didn't go along with the rest of them was different. I took this as, "you must follow the norm, or the neat, perfect, and good ones to be liked and treated with respect.

The way I belive the author is trying to portray this penguin named Tacky is that everyone is different and there are some that are not like everyone else but we still love them anyway. I think it is very unusual how the book sort of contradicts itself. It wants to portray people as everyone is not the same but the book is saying that everyone is the same there are just a few odd ones out of the pack.

Wait and See by Robert Munsch

Another great story from Robert Munsch that has extrondinary pictures that corelate extremely well with the text. I really enjoyed this book as a kid and remembered exactly what was going to happen. I believe these types of books really open up a childs mind not only to creativity as a writer but how wishes and dreams can come true. Maybe not from a birthday cake but by working hard. Another part of the book I enjoyed is when the parents made Olivia the birthday cake because they didn't like their wish but Olivia made a birthday cake because she didn't like her own wish when her Mom and Dad were fighting.

I really enjoy the repitition again in this book. Her parents always asked, "did you wish for one word?" Did you wish for two words?" "Did you wish for three words?" After the last question she would always answer yes! Becuase it just wasn't a little bit of snow, rain or money but A LOT of snow, rain and money. Another part of the book that was comical was the neighbors and how they were always sitting outside when these wishes came true.

The Sand Castle Contest by Robert Munsch

Just like other Robert Munsch books I thought this book was very cute and funny for young readers. My favorite part throughout the whole book are tehse four little squirrles that are on every picture. They get ready to go camping, drive their own trailer full of things, go to the beach, build sand castles, and eat the ice cream. I also enjoyed the part where Matthew builds a sand castle that looks exactly like a house but the judges don't believe him that is an actual house. They tell Matthew that he needs to get the house off the beach as fast as possible but the judges didn't listen to him. Finally Matthew kicked down the house and showed the judges that it was built out of sand. Then he won the contest and got a bathtub full of ice cream (mostly every kids dream).

At first I didn't understand why the beginning of the book had to do with a dog the family didn't have but it really tied into the ending well. I learned that Kalita's sand dog also played a part that tied into the beginning of the book. It was a very clever idea.

Thomas' Snowsuit by Robert Munsch

I think this is a really cute book done by Robert Munsch. Just the expressions on Thomas' face throughout the book really draw me in and I don't even have to read what is going on. I also like the repitition in the story where the mom, the teacher, the principal all tell him to put on his snowsuit and he says, "NOOOOO!" But I think it's funny when his friends ask him to come out and play with them, Thomas says, "ok," puts on his snowsuit and goes outside to play.

There was one part in the book where the teacher and Thomas were standing in the classroom in their underwear and the principal comes into the room. I was thinking to myself, oh no, what is the principal going to say to the teacher. But the teacher blamed Thomas the whole way. It was pretty funny. Then at the end of the story the principal moves to Arizona where no kids have to wear snowsuits. It is a funny story for children and I would for sure put this book in my classroom library.

Author Study- Julia Cook

I was very interested in Julia Cook's work because my aunt gave me many of her books. I thought they were very creative and entertaining books for children that also provided ways for children to grow and become better people. I really wondered what infulenced her writing and if she was a teacher at one point in time because most of her books went along with the classroom.
Julia Cook has a Master's degree in Elemntary School Counseling and served as a guidence counselor. Another great thing about Julia is that she is a keynote speaker and gives inspirational talks to children and adults across the United States. The best part of her writing that I enjoy is her way to involve young people adn teach them to become better.

Here is a list of her books:
- Tattle Tounge: about a boy who tattles and learning the difference from right and wrong.
- Bully Beans: this book speaks to the bystandar of bullying.
- The Bubble Wrap Queen: a book about injury prevention for children.
- Don't Be Afraid to Drop (My Personal Favorite): it's about positive persepctive on change, taking risks, and giving back.
- I am a Booger, Treat Me With Respect: Boogie the booger teaches children what boogers do for our health.
- It's Hard to be a Verb: A book for all who struggle with paying attention.
- My Mom Thinks She's My Volleyball Coach... But She's Not: A book about being a fan and a coach. Between the supportive fan and obnoxious spectator.
- My Mouth is a Volcano: A book about a boy who always interrupts.
- Scoop: Personal saftey tol dfrom a child's viewpoint.
- Personal Space Camp: about a boy who struggles with personal space issues.

These books would be great to use in the classroom and to be placed in the classroom library, especially for younger elementary students.

Here is Julia Cook's website with information about how to find her books. (They are very difficult to find in libraries and book stores). They also come along with posters from how to use a tissue and other information that can be placed in the classroom.
www.juliacookonline.com.