It's So Amazing- A book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies and families by Robie H. Harris

Harris, R. (1999).  It's so amazing; a book about eggs, sperm, birth, babies, and families.  Cambridge, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press.

In this informational book many topics about life and giving life are covered including reproduction, male and female parts,  growing up, inside and outside parts, the job of sperm and egg, sexual intercourse, love, pregnancy, babies,  birth, adoption, kinds of families, keeping safe, and HIV&AIDS.  These very important topics about life are discussed with both text and illustrations that use kid friendly language but does not "sugar coat" or use " baby talk".  It's important for children to feel comfortable talking about these issues and topics and this book gives them a tool by which to do so.  The book's design and organization uses colorful cartoon or comic like illustrations, speech bubbles, pictures with details and labels, an index and diagrams.  The pictures show realistic body parts and inside parts but makes it easier for children to comprehend than actual photographs.  All of the scientific information is accurate but keeps a positive tone through out the text.  The book is divided by topic so it's a great reference tool to go back to again and again as specific questions about life may arise.  I highly recommend this to any parent as a communication tool to help facilitate or introduce these topics. This book would also be good for anyone discussing these topics to a school audience (nurse, counselor, PE or heath teacher).  I feel this book is appropriate for even the youngest elementary student or any child questioning their body or human life in general.  

Babymouse; Queen of the World by Jennifer and Mathew Holm- Book Set #5

Holm, J. & Holm, M. (2005). Babymouse; queen of the world.  New York, NY. Random House Children's Books.

In this first book of the Babymouse series, Baby Mouse is introduced.  She is an average "tween" girl (even though she is a mouse) who simply wants to be queen of the world, is that too much to ask for? Instead her life just seems typical....homework, chores, annoying little brother, curly whiskers, and a locker that is always stuck.  She wants to be like Felicia Furrypaws the most popular girl in school, she was the real queen... in Babymouse's eyes. Babymouse desperately wants to be invited to Felicia's slumber party, but she has to give Felicia her book report and give up a movie night with her best friend in order to make it happen.  At the party Babymouse realizes who her true best friend is and that she really already is queen of the world because she has everything she could ever want...cupcakes, good books, dresses with hearts, and a true best friend.

Characters and style stand out the most in this adorable low fantasy graphic novel.  Except for the fact that the animal characters in this book can talk, the characters are typical tween age kids.  Babymouse of course is the main character and she is just a girl who most girls this age can relate to because she wants to be friends with the cool girl at school.  Within the book we can see her imagining things as if she was in a mystery, adventure, science fiction, or ghost story.  She likes to read these kind of books and she usually starts to daydream in the middle of the day.  From here, our minds learn to become sort of like a movie and we are able to go back from the dream scene to the regular scene.  The authors also writes speech bubbles and captions to Babymouse as if she is having dialog with the authors themselves.  We typically think of boys attracted to graphic novels, but I think Babymouse has probably captured a whole new audience of girls.

A Big Guy Took My Ball! by Mo Willems- Book Set #5

Willems, M. (2013).  A big guy took my ball.  New York, NY. Hyperion Books for Children.

Piggie runs to Gerald his elephant friend to tell him that a big guy took his ball.  Piggie is obviously upset and heartbroken over it that it makes Gerald really mad. He is so mad that he is determined to get the ball back from the big guy.  When he discovers that the big guy is a whale, then he is to intimidated to get the ball back.  The whale thanks them for finding his ball but is sad that nobody will play with him because he is too big.  Gerald and Piggie make up a game of "whale ball" that has everyone playing together.  In this Geisel Award winning book, this novel can be classified as fantasy because the animals are talking.  Otherwise the characters are totally relatable because kids in all different sizes are on the playground. With hardly any description or even an illustration of setting and a very simple plot we rely on the characters to carry the book's content within their dialogue and facial expressions within the illustrations.  The book does however have a universal theme of friendship, and "not judging a book by it's cover".  This is a wonderful read especially for young and beginning readers.

Rapunzel's Revenge by Shannon and Dean Hale- Book Set #5

Hale, D. & Hale, S. (2008).  Rapunzel's revenge.  New York, NY.  Bloomsbury U.S.A. Children's Books.

In this graphic novel made for young adults we find a unique twist on the classic fairy tale Rapunzel. In this story, Rapunzel lives with the evil Gothal who she thinks is her mother.  She lives her young life trapped between the towering walls of a large Mediterranean style villa.  One day she discovers what is over the large wall, a desolate land in ruins with people living in poverty and despair.  Among them she discovers her true mother and when forced to go back to Gothal, she gives her a piece of her mind.  Unfortunately Gothal has planned well in advance for this and has her taken to a tree-house like tower in the middle of a dangerous swamp.  It is so high that Rapunzel can not escape.  She lives here in the tower for many years, growing up to be a beautiful young women as her hair grows longer and longer.  Until one day, when she is 16, she ties her hair into a braid and uses it as a lasso to tie around a tree and swing on it like a rope.  As soon as she is free, she figures out how to wrangle a wild boar and ride it until it's shot by  a generic "adventure hero" in cowboy get up who looks a little like a Ken Doll.  He shows his true colors when he reveals his intentions and so Rapunzel plays a little joke on him.  She then finds her way into an old western saloon where she saves her soon to be sidekick Jack and his goose from a dangerous fight.  They steal some horses and runaway from the trouble.  The two get to know each other and decide to return to Gothal to seek revenge and get Rapunzel's true mother out of danger.  A few adventures are thrown their way, but Rapunzel always seems to save the day and get the two back on track.  Together they manage to sneak their way back to the Villa where Rapunzel's mother is trapped in the dungeon.  They save her and defeat Gothal with some help from Jack's beanstalk and a magic tree.  Rapunzel and Jack's friendship turns into romance and a it turns into a happy ending for all...even the goose who finally lays a golden egg.

Along with an Old West style , the characters and setting are important components in this graphic novel.  Rapunzel is not a princess that needs any rescuing.  She begins as a weaker, younger, more naive and vulnerable character, but years of built up anger and frustration in  a tower make her a powerful, strong, spirited, and independent young women with the sharp mouth of a cowgirl.  She has plans of revenge and to save her mother.  Jack is the con-artist/thief turned good-guy sort of side kick.  Together the two show a playful, witty, and sarcastic dialogue that helps turn their relationship to friendship and later romance.  Unlike most classic fairy tales as well as comic stories  the hero is a girl and her sidekick is the boy. I personally love it.  It is a powerful character that young girls can relate too and look up to. No more damsel in distress.  There of course are many characters who help the duo along the way and of course the evil villain, Gothal.  The setting is also an important factor in making this novel so unique.  A swampy marshland, and southwest canyons and dessert help complete the western spin on this story.  The comic strip illustrations give us full details of where they are, almost like watching a movie. This graphic novel is a great read with possibly units of  study on women heroes, twisted versions of classic fairy tales, and on the graphic novel itself.  

Check out the sequel Calamity Jack at http://www.squeetus.com/stage/books_jack.html

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt

Appelt, K. (2008).  The Underneath. New York, NY. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

The Underneath is the description for the area under the porch of the house where Ranger lives with his master Gar Face who is a mean and abusive man.  Ranger protects a stray pregnant calico cat and her later her kittens Puck and Sabine by helping them to hide underneath and away from Gar Face.  When Puck surfaces from the underneath, he is caught by Gar Face along with his mother and they are then used as Alligator King (a very large alligator that is over 1000 years old) bait. Another story continues to be woven within the stories of these animals friends and of Gar Face himself.  Grandmother Moccasin, Night Song, and Hawk Man reveal their own story and how Grandmother Moccasin came to be buried in a pot underneath the roots of a tree for over a thousand years until one day lightening strikes the tree and the pot resurfaces.  The stories connect when sadly the mother cat is drowned, Puck escapes, and Sabine and Ranger try to take care of each other.  Gar Face is eaten by the Alligator King and the Grandmother Moccasin is freed from the tree and the pot and then decides to free the animal family front their chains.  

The plot stands out in this book mostly for its multiple perspectives and story lines that are in the end connected.  The plot of several stories goes back and forth with each chapter and is woven through out the entire book.  This is not an easy plot to follow for younger readers who have not developed a concept for several different stories at once.  Each story is very different from the next with characters and even time. Gar Face is a human story that explains the reasons for his behavior and anger.  The talking animals develop a heartfelt story of life and family and the ancient story of the strange half human/animal creatures seem like something out of greek mythology. It provides a unique blend of people, animals, and magical creatures.

See if it's a book you would like to read at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IwFChjedMg

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick- Book Set #5

Selznick, B. (2007).  The invention of Hugo Cabret.  New York, NY. Scholastic Press.

Hugo is a young boy who lives in the train station apartment in Paris.  He is alone because his father has died and his uncle has disappeared.  He is left in charge of making sure all 27 clocks in the train station are functioning daily.  His sole possession is an automaton figure that shares many memories from his father but is broken.  Hugo is determined to figure out how it works. He steals a toy from an old man at a toy booth and the man takes his notebook of information about the automaton.  He is determined to get it back and becomes friends with Isabella the old man's goddaughter.  One day Hugo snatches a necklace from Isabella that looks like something that would fit in the keyhole of the automaton.  He discovers that it is a missing piece and him and Isabella watch the automaton draw a picture from one of Hugo's dad's favorite movies.  He also signs the drawing Georges Melies which is her godfather's name .  Hugo finds out that George's once was a famous movie maker that everyone seems to believe is dead.  With the help of some friends and family Georges finally gives his story up.  On his way home Hugo finds out that his uncle has died, he is being chased by the station inspector and booth keeper for stealing some milk, and he almost dies while falling in the train tracks but Georges comes to his rescue.  After that Hugo finds a new family with Georges.  He creates his own automaton, the one that created this book.

This book has strong setting and plot.  The setting is described in great detail but drawings through out the book give us more specific visuals as well as to help the story continue to move forward.  Old black and white photographs are used on a few pages to show Hugo's dream and Georges movies.  It is a unique  and secretive setting full of secret tunnels and paths and behind the walls and clocks of a train station.    The plot is very interesting and is told through a combination of text and narration and pictures.  The pictures are so much a part of the story that is important and necessary to the story itself (not just an accompaniment).  Much like a wordless picture book that carries the entire story.  It obviously still has enough writing to be considered a novel but one with a Caldecott Award.  

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman- Book Set #5

Gaiman, N. (2008). The graveyard book.  New York, NY. Thorndike Press.

Nobody Owens, otherwise known as Bod is a boy who looses his entire family to a man who has killed them all.  As a toddler he fled the scene of the crime only to wind up in a graveyard where he stayed  in the care of ghosts, Ms. and Mrs. Owens and a guardian Silas who is neither alive or dead but somewhere in-between.  He stays here in their safety because Jack (the man who killed his entire family) is still out to get him, but he does not know that until much later in the story.  His life is full of adventures lead by ghosts, witches, ghouls, werewolves,  an Indigo Man, Night-Gaunts, and The Sleer. He also has some interesting powers that help him that he gains from being raised by the dead.  He has a friendly childhood relationship with a girl named Scarlett who then moves to Scotland.  She returns years later and helps to fight off not one but an entire brotherhood of Jacks who are trying to kill Bod.  After loosing some of his powers, Bod leaves his graveyard  life for real one in the real world.  This plot in this ghost story is full of adventure, excitement and suspense. An array of characters from  the after life become a part of Bod's new life and he grows up knowing the "after life" rather than actual life.  The feelings of lost and alone that come from not knowing his real family can resonate with anyone who has lost a family member or is adopted.The setting and characters are given detailed descriptions to help us imagine a world unknown to us.  This is a fun read for anyone who is interested in the life of the dead.

Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy

Landy, D. (2007).  Skulduggery Pleasant. New York, NY.  Thorndike Press.

In this first of nine books in the series, a skeleton dressed in old-school gangster apparel is not only witty and magical detective, but he is tough enough to protect Stephanie Edley a 12 year old girl who's uncle has just died. She has inherited his mansion and his processions and money and is attacked by a strange man when Skulduggery arrives to save the day. Stephanie helps Skulduggery investigate her own uncle's murder and discover that her uncle has a deadly weapon known as The Sceptre of the Ancients.  A weapon used by the first scorers against "The Faceless Ones".  The key to this locked away weapon is actually a brooch left to another relative in the family.  Serpine is the evil villain and wizard who wants the scepter.  Skulduggary, Stephanie and a few other allies come together to defeat Serpine.  Stephanie realizes she has a few magical powers of her own and names herself Valkyrie Cain. The authors style and plot give this fantasy book some power.  A lot of quick wit and banter between just about everybody is presented in order to have us laughing through out the action packed scenes.  The plot is filled with descriptive fight scenes, magic,  and colorful characters that complete this fantasy of good vs. evil.  New and inventive kinds of creatures and characters also make this a unique and different high fantasy series one that will capture an audience of eager followers.

If you would like to join in on the following, go to http://www.skulduggerypleasant.com

Lunch Lady and the League of Librarians by Jarrett J.Krosoczka- Book Set #4

Krosoczka, J. (2009). Lunch lady and the league of librarians.  New York, NY. Random House Children's Books.

In this graphic novel about a lunch lady superhero and her lunch lady side kick, the breakfast club (a group of 3 students who know about the lunch lady and her super powers) has discovered that something strange has been going on with their librarian.  Sure she is busy setting up for the book fair, but she seems more irritable than usual.  When they confide in the lunch ladies about their suspicions, the lunch ladies look at some surveillance video that confirms the librarians are indeed going to take over the world starting with the destruction of all video games.  The lunch ladies and the breakfast club (unbeknownced to each other) have decided to do a little more investigation at a different library with one of the librarians who is part of the League of Librarians.  However, she fails to discover what the video tape does; that their plan is to stop a delivery truck of the newest X Station 5000 gaming system.  The League of Librarians are able to do this by throwing dictionaries at the truckers and movers and then opening their powerful and magical Book Beasts where beasts and other creatures from other fantasy stories come to life by jumping from these books.  The Lunch Ladies fight back with their hovering pizza boards, sonic juice boxes, and hairnet nets.  Just when the lunch ladies seem to be defeated , the breakfast club comes to help them fight the battle.  In the end justice is served, the librarians are arrested, and the newest X station 5000 becomes a promotion tool for the Read-A-Thon.  Once again the Lunch Ladies save the day, but they will be back.

In this hilarious and fanatical graphic novel, what seem to be just normal school staff members are both super heroes and villains.  The lunch ladies are unnoticed by most, but come to the rescue when duty calls.  The crazy flying food and book weapons of the two rivals explains why these books are considered fantasy.  The characters are lovable ladies that seem normal from any student waiting to get some more french fries, but possess within them extraordinary super powers, super tools, and the desire to do good and keep all that is right in the world.  It makes the reader stop to question, what if our lunch ladies and librarians had super powers!? The plot in these books goes rather quickly but is high action and exciting.  This enjoyable and easy read does not have to many underlying messages or themes about life, but it sure was fun to read!

For more information about the Lunch Lady series books go to  http://www.lunchladycomics.com

We Are The Ship- The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson- Book Set #4

Nelson, K. (2008).  We are the ship; the story of negro league baseball. New York, NY.

We Are The Ship is a NYT Best Seller, a Coretta Scott King Award winning book, and a Sibert Medal Award winner.  The historical fiction picture book is divided into innings rather than chapters.  Beautiful, oil paintings are featured in one and two page spreads of the entire pages and fill the book with life.  The narration of the story is from the view point of a fictional ball player who "lived"  and  played through the time in which the Negro League existed.  But the story and history of the Negro League Baseball is true.  The narrator describes the beginnings and organization of the league by Rube Foster who said that Negros would have to organize a league themselves if they wanted to play professionally.  And his quote "We are the ship; all else the sea" is the title for this book.   Through out the book, real players are described and woven into the history and story. In the 2nd Inning we learn about the kind of rough baseball that was played in the league as compared to the majors. In the 3rd Inning we learn about life on the road and the experience of segregation as well as heroism. In the 4th Inning we learn about the Negro League owners who earned their money through the "numbers" game. In the 5th Inning the Negro League All-Stars and their talents are described.  Many of which were more talented than the all-stars in the major leagues. The 6th Inning covers the ball players who came from Latin America.  The 7th Inning describes how unfair the umpires could be when playing the white leagues.  The 8th Inning describes the Negro League All Star Game and the impact of World War II draft had on the participation of the league.  In chapter 9, baseball legend and hero Jackie Robinson is introduced and the true story of how he was the first African American to participate in the Majors, breaking ground and making way for the sport, the country, and for other players.  The last chapter tiled "Extra Innings" describes the end of the Negro League because after Jackie crossed over, many of the best players were soon signing with the majors.  

The story of Negro League baseball is compelling because of its authenticity.  The time lines, names and dates help to make the reader realize the accuracy of this book.  The included bibliography and resources at the end help to do the same.  The baseball players, although less relatable to today's young readers are still captured as the glorious athletes that they were.  A hero to many at the time and perhaps connects to those baseball lovers of today.  The plot is mostly a true account of what life would have been like during that time as a baseball player with all it's ups and downs of the culture of America during this time.  The theme of leadership, breaking barriers, and the love of baseball is woven through out this authentic story making it an especially wonderful book for baseball lovers of any age, race, or time period.  

The Watson's Go To Birmingham-1963 by Christopher Paul Curtis

Curtis, C. (1995).  The Watson's go to Birmingham.  New York, NY. Random House Audio Publishing Group.

This is the story of  an African American family living in 1963 in Fynt, Michigan. There is Kenny who is the middle child in 4th grade and who narrates the story told from his point of view. He is smart but often picked on, but makes friends with Rufus who has just moved here from the south. Then there is  Momma, Dad, Joetta (Joey) his little sister who is in Kindergarten, and Byron(By) is his older 13 year old  brother.  The family is dealing Byron's mischief.  He continues to get in trouble by being a bully, setting things on fire, running up his parent's grocery tab, killing small animals, and straightening his hair. The family decides they need to go to back to where Momma grew up at Grandma's house in Birmingham, Alabama.  Momma says that its warm, life is slower, parents are stricter and their children respected them.  While in Birmingham Byron is starting to be nicer, more respectful and is listening to his Grandma.  Kenny however disobeys her and decides to go to an area called Collier's landing where there is a dangerous whirl pool that has killed a boy in the past.  Kenny almost drowns in the whirl pool, but Byron saves him. Byron tells his younger sibling the whirl pool is "wool pooh" which is an evil twin brother of Whinnie the Pooh.  One day Joey goes to church with the neighbors.  During the service there is a bombing. Kenny shows up and finds Joey but experiences some strange hallucinations along the way. The family goes to look for Joey but can't find her anywhere.  She shows up at the house with Kenny avoiding harm. This scares the family enough to know it's time to head home that night.  The bombing has really shaken the family, but Kenny seems most disturbed by the experience of almost drowning, loosing his sister, and seeing the "Wool Pooh".  They all reflect on how life is different in the south...both good and bad. Kenny finally gets over some of his shock and anxiety with the help of By, who has himself decided to be a nice guy after all.  In this historical fiction we experience relatable problems and themes of a typical American family including growing up, teenage rebellion, friendship, bullies, and family.  The theme of race, segregation and civil rights is shown as the North and South are compared to each other. The theme of loosing family and near death experiences and how those experience can change a person are also present in this novel.  Setting is important in this story as we experience the differences in weather, scenery, and people's behaviors toward each other and how they are different from Flynt compared to Birmingham. This is a wonderful story about a family, their love for each other, and a reminder of the hardships, hurt, and racism during this period in American history. 

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices From a Medieval Village by Laura Amy Schlitz- Book Set #4

Schlitz, L. (2007). Good masters! Sweet ladies! voices from a medieval village.  Cambridge, Massachusetts.  Candlewick Press.

This is a collection of monologues and a a couple of dialogues set in a village in England in the year 1255.  There are 22 young characters that speak and describe something from their life during this period of time. The monologues are poetic and some combine characters from the previous story, but none depend on each other.  We learn about Hugo and his ability to hunt a boar.  Taggot, the blacksmith's daughter who has a crush on Hugo. Will is a plow boy who helps his father tend the land, keep his secrets and take care of his mother and sister even after he has died.  Alice is the Shepherdess who considers herself to be "more sheep than human" and even saves the life of one of her sheep through song.  Thomas is the doctor's son who learns from his father about the practice and saving lives.  Constance is a hunchback pilgrim who is eager to find healing through a magical spring.  Mogg is the villein's daughter who describes how her violent father dies and about her cow Paradise.  Otho is the miller's son who describes his father and his job and how he cheated villagers out of their portion of flour. Jack is the half-wit brother of Mogg who is friend's with Otho because he helps him after his father beats him.  Simon is the knight's son who's family now has no more money and says that Simon has to be a monk instead.  Edgar is the falconer's son who has stolen his sparrowhawk, trained it and is setting it free, but does not care about his punishment for it.  Isobel is the Lord's daughter who has a stain on her gown from someone throwing "dung" at her.  Barbary is the mud slinger who throws the dung at Isobel in a moment of jealousy.  Jacob Ben Salomon (the moneylender's son) and Petronella (the merchant's daughter) are in the first dialogue of the book, although spoken not directly to each other but about each other. Jacob is a Jew and Petronella is a Christian but they see something in each other that makes them peacefully skip rocks across the water rather than throw them at each other.  Lowdy is the varlet's child who had to deal with fleas.  Pask is the runaway who finds help from Lowdy.  Piers is the glass blower's apprentice who discovers that blowing glass is harder than it looks.  Mariot and Maud are the glass blower's daughters and their father said one of them will marry Piers.  Mariot wants to marry him, but Maud does not.  Nelly is the "snigger" who catches eels and frogs to sell and saves Drogo from drowning. Drogo is the tanner's apprentice who is proud of producing leather goods.  Giles is the beggar who has the final monologue that starts with the title of the book "Good masters, sweet ladies!".   Giles and his father the medieval version of con artists.

In this historical Newberry Award picture book of poetry, the monologues of each character describe something from the period of time which it is trying to portrait.  The poems are created in the 21st century by the author but are given specific period vocabulary and wording that makes the reader feel as though it was an original work of Shakespeare.  It is written with some style of medieval language or old English but with enough common modern language for adolescents to understand.  Accuracy, research, and validity are present with footnotes, bibliography, and the very helpful pages titles "a little background" that explain the thinking and culture of the times. With this style, the author is also able to right from the point of view of a young person, making each character relatable with today's audience.  The characters make up the entire collection as no major plot is present. Their is not one main character but a collaboration of 22 characters each with their own story to tell.  Because of the characters and style of this writing, it is a perfect reading for presentation, drama class/club, or any opportunity to act out to present these characters and the time period that it represents.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Kinney, J. (2007). Diary of a wimpy kid.  New York, NY. Amulet Books.

Greg is the middle child who is starting middle school. He has been labeled "gifted"  and he hasn't hit his growth spurt just yet.  Greg enjoys playing video games (but his parents don't quite approve) and drawing comics (as we see through out his journal entries). He has an older brother, Rodrick, who plays all sorts of pranks on him.  And a a little brother, Manny, who can do no wrong according to his parents.  He also has a dorky best friend Rowley who he "takes under his wing" because he feels sorry for him, but he also tries pranks on him like his older brother does to himself. Greg goes on to describe his daily life as a middle schooler through each of his journal entries.  He describes each of his encounters and thoughts about friends, parents, brothers, girls,  school and the "Cheese Touch".  He experiences a video-game ban (in trouble with his parents), class elections for Treasurer, battling tricky teenagers on Halloween,  starting a weight-training program, preforming as a tree in the Wizard of Oz play, not receiving gifts from his wish list on Christmas, breaking his best friend's hand, joining and later getting kicked out of safety patrols,  and entering a cartoonist competition for his school newspaper.  Perhaps his biggest problem is loosing his best friend after lying about a safety patrol incident with some of the Kindergarteners.  He is able to later save his friendship when he takes the blame and tells everyone that he touched the cheese on the basketball court and therefore had the "cheese touch" (a little like the cooties).  

Characters, plot and style make this novel of contemporary realistic fiction a favorite.  The main character is unrealistic in illustration because of the cartoon drawings of himself.  However, he is a relatable kid because he is going through the same struggles that many young boys are going through as they enter middle school.  He is dealing with friends, liking girls, wanting to gain muscle and wanting to be popular or at the very least the kid that doesn't get made fun of.  The plot of this book is different than most other books in this genre.  Although there is one main problem in the story (his relationship with Rowley), we get to laugh at an entire school year's worth of crazy shenanigans, which makes for never a dull moment and keeps us wanting to read more.  The style of this book is witty and corky.  We see all of Greg's thoughts and feelings because we are reading his diary, but the added bonus of seeing his comics and cartoons complete with speech bubbles adds a hilarious side to otherwise normal issues of middle school.  It's unique, charming, and comforting that we don't have to take problems to seriously.  It is a great read for anyone entering middle school.

To see a trailer for Diary of a Wimpy Kid go to http://www.wimpykid.com/books/book1-2/

Out Of My Mind by Sharon M. Draper- Book Set #3

Draper, S. (2010).  Out of my mind.  New York, NY. Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Melody is an 11 year old girl who remembers everything since she was two years old.  She understand language but can not speak, nor can she walk or move at all. She can't feed herself or even take herself to the bathroom.   She has cerebral palsy, her body does not cooperate at all, but her mind has always worked well.  She recalls her first memories and first struggles. Her parents are supportive and loving. They have always advocated for Melody even against doctors and teachers who didn't truly understand her.  Mrs. V is also a big support for Melody ever since she was a baby.  She has never treated Melody much differently than any other child and is helping her to be challenged and grow and learn even when facing real world problems, like learning to turn over her body if she falls, pulling herself to her stomach and crawling, and even practicing buckling her own seat belt.   Mrs. V helps Melody communicate using cards on a communication board.  From here Melody quickly learns, letters, and hundreds of words and sentences.  When Melody enters public school, she is faced with mindless activities in a special education class where she is board and frustrated at the same time. During this time, her mother has another baby, a little girl Penny, who is born perfectly healthy and able.  Melody loves Penny but still has some frustration when she sees her sister grow and move in ways she never will be able to.  When Melody comes back to school to begin 5th grade she is pleasantly surprised to find out that the school will now provide inclusion classes for her.  She will be going into mainstream classes, starting with a new homeroom teacher who moves them to music and later adding classes by subject...she is thrilled.  She also gets a new university student assistant to help her function in class named Catherine who actually talks to her like a "real human".  When she is assigned a bibliography project, Melody chooses Stephen Hawking (her role model).  She also realizes she wants to have what he has, a computer to talk for her.  After communicating that's what she wants to Mrs. V and her parents, she receives a Medi-Talker just before Christmas that she names "Elvira" after one of her favorite songs and memories.  She practices using it and is soon able to communicate and demonstrate just how intelligent she is.  She even makes a trivia competition team that competes at a regional level and moves onto a national level in Washington D.C.  However, a snow storm causes Melody's flight to be cancelled and she finds out the rest of her team has already left on an earlier flight. She is devastated. She insists on going to school the next day despite her long eventful evening and her mother, in a rush, backs her car and hits her sister Penny who has run out of the house.  Melody had tried to tell her mother using her shrieks and screams but couldn't.  Penny is in the hospital, and Melody feels it's all her fault.  The story ends with her working on an autobiography project where she begins with the first lines of the story...this is her autobiography.

This is a beautiful and strong piece of realistic fiction that brings new light on the handicapped world and culture.  The author's strong use of characters, plot,  and theme make this an outstanding literary work. I don't know of any other works of literature where the point of view is from inside the mind of someone who had no use of their body.   Melody's world is not like most "normal" kids and so her character may not be relatable to everyone but to the population that can relate, it is an iconic character.  Her struggles of frustration are so powerful, it is a character you come to support and feel with.  The plot is interesting through out the book as it describes her life's struggles from even a very small age up until her recent moments in time.  The themes of friendship, hardship and struggles to feel "normal", and the way we treat others are compelling and powerful messages to all.



For a preview of Out of My Mind and more about Sharon Draper go to http://sharondraper.com/bookdetail.asp?id=35

Rules by Cynthia Lord - Book Set #3

Lord, C. (2006).  Rules.  Waterville, ME.  Thorndike Press.

Catherine is a 12 year old girl just starting her summer break.  She has a brother who is Autistic named David.  Catherine constantly has to watch after David as he tries to function socially. She makes up rules to help him remember how to act appropriately in all kinds of situations which only seems to work sometimes. She is often embarrassed of him, and worries about what other people think of David, her family and mostly herself.  Catherine misses her best friend Melissa who is away visiting her Dad in California for the entire summer.  A pretty and "cool" girl named Kristi moves in right next door and she is excited to start a new friendship with her, but also constantly worried about what Kristi thinks of David.  Catherine also makes a new friend Jason that she meets at the Occupational Therapist office that David goes to.  Jason is in a wheel chair, and can not move with out the help of someone else and can not speak either.  He can, however, communicate by pointing to picture cards in his communication book.  Catherine's skill and love for drawing is used to create more picture cards for Jason and a friendship develops as they use the cards to communicate.  Kristi wants to take Ryan, a boy she likes (but is also mean to David) to a community dance and she asks Catherine if she wants to go with Jason.  Kristi does not know that Jason is handicapped because she has only seen him through a drawing.  Catherine is to embarrassed to tell Kristi about Jason because she is afraid of what she will think of him and of herself.  Jason invites Catherine to his birthday party   at his house which is the same day as the dance.  Catherine uses this as an excuse not to go with Kristi and Ryan to the dance.  During the birthday party, Jason asks Catherine if she wants to go to the community dance.  Knowing that Kristi will be there, she says no, that she can't dance, but Jason realizes it is because she is embarrassed of him.  After running off from the party, Catherine decides to call Jason and ends up leaving a message with his mom to meet her at the dance.  At the dance Catherine apologizes to Jason and introduces Kristi and Ryan to him, to which they are most definitely judgmental and angry at Catherine for not telling them about his handicap. Catherine and David make up and  dance together, even if it breaks one of her rules.  

Rules is an outstanding realistic fiction book because of both the characters and plot. Although not all readers would be able to relate to having a sibling with Autism, there are very few books that address this relationship and so this is a particularly special book for that reason.  Most all readers could identify with family and being embarrassed of them in some way or another.  Readers can relate to wanting to have a cool friend, missing a true friend, and worrying about what others think.  The plot mostly deals with relatable everyday happenings but also has a few surprises because of David and his public behaviors and of course all of his rules.  Many emotions arise when Catherine is asked to the dance by her two best friends and what they will do when they finally get the chance to meet.  True friendships are revealed as well as acceptance of self and others even if they are not "normal".  

Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson- Book Set #3

Paterson, K. (1977).  Bridge to Terabithia. Waterville, ME. Thorndike Press.

 Jess is a farm boy who lives in the country with his parents and 3 sisters.  His hobbies and interests include running and art.  He is excited about his first day of school to show everyone that he is the fastest runner in 5th grade until Leslie, a new girl in town shows up and outruns him and everyone else.  At first this angers Jess but he makes the choice to become her friend instead. She is interesting to Jess because she seems to be the opposite of him in so many ways. Leslie has come from suburban life with nice cars, houses, and fancy schools. Her family takes vacations where she scuba dives and her family has even chosen not to own a T.V. They are a liberal, intellectual, and cultured family...everything that his family is not. One day after school Leslie and Jess decide to create a world of their own within the nature and woods of a near by forest.  They swing across a creek on a rope to their kingdom of Terabithia where together they rule their imaginary land.  Within their oasis, they develop a close friendship and help each other work through life and their own problems.  During a terribly raining Easter weekend, Jess is invited to drive to Washington DC to explore an art museum with his teacher Miss Edmunds who appreciates his talents (and whom he happens to have a crush on).  When he returns home from his long day, he discovers the news that his best friend Leslie has drowned trying to swing across the rushing flood water of the creek when the rope broke.    His devastation is expressed through a grieving process of denial, numbness, anger, sadness and crying.  He finally accepts this loss when he decides to rebuild a bridge to Teribithia with wooden logs and makes his little sister May Belle the newest queen, honoring his friend by moving on but continuing with their traditions and love.  This book is a classic because it meets all of the evaluative criteria for the makings of a wonderful piece of contemporary realistic fiction.  Perhaps that is why it is a Newberry Award Winning Book.  It's strongest criteria being the characters, setting, and theme.  These opposite characters develop a relationship and appreciation for each other at a time in their life (and mostly likely in the readers life) when boys and girls seem to separate unless they are together in a romantic way like a boyfriend or girlfriend.   The characters are relatable to both boys and girls.  The rural setting and natural "getaway" of Teribithia may be foreign to some readers but no less magical.  The theme of deep and true friendship along with loss and death are universal themes that many young readers need to relate to.

Dear Mr. Henshaw by Beverly Cleary- Book Set #3

Cleary, B. (1983).  Dear Mr.Henshaw. New York, NY. Morrow Junior Books.

Leigh Botts writes to the author of his favorite book Mr.Henshaw when he is in 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and now 5th grade as part of a variety of author study school assignments.  When Mr.Henshaw writes him back with a series of questions about who he is and what he likes and dislikes, Leigh reluctantly (and only because his mother makes him) replies.  This sparks an interest in writing and fills a void of having a friend and father figure with him.  He continues to write to Mr.Henshaw but then follows the suggestion of continuing his writing in a diary rather than letters.  His writing becomes more frequent and with each entry we discover more about him and his interests, his relationship with his father, and his new and inventive ways of keeping others from stealing his lunch.  Leigh also develops his skill as a writer and even enters a competition where his honorable mention writing piece gets the attention from a "real live author" and she complements him on his honest expression.  All this helps him to deal with the hardships of his parents divorce.  In this contemporary realistic fiction piece, the main character, Leigh, is easy for readers of similar age to identify with, especially boys.  He is going through a number of struggles that any young reader might be going through. This includes  his parents divorcing, moving, missing his friends and dog, being the new kid, being sort of "average" and quiet and living with only one parent. His thoughts and feelings are expressed  through his own writing rather than direct dialog but we can still see the relationships he has with others.  The act of writing regardless of how alone he is helps this character to grow and change and come to accept others and see the positive in life.  The author's unique style of revealing a story through letters and diary entries reveals the strong point of view of one character.  It is appropriate for the purpose of the book as it focuses on his internal thoughts and emotions rather than an exciting plot.  This is a wonderful piece of contemporary realistic fiction for its ability to relate to and style.

How They Croaked ; The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous by Georgia Bragg- Book Set #2

Bragg, G. (2011).  How they croaked; the awful ends of the awfully famous.  New York, NY.  Bloomsbury Publishing.

In this trivia type of informational book the author describes the deaths of 19 famous individuals through out history.  True, most of us know or will learn about these individual's important and lasting contributions for their life or life's work, but how many of us really know about their death?  An interesting but sometimes surprisingly gruesome concept is presented through the description of each.  Included in this book are King Tut, Julius Caesar, Cleopatra, Christopher Columbus, Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Pocahontas, Galileo Galilei, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Marie Antoinette, George Washington, Napoleon Bonaparte, Ludwig Van Beethoven, Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, James A. Garfield, Charles Darwin, Marie Curie, and Albert Einstein.    Each individual has a section dedicated to the description of their death.  A detailed but cartoon like drawing of each is shown at the beginning along with a gravestone marking their role or famous title,  the place and year that they were born and died, and the age at their death.  At the end of each section there is a double page spread with interesting facts either about something noted in their life or death.  Mostly trivial facts but never boring.  The author has also managed to play a sort of “7 degrees of separation” in the back of the book as a flow chart illustrates the connection of the lives of these historical figures. A complete source page is included at the end of the book along with references to further reading and surfing, and a complete index to help readers pick out individuals they may want to study.  This helps to justify the book’s authenticity and accuracy of historical facts. 

For a creepy preview of this book go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_g1DKSH6T8

Balloons Over Broadway- The True Story of The Puppeteer of Macy's Parade by Melissa Sweet- Book Set #2

Sweet, M.  (2011).  Balloons over broadway; the true story of the puppeteer of Macy's parade.  New York, NY.  Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

This is the true story of Tony Sarge who was a puppeteer, artist, designer, and creator.  He is most famous for the design and creation of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons.  His ingenuity and imagination brought balloons to life.  He thought of his creations as simply an upside down puppet or marionette (a puppet held by and moved by strings).  Instead of the strings going up, they would go down.  He worked with a blimp company to make balloons out of rubberized silk filled with air and some helium too.  In May 1928 the balloons made their debut in New York and they have become more spectacular every year. The Macy's Thanksgiving Parade has become a tradition to watch in almost every American's home thanks to Mr. Tony Sarge himself.  In this picture book biography, Melissa  Sweet is able to capture the talent of one man and his enormous contribution to American culture through his art.  The Author's note (which explains her research process), bibliography and sources give the story validation and accuracy.  Melissa Sweet combines water color illustrations with collages to help us imagine "what it may have felt like to be in Sarg's world", and gives the story a unique design and style of its own.   Colorful enough for even the youngest student, and interesting enough for anyone who appreciates art or has fond memories of the Macy's Thanksgiving parade from their own childhood. 

Here are some good sources and ideas for activities and lessons to go with this book-

melissasweet.net
http://suzyred.com/2013_Balloons_Over_Broadway.html

Magic Windows by Carmen Lomas Garza- Set #2

Garza, C. (1999).  Magic Windows. San Francisco, CA.  Children's Book Press.

This combination of a survey style book and informational storybook  features artist Carmen Lomas Garza as she demonstrates her " Papel Picado" or cut paper artwork on each page. She says that when looking through Papel Picado, it is like looking through a magic window.  The book is a collection of her cut paper artwork but on each page, the history, background, details, and story about each piece is told in both English and Spanish.  Her collection includes cut paper of the images that are important to her.  They are images of her family, traditions, food, and plants and animals of the Mexican American culture.  The design of the book is as bright, colorful and inviting as the artwork itself.  Bright variations of southwest colors are bordered with black like looking into a window.  Titles are labeled in larger bold print to help readers pick and choose what artworks they may want to study in more depth.  This a great resource book for studying this specific type of artwork as well as expressions of Hispanic culture and heritage and about the artist herself.

Spiders by Trudi Strain Trueit- Book Set #2

Trueit, S. (2012). Spiders. Tarrytown, NY. Marshall Cavendish Corporation.

In this combination concept book and activity book that is divided by chapters, basic information about spiders is introduced.  We learn about where they live, what they eat, what features, characteristics and body parts they have as well as interesting facts about their strength, size, and  flexibility.  In chapter 2, the reader becomes the explorer and is introduced to how to go about their own spider hunt.  This includes ideal weather and climate, what to wear, what to take and where to go to find the things that spiders are attracted to. It also gives step by step instructions on what to do once you've found a spider.  In chapter 3, A Guide To Spiders, helps identify spiders based on their appearance, color, length, and other markings.  No doubt the reason that his informational book is so great for children is it's organization and design.  It's visual access features include photographs, diagrams, and charts.  It's verbal access features include a table of content with chapter titles, index, glossary, inserts, subheadings, and page numbers.  The short introduction at the beginning explains to readers to look for "Safari Tips" and "Trek Talk" which are additional interesting facts that are separate from the main content on the page and pop out will a different color and added illustration of either foot prints or binoculars to help the reader identify which one is which.  Labels and matching photographs help readers to search for more specific information and pick and choose the information that they want and need. Glossary words pop out in bold text like that of the format of most modern text books.  This concept book is great for spider enthusiast and researchers of all ages.

Hitler Youth by Susan Campbell Bartoletti - Book Set #2

Bartoletti, S. (2005).  Hitler Youth. New York, NY.  Scholastic Inc.

This is a photo-essay book that captures the children who were either a part of, rebelled against, or were discriminated against by the organization Hitler Youth.  The Hitler Youth was made up of millions of girls and boys that followed the Nazi Party and Hitler.  It was started even before the Nazi's took over  in the 12 years of the Third Reich.  Hitler knew that in order to have an entire country willing to follow and die for him, he would have to start with the young who would be growing up with him as their leader.  He knew that children were more easily shaped and brain-washed and would be able to commit and contribute fully to their country and his ideology as they got older.  The book follows the true stories and accounts of actual children growing up in Germany before, during and immediately after Hitler's regime. It follows a timeline of how the Nazi party came to be and how the Hitler Youth was very much a planned part of that organization.  The true accounts, along with black and white pictures on every page of the children and the time in history that it captures are heart wrenching to say the least.  The author has done a fantastic job with accurately capturing this period in time through the stories of others giving this book a unique view and style, which she has thoroughly researched.  Some of her information is from real life conversation and correspondence and some of it from letters that were written during this time.  She describes her research process at the end of the book.  I had never even known that this organization existed until I read this book, and it played such a huge part in history.  Photography of the time is proof of what is the most shocking and saddest parts of human history.  This book will no doubt leave an imprint on children and adults alike. 

Rosa by Nikki Giovanni- Set #2

Giovanni, Nikki. (2005).  Rosa. New York, NY.  Henry Holt and Company.

Rosa Parks was a wife and daughter who worked as a seamstress in Montgomery, Alabama.  While coming home from work one day she takes the bus that is sectioned where whites or blacks could sit as well as free or neutral seating where anyone could sit.  She decides to sit down in the neutral section, but before she knows it, the bus driver is yelling at her to get out of the seat.  When Rosa refuses to move, she is arrested and taken to jail.  Soon the word spreads around the city about her arrest and before long support is gained from the Women's Political Council, the NAACP, churches and even the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. himself.  Rosa's decision on the bus that day turned into a boycott, then a national civil rights movement, then a supreme court decision that declared that segregation was wrong.  All because one women decided to say no to what she knew was wrong.  This is a picture book biography and historical piece of literature.  A unique style describes this story of Rosa Parks that does not only give us the "bus scene" but background about Rosa and her family, the people in her community, and a look at her inner thoughts and feelings during this event.  Large illustrations that include a combination of painting and collage work help readers to visualize the information that is organized to the side.  Although the story itself is factual, the emotions and feelings about this significant time in history help readers to empathize with how it must of felt to live a life so unjust and fight for basic human rights.  Although many have documented the event of Rosa Parks on the bus, the lack of documented resources in this book makes me question the accuracy of some of the details.  However this story takes us beyond what happened to a women on the bus one day but how one person's actions at any given moment can change the world forever.

For a list of other picture bibliographies like this go to http://www.scholastic.com/parents/blogs/scholastic-parents-raise-reader/we-people

Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak- Book Set #1

Sendak, M. (1963). Where the wild things are.  New York, NY. Harper Collins Publishers.

Max liked to wear his wolf suit and get into all kinds of trouble even talking back to his mother, and so he is sent to his room without dinner one night. A forest starts to grow in his room, then an ocean appears and Max takes a boat to the place where the wild things are. Max tames the wild things, then plays with him, and he even becomes their king.   He sails back to his bedroom where he finds his dinner waiting for him.  In this Caldecott Award winning book a child's imagination runs wild.  It is a story that has lasted the test of time because of its meaning to children and adults who reflect on their own childhood.  What makes a childhood so special is the freedom of imagination and the ability to be "wild" and still know that you will be loved.  It is a story about the brief period of time known as childhood where for many of us, our imaginations are not bogged down by the reality of the world.  For this simple but deep theme, this book is and will always remain a children's classic.


A Read Aloud of the book can be found at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MnJn3567UMo

It's a Book by Lane Smith- Book Set #1

Smith, L. (2010). It's a book. New York, NY.  Roaring Brook Press.

A simple story of a monkey who tries to explain what he is holding to well, a jackass.  His repetitive response to the endless questions about what sort of technology he might have is "no, it's a book." When the jackass finally sits down long enough to read it, we find he is indeed captivated and involved in what is no doubt a good book.  Since he will not give the book back, the monkey finally has to go back to the library to get another one. This very witty picture book makes fun of the newest generation of students who are often exposed  more to technology in many different forms and formats than they are to an actual book.  A book use to be such a common thing, that it is now humorous (and quite disturbing actually) to find that it's not at all common and technology in the form of laptops, iPads/tablets, and cell phones are what we see in most everyone's hand today instead.  It is sad to think that anyone would not know of what a book actually is, but most everyone knows how technology has taken over our lives and world in many ways (weather we like it or not) and that sitting down to read a good book is often a foreign concept. Although this colorful book is fine enough for children, older students and adults will appreciate the subtle humor and even the play on the word "jackass" as a character in the story. Younger students probably would not think much of the story or get the humor for they have not experienced the world as someone older who has known how the world has changed with technology.

To find more information on Lane Smith and his award winning books and illustrations go to www.lanesmithbooks.com

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach retold by Carmen Agra Deedy- Book Set #1

Deedy, C. (2007). Martina the beautiful cockroach. Atlanta, Georgia. Peachtree Publishers.

Martina is a cockroach from Cuba.  She was of age to get married and everyone was excited about her choosing a suitor.  Her grandmother or Abuela  suggests she pick her new husband by spilling coffee on him to test to see how he will speak when he looses his temper.  A rooster, a pig, and a lizard all seek her hand in marriage but as soon as coffee is spilt on them, they show their true colors.  When Martina is about to give up for the day, a mouse comes to show her who she was truly meant to be with. This adorable Cuban folktale gives us opportunities to teach about different languages, cultures, customs and traditions.  The use of many words in Spanish teaches a new language to some and supports native Spanish speakers by using familiar language.  Large illustrations cover the pages of this book and a catchy rhyme of Martina's full name is repeated with each suitor..."Martina, Josefina, Catalina, Cucaracha, Beautiful Muchacha."

to learn more about the unique Cuban cockroach or the origins of this folktale, go to 

http://www.beautifulmartina.com

The Legend of the Bluebonnet by Tomie DePaola- Book Set #1

DePaola, T. (1983).  The legend of the Bluebonnet.  New York, NY.  G.P. Putnam's Sons.

In this Texas Folktale from long ago, the Comanche tribe experiences drought and famine.  The Great Spirits call for a great sacrifice so that it will rain again.  The young girl "She Who Is Alone" decides that she will sacrifice her warrior doll with the bright blue feathers of a Blue Jay bird.  This is her most prized possession because it was her only remaining item from her family who had all died from the famine. She decides to sacrifice her own doll for the good of her people by throwing her doll into a fire and then taking the ashes and throwing them into the hillside.  When the tribe wakes up the following morning they see the hillside covered in bluebonnets and the rain begins to fall.  From this moment on, her tribe decides to call her by a different name "One Who Dearly Loves Her People".  Beautiful colors of the sky, feathers and Bluebonnets contrast with the beige earth tones of the dry lands, as well as the tee-pees and Native American clothing.  This book can be used for many meaningful lessons and activities for young students.  It is a perfect lesson starter to Texas Symbols, specifically the Texas state flower.  It also serves as a great example of what a folktale or legend is and the elements of that type of story.  In addition this book could also serve as a discussion starter for learning about Native American people specifically the Comanche Tribe and the customs, traditions, names, language and culture of that people.  There are so many teaching opportunities in this book and the extraordinary pictures of Caldecott Honor artist/author Tomie DePaola never fail to captivate our eyes and hearts.

Read Alouds of this book can be found on youtube.com, search The Legend of The Bluebonnet.

Mirror Mirror by Marilyn Singer- Book Set #1

Singer, M. (2010).  Mirror mirror.  New York, NY.  Penguin Group.

Mirror Mirror is a fantastic collection of poetry and "reversos".  Marilyn Singer uses classic fairly tales to demonstrate what would happen if we read a poem down a page and then what happens if we read that same poem up the page.  She divides each page in half to show the two poems.  Each poem is a summary of one side or version of the story while the reverse often shows the opposite or reverse version of the same story.  The absolutely beautiful and colorful full page illustrations on the opposite side of the text are also divided in half to illustrate the good and evil or darker side of each story or opposite view.  It is like a mirror image both in text and in illustrations, hence the clever name of the title of this book. This book is truly unique in demonstrating a unique kind of poetry to students because most students already know the original version of the fairy tale.  This book would be a great springboard for poetry lessons and creations of original poems and reversos.  Each poem could also be use as a follow up to the original versions of the fairy tales or a study of all types of versions of classic fairy tales.  It would help to also explain point of view to students and that there are two sides to every story.  This is a great book with a lot of teachable moments and lessons.

See more at http://marilynsinger.net  and www.joseemasse.com

The Three Pigs by David Wiesner- Book Set #1

Wiesner, D. (2001). The three pigs. New York, NY.  Houghton Mifflin Company.

In this unique version of a classic fairy tale the three pigs are blown out of the story by the big bad wolf.  The pigs come out of and off the pages and have adventures flying on paper airplanes from the pages of the story, making friends with other characters from other stories, and putting their own surprise ending on their story.  Leave it to David Wiesner  in both his story and illustrations to have us all thinking outside the box.  He makes us think about the story in an entirely different way.  Colorful illustrations are done in many styles highlighting different kinds of stories.  He uses a cartoon like version for the beginning of the story but when the pigs are blown out of the story they suddenly become more realistic and life-like.  As the pigs visit other stories, illustrations change back to soft pastel cartoon like characters for a nursery rhyme to very detailed black and white drawings of a mid-evil fairy tale. Transformations from one story to the next are shown through characters as they leave or jump into stories and half of their body is drawn in one style and the other half of their body in another style.   On several wordless pages, the realistic art does all the story telling without any need for text. It isn't any wonder why The Three Pigs is a Caldecott Medal Award winner.

To find a collection of some great video clips and trailers for The Three Pigs and other David Wiesner books, go to http://mrschureads.blogspot.com/2013/10/david-wiesner-day.html

or to www.davidwiesner.com

This Is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen- Book Set #1

Klassen, J. (2012). This is not my hat. Somerville, Massachusetts. Candlewick Press.

A little fish steals a hat from a big fish.  The little fish thinks he has out-smarted the big fish, but he is not so lucky.  This Geisel Honor Book, #1 New York Times Best Seller and New York Times Best Illustrated Children's Book of the Year is simple yet clever.  Humor is created through pictures and specifically and subtly through the eyes of the characters.  Jon Klassen brings intrigue and laughter to children and adults alike through his use of straight forward conversational text that oppose what is actually happening in the illustrations. This is an instant classic.

See book trailer at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhbYyEdYWY8&feature=kp