Cinder Edna

Title: Cinder Edna
Author: Ellen Jackson
Publisher: HarperCollins, September 24, 1998
Reading Level: 2nd and up
Pages: 29
Genre: Picture Book










Summary:

Here's another spin on the classic Cinderella story. Two girls lived by eachother, Cinderella and Cinder Edna. They both have two evil stepmothers and stepsisters that make them clean and cook and anything else they can think of. However, they both approached it differently. Cinderella would complain and not do anything about her hard life. However, Cinder Edna would sing and whistle and she even took on a side job of cleaning parrot cages to earn extra money. One day an announcement came out for a royal ball. The stepsisters had their sisters get them all ready and clean up after them when they left. Cinderella compained that she wished she had a fairy godmother to give her a beautiful dress and carriage so she could go to the ball. And poof! It happened. However, Cinder Edna used her saved money to get a dress and she took the bus to the ball. At the ball Cinder Edna met the prince but she was totally bored by him. Then she met his younger brother, Rupert, and they danced and told jokes and she even told him her 16 recipies for a casserole! Cinderella met the prince and they danced too. However, at midnight, both girls had to leave. (Cinderella's spell would wear off, and Cinder Edna knew the busses would stop.) The princes ran after them, but they ended up running into eachother. Rupert's glasses broke, and then they found the shoes of the girls. Rupert had gotten Edna's name, but the prince never asked. The prince decided to go to all the girls in the area and have them try on the shoes. Rupert went to to phone book and looked up all the Edna's and went to work. When they almost lost hope thye came upon their last house. The prince went in and the stepsisters couldn't fit into the dainty little glass slipper. However, the girl in rags could. The prince took her to the castle to be married to him. Rupert went into the house and wouldn't let the stepsisters try on the loafer because they were not named Edna. When Cinder Edna came up he did not recognize her because his glasses were broken. He asked her to name off the 16 casserole, but when she could only remember 15 he started to turn away. Then she told him a funny joke from the dance, he kissed her and asked her to marry him. Then they had a double wedding with the prince and Ella. Ella, however, did not like her life because she had to sit through lectures and listen to the prince talk about boring things. Edna, on the other hand, lived in a cute little cottage and her and Rupert lived happily ever after.

My Reaction:

This is my favorite twist on the Cinderella story! I love how Cinder Edna actually made something of her life instead of wishing for something better. I also like how Cinder Ella was there too and you could compare the two girls. It helped to see that Edna made the better choices in her life.

Potential Problems:

The only problems that could be in this book is that the stepfamilies are mean to the two girls. Other than that, I didn't recognize any problems.

Recommendations:

I think this is a great story to read to little kids. It would help teach them that they shouldn't wait around for their fairy godmother to come and grand their wishes. They need to work and make the best of their life, even if it's a bad situation.

Art & Max

Title: Art & Max
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Book, October 4, 2010
Reading Level: Any age
Pages: 37
Genre: Wordless Picture Book







Summary:

Arthur is an artist. While he is drawing a picture of another lizard Max comes barreling in. Max tells Arthur that he can paint too, but Arthur doesn't believe him. However, when Max walks away dejected Arthur lets him paint as long as Max doesn't bug him. Stuck, though, Max askes Arthur what he should paint. On Arthur's suggesting that he could paint him, Max starts to throw pain upon Arthur. Arthur is so mad that he yells at Max and then all the pain shatters off of him. Uh oh! When the paint shatters, Arthur is sill colored! So Max brings a huge fan and starts to blow all the color off of Arthur, but it doesn't work. He gets a drink of water, and then he really does lose the color. Arthur was colorless! He was so mad that he started to run away, but MAx grabs onto him and then he starts to unravel! Pretty soon Arthur is a jumble of string. Wanting to help, Max starts to reform Arthur, but it takes him a few tries to get it right. Max runs and grabs a vacuum and cleans up all the color and tells Arthur to wait. BAM! He shoots all the colors onto Arthur and now he's spotted AND colorful! When they start to pain again they throw it all over and have fun! Most of this story is portrayed through pictures. There are hardly any words, and through the pictures you can see how crazy it is and how upset Arthur gets. It's also fun to watch the other lizards that Arthur was paintint at the beginning. The two are usually fine with what's happening. However, the red one gets quite upset and frustrated at what's going on.

My Reaction:

When I first read this story I thought it was different, and I wasn't sure if I liked it all that much. However, when I read it again I loved it. I think this was because I paid more attention to the pictures and the emotions that were being portrayed.

Potential Problems:

I didn't recognize any potential problems with this story.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this to anyone who wants to have fun with a book. For me it brought back the memories of finger-painting and no drawing within the lines. I think kids would have fun looking at all of the colors on the pages, and with how they put Arthur together again.

Sector 7

Title: Sector 7
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Clarion Books, September 20, 1999
Reading Level: Any age
Pages: 45
Genre: Wordless Picture Book









Summary:

Yay for field trips! And this class gets to go to the Empire State building! They run to the elevator and go to the top. A little boy goes off on his own and runs into some fog, and what happens!? It takes his hat and scarf! When he looks around there's a cloud wearing his things and he won't give them back. The cloud shows the little boy what he can do and then he takes him for a ride. They fly and fly until they arrive at a place in the sky called Sector 7. Soon they are surrounded by other clouds and they go inside. However, the boy isn't allowed there sothe clouds hide him and take him to the assignment station. Here they look at the blueprints which show ordinary clouds. However, the clouds are upset because they can do so much more! They show the boy the different shapes they can make, and then the boy sits down to draw his own blueprint. He draws all sorts of fish and passes them out to the clouds. All of a sudden the people in charge notice something is going wrong. They head out and take all the blueprints and demand tha the clouds return to their normal shapes. This is when they find the boy and they take him away to the taxi station. A big cloud then takes him back to the Empire State building and drops him back off at the top. His little cloud from the beginning came with them too! So they hug, and then the teacher calls him. In a hurry, the cloud hides beneath the boys coat and they head to the elevator. The little boy floats because of the cloud, and then they are outside. The little cloud spreads his arms to show the boy what's hapening. The sky is alive with sea life!! The clouds are in the shapes of the blueprint that the boy drew and the world things it's amazing! The crew back at Sector 7 isn't very happy though. However, the clouds keep making shapes, and the little cloud goes home with the boy. This is another picture book that is wordless. The pictures take up the whole page, and you are able to see people's expressions very well. When the clouds decided to become different shapes they look like real life... except white. It's fun to see the different sea creatures and the reactions of the people when the clouds show up so different.

My Reaction:

I love wordless picture books. It's fun to create your own story and to be able to find new things in pictures no matter how many times you look at it. It reminds me of the ISPY books where there's always something different.

Potential Problems:

I didn't recognize any potential problems in this story.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to anyone with an imagination. How many of us have looked at the clouds to find shapes? This book is a total play on that, and it's fun to see the shapes that they do create. Little kids will have fun looking at the pictures, and older kids will have fun creating a more advanced story with their imagination.

Flotsam

Title: Flotsam
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 2006
Reading Level: Any age
Pages: 36
Genre: Wordless Picture Book







Summary:

There was a little boy who went to the beach with his family. He had microscopes and magnifying glasses and containers to explore. When he goes to look at a crab a huge wave crashes into him. After he recovers he sees a camera sitting on the beach. He grabs it and runs to his parents. They head to the lifeguard, but he's never seen it before, so they take it back and take out the film. The boy goes to the 1-Hour-Photo Shop and waits and waits for the film to be processed. When it's finally done he goes back to the beach and looks at them. They are some crazy picture! Octupi sitting on furniture that came from a truck that suck to the bottom of the ocean, little aliens taking pictures of sea horses, giant starfish and more. However, the last picture gets his attention the most. It's a little holding a photo of another child who's holding a picture of another child and it goes on and on. The boy grabs his magnifying glass and looks at the picture more closely. He notices that the picture goes back to olden times with black and white photos. His parents come to get him, and while they are packing up he decides to take a picture of himself holding the photo. He takes it, and throws the camera back into the ocean. Different sea creatures grab on to it and take it far away where it washes up on shore and a little girl picks it up. This book is also a wordless picture book. The pictures are big and show great detail. You can see the boys excitment when he finds somethings and his awe when he looks ate the photo after photo after photo inside of one photo. The pictrues of the sea life are very detailed. You can see every spike on the sea horse and the suction cups on the squids. It shows a life under sea that nobody has ever seen before, and the last page shows that the pictures wil continue to be taken.

My Reaction:

I found this book fascinating. I kept wanting to look closer at the photos to see what secrets were hiddden within. It was fun that the sea creatures in the pictures were personified, and I could look through it forever!

Potential Problems:

I didn't recognize any potential prroblems in this story.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book most definitely! It is fun for kids to see the pictures and make up there own story. It would be fun to have them read it when they were little and then see what they think when they read it again. It's always different! You notice different things and you learn more!

Tuesday

Title: Tuesday
Author: David Wiesner
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin, 1991
Reading Level: Any age
Pages: 29
Genre: Wordless Picture Book







Summary:

Around eight on a Tuesday weird things begin to happen. The frogs asleep on their lily pads are soon awakened as their lily pads begin to raise up. However, they are not in shock for long. They fly into town and scare all the birds, then they start heading to the houses. A man is shocked as he sits eating his sandwich as frogs fly past his window and one actually waves at him, but the frogs keep going. They fly into the laundry hanging up to dry and some of them are de-lily padded. The rest grab some towels and use them as capes as they continue their adventure. The frogs arrive at a house where a grandmas is sleeping in front of her television. They grab the remote and most of them sit glued watching a show. Another frog starts to be chased by a dog, but soon recruits come and the odds are switched, but then, as they are flying around, frogs begin to fall all over the place. Morning has come and their flying powers with it. They hop back to the pond, much to their dismay. When the people wake up they find lily pads all over town, and the man who was eating a sandwich is reporting to a camera. However, they don't know what happened. However, next Tuesday something odd starts again... what happens when pigs fly? What's unique about this book is that there are almost no words. A few here and there show what time it is, but other than that it's only pictures. This is exciting because it adds so much more to the story. Since there aren't hardly any words you focus more on what's happening in the pictures. The frogs show facial expressions, and you see how much fun they have as the night continues. My favorite is when they are back in their pond and they are upset that they can't fly anymore. It is fun to look for all the frogs and see what each on does.

My Reaction:

I love this book! You can find so many stories within it. I absolutely love looking for the frogs that are doing something other than the main thing on the page. It made me laugh to find new things the more I looked through the story.

Potential Problems:

I didn't recognize any potential problems in this story.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to any age. Little kids who can't read, as well as adults who can, are able to use their imaginations with the pictures and come up with their owm story. It would be fun to use in a class and have the students come up with what the frogs are saying as they have their night adventure.

Wemberly Worried

Title: Wemberly Worried
Author: Kevin Henkes
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, July 25, 2000
Reading Level: 1st and up
Pages: 30
Genre: Picture Book










Summary:

Wemberly worries about EVERYTHING. Whether is be about her little doll, Petal, or about her parents missing. Nothing her parents say can stop her from worrying. That's when school decides to start. Wemberly worries that she'll be the only one to bring a doll, or the only one with spots, or the only one wearing stripes. Her paretns, and her grandmother, keep telling her not to worry so much, but she does. When she gets to school she hides behind her parents while they talk to the teacher, Mrs. Peachum. When her parents leave, Mrs. Peachum introduces her to a young girl in the class, Jewel. Jewel has a doll, and Jewel is wearing stripes. At first they just look at eachother, but soon they introduce their dolls to eachother, and then they start to play. Before she knows it, it's time to go home. When Mrs. Peachum tells them to come back tomorrow, Wemberely tells her not to worry, she'll be back. Not only does this story have text to tell you the story, there are pictures to add to it. In every picture you see Wemberly's big worried eyes, and when she's with her parents you see them be worried that she's so worried. My favorite pictures are with the grandma. She tells Wemberly that she worries too much, but the picture is worth a bunch of laughs. Her grandma is wearing skates while holding a cane and sporting a t-shirt saying 'Go With the Flow.' However, Wemberly does keep worrying and then she goes to school. Once she makes friends with Jewel, her facial expressions change. Instead of big worried eyes, she smiles big and has fun with what she is doing. The pictrues are colorful, and even the text is sometimes included in the art work. It will be BIG or small, and on one page it even takes up more space than the picture!

My Reaction:

I loved this story! The pictures were fantastic; they helped you to see just how worried Wemberly was, and just how shy she was at school, and how much fun she had when she made a friend. I love how colorful the pictures are too! A child would love to sit and look at the pages.

Potential Problems:

I didn't recognize any potential problems in this book.

Recommendations:

I would definitely recommend this book to everyone. Especially to parents who might have a worrisome child. This story can show a child that they don't have to worry about everything and that they should have fun.

Love That Dog

Title: Love That Dog
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: HaperCollins, March 1, 2001
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 86
Genre: Realistic Fiction










Summary:

Jack loves poetry, and that is how he always writes. This book is written as a journal entries by Jack and they are written in short lines... like a poem. Jack writes poetry for his class but he's never sure if it really is poetry. However, his teacher asks him if she can put his work up on the board for everybody to see. At first he says ok, but he doesn't want his name put on it; just in case somebody doesn't like it. As more and more of his poems are put up, he becomes brave. Yes, you can put it up, and if you think it's good, you can put my name on it too. Kids congratulate him and tell him that they like his poems. In his journal entries, Jack also writes about the poems they read in class. One day they read a poem called Love That Boy by Walter Dean Myers. Jack loves it so much that he writes his own secret poem inspried by Walter Dean Myers. His teacher encourages him to write Mr. Walters and ask if he would come visit their school. At frist he didn't want to, but once he did he was scared because he didn't think he would ever come. Then he heard back from Walter Dean Myers and he was coming to his school! He came and Jack loved it. He wrote a thank you letter to him, and he included his poem imspried by Walter Dean Myers, Love That Dog.

My Reaction:

It took me a little bit to get into the flow of the writing. Where it's written in the shorter lines my brain doesn't seem to process it as fluently. However, after a few pages I got the hang of it and I was able to make more sense out of the story. I really liked how he had such an inspiration for poetry and he kept at it even when he wasn't so confident.

Potential Problems:

The only potential problem that I recognized is that Jack writes about his dog, Sky, getting squished by a car. It might be sad for little kids, but overall it's a really good book.

Recommendations:

I think this would be a great story for introducing poetry into an elementary class. It can show students that poetry can be about anything, and it doesn't have to be compicated.

The Great Gilly Hopkins

Title: The Great Gilly Hopkins
Author: Katherine Paterson
Publisher: HarperCollins, June 17, 1987
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 178
Genre: Realistic Fiction











Summary:

Galadriel Hopkins is a foster child, and she hates that. She knows that her mother, Courtney Rutherfield Hopkins, is out and ready for her to come back to her. So this is why she is known as a trouble maker. Ever since the Dixon's, a family Gilly fell in love with and then they moved, leaving her back at the home, Gilly has been reluctant to fall for anybody again. Her next victims live in Maryland, and Ms Ellis tells her to try and be good to this family. Trotter's children have already grown up and moved on in life, however, she has been caring for foster children for 20 years. The past two have been devoted to William Earnest (W.E.), and now Gilly is coming. She thinks she starts of great, however, those first weeks are trialsome. Gilly hates it there and she sends a letter to her mother complaining of how bad it is. She doesn't want to be in the Harris 6 classroom with a bunch of black kids, and she doen't want to bring Mr. Randolph, a blind, black man, home for dinner every night. That is, until she finds money behind his books. Gilly undergoes an instant transformation. She wants to earn enough money to get a bus ticket to San Fransisco and find her mother. She recruits the help of her 'friend' Agnes and W.E. She is so nice to them, that they forget of the terror she can instill and the are super willing to help. After being left to babysit W.E. one night. Gilly sets to work. They head over to Mr. Randolph's house and she finds $39 dollars. However, a ticket is $138.60. Disappointed, Gilly heads back home. However, she is determined to find more money. One night, Trotter asks her to run upstairs and grab a tie of the late Mr. Trotter for Mr. Rudolph. While there, Gilly finds $100 in Trotter's purse and she takes it. That night she decides to run away, but the ticket man calls the police men and they take her downtown. Trotter and W.E. come rushing in and nobody can get her to go home. However, W.E. comes and convinces her. Has Gilly started to love this family? A while later Mr. Rudolph becomes sick so he moves in so Trotter can take care of him. Unfortunately, Trotter and W.E. fall sick, so Gilly has to take care of them. During this time a woman who claims to be her grandmother comes to the house, and, upon leaving, promises Gilly she will get her out of that horrible house. It's only until the next night that Gilly truly understands her meaning and it scares her to death. Then Ms. Ellis comes and explains that her grandmother had come and claimed her. Howevr much Gilly refused there was nothing they could do. She goes to live with her grandmother, and she writes back to Maryland to the family she really loves. Then at Christmas her dream come true is about to happen. Courtney, her mother Courtney!, is coming to visit. Gilly is a jumble of nerves at the airport, and she begins to cry as she realizes that her mother must not be coiming. However, Nonnie, her grandmother, calls out to a Courtney and when Gilly sees her she is so sad. It doesn't look at all like the picture in her suitcase, and she's only staying for two days? She isn't even excited to see anybody and she's mean. Gilly runs to the bathroom and makes a telephone call to Trotter. She is determined to come back to them. However, Trotter explains that his is her life now and that they will still write her, but she needed to be strong. Reluctantly, Gilly agrees and politely tells Nonnie and Courtney that she is ready to go home. She knows that Trotter would have been proud of her actions.

My Reaction:

I had mixed emotions throughout this book. At first I was appaled at how much Gilly swore, I mean, she's only 11! However, I did come to love that about her attitude. (although I do not think that ANY 11 year old (or anyone for that matter) should swear) I loved that she began to change for Trotter, W.E., and Mr. Rudolph. However, I hated that she was so racist! I hated that she had to leave Trotter when she finally found someone that she could love again. I also didn't like the ending. I had hoped that she could have gone to live with Trotter and just visited her grandmother, but she couldn't. I think that was hard, but I know she can do it!

Potential Problems:

Gilly swears... a lot. Parents could have issue with that, and I understand that they wouldn't want kids to pick up on it. Also, Gilly is very racist towards any black person. She even writes a mean letter to her teacher. However, I think she gets over that by the end of the book.

Recommendations:

I recommend this book if you are ready for a change from the normal story line on happy endings. I think it has a great message, and people grow to love Gilly and the other characters.

The Whipping Boy

Title: The Whipping Boy
Author: Sid Fleischman
Publisher: Greenwillow Books, April 1986
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 89
Genre: Realistic Fiction





Summary:

Prince Horace is spoiled and, he is always being bad. As a prince, no one raises a hand against him, so his family provids him with a whipping boy, Jemmy, an orphan. He is beaten all the time and wants to be free. The prince decides to run away and he makes Jemmy come with him to be his servant. The boys run into two bad man, Hold-Your-Nose Billy and Cutwater, who want to ransom the prince. Jemmy makes them believe he is the prince and plans an escape. Horace doesn't understand so he ends up betraying him. They do escape and find a girl searching for her dancing bear. She directs them to the river where they find a kind man with a wagon full of potatoes. The boys get the wagon from the mud, and the potato man gives the boys, the girl and the bear a lift to the fair. They are intercepted by the highwaymen. Still believing Jemmy is the prince, and believing it to be a crime worse than murder to beat the prince, they beat Horace instead. The bear scares the men away, and everyone arrives at the fair. They hear people talking about the missin prince and how they don't like him. Horace is sad, but doesn't let anybody know. When the boys learn that the king has posted a reward for the whipping boy, they go into the sewers where they see the highwaymen. They tricked the highwaymen into a dangerous sewer where rats attack them. Horace decides that he wants to finally to go home. When they return to the potato man, Horace reveals himself as a prince and suggests that the potato man collect the reward for the whipping boy. When the prince explains the whole thing to the king, Jemmy is pardoned, and the two boys live in the palace as best friends.



My Reaction:

I thought this was a good learning book. Horace was stubborn and rude, but after his adventure he learned to be more kind and he even became best friends with Jemmy. I think that is a great thing for young kids to read.

Potential Problems:

Jemmy, and at the one point Horace, are both whipped, and there are bad men that try to kidnap them.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to be read to everyone, especially young children. They could learn from Horace that they need to be nice to everyone and that it's not all about them.

Ella Enchanted

Title: Ella Enchanted
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: HarperTrophy, 1997
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 240
Genre: Fantasy









Summary:

When Ella was born, Lucinda cursed her to always be obedient. This meant that no matter what was said, she had to do it. Her mother tells her to tell no one of the curse. When she dies Ella meets Prince Charmont (Char) at the funeral and they becom great friends. However, her father sends her off to finishing school with Dame Olga's daughters. Mandy is her fairy godmother and she gives her a magical book before she leaves. She gets stories, letters, and even entries from Char's journal. Dame Olga's daughers realize she does whatever she is told so they take advatage of it and even order her to stay away from her only friend at school. Instead of dealing with that she runs away. She hears of a wedding that Lucinda might be at so she heads towards it. However, Orgres catch her and are going to eat her up. She uses her knowledge of the hypnotic language to stall them and Prince Char saves her. Ella's father decideds to marry Dame Olga and Ella sees Char at the wedding, He givers her some glass slippers and afterwards he has to leave for a year, but they write eachother. Ella becomes a slave in her home, but she falls in love with Char in his letters. He asks her to marry him, but she avoids the question because she knows it would be dangerous for her to marry him. She makes him believe that she eloped with somebody. Char comes home heartbroken and there is a ball thrown for him. Ella secretely goes as Lela, and on the third night, Hattie rips of her mask. Ella runs home and her and Mandy prepare to flee. However, the Prince comes and orders her to marry him. She fights within herself and finally refuses him. She breaks the curse and they were married and lived happily ever after.

My Reaction:

I thought it was a great book. I had seen the movie frist, so it was fun to see what else had happened within the story that was left out of the movie.

Potential Problems:

The step sisters are very crul to Ella, and Ella lives a hard life. Also, the orgres about to eat her might cause a problem with a young child.

Recommendations:

I think this is a great book for everybody. There is the action with the romance so it can relate to every type of person, and everybody can have fun with it.

Fablehaven

Title: Fablehaven
Author: Brandon Mull
Publisher: Shadow Mountain, July 30, 2006
Reading Level: 6th and up
Pages: 351
Genre: Fantasy





Summary:

Kendra and Seth Sorenson travel to their Grandpa and Grandma Sorenson's house while their parents are away on a 17-day Scandinavian cruise. When they get there, they also meet Dale, a worker on the preserve, and Lena, the housekeeper. Grandma Sorenson is on a "trip" to go see Great Aunt Edina while she is dying. Grandpa Sorenson does not tell Kendra and Seth about Fablehaven being a secret preserve for magical creatures at first, but sets up clues for Kendra to find out. Once Kendra figures everything out, she and Seth drink some magical milk which opens their eyes to see a whole new, mystical world full of the magical beings of Fablehaven. Now that they are a part of the action they must defeat an evil witch who has a magical puppet in order to perserve the preservation.



My Reaction:

WOW! I love this book! There is so much going on that I didn't think I would be able to keep up with it, but it is written so well that you couldn't get lost. This is my second time reading it, and I still love it!

Potential Problems:

I don't think there are any potential problems in this book. Seth is a trouble maker and that might influence younger children, but oveall it's very good.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this to anybody who wants to have an exciting adventure. Fablehave is a jam packed place and you never know what's going to happen once you step over the boundary.

Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan

Title: Ranger's Apprentice: The Ruins of Gorlan
Author: John Flanagan
Publisher: Random House, November 1, 2004
Reading Level: 5th and up
Pages: 249
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure










Summary:

Morgarath, the exiled lord of the bleak, barren Mountains of Rain and Night, has been waiting for fifteen years in his dark realm, carefully planning his revenge against the Kingdom of Araluen. Gorlan, where he used to reign, was long ago brought to ruin as a result of his unsuccessful rebellion against King Duncan. Now he silently plots to rebel again, rallying creatures known as Wargals to his side.
In Redmont, a special day has come for Will, called Choosing Day, where he becomes an apprentice to a craftmaster. Will's first choice was Battleschool, he becomes apprenticed to Halt of the Rangers. Will is trained in these skills as he prepares for the annual Ranger meeting called the Gathering where his skills will be tested. At the Gathering the Rangers receive a report that the Kalkara, vicious creatures under the control of Morgarath, have killed important Araluen figures. Halt leaves to track down the Kalkara while Will rides for help. The Baron, Sir Rodney, and several others head out to slay the Kalkara. Finding where Halt is battling the Kalkara, Sir Rodney and the Baron manage to slay one, but are badly injured. Suddenly the last Kalkara appears and is killed by Will with a flaming arrow. Back at his fief, Will is considered a hero and receives his bronze oakleaf medal which identifies him as a ranger's apprentice.



My Reaction:

I think this book is great, I've read most of the series, and I'm excited to read the rest of it when I have the time. It's super action packed, and you can't help but love the characters.

Potential Problems:

There are fighting scenes, so it would be up to the parent or teacher to decide if it was to much for whoever they were reading to.

Recommendations:

I think everyone should read these books. I also think that young boys would absolutely love it! There is action, learning how to shoot arrows, fighting, and sword play... right up a little boy's alley.

The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide

Title: The Spiderwick Chronicles: The Field Guide
Author: Tony DiTerlizzie and Holly Black
Publisher: Simon and Schuster, May 2003-September 2009
Reading Level: 2nd and up
Pages: 128
Genre: Fantasy







Summary:

Jared, Simon and Mallory all move with their mom to an old Spiderwick Estate that has been in their family for many generations. While fooling around one night they find a secret library. In it they find a field guide that explains the magical world around them. They meet a brownie named Thimbletack who causes a lot of mischief around the house, and Jared always gets blamed for it. This is a novel, but there are a few pictures interspersed throughout it. They are just pencil sketches finshed in pen, but I love it when one of them comes up.

My Reaction:

These book are definitely different, but I really like them. They are a super easy read, it took me about an hour to read one, but they are action packed and create a lot of excitement.

Potential Problems:

Jared lies and is a trouble maker, so kids might copy him. Other than that, there isn't any potential problems.

Recommendations:

I think children would love this book! It would be a great read aloud for any age, and anybody who reads it alone will still be able to enjoy it!

Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure

Title: Children of the Lamp: The Akhenaten Adventure
Author: P. B. Kerr
Publisher: Orchard Books, 2004
Reading Level: 6th and up
Pages: 355
Genre: Fantasy









Summary:

John and Phillipa Gaunt have a beautiful mother and an ordianary father and they live a very nice life. When their wisdom teeth begin to grow in their Uncle Nimrod tells them that they are djinn. They begin to long for the heat, and they start granting wishes for people, so they are sent to Nimrod's house to learn their powers. They try to find where the lost 'Seventy Lost Djinn of (Akhenaten)' are and they run into the evil Iblis. Nimrod is captured and bound. There is a battle and Nimrod is put into a lamp with an evil djinn. In order to keep the evil djinn in the lamp they go to the North Pole so that the cold will weaken the powers. Johna nd Phillipa wear space suits to stay warm and they get Nimrod out without releasing the evil djinn. They return to London, and then the twins go home to find that their mother knew everything that had happened.

My Reaction:

I think this book is great. I am a fantasy lover and this is definitely in my top list. I love all the details in it and I love the characters!

Potential Problems:

Some children might not like the extreme between the good and the bad. However, other than that, I didn't recognize any problems.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to anybody who like adventure and fantasy. The twins will take you on an adventure and you will love to see them come to their powers and learn more and more.

The Two Princesses of Bamarre

Title: The Two Princesses of Bamarre
Author: Gail Carson Levine
Publisher: HarperCollins, 2001
Reading Level: 5th and up
Pages: 256
Genre: Fantasy










Summary:

Princess Addie is fearful and shy while her sister, Princess Meryl is bold and brave. They love eacother very much and would do anything for eachother. Meryl's wish is to rid the kingdom of the Gray Death and to have adventures like her hero Drault. Howeverm Addie is afraid she will get herself killed. So they make a promise that Merly can't go on any adventures until Addie is safely married. All of a sudden, Merly has the Gray Death and Addie doesn't know what to do. She talks with Rhys, a socerer, and she decideds to find the cure. Addie goes through many perils, one being that she was held captive by the ferocious dragon, Volleys. Addie gets the cure from Volleys and uses 7-league boots to go back home and get Merly to taker her to a magical waterfall. Rhys confesses his love to Addie and she does the same. They reach a village just before the waterfall and recruit some help. When they are almost to the waterfall many different creatues come and attack because Volleys had brought them. Addies doesn't remember what happens but she wakes up in a beautiful room. She is told that the faires saved her, and that Merly is now a fairy because she was too close to death to be saved. Addie and Rhys are reunited and married. WIth that, Merly is able to go on her fairy adventures with her hero, Drault, and protect the world.

My Reaction:

I love this book! I've read it I don't know how many times and I can always just pick it right back up. It's a great story of figuring out who you are, plus it's got some romance.

Potential Problems:

The sickness and the fighting throughout the novel might be scary for younger children. Especially with the different creatures that show up.

Recommendations:

Go somewhere where this book is at and read it RIGHT NOW! You will love it! Everyone will love it! If your child, or student, can't read it, read it to them! They will love the action and the great ending!

The Report Card

Title: The Report Card
Author: Andrew Clements
Publisher: Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004
Reading Level: 2nd and up
Pages: 173
Genre: Realistic Fiction











Summary:

Nora is a genius. In fact, she's so good, nobody even knows about it, not even her family. She wants to be a normal kid, so she makes it so her grades come out as average. However, one day she leaves her research up on a computer and the librarian sees it. She is forced to tell her the secret. She then takes an IQ test and scores 188. After throwing a tanrtum in front of her class, she is exposed. Her scores are let out and she is forced to answer things in class, not that is' hard for her. Then one day she zeros on three tests and she has to answer to the principle. She claims that the tests are too knowlege based, and then her best friend, Steven, gets more students to do the same thing. They all get caught though and Steven and Nora must apologize. Nora refuses to be advanced because she just wants to be normal.

My Reaction:

I love Andrew Clements books. They are simple, but I always enjoy sitting down and reading them. This is the first one I read of his, and I did not mind reading it again. It's definitely a good read.

Potential Problems:

If student's read this they might want to act like Nora and purposely do bad on their grades. This could cause issues in the class and for the school.

Recommendations:

I would definitely recommend this book. Especially for younder kids. It's a simple read and they can have fun with it too.

The Bridge to Terabithia

Title: The Bridge to Terabithia
Author: Katherine Paterson
Publisher: Crowell, October 21, 1997
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 144
Genre: Fantasy









Summary:

Jesse is the only boy of 6 children. His mother favors the girls and his father is always away. His little sister, May Belle, adores him. One day a girl moves into town. Leslie is the daughter of two writers and they are quite wealthy. Jesse and Leslie soon become great friends. Jesse shares his love of writing, and Leslie shares her love of fantasy. Across the creek with a rope swing they enter into their imaginiary country, Terabithia, where they are King and Queen. They face their real life problems there, like the bully. Leslie gets Jesse a set of watercolors and tube paints for Christmas and Jesse gets her a dog that they name P.T. (Prince Terrian, he is their royal guard.). Miss Edmunds, the music teacher, invites Jesse to come to an art show with her. He was a crush so he goes. While he is gone, Leslie goes to Terabithia. The rope breaks and she drowns, and Jesse has a hard time getting over his grief. He goes to Terabithia to make a cerimonial wreath and he hears a cry for help. May Belle is stuck! He saves her and they head back home. Leslie's parents decided to leave and Jesse askes to use some wooden planks. They say he can have anything, so he makes a bridge to Terabithia. He takes May Belle there and names her the new Queen because he knows that's what Leslie would want.

My Reaction:

This was a very good read! It was definitely sad when Leslie died, and I didn't know how Jesse was going to pull through it, but he did. I loved how he made May Belle the new Queen!

Potential Problems:

A death might not go over very well with a child, it would just depend. Also there is a school bully that won't leave Jesse alone for the frist part of the book.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this to anybody, especially 6th to 8th grade. I think that age group would be able to relate more and they would get a good message out of it. Anybody could read it, and should, though, because it is very well written.

The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread

Title: The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup, and a Spool of Thread
Author: Kate DiCamillo
Publisher: Candelwick Press, 2003
Reading Level: 4th and up
Pages: 262
Genre: Fantasy Novel










Summary:

This novel is split into four 'books'
1- A Mouse is Born
This tells of how a mouse was born with eyes wide open and very large ears; Despereaux He doesn't like to scurry like other mice. He loves reading and he loves humans. He falls in love with the Princess Pea and he talks to her. Despereaux's brother Furlough sees him and reports everything. Despereaux is sentenced to the dungeon where he will be killed by the mice. He befriends the jailor, Gregory who tells him of his past.
2- Chiaroscuro
Roscuro is a rat who loves light. He explores the upstairs and one day finds himself atop a chandilier. Princess Pea shouts out and he falls into the queen's soup. She has a heart attack and dies. Roscuro escapes to the dungeon with the queen's spoon and vows revenge on Princess Pea. The king outlaws all soup, spoons, bowls and kettles because of his grief.
3- Gor! The Tale of Miggery Sow
When 6 years old Miggery Sow (Mig) sees her mother die and is sold into slavery. The man she calls 'Unlce' works her and beats her. One day she sees Princess Pea and she decides she is going to be a princess. When the guards arrive to take away their bowls and kettles and spoons they take Mig away too because slavery is illegal. Mig begins working in the castle where she becomes fat and lazy. She has to go to the dungeon one day to deliver a meal when she meets Roscuro. He manipulates her to think she can become princess if she helps him kidnap Princess Pea.
4- Recalled to the Light
Despereaux escapes the prison on Mig's tray. The chef orders her to kill him, and Mig ends up chopping off his tail. He spends a painful night on a flour sack, while Roscuro and Mmig kidnap the princess. After much distress in the kingdom, Despereaux tells the king where Princess Pea is, but he doesn't believe him. So he sets of to rescue her himself. He goes to the dungeon and finds her and threatens to kill Roscuro. However, he begins to cry and the Princess takes pity on him. They all decide to go back upstairs and get some soup and live happily.

My Reaction:

This is a weird book. I read it all because I wanted to know what happened, but I didn't really love it. It was really different from what I'm used to and I didn't really like the change.

Potential Problems:

The mice being mean to Despereaux. Unlce beating Mig. Roscuro and Mig kidnapping the princess, tails being chopped off, and people getting sent to the dungeon. Parents and teachers will have to decide whether they want to read this to their children, or have their children read it.

Recommendations:

I personally don't recommned this book because I didn't love it. I struggled to get through it because I wasn't very intrigued, and when I finished I wasn't very satisfied with it.

Ruby Holler

Title: Ruby Holler
Author: Sharon Creech
Publisher: Joanna Cotler, March 26, 2002
Reading Level: 5th and up
Pages: 320
Genre: Realistic Fiction










Summary:

Dallas and Florida are the trouble twins in the home. They have lived there the longest, they have broken all the rules, and they have gone to the most families. However, they always cause trouble so that the families will send them back. They don't think that they can ever find a home that will suit them. Then Tiller and Sairy come along. This old couple seem like a bunch of fun and they want to take the twins on exotic trips, but Dallas and Florida are wary. The take the kids to where they live, Ruby Holler and adventure begins. The twins are offered jobs and they get paid $20. They think this is great because they have been saving up to get on the freight train and run away for years. However, they begin to soften up to the old couple. They decide to stay and earn more money for there run away trip. Then one night they do it. They pack up their things and leave. They sleep out in the forest and in the morning they realize that they forgot food, but they start to smell bacon. They look around and Tiller and Sairy are making breakfast! They are so grateful to see them, and they realize that they don't want to run away. They have a great breakfast and head back home. Then they get ready for their big adventures. Sairy and Dallas head off, and then Tairy and Florida and they have a great time!

My Reaction:

I absolutely love this book. I don't even know how many times I've read it, more than 20 that's for sure. Each time I get captivated by these twins ideas and what happens with them. I could read it again right now!

Potential Problems:

If young kids read, or hear, this story they might copy the twins attitude and that would cause some trouble around the house or school. Some of the families they go to aren't the nicest either, so parent's would need to decide on that.

Recommendations:

Read it, read it, read it!!! I think people of every age can enjoy this book multiple times. You always find something new to laugh at, or you just laugh at the same things again. It has a great story of finding your true home and loving those around you.

The Giver

Title: The Giver
Author: Lois Lowry
Publisher: Bantam Books, 1993
Reading Level: 6th and up
Pages: 179
Genre: Science Fiction









Summary:

Jonas lives in a society that's a utopia. Pills are given to the adults to supress any emotions. Jonas begins to take these pills when he has dreams about Fiona. Parents are partnered and they are allowed one daughter and one son. They don't have the children themselves because there are birthing mothers for that. Each person has there own specified job that they get when they are tweleve, and Jonas is about to go to the ceremony. All the tweleves are anxious to see what they will be doing for the rest of their lives as they sit and wait for their names to be called. When it gets to Jonas he is skipped and his hope are crushed. He won't get a job. However, he is called up at the very end for a very special job. He is to be the Receiver. He goes to meet with the Giver everyday and memories are transfered to him. This means that he would be able to see color and hear music and everything else that is being kept from him. As he continues to gain memories he wants everybody to know of everything. One day he watches his father and sees him "release" a young baby by injecting it with poison. Jonas knows that his father will do this to a young baby that has been in their house for special reasons and he can't let that happen. Jonas and the Giver decide to have him run away from the community so that all the memories will be released to everyone. When Jonas leaves he takes Gabe, the young baby in his house, with him. They travel and travel, and they avoid all the planes that are out looking for them. It snows hard, and Jonas and Gabe find themselves at the top of a hill and there is a sled. They sit on the sled and go down the hill. Jonas sees a village with lights and chimney smoke. The end is controverisal as to whether he survived or not, but the sequel, Messenger, confirms their survival.

My Reaction:

I read this book a long time ago, and I never finished it. I wasn't very enthralled with it. However, reading it again I finished it within the day. It is a short book, but I just couldn't put it down. It was fascinating to see how they created a utopia and everything they did within it, I've read the other two books too and I love them!

Potential Problems:

The whole issue of "releasing" would be hard for young children to comprehend. I think 6th and up could read it and be able to get a good understanding, but it still has more messages that they might not understand.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to everybody above 5th grade. However, I think that if you read it when you are young then you should read it again when you are older. I know that I found it much more interesting and I got more out of it.

Bud, Not Buddy

Title: Bud, Not Buddy
Author: Christopher Paul Curtis
Publisher: Delacorte Books for Young Readers
Reading Level: 5th and up
Pages: 245
Genre: Historical Fiction











Summary:

Bud Caldwell is a 10 year old orphan. All he has left of his mother is a bag of rocks, a picture and tickets to Herman E Calloway, who he thinks is his father. At the beginning he goes off to live with the Amos', and he meets their son Todd who is abusive. When Bud retaliates he is sent to spend the night in the garden shed. He gets out and runs away, but he doesn't go back to the orphanage. He decides to go and find his father. Herman E Calloway is in Grand Rapids, 120 miles away, so he starts walking. Along the way he is picked up by a man named Left Lewis who gives him a ride to Grand Rapids. He meets the band and tells Herman that he is his dad. They don't believe him and they are even rude. However, they take pity on him and they take him in and he goes to their concerts. One day he sees Herman pick up a rock and date it. He goes up to him and shows him the collection he had from his mother. At frist Herman says that he stole those from his house, but Bud explains where they came from. They find out that his mother was Herman's daughter who had run away 10 years ago. So instead of finding his father, Bud found his gradfather.

My Reaction:

This was a sweet book. There wasn't a whole bunch of action, but it was still pretty exciting. I usually don't read this genre, but I think it was a good read.

Potential Problems:

When Bud is with the Amos' they are rude to him and even send him to spend the night in the garden shed. Children might question this, especially where Bud is a little black boy. Also when the band is rude to him at first. Children might not like that the adults were mean to a child.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to anyone of any age. It's a great adventure of a little boy and I think everyone would love it. It's also a simple read, so younger children would be able to read it and enjoy it.

Junie B. Jones is a Beauty Shop Guy

Title: Junie B. Jones is A Beauty Shop Guy
Author: Barbara Park
Publisher: Random House, 1998
Reading Level: 2nd and up
Pages: 67
Genre: Fiction










Summary:

Junie B. Jones is into two things, becoming a beauty shop guy and changing her name. Her new name will be Pinkie Gladys Gutzman, and after announcing the news to her family, she is informed that she going to being going to the beauty shop. Maxine, the beautician, lets Junie B. be her helper. She is given a whole bunch of odd jobs, but she keeps messing them up. Leaving the shop, she decides she is going to be a beauty shop girl. After several reminders from her parents that it takes, years and years to be one she set to work. She begins by giving her bunny slippers a trim, but that doesn't turn out so well. She then tries to shampoo her teddy near, but eventually, his head doesn't stay up. Then the dog walks in and Junie B. has an idea. However, that one doesn't work out either, so it's a good thing that hair grows back. Then she realizes that she's practicing on all the wrong things, so she starts working on herself. However, it's a disaster and she doesn't think she can go to school. So, she covers up with a whole bunch of things on her head and everybody laughs at her. She is only allowed to wear the devil horns, and her dad comes and gets her at the end of the day. Maxine fixes her hair up and Juni B. still has the dream of becaoming a beauty shop guy.



My Reaction:

I also grew up reading the Junie B. Jones series. Juni B. has some serious attitude and she is witty and it's just hilarious to read. Everything she comes up with is a shocker; she'll always leave you guessing!

Potential Problems:

The only problem that I can see with this book is kids learning from Juni B. Jones. If they all get her attitude, it might make life a little crazy for teachers and parents.

Recommendations:

I recommend this book to elementary kids. As long as they don't try to imitate Juni B., then they will have a fun read and they might even laugh out loud!

Cupid Doesn't Flip Hamburgers

Title: Cupid Doesn't Flip Hamburgers
Author: Debbie Dadey and Marcia Jones
Publisher: Scholastic-A Little Apple Paperback, 1995
Reading Level: 3rd and up
Pages: 76
Genre: Fantasy










Summary:

Eddie was bored with the how girly Valentines Day was. So instead of making his valentine he crumpled it up and threw it into Carey’s blonde head. Carey yelled at him and Mrs. Jeepers turned to them and glared. Lunch finally came, and they lined up, making predictions what the new cafeteria lady will have for lunch. They enter the cafeteria to see an explosion of red, hearts, and anything valentines related all over the cafeteria. Even the food is red, heart shaped meat loaf and jello, and an apple and tomato cut into the shape of a heart, all thanks to Mrs. Rosenbloom. Everyone is acting like they were bit by a love bug, but the only one who seems to be noticing is Eddie. Especially since his arch enemy Carey is suddenly drooling over him. On top of that even Mrs. Jeepers and Prinicple Davis are acting different and love struck. Eddie decides that it all has to be due to Mrs. Rosenbloom, everyone she gives a cookie to and heart pin starts to fall all over somebody. He decides to stop it. Just when he is thinking of a plan Howie approaches him and says he thinks he Mrs. Rosenbloom is handing out love potions. For the rest of the day the boys avoid anyone with a heart pin, and after school they head to Eddies house to come up with a plan. They are going to give everyone the opposite of love; they are going to make something with puppy dog tails and more. They slip it into Mrs. Rosenblooms cookies, but Eddie almost gets caught. She didn’t notice he added anything to her cookies, but she managed to make him eat a cookie and pin a heart on him. Now Eddie is as head over heels for Carey as she is him. Now Howie needs to figure out everything by himself. Soon the new cookies are handed out and the spell is broken. Mrs. Rosenbloom is never seen or heard of, for now at least, and everyone at Bailey is back to their normal feelings.



My Reaction:

I read these books growning up and I've always loved them. It was fun to see how the Baily School Kids were going to solve the next problem in their school. I love the humor in it and how they come up with a big plan to figure everything out and, of course, save the day.

Potential Problems:

Some of the kids pick on eachother, and parent's might not want their kids to read that. Other than that, however, I didn't see any problems.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book especially to elementary students. The kids are around their same age and they would be able to relate more. Plus it's fun for them to stretch their imagination to see if they can figure out what's going on at school.

A Wrinkle in Time

Title: A Wrinkle in Time
Author: Madeleine L'Engle
Publisher: Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Reading Level: 5th and up
Pages: 238
Genre: Science Fiction





Summary:

Meg Murry is condsidered a trouble maker. Both of her parents are scientists, but her father is missing. She has 10 year old twin brothers, Sandy and Dennys, and then a 5 year old brother, Charles Wallace Murry who is a genius. On a stormy night the Murrys are visited by an old women named Mrs. Whatsit. Mrs. Whatsit tells Mrs. Murry that there is a "tesseract" and the mother almost faints. Meg eventually finds out that it is something her father was working on before he disappeared. Charles and Meg run into Calvin O'Keefe, a high-school junior, and they all go to visit Mrs. Whatsit. They meet Mrs. Who and she promises that she and her friends will help Meg find and rescue her father. Meg and Calvin become very close friends and then Charles tells them it is time to begin their rescue mission. Then they meet Mrs. Which, the last of the three "Mrs. W's." The Mrs. W's are angels who can transport people through hte universe by tesseract. They go to the planet Uriel where everygthing is joyous. Centaur-like beings who live always in a state of light and love live there. There the "Mrs. Ws" reveal to the children that the universe is under attack from an evil being who appears as a large dark cloud called The Black Thing. The children are then taken to visit a woman who is a kind of medium with a crystal ball. In it, they see that Earth is partially covered by the darkness, although great religious figures, philosophers, and artists have been fighting against it. Mrs. Whatsit is revealed to be a former star who exploded in an act of self-sacrifice to fight the darkness. The children travel to Camazots where Meg's father is held captive. Everyone on the planet is like a robot, so they try to find the central power. They meet a man with red eyes and telepathic abilities who can cast a hypnotic spell over their minds. He claims to know the whereabouts of their father. Charles Wallace looks into his eyes and becomes taken over by the mind controlling the planet. Under its influence, he takes Meg and Calvin to the place where Dr. Murry is being held prisoner because he would not succumb to the group mind. The planet turns out to be controlled by an evil disembodied brain with powerful telepathic abilities, which the inhabitants of Camazotz call "IT". Charles Wallace takes them to the place where IT is held, and in close proximity to IT, all of them are threatened by a possible telepathic takeover of their minds. To escape, Dr. Murry "tessers" Calvin, Meg and himself away from Camazotz, but Charles Wallace is left behind, still under the influence of IT. They are taken to the planet of Ixchel. Calvin and the Murrys are discovered by the planet's inhabitants, and they take care of the Murrys and Calvin. Mrs. Which tells Meg that she has something that can defeat IT, so she tessers Meg to Camazotz. Meg realizes that the evil IT is unable to stand the emotion love. So she looks at Charles and thinks of how much she loves him, and it frees him! They are then tessered back home with Calvin and Mr. Murry where they are reunited with their family. The Mrs. Ws come to say goodbye and then they disappear forever.

My Reaction:

I thought that this book was very read. I guess I'm not much of a science fiction lover. I didn't like how everything played out, and I hated the planet Camazots where everybody was controlled. I wasn't very motivated to finish the book.

Potential Problems:

This is definitely a different kind of story. Children might have trouble wrapping their minds around it. Also, when Charles is controlled he turns his family over to IT, and that might be hard where they are family.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to people who like to think about science things. It gets you thinking about how things work and is kind of interesting. However, if you just want a simple plot line to follow than this one is not for you.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Title: Island of the Blue Dolphins
Author: Scott O'Dell
Publisher: Hougton Mifflin, 1960
Reading Level: 6th and up
Pages: 184
Genre: Non-fiction









Summary:

Wonapalei, also known as Karana lives with her people the Ghalas-at. They live a peaceful life gathering roots and fishing, One day, a ship with the Aluets came, and they told the natives they would pay them if they would let them hunt the otter. However, they lied and went to leave without paying. They run into Chief Chowig, Karana's father, and a battle breaks out, taking lives on both sides, including Chowig's. The Aluets leave the natives in despair, and they elect a new chief, Chief Kimki. He leaves the island to find help, and he comes back with a ship to take everyone to the mainland. However, Karana's brother is not there yet and they can't wait because of a storm. Karana jumps off of the boat and swims back to the island, and when her brother returns they live together hoping that the ship will return one day. Some dogs that were left behind eventually kill Ramo, the brother, and Karana is left to learn how to do male jobs like hunting and making spears and canoes. She vows to avange Ramo and she kills several dogs, but when she meets the pack leader, she has a change of heart. She names hiim Rontu, and eventually she also tames some birds and an otter. The animals are the only inhabitants on the island beside herself. She builds a home inside of a cave and stocks it in case the Aluets come back. Eventually they do return, and Karana hides in her cave. She notices that there is a girl with the Aluets and they eventually befriend. The friend, Tutok, and Karana give eachother gifts and become great friends. However, the Aluets eventualy leave and Karana is left by herself. She realizes how lonley she is without people. One day Rontu dies, but Karana finds his pup and names him Rontu-Aru. She sees a ship come to her island, but it leaves. After two years it comes back, so Karana dresses in her finest clothes and goes to meet them. They give her a dress that will be like the ones on the mainland. She doesn't love it, but she realizes that it is how she will hve to dress from now on. The ship sails away, and takes Karana and Rontu-Aru to the mission in Santa Barbara, California.



My Reaction:

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down! I loved following Karana as she changed with every situation that came to her. It is a sad story, but it is definitely one that is awe-inspiring.

Potential Problems:

The war that breaks out at the beggining with deaths. Also, how the Aluets lied to the natives about paying them for the otters.

Recommendations:

I would definitely recommend this to everybody!!! For younger children somebody could read aloud to them, and older children can read it on there own if they want to. I think it's a great book to show people how some people had to live their lives sometimes.

Prehistoric Actual Size

Title: Prehistoric Actual Size
Author: Steven Jenkins
Publisher: Houghten Mifflin Books for Kids, September 26, 2005
Reading Level: Kindergarten and up
Pages: 36
Genre: Informational





Summary:

Through brief text Steven Jenkins tells us of prehistoric creatures. From a tiny spiny shark to a Giganotosaurus, where only the top and bottom teeth are showing. Foldout pages reveal one complete small dinosaur (Saltopus), the impressive beak and head of a flying reptile (Dsungaripterus), and the thick claw of a fish-eating dinosaur (Baryonyx). The pictures are torn pictures. These show details of fur and scales very nicely. Kids love it!

My Reaction:

I thought this book was pretty neat. It was fun to see the actual sizes of everything and compare it to something, like my hand or foot. I think it is something that could be used for any age.

Potential Problems:

I don't think there are any potential problems, unless a child is afraid of the creatures that are in the book.

Recommendations:

I would definitely recommend this to any parent who wants to wow their kids. I would also recommend it to all teachers who are trying to get their students to understand they full impact of how big, or small, something really was back then.

The Umbrella

Title: The Umbrella
Author: Jan Brett
Publisher: Putnam Juvenile, September 13, 2004
Reading Level: Kindergarten and up
Pages: 32
Genre: Informational





Summary:

Carlos decides to go to the rainforest to find animals that live there. He brings his umbrella and leaves it as the bottom of the tree as he climbs up. However, he should have stayed at the bottom! First to come is a tree frog and he checks out Carlos' umbrella. While Carlos is up in the tree many more animals come, even a jaguar! The umbrella is knocked into the river and all the animals are hanging on. It is so full that when the hummingbird comes to fit it everybody tumbles out and the umbrella gets knocked back to the tree. Carlos climbs down and wonders why he didn't see any animals all day. Jan Brett's pictures are amazing! You will love to just sit and look at them. On the left page there is always something from the previous pages, and on the right there is always something on the next pages. The last page shows Carlos walking around, and, if you look hard enough, you can find all the animals.

My Reaction:

I loved this book! Not only will kids love the story of animals hitching a ride in an umbrella it teaches them what kinds of animals live in rain forests. It would be fun to have them write a report on there favorite animal in the book.

Potential Problems:

I don't think there are any potential problems in this story. Some kids might be sad that Carlos wasn't able to see any animals, but I think they will be too involved with the pictures to worry about it very much.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this to anybody. Younger kids will love the story line as well as the pictures, and adults will love and appreciate the detail within the pictures. It's fun to see what lives in the rain forest, and everybody can learn something from it.

The Missing Piece Meets the big O

Title: The Missing Piece Meets the Big O
Author: Shel Silverstein
Publisher: Harper Collins 1981
Reading Level: 1st and up
Pages: 96
Genre: Picture Book










Summary:

This story starts out with a missing piece who is trying to find something to complete it. As the story goes along different parts come along and the piece tries to fit. However, each piece doesn't fit very well. Either it's too big, too small, too many missing pieces, or too many pieces, and the list goes on. Eventually the missing piece finds someone that it fits into perfectly. They go on and have a lot of fun, but then the missing piece begins to grown and it doesn't fit anymore. So then it is sad that it doesn't fit into anybody again. Then the Big O comes along and it doesn't have any missing pieces. The Big O tells the missing pieces that it can be like him too if it tries. So the missing piece "lifts...pulls...flops" again and again and again. As it continues to do this it begins to round off and eventually it becomes like the Big O. The pictures in this book aren't very intricate. They are simple, and there is one continuous line throughout the whole story. There are just circles and squares and triangles, but it portrays the images perfectly without any discrimination.

My Reaction:

I loved this book! It seems extremely simple when you pick it up, but then it carries a moral that works for ANY age. I found multiple meanins and I only read it once!

Potential Problems:

Where the pictures aren't very exciting, children might find it boring. It is a little bit longer, so they might have trouble focusing too.

Recommendations:

I would recommend this book to anynody of any age. There are many meanings that will be applicable to ANYBODY. Young, old, married, single, good and bad.

The Twelve Wild Ducks

Title: Various Titles
Author: Peter Asbjornsen
Publisher: D Nutt, London, 1845
Reading Level: 4th and up
Pages: 3-10 per tale
Genre: Fairy Tale
Other Read: Tatterhood, The Three Billy Goats Gruff, The Three Aunts











Summary:

A King and a Queen had twelve sons, but the Queen wanted a daughter and she said she would give up her twelve sons to have one. As soon as she said it, then a witch came and granted her wish. So the young princess was born and christened who was a white as snow and red as blood as the witch had said. The twelve brothers turned into wild ducks and flew away never to be seen again. Now Snow White grew up, but she was sad because she had no siblings to play with. It was then that her mother told her she had twelve brothers that she had given up so she could have her. Snow White went off in search of her brothers, and after three years she came to a little wooden hut, and inside were twelve beds and the twelve silver spoons that her Mother had made for each of her children. She hid, and when they discover their sister hiding under the bed one wanted to kill her. Instead they said she had to break the spell. To break the spell she had to pick thistles and card it and weave it and make twelve coats, shirts, and handkerchiefs all while never talking, laughing, nor weeping. And so she set about it. And one day a King saw her and fell madly in love with her and they were married. Her step mother hated her because she was beautiful so each time Snow White had a child the Step Mother would take it and throw it into a snake pit and make it look like Snow White had eaten her child. Snow White could not speak for herself to prove the stepmother wrong. So the day comes that Snow White was to be burned, but she finishes her clothes for her twelve brothers and the spell is broken. They come riding in on their twelve horses, and Snow White can finally speak for herself. At this point the Step Mother chooses her own punishment and is bound between twelve steed and the rest live happily ever after, including Snow White and the King and their three children whom were thrown into the snakes pit.

My Reaction:

I didn't mind these fairy tales. I like how this was kind of related to Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. It made it more interesting to make comparisons.

Potential Problems:

There aren't super big problems in this story. Children might not like all the confict, but that isn't that bad.

Recommendations:

I would recommend these to anyone who wanted to read a fairy tale. They are different, but still fun to read.

Henny Penny

Title: Various Titles
Author: Joseph Jacobs
Publisher: D. Nutt, London, 1894
Reading Level: 3th and up
Pages: 1-2 for each tale
Genre: Fairy Tale
Other Read: Jack and the Beanstalk, The Story of the Three Little Pigs, The Golden Arm










Summary:

Henny Penny is in her garden when something falls on her head. She think that they sky is falling so she sets of to tell the king. Along the way she meets many charatcters; Cocky-locky, then Ducky-daddles, Goosey-poosey and Turkey-lurkey. They all head off to tell the kind the sky is falling when they run into Foxy-Woxy. Foxy-Woxy tells them they are going the wrong way, so he leads them the 'right' way. He leads them to the entrance of his lair. When he gets there he has them come in one at a time and he snaps their necks. However, when Cocky-Locky comes he isn't killed at first, so he calls out to Henny-Penny. She runs away and never tells the king that the sky was falling.

My Reaction:

I did not like this story. It seems all happy and then everybody dies horribly. I wouldn't read them again.

Potential Problems:

There isn't the usual happy ending, so I think children might not life it.

Recommendations:

I do not recommend this unless you are studying fairy tales and need to read them. They are interesting to see the different versions, but I didn't like them.

Little Red Riding Hood

Title: Various Titles
Author: Charles Perrault
Publisher: D.C. Health and Co, 1901
Reading Level: 4th and up
Pages: 3-10 for each tale
Genre: Fairy Tale
Other Read: Sleeping Beauty, The Little Glass Slipper, The Fairies











Summary:

A little girl was loved very much, and her grandmother made her a little red hood to wear. Everybody called her Little Red Riding Hood. One day she went to take goodies to her grandmother who was sick. She went to the forest and found a path and ran into a wolf. The wolf would have eaten there, but wood cutters were close by. Instead he asked he where she was going, and then he raced her to her grandmothers. When the wolf go there he ate her up and waited to Little Red Riding Hood. When she got there she went through the classic, "Grandmother! What big eyes you have!" and so forth. When she got to the teeth the wold jumped up and ate her.

My Reaction:

Well, I was shocked to find that there was no good ending. They were just eaten and that was that. But I thought it was interesting to read. I liked the morals at the end too!

Potential Problems:

Well, the abrupt ending without any happiness might be a little rough for young kids.

Recommendations:

I don't recommned these tales for a happy little evening. They are interesting to know that they exist, but they aren't they happiest things in the world.

The Ugly Duckling

Title: Various Titles
Author: Hans Christian Andersen
Publisher: 1844
Reading Level: 4th and up
Pages: 2-10 pages per tale
Genre: Fairy Tale
Other Read: Thumbelina, The Princess and the Pea, The Tin Soldier











Summary:

A mom duck has eggs and one day she realizes that one is different than the rest. Everybody tells her to get rid of it, but she lets it hatch. When it does, she realizes that it is very ugly. She jumps into the lake to see if it knows how to swim and it does. She takes him to the farm and everybody, including his siblings are mean to him. He flies away to another pond, and the ducks there say he can stay as along as he doesn't marry anyone there. One day hunters come and kill many ducks, but they leave him alone. He flies away again to an old women. However, she says he is useless, so he flies to a pond. He sees a swan and feels a connection, but they fly away. Winter comes and a man saves the ducklings life. When he flies back in the summer he sees swans, but he thinks they will be mean to him because he is ugly. However, the accept him because he has turned into a lovely swan.
My Reaction:

In all the versions I've read of the Ugly Duckling they didn't have most of the content that was in the middle. The beginning and end were the same, but the middle was shorter. I thought it was good, but it is a classic.

Potential Problems:

There is a lot of cruelty towards the Ugly Duckling.

Recommendations:

I recommend it just because it is a classic and it's interesting to get more to the story than normal.

Rapunzel

Title: Various Titles
Author: The Brothers Grimm
Publisher: Sterling Publisher, 1812
Reading Level: 4th and up
Pages: 2-8 pages per fairy tale
Genre: Fairy Tale
Other Read: Cinderella, Hansel and Gretel, The Frog Prince










Summary:

A couple lives across from a field of rampion that the wife pined for every day. Finally the husband gave in and went and took some from the garden. The next day the wife wanted it even more, so he went again only to find an enchantress ready to curse him. He explained that his wife would have died had he not gotten the rampion for her. The enchantress was sypathetic to his case and told him he could take all the rampion he desired if he gave her his first child. He consented and when his first child was born the enchantress took her away and namer her Rapunzel. Everyday the enchantress would tell Rapunzel to let down her long hair. Rapunzel would throw down her long tresses and pull the enchantress up. One day while she was singing, the prince heard her and he came every day to listen until he heard the enchantress. He went and called up to Rapunzel and she pulled him up. They fell in love and were going to run away. However, the enchantress found out and cut Rapunzel's hair. She took her to the desert to live a miserable life. When the prince came again, the enchantress was waiting for him. He jumped and was blinded by the thorns that he fell into. Many years went by and he wandered into the desert. There was Rapunzel and she wept over him with her twins, a boy and girl. Her tears cured his blindness and they went back to the castle and lived quite content.

My Reaction:

The Grimm fairy tales are definitely a shock from modern fairy tales. I was interested to read them to see what was different, but I didn't love them.

Potential Problems:

They are gruesome, so I don't think it would be very good to read any of them to a child.

Recommendations:

I would recommend these fairy tales to someone who is trying to learn about all kinds of fairy tales. Other than that, I do not recommend them for any reason at all.

Summer of My German Soldier

Title: Summer of My German Soldier
Author: Bette Greene
Publisher: Penguin Group, 1973
Reading Level: 5th and up
Pages: 230
Genre: Realistic Fiction











Summary:

Patty Bergan is a Jew girl at the age of 12. She has a hard life in her family. Her parents do not notice any of the good she does and they can only criticise every little thing that she does do. However, her little sister, Susan, is adored for everything and anything she does; whether it be playing in a mud puddle or sitting in a pretty dress. This is very hard for Patty and she strives to gain her parent's approval. One day helping in the store, a dozen pre-Nazis come in to buy hats. They had been deported to a POW camp just outside of Patty's town, and the heat was oeverpowering to them. Patty goes to help a young soldier who is named Anton. They talk and she finds that he is very nice, but once he leaves she doesn't know if she will ever see him again. One day she is in her backyard when she sees a man running through the field towards a train. She recognizes him as Anton and runs to him. He had run away from the camp and so Patty decides to help him by letting him stay in a building behind her house that nobody knows about. She takes him food and new clothes and they become great friends. However, Anton decides to leave on a train one day, and Patty is distressed. She makes up her mind to go with him, but he won't hear of it. He gives her his ring as a token of love and kissed her before he head off. Patty treasures the ring and decides that once she is graduated she will earn money to head off to Germany and be reuinted with Anton again. However, in her effort to please her parents, she shows her father the ring. He asks where she got it, so she made up a story of an old man coming to the house asking for food. She gave him food, and he gave her the ring as an offering of thanks. Patty's father doesn't believe her and thinks she let the man touch her. A few weeks later, an officer asks Patty to retell her story. He shows her a picture of a man and asks her if it was the old man that came to her house. Patty is shocked; it's Anton! However, she doesn't let them know it was him. Then the officer pulls out a shirt with blood on it and asks if she knows it. It was her father's shirt that she had given to Anton. In her distress she asks what they have done to Anton, and the officer arrests her for helping a fugitive. Patty then has to go to court and she is sent to a reform school for girls. Ruth, a slave in Patty's home, comes to visit her and tell her of what is happening. Patty wants Ruth to take her away from the school, but Ruth just offers consoling words. Once she leaves, Patty finds the strength to make a goal. She will survive this school and she will continue her life and become a reporter. The book ends with her decision.

My Reaction:

I loved this book! I loved how the author put the young love between a Jew and a pre-Nazi, showing that forgiveness is possible and love can happen anywhere. It is sad that Anton died, but I love how Patty is able to find strength again and continue her life.

Potential Problems:

Patty's father beats her and that is a huge problem. It might be too hard for young children to deal with that idea. Also, Anton was murdered and parent's might want to consider that before reading it to small children.

Recommendations:

I definitely recommend this book to whoever! You will fall in love with Patty's determination to please her parents, and her bravery at hiding Anton. You will want to keep reading even when the book has ended!

Stargirl

Title: Stargirl
Author: Jerry Spinelli
Publisher: Alfred A. Knopf 2000
Reading Level: 6th and up
Pages: 186
Genre: Realistic Fiction










Summary:

Mica Area High School is in for a shock, and it's called Stargirl. MAHS is a school where nobody goes to games, nobody joins clubs, and nobody cheers on the Electrons except the cheerleaders. In other words, there is absolutely no school spirit. One day a new girl comes to school and she calls herself Stargirl. Nobody will talk to this ukulele carrying girl. She wears weird clothes, she decorates her desk, she leaves treats for people and she sings Happy Birthday to people in the lunch room on her ukulele. She has no cares in the world, and she is definitely her own person. However, MAHS does not like her. That is, until she does a crazy act at the football game. All the students show up to the next game, but she doesn't come and act. The cheerleaders seek her out and give her a place on the team and her social status skyrockets. Leo and Kevin are nest friends and, of course, they have noticed the new comer. They want to put her in there little 'Hot Seat' school program, but Leo hesitates to ask her. As the year continues, Leo finds himself falling for this odd girl, and they begin to hang out. It isn't long before Stargirl decides to announce her love for him to the whole school, and, although Leo is pleasantly pleased, he is embarrased that the whole school can see what she did. That's the difference in this couple; Leo cares and Stargirl doesn't. Stargirl's popularity had already plummeted before this act, but now the school shuns her and Leo. However, Stargirl begins to change for him, She has everybody call her by her real name, Susan, and she acts like a normal teenager. This doesn't work, though, the shunning continues. Leo doesn't know who to pick... the love of a girl who has changed his life, or his status in school. Stargirl eventually changes back to her old ways, and this makes Leo mad. They break up right before the dance, but this doesn't stop Stargirl from going. She dances with herself, and she soon starts a Congo line. Everybody joins in and they Congo out into the desert. When they return Stargirl leaves and nobody ever hears from her again. Leo continues school, graduates, grows up and begins working. He never marries, but he always wonders what happend to Stargirl, and if she is still out there.

My Reaction:

I did NOT like this book. It was way too out there for my taste. I appreciated the whole message of don't judge and be friends with everybody, but it was a bit extreme. Especially where Leo grows up, never has a family, and still wonders about her. It was not the best ending I think.

Potential Problems:

There is definitely the problem of bullying in school. The kids are cruel to Stargirl when her popularity drops, and that might be hard for kids, especially younger kids, to comprehend.

Recommendations:

I do not recommend this book. I know some people like it out there, so I'm not saying don't ever read it. However, I think there are better books in the world, and they would occupy your time better than this one.