AUTHOR: David Shannon
AGES: Preschool to early elementary
REVIEW: David Goes to School by David Shannon is one in a series of David books. What I love about this book is the humor the author uses to portray the character of David. David is a very mischievous child who hears the word No a lot. (There is actually a book written in this series that is called No David!) Even if you have a very well-behaved child, your child will be cracking up at this book. Everyone knows someone like David! The book is very well illustrated and is a perfect book to use in easing anxiety with starting school.
You can review the summary of the book at Barnes and Noble's site. You can also read an article published about the book from Publisher's Weekly. You can check out information about the author, David Shannon on the following two websites: http://www.scholastic.com/titles/authors/david_shannon.htm & http://www.cbcbooks.org/cbcmagazine/meet/davidshannon.html .
Guest Blogger: This review was written by Heather C. Heather is a part-time stock broker whose love for teaching children has sparked her passion to go back to Graduate school and pursue a master’s in Elementary Education. She is currently finishing up her classes and will be student teaching in the spring of 2009. She has two children who she adores and loves to read and play with. She mainly reads children’s picture books at the time since her children are 2 and 3. David Shannon is among her top five favorite children’s authors. Heather can not wait to start teaching and plans to incorporate children’s literature into every subject! Heather is a student of Dr. Grant's IDT 7061 course in Spring 08.
AUTHOR: Laurie Halse Anderson
AGES: 9-12th grade
REVIEW: Speak is about a high school freshman named Melinda. She called the cops at an end of the summer party and is now an outcast at school. Instead of talking to teachers, parents or classmates, Melinda closes up into her own world. This novel addresses a lot of the hard issues involved in being in high school including peer pressure, parents, skipping class, the cost of popularity, drinking, sex and depression. For a more in depth summary visit Barnes and Noble at http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Speak/Laurie-Halse-Anderson/e/9780142407325.
Ms. Anderson’s writing is magnificent! Although the story deals with many hard issues, her realistic characters and sarcastic humor make this story very enjoyable. You will laugh, cry and maybe even want to reach out and hug the troubled main character. I really enjoyed the symbolism of Melinda’s hideaway. She hangs a poster of Maya Angela on the wall to help her find the courage this historical figure possessed. When she finally finds her voice again, it is in the shadows of this great woman. Melinda’s view of the world makes you reevaluate how you view yours. To read another review visit http://www.rambles.net/anderson_speak.html.
A word of caution if using this in a classroom: The reason Melinda called the cops at the party was because she was raped. This is not a novel you can assign and then talk about weeks later. It needs to be read and discussed as a class in a mature manner. For some very good lesson plans about Speak visit http://www.writerlady.com/speakh.html.
Guest Blogger: My name is Lauren W. I am currently a graduate student at the University of Memphis. I am getting my masters in education concentrating on English as a Second Language. My sister is a high school English teacher. She passed this book along to me to use with my 9th grade ESL students. The reading level isn’t terrifically difficult, but the content is incredibly valuable. They absolutely loved it! Lauren is a student in Dr. Grant's IDT 7061 course.
AUTHOR: Melinda Long
AGES: Preschool - Elementary
REVIEW: How I Became a Pirate will make you laugh...if you're a kid or an adult. The story of Braid Beard offering Jeremy Jacob to join his crew will keep you wondering where the story goes. The pirate language and humorous observations by Jeremy Jacob will make you giggle, and if you use your best pirate voice, then every kid will pay close attention, laughing at all the right parts. Not be missed are the incredible illustrations by David Shannon. the detail and humor in all the paintings are awesome.
I read this one to my duaghter's preschool class (in my best pirate voice) and they were mesmerized and laughing at all the antics from the pirates. They especially like the very end when Jeremy Jacob takes off for soccer practice and they find out what his team is called. While pirates might seem like a "boy's" topic, the girls liked it, too. Everyone kept inching up closer and closer to investigate the illustrations.
Melinda Long's Web site has a short synopsis of the story, and Hallsville Intermediate School's Book Blog has an audio recording of the students reading the book. This would be a great addition if you had emergent readers or struggling readers and they wanted to follow along. Melinda visited my sister Lisa's school and read to the kids. At Melinda's site you can also check out her schedule to see where she'll be and when you might could meet her. Also, at Melinda's blog, you can see updates from the author herself and recommendations for integration into your curriculum. If you like this one, then be sure to check out the sequel in Pirates Don't Change Diapers. Just as funny and entertaining.
AUTHOR: Patricia McKissack
AGES: 5 - 8 years old
REVIEW: Flossie & the Fox is a tale of empowerment. A notorious and wily fox meets his match when he encounters an equally witted little girl in the woods. Flossie, who is delivering eggs to a neighbor, refuses to be afraid of this sly critter until he can offer proof that he is the fox her grandmother warned her about. Back to Books also has a short summary.
This story is set in the rural South and reminds me of the simpler days, before television and video games, when my grandfather and I would catch lightning bugs, fish and walk around the homestead. We worked during the day and would spend the evenings talking about infamous relatives and competing in telling the most outlandish yet believable stories. Like the tales of master Storytellers, this story has a message; a young girl uses her brains to beat the fox’s brawn.
This story does contain old southern vernacular you may not want your child to learn and racial/social stereotyping, yet it could serve as an opportunity to discuss these matters with your child. Good media offers another view on this book.
For more about the author and her books, check out The AuthorVisit blog.
Guest Blogger: Matt M. is administrator of a satellite campus at Jackson State Community College and loves reading bedtime stories to his daughter. Bedtime stories are a fond memory from my childhood and I am carrying on the tradition, from Disney to our own made up stories, we cover it all. I was trained to teach a myriad of subjects at the secondary level but now only use those skills at homework time. Matt is a student in Dr. Grant's IDT 7061 class.
AUTHOR: Mo Willems
AGES: 2 – 6
REVIEW: Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity is the sequel to Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale. In Knuffle Bunny Too, our half-pint heroine Trixie is off to preschool with Knuffle Bunny for show and tell, but she finds out he's not so "one-of-a-kind." For a complete synopsis of the story, check out Books Recommended by Robin's post.
What I like most about the Knuffle Bunny stories is the portraits of Trixie's dad. In Knuffle Bunny, the dad somehow allows Trixie to leave/lose Knuffle Bunny at the laundromat. In Knuffle Bunny Too, the dad has to make a middle-of-the-night exchange not dissimilar to an FBI hostage negotiation. I think I may like how Willems handles the dad, because I believe dads get treated like second class parents in many publication. So, author Willems portrays the dad a the humorous one that somehow is expected to create miracles.
Like the original Knuffle Bunny, Knuffle Bunny Too was also awarded a Caldecott Honor Book. You can find out more about Knuffle Bunny and Mo Willems' books at his site, where there is artwork, updates and information about sites for his book tour.
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